Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 February 2008 Daniel 11:32‏

24 Feb 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Daniel 11:32    And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt with flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.
 
Ah Friends, we seem to be living in grievous times. Everyone I talk to, appears to be experiencing a period of unusual difficulty. A reflection of our world that’s just full of negative turmoil and destruction. Today, I asked the Most High to point me to some words of encouragement to share in this dire time of need. He lead me to the words of Daniel, talking about the fall of the Babylonian Empire, how there would be much upheaval. We’re currently seeing an enormous amount of that. People are being forced to leave their homes, either through natural disasters, which seem to be happening more than before; through diseases, like Aids, that’s rampant in many areas; and good old warfare. It’s possibly easier to count the places that aren’t involved in armed struggles, than those that are. But whatever the cause, there are millions of people all over the world currently living in refugee camps, under exceedingly squalid conditions, who desperately need food, medicine and proper shelter, but also emotional assurance that they are important, as well as encouragement to continue the struggle to improve their lives. Unfortunately, lots of us living in the First World also need those things due to the stressful, insecure lives our turbulent society forces us to lead. Friends, that’s where Today’s Bit comes in. We all know that disobedience, makes us easy prey to the corrupt entreaties of the enemy. ‘But the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.’ That’s His message people. That’s what the Most High wants to emphasize. Those who really know Him, won’t be taken in by the wiles of the enemy. We’ll stand strong. Oh thank you Lord for those encouraging words! I can feel my spirits already being buoyed, feel that belief, that hope in the Lord flowing stronger. I hope you feel it too. It’s not an easy task, and problems come one after the other. But if we focus on the Most High God, read His word and sincerely try to follow His principles, He’ll fill us with the strength we need. It’s the only way Friends to overcome the evil and confusion that’s besetting us. The only way to achieve great things. So let’s read and pray, get up and do unselfish acts. There’s always someone worse off than us, and when we focus on others, we tend to forget our problems. That’s the way the Lord works. Let’s rekindle the fire and the passion in these blah days of winter, let’s rise up and know our God, that we may stand strong and do great exploits in His name. Much LOVE!…when the going gets tough…the tough…they get going…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 February 2008 Psalm 1:1-4‏

23 Feb 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 1:1-4    Blessed is the man that walketh not in the council of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the Law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season: his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like chaff which the wind driveth away.
 
Oh how great is our God! He’s always working behind the scenes. Last night while watching a tape of Bubba Joel Osteen talking about staying in faith in the rough times, and rekindling the passion of the dreams the Lord put in our hearts, he quoted verse three of Today’s Bit; ‘And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season: his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ I had to chuckle since I’d just written about the same thing that day, only using the passage from Jeremiah. And wonder of wonders, Bubba Joel also used that passage. I took that as a sign that the Lord was trying to drive home the point to us that ‘Without me you’re nothing! You won’t flourish!’ and I should continue the theme, using Bruh David’s words instead. Blessed are those who refuse the advice and don’t participate in the activities of the ungodly. That doesn’t mean we should have no association with them, because that’s whom Jesus came to save, the unrighteous, and our calling is to continue His work. The important thing is that we don’t let them influence us, we must influence them. And we can only do that by delighting in the Law of the Lord and studying it continually. That’s how we acquire our conquering strength, which allows us to do the Lord’s work amongst the ungodly without fear of backsliding. That’s when we become fruitful evergreens, planted in fertile ground, by ever flowing waters. Yes Friends, that’s the living truth! Trust in the Lord and you shall prosper! What else do we need to hear or see to believe it eh? There are numerous examples: From the beginning of time; Adam and Eve, right down to now; you and me. We’ve heard about it, seen and experienced it. When people are obedient to the Lord, they prosper. While, as Bruh David emphasizes, ‘The ungodly are not so: but are like chaff which the wind driveth away.’ They who refuse to walk with the Lord, will suffer much misfortune and forego His awesome mercy and loving kindness. Please Friends, let’s not fall into the snares the enemy lays for us. Let’s stay close to the Lord Jehovah; He is All, and has All we can ever want or need. Much LOVE!…like ticks stick to an animals hide…so should we…stick to the Father’s side…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 February 2008 Jeremiah 17:5&7‏

22 Feb 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Jeremiah 17:5&7    Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh the flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.
 
How much simpler can He put it eh Friends? Cursed be thou, if you put your trust in man and turn away your heart from God. However, Blessed is the man that trusts and hopes in the Lord. It’s laid out right there in black and white people. The choice is ours. If we choose the first option, then Jeremiah says we shall be like the heath in the desert. The dictionary defines heath as a bare, flat, waste tract of land, covered with struggling shrubs, hence the word heathen; barren and bereft of God. So when we turn away from the Father, our soul loses its fertility, and we won’t see any good coming our way, since we’ll be living in a figurative desert-like, uninhabited, salty wasteland, with nothing productive happening. That picture certainly doesn’t appeal to me, and I’m sure it doesn’t to you either Friends. That’s why we’ve got to put our trust and hope in the Most High God, Jehovah, so that we can be blessed. And Jeremiah describes that blessing like a tree, planted in fertile ground by the river side, its roots spread out to build a strong foundation that enables abundant growth. That tree won’t even notice when the sun blazes down on it, it’s leaves will remain green, because it’s roots, it’s strong foundation is well watered. Moreover, it won’t even care about times of drought, for with the Lord’s help and blessing, it will still bear fruit under those trying conditions. Now tell me people, which option sounds better eh? The Most High gave us complete freedom of choice because Adam and Eve didn’t listen. But one of the drawbacks of freedom is that you’ve got to choose, and consequently suffer the negative consequences, or reap the rewards of  that choice. The options aren’t always as easy, but this one’s a no brainer. However, human nature is so strange and unpredictable, that sometimes we even get the no brainers wrong. Friends, let’s hope we all get this one right. As for me and mine, we’ll stick with the Lord; trust and hope in Him through thick and thin. Let’s hope you choose to dwell in His blessed promise too. Much LOVE!…unless you’re sadly deranged…you’ll choose the oasis…over the desert…every time…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 February 2008 Deuteronomy 4:29-31‏

21 Feb 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Deuteronomy 4:29-31    But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shall be obedient unto his voice, (For the Lord thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.
 
Moses knew that his generation would never see the Promised Land, thus, before his death, he spent most of his time laying the framework; laws, behaviour etc. for those who would cross over the Jordan. Today, he’s warning them about forgetting and forsaking the covenant with the Lord when they became settled and prosperous in the new land. That they should not make any graven images, or corrupt themselves, or do any evil in the Lord’s sight that might provoke Him to anger; ‘For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.’ V.24. He would not hesitate to destroy their prosperity and scatter them far and wide to live servile lives under heathens who worshipped man made gods. However, if that fate ever befell them, it happened several times, then remember Today’s Bit. Friends, that’s what is so great about our God: We can be rebellious and disobedient and suffer the punishment, but whenever we renew our faith and seek Him with all our heart and soul, with true repentance, then we’ll surely find Him. Even if we’ve been disobedient for a very long time, once we sincerely ask His forgiveness and start obeying His Word, He will never reject us. He’ll remember His promise to our fathers to have mercy and not completely destroy us. ‘For the Lord thy God is a merciful God,’ Hallelujah! For that Friends, we owe Him much thanks, praise, homage and gratitude. For it’s Him who causes us to enjoy the good life. It’s Him who makes us to lie down in green pastures, warm beds at night, and walk in paths of righteousness, of safety, and eat of the rich harvest of the land. Friends, without Him, hn, we’d be like the idol worshippers, who might prosper for a while on their own strength, but when the crunch time comes, their man made, inanimate gods are useless, unable to help them. But the Most High God whom we worship and glorify? Oh People! He’s alive and well, all powerful and brimming over with mercy, always ready, willing and most importantly, able to help His people when they call. So Friends, let’s be wise and seek Him nuh. He’s the most potent and powerful force in all the universe. Why wouldn’t you want Him as your guide and protector? Let’s be obedient to His voice, so that all will be well with us. It’s much more profitable to learn from the mistakes of others. Let’s take that lesson to heart and avoid the serious pitfalls that disobedience brings. Much LOVE!…in times of need…whose help would you prefer…an inanimate object…or a living God…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 February 2008 Job 42:10&12‏

20 Feb 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Job 42:10&12    And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job, more than his beginning…..
 
Yes Friends, our God places a high value on unselfishness and a steadfast, faithful character. And He shows that with Job, who in spite of all the ‘sufferation’, never blamed or cursed God. Of course he cried out to him in despair, questioning why and asking for help. Then his supposed friends came accusing him of having wronged God, and though their intentions were good, their advice was bad. But Job’s trust in his God never waivered. The Lord however was wrath with the friends, because they had not spoken the right things about Him, whereas Job had. So He ordered them to take seven bulls and seven rams and go to Job and offer up a burnt offering for themselves, and have Job pray for them. He was willing to accept Job’s prayers, but not theirs. They did as the Lord commanded and Job prayed for them. The last part of Vs. 9 says, ‘the Lord also accepted Job.’ And Today’s Bit declares that ‘the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends:’ That’s because he held no bitterness or anger against them. That’s how we need to be too people; not harbour any bitterness or anger. It kills both the body and soul plus destroys our communication with God. From then Job rose to prominence again. And it’s truly amazing how the Lord accomplished that. Verse 11 tells us that all his family, previous friends and acquaintances came over to his house to break bread and comfort him over his unjust suffering, and ‘every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.’ Wow! Only our God could have conceived such an ingenious plan to engineer Job’s comeback. ‘So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job, more than his beginning.’ Yuh talk about blessed. Hear how Job ended up: fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. His family was also rebuilt, to the tune of seven sons and three daughters, who turned out to be the most beautiful women in the land. And Job had so much that he gave each of them an inheritance along with their brothers. The Lord even sweetened it further. ‘After this lived Job, an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his son’s sons, even four generations.’ And all God’s people said ‘Wow!’ Yuh see Friends what our Heavenly Father can and will do for us when we trust Him and remain faithful. We need to remember that life’s a cycle, continuously revolving around good and bad. That is why after the drought, there’s a nourishing rain; after the famine, a plentiful harvest; after the thunderstorm, a beautiful rainbow; after the darkest hour, the bright light of dawn. So for all of us who are currently undergoing rough times, let’s assume that it’s a test God’s giving us for future promotion, and to pass it, we’ve got to be faithful and stand strong, knowing that the rough times will eventually turn to good times, as sure as the sun rises in the east every morning. Let’s learn from Job’s example nuh. Much LOVE!…if you’ve hit rock bottom…then smile…cause soon… you’ll be heading up… where there are no boundaries or limits…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 February 2008 Ecclesiastes 3:20

19 Feb 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Ecclesiastes 3:20    All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
                                                           Eulogy for Amy Brown
Once there were six, now only one’s left. Ah Friends, it’s a bittersweet day, so don’t expect much coherent thought since I’m writing this from my heart, not my head. Amy Brown, the last of my five surrogate mothers passed away unexpectedly on Sunday evening. Only my biological mother, Molly, is left now. I guess it’s fitting that she was both the first and the last. Yes, I’ve been truly blessed by having six, strong, faithful, loving and caring West Indian women to mother and mentor me at various times in my life. Times when I desperately needed, LOVE, guidance, food and shelter. Did I hear you say Divine Intervention? Oh people for sure! It seems that Aunt Ames, as I fondly called her, succumbed to a heart attack when that was not her main problem. But thankfully she won’t be racked by any more pain. I’m truly disappointed that I did not get to see her before she passed on. Just last week, over the phone, she promised to hold on until July, when I planned to visit J.A. However, when your number is called up yonder, you’ve got to go, and I’m sure that right now she’s being ushered into our Heavenly Father’s presence with a blaze of horns, harps and angels voicing sweet heavenly music, and He’s saying, ‘Welcome, my true and faithful servant!’ and giving her a big hug and a kiss on both cheeks. I can vouch for her goodness, because forty one years ago, she took, no, welcomed me into her home; a down on his luck nineteen year old from distant Tobago, attending the University of the West Indies campus on Mona, in Kingston, J.A. She didn’t know me from Adam. I was just an acquaintance of her daughter on the campus; not even her boyfriend. I don’t remember how it actually happened, I just know that this slim, medium height, wiry, feisty, passionate, hard working, brown skinned woman and her husband, Uncle Aub’s welcomed me into their home, with four young daughters to boot, no questions asked. She then took me under her wing and treated me like the son she never had. Don’t worry Aunt Ames, you know I’ve always considered myself your son, and I’ll grieve as such. How can I not, when you provided me with food and shelter in possibly the hardest period of my life, not to mention the occasional dressing down when I stepped out of line. I always remember that time when I complained about my mother not sending me any money, and you retorted with a how can she send you what she doesn’t have. That unselfish, understanding attitude when I had nothing to contribute, said a whole lot to me. I know Uncle Aub’s going to miss you a whole heap because you’ve been his guiding light during most of his ninety something years. He says he’s feeling empty without you already. Oh Aunt Ames, so many of us foreign students enjoyed your hospitality while at U.W.I. that I’m sure there are many wet eyes around the world today, you know mine are. But we are spiritual beings existing in a physical body, and death is just a stage in our long journey, signalling the end of the physical aspect. Then we continue in our spiritual form to meet our Creator. Aunt Ames, the ole fella will never forget you. I will be forever grateful, because you were one of the persons who set me on the right path, taught me the right way to live through your example of loving kindness. And I’ll forever cherish those moments we shared, especially those spent out on the front porch in friendly reasoning. Sorry I could not be there to attend your send off to glory, but you know you’ll never be erased from my heart. I’ll always talk about your loving kindness to me and so many others, and one day, not too soon though (smile) we’ll meet again in Paradise. Till then… Happy Journey Home, Aunt Ames. Much Much LOVE! …Death should not be a mournful dirge…but rather a celebration of life lived to the full… overflowing with loving kindness…and yours certainly was…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 February 2008 Psalm 120:1‏

18 Feb 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 120:1    In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me!
 
Oh thank you Lord, thank you! All honour and glory and praise be unto you Most High God! Well, I’ve done a complete turn around, because I got a message today from the Father, that gave a little insight into the reasons for my rough walk this past week. We won’t get into the specifics, but apparently it wasn’t punishment, since I hadn’t done anything to really deserve that. It was just His way of shaping and moulding me a bit closer to the likeness of His Son, Jesus Christ, Our Saviour. Oh joyous and blessed day! Today I’m laughing both inside and out. However, He warned me not to get too complacent or full of myself, because He wasn’t quite finished. I was still a work in progress, which means there’s more cutting and trimming in the offing, so I could better fit the mould. I guess it’s like when you plant stuff, you’ve got to continually prune it, so that it can grow straight and strong. Who says our God isn’t a wonderful Father eh, and an excellent horticulturist too! (smile) But seriously Friends, this proves that although the Lord doesn’t dance to our tune, He does listen and answer our pleas, only in His own way and time. He does fiddle with our minds though, because earlier today, while lying in bed, ‘between sleep and wake’ I found the thoughts for the opening of Today’s Bit seeping into my mind. Chuh! I tried to brush them aside, arguing that people didn’t want to hear about my problems. But He was persistent, reasoning that ‘Yesterday you told them how I mistreated you, even though you were doing the right thing, and wasn’t even man enought to explain why. Well it’s only fair to let them know that today I finally gave you an answer.’  I could not rebut that logic. So here it is. And when it came time to choose a Bit, I obviously went straight to Bruh David. I wanted something to do with thanks and praise, but the Lord had other ideas. There’s a bookmark at the last part of Psalm 119, that I’m currently reading for my mother, whose eyesight is failing, so the Bible naturally opened there, and, much to my surprise, the appropriate words, underlined in red, were staring at me. ‘In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me.’ Yes Friends, He does listen. You’ll seldom get an immediate answer, unless it’s an emergency, so, having posed your question with confidence and reverence, you’ve then got to wait and listen attentively, for you never know when and how He’ll answer. Much LOVE!…when talking to God… patient listening is of the utmost importance…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 February 2008 Psalm 119:71‏

17 Feb 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 119: 71    It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes.
 
Ahh Lord! What a merry chase you’ve led the ole fella this week. I don’t understand why, but I know that in your infinite wisdom, there’s a meaningful purpose my mortal mind can’t comprehend, so I’ll continue to give you the thanks and praise you richly deserve. Yes Friends. Talk about a guava season! Hn,hn! I’m laughing, but only on the outside. Marshall’s Law claims that anything that can go wrong, will do so. Well this past week, things that can’t go wrong, went wrong. Even when I did them perfectly, they still went wrong. Finally, today, in utter frustration, I threw up my hands and cried out, ‘Why Lord? What’s the purpose? I don’t understand. I believe I’m doing your bidding. But all the results coming back negative!’ This was no medical case where negative results are considered good, but the real trials of life that require, that need positive results. Well I did not get an answer to my pleas, and when the time came to choose a Bit, the frustration kept bubbling up in me. So, as I tend to do these days, when in doubt, turn to Bruh Dave’s words. And … Hallelujah! After scanning a few passages, this one line just jumped out at me. ‘It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes.’ Hn! That seemed to be the answer, though I think I’ve had enough affliction to know the statutes backwards and forwards. But apparently the Most High disagrees. And whom am I to argue with Him eh? In any case, when I became a believer, I agreed to abide by His will, which isn’t always easy. But we also know that if we walk in faith, that this too will pass, that regardless of what happens, nothing, no weapon shall succeed against us, no enemy shall prevail, because we’re all conquerors through Him that LOVED and died for us. Friends, our God’s a winner! No doubt about that, but sometimes I’m not thrilled at His mysterious movements. I’m still not sure what He’s trying to tell me. It could be a reaction to my naively asking for strength, wisdom and patience, without realizing that those things are only acquired through trials and tribulations. Or that I should know and experience whereof I speak, and possibly practice what I preach. I try to do that, but I’m only human, thus frail and fallible. Or, since I wrote about chastening yesterday, He’s trying to prove whether I can accept it gracefully, so He can legitimately call me His son. Or even all of the above. Well I have some good news for Him. I’m going to bear it gracefully. It won’t be easy, but since I know He never gives us more than we can handle, I’ll bear up under the strain, with His help of course. So Friends, keep on smiling and walking in faith, because it’s His will that counts, not ours. And anyway, this too shall pass. Much LOVE! …remember…life has two sides…we must learn to take the bad with the good…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 February 2008 Hebrews 12:5-7‏

16 Feb 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Hebrews 12:5-7    And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children. My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as sons, for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
 
Those words surely bring back some painful memories of chastening at our parents hands. I got mine from my mother. At the time, most of us considered it unnecessary and/or unfair. But as Bruh Paul points out, it was necessary since we’d either forgotten, or simply chose to disobey our parents rules. The same thing goes for our Heavenly Father: When we disobey His rules, we set ourselves up for punishment. However, Bruh Paul advises that we should not curl up in a ball and whimper and moan when He rebukes or punishes us for our disobedience. Remember, we thought we were punished because our parents didn’t like us. But they thought differently; it was because they cared about us, they tried to keep us on the straight and narrow. And after the punishment wore off , we usually realized it was deserved, though we would not admit it in public (smile) There were also times when we deserved it, but got off scot free. Friends, it’s just like that with our God. We call Him, Father, and He considers us His children. So there is a parental relationship between Him and us. And what does such a relationship entail? LOVE, nurturing and guidance, from the parent to the child, because the young are usually not developed enough to handle life on their own. From there it progresses logically: Our Father in Heaven gave us rules to live by. If we disobey, then, in His Infinite Wisdom, He’ll mete out the required punishment. Usually it’s not as much as we deserve, and sometimes He even let’s us off scot free like our earthly parents, because He’s a merciful and forgiving Father. He does all of this for us because He LOVES us, and doesn’t want to see us go down the sinful road to eternal damnation, but rather walk the path of LOVE, that leads to Him and His Son Jesus; the path to everlasting salvation. That’s why Bruh Paul said, ‘For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth.’ And the same way our earthly fathers acknowledged us as sons, if we took our just desserts like a man, that’s exactly how the Most High operates. As Bruh Paul declares, ‘If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as sons, for what son is he, whom the father chasteneth not?’ Good question my Friends. I guess it’s called tough LOVE nowadays, but in my time it was simply, ‘if yuh doh hear, yuh feel’ That says it all. Much LOVE! …remember…if you can’t do the time..then don’t do the crime…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 February 2008 Joshua 1:5-7‏

15 Feb 2008 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Joshua 1:5-7    There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee: I will not fail thee nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I swore unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
 
What a huge responsibility the Lord gave Joshua after Moses death, elevating him to the leadership position over the Israelites. I don’t know if Joshua really wanted the job, since he was there when Moses discovered, much to his chagrin, that the Israelites were a very intractable people; without patience or tolerance. They wanted what they wanted now, but, weren’t prepared to pay the price. A major problem that’s also besetting our society. That’s why the Lord had them wandering in the wilderness for forty years. But now that a new generation had grown up outside of Egypt, without the slavery mentality, He decided that they were ready to go in and possess the land He promised their fathers. Note, none of those fathers ever saw it. I believe it’s only two people, Joshua and Caleb, who came out of Egypt that ever saw it. Although it seemed an overwhelming task, I’m sure Joshua knew that the Lord never gives us more than we can bear, and also provides the tools to do the job He desires. And so He did. Listen to the awesome promise He made Joshua: That for the rest of his life, nobody would ever confront him successfully; and just as He was with Moses, He would be with him, Joshua; neither would He fail nor forsake him. Wow! And all He asked of Joshua was to be strong and very courageous. Poor Joshua would certainly need to be, if he was going to lead the Israelites and divide the land amongst the twelve tribes. We all know what happens when land is divided; the ugly side of the human animal really comes out. Joshua also needed immense tenacity and perseverance to ensure the people kept the laws Moses gave them. The Most High gave him explicit instructions on that matter: ‘Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left.’ Failure to follow the Lord’s dictates had been one of the Israelites problems, just as it is with us today. But God’s reason to Joshua for ensuring obedience was ‘that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.’ Yes Friends, regardless of what the world says, it’s only by being obedient to the Father that true, lasting success is ever achieved. That’s an undisputable fact. And though it’s not an easy task, we are assured of the same promise that the Most High made to Joshua: ‘As I was with Moses, so will I be with thee: I will not fail thee or forsake thee.’ Gospel truth! ‘Only be thou strong and very courageous.’ A matter in which He also helps, if He sees that we’re sincerely trying. So Friends, let’s take the Lord at His word nuh, let’s be strong and courageous, be obedient, that we can go out and battle the enemy successfully. Much LOVE!…walking in His will takes courage…but once we set out in faith…He steps in to help…

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