Philippians 2:14 – Choosing Gratitude Over Grumbling on Mondays

17 Jun 2024 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Philippians 2:14.       Do all things without murmurings (grumbling) and disputing.

Here we go round the mulberry bush, the mulberry bush: Hear we go round the mulberry bush on a Monday morning! And does it ever feel like we’re going round and round that deleted expletive bush every first day of the new work week? It certainly does! After a terrific weekend, we’re forced to get up at an early hour and do basically the same things, the same way; travel the same route, with the same annoying traffic jams, to see the same people and do the same uninspiring work! 

But that obviously gets a tad much doing it every week, for although mankind is basically a creature of habit, some habits become burdensome and frustrating if carried on too long without a break. So, perhaps to break up the sameness, we can sometimes try doing our Monday mornings a little differently. That all depends though on how much leeway we have in our routines. The first thing I would suggest though is to make whatever preparations are necessary, so you don’t have to hurry to get out the door on Mondays. 

I believe that lack of rushing will help relieve some of the usual frustration. And what about possibly taking a different route, to and from work. Oh, I know, the traffic jams are everywhere! And since those are only suggestions, please don’t be offended. (smile) However, here’s one suggestion, or rather requirement that we do need for our Christian walk. In the words of Bruh Paul to the Philippians: ‘Do all things without murmurings (grumbling) and disputing.’ (Phil. 2:14) 

Now that exhortation will certainly solve some of our Monday woes, since those are the things we do most on that disliked day! (smile) So it seems like a very wise suggestion to act upon. And why did Bruh Paul write it to the church at Philippi? ‘That ye may be blameless and harmless (innocent), the sons (children) of God, without rebuke (fault), in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation (generation), among whom ye shine as lights in the world.’ (Phil. 2:15) 

And that’s a wonderful reason for not complaining and getting into disputes. For then we will be setting a very good example as worthy children of God. And there’s also this verse about complaining from Bruh Paul to the church at Corinth. ‘Neither murmur ye, as some of them (the Israelites in the wilderness) also murmured, and were destroyed by the destroyer.’ (1 Cor. 10:10) 

Yes friends, the Israelites were great grumblers and complainers as they made their way from Egypt towards the Promised Land, and for that unnecessary complaining the Lord punished them once with death by serpents for finding fault with the manna He provided (Num. 21) , and another with a plague for demanding meat (Num. 13). In fact they wandered in the wilderness for forty long years because of their disobedience and complaining and lack of true faith in the Lord who had showed them so many miracles and done so much for them. 

And when Moses sent the twelve spies into the Promised Land to check it out, only Joshua and Caleb had positive reports, while the other ten were negative, saying there were giants in the land, to whom they were like grasshoppers and the land was unconquerable. That brought the Lord to the end of His rope. 

‘And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron saying, How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur (grumble) against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole (entire) number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me. 

Doubtless you shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware (solemnly promised) to make you dwell therein, save Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua, the son of Nun. But your little ones which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised. But as for you, your carcasses they shall fall (die) in this wilderness. And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcasses be wasted in the wilderness. 

After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities (guilt), even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise (rejection). I the Lord have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.’ (Num,. 14:26-35) 

Yuh see friends, the older Israelites who came out of Egypt should have known better after witnessing all the miracles the Lord did for them, but instead they chose to grumble and complain, and so, none of those who left Egypt, except Joshua and Caleb ever set foot in the Promised Land, they wandered in the wilderness until they all died. Now let’s hope that teaches us a lesson about complaining, for the Lord has given us ALL that we need to live this life successfully, but we need to get up off our fat and lazy fannies and get to work on His behalf. 

So, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine help in handling our many problems. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

Now, my fellow saints, please remember that without sincere repentance and turning from our evil ways, divine aid will not be forthcoming. Much LOVE!

…as a sincere believer…to murmur and to complain…is to raise the wrath of God…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 May 2020 Proverbs 26:27.

22 May 2020 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Today’s Scrip-Bit   22 May 2020   Proverbs 26:27.
 
​Proverbs 26:27.    ​Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon (roll back on) him.
 

Well, well, well! Wonders never cease, but daily they increase! Yes friends, the ole fella actually went to bed early last night, before midnight, and thus got up fairly early this morning! Hn! Strange, but true! And I must admit I definitely don’t feel as tired as in the past few days when I burned the midnight oil. But as a creature of habit, it’s hard to change your modus operandi in mid-stream. (smile) But I won’t say never, because when you’re working with and for our omnipotent God, anything is possible. 

Now it’s Friday, and another beautiful summer-like day seems to be in the offing, so let’s see what the ordinary workingman has to say for himself nuh. And he does cry our with some of his old enthusiasm: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui! It was good to go back to work…though ah tired like ah dog now, because I haven’t worked in such a long time. The body’s no longer accustomed to that kind of hard work. And it’s a good thing it was a short week too, with the Queen Vic holiday on Monday. Don’t know what I’d do if I really had to work the whole five days nuh. 

And yuh know what, although we complain when we have to work, this week everybody was happy to come back to work. And I think my lockdown was tough…Hn! Some single fellas had it real rough because they had nobody to talk to, and some of them middle aged and doh have no real computer skills either, so like it was lonely as hell for them. Even the slave master was happy and somewhat pleasant! But it just shows you the real value of real work for our human race. We wasn’t made to just sit around and twiddle we thumbs and live like parasites off of others. 

And after so long apart, the physical distancing and no shaking hands or hugs was somewhat hard, but for the safety of all, we managed. Leh we hope that people stay responsible and we don’t have to go through another lockdown nuh! I couldn’t stand it!  Oh brother, you’ll never hear me curse work again nuh! Thank God for Fridays and weekends yes!’ 

And that’s what I like about the ordinary workingman; he always tells it like it is, no setta B.S. and beating about the bush, but straightforward and to the point. And I do hope and pray that we stay responsible with the lifting of some of the restrictions, because that’s the only way we’ll avoid a second wave of illness and another lockdown. And having said all of that friends, let’s now add our two cents worth of hope and encouragement to the ordinary workingman’s as we humbly, but confidently come before our merciful Creator with our Friday Chant. 

As one now, in strong voice, with sincere hearts: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. It’s been pretty rough…some from work, as some of us went back out this week, but a lot still from all the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus still causing. We not accustomed to that Lord, and it really telling on us. But with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat this virus. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the sure and wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. 

And please help those of us who have to go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, so that we can avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to also bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. It’s also a good opportunity to introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion because of the way we, your faithful believers, handle the situation. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

Ah mih people, what a wonderful world this would be if we’d just stop being selfish and greedy and trust wholeheartedly in the Lord God Jehovah, our Creator and Provider! But we have free will, free choice, so we can do whatever we want. The trouble is that we like to do as we please, but can’t stand to pay the resulting consequences, because friends, there are always consequences to our every action. As Cousin Sol wisely points out: ‘Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon (roll back on) him.’ 

And when we do, or plot to do evil, it usually ricochets or boomerangs back on us. That’s why the Jamaican saying, when yuh dig a pit, yuh should dig two, one for yourself too. And we have an exceptionally good example of this from the Good Book, in the story of Esther. ‘So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king’s wrath pacified (subdued).’ (Esth. 7:10) As they say in, it’s Hamlet, I believe: ‘He was hoist with his own petard (small bomb)’ Yeh, he was hurt by the very thing he made to hurt someone else! 

And Bruh David says it so plainly of the wicked in Psalm 7. ‘Behold, he travaileth with iniquity (walks in sinful ways), and hath conceived mischief (trouble), and brought forth falsehood (encouraged lies). He made (dug) a pit, and digged it (dug it out), and is fallen into the ditch which he made. His mischief (wicked scheme) shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate (the crown of his own head).’ (Ps. 7:14-16)  Fear not my brethren, the wicked will receive their just comeuppance in due time, the Lord has promised it, and we all know He’s a stickler when it comes to keeping His promises. 

That’s why Bruh David ended Psalm 7 with these wise and awesome words. ‘I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high.’ (Ps. 7:17) Yeh friends, wisdom decrees that we do the same in these turbulent and troubling times! Much LOVE!

…you can’t run from your wrong doings…for they usually come back to haunt you…at some stage of life…and when you least expect them…