The Importance of Watching Our Words when Misfortune Befalls Us!

20 Nov 2025 Leave a comment

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

Job 2:10b).        ‘What? shall we receive (accept) good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive (accept) evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.’ 

Well friends, let’s give you the bad news first; (smile) it’s obvious we’re on a late late bus, and we might doing so for the next few days. And the reason for that bad news is this good news; the ole fella is in T&T! 

Yes mih bredrin, the ole fella and his family journeyed through the night, with no sleep, to come to the land of mas and kaiso! And then on landing, instead of going to our hotel, we began visiting family for breakfast, which took some time as we had not seen each other for a number of years. 

And since their time is an hour ahead of Canada’s, it means that we are operating on a shorter time period than normal. But that didn’t matter for we got to hotel in Port of Spain, booked in, had a short nap, then we were off again to check out the north coast of Trinidad, heading up to Maracas and Las Cuevas beaches, through the hilly and winding road, busy with traffic going in both directions. 

At one point because of the rain, we encountered a small landslide which knocked a big tree over the road, but we were able to pass under it, however a bus had to stop and park until the tree could be removed, and by the time we were returning the bus passed us, going its merry way rejoicing, meaning that the fallen tree had been removed. 

I had a brief dip in the salt at Las Cuevas…imagine that nuh, it’s been at least some four or five years since I’ve had the heavenly blessing of immersing my aching body in salt water, the best therapeutic remedy for aches and pains and what ever else may ail you. (smile) And that’s no lie! 

After Las Cuevas, we went back to Maracas to have some of their famous bread and shark with all different kinds of trimmings. The rest of the family had it, but I didn’t, since I’m not a fish lover, and that delicacy was never one of my favourites. 

And were we ever blessed with rain going and coming…not the heavy stuff, but enough drizzle to keep some of the many beautiful mountains clothed in fog. At one time I even thought I was back in good ole Canada by the amount of fog I was seeing. (smile) 

And coming back was just like going home after work in the big city…traffic jams. What else is new eh! The roads have been the same size for donkey’s years but the traffic has increased very significantly. 

We finally got back to the hotel around four thirty, then I had to begin sorting out my stuff, because we had no chance to do it earlier in the day. So, it’s obvious that the ole fella is tired like a dog, but I’m trying to practice what I preach; perseverance in tough times. I just could not let the day go by without some sort of information to my favourite Script-Bits Family. 

So there you have it, the good and bad news, for as Job so rightly said to his frustrated wife in his time of tribulation: ‘What? shall we receive (accept) good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive (accept) evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.’ (Job 2:10b) 

And so it ought to be with us my fellow believers. When tough times tackle us, and unceremoniously deposits us on the carpet, we must not rush to make hasty decisions and use unbecoming language, for our God knows what is happening in our lives, and has promised to help us through them if we remain in good and steadfast faith. 

Oh, it’s never really easy to undergo trials and not say anything untoward, especially about God, but if we truly believe, we have to bite our tongues and say in all sincerity in worship, like Job did after hearing the awful news  about his family and his livelihood. 

The Good Book tells us: ‘Then Job arose, and rent (tore) his mantle (robe), and shaved his head, and fell on the ground, and worshipped. And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.’ (Job 1:20-22) 

The sad part is that when many of us encounter trials and tribulation we’re quick to blame others for our misfortune, including the Lord. But that’s never the right approach, as Job so wisely and righteously shows. 

And Jesus put some icing on the cake on that in His Sermon on the Mount, when teaching about LOVING one’s enemies: ‘That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust.’ (Matt. 5:45) 

In other words, as this commentary explains: ‘ The phrase “the rain falls on the just and the unjust” means that natural events and hardships are not selective and affect everyone, regardless of their moral character. 

Jesus states that God causes the sun to rise and rain to fall on both the good and the bad to show His universal benevolence. The saying highlights that both “good” and “bad” people will face similar trials and blessings in life.’ 

And we all know that, so please, let’s try to live our faith as best we can, and admit that the Lord knows what He is doing. ‘Praise be to the Lord God Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’ Now, let’s go home declaring (chuhhh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus! 

As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. 

My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And the important thing about that last statement is that whoever endures to the end with Christ, will enjoy a future so glorious that they can never understand or imagine it. So, let’s keep that in mind and endure to the end nuh, so we can enjoy that more than glorious together! Much LOVE!

…talking tough is easy…but being tough when tough times come a calling…is a horse of an entirely different colour.

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 March 2020 1 Timothy 2:4.

01 Mar 2020 Leave a comment

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

1 Timothy 2:4.    ​Who will have (desires) all men to be saved, and come unto the knowledge of truth.
 
Well a fine Sunday morning to you my friends and neighbours! I do hope the Lord has blessed you mightily….and you better believe He has if you are reading this missive! (smile) He has indeed blessed us with the wonderful breath of life and clear eyesight to see the words I write. So for just that we ought to be eternally grateful. And if you add all the other blessings, then I don’t think we have the capacity for enough gratitude, (smile) but we’ll certainly try. 

And one of the ways we’ll do it is by gathering today, on His special day, in His holy sanctuary, or wherever we can, to praise and give thanks and hear His mighty Word. Oh my people, there’s nothing more moving and momentous that a group of believers fellowshipping with sincere praise and thanksgiving! 

So as always, let’s begin our proceedings with this old favourite by Isaac Watts, titled ‘At the Cross.’ And was that ever a turning point in the annals of man! So let’s convince heaven of our heartfelt thanks for Jesus’ death on the cross, and all that it accomplished in our sinful lives. 

As one, in strong, soulful and harmonious voice: ‘Alas! and did my Savior bleed And did my Sov’reign die? Would He devote that sacred head For such a worm as I? (Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day!) Was it for crimes that I had done He groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity! grace unknown! And love beyond degree! 

(Refrain) Well might the sun in darkness hide And shut his glories in, When Christ, the mighty Maker died, For man the creature’s sin. (Refrain) Thus might I hide my blushing face While His dear cross appears, Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, And melt my eyes to tears. (Refrain) But drops of grief can ne’er repay The debt of LOVE I owe: Here, Lord, I give myself away, ’Tis all that I can do. 

(Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day! At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day!’

Oh my people, my people, the wonder of the cross…words cannot truly describe it. Because it was there that the whole world was turned upside down and a new era in mankind’s story began! The story of salvation, of reconciliation, of total forgiveness, of redemption, justification, sanctification…and all the other good things that flowed…and are still flowing from Jesus’ selfless sacrifice on the cross at Calvary! 

And as the song so rightly says: ‘Drops of grief can ne’er repay The debt of LOVE I owe.’ And is that ever the gospel truth friends! No amount of tears, of heartfelt eyes water can ever repay the debt of LOVE that we owe our heavenly Father. I’m sure our puny and finite minds can’t even begin to understand the heartbreak He felt in having to crucify His one and only, so amazing Son, so that a bunch of stubborn, hard-hearted sinners could have the option to be set free. 

But such was His LOVE for us, that He took the one holy, just and righteous avenue open to Him. And it wasn’t by chance He did that either nuh, but by conscious design. Why yuh think? Listen to Bruh Paul in his first letter to Timothy, as he exhorts him to constant prayer. ‘For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have (desires) all men to be saved, and come unto the knowledge of truth.’ (1 Tim. 2:3-4) 

Yes friends, that has been the Lord’s desire ever since the day He kicked Adam and Eve out of the Garden. He doesn’t want to lose even one single soul of His most precious creation to the evil fool Satan. That’s why He went to such awesome lengths to get us back into right standing with Him. And He’s been saying it all the time. 

Listen to Him speak through the prophet Ezekiel: ‘Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God; and not that he should return from his ways, and live?… For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.’ (Ezek. 18:23; 32) 

Yes my breddren, our magnanimous and magnificent God doesn’t want even those who want eternal death to die! How much more does He have to so to convince us to change from our wicked ways and live eh? I really don’t know if there’s any more He can do, except strip us of our free will and make us come to Him automatically. But He’s not going to do that, because He promised us free will and He doesn’t renege on His promises. 

And yuh know the second part of our Bit which talks about coming to the knowledge of the truth? Well here is what the Lord said through Jeremiah on the subject. ‘Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercises LOVING-kindness, judgement (justice) and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.’ (Jer. 9:23-24) 

For sure, my fellow believers, the KNOWLEDGE OF GOD IS MAN’S GLORY! And until we know that, accept it, and live it we’ll keep on being lost! And it’s only fitting to close with the words of Jesus on the topic. He said this when He prayed for His own. ‘And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent.’ (John 17:3) 

Yeh friends, knowing the ONE true God, through His Son Jesus Christ, is the ONLY WAY to eternal life! So let’s get smart and get to know Him nuh, so that come the last day, we will not find ourselves on the outside looking in, for that’s the worst thing that can happen to a human soul. Much LOVE!

…to know God…is to know the glorious truth…and be set free… 

P.S. Didn’t do anything yesterday because of the stormy weather. They wouldn’t even allow to me get a dip in the salt since it was so rough. I did get a burger and some jerk pork over at the beach hut though, and washed it down with two nameless exotic pink cocktails. (smile) Today is sunny, so let’s see what the Lord will bring to pass in my life. Much LOVE!