James 1:19. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.
Awright friends, we’re down to Wednesday, our second wind day, and I hope that we all catch it, so that we can be reinvigorated and continue our good and most worthwhile work for Jesus! And all God’s people said a loud ‘Amen!’ Now, today, we’re going to listen to a most important and applicable poem for our social media and information times, from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin.
And I know we’ve already shared this poem at least twice, but it’s so important for these times that we need to share it again. It’s titled ‘A Quiet Tongue!’ And many, many more of us do need to have just that, because we’ve become such a talkative society, but sadly, most of the time, we don’t really know what we’re talking about.
So please read with me. ‘Lord, a revealing fact began to surface today: I talk more than I listen. I seem to be thoroughly convinced That my ideas My inspiring experiences My bits of wisdom Are exactly what all my friends need. Too often I break into conversations Confident that my enlightened insight Will solve the predicament – Whatever it is. Obviously, I feel more comfortable When I’m expounding. But this morning at a Bible study I cringed when I read Your command In the first chapter of James.
‘Don’t ever forget That it is best to listen much Speak little, and not become angry.” At first I wanted to run. But as the words kept battering away At my guilty heart I finally circled them with red ink. Now, Lord, please help me to obey them. Remind me daily, hourly That listening is a discipline And a discipline always costs. I know I must pay a price. The price for me Is a listening ear And quiet tongue.’
And believe me in this talkative and oh so opinionated society many many of us need to pay that price of ‘a listening ear and a quiet tongue’ because we talk way too much and don’t listen as much as we ought to. Our social media situation has given us the options to say whatever we want, and ofttimes in secret too, even if we don’t know the true facts of the situation. And is it ever so annoying that nowadays, everyone has an opinion on everything!
Meanwhile the facts that we base those opinions on are either, skewered, misdirectional, or even outright lies. And sadly, there’s little fact checking, even in the big media companies, and it’s become worse with the advent of AI, (Artificial Intelligence) which we’re boosting as a panacea for all that ails us. The problem with that though, is that Artificial Intelligence is a learned behaviour, it only knows what it’s been taught, and if it’s taught the wrong thing, then you’ll get wrong answers from it. It’s like they said of computers, garbage in, garbage out.
Yes, you can only get out of these automated systems whatever you put into them. And we’ve already seen the great AI causing needless problems, through incorrect information, cheating on exams and papers, and being used for other nefarious activities and schemes. For anything a man makes, a man will contrive to us it for evil and ungodly purposes. So what’s the answer?
It’s as James say in the Bible Promise for the poem. ‘Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. For the wrath of man worketh not (does not produce) the righteousness of God.’ (James 1:19-20) And does our world ever need to quiet down, for there’s absolutely too much noise, too many distractions, for anyone to concentrate properly on what’s happening around them. That’s the enemy trying to drive us to drink with all the nonsense that’s currently happening in our world.
But as believers in Christ Jesus, we are capable of turning off the noise and ignoring the other distractions, while basking in the peace and quiet of Christ, if we so desire. That’s because He’s given us His peace, (John 14:27; 16:33) but we have to seek it and pursue it, for it doesn’t just fall into our laps. It’s like Bruh David says in Psalm 34; ‘Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile (deceit). Depart from evil, and do good: seek peace, and pursue it.’ (Ps. 34:13-14)
And I like how this commentary explains that last verse. ‘It is a biblical command from Psalm 34:14 that encourages an active, deliberate effort to cultivate peace, rather than passively waiting for it. It involves turning away from evil and doing good, and is a principle to be applied in various contexts, from personal relationships to interactions with the wider world.’ And oh how does our world need and crave peace in these war-like and strife-filled times.
And we’re going to close with a couple of scriptures that all of us need to take to heart and put into practice. The first one comes from Psalm 39, where Bruh David talks about Control of the Tongue. ‘I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle (restrain my mouth), while the wicked is before me.’ (Ps. 39:1) Then in Psalm 141- Keep My Heart From Evil, Bruh David also makes this plea. ‘Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.’ (Ps. 141:3) That should be a daily prayer for all believers.
Oh friends, as this commentary tells us: ‘The prayer is a recognition of the power of the tongue. It is a request for divine help to control one’s speech, a plea to guard one’s mouth and avoid speaking in ways that are harmful, careless, or sinful. The prayer is an expression of a desire for self-control and wisdom in communication.’ Now, hopefully, we’ve gotten all of that written indelibly in our hearts, and will start practicing it right away. (smile)
So let’s declare 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 there’s a codicil to that promise, which says; all who endure to the very end with Jesus, will experience an even more glorious future. So please, let’s endure to the very end nuh, so that we can enjoy that greater than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…being careful with our speech…is godly wisdom…especially in these ungodly times…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
The Importance of Christians Knowing, Understanding and Believing God’s Promises in Times of Crisis!
09 Nov 2026 Leave a comment
by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a life-saving raft, a state of upheaval, a time of peace, a time of war, a time to be born, a time to break down, a time to build up, a time to cast away, a time to cast away stones, a time to dance, a time to die, a time to embrace, a time to every purpose under heaven, a time to gather stones together, a time to get, a time to hate, a time to heal, a time to keep, a time to keep silence, a time to kill, a time to laugh, a time to lose, a time to love, a time to mourn, a time to plant, a time to pluck up that which is planted, a time to refrain from embracing, a time to rend, a time to sew, a time to speak, a time to weep, Ai (Artificial Intelligence, AI qualifications, all over the world, all things work together for good to them that love God, atrocious greed, becoming more inequitable, benefittiing from their selfish schemes, big money, boggles my imagination, buffeted and bombarded by the enemy's evil schemes, called according to God's purpose, Christian need to get serious about their faith, complaining about the toughness of life, continual oppression brings revolution, continual slide into fewer opportunities, disastrous times, divine aid, divine inspiration, embrace the promises of the Bible, evil and ungodly things being done, faith, fight the good fight for Jesus, fill us with steadfast faith, firing low scale people, for the betterment of all, further feathering their already feathered nest, furthering your glorious kingdom, get worse before it gets better, God has a sovereign design behind everything, have not learned from our mistakes, herald further deprivation, hogwash, hold on to for dear life, holy spirit, humble servants, in our favour, into the enemy's ranks, Jesus Christ, jobs, keep us keeping on, keeping lives and families together, killed the middle class, lead and guide all your servants, look for another job, LOVE, make worthwhile inroads, meet the enemy in battle, mercy, no benefits, oppression, our Father who art in heaven, our world is falling apart, our world is in an uproar, over the weekend, power enamoured leaders, power hunger, praise and thank you, refrain from intimacy, rejuvenation of spirit, repression, rising up in protest, sad commentary on our leaders, sally forth with confidence, salvation, serve a useful purpose, society is at its highest level ever, sure conquerors, the all-embracing love of Jesus, the bastion of society, the bottom ninety percent, the devil's advocate, the eventual outcome, the horns of deprivation and uncertainty, the lower strata of society, the only certainty in this world, the only option is to revolt, the only solid foundation, the only true answer, the renewed vitality and enthusiasm, the same old dead-end job, the throne of grace, the top echelons, the top ten percent, the wisdom of Solomon, the wreckage being caused to so many young lives, the young generation, tired of empty promises, to begin a new week of work, to every thing there is a season, truth, uneasily balance, unprincipled technocrats, we know we're invincible, we're not afraid, wearing your powerful protective spiritual armour, weary souls, wisdom, write indelibly in our hearts, your incredible aura of love
Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 November 2026 Ecclesiastes 3:1.
Ecclesiastes 3:1. To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
‘Ahoy there mih bredrin, it’s a cloudy and cold Monday! What’s new with you eh?’ And all I get in response is a sour sneer: ‘What you think eh? It’s Monday, and I’m back in the same old dead-end job, working for pennies, with no benefits, listening to a set of people continually complaining about how life tough, like I didn’t know that.’ And playing the devil’s advocate, I ask: ‘So why don’t you look for another job?’ The look got even uglier: ‘Look for another job?’ came the astonished reply. ‘In this economy? Hn! When last have you looked for another job with just the basic qualifications eh?’
‘Not for a while,’ I answered. ‘Well then, you better had don’t start looking …unless you have AI qualifications, because that’s all they’re hiring nowadays, for big money too!’ I sagely nodded and replied, ‘I see.’ ‘Yes, AI is all the rage now, and they’re firing low scale people like me, and bringing in AI to do my lowly job. It’s a wonder I still have a job!’
Ah mih people, life is indeed getting rougher and tougher for many of us, but especially for those in the lower strata of society. And it doesn’t seem as though things will get any better in the near future. As they say, it might just have to get worse before it gets better. Can you imagine it? At a time when society is at its highest level ever, with the most wealth, education and technological advancement, our world is falling apart, it’s becoming even more inequitable than it previously was.
The atrocious greed and power hunger at the top is terrifying. They’ve conveniently killed the middle class that was once the bastion of the society. Now you’re either in the top ten percent or in the bottom ninety, for there’s nothing in between anymore. Unfortunately, our world is now being run by a handful of unprincipled technocrats and power enamoured leaders, who are only interested in further feathering their already highly feathered nest, while those below them uneasily balance on the horns of deprivation and uncertainty.
It boggles my imagination to behold the evil and ungodly things they are doing yet pretending that it’s for the betterment of all. As the man said, ‘Hogwash!’ Only the top echelons are benefitting from their selfish schemes. And the people, especially the young generation, are tired with all the empty promises and the continual slide into fewer opportunities with even less benefits that only herald further deprivation. No wonder they are rising up in protest all over the world.
It’s a sad commentary on our leaders, who either don’t care, and/or don’t see the wreckage they are causing to so many young lives. What’s wrong with mankind eh? Have we not learned from our many mistakes down through the years, that continual oppression and repression eventually brings revolution? Apparently not. At some stage the people will get so fed up that they believe their only option is to revolt. And no one truly wins when that happens, but in the light of the then existing circumstances, that always seems to be the only answer.
However, the only true answer seems to be found in the wisdom of Cousin Sol, speaking as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes, where he puts forward the reasoning that Almighty God has a sovereign design behind all events of the universe He created. Listen, as he expounds his theory. ‘To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get (gain), and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend (tear apart), and a time to sew (sew together); a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to LOVE, and a time to hate (refrain from intimacy); a time of war, and a time of peace.’ (Eccl. 3:1-8)
Yes friends, that’s the only way to rationalize what’s going on in our very troubled world, that’s facing more unfortunate upheaval every day. And for the individuals, particularly Christians, we need to truly get serious about our faith and embrace the promises of the Bible like we’ve never done before, because that’s the only solid foundation there is in these disastrous times. And it’s promises like this one found in Romans, that we desperately need to hold on to. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28)
Now that’s something we need to write indelibly in our hearts and hold on to for dear life, like it’s a life-saving raft, because it is indeed one, as it assures us that regardless of what happens, in the long run, the Lord our God will work it all out for our good. So, although our world is in an uproar, and we don’t know what’s going to happen next, we can rest assured that the eventual outcome will be in our favour if we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and endure with Him to the very end. Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, for some much-needed divine aid to keep us keeping on.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise and thank You this Monday morning for our jobs; jobs we sometimes don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose; keeping lives and families together. We also thank You Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm You’ve wrought in our weary souls over the weekend. It’s that rejuvenation of spirit which now allows us to sally forth with confidence into the evil and ungodly world, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s evil schemes.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing Your powerful, protective spiritual armour! We surrender our all to You, and humbly ask that You allow Your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit to lead and guide all Your servants, as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, thereby furthering Your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And with that divine inspiration, let’s get out there and fight the good fight for Jesus! Much LOVE!
…the only certainty in this world…is the all-embracing LOVE of Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien