Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 January 2021 Deuteronomy 30:19b

18 Jan 2021 Leave a comment

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

Deuteronomy 30:19b.     ​I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.

Okay people, it’s a new day; Monday, to be specific, and we’re all on tenterhooks waiting to see what takes place this coming Wednesday in the U.S. of A, as the new President is inaugurated. One thing is for sure, it won’t be a quiet day. Be assured there will be lots of shenanigans all around the country and around the world, as we look on in further amazement after last week’s assault on the Capitol Building. Only in America, you say. Not really. In any other part of the world, all hell would have already broken loose. But let’s be thankful that the situation did not deteriorate to that ungodly level. 

And just for your info, the corona virus and it’s several variants are also still alive and well and kicking butt… and the vaccines are still in short supply and not being properly distributed. I don’t think we want to get rid of it nuh, else we would be following the rules of engagement: stay home unless it’s absolutely necessary; then wear a mask, stay physically distant from those not of your own household, wash your hands. What’s so hard to understand in that eh? 

I guess we either think we’re supermen or we want to die. It reminds me of when the Lord sent Moses to Pharaoh with instructions to release His people Israel from bondage, the Egyptian monarch blatantly refused. The Lord sent some ten different kinds of plague upon Egypt, but Pharaoh still refused. Possibly because the Good Book says: ‘But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go.’ (Ex. 10:27) 

Is He hardening our hearts now so that we are refusing to take the necessary precautions to stem the worldwide attack of the virus? Or is it Satan’s evil influence? I really don’t know nuh. What I know is that we’re not being very wise or godly, else our many negative situations would not have progressed to the disastrous levels they are at right now. Please people, let’s remember these memorable words of Moses to the children of Israel in the wilderness after they had left Egypt and were giving trouble. 

‘See. I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil. In that I command thee this day to LOVE the Lord thy God, to walk in his way, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgements, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land which thou goest to possess.’ (Deut. 30:15-16) Very straightforward talk my brethren! And since the Lord our God does not change, that promise also holds good for us in these trying times. 

So too do the rest of Moses’ words. ‘But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but wilt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce (announce) unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land whiter thou passest over the Jordan to go to possess it.’ (Deut. 30:17-18) More straightforward talk my people. Our God doesn’t mince words, He tells it like it is, which means the onus is on us to be obedient or not. 

And Moses makes it even plainer and more straightforward for them. ‘I call heaven and earth to record (as witnesses) this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut. 30:19) It’s set out so clearly in black and white, choose death, or choose life: ‘That thou mayest LOVE the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.’ (Deut. 30:20) 

And we all know what the Israelites did? When they got prosperous they forgot the Lord, foolishly thinking that they had achieved prosperity through their own efforts, and they paid the price for that pride and stupidity. Friends, I am putting it to us today, that we have done the very same thing. With our recent amazing technological revolution we have forgotten the Lord and prided ourselves for it all. But please remember the Good Book says, ‘it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth.’ (Deut. 8:18) 

And though we have turned away from God, like the Israelites did, and are now suffering the consequences, let’s keep on following their example and turn back to Him nuh. He welcomed them back with opened arms and will do the same for us. So let’s turn to Him in prayer nuh, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, so that He can cleanse our hearts, and renew a right spirit with us. 

Altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the natural disasters like storms, famine, drought, plagues, climate change, wildfires, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes that suddenly seem to be blossoming more and more as time goes by. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control. 

And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land 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!’ 

It’s up to us now to keep our vows, so the Lord will answer our prayer. Much LOVE!

…the best way to live this life…obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…. (Uncle Charles – Charles Stanley)  

Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 December 2020 Isaiah 59:2.

04 Dec 2020 Leave a comment

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

Isaiah 59:2.     ​But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

Well folks, we real late this snowy Friday morning. And if by chance yuh wondering why, it’s the same ole excuse; late to bed, late to rise. Hn! This morning was a real late one too. I won’t even tell you all what time I went to bed. (smile) But suffice it to say that I am now up, alive and kicking butt! So let’s turn right away to the words of the ordinary workingman, no time for me to ‘lablache’ this morning. (smile) 

And he begins with a shake of his tired head and a sour ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday! But why eh? What ah thanking Him for eh? Ah don’t have no work, or money, and ah don’t know when next I going to have either of them because of this Covid-19 business! Steups! What ‘s happening to our country…and our world eh? Ah doing my part, behaving responsible and staying in mih yard and yet still the Covid-19 numbers not going down, but staying up. So what is the problem eh? 

Like is just me and my family who being responsible, and everybody else just going about their business regardless? And to make it worse, ah not seeing any money coming from the government like I did before. So what they expect me to do eh? They shut down mih workplace, and begging me to stay home, how they expect me to feed mih children eh? We can’t exist on wind pie and nothing chops for ever! And they keep talking about a vaccine coming soon…but how soon is soon eh? When half the people dead? 

Ah Lord eh! And every day ah hearing or reading how the rich getting richer in this pandemic time…Hn! Yuh believe it? But it must be true, otherwise they wouldn’t keep on saying it. Now why should that surprise me eh, when I know from long time that the rich don’t really give a darm about the poor, is only talk deh talk! 

Deh not only rich, but they could talk a good talk too, till even the poor man believe what deh say. Deh great at doublespeak, or as the Indians use to say in the movies, they speak with forked tongues. But what to do eh? I guess I just have to keep on praying, looking to God for some kinda relief yes, because it don’t seem like any coming from man nuh!’ 

Now friends, that’s the most sensible idea right now yes. Look to God for relief. But let me read you a passage from Isaiah why that might be a somewhat difficult task too. It all has to do with national corruption and consequent suffering. Isaiah informed Israel thus: ‘Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. 

For your hands are defiled with blood (bloodshed), and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity (empty words), and speak lies; they conceive mischief (trouble or evil), and bring forth iniquity.’ (Is. 59:1-4) And so it goes on – the sins of the people of Israel for another 15 verses. 

And also our iniquity my brethren, for it’s our sinfulness that’s keeping us from God! We can’t expect to be abominable, unrepentant sinners and still receive God’s grace and mercy! It just doesn’t work like that. If we expect to have good times in our land, then we need to be obedient to God and His word. Worship Him in spirit and truth, not just talk. 

Remember all the promises He made? Remember most of them depended on us being sincere and obedient? And there’s no way we can say that our current world is either obedient or true to God and His word. So obviously there are consequences to our disobedience and demonic worship, and right now we’re experiencing the fruits of our disobedience and outright, doh care sinfulness. So there’s no one to blame but ourselves. 

However, our God is such a wonderful Deity that He has also made provision for us to turn from our sinful ways and be reconciled to Him. So what say we use wisdom this very day and turn to Him for succour eh? Let’s do what He says, pray in earnest, with right motives in our hearts. So what we waiting for eh? Let’s get on our sinful knees and divulge the contents of our hearts to Him, through our Friday Chant. 

Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. Yuh know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and the racial strife causing. We not accustomed to that kind of life Lord, and it really telling on us. And we know we can’t handle it on our own, that we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. 

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 must 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 and the unrest in the streets 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!’ 

And I don’t need to remind us that the Lord won’t bother with us if, or when He looks at our hearts and found insincerity and selfish motives there. So we better had buck up and be faithful believers and handle the situation properly! Much LOVE!

…it won’t get better…until we get better…