The Importance of both Lament and Praise coming from a Believer’s Heart!

20 Sep 2024 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 31:23.       O LOVE the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth (fully repays) the proud doer.

So what’s it like to finally experience Friday, eh friends? I guess many of us shouted with joyful voices: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at long last!’ But let’s hope that we make good use of the weekend, with rest and worship and not overdo the possible activities with this extended summer season that we’re currently having. I know how we like to drag every last drop out of summer before the chilly winds blow and the cold times take set. But as always, please, let moderation be our guide as we show thankfulness for these extra warm and sunny days. End of Sermon! (smile) 

And as I opened the Good Library just now, I came across these magnificent words of Bruh David from Psalm 31, as he talks about God being: My Rock and My Fortress. He opens the psalm with words of lament: ‘In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust (I took refuge); let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness. Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock (rock of refuge), for an house of defence (a fortress) to save me. 

For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me. Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily (secretly) for me; for thou art my strength. Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth. I have hated them that regard lying vanities (vain idols): but I trust in the Lord.’ (Ps. 31:1-6) 

Oh my fellow believers can we utter words of such sincerity and trust in the Lord God Jehovah? I certainly hope so, otherwise, we’d be missing out on a lot of good stuff and interesting activities the Lord has planned for us. Remember His words of promise from Jeremiah: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope). (Jer. 29:11) 

And I believe that future and hope are tied up in this other magnificent scripture of promise from Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) Now that’s a scripture that all believers need to cling tightly to, because it does not guarantee a life without problems, but that all will be well in the end. And we know that the Lord keeps all of His promises, but we do need to acknowledge Him and do His bidding. 

And I like how Bruh David can be lamenting one moment then offering praise in the next, as he does in verses 7 and 8. ‘I will be glad an rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities (troubles); And hast not shut me up in (given me over to) the hand of the enemy: thou hast set my feet in a large room (a wide place).’ (Ps. 31:7-8) 

Yes friends, when we cry out to God for help, we must have a basic faith or belief that He will help us, for that’s what trust is all about. We can’t say that we trust Him, then don’t call on Him for help without any expectations that He will help us. And after the words of praise, Bruh David weaves more words of lament into the psalm by declaring: ‘Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed (wastes away) with grief, yea, my soul and my belly (body). For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed (waste away).’ (Ps. 31: 9-10) 

Now that’s only the first two verses of his lamentation, for they go on until verse 18. However, from verse 19 forward, it’s all about thanks and praise. ‘Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! …O LOVE the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth (fully repays) the proud doer. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.’ (Ps. 31:19, 23-24) 

Ah my people, that’s the basic prescription for our faith: stand strong in courage and trust, and the Lord will strengthen us and enable us to confidently face whatever comes against us. Now, let’s go right to the throne of grace, seeking divine aid for our many earthly problems. 

Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough…  because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. 

And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

Unfortunately though my fellow saints, for people to come to Christ through us, we have to set a much better example than we’re currently setting! And we all know it. So please, let’s wake up and do something positive about it nuh! Much LOVE!

…trust and faith in God…only grow through difficult experiences…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   2 December 2023 Psalm 31:24.

02 Dec 2023 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 31:24.       Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.

And it looks like the first lazy-day Saturday in December will be just like the first Friday yesterday; wet and cloudy with promises of rain and intermittent snow. But it’s a perfect day for staying inside and allowing all the stress and tension to flow out of you, as you get quiet and somewhat lazy (smile) and contemplate your position in life: like where you’re going, how you’re going to get there, are you improving, especially your spiritual self, becoming more Christlike… 

Yes friends, today, at the beginning of the Christmas Season, when we celebrate the incarnate birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, it’s a perfect time to reconsider our goals in life and see if they line up with the Lord’s will and Word. And to help us do that, let’s say our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with sincere hearts, minds, bodies and souls. 

As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’ 

And it never ceases to amaze me, that every Saturday when we say that prayer, how quiet, relaxed and thoughtful I become. I surely hope it does the same for you, because at the end of our busy work week, we certainly need something to quiet our spirits and keep our souls in communion with God and His awesome plan for our lives. And there’s nothing better than prayer to do so! In fact, that’s what prayer was designed for; to bring us closer to our heavenly Father. 

So anytime you feel like you’re drifting away from Him, please turn to prayer, sincere prayer, so that you can get reconnected and be safely ensconced, hidden in the refuge of His ever-LOVING embrace. For, as Moses so wisely wrote in the book of Deuteronomy so long ago: ‘There is none like the God of Jeshurun  (righteous people), who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee, and shall say, Destroy them.’ (Deut. 33:26-27) 

Yes my faithful brethren, that’s the strong and powerful and ever-LOVING God we righteous serve. As one commentary puts it. ‘Deuteronomy 33:26-27 Prays For Those Who Are Struggling, saying: Oh God, that they would rest in you, the eternal God as their dwelling place. That they would find deep rest in you today, right now in this moment, and they would know underneath them are the everlasting arms of the eternal God.’ 

And that’s our prayer for all of us this lazy-day Saturday my fellow saints, for in this troubled and chaotic world we all need a safe and secure refuge when the enemy comes with his evil minions to tempt and test our souls and spirits. And the only place we believers can find such security and refuge is in the everlasting arms of our great and wonderful God, who has faithfully promised to protect us from all the attacks of the enemy if we would only surrender our souls and lives to him. 

That’s why Bruh David could afford to write in Psalm 27: ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Ps. 27:1) Oh my people, those sure are powerful words of faith and trust! And until we can declare (yesss!!!) them with the utmost certainty and sense of purpose, we will be forever doubtful when the enemy tempts and tests us. 

Now, we’re not saying that those are easy words to proclaim, but we can only do so if we keep practicing what they say. That means we need to be continually turning to the Lord for whatever we desire in our everyday lives, for only with practice can we ever come close to perfection. And Bruh David could utter those words with complete conviction because he had personally experienced the safety and security of God in his everyday life, especially in those crazy times when he was running from King Saul who desperately wanted to kill him.  

And these words of Bruh David from Psalm 31, subtitled ‘My Rock and My Fortress,’ gives us more insight into how it is when we walk sincerely with God. Please read with me: ‘Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear (reverence) thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence (secret place) from the pride (plots) of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion (shelter) from the strife of tongues. 

Blessed be the Lord: for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city. For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplication when I cried unto thee. O LOVE the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth (fully repays) the proud doer. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.’ (Ps. 31:19-24) 

Oh my fellow saints in Christ, I could not put it any better than that, and I do hope that what we’ve said this lazy-day Saturday will help to fill us with the strength the courage and the will to sincerely turn to Almighty God, to surrender our all to Him, and be obedient to His will, because that is the highest form of wisdom for all the ages! Much LOVE!

…the One who created you…He’s the One who will keep you safe from all harm… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ   

Today’s Scrip-Bit   16 April 2022   1 Corinthians 15:57.

16 Apr 2022 Leave a comment

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

1 Corinthians 15:57.      But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Oh my people, the rain we experienced last night has washed away the darkness and sorrow of Good Friday and has opened us unto a bright and shining Holy Saturday morning, where, with bated breath, we are eagerly waiting the magnificent, world-shaking, earth-shattering, and triumphal rising of Jesus Christ tomorrow on Easter Morn! 

Right now, Jesus is in a state of metamorphosis, like the caterpillar, who when the time is right, when he has accomplished his time and purpose as a caterpillar, undergoes a mighty change from an ugly crawling species, throwing of its old self, painfully divulging itself of its old nature, and being reborn as a brand new entity, a beautiful butterfly with a new purpose, who can take wings to the sky to serve and worship it’s heavenly creator!  

Yes friends, right now we’re in a state of waiting, that time between asking the question, or sending up the prayer and waiting for the answer. And I know we’re all eager to see Jesus rise tomorrow, but it calls for some patience. So, let’s just relax and do like Bruh David advises: ‘Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:14) But, unfortunately, that’s oftentimes the hardest part of our ordeal, the waiting without knowing what’s going to happen, or when it might. 

This, however, is a different situation, we know, without a doubt, that Jesus will rise tomorrow on Easter Sunday; it’s just a matter of time. Nothing can stop it, because our Lord God has decreed it, and whatever He decrees comes to pass! That’s another fact of which we are absolutely certain! So all we are waiting for is the passage of time, which does seem to go rather slowly when you need the solution to a big problem or are excitedly waiting on something special, like we are waiting on tomorrow to celebrate Christ’s triumphant resurrection, His marvellous defeat of hell, death and the grave, to life everlasting. 

So that we can declare with confidence and overwhelming surety, like Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Corinth: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave (O hades), where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (1 Cor. 15:54a-57) 

And all God’s children gave a mighty shout of joy as they gratefully declared (steups!!!): ‘Oh praise the Lord, for His wonderful kindness, His awesome grace and mercy to the undeserving children of men!’ And this is the time, that of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection when that praise is desperately needed, for it’s when our whole outlook on and options on life dramatically changed! Yes friends, it’s at this Easter season that we were given the opportunity to receive salvation and eternal life through Jesus’ work on the cross of Calvary and His rising on that first Easter Sunday. 

As Bruh Paul said to the Roman church. ‘The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified together.’ (Rom. 8:16-17) Oh my fellow saints, if we live devotedly and sacrificially to the Lord, then we will be glorified just like Jesus was! 

Like the Good Book details about Christ: ‘And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 2:8-11) 

Ah mih people, all of us want to be exalted and glorified, but we don’t want to do the things, make the sacrifices necessary to attain such heights. But Jesus did it; that’s why the Father exalted Him. And it’s for our sakes that He suffered such agony and shame, so that we could have forgiveness of our sins, and have the option of salvation and everlasting life, instead of just hellfire and damnation that brings eternal separation from our Creator. So why is it so difficult for us, as His disciples, His ambassadors, to do, or to make the little sacrifices He asks of us eh? 

Remember He said that if we want to be His followers, we need to take up our cross daily and follow Him. That means forsaking ourselves for Him and those who look to Him. And what’s ever so disappointing in our refusal is that He never asks of us what He will not, nor has not done, and always gives us the wherewithal to accomplish His tasks. However, we think that because we are Christians, the chosen of the chosen, once we say we believe, we should enjoy the good and abundant life without lifting a finger or making any sacrifices. 

But that’s not how it works my brethren. And I believe that these immortal words of Bruh Paul to Timothy explains it quite nicely. ‘It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer (endure), we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.’ (2 Tim. 2:11-13) That’s it in a nutshell friends! Or, as the scholars tell us: ‘The principles of endurance are enumerated on the basis of the assurance of salvation.’ And the two best examples of endurance are Bruh Paul and Christ Himself. 

And no, (smile) I did not forget about our usual Saturday happening, that of looking at the quotes our friend Anselm sent us, but I only got two, and they seem to fit very nicely at the end of Todays’ Bit. The first says: ‘If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl. But whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.’ And that’s the gospel truth! We can never stand still in our walk with Christ. We have to be continually growing, maturing, as we read and study His Word and put it into practical application in our lives. 

And the last quote says it all: ‘The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.’ Now that’s also an indisputable statement my people! Wisdom is not only knowing what to do, but even more being willing and able to do it! So please, this Holy Saturday morning let’s seek to acquire real wisdom nuh, and then put it into action, make the changes we need to make, obviously with Christ’s help, the only way we can accomplish it! Much LOVE!

…be of good courage…and he shall strengthen your heart…all ye that hope in the Lord…  (Ps. 31:24)  

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8     

Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 August 2021 Psalm 31:23.

26 Aug 2021 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 31:23.     O LOVE the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth (fully repays) the proud doer.

Come now mih bredrin, why that sad, droopy look this bright and sunny Thursday morning eh? Oh, I know that it’s not always easy to put on a bright and smiley face when things aren’t going right, but we have to make the effort, and at least not allow those sad times to last too long. Remember we have Jesus, who died in our place so that we could have a good life and do all that we need to do through His amazing strength. And yes, the evil world is fighting a strong fight against us, and our carnal mind, our flesh isn’t helping matters either. 

But again, let’s not forget that we have Jesus, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings in our corner, and with Him beside us we can fight every enemy and win the victory! All praise and glory to His Holy name my brethren! Life isn’t easy, but with Christ in us, and we in Him, we are well prepared, have all we need to fight the good fight. And though we might lose a few battles here and there, we are guaranteed to win the war with Jesus, our esteemed Leader in our camp! 

So now it’s time to end the pity party and return to the safe, secure and happy pavilion of our great and wonderful God by reminding ourselves of why we first believed and continue believing. Let’s do that by declaring (yeah!!!) these marvellous words of Bruh David from Psalm 31. 

‘In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust (I take refuge); let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness. Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock (rock of refuge), for a house of defense (fortress) to save me. For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me. Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily (secretly) for me: for thou art my strength. Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.’ (Ps. 31:1-5) 

Ah friends, remember when you said similar words to the God of your forefathers and accepted His Son Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour? Well nothing has really changed, just a li’l trial and tribulation occurring along our pilgrim’s journey to heaven. And remember again, that with Jesus dwelling in us, through His awesome Holy Spirit, we can deal with anything that comes against us. 

Yuh know, even Jesus had it rough. On His human side, He too was tempted, rejected, betrayed, and suffered loads of inhumane treatment on our behalf, but He didn’t turn away His face from Calvary. And so too, we ought not to turn away from doing His work. Like Him, we too need to rest sometimes, but the idea of stopping or giving up should never occur to us, because He is our example, and He didn’t give up even when it came to giving His sinless life so unselfishly for us. 

Thus, the least we can do is put up with a li’l suffering on His behalf. We need to follow in His footsteps, as the scriptures advise. ‘Looking unto Jesus, the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ (Heb.12:2) 

Oh mih people, what a mighty example our Lord and Saviour set us! For the joy of our salvation and the rewards He would receive from the Father, He willingly accepted the sufferation of the cross. Likewise, for the rewards of heaven that we have been promised, we ought to stand strong and bear whatever burdens we need to bear down here. So let’s not look at the course, but at the finish line, that’s heaven, as Jesus did, and we’ll not notice the trials and tribulations along the way as much. Remember, Jesus has already blazed the trail, cleared the path to heaven, so we don’t need to do anymore clearing, just follow in the footsteps He left in the sands of time. 

Therefore, we can say like Bruh David did: ‘I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities (troubles). And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy (given me over to the enemy): thou hast set my feet in a large room (a wide place).’ (Ps. 31:7-8) 

Yes, my fellow saints, in these evil and turbulent times, life will not be sweet and easy, and we will have to put out a lot of effort to keep things under control, but with the Lord God Jehovah occupying a special place in our lives, being Number ONE to us, we don’t have to worry about accomplishing our earthly tasks. 

Hear Bruh David tell it again nuh: ‘Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear (reverence) thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret (place) of thy presence from the pride (plots) of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion (shelter) from the strife of tongues…. O LOVE the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth (fully repays) the proud doer.’ (Ps. 31:19-20, 23) 

Oh friends, I hope all of that has reminded us of what we signed up for with Jesus, and all the promises we have to enjoy at the end of the road. It certainly brightened my outlook, because I was one of those with the sad, droopy looks before I began writing this Bit. But that’s one of the purposes of God’s Word; to brighten our outlook when times get rough. So let’s never forget when times look dim, we need to get into the Word and reenergize ourselves. 

And how can we ever forget the many blessings that the Lord has bestowed on us to do His earthly work eh? So, let’s spell out in loud and sincere voice, what we call our Thursday Blessings. Altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! 

I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’ 

And having declared all that, we now have to go out and share those blessings with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! That’s His heartfelt desire! Much LOVE!

…be of good courage…and he shall strengthen your heart…all ye that hope in the Lord… (Ps. 31:24)                                                                                                                               

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8                         

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 September 2015 Psalm 31:24

21 Sep 2015 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 31:24.  Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.

Arise O people of God and put on your battle armour! Don’t you hear the trumpet sounding the call to arms? It’s Monday morning and there’s no time to waste, for the enemy is already lined up in battle formation and our fearless Leader, Jesus Christ is also out at the front surveying and reconnoitring the situation. 

So get thee up and about, arm thyself with helmet, breastplate, belt, shoes, shield and sword, and having asked protection of heaven, join in the fray with enthusiasm, strength, wisdom and expectations of victory! 

Yes Friends, it’s our favourite day Monday; the one we LOVE to hate, but one that we need to put to good use, if we want the rest of the week to go smoothly. That’s because Monday takes its cue from Sunday, and the remainder of the week from Monday. 

Have you ever noticed that when you have a rough Monday, the rest of the week usually goes the same way? That’s why I keep on encouraging us to come out strong and vibrant, just rearing to go on Mondays.  

Now let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with zest, urgency and sense of purpose. As one harmonious choir now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; 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 last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. 

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 let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, 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, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ 

Oh Friends, that rendition wasn’t bad at all! You could see traces of a smile forming on Jesus, our choirmaster’s face, but nowhere good enough for a standing ‘O’ from the halls of heaven. (smile) Anyway we’ve gotten the message, our adrenalin is running, so let’s get out in the evil, deceitful and strife-filled world and spread some LOVE and cheer, mercy, forgiveness, compassion and good news, Jesus style nuh. 

And to help us do that with strong faith and sincere trust, listen to the encouraging and uplifting words of our Bit from the pen of Bruh David. ‘Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.’ 

Yes my fellow believers, when we come to the Lord with hungry hope and expectant faith, He will strengthen us and give us the wherewithal to do His will. So be not afraid to get out there and face the heathen, once you are dressed in your spiritual armour, backed up by prayer and the Lord’s power is running through your veins.  

Now let’s back that up with earlier testimony from Bruh David in Psalm 27 – The Lord is my light and my salvation. ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps.27:13-14) 

Yes my brethren, if we don’t expect to see and receive God’s goodness and blessings down here on Mother Earth, then we might as well be dead. But when we expect the Lord’s grace and mercy to flow down on us, then in faith and with patience, we wait for it. He has promised to bless us if we are obedient to His Word, and we all know that He is faithful to keep his promises. So there’s no need to worry once we’re doing our best to follow His leading and guiding. 

And this can all be reinforced by the words of Isaiah in the song of praise by the redeemed. ‘And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord, we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.’ (Is.25:9)  And yuh know Friends, that is exactly what happened. The Father sent the Son, Jesus Christ to save us, to be our salvation… Oh glory to God! 

Listen to Jesus talk about His role. ‘For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.’ (Matt.18:11) And again: ‘For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.’ (Luke 9:56) Then: ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:17) And finally: ‘And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.’ (John 12:47) 

Oh my people, Jesus couldn’t be any clearer about His main purpose in coming to earth…to save its inhabitants. He laid it all on the line for us, including His sinless life, so I don’t know what else we expect from Him. He threw down the gauntlet to us, now it only remains to see if we have the parts and the wisdom to accept the challenge. Only time and time alone will tell! Much LOVE!

…O LOVE the Lord…all ye his saints…for the Lord preserveth the faithful…and plentifully rewardeth (fully repays) the proud doer…  (Ps.31:23)

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 April 2015 Psalm 22:9 ‏‏‏‏‏‏‏

29 Apr 2015 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 22:9.   But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me HOPE (caused me to trust) when I was upon my mother’s breast.

Well Friends, it’s a wonderful Wednesday! We’re alive, the sun’s shining brightly, it’s fairly warm, God is still on His throne, and the universe is unfolding as it ought! Glory Hallelujah!

It also means that we’re now halfway through our work week, so please don’t give in or give up, don’t look back, just keep pressing patiently and excellently forward in Jesus’ name!

And all God’s people gave a mighty shout of ‘Praise the Lord!’

And I couldn’t resist sharing this poem from the One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, it seemed so appropriate. It’s titled, ‘ I TRUST YOU.’

And it says: ‘Lord, it was on an April morning So many years ago That You said to me so clearly “Trust Me and you won’t be disappointed.” Having heard You on that special morning I simple cannot “unhear” you now.

I can’t forget that morning Nor do I think You want me to. Because You live in an eternal Now Your words are just as relevant today As they were that long-ago morning. I trust You. You will not disappoint me!’

And that’s the God-awesome truth my people! Once we have paid attention to, accepted God’s call on our lives, He will NEVER, NEVER disappoint us! You can bet the bank on that!

Why? Because our God is omnipotent and ever-faithful, and as the Bible Promise used for that poem says: ‘Jesus Christ (is) the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.’ (Heb.13:8) More God-awesome truth Friends!

And that unchangeable position provides us with a strong, uncompromising sense of safety and security. So we’re not surprised or confounded when Bruh David solemnly declares in our Bit: ‘But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me HOPE (caused me to trust) when I was upon my mother’s breast.’

Ah mih people, the Lord knew exactly what He was doing when He breathed His wonderful breath of live into our little bodies. And that word ‘HOPE’ is such a marvellous and magnificent word that with our finite minds, we can never really begin to comprehend its awesome meaning. But I’ve tried to break it down to it’s elementary potential.

‘H’ stands for Humour. Humour dissipates tension, cools situations like nothing else. And laughter is the best free remedy and medicine in the world! ‘O’ stands for Opportunity. We need to be always on the lookout for opportunities to serve God, for they crop up when we least expect them to.

‘P’ stands for Patience and Perseverance. We need to bide our time quietly, but still keep keeping on with the perseverance Christ expects of us. And ‘E’ stands for Enthusiasm, Endurance, Encouragement, Exhortation and all the other good stuff that lifts our spirits!

And that’s my take on the word ‘HOPE.’ Hope it makes sense. (smile)

Now let’s look at some scriptures that deal with ‘HOPE’ in all its different circumstances. And we’re going to begin with a statement from Job, who after enduring the cruel remarks and judgements of his supposed friends, says of God: ‘He hath destroyed me (breaks me down) on every side, and I am gone: and mine HOPE hath he removed (uprooted) like a tree.’ (Job 19:10)

Oh Friends, it’s such a sad and desolate time when our HOPE dies! We need to avoid that happening like the plague. For if there’s no HOPE in our souls, then there’s no reason really for living. For as Cousin Sol so wisely tells us in Proverbs. ‘HOPE deferred maketh the heart sick, but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.’ (Prov.13:12)

What a powerful statement my people! And the scholars explain it thus: ‘13:12. HOPE deferred depresses, but its fulfillment revitalizes.’

What a powerful truth, for when we lose HOPE our lives just seem to fall apart. But when we recapture that strong emotion, oh mih breddren, our lives are just flooded with purpose and promise, and we move on from strength to strength in Jesus.

Now listen to the Sons of Korah on the subject from Psalm 42 – An intense longing for God. ‘Why art thou cast down , O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? HOPE thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance (help, salvation), and my God.’ (Ps.42:11)

Yes Friends, that is wisdom personified! Being merely frail and fickle humans, our HOPES and fears and dreams are always in a state of confusion, a state of turmoil, that’s why it’s ever so necessary and important to hold on to the HOPE we find in Almighty God.

As we saw yesterday, the Good Book tells that ‘HOPE is the anchor of our soul.’ (Heb.9:19) What a promise, what an anchor my brethren! We couldn’t want for a better anchor than that which is secured in heaven!

And we shall end with a most encouraging and appropriate verse on the subject from Psalm 31. Bruh David wisely advises us: ‘Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that HOPE in the Lord.’ (Ps.31:24)

That my Friends is heavenly wisdom at its peak! So please let’s go out and put it into action in our lives today, so that we can be worthwhile ambassadors for Jesus. That’s all He really desires of us. Much LOVE!

…without HOPE…a man’s life is technically over…