22 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a disciplined mind, a strong will, a very present help in trouble, abundance, all these things shall be added unto you, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, an abundantly available help, as generously as the Lord shared them with us, be brave, be strong, be strong in the Lord, bear our sins on His sinless shoulders, but of power love and a sound mind, Christians think too much about tomorrow, come to know and love christ like we do, come unto me, curse, divine protection, enough to drive a body crazy, faith, favour, find rest unto your souls, gentle and humble, give us this day our daily bread, go out and use those blessings, God has not given us the spirit of fear, God is our refuge and strength, grace for trials, help from above, holy spirit, I am meek and lowly in heart, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I will give you rest, in the name of Jesus, in the power of his might, Jesus Christ, Jesus loved us enough to die for us, Jesus walked the walk, learn of me, light for the way, living in the northern climes, LOVE, manna, mercy, mount up with wings as eagles, my burden light, my yoke is easy, negative word, not enough about today, promotion, quit you like men, rely on God's provision for our daily needs, rest amid labour, run and not be weary, salvation, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, snow, stand fast in the faith, strength for the day, success, supernatural strength, take my yoke upon you, take one day at a time, taking the Great Invitation to heart, talent, the cross of Calvary, the great invitation, the joy of the Lord is your strength, The Promises and Non-Promises of God, they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, truth, undying LOVE, unfailing sympathy, walk and not faint, watch ye
Matthew 6:11. Give us this day our daily bread.
Oh brother! Am I ever tired of this snow already. We had snow yesterday, then this morning we had some more. Granted not a lot today, but any amount of snow whatsoever is hazardous and dangerous to human life. (smile) I remember going to bed at minutes after four this morning and my driveway was clean, as my maintenance man had cleaned it during the night. Now, imagine my angry surprise when I got up this morning around eight, and although the sun was shining brightly, saw more snow in my driveway.
The foolish snow has been keeping me from going out and doing some things I want to do. And to make matters worse, the Duchess tells me that they are forecasting snow for today and also tomorrow. Mama Mia! It’s enough to drive a body crazy! (smile) But rest assured I won’t allow it to do that, for once there’s no urgent reason for me to go out, the snow could fall day and night as far as I’m concerned. And I hope you realize that’s a lie! (smile) But enough of my ranting about the snow. As the Lord tells me, if I didn’t want to encounter that beautiful, fluffy white stuff, I should not have come to the northern climes. And as usual, He’s right.
And today, I want to again address that poem we looked at yesterday; ‘The Promises and Non-Promises of God,’ in particular the last verse that concerns God’s promises. It says: ‘But God hath promised strength for the day, rest amid labour, light for the way; grace for trials, help from above, unfailing sympathy, undying LOVE.’ Now, let’s see what scriptures we can find that articulate those promises. And there are many scriptures that promote the first one ‘strength for the day,’ but I want to begin with this particular verse from the Lord’s Prayer, where Jesus gave the disciples, and consequently us, an example of accepted prayer.
And the verse I want to centre on is ‘Give us this day our daily bread.’ (Matt. 6:11) Yes friends, as both the poem and Jesus say, all we really need is bread and strength for each day. It’s like when the Lord fed the Israelites with manna in the wilderness, He instructed them to pick up only enough for ONE day, unless it was for the Sabbath, then they could pick up for two. And anything left over one day spoiled immediately. (Ex. 16) It was a way of teaching them to rely on God’s provision for their daily need. It’s also something we have to learn today; take one day at a time, and God will provide all that’s necessary. As Jesus says: ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33)
Then there are other verses which magnify the Lord’s strength like this one we all know and like to quote: ‘But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is. 40:31) And what about these reassuring words from the Sons of Korah from Psalm 46: ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in trouble.’ (Ps. 46:1) Then Bruh Paul gives us this magnificent assurance in his letter to the Philippians. ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil. 4:13) And this one from Nehemiah is one we must always bear in mind: ‘…for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 8:10)
And I’m chuckling here friends, because I’m now realizing that this is a two day task and not a one day like I had imagined, for there are so many scriptures that we can quote, and leaving out any, seems like a travesty of justice. (smile) So here are a couple more on God’s strength for the day. ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.’ (Eph. 6:10) Then Bruh Paul exhorts the Corinthians: ‘Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you (be brave) like men, be strong.’ (1 Cor. 16:13) Then finally, this reassurance of Bruh Paul to Timothy, one we all know but don’t action fully. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) And there are many more you can check out for yourself. (smile)
Now turning to the promise of ‘rest amid labour,’ I believe there’s only one scripture needed to cover it all, that’s the Great Invitation, where Jesus invites all and sundry to: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Oh my people, anyone who doesn’t take advantage of that glorious invitation from Jesus is a fool! And that’s putting it mildly. For who else offers such and invitation, or who else can ever deign to do so, for nobody else has the wherewithal to do it but Jesus!
So let’s remember that today and place our trust in the One and Only, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour; the One who didn’t just talk the talk, but more importantly walked it, and LOVED us enough to die on the cross of Calvary and bear our sins on His sinless shoulders. Now let’s go home declaring and thus activating our undeserved Thursday Blessings that the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. Altogether: ‘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 made that declaration (awright!!!) it now behooves us to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…sometimes we Christians think too much about tomorrow…and not enough about today…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great family, a positive outlook on life, a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, abundance, all things work together for good to them that love God, as generously as the Lord shared them with us, ask and it shall be given to you, blessed with a strong will, blessed with God's supernatural widom, blessed with success, come to know and love him like we do, commit thy way unto the Lord, courage, creativity, curse, delight thyself also in the Lord, depend on God's direction to live the Christian life, driven with the wind and tossed, everyone that asks receives, faith, favour, feed on his faithfulness, foundational truths of our faith, fulfilment, give thee the desires of thine heaert, giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not, God's direction for earthly living, good friends, good health, he delighteth in his way, he is ever merciful, he shall bring it to pass, he shall not be utterly cast down, he that cometh to God must believe that He is, he that seeks finds, he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, his seed begging bread, his seed is blessed, holy spirit, I have been young and now am old, if any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God, in all sincerity and truth, in the name of Jesus, it pays to be righteous, it pays to wait on God, Jesus Christ, knock and it shall be opened unto you, lack wisdom, lends, let him ask in faith, LOVE, mercy, negative word, not doubting, not seen the righteous forsaken, not wavering, promotion, prosper and succeed, remind God of His promises, salvation, seek and ye shall find, self-control, self-discipline, so shalt thou dwell in the land, spiritual sunshine, supernatural strength, talent, the basics of living for God, the encouragement a little sunshine brings, the fountain of wisdom - Almighty God, the importance of faith in living the Christian life, the Lord upholdeth him with his hand, the Lord will eventually work it all out for our good, the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, the sun's shining, thou shalt be fed, though he fall, to him that knocks it shall be opened, to them who are called according to his purpose, trust in the Lord, trust in the Lord and do good, truth, use those blessings to help others, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, when we truly believe nothing is impossible, wisdom, wisdom shall be given to him, without faith it is impossible to please God, without reproach, you never miss the water till the well runs dry
Psalm 37:23. The steps of a good man are ordered (established) by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.
Oh friends, at long last the sun has decided to bless us with it’s cold though shining presence! Yes! Although it’s wet out there from the melting snow, the sun is finally shining in my neck of the woods! Wow! And you wouldn’t believe the encouragement or reassurance or whatever you choose to call it, that li’l sunshine brings; like the light of Jesus breaking up the darkness that envelops the world! As they say, you never miss the water until the well runs dry, and so you never miss the sunshine until the darkness seems like an everyday occurrence. (smile) Who would have ever thought that we’d be so glad to see a li’l sunshine!
And with that lively and reassuring event, we’ll continue looking at some scriptures that encourage us to seek God’s direction for living this earthly life, so that we can enjoy the spiritual sunshine that that wise behaviour brings. And we’ll begin today with several verses from that mighty psalm, Psalm 37, where Bruh David pours out his heart exhorting us to ‘Trust in the Lord.’ These first verses wisely advise: ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.’ (Ps. 37:3-5)
Oh my fellow believers, you see the basics of living for God and getting His wise direction; trust, delight and commit. And yes, they sound simple and easy, but in this evil and ungodly they are not always easy to action. However, we must remember we have the Holy Spirit of Jesus dwelling within us, and when we truly believe, nothing is impossible, for we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. (Phil. 4:13)
Then we have these later verses of Psalm 37, where Bruh David writes: ‘The steps of a good man are ordered (established) by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed (descendants) begging bread. He is ever merciful (merciful al the day), and lendeth; and his seed (descendants) is blessed.’ (Ps. 37:23-26)
Now my faithful brethren, what can be more encouraging about living a life under God’s direction than that eh? Absolutely nothing! That brings us to this gem from James, Jesus’ brother, where he wisely and rightly declares: ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach); and it shall be given to him. But let him ask in faith, not wavering (without doubting). For he that wavereth (doubts) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.’ (James 1:5-6)
Oh friends, it cannot be more explicitly stated than that! You want wisdom, go the fountain of wisdom – Almighty God – and ask for it! However, you must go believing that you will get it, for remember what Hebrews says; ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb. 11:6) There again we have the importance of faith in living the Christian life.
And Jesus also says it quite plainly in the gospel of Matthew: ‘Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.’ (Matt. 7:7-8) Now that’s as clear as day my people! (smile) It means we must go after what we want with faith, but at the same time putting our absolute trust in God, waiting in faith on Him to give us what is best for us, at the right time.
And that’s not easy to do, when we believe we have so many immediate needs, but as Bruh David says in the psalm; he, was once young, then became old, but during all that time, he never saw the offspring of the righteous begging bread. So it obviously pays to be righteous; to live for God, to wait on Him, which means persevering through all the trials and tribulations the world hurls at us, knowing and faithfully believing that God will see us through it all. It’s like that great promise in Romans says: ‘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 friends, is one of the foundational truths of our faith, which helps us to undergo the storms and pressures of this earthly life; knowing that eventually the Lord will work it all out for our good. So today, please, let’s believe, let’s have strong faith, let’s use the Lord’s Word to go to Him and remind Him of the promises He’s made. That won’t annoy Him. In fact, He’d be overjoyed, because it would mean that you’ve been reading and studying His Word and you want to walk the right path. And he will NEVER turn away anyone who comes to him in all sincerity and truth.
So, having said that, let’s declare, in all sincerity and truth, (smile) our undeserved Thursday Blessings that the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. As one strong voice: ‘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 made that declaration (steups!!!) it now behooves us to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…to live the true Christian life…one must depend on God’s direction…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great family, a strong will, abundance, all the negatives of evil, as generously as the Lord shared them with us, be no priest to me, beautiful weather, blood toucheth blood, bloodshed follows bloodshed, break all restraints, Canadian Thanksgiving, ceased obeying the Lord, change their glory into shame, come to know and love him like we do, commit whoredom, committing adultery, confessing sins, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, duty bound, eat and not have enough, eat up the sin of my people, everyone that dwelleth therein shall languish, fall in the day, favour, forgotten the law of the Lord, God's supernatural wisdom, good friends, good health, holy spirit, hot tub Christianity, I will also reject thee, in the night, Jesus Christ, killing, left off to take heed to the Lord, let no man strive, like people like priest, LOVE, lying, man's incessant greed, mercy, millions of humans are languishing, my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, negative word, new wine take away the heart, no knowledge of God in the land, nor eprove another, penultimate day of our workweek, pesticides, priests are a large part of the problem, promotion, punish them for their ways, reject thy children, rejection of knowledge, repay them for their deeds, reward them for their doings, salvation, self-discipline, set their heart on iniquity, shall also be taken away, shall not increase, sinned against me, slef-control, stealing, stumble, success, swearing, take most of the blame for our sinful state, taken pleasure in the sin of the people, talent, the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee, the fishes of the sea, the fowls of heaven, the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, the people of god, the priests have gloried, the prophet also shall fall, therefore hsall hte land mourn, they break out, they that strive with the priest, thou hast rejected knowledge, truth, undeserved blessings, use them to help others, waste away, whoredom and wine, wisdom
Hosea 4:6a. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee,
Another almost completed week friends, as it’s already Thursday, the penultimate day of the work week! And although most of the days are sunny and beautiful, they are surely passing by very quickly. We’re already up to the 9th of October, a month that just recently began. And since this weekend is also our Canadian Thanksgiving Weekend, you know it’s going to be a vey lively one. Let’s hope the beautiful weather stays put for it.
Oh friends, I just opened the Good Library, and lo and behold, it opened at this interesting passage in the Book of the Prophet Hosea. And as I read it, it felt like I was reading the story of our own current world. The passage is titled, ‘No Knowledge of God in the Land.’ And isn’t that what it seems like in today’s world? It surely does. So please read with me as Hosea talks to his people Israel.
‘Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controversy with (a charge against) the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out (break all restraints), and blood toucheth blood (bloodshed follows bloodshed).’ (Hos. 4:1-2)
Now doesn’t that sound just like what’s currently happening in our world, where all the negatives of evil are running rampant, and the Word of the Lord, His truth, grace and mercy are barely noticeable? Of course! And don’t talk about bloodshed following bloodshed…that’s happening all over the world, for strife has become our number one occupation.
And Hosea continues with the Lord’s warning. ‘Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish (waste away), with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.’ (Hos. 4:3) And sadly, in this time when there’s plenty, more than enough to go around, all those things are still happening; the land is not as rich and fruitful as it once was, what with all the pesticides and other poisons we’ve spread over it.
So crops are not as plentiful or as nourishing, while countless millions of human beings are languishing, wasting away all around the globe, and even the wild animals, the birds and fishes are dwindling in number, all due to man’s incessant greed for more. And in his drive to do so, he’s sadly destroying Mother Nature, slowly turning the earth into a veritable wasteland. Now, a lot of that is simply because we do not reverence God nor respect the earth any longer.
And the warning of the Lord continues: ‘Yet let no man strive (contend), nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive (contend) with the priest. Therefore shalt thou fall (stumble) in the day, and the prophet also shall fall (stumble) with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing that thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also reject thy children. As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.’ (Hos. 4:4-7)
And it’s all happening right before our very eyes. We suffer from not so much a lack of knowledge, because this is the most knowledgeable generation ever, but because of our rejection of the most important knowledge, that of the law of God. And a lot of the blame for that has been placed on the shoulders of the priests, who don’t uphold God’s law. And believe me, the children of priests are liable to me more evil and disgusting because they have been forced into the religious mode, and so, much more is expected from them than from the children of ordinary men.
Thus verse 8 continues: ‘They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart (desires) on their iniquity. And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward (repay) them for their doings (deeds). For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom (harlotry), and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to (ceased obeying) the Lord. Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.’ (Hos, 4:8-11)
Ah friends, all that happened in olden Israel is still happening today, just in greater numbers and more intensity, for we have developed so many more ways of wrong doing, that it would make those old time people shake their heads in total wonder. The long and short of the story though is that the priests are a large part of the problem, for they have not helped the people to face their sin and deal with it. It’s what one Pastor calls ‘hot tub Christianity.’ Where, instead of confessing sins, we tone them down so that they no longer bother us. Or as the scholars suggest, ‘the priests have gloried and taken pleasure in the sin of the people. However, the priest of God is corrupted and made like the sinning people’
In all honesty though, in these modern times we cannot blame the priests for all of our turning away from God, since there’s much bigger and more powerful machinery running the affairs of men than back in olden Israel. We the people, the supposed people of God, have to take most of the blame for our sinful state, for if we know the Word of God, then we won’t stray from it, regardless of what false preachers and teachers tell us. And it’s rather unfortunate that we’re turning away from God, when He’s so generously blessed us with undeserved blessings to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings, so let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘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!’
Now having activated those blessings, we’re now duty bound to go out and use them to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…a righteous God…will deliver justice…where there is unrighteousness…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a God of refuge and comfort, a positive outlook on life., abundance, almighty god, as generously as the Lord shared them with us, be careful for nothing, be ye thankful, bring my soul out of prison, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, christianity, Christians, curse, deal bountifully with me, deliver me from my persecutors, did I make my supplication, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, duty bound, favour, fear, give God His due, give heed to my cry, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him, good family, good health, handle the situation, his praise shall continually be in my mouth, holy spirit, I am brought low, I cried unto the Lord with my voice, I cried unto thee O Lord, I declared my trouble, I fainted, I will bless the Lord at all times, in a calm and positive manner, in every thing, in the land of the living, Jesus Christ, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, let the peace of God rule in your hearts, let your request be made known unto God, life cannot always be sunshine, looked on my right hand, LOVE, mercy, my refuge, my soul shall make her boast in the Lord, my spirit was overwhelmed, negative word, no man cared for my soul, no man that would acknowledge me, only one place to turn for safe refuge, poured out my complaint, praayer and thanksgiving, refuge failed me, running away from homes, salvation, secretly laid a snare for me, self-control, stormy weather, success, supernatural strength, supernatural wisdom, talent, that I may praise thy name, the BIBLE, the humble shall hear and be glad, the Lord God Jehovah, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the process of rebuilding, the rain must fall, the righteous shall compass me about, the two basics of Christian life, they are stronger than I, thou art my refuge and my portion, thou knewest my path, times of discomfort, to escape the wildfires, to nourish the land, truth, use those blessings for the good of others, whatsoever ye do in word and deed, wildfires, wisdom, with my voice
Psalm 142:5. I cried unto thee, O Lord: I said thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.
The beautiful summer days seems to have been quite short lived, just two, (smile) for this Thursday has opened damp and somewhat cloudy after a night of rain, and more rain is forecasted for later today and the upcoming days. But as we all know, life cannot be sunshine all the time, the rain must fall to nourish the land.
And how the Western Provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba are dying to see torrents of rain, so that the many wildfires currently plaguing them could be extinguished and allow them to get on with their lives. But unfortunately they are not being granted that wish and have to be running away from their homes and towns to avoid the ever expanding wildfires.
Let’s pray that their ordeal will soon end, and they can begin the tough process of rebuilding. But until then, there’s only one place they can turn to for safe and perfect refuge, that’s in the Lord God Jehovah. For He is indeed a God of refuge and comfort. And when those times of discomfort, fear and stormy weather overtake us, He is the One we should first turn to, like Bruh David did when he was forced to hide in a cave from his enemies, especially king Saul.
He writes in Psalm 142: ‘I cried unto the Lord with my voice; with my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication. I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed (declared) before him my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me (I fainted), then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily (secretly) laid a snare for me. I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know (acknowledge) me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.
I cried unto thee, O Lord: I said thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living. Attend (give heed) unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about (surround me); for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.’ (Ps. 142:1-7)
Oh my people, please, let’s use this psalm today as a reminder that our great God is indeed a place of refuge and comfort; a God to whom we can sincerely cry out in times of trouble and expect His awesome help. Sometimes it might not come right away, because He’s using the situation to test us, but we will always receive the wherewithal to handle the situation in a calm and positive manner. That’s His faithful promise. But we need to do it in a reverential manner, somewhat like how the scholars said Bruh David did it. ‘After presenting his lament (vs. 1-4), David lifts up his petition (vs. 5-6) and promises his thanksgiving when God answers (vs. 7).’
Yes friends, although we might be in serious trouble, we must still take the time to give God His due; that’s praise and thanksgiving, and not just rush blindly and arrogantly into demanding mode. That reminds us of the opening verses of Psalm 34: ‘I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.’ (Ps, 34:1-2)
As Bruh Paul wrote to the Philippians: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto the Lord. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7) That informs us that every prayer must have some form of thanksgiving in it. We don’t just boldly and selfishly ask for whatever we desire. No, we must also offer a modicum of thanks and praise for God’s goodness to His human creation.
And we can reinforce that by remembering Bruh Paul’s writing to the Colossians, when he speaks of putting on the new man. These verses certainly expand our horizons (smile). ‘And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. …And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.’ (Col. 3:15; 17) That means, as Bruh Paul writes to the Thessalonians: ‘In EVERY THING give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:18)
And that’s the long and short of the story my fellow saints; in everything we do or say, thanks ought to be given to God. So please, let’s integrate it, or keep it integrated, (smile) in all aspects of our lives, for it’s God’s desire for His human creation. Now let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) and thus activating our Thursday Blessings, so generously bestowed on us by the Lord to do His earthly work.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘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 made that declaration (yesss!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and use those blessings for the good of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…prayer and thanksgiving are…the two basics of the Christian life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a deep desire for personal righteousness, a hungry animal, a message of hope, a mighty rushing wind, a new heart will I also give you, a new spirit will I put within you, a renewed relationship with God, a sound from heaven, a spiritual transformation, a strong will, a thirsting soul, as generously as the Lord shared them with us, as the hart panteth after the water brooks, began to speak with other tongues, believers, blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, broken right now in the name of Jesus, broken the gates of brass, cause you to walk in my statutes, christianity, cloven tongues like fire, complete satisfaction, curse, cut the bars of iron asunder, divine protection, early will I seek thee, everything originates from God, faith, favour, filled with the Holy Ghost, for his goodness, fulfilment, give you an heart of flesh, good health, he filleth the hungry soul with goodness, he satisfieth the longing soul, his wonderful works to the children of men, holy spirit, I will bless thee while I live, in a dry and thirsty land where no water is, Jesus Christ, keep my judgements and do them, lift up my hands in thy name, LOVE, mercy, my flesh longs for you, my lips shall praise thee, my soul longeth for thee, my soul thirsteth for god, negative word, O God thou art my God, obedience to God's law, oh that men would praise the Lord, Old Testament prophecies fulfilled in the New Testament, other languages, outpouring of righteousness, panting for food or water, promostion, proof of their spiritual rebirth, propser, put my spirit within you, salvation, self-control, self-discipline, share our blessings with others, so panteth my soul after thee O God, spiritual poverty, spiritual rebirth, spiritual renewal, succeed, supernatural wisdom, take away the stony heart out of your flesh, the Beatitudes, the BIBLE, The Day of Pentecost, the Holy spirit indwelling believers, the indisputable truth, the living God, the penultimate day of our work week, the prophecy of Ezekiel, the sons of Korah, they shall be filled, thy loving-kindness is better than life, to see thy power and thy glory, truth, underserved blessings, When shall I come and appear before God, wisdom, yearning for perishable things, yearning for spiritual things
Psalm 107:15. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-KINDNESS), and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
So we’ve come to Thursday, the penultimate day of our work week, a warm and sunshiny day, and we’re just panting for Friday, like a hungry or thirsty animal panting for food or water. Oh, how I wish we could be like the sons of Korah say in Psalm 42: ‘As the hart (deer) panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?’ (Ps. 42:1-2)
And Bruh David corroborates it in Psalm 63, ‘A Thirsting Soul’ while in the wilderness, running from his arch enemy King Saul. He writes: ‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul longeth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;’ (Ps. 63:1)
Yes friends, it’s the living God we should be panting and thirsting for; not the day when we get a break from work! For who do you think allows you to have that break eh? In the long run, it’s the living God! In fact everything that you have or get, initially flows from Almighty God! It might come through other people, but it all originates from the grace, mercy and LOVE of our heavenly Father! As Bruh David spells out in the next couple of verses. ‘To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee (looked for thee) in the sanctuary. Because thy LOVING-KINDNESS is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.’ (Ps. 63:2-4)
Now that’s how we supposed believers ought to be behaving, not looking forward to the material, perishable things of the world, as so many of us are currently doing. It’s like Jesus says in the Beatitudes: ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’ (Matt. 5:6)
And the scholars offer this interesting explanation of that verse. ‘These future possessors of the earth are its presently installed rightful heirs, and even now they hunger and thirst for righteousness. They experience a deep desire for personal righteousness, which in itself is a proof of their spiritual rebirth. Those who are poor and empty in their own spiritual poverty recognize the depth of their need, and they hunger and thirst for that which ONLY God can give them. They shall be filled refers to a complete satisfaction. The psalmist proclaimed: “He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.” (Ps. 107:9)
And that’s the indisputable truth my fellow believers! When we sincerely hunger and thirst for the righteousness of God, He fills us up, because that is His very nature, which He cannot deny. And we find one of the best examples of that in the Book of Acts, on the Day of Pentecost when the church members were sitting together in a room, ‘And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven (divided) tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues (in other languages), as the Spirit gave then utterance.’ (Acts. 2:2-4)
Oh my brethren, that was certainly an unusual outpouring of righteousness all at once, but it marked the beginning of the Holy Spirt indwelling believers and not operating outside on certain occasions. It’s what God promised the Israelites in the prophesy of Ezekiel. ‘A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgements, and do them.’ (Ezek. 36:26-27)
And this commentary offers an explanation of those verses. ‘They promise a spiritual transformation, where God will replace the Israelites’ “heart of stone” (stubbornness, resistance) with a “heart of flesh” (responsiveness, obedience), and infuse them with a “new spirit,” symbolizing a renewed relationship with God and obedience to His laws. This promise is a type of the New Covenant, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, offering spiritual renewal to all believers.
In essence, Ezekiel 36:26 is a powerful message of hope and spiritual renewal, promising a restoration of the Israelites’ relationship with God through a transformation of their hearts and minds. This transformation is also seen as a foreshadowing of the New Covenant, where God’s spirit dwells within believers, enabling them to live in obedience and righteousness.’
Now that ought to help us believe God’s Word even more, as those prophecies in the Old Testament keep being fulfilled in the New Testament. Consequently, our behaviour ought to be like the psalmist says in Psalm 107: ‘Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-KINDNESS), and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he hath broken the gates of brass (bronze), and cut the bars of iron in sunder.’ (Ps. 107:15-16)
Yes, friends, the Lord has broken all our chains and released us from the prison of sin and being hell bound through the auspices of Christ’s work on the cross of Calvary. That means we should be thankful, grateful and show it through our obedience and LOVE, especially since He’s further showered us with our Thursday Blessings, undeserved blessings to do His earthly work. So let’s declare and activate them right now nuh.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘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 made that declaration (yeah!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and share those blessings with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…instead of yearning for perishable earthly things…we ought to ye yearning for imperishable spiritual or heavenly things…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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