23 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bunch of ungrateful sinners, a living hope, a spoiled child, abundant life, according to His abundant mercy, an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, ask anything that's in God's will, be able to comfort them which are in trouble, be my Helper, Bless His Holy Name, bless the Lord oh my soul, blessed be God, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God, camp beneth the Lord's umbrella, carry them in his bosom, challenging, compassionate, crowneth thee with loving-kindness, delights in giving His Children good things, faith, feed his flock like a shepherd, foolish tears, forget not all his benefits, forgive my vain grasping, forgiveth all thine iniquities, friendly God, full of adventure, gather the lambs with his arm, genreous, gently lead those that are with young, gets whatever he asks for, guide me all my life, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, healeth all thy diseases, hold me, holy spirit, hurry, I resisted, I struggled, in god's eyes, Jehovah God is the greatest, Jesus Christ, kept by the power of God, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, light in the darkness, lock stock and barrel, Lord You LOVE to Say Yes, LOVE, mercy, mount up with wings as eagles, my Friend, no better way to live, obedient to God's demands, ready to be revealed in the last time, redeemeth thy life from destruction, reserved in heaven for you, run and not be weary, salvation, satisfieth thy mouth with good things, seize me, share His love with my neighbours, shattered, so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's, steady me when I staggered, take us home when we lose our way, tender mercies, that fadeth not away, the awesome truth, the beloved of God, the easy yoke of christ, the Father of mercies, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of All Comfort, the One and Only True God, the resurrection of the dead, they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, thread my tears into a song, through faith unto salvation, thy youth is renewed like the eagle's, torn with grief, transitory change, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Manrta, undisturbable joy, value God's guidance, walk and not faint, who comforteth us in all our tribulation, who satisfieth thy mouth with good things, willful pride, windstorm, wisdom, with your wisdom, worry, you said yes, your captivating love, your counsel
Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 June 2026 Psalm 103:5.
Psalm 103:5. Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
So we’ve conquered Monday and come to Tuesday; a sunny and mild though somewhat windy day, but definitely nothing like it was for the couple of days last week. That was a windstorm, this is just a decent wind. (smile) And today we’ll look at a wonderful poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin titled ‘Lord, You LOVE to Say Yes.’ I believe I’ve shared it before, but I also think it’s time to share it again, because it’s so beautiful and truthful. (smile)
So, please read with me: ‘Lord, I asked You for abundant life Rich, challenging, full of adventure And You said yes. I asked You for an undisturbable joy Independent of transitory change And You said Yes. I asked you to thread my tears into a song when I was shattered and torn with grief and You said Yes. I asked you to steady me when I staggered – To hold me when I struggled To seize me when I resisted And You said Yes.
I asked You to forgive my vain grasping My foolish fears, my willful pride And You said yes. I asked You to be my Helper, my Friend My light in the darkness And You said Yes. I asked You to guide me all my life With Your wisdom, Your counsel Your captivating LOVE And You said Yes. Sometimes, Lord I feel like a spoiled child Who gets whatever he asks for. You overwhelm me with joy For You LOVE to say Yes!’
And isn’t that the awesome truth when we ask for anything that’s in His will? It certainly is! Yes friends, we have a wonderful, generous, compassionate, LOVING and friendly God, who delights in giving His children good things. And if we are living in His will and are being obedient to His demands, then why wouldn’t He be generous, especially when we ask for things like His wisdom, His counsel and His captivating LOVE, which show that we truly value His guidance. As well as to be our friend, our helper and our light in the darkness, for those are all major aspects of the relationship the Lord desires to have with us.
It’s like Bruh David says in Psalm 103, from which the scripture promise for today’s poem comes. ‘He declares; ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction, who crowneth thee with LOVING-KINDNESS and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps. 103:1-5)
Oh my people, that is the good and great God that we serve, who always desires for us to the abundant life for which His Son, Jesus Christ, died for us to have. And by the way, that last verse is the Bible promise for today’s poem. And Isaiah also corroborates Bruh David’s sentiments, when he declares: ‘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) So, if we’re wise, we’d certainly camp beneath the Lord’s umbrella, so we can enjoy all the good things He has in store for us.
And we know how He just LOVES to comfort us in our troubles, meet us wherever we are, ‘thread our tears into a song,’ and take us home when we lose our way or are too prideful and get lost because we choose to go our own way. Listen to how Bruh Paul puts it to the Corinthians: ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:3-4)
Yuh see mih people, our God is so caring and compassionate that He comforts us so that we can comfort others who need it! It’s like Isaiah says: ‘He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is. 40:11) That shows God’s tender and protective LOVE! Now, no other supposed God does anything like that. Our God gives and comforts, while the other supposed gods only take, with little or no desire to give to their people, or comfort them in times of sorrow. That’s why Jehovah God is the greatest!
And Peter acknowledges that when he declares: ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.’ (1 Pet. 1:3-5)
Now which other supposed god gave up their only Son to die for a bunch of ungrateful sinners eh? None, but the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! That’s why He is the ONE and ONLY TRUE GOD! The undisputed Creator, Controller and compassionate Ruler of this universe! The One who LOVES to say yes to those who seriously and sincerely worship Him in faith and truth. No wonder the wise flock to Him, so that He can spoil them and overwhelm them with unspeakable joy. (smile)
And that’s why we can declare our Tuesday Mantra with joy, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
That then means we are duty bound to go out and share the amazing friendship and LOVE of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…there’s no better way to live…than under the easy and unburdened yoke of Christ…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a blessed scripture, all guns firing, be able to comfort them which are in trouble, be careful for nothing, be not afraid neither be thou dismayed, be of good cheer, be strong and of a good courage, blessed be God, Bruh David's men spoke about stoning him, Bruh David's reaction to the burning of Ziklag, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God, casting all your care upon him, christianity, comfort in hard times, David followed the Lord's advise, David's men blamed his for the disaster, do better, do good work for Jesus, don't even have time to think, encouragement is right at our fingertips, endure to the end, faith, for our sakes and Jesus', give thanks for being alive, greater is he that is in you, halfway home, hands on the plough, have all the tools and parts, have I not commanded thee, have overcome them, he careth for you, He giveth power to the faint, he may exalt you in due time, hearing and putting into action are two different things, hold our horses, holy spirit, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, I have overcome the word, i have overcome the world, I'm so glad to be alive, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, Jesus Christ, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, know the scriptures, let your request be made known unto God, LOVE, mercy, mount up with wings as eagles, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not looking back, on an early bus, our second wind day, run and not be weary, salvation, scriptures that provide encouragement, sterngth and courage, than he that's in the world, thank God, that in me ye might have peace, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the Father of mercies, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of All Comfort, the Lord sometimes allows hardship to come against us, the Lord thy God is with thee wherever you go, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the way we live this earthly life depends a lot on us, the young men shall utterly fall, the youth shall faint and be weary, these things I have spoken unto you, they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, to a glorious future with Jesus, to find a wife asap, to them that have no might he increaseth strength, truth, use them when the time comes, wait on the Lord, wake up to the seriousness of the situation, walk and not faint, Wednesday Wail, who comforteth us in all our tribulation, wisdom, ye are of God little children
Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 June 2026 John 16:33.
John 16:33. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’
Ah mih people, it’s Wednesday, our second wind day, so let’s catch it if we want to continue to do good work for Jesus. And would you believe we’re on an early bus, even though I went to my church group this morning! Glory be! Let’s also give thanks for being alive to see another day, despite the high level of evil and ungodliness that’s currently permeating our world. And as we promised yesterday, if the breath still flowed through our body today, we’d continue to look at scriptures that give us encouragement in our everyday lives.
And I like how this overview breaks down the scriptures according to purpose. Beginning with this famous one for Strength and Courage, as the Lord continues speaking to Joshua, after making him the Israelite leader following the death of Moses. For the third time in four verses He admonishes Joshua: ‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9)Now you cannot get encouragement from a better source, but hearing it and putting it into action are two entirely different things, for when the enemy comes at you with all guns firing, sometimes you don’t even have time to think, much less be strong and courageous, but we’re expected to be thus, because we have all the parts and tools to do so.
Then, as per Peace and Anxiety, these verses from Philippians show us the way. ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God. and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7)
And what about a scripture for Overcoming Weariness? This one we all know and quote although we don’t action it as we ought to. Isaiah wisely informs us: ‘He giveth power to the faint (weak); and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 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: 29-31) What a beautiful promise my brethren! But it doesn’t happen automatically, we have to hold our horses and wait upon the Lord.
Then there’s this section about Comfort in Hard Times. Here Peter exhorts us: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-7) Yes friends, Almighty God is our greatest source of comfort, as Bruh Paul explains in these verses from 2 Corinthians. ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:3-4)
Wow! What a blessed scripture! We comfort others by the comfort we receive from God Himself! Then as per Assurance in Trials, John enlightens us from his first epistle. ‘Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.’ (1 John 4:4) And that’s a known fact, Jesus in us is indeed greater than Satan that’s in the world. And Jesus confirms this when he reassures us: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
Oh my fellow believers, we certainly don’t lack for encouraging scriptures in the Lord’s Word, for that’s why it was written; to enlighten, guide, encourage, strengthen and comfort us. But it’s not always easy to do, and we first have to know the scriptures, then put them into action when the time comes. And here is one of the best examples in the Bible of putting scripture into action. It’s Bruh David’s reaction when the Philistines refused his help to fight with them against Israel, although he was then living in their territory, and he returned to his town of Ziklag and found it burned to the ground by the Amalekites, and all the women and children taken captive.
To make matters worse, although Bruh David had also lost his wives and children, his men were sorely grieved, and spoke about stoning him, blaming him for the disaster. (1 Sam. 30:1-6a) And how did Bruh David handle that frightening situation? The Bible tells us: ‘but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.’ (1 Sam. 30:6b) Yes friends, that’s what we need to do when things are really going badly; encourage ourself in the Lord our God, turn to Him in prayer with questions as to one’s direction, like Bruh David did. In that case, the Lord directed him to go after the Amalekites, (1 Sam. 30:7-8)
And he followed the Lord’s advice, went after the Amalekites and defeated them in a great victory and recovered all that he had lost… and more. (1 Sam. 30:9-12) Ah mih people, at times the Lord might allow life to become difficult for us, but He’ll never leave us in the lurch, that is if we turn to Him for guidance and encouragement. So, in the long run, the way we live this earthly life depends quite a lot on us. We have all the tools to make it good, but what good are tools that aren’t being used eh? No good at all! So let’s wake up and wise up to the seriousness of the situation and do better, for our sakes, as well as for Christ’s.
Now let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we endure to the end, then, an even more glorious future has been promised, one we cannot imagine or comprehend. So, let’s be wise and endure to the very end, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…we don’t lack for encouragement…it’s right there at our fingertips…just waiting to be taken…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, a zeppo, above the highest heavens, amidst all the anxiety and confusion, be able to comfort them which are in trouble, be exalted O God, be responsible, be strong and of a good courage, blessed be God, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God, by the example your faithful believers set, Christ has given us the victory, come boldly to the throne of grace, comforts us in all our tribulation, crying out for God's help, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, discontent and dissatisfaction, divine aid, every ounce of emotion is drained, faith, fear not nor be afraid of them, feel and extra connection with God, find grace to help in time of need, Friday chant, God intuitively provides information, God sent not his son into thte world to condemn the world, God's love is everlasting, Gods' word is unquestionable, guide thee with mine eye, he hath not believed, he that believeth not is condemned already, he that believeth on him is not condemned, he will not fail thee nor forsake thee, holy spirit, humbly with confidence, I give them eternal life, I will instruct thee, I will not leave you comfortless, in the name of Jesus, in the name of the only begotten Son of God, introduce a new flock of believers, Jesus Christ, lifted to peaks of delight, LOVE, loved you with an everlasting love, may your glory shine over all the earth, mercy, my future is secure, my heart is a brambled desert, my past is forgiven, my sheep hear my voice, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand, never leave me comfortless, obtain mercy, omnipotent help, one body of Christ, One Year Book of Bible promises, our sinful world can wake up, Rare Moments of Delight, rare mysterious momnets, return backsliders to your fold, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, serious problems are escalating, show them the error of their ways, smell it sweet and strong, stand strong and steadfast, stay safe, teach thee in the way thou shall go, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the ecstacy of feeling, the Father of mercies, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of All Comfort, the Holy Spirit is the Comforter, the Holy Trinity, the Lord hath appeared of old unto me, the Lord thy God doth go with thee, the world through him might be saved, these ungodly times, they shall never perish, trusting faith, truth, unexpected storms, wake up and smell the coffee, wisdom, wise guidance, with lovingkindness have I drawn thee, you add to my knowing
Psalm 108: 5. ‘Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth.’
So finally it’s Friday; the day we’ve all been looking forward to, and although it’s somewhat cloudy, we really don’t care, and have offered up our Friday Mantra: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here!’ But please note, that doesn’t mean we can laze around at work today. No! It means we still have to be diligent and do whatever is needed in the name of Jesus, because that’s what He expects of us.
And today we’ll look at an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This one doesn’t sound familiar to me, but who knows, I might have shared it before. The fact is that they are all worthy to be shared again and again for they are inspiring, encouraging and tell lots of truths about our situations. This one is titled ‘Rare Moments of Delight.’
So please read with me: ‘Because you are God And Your Word is unquestionable There are things I assuredly know Even when my heart is a brambled desert And every ounce of emotion is drained: I know Your LOVE is everlasting I know You will never forsake me Nor will you leave me comfortless I know I can come to You boldly I know you will teach and instruct me You will guide me with Your eye I know my past is forgiven And my future is secure. But, oh, dear God How I praise You for the marvel Of those rare, mysterious moments when suddenly, without a flash or a sound You add to my knowing The ecstasy of feeling and I am lifted to peaks of delight!’
Oh friends, the poem doesn’t only gives us some of the many promises that our great God has made, and what we know from reading His Word, which keeps us safe and secure, but there’s an even greater feeling, one where He just intuitively flashes us some information that we were not expecting, which brings us even closer to Him. It’s what we sometimes call receiving a Zeppo. That sudden intuitive feeling that something is right, or it’s what we should do. It’s like when I was looking through the book today for a poem to offer, when I came to the one we just read, there was this feeling like the Lord was saying that’s the right one. So I just used it. At times like those we feel and extra connection with our God, renewing our convictions that He is indeed real and looking out for us.
And all I want to do now is remind us of some of the scriptures that we spoke of in the poem. For instance God’s everlasting LOVE. The Bible says it in different ways in several scriptures, but this one from Jeremiah probably says it the best. ‘The Lord hath appeared of old (from afar) unto me, saying, Yea, I have LOVED you with an everlasting LOVE: therefore with LOVING-KINDNESS have I drawn thee.’ (Jer. 31:3) And as per never leaving nor forsaking us, there are again several scriptures that point out that promise, but Moses said it quite early to the children of Israel. ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee nor forsake thee.’ (Deut. 31:6)
Then as per never leaving us comfortless, there’s this great scripture from Bruh Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth, where he talks about the Comfort of God. ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:3-4)
Wow! What a magnificent scripture! God comforts us so that we can comfort others with the comfort we receive from Him. And don’t forget the Holy Spirit that dwells within us is also know as the Comforter. (John 14:16; 15:26) And Jesus also promised, ‘I will not leave you comfortless (as orphans): I will come to you.’ (John 14:18) So there’s lots of comfort to be had from our Holy Trinity!
Then, as per going boldly to God, we all know the scripture from Hebrews that says: ‘Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:16) Now, boldly there doesn’t mean proudly or arrogantly, but humbly with the confidence that God will not turn us away. And as per His teaching and instructing us, Bruh David says it quite clearly in Psalm 32: ‘I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.’ (Ps. 32:8)
And finally, as per our forgiven past and safe futures, there are many scriptures that address those points, but for time’s sake we’ll only check out a couple of statements from Jesus. The first is one we all know: ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world: but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.’ (John 3:17-18) Then later on Jesus declares to His accusers: ‘My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck (snatch) them out of my hand.’ (John 10:27-28) You cannot get any safer or more secure than that my faithful brethren!
And lest we forget, (smile) the Bible Promise for today’s poem comes from Psalm 108. ‘Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth.’ (Ps. 108:5) That’s the NLT (New Living Translation). Meanwhile the KJV (King James Version) says: ‘Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth;’ (Ps. 108:5) And though we are King James people here, (smile) I like the NLT version, and we’ll use it as our Bit. Now let’s go to the throne of grace, confidently, but humbly, through our Friday Chant seeking divine aid to help in these very troubled times.
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!’
And though we pray good prayers, friends, the truth is that until we come together as the supposed one body of Christ, and begin seriously living for Him, getting divine aid will always be a problem for us. Much LOVE!
…Christ has given us the victory…we now have to make sure we don’t lose it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
21 Sep 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: awakened from a troubled sleep, be able to comfort them which are in trouble, blessed be God, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God, declare all thy works, destroyed all them who go a whoring from thee, don't lose faith, entrepreneurial crisis, envious of the wicked's prosperity, facing bankruptcy, faith, fellowship, God has us in the palm of his hand, God is the strength of my heart, God on the Mountain, God took them through the valley, God will make them right, holy spirit, I will fear no evil, in the presence of mine enemies, it is good for me to draw near to God, it's down in the vallesy, Jesus Christ, know it deep down in our hearts, life is easy when you're on the mountain, LOVE, mercy, my cup runneth over, my flesh and my heart faileth, my portion for ever, of whom shall I be afraid, peace of mind like you've never known, prayers of praise and thanksgiving, put it into action, put my trust in the Lord God, reward of God's goodness and grace, salvation, still God in the bad times, still God in the night, still God in the valley, stood strong in faith, swimming pool business, talk comes easy, talk of faith, the day of the Lord, the Father of mercies, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of All Comfort, The God of the day, the God of the good times, the God on the mountain, the gospel truth, the indisputable truth, the Lord is my light and my salvation, the Lord is the strength of my life, the trials and tribulations of life, their world seemed to be falling apart, they that are far from thee shall perish, thou anointest my head with oil, thou art with me, thou preparest a table before me, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, Tracy Dartt, trials and temptations, truth, ungodly times, up on the mountain, we ourselves are comforted by God, when life's at its best, when things change, when things go wrong, when you're down in the valley, who comforteth us in all our tribulation, whom shall I fear, wisdom, you're never alone, your faith is put to the test
Psalm 23:4. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Sunday has come around again my fellow believers! That wonderful day of our God, where we endeavour to visit His house, and with other believers offer up prayers of praise and thanksgiving and worship Him with a true and sincere heart. In return, we receive His strength and wisdom to face another week of work in these tough and ungodly times. And on our worship schedule for today is a song that’s very appropriate for these times and offers encouragement to those of us who are having a hard time managing the trials and tribulations of our lives.
The song’s aptly titled ‘God on the Mountain.’ It was written by Tracy Dartt in the mid 1970’s when his wife Sharon and himself were going through an entrepreneurial crisis, where there swimming pool business in California was facing bankruptcy, and to make matters worse, their partner became discouraged, threw in the towel, and signed everything over to them. That obviously caused them even more anxiety and stress for they had several swimming pools to build, but no money to build them with.
It so happened though that the Dartt’s were also country gospel music singers and per Mr. Dartt: ‘In the midst of the turmoil, I awakened from a troubled sleep one night. It was two o’clock in the morning. A tune was echoing in my troubled brain. I picked up a tablet and a pencil and began to write, “Life is easy when you’re up on the mountain, and you’ve got peace of mind like you’ve never known. But, when things change and you’re down in the valley, don’t lose faith, for you’re never alone.”
“Thank You, Lord,” I prayed, “for being God in my valley.” The chorus came, “The God on the mountain is still God in the valley. When things go wrong, He’ll make them right…” In all, it took about thirty minutes. I again prayed, “Thank You, Lord,” and then settled back down to sleep.’
And wouldn’t you know it, the next day he went off to work and through God’s goodness and mercy, he got a call for a new swimming pool. Then a few days later he got another call. And so it went, until as he writes: ‘Through the off-season, we ended up selling and building 12 pools in all, at a time when no one else was building pools. The building season came, and suddenly we were able to finish all of our construction and eliminate our debts. We were free and clear, without having to bankrupt the business. God had taken us through the valley.’
And believe me friends, that is not an exception but has happened to many believers down through the ages, who stood strong in their faith even when their world seemed to be falling apart around them. So now that we know some the song’s background, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a mid-tempo, soulful version of the song, a la the American Gospel Artiste, Lynda Randle.
Singing: ‘Life is easy, when you’re up on the mountain And you’ve got peace of mind, like you’ve never known But things change, when you’re down in the valley Don’t lose faith, for you are never alone For the God on the mountain, is still God in the valley When things go wrong, He’ll make them right And the God of the good times, is still God in the bad times The God of the day, is still God in the night We talk of faith way up on the mountain
But talk comes easy, when life’s at its best Now it’s down in the valleys, trials and temptations That’s where your faith is really put to the test For the God on the mountain, is still God in the valley, When things go wrong, He’ll make them right And the God of the good times, is still God in the bad times The God of the day, is still God in the night The God of the day, is still God in the night.’
And that’s the indisputable truth my people! Our God is the God of both the day and night, as well as of the valley and the mountain top. But we must know that deep down in our hearts and put it into action, like the Dartt’s did, if we want to experience the same kind of reward of God’s goodness and grace that they received.
And we all know that one of the most famous scriptures on being down in the valley is this one from Psalm 23, where Bruh David confidently affirms: ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil: my cup runneth over.’ (Ps. 23:3-4)
Yes my brethren, the Lord has faithfully promised that He will never leave nor forsake us, (Heb. 13:5) that means wherever we are, He is there with us, leading and guiding us. However though, valley life is not easy. For as the song so rightfully points out. ‘We talk of faith way up on the mountain But talk comes easy, when life’s at its best Now it’s down in the valleys, trials and temptations That’s where your faith is really put to the test.’
Now that’s the gospel truth! When things are going well, we can always boast about our faith, but it’s down in the trenches of the valleys, when the darkness seems overwhelming, that our faith is really tested. And it’s where so many of us fail the test, because we cannot walk our talk of faith. But when we put our trust in God during those dark and dismal times, He helps us to get through them. It’s like the psalmist Asaph who found himself in the valley, being envious of the wicked, then went into the sanctuary of God and finally understood the wicked’s end. (Ps. 73:17).
Later, he declares: ‘My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (rock) of my heart, and my portion for ever. For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee. But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’ (Ps. 73:26-28)
And we’ll close with possibly the most comforting scripture verses in the Bible. The words of Bruh Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians. ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:3-4)
Yes friends, our great God not only comforts us, but in such a manner that we can comfort others. Isn’t He wonderful? Of course He is! So, let’s remember, that though times are tough and seem to be getting tougher daily, our God Jehovah has us in the palm of his hand, but we need keep our faith strong, to even build it up, so that we can make it through the many death-like valleys that are appearing nowadays. Much LOVE!
…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…NO ONE… (Ps. 27:1)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
06 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a future and a hope, a new work week, allow His joy and peace, an incomparable experience, and peace from God the Father, and will say destroy, Anthony Showalter, be able to comfort them which are in trouble, be as a tree planted by the waters, blessed be God, blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, boosting our faith, by the comfort, calamity, Christ my Saviour, christianity, contemplate what it means, disastrous times, Easter, Elisha Hoffman, faith, fellowship, from day to day, god of all comfort, grace be to you, He will thrust out the enemy before you, her leaf shall be green, holy spirit, how bright the path grows, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim's way, I have blessed peace, I know the thoughts I think toward you, I will not fear what man can do to me, I will trust in thee, In god I have put my trust, In God I will praise his word, in the year of drought, jehovah god, Jesus Christ, leaning on Jesus, leaning on the everlasting arms of Christ my Saviour, LOVE, mercy, not be anxious, not of evil, reassurance, renewing our confidence, replace our loneliness, safe and secure from all alarms, salvation, shall not fear when heat comes, song of worship, spreads out her roots, the BIBLE, the eternal God is your refuge, the Father of all comfort, the Father of mercies, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of All Comfort, the greatest source of comfort, the Lord jesus christ, the Lord's Day, the miraculous events of Easter, the necessary inspiration, thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, thoughts of peace, times of fear and trial, times of trouble, to find refuge in God's arms, to give you an expected end, truth, turn to God for comfort, underneath are the everlasting arms, we are comforted ourselves by God, what a blessedness, what a fellowship, what a joy divine, what a peace is mine, what have i to dread, what have I to fear, What time I am afraid, who comforts us in our tribulation, whose hope the Lord is, whose mind is stayed on thee, wisdom, with my Lord so near
2 Corinthians 1:3. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of mercies, and God of all comfort;
And then it was Sunday, the Lord’s Day, one filled with sunshine, worship, fellowship, thanksgiving and joy, all serving to boost our faith and renew our confidence in our great God, so that we can go out tomorrow and begin a new work week with the necessary inspiration and strength to make Him proud. And today’s song of worship is a very interesting and appropriate one for the disastrous times our world is currently facing. It’s most aptly titled ‘Leaning On the Everlasting Arms.’
Now, the website Godtube offers this information on the background of the hymn. ‘Leaning on the Everlasting Arms is a hymn published in 1887 with music by Anthony J. Showalter and lyrics by Showalter and Elisha Hoffman. Showalter had received letters from two of his former pupils informing him their wives had died and were seeking consolation. When writing them back, he was inspired by the phrase in the Book of Deuteronomy 33:27 “The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, And will say, ‘Destroy”.
But after thinking of the verse furthermore, he decided those words would make a great theme for a hymn. He then wrote the words for the refrain and music for the hymn “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.” But he needed help with the stanzas, so he went to see Elisha Hoffman author of over 2000 gospel hymns. Hoffman provided the stanzas while Showalter created the refrain and music to this hymn.’
So, on this first Sunday morning in April, during this Lenten Season, with the miraculous events of Easter just around the corner, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a rousing, up-tempo rendition of the song, doing exactly as this commentary from the Hymnary.org website so wisely advises. ‘As the hymn is sung, contemplate what it means to find refuge in our heavenly Father’s arms in times of fear and trial, and to allow His joy and peace to replace our loneliness and anxiety.’
Yes friends, we’ve all had times of trouble, when we needed to turn to God for comfort and strength and lean on His everlasting arms. So, as we sing, let’s remember some of those times and allow our gratitude and thanks to flow from our hearts for those many moments of comfort we’ve so graciously and mercifully received.
Singing: ‘What a fellowship, what a joy divine, leaning on the everlasting arms; what a blessedness, what a peace is mine, leaning on the everlasting arms. (Refrain: Leaning on Jesus, leaning on Jesus, safe and secure from all alarms; leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.) O how sweet to walk in this pilgrim’s way, leaning on the everlasting arms; O how bright the path grows from day to day, leaning on the everlasting arms.
[Refrain] What have I to dread, what have I to fear, leaning on the everlasting arms? I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, leaning on the everlasting arms. Leaning on Jesus, leaning on Jesus, safe and secure from all alarms; leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms, Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms; leaning on the everlasting arms…leaning on the everlasting arms of Jesus… oh how good it is to be, leaning on the everlasting arms of Christ my Saviour….’
And yuh better believe it’s not only good to be leaning on Christ’s arms, but you’ll also understand that it’s an incomparable experience! No other sense of comfort and strength compares to that of our God. That’s why it’s one of the greatest hymns for solace. There’s nothing better than ‘leaning on the everlasting arms’ of God when seeking comfort.
As Bruh Paul so beautifully proclaims in his second letter to the Corinthians. ‘Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of mercies, and God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we are comforted ourselves of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:2-4)
What powerful and encouraging verses of Scripture my fellow believers! And what I particularly like about the sentiments is that God not only comforts us, but does so in such a manner that we are also able to comfort others! Now, let’s look at a few of the many other scriptures that talk about God’s comfort and reassurance, beginning with this marvellous one from Isaiah, where he proclaims with the utmost confidence. ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on (sustained by) thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.’ (Is. 26:3-4)
Then there’s this one from Jeremiah. ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see (fear) when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful (anxious) in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.’ (Jer. 17:7-8)
Yes friends, the Lord has made many promises to comfort and care for us, but on the other hand, we must also place our sincere trust in Him if we expect the relationship to work. And I like these verses that Bruh David writes in Psalm 56, when he ran to the Philistines in Gath. He declares: ‘What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh (mere mortals) can do unto me.’ (Ps. 56:3-4)
Can you imagine Bruh David’s predicament, running from one enemy, Saul, only to end up in the hands of the Philistines, Israel’s constant foes. He was certainly between a rock and a hard place, but his exemplary trust and confidence in the God of his forefathers, kept him sane and confident, while in the hands of his mortal enemies.
And we’ll close with this favourite verse 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) Oh my people, with all those sincere and faithful promises of peace and LOVE and joy, how can we not LOVE and honour the Lord eh? We must be a foolish people, if we don’t! Much LOVE!
…the greatest source of comfort…comes from the Father of all comfort…Jehovah God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a future and a hope, as the problems increas, as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, asleep at the wheel, backsliders, be able to comfort them which are in trouble, Bible, blessed be God, by the comfort, calamity, call upon me, chaotic world, christianity, comforts us in tribulation, divine aid, errors of their ways, eternal life, eternal separation from God, faithful believers, fellowship, find me, Friday chant, god, God still runs things, God still sits on His throne, hard hearted attitudes, holy spirit, I know the thoughts I think toward you, I will hearken unto you, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, new flock of believers, nothing happens unless God allows it, omnipotent help, our consolation aboundeth by Christ, pray unto me, rolling hellbound, salvation, search for me with all your heart, seek me, shocking results, slavatio, so does consolation, stubborn, suffer the consequences, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the divide between God and man, the example, the Father of all mercies, the God of All Comfort, the lustful and prideful ways of the world, the straight and narrow path, the throne of grace, the wide and winding path, this too must pass, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end, truth, unexpected storms, ungodly times, ungraeful, wake up and smell the coffee, we ourselves are comforted of God, wise guidance
2 Corinthians 1:5. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation (comfort) aboundeth by Christ, (as the problems increase, so does the consolation).
So Friday is here at last, and all the shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday!’ rise to high heaven, in thanksgiving for the upcoming end of another tough work week; what with the shocking results of the U.S. Presidential occupying the minds and sensibilities of our already chaotic world. But yuh know what friends? That, like everything else in this crazy world must pass!
Granted, some unnatural and evil things might befall us before it does, but let’s remember that the Great God Jehovah still sits on His heavenly throne and still runs things, though it may seem He is asleep at the wheel. But that’s incorrect, for nothing happens in this world unless He allows it. That’s the comfort we have to take as believers in His Son Jesus Christ. And consequently, let’s never forget these most encouraging words of Bruh Paul from his second missive to the church at Corinth.
‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation (comfort) aboundeth by Christ, (as the problems increase, so does the consolation). (2 Cor. 1:3-5)
Now that’s the wonderful God we serve my fellow believers! One who comforts us in all our trials, so that we can comfort each other with that same comfort we receive from Him! Wow! Please give our amazing and awesome God some thanks and praise for His goodness and mercy to us, underserving children of men! For we certainly don’t deserve all that He’s done on our behalf, but His LOVE towards us is so great that He just cannot help Himself!
Remember He made us for Himself; to have wonderful and LOVING fellowship with Him, and to do His will, so His connection to us is undeniably strong. The problem is that we haven’t returned the LOVE that He desires of us, that’s why there’s the divide between us, a divide He’s desirous of fixing and doing His best to fix, but we, with our stubborn, hardhearted, ungrateful attitudes are refusing to have anything to do with the fixing, preferring the lustful and prideful ways of the world.
Then we’ll just have to suffer whatever consequences those ungodly things and actions bring us, praying that hopefully, before it’s too late, we wake up and see the wrongness of our ways. Remember how Jesus emphasized that we walk the straight and narrow and difficult path that leads to Him and eternal life, and not the wide, winding and easy path that we’re choosing which leads to hellfire and eternal damnation, to eternal separation from Almighty God. (Matt. 7:13-14) And nowhere in time has this wisdom been more important and necessary than right now, as our world seems to be rolling hell bound with increasing speed as each and every day goes by.
Oh my fellow saints, please, let’s remember what God said to Israel through the prophet Jeremiah, when He exiled them to Babylon for their disobedience and idolatrous ways. He promised to return them to their land after a period of seventy years had elapsed. ‘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 that sounds like a wonderful promise, but it was not going to happen automatically, for the Lord added this addendum to it: ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:12-13)
Yes friends, the Lord won’t rain down blessings on us for no good reason. No! We have to sincerely seek and search for Him with all of our hearts, souls, bodies and minds. Remember Jesus said that was the first and great commandment. (Matt. 22:37) And if we don’t follow that first commandment, how can we expect to receive anything good from God eh?
That’s just a fool’s wisdom. You can’t dilly dally, or hob knob with Satan and sin, and then expect to receive salvation and eternal life from God. That’s never going to happen! Not even in our wildest dreams! So please, let’s wake up and see the frail, fickle and sinful state of our world nuh, and make the wise and wonderful decision to forsake sin and Satan and return to Jesus Christ and His righteousness. And to help us make that magnificent change, let’s go to the throne of grace through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid in our time of great need.
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!’
And let’s not fool ourselves with that prayer, for divine aid will not be forthcoming unless we step up to the plate and become better examples of Christian belief! Much LOVE!
…God is good and merciful and compassionate…but He also expects us to…sincerely seek Him…and obey His will and ways…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
13 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new flock of believers, according to his riches in glory, as one whom his mother comforteth, backsliders, be able to comfort them which are in trouble, be known to his servants, Bible, blessed be God, boasting on your behalf, boldness of speech, but for a season, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God, christianity, comforted us by the coming of Titus, comforteth us in our tribulation, crying out for your help, error of their ways, exceeding joyful, faith, filled with comfort, Friday 13th, Friday chant, god, God that comforteth, grace be to you, great is thy faithfulness, his compassions fail not, his indignation to his enemies, holy spirit, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I even I am he that comforteth you, in all our tribulation, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jesus Christ, LOVE, made you sorry with a letter, mercy, my God shall supply all your needs, omnipotent help, our sinful world, peace from God our Father, picture of comfort, so will I comfort you, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the example we faithful believers set, the Father of all mercies, the God of All Comfort, the hand of the Lord, the Son of man, this is the day the Lord has made, those that are cast down, thou shouldst be afraid of a mortal man, truth, wake up and smell the coffee, we will rejoice and be glad in it, wisdom
Isaiah 66:13a. As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you:
And it’s finally Friday! Friday the 13th to boot! But that doesn’t matter in the least, for we children of Almighty God don’t believe in the old wives tales like not walking under a ladder on a Friday the 13th, or allowing a black cat to cross our paths! No we’re staunch believers in Christ Jesus who protects and guides us through His Word and His Holy Spirit. Thus we can say with all certainty and comfort: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is upon us at last!
Then we joyfully follow that up with: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps. 118:24) And a couple other acclamations won’t hurt either. (smile) Like: ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ (Phil. 4:13) Yes, that one strengthens us, but what about this other marvellous and reassuring acclamation about satisfying our needs. ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19)
Now that takes care of our strength and our needs, but then we have this awesome reassurance from Jeremiah in His Lamentations regarding mercy and compassion. ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:22-23)
Oh my people, what a great God we serve! But that’s not all the assurances we have, no way! Here’s the one I really want to bring home to us this beautiful, sunshiny morning of Friday the 13th of September 2024. Let’s read then these heartfelt and reassuring words on comfort from Bruh Paul in his second missive to the church at Corinth.
He declares: ‘Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of all mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:2-4)
Wow mih bredrin! How wonderful is that eh! The Lord comforts us in all our trials and tribulations so that we can comfort others who are also going through hardships. And that’s how the Lord ofttimes works through us: helping us with or through something, which then enables us to help others in the same boat. And here are a couple of scriptures from Isaiah that corroborate Bruh Paul’s statement, re the comfort of God.
Isaiah writes: ‘I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die (mortal man), and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; And forgettest the Lord thy maker, that stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor?’ (Is. 51:12-13)
Yes my fellow believers, our God is our eternal comfort, and we do Him and ourselves a great injustice by not appreciating and gladly accepting His amazing comfort. For hear the prophet Isaiah again, as he talks about rejoicing with Jerusalem. ‘As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you: and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem. And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb (grass): and the hand of the Lord shall be known toward (to) his servants, and his indignation toward (to) his enemies.’ (Is. 66:13-14)
Oh, what a beautiful picture of comfort that is my people! But here’s the other side of the coin, the practical side, as Bruh Paul believes in delivering. This from his second letter to the Corinthians. ‘Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you (boasting on your behalf): I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation. For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without (outside) were fightings, within were fears.
Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus; And not by his coming only, but by the consolation (comfort) wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me (your zeal for me); so that I rejoiced the more. For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent (regret it), though I did repent (regret it): for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season (a short while).’ (2 Cor. 7:4-8)
Yes friends, not only was Bruh Paul comforted by the coming of his protégé Titus, but also by the news that although he had written a rather severe letter to the Corinthians re their Christian shortcomings, they had eventually agreed to his charges an repented of their shortcomings. Such is the mysterious workings and comforting of our great God my brethren! Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant seeking comfort and help in these very needy times.
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!’
And may we remember that like the Corinthians in Bruh Paul’s time, our current Christian behaviour is not up to scratch, and until we improve it, we will not see any divine aid! Much LOVE!
…one of God’s many attributes…is His ability to provide…lasting and sincere comfort…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Apr 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be able to comfort them which are in trouble, beside me there is no God, beside me there is no saviour, by a roadway in the wilderness, by day in a pillar of cloud, by night in a pillar of fire, Don Moen, Easter Season, God will make a way, heaven and earth will fade, His word will remain, I am the first and the last, I even I am the Lord, LOVE, manna form heaven, Noah and the ark, rivers in the desert, showers us with renewed strength, the Father of mercies, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the God of All Comfort, the God of miracles, where there seems to be no way, who comforteth us in all our tribulation
Isaiah 43:11. I, even I, am the Lord, and beside me there is no saviour….
It’s time to come together friends, for our weekly tete a tete, our weekly heart to heart with our heavenly Father, where we offer up our praise and thanksgiving, while He showers us with renewed strength and confidence to face another trying week in this evil and ungodly world. And today, this first Sunday after Christ’s miraculous resurrection, we are going to open our worship with a heartfelt but oh so true song. It’s titled ‘God Will Make a Way.’ Its author is Don Moen, the music professor and long-time choir director for the Hour of Power Religious Programme.
The story goes that some years ago, he received a phone call late one night, informing him that some of His family members had met in a fatal vehicle accident. We all know what that kind of phone call can bring, and deep in sorrow, he says, on his way to the accident scene, while contemplating what to do, the Lord placed these comforting words in his heart. Let’s sing them now nuh, with a real heartfelt and soulful feeling, knowing that they are true, because we too have experienced the marvellous comfort and LOVE of our great God in our times of sorrow.
So, in true sacrificial praise: ‘God will make a way Where there seems to be no way He works in ways we cannot see He will make a way for me He will be my guide Hold me closely to His side With LOVE and strength for each new day He will make a way, He will make a way. By a roadway in the wilderness, He’ll lead me And rivers in the desert will I see Heaven and Earth will fade but His word will still remain And He will do something new today Oh, God will make a way Where there seems to be no way He works in ways we cannot see He will make a way for me He will be my guide Hold me closely to His side With LOVE and strength for each new day He will make a way, He will make a way.
By a roadway in the wilderness, He’ll lead me And rivers in the desert will I see Heaven and Earth will fade but His word will still remain And He will do something new today Oh, God will make a way Where there seems to be no way He works in ways we cannot see He will make a way for me He will be my guide Hold me closely to His side With LOVE and strength for each new day He will make a way, He will make a way With LOVE and strength for each new day He will make a way, He will make a way.’
And if you are true and faithful believer, then you know that that is the God-awesome truth! Our God will ALWAYS make a way for us to handle whatever comes against us. Bruh Paul said it so well in 2 Corinthians. ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:3-4) What an awesome God we serve my people!
And if we are only new believers and haven’t had much of that kind of experience with God, His word is literally littered (smile) with occasions where He’s made a way, where there seemed to be no way. Look at how He told Noah to build and ark. Poor Noah didn’t have a clue about building an ark, but ended up building a big and sturdy craft that would have been a wonder of the world, even by today’s standards, by simply following God’s directions. The story can be found in Genesis chapter 6.
The same thing goes for Abraham: God told him to pick up his family and leave for parts unknown, and at seventy-five years old, Abraham did as told, and God showed him the way to where He wanted him to go. Genesis 12 tells us that story. And what about when God told Abraham to sacrifice his only child Isaac, that’s after promising that Isaac would be his road to greatness. Abraham must have wondered what God was about, but again he remained faithful, and just as he was about to plunge the knife into Isaac’s heart, the Lord stopped him, and instead provided a ram tangled in the nearby bushes for the sacrifice. That you can find in Genesis 22.
Then check out the descendants of Abraham, the Hebrew children enslaved in Egypt. The Lord heard their cry for freedom and after several hundred years, sent Moses to do the job. Moses was rather reluctant, but the Lord stood beside him all the way. And when Pharaoh finally allowed the Egyptians to leave, how did He do it? By parting the Red Sea and allowing the Hebrews to walk through on dry land, but then closing up the trench and drowning the Egyptians when they pursued them. Exodus 14 tells that rather interesting story.
And God didn’t take them the easy route to the Promised Land, for fear that they would encounter warlike tribes and lose heart and return to Egypt. He took them the long, hard way, through the wilderness. ‘And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night, in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night.’ (Ex. 13:21) Wow! What an innovative and resourceful God is our Lord!
And then, when it seemed they would die of thirst in the wilderness, they came to the bitter waters of Marah, and complained to Moses, who in turn cried out to the Lord for direction. He had Moses cast a tree into the waters, and the waters were made sweet. (Ex. 15:23-25) And when the children of Israel were hungry, the Lord sent them manna from heaven and quails enough to choke them. (smile) Ex. 16 tells that story. And though the Lord kept them in the wilderness for forty long years because of their stubborn disobedience, until all those who had come out of Egypt died, except Joshua and Caleb, He did so without their clothes or shoes wearing out, or them becoming sick.
And without fail, all down through the ages, the Lord has looked after those who bowed down to Him in all sincerity and truth. And the most important promise, He made through the prophet Isaiah in speaking of the Lord as their only redeemer. The Good Book tells it thus: ‘When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon (scorch) thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee (in thy place).’ (Is. 43:2-3) What a mighty promise that is friends!
And later on in that chapter the Lord further declares: ‘I, even I, am the Lord, and beside me there is no saviour…. Yea, before the day was I am he, and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let (reverse) it?’ (Is. 43:11, 13) Now that’s a very good question. And the answer to it is NOBODY!
Yes my fellow saints, our God is great and powerful enough to make big promises and to also keep them. And did He ever keep that big one about being the redeemer, which He fulfilled through the death and resurrection of Christ in the Easter Season, which we’ve just celebrated, in fact are still celebrating! (smile)
So, if you are a true believer in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, then there is no reason to fear anything this world can throw against us, for the Creator of heaven and earth, and all therein, has promised to protect His people who are called by His name. Glory Be! That means we can be assured of the Lord’s grace and mercy in any and every circumstance, of His making a way, where there seems to be no way, for He is the God of marvellous miracles! Much LOVE!
…I am the first…and I am the last…and beside me there is NO God… (Is. 44:6b)
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