13 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: amidst all the anxiety and confusion, be as a tree planted by the waters, be fat and flourishing, be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, be responisble, blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, blessed is the man that walketh not in the way of the ungodly, bring forth fruit in their old age, brings forth his fruit in his season, by the example your faithful believers set, cease from bearing fruit, crying out for your help, day and night, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, depart from evil, discontent, dissatisfaction, do good, doesn't take your fancy, dwell for evermore, dwell therein for ever, faith, flourish in the courts of God, Friday chant, God's promises for the righteous, gospel truth, grow in spirituality, grow like a cedar in Lebanon, he delights in his way, he is always merciful and lendeth, he shall exalt thee to inherit the land, he shall not be utterly cast down, heavenly Father, her leaf shall be green, his delight is in the law of the Lord, his leaf shall not wither, his seed begging bread, hit the ball out of the park, holy spirit, I have been young and now am old, I have not seen the righteous forsaken, in his law doth he meditate, insufficient Christian witness, introduce a new flock of believers, Jesus Christ, keep his way, lean on God's everlasting arms, LOVE, mercy, nor sits in the seat of the scornful, nor stands in the way of sinners, not afraid of whatever comes against him, obedience, omnipotent help, our sinful world, positive chages, problems escalating, Psalm 23, restoring faith in you, return backsliders to your fold, righteousness, salvation, shall not be careful in the year of drought, shall not fear when heat comes, show them the error of their ways, spreading our slat and light, spreads out her roots by the river, stand strong and steadfast, stay safe, step up to the plate, strong faith in God, strong roots planted in God, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the Lord forsakes not his saints, The Lord is my rock, The Lord is my shepherd, the Lord loves justice, the Lord upholds him with his hand, the necessities of life, the righteous shall flourish like the palm tree, the righteous shall inherit the land, the seed of the wicked shall be cut off, the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, there is no unrighteousness, these ungodly times, they are preserved for ever, though he fall, to enjoy the good life one must live the good life, to shew that the Lord is upright, to show that the Lord is upright, too much a part of the world, trust God's every word, trusting faith, truth, unbelievers could be attracted to jesus, unexpected storms, wait on the Lord, wake up and smell the coffee, whatsoever he does shall prosper, when the wicked are cut off, whose hope the Lord is, wisdom, wise guidance
Psalm 92:12. The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon (strong and tall).
And then, at long last, it was our favourite workday, Friday. And although the sun’s not as hot and shining as we might like it, with a few clouds overhead, it doesn’t stop those shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ from rising on high. I guess it would take a really terrible Friday to stop those shouts from rising up. (smile) Anyway, since God has spared our lives to see another day on His beautiful planet earth, that’s sadly beset by all kinds of disasters, both natural and man-made, let’s keep our promise of yesterday to check out God’s promises for the righteous, having seen how He intends to utterly destroy the wicked.
And one of the best scriptures on God’s blessing on the righteous is found in Psalm 1, aptly titled – Blessings on the Godly. The psalmist opens with this awesome proclamation: ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder on) day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ (Ps. 1:1-3)
Wow! What a wonderful blessing the Lord proclaims for the righteous! And if that scripture doesn’t take your fancy, then try this one from Psalm 92, titled – Give Thaks to God. The psalmist confidently declares: ‘The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon (strong and tall). Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall bring forth fruit in their old age; they shall be fat and flourishing (plump and green); To shew that the Lord is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.’ (Ps. 92:12-15)
Now, that’s the indisputable truth! There is no unrighteousness whatsoever in the Lord God Almighty! That’s why we can trust His every word and lean on His everlasting arms without fear! And even in their old age, the righteous will still be flourishing bringing forth good fruit, because the Lord is with them. But if you still don’t believe, then try this word from the prophet 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. 17:8)
Another wonderful verse of the Lord’s blessing upon the righteous! And you might be wondering why all these metaphors about trees planted by water. That’s because in the old time agrarian society, where farming was a major part of life, it was much easier for them to understand that kind of comparison. And furthermore, when you receive Christ as Lord and Saviour, afterwards you don’t just sit around and do nothing, No, you’re expected to grow in spirituality and obedience, in faith and righteousness.
And what better way to explain that than by talking about trees planted by a plentiful supply of water with long, strong roots that go deep into the ground, and bear good fruit even in a season of drought. That’s how the righteous Christian ought to be; with strong roots planted in God and His Word, not afraid of whatever comes against him because of his strong faith in His Creator and Giver of Life, who blesses Him with all the necessities of life.
And Psalm 37 further tells us: ‘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 am now old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed (descendants) begging bread. He is ever (always) merciful, and lendeth; and his seed (descendants) is blessed. Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. For the Lord LOVETH judgement (justice), and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.’ (Ps. 37:23-29)
Now, you cannot want better testimony than that! Straight from the personal experience of Bruh David. He was a man just like us, with all our faults and foibles, but He trusted the Lord with all of his heart, and though his life was not easy, he still ended up victorious because of the Lord’s faithfulness. And he perfectly describes the Lord’s faithfulness and blessings on the righteous in his famous and heartfelt Psalm 23 – the Lord is My shepherd. Perhaps you should take a minute afterwards and check it out and see how rich and wonderful it is in godly faithfulness and blessings. (smile)
In the meanwhile please follow these most reassuring words of Bruh David from Psalm 37. ‘Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.’ (Ps. 37:34) And that’s the gospel truth my people! Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine help in these tough and turbulent 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 truthfully, one of the major reasons for the chaotic state of our world is insufficient Christian witness. We have been too much a part of the world, rather than being apart from it and spreading our marvellous salt and light so that the unbelievers could be attracted to Jesus. And if we want to see productive and positive changes in our world, then we have to step up to the plate and hit the ball out of the park. And do it right now! It’s as simple as that my faithful brethren! Much LOVE!
…to enjoy the good life…one must live the good life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 Feb 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a light unto my path, avoids evil influences, be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, Bible, blessed are the undefiled, blessed are they that keep His testimonies, blessed is the man, brings forth his fruit in his season, called to do His work, christianity, daily light our paths, day and night, declared righteous, delights in God's Word, do no iniquity, drag us down to the depths of Hades, even to the end of the world, everlasting hope, evil attitudes, evil deeds, faith, goodness, halfway home, hands on the plough, his delight is in the law of the Lord, his leaf also shall not wither, holy spirit, I am with you always, if any man will come after me, in his law doth he meditate, it is not a free pass to sin, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the everlasting hope, Jesus took our punishment, joy, justified, let him deny himself, living for Christ is not easy, lo, LOVE, mercy, more joy that sorrow in our hearts, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, nor sits in the seat of the scornful, nor stands in the way of sinners, not because we fear punishment, not looking back, our human sin nature, promised to make all things right, prosper and have good success, right to the very end, salvation, second wind day, seek him with their whole heart, short -lived pleasures, show us the way, stay the course with Jesus, take up his cross daily and follow me, thank God, that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, the blessed man is the righteous man, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the paths of righteousness, there are always consequences to sin, there is therefore now no condemnation, this is the day the Lord has made, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, to a glorious future with Jesus, to them which are in Christ Jesus, to those who love him, truth, turn away from sin, walk in his ways, walk in the law of the Lord, walk not after the flesh but after the spirit, we understand God's love and sacrifice, we will rejoice and be glad in it, Wednesday Wail, whatsoever he does shall prosper, wisdom
Psalm 118:24. This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
So, Wednesday, our second wind day has rolled in, but most of us don’t really need to catch any second wind, because so far, we’ve only worked one day for the week. Or maybe I’m wrong, all the partying over the long Family Day weekend, or the shovelling of all that snow still has a hold on us. (smile) But however we are, today is a new day, and we can expect new things to happen from our great God. That’s why we can joyfully declare: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24)
And there’s no better way to greet a new day my faithful brethren, because we never know what joy and goodness it may contain, and we’re always expecting something good from our God; that’s the everlasting hope we have in Him! He’s promised to make all things right eventually, for those who LOVE Him and are called to do His work, (Rom. 8:28) so if we are His children and believe His Word, then we ought to always have more joy than sorrow in our hearts.
Life will never be totally easy, especially with our human sin nature, but if we’re sincerely walking with God, then we know that He is guiding and leading us along the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. As these opening words of Psalm 119 indicate: ‘Blessed are the undefiled (blameless) in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.’ (Ps. 119:1-3) Yes friends, that’s what expected of us, as believers in Christ Jesus: to walk in His ways, now and forever.
And if you don’t believe those words from Psalm 119, then try these from Psalm 1. ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder) day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ (Ps. 1:1-3)
Oh my people, that is the kind of believers we’re called to be. And I like how the scholars explain it. ‘The key word in the psalm is the word blessed. It serves here as a pronouncement upon a man – but a certain kind of man. In essence, the psalm is teaching that the blessed or happy man is the righteous man. The happy man avoids evil influences, deeds and attitudes (vs.1); he delights in God’s Word (vs. 2), therefore, God causes him to prosper.’
Now the big question is why aren’t so many of us supposed believers prospering? Is it that we are allowing the evil deeds, attitudes and influences of the world to overly influence our daily lives? That could surely be a part of the answer, especially when we see the great hold that evil and all its attendant vices currently have on the world and are constantly bombarding us with the cheap and short-lived pleasures of iniquity.
However friends, we cannot use that as an excuse, because we have the Lord’s Word and His everlasting promise that if we meditate on it day and night and put it into action in our lives, then we will prosper and have good success. (Josh. 1:8) That means, if we’re not prospering, then some, if not all of the fault lies in our not taking God’s Word seriously and doing as He says. Remember what the author of Psalm 119 also says; ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105)
Now, are we making that the truth in our lives? Are we allowing the word of God to show us the way, and daily light our paths? That’s another question we ought to ask. And please don’t take this as condemnation, for remember Bruh Paul’s words to the church at Rome: ‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.’ (Rom. 8:1)
And that, as this commentary explains, basically means ‘those who have faith in Jesus are no longer under judgment for their sins, because those who believe in Jesus are justified, or declared righteous before God. This is because Jesus took on the punishment that people deserve for their sins, dying in their place. However, we turn away from sin, not because we fear punishment, but because we understand the LOVE and sacrifice that God has bestowed upon us. In conclusion, Romans 8:1, when properly understood, is a powerful declaration of God’s LOVE and mercy towards us. However, it is not a free pass to sin.’
Definitely not! For there are always consequences to sin. But we have to fight, to truly know, to meditate on God’s Word and put it into action so that our sinfulness will not drag us down to the depths of Hades. Oh my fellow saints, we all know that living for Christ is not as easy as it sometimes sounds, because we have taken solemn vows to be His ambassadors and agents in the world. Remember what Jesus desires of all who choose to become His disciple. ‘If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23)
Yes friends, that’s what we signed up for, to DAILY take up our cross and follow Jesus. But let’s remember too, that He’s always with us, helping us out in each and every situation, per His promise; ‘and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b) And when we remember that, it gives us the wherewithal to keep on keeping on in His glorious name! 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 yuh know what, it’s been promised that that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine, if we stay the course with Jesus right to the very end. So, let’s be wise and do that nuh, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…the best way to success in this evil world…meditating on God’s Word…then putting it into action…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, Bible, blessed is the man that walketh not in the way of the ungodly, Blessings on the Godly, brings forth fruit in season, call a spade a spade, cause some to fall, change it from the bottom up, chaos, christianity, day and night, deviated from God's law, do all that's written therein, do not travel on it, don't walk the path of the wicked, drink the wine of violence, eat the bread of wickedness, endure to the very end, evildoers will be destroyed, faith, fireworks, followers of Christ, from the top down, glad to be alive, go not in the way of evil men, halfway home, hands on the plough, have good success, his delight is in the law of the Lord, his leaf shall not wither, holy spirit, hurt God's heart, in his law doth he meditate, Jesus Christ, LOVE, make thy way prosperous, meditate therein day and night, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not turning back, robbed of their sleep, running rampant, salvation, set a good example, shall not depart out of thy mouth, sits not in the seat of the scornful, stands in the way of sinners, sure fire option, thank God, the breath of life, the kind of character, the Lord's chosen people, the One True God, the righteous will inherit the earth, this book of the law, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, turf God from our society, turned back to God, U.S Thanksgiving, unfortunate consequences, whatsoever he does shall prosper, wickedness, wisdom, woke up
Psalm 1:2. ‘But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.’
So it’s Wednesday, our mid-week second wind day. Let’s hope that we all catch that second wind, especially as one of, if not the biggest and busiest time of the year in the U.S, their Thanksgiving Celebrations are currently underway and will explode tomorrow with great fireworks, both literally and figuratively. (smile) And as I was just looking through the Palms for inspiration, I came upon Psalm 1 – Blessings on the Godly – and it struck me that it is a psalm that’s very appropriate to these wicked times, and it’s one we don’t pay sufficient attention to.
So let’s look at it today nuh. It reads: ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.’ (Ps. 1:1) Now what does that tell us in no uncertain terms eh? That the wicked, or those who hob nob with them will not be blessed.
And Cousin Sol reiterates that warning in Proverbs 4, titled ‘Instructions of a Father.’ when he writes: ‘Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it (do not travel on it), turn from it, and pass away. For they sleep not, except (unless) they have done mischief (evil), and their sleep is taken away (they are robbed of their sleep), unless they cause some to fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.’ (Prov. 4:14-17)
Yes friends, that’s the kind of character we develop when we choose to do evil, or follow the evil doer. And, unfortunately, it’s the predominant character of our current world. Wish that it were different, but we have to call a spade a spade, and wickedness is simply running rampant, in every level and every direction of our society. That must hurt God’s heart tremendously, because He’s had such high hopes for His most important creation. Here’s what the Lord expected from us, instead of the evil doing in which we’re currently engaged. ‘But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.’ (Ps. 1:2)
Oh my people, that’s the action that the wise and righteous man will pursue; pondering on the Lord’s word day and night. Why? ‘And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ (Ps. 1:3) Oh my faithful brethren, that’s what should be predominating in our world right now instead of the current wickedness.
And the sad part is that it’s not new advice but is as old as the scriptures, for it’s the exact same thing that the Lord told Joshua when He made him the leader of Isreal after the death of Moses. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall be constantly) in thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh, 1:8)
It couldn’t be any clearer than that my people! And the examples abound in the Bible re the children of Israel. When they obeyed the law of God, they were successful and prosperous, but when they didn’t, reverted into evildoing and worshipping other gods, they suffered terribly, through wars and captivity and whatever the Lord chose to bring upon them. They were the Lord’s chosen people, and if they, knowingly and stubbornly disobedient, did not set a good example, then they had to be chastised, for no other nations would want to come to the One True God under those circumstances.
And it’s a source of wonder to me, that every time the Israelites deviated from God’s law and suffered the unfortunate consequences, they soon woke up and turned back to Him, and He forgave them. However, this generation is certainly not that wise. Our world is in chaos, because amongst other things we’ve deviated from God’s law, to the point of wanting to turf Him from our society, and we have tried every man made way to conquer the strife and disaster, but nothing’s working. Instead, it’s getting worse.
The ONLY thing we have not yet tried is a return to Almighty God and His righteous and just ways. And it seems like we’re adamantly not going to choose the one sure fire option we have to dissolve all the chaos and destruction in our world. But as children of God, as followers of Christ, we cannot give up, we have to keep on keeping on, in His name, and do our best to at least reduce the strife and suffering in our little part of the world. It’s the most many of us can do, because we don’t have the power to change it from the top down, so we’ll have to use our power to change it from the bottom up.
And having said that, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know 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 with Jesus right down to the very end, then it’s been promised that that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! So hoping to see you there! Much LOVE!
…the evildoers will eventually be destroyed…while the righteous will inherit the earth…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Apr 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: apocalyptic Monday, be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, Bible, blessed are the undefiled, blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, blessed is the man that walketh not in the way of the ungodly, doth he meditate day and night, eat the labour of thy hands, faith, god, have good success, his leaf shall not wither, if you can't beat them join them, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus, Jesus Christ, LOVE, make they way prosperous, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, nor standeth in the way of sinners, on his law, religion, seek him with their whole heart, sincere repentance in our hearts, sinned and disobeyed your Word, sitteth in the seat of the scornful, that walketh in the Lord's way, the formula for success, the God who heals, this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, thy children like olive plants, thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine, wisdom
Psalm 128:4. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.
Ah friends, on this cloudy and somewhat apocalyptic Monday morning when we have to go out to labour, though we’d much prefer to look at the eclipse of the sun, let me first apologize for the Bit’s lateness yesterday. This time it was not my fault, but that of a persnickety computer. I had everything ready, but do you think I could access my contact information to send it. No way. Eventually, just as I was about to mash up the computer, (smile) I contacted my more computer literate young daughter, and she showed me a very simple way to do it. But in my annoyed state, that solution never occurred to me.
Ah Lord, this computer directed age eh! The damage one small problem can cause is phenomenal. And problems always seem to occur at the most inopportune times. But that’s the way of this new world, and if you can’t beat them, then you might as well join them! And that’s my gripe for today. (smile) Now, on a more serious note, we’ll look at a psalm that’s short and seems to be rather simple, but holds a lot of interesting and important weight. It’s Psalm 128 – titled ‘Fear the Lord.’
Please read with me: ‘Blessed is everyone that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways.’ (Ps. 128:1) Now, doesn’t that resonate within us, and remind us of the beginning of at least two other psalms? The first one is that great psalm 119, which begins thus: ‘Blessed are the undefiled (blameless) in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with their whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.’ (Ps. 119:1-3)
And the other psalm we remember is obviously the first one in the Psalter: ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ (Ps. 1:1-3)
Oh friends, it just seems that the man who sincerely reverences the Lord, keeps himself reasonably free from sin and from evil doers, and also meditates regularly on the Lord’s word is very blessed, much rewarded. Now that should not really surprise us because that’s exactly what the Lord told Joshua long ago, when He made him the ruler over the Israelites after the death of Moses. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall continually be in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8)
No wonder so many of us supposed believers are not having prosperity and success, because we are not meditating regularly on the law of the Lord. So many of us don’t even read the Bible, much less spend time studying it. But from the very beginning that’s been the formula for prosperity and success. And I most definitely like how Psalm 128 states its case. When we reverence the Lord and walk in His law we are clothed in happiness. Read with me again: ‘For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands (the fruit of thy labour): happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.’ (Ps. 128:2)
Now who doesn’t want that kind of life eh? We all do! But we’re obviously not doing what it requires for us to enjoy such a life, so we’re not experiencing it. And this next verse is surely enticing and to die for: (smile) ‘Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides (in the heart) of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table.’ (Ps. 128:3) Wow! What wouldn’t we give to have that kind of prosperous and successful life eh!
Well, all we have to do is what the psalmist then says: ‘Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord. The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel.’ (Ps. 128:4-6) Now isn’t that a nice, short and compact but rather interesting and blessed psalm? Of course! It’s telling us that we can never be truly happy until we are totally serving the Lord. And if we do that, we’ll be blessed before, behind, and seven ways till Sunday! (smile)
And we all want such a life. So please let’s get serious about the Lord and do what He says we should nuh…that is, if we truly want a blessed, successful and prosperous life. And to help us turn things around, let’s go to the throne of grace, seeking divine help for these times of desperate need.
As one voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
Now let’s remember that prosperity begins with humility, sincere prayer and turning from our evil ways. Much LOVE!
…the formula for success…begins and ends…with the Bible…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
06 Mar 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man after God's heart, be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, Bible, blessed is the man, bringeth forth its fruit in his season, catch our second wind, choose life, christianity, confident trust, endure to the end, eternal death and damnation, eternal live, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fulfill my will, god, halfway home, hands on the plough, his delight is in the law of the Lord, Jesus, Jesus Christ, keep God first place in our lives, like the chaff which the wind driveth away, LOVE, meditate day and night, not looking back, obedience will bring blessings, obey God's Word, places future in God's hands, psalms, regardless of the cost, remain steadfast in God, sit on the fence, sitteth in the seat of the scornful, standeth in the way of sinners, the breath of life, the congregation of the righteous, the man God honours, the ungodly shall persih, to a glorious future with Jesus, totally committed to God, walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, Wednesday Wail, wisdom
Psalm 1:1. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
Ah mih people, unfortunately, this middle day of our work week, Wednesday, has opened somewhat dark and damp. But please don’t allow the gloomy weather to stop us from catching our second wind, as we must, if we want to get through the rest of the week in good shape. Sadly too, the Bit will be somewhat late today, because I soon have to leave and go to church for our Wednesday morning small gathering, but then I also have a church meeting after that, so it will be awhile before I get back to finish my early work. But don’t worry, it’s all in the Lord’s service! (smile) And as always, He will reward us with some excellent words of wisdom when we continue. Soon come!
Well we’re finally back two and a half hours later… but with a good word, as it relates to ‘The Man (& Woman) God Honours.’ That’s a poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. Now, it specifically talks about men, but I’ve also included women, because all the things men do these days women do it too, and we wouldn’t want to be labelled sexist. (smile) And to make it more concise and more easily read, I’ve also taken the liberty of changing the pronouns ‘He and His,’ to ‘They and Theirs.’ Furthermore, I don’t know if I’ve shared this one before, because it doesn’t sound familiar, but if I have, it’s certainly interesting enough to share again. (smile)
So please read with me: ‘There are thousands of men and women in the world. Men and women come in assorted sizes – tall and short, wide and lean. There are bankers, salesmen, politicians, mechanics, lawyers, teachers. But the man or woman that God honours is marked by at least five characteristics: FIRST: They are totally committed to God, and their concern is that they will obey God’s Word, whatever the cost. SECOND: They are persons whose faith can be defined as confident trust. Their high priority is prayer, knowing that a supernatural God works in supernatural ways.
THIRD: They rest their past, present, and future in the hands of an ALL-LOVING God, even in times of turbulence, uncertainty, agony, misunderstanding, and pain, assured that their times are in God’s hands. FOURTH: They believe with all their heart that, as they keep steadily traveling along God’s pathway, God will honour them with every blessing. FIFTH: They have one consistent desire: “God, make me a person after your own heart.”
Yes friends, those are the five basic characteristics a believer ought to have. And we surely can’t find fault with any of them, since that’s the way the Lord has outlined His plan for mankind. Being totally committed and obedient, regardless of the cost; with strong faith and belief in the efficacy of prayer; placing their whole lives in God’s hands, surrendering their all to Him, in spite of the circumstances; assured that if they follow God’s plan, He will eventually honour them with blessings untold; and above all, to be called a man or a woman after God’s own heart.
Now that is one of the most important honours God can bestow on us. And we don’t have to be perfect to get it, but our hearts have to be right with God, like Bruh David’s was, although he was by no means perfect, but very fallible like all of us. As it says in Acts 13:22: ‘And when he had removed him (Saul), he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom he also gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill my will.’ And the original scripture can be found in 1 Sam. 13:14.
‘A man after mine own heart’ relates to two things; first that Bruh David was God’s choice for king, and not the people’s, and secondly that at first Bruh David’s character morally was exceptional, and though He faltered with his murder of Uriah and adultery with Uriah’s wife Bathsheba, he never moved away from God, like so many others. His faith and trust always remains steadfast in the God of his forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And I believe that’s what the Lord wants to see from His people, more than anything; despite our shortcomings, we never move away from Him, always keep Him first place in our hearts and lives, always trying to do His holy will.
And some of us must be wandering what’s the Bible verse for today’s writing? Well here it is finally. It comes from our well known Psalm 1. And reads thus: ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder) day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. for the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.’ (Ps. 1:1-6)
Ah friends, that first Psalm says it all in a very neat and concise form. If you follow the Lord’s dictates, learn His law and obey it, you will live a blessed life. If you don’t, then your life will be miserable and eventually you will perish. It’s simple math’s, not rocket science; obey and live eternal life, disobey and die eternal death. And it’s up to each of us to decide which option we’ll choose…and we have to choose one or the other, for trying to sit on the fence is counted as disobedience. (smile)
And for those of us who are endeavouring to live right, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our marvellous position in Christ Jesus! As one voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And there’s a further promise to look forward to: if we endure with Jesus right to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So please, let’s make plans to meet at the very end and together enjoy that more than glorious future nuh! That’s wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!
…we’ve been offered life or death…let’s be wise and choose life…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
12 May 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a tidbit of wisdom, be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, blessed are the undefiled, blessed is everyone that feareth the Lord, bring backsliders back to your fold, bringeth forth his fruit in season, common sense, destroy both body and soul, disobedience, divine help, eat the labour of thine hands, fear the Lord, Friday chant, happy shalt thou be, herd mentality, his delight is in the law of the Lord, his leaf shall not wither, it shall be well with thee, it takes two to tango, it's either feast or famine, LOVE, new flock of believers, praying for a li'l rain, respect, reverence, rocket science, see thy children's children, seek him with his whole heart, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, simmering discontent, sub-standard mediocre Christian lives, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that walketh in his ways, the error of their ways, the fruit of thy labour, thy children like olive plants, thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine, wake up and smell the coffee, walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, whatsoever he doeth he shall prosper, wise guidance
Psalm 128:1. Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways.
Oh friends, this Friday morning, as we declare (yesss!!!) ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ we also have to consider having five straight days of wonderful sunshine, because that seems like a distinct possibility! Wow! My trusty computer tells me it’s 23 and sunny. In that case, we might just need to think about praying for a li’l rain to cool things down if the weather keeps being so wonderful in my neck of the woods. (smile) As we would say, it’s either feast or famine.
But here’s an interesting angle on it all. I just opened the Good Library and it opened unto the Book of Psalms, and my eyes were led to this particular psalm, Psalm 128, one that I’ve never paid much attention to, but it does contribute a wise and wonderful message in its title which simply says: ‘Fear the Lord.’ Now that’s certainly a tidbit of wisdom if there ever was one!
And why is that you ask? Well, first off, the fear he’s referring to is not the emotion of fear or fright, but one of reverence, of respect, of worship, although we should also fear the Lord in the other respect, because the only thing as powerful as His LOVE is His wrath, and we certainly don’t want to feel the latter. Just look at what the Israelites suffered for their stubborn disobedience. And Jesus did say that we should fear the Lord and not man, because He is the only one who could destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matt. 10:28)
However, let’s listen to the psalmist as he declares: (wow!!!) ‘Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands (the fruit of thy labour): happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of (in the heart of) thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table.’ (Ps. 128:1-3)
Mama oh Mama! Yuh hear that mih people? If we fear the Lord then our house will indeed be blessed, enjoying the fruits of our labour, with a fruitful wife and wonderful children! Now what more can a man ask of this life eh? Nothing really! But the important thing is that only happens when we reverence the Lord and walk in His ways. And that’s something so many of us in these evil and unfortunate times can’t seem to understand, otherwise we’d be doing just that.
But instead so many of us are turning away from the Lord to other insecure and worthless ventures, and many of us who claim to still believe are not truly walking in His fear and commandments, but have one foot in the world and one in the kingdom, trying to keep our chances alive by playing both sides against the middle. But friends, I ‘m here to tell you that doesn’t work. You must choose either one or the other and go after it wholeheartedly. And remember Jesus said it so plainly: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33)
And that’s no lie! When you seek God first and foremost, He will indeed give you all that you need. Why do you think Bruh David wrote: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want?’ Because he knew for a fact, from personal experience, that if he sincerely sought the Lord above all else, He would look after him, both physically and spiritually. And the Lord will do the same for anyone who sincerely seeks and reverences Him. He’s promised never to leave nor forsake us, and He is faithful to keep His promises.
And if you still don’t believe me, then listen as the psalmist continues: ‘Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord. The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel.’ (Ps. 128:4-6) Oh my people, why are we so foolish and adamant about turning away from God eh, or not paying Him His proper respect and due, since in so many places of His Word it says that’s necessary to have a good life.
Look at Psalm 1, which pointedly tells us: ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder by talking to himself) day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ (Ps. 1:1-3)
Now that’s not rocket science my brethren, so why can’t we simply accept and live it eh? Where’s the faith in Jesus Christ we’re supposed to have? Obviously it’s sadly lacking, otherwise we wouldn’t be living the sub-standard and mediocre Christian lives we’re living. Now listen to these opening verses of Psalm 119: ‘Blessed are the undefiled (blameless) in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.’ (Ps. 119:1-3)
There again friends, it says we will be blessed if we walk in the way of the Lord. Simple common sense my brethren! But sorry, I forgot that common sense no longer exists in our society, we just have a herd mentality, and foolishly run with the foolish crowd. But there’s hope for us yet, because with the Lord, there’s always hope, so let’s go to Him now, through our Friday Chant and ask for His divine help with our problems.
Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the confusion and anxiety caused by the pandemic and our many other serious problems. We can’t fix them on our own Lord, so we desperately need your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, without further serious setbacks. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe.
And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to 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. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic, the bubbling discontent and dissatisfaction in our land, as a means of restoring faith in You, 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!’
Now let’s wake up nuh friends, and do what we know we’re supposed to do, if we expect the Lord’s help. Much LOVE!
…it takes two to tango…the Lord won’t help…unless we’re obedient…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
28 Apr 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: archangel Lucifer, be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, be strong and courageous, blessed are the righteous, blessed is the man, bounden duty, bow down to the prince of darkness, curse, divine protection, faith, favour, flourish in the courts of God, God will not cede His power to anyone, grow like a cedar in Lebanon, her leaf shall be green, his delight is in the law of the Lord, in his law doth he meditate, live by the word of the Lord, LOVE, negative word, options for living life, promotion, sitteth in the seat of the scornful, standeth in the way of sinners, that bringeth forth fruit in her season, that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, the happy man avoids evil influences, the smart money, the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe, then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, thou shalt have good success, Thursday Blessings
Psalm 1:1. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
It looks like another beautiful day is in the offing, although it’s still a tad chilly for this time of year, but we certainly won’t refuse the sunshine, especially after the recent inclement and topsy-turvy weather in our area. And today friends, we are going to look at the type of person who warms the cockles of God’s heart as it is written in Psalm 1 – titled ‘Blessed are the Righteous.’
And with no mincing of words, right at the very beginning the psalm tells us that, ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder) day and night.’ (Ps. 1:1-2)
Those two simple verses say it all my people. The man who will find God’s favour doesn’t cavort with the wicked, but ponders on God’s word continually, and tries to live by what it says. Remember God’s warning to Joshua when He made him leader of the Israelites after Moses’ death? ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth (shall constantly be in thy mouth); but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8)
That tells us one thing; that a successful life depends on knowing God’s word intimately and putting it into action! And you can see that God was quite serious in His warning to Joshua, because He tells him the same basic thing in verses 6-9; be strong and courageous, read my word and live it, then you will have success. And that’s why the psalmist could confidently write those first verses of our psalm, and it’s perhaps why so many of us supposed believers are not having much success in our lives today. We are possibly hanging out with the wrong crowd, and thus are not knowledgeable enough in God’s word, so we cannot put it into proper action.
For as the psalmist continues about the blessed man: ‘And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in season; his leaf shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ (Ps. 1:3). Glory be my brethren! Can you imagine that? A person who does the will of God will never suffer want. Whatever the circumstance, they will be successful.
And Jeremiah reinforces that picture with these marvellous words of promise. ‘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) It couldn’t be put any better or simpler than that friends. The Lord favours those who walk in the wisdom of His word and power!
And the scholars offer this interesting explanation of Psalm 1. They say, ‘The key word in the psalm is the word blessed. It serves as a pronouncement upon a man – but a certain kind of man. In essence, the psalm is teaching that the blessed or happy man is the righteous man. The happy man avoids evil influences, deeds, and attitudes (vs.1); he delights in God’s word (vs.2); therefore, God causes him to prosper (vs.3).’
That makes total sense. If you do what God desires, lives the way He wants you to live, then He will make your way prosperous. It’s just simple common sense, especially when we consider that the Lord is our Creator, the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe and has ultimate control over our lives and everything that happens therein! But these days, we seem to be forgetting those basic facts and rebelling against His rule, even trying to remove Him from our society. It’s utter foolishness my people, because God has made it so clear that He will not allow anybody to overthrow him or usurp His awesome power.
Just consider what happened when the proud and foolish archangel Lucifer tried to overthrow the Lord. Him and his foolish cohorts were unceremoniously kicked out of heaven and the good life they lived, to walk the earth in sorrow and pain, till the Lord is ready to finally destroy them. And that’s what will happen to those of us who refuse to accept the risen Christ as Lord and Saviour, and instead bow down to the prince of darkness and this evil and ungodly world.
The psalmist puts it thus: ‘The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.’ (Ps. 1:4-6) Very simply and precisely spoken my fellow saints.
But, as the scholars explain: ‘On the other hand, the ungodly is worth no more than chaff (vs.4), and his destiny is judgement (vs. 5). Finally, the evaluation by the Lord Himself is described (vs.6). For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous (and it will be blessed), but (He also knows) the way of the ungodly (and it) shall perish. The psalm forms an appropriate introduction to the Psalter since it sets before the readers the three characters who will figure mostly in the psalms: the righteous, the ungodly, and God.’
And just for good measure (smile) we are going to add these precious words of another psalmist to the mix. ‘The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. they shall bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat (plump) and flourishing (green).’ (Ps. 92:12-14) Yuh see that friends, even in old age the righteous shall be fat and flourishing because they live by the word of the Lord.
So let’s remember that nuh as we go home today declaring (steups!!!) our Thursday Blessings that our wonderful God has bestowed on us to do His earthly work. Altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And now, having invoked those blessings, it’s our bounden duty to go out and activate them in the service of the Lord, in the lives of others, just as generously as the Lord has shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…the prevailing options for living life…are in righteousness and in evil…but the smart money will always be on the former…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
23 Nov 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Sunday evening walk in the park, a way which seemeth right to a man, aced Monday, ask for the old paths, be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, being alive in Christ, blessed is the man, bringeth forth his fruit in season, come unto me all ye that labour, enter ye in at the strait gate, eternal separation from God, everchanging unfaithful world, few there be that find it, foolish and hard ears, his delight is in the law of the Lord, his leaf also shall not wither, I am meek and lowly in heart, I am the beloved of god, I will give you rest, in god's eyes, Jesus never changes, LOVE, make the sacrifices necessary, my yoke is easy and my burden light, share His love with the world, sitteth in the seat of the scornful, standeth in the way of sinners, stubborn refusal, take my yoke upon you, the end thereof are the ways of death, the Great Invitation of Jesus, the same yesterday today and forever, to walk in the traditional ways of true righteousness, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, walk therein, walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, we are sure to make it home, we will not walk therein, whatsoever he doeth he shall prosper, where is the good way, wide is the gate that leads to destruction, with Jesus as our guide, with the Lord's awesome help, ye shall find rest unto your souls
Proverbs 14:12. There is a way which seemeth right unto a man; but the end thereof are the ways of death.
And now it’s Tuesday! We aced Monday, so Tuesday should be like a Sunday evening walk in the park. (smile) Yes, but my walk in the park began with scraping up a pile of leaves in my driveway, so that the garbage people could take them away. Hope that’s the last time for that exercise. (smile) Now my ole back is aching from so much bending down.
What really hurts though, is that I look around the other driveways, and not even one single, solitary leaf litters any of them, but mine is littered with hundreds, if not thousands. But with the Lord’s awesome help, I picked up most of them, and with His help I’ll handle the backpain and whatever else comes against me on this wonderful day of being alive in Christ Jesus!
One can’t have anything better than that in this crazy world. Jesus is the one, solid, sure thing we can depend on in this ever-changing and unfaithful world! He NEVER changes. He’s the same yesterday, today and forever! LOVING, merciful, compassionate and kind to all who call upon His name for comfort and eternal life!
And for the life of me, I cannot fathom why so many people refuse to accept His Great Invitation. ‘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 (gentle and humble) in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30)
And yuh better believe that there are millions of people on this groaning and falling apart earth who are labouring and heavy laden, who could use the rest He provides. But yuh think they will even consider coming to Him and getting rest for their souls? No! Because they think that they know better than the One who created the world and all therein and still controls all aspects of their lives.
It’s like the prophet Jeremiah declared on the Lord’s behalf, re the destruction of Judah. ‘Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls, But they said, we will not walk therein.’ (Jer. 6:16)
Oh how foolish and hard ears were the people of Judah back then, just like we are today. Instead of running to God to alleviate our problems, we are running away from Him, trying to solve them on our own, which is only creating a messier, more dangerous, cruel and evil world! And the scholar’s explanations on that verse is so true of today also.
They say: ‘6:16. The people’s stubborn refusal to walk in the traditional ways of true righteousness is often mentioned by Jeremiah (12:16; 18:15; 23:12; 31:21). Moving in their own paths and following their own way could only lead to Judah’s destruction (cf. Prov. 14:12). The contrast of the way of righteousness and life with the way of the ungodly and death is often made in the Scriptures (e.g. Ps. 1; Matt. 7:13-14).’
Oh my brethren, the very same thing applies to us today; our world is facing destruction because we are trying to move in our own paths and not the paths of righteousness. And Cousin Sol hit the nail right on the head when he wrote in Proverbs: ‘There is a way which seemeth right unto a man; but the end thereof are the ways of death.’ (Prov. 14:12) Yes, that’s the verse the scholars referenced above.
And Cousin Sol found it so important that he wrote it once again as Prov. 16:25. And it’s so important and necessary for us to realize, to acknowledge to ourselves, that the way which seems right to us may not always be the best or right way. Until we come to that understanding, we will face the critical and unfortunate situation of being led along the wrong path, that of unrighteousness and wickedness which only lead to death and destruction.
The psalmist said it thus: ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder on) day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.’ (Ps. 1:1-6)
Yes friends, as the scholars explain: ‘Blessed or happy is the righteous man, the one who avoids evil influences, deeds and attitudes, but delights in God’s word (vs. 2), and God causes him to prosper (vs.3). On the other hand, the ungodly is worth no more than chaff (vs. 4), and his destiny is judgement (vs. 5). Finally, the evaluation by the Lord Himself is described (vs. 6) The Lord knows the way of both the righteous and the ungodly. He will bless the former, but the latter shall perish.’
And if you don’t believe what the psalmist says, then listen to Jesus tell it again. ‘Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Because strait (how narrow) is the gate, and narrow (difficult) is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.’ (Matt. 7:13-14)
Oh my people, there are ONLY two ways to live this life; one is righteous and godly, while the other is unrighteous and ungodly. The latter is wide and open, but also leads to destruction and eternal separation from God. Meanwhile, the former which leads to eternal life is narrow and difficult to navigate, but with Jesus’ help it is readily attainable. However, we need to want it badly enough to make the sacrifices necessary to achieve it.
That’s the whole crux of the matter; whether we want it badly enough to believe and trust and surrender our lives to Jesus, so we can spend eternity with Him. Now, for those of us who have made the wise decision to follow Jesus’ lead, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, telling the whole world who and whose we are, shouting out loudly to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. (smile)
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 the world. Amen!’
And having said all of that so boldly, we now have to go out and walk the talk, sharing the awesome LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to LOVE and serve Him like we do. Much LOVE!
…the road to eternal life might be narrow and difficult…but with Jesus as our guide…we’re sure to make it home…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
08 Dec 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man after God's heart, agony, assorted sizes, assured that His times are in God's hands, be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, believe on Jesus, blessed is the man, bringeth forth his fruit in season, brothers and sisters in christ, chaff, confident trust, encouragement, evil influences, eye-opening, faith, favour, foundational aspect of our faith, glory to God, gospel truth, grace, heart-warming, his delight is in the law of the Lord, his leaf shall not wither, honour god, hope filled sentiments, I am the beloved of god, I can trust my friend Jesus, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, I'm not what I do, I'm not what I have, I'm not what people say about me, in his law doth he meditate, LOVE, makes God Jehovah god his priority, misunderstanding, new blessings and mercies, obedient to God's will, obey God's Word, One Year Book of Bible promises, pain, prayer, put God first, rests in the hands of God, Ruth Harms Calkin, share His love with the world, sinners, sitteth in the seat of the scornful, stand in judgement, standeth in the way of sinners, supernatural god, supernatural ways, the congregation of the righteous, the man God honours, the way of the righteous, times of turbulence, totally committed to God, travelling along God's pathway, Tuesday Mantra, uncertainty, walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, whatsoever he does shall prosper, will never suffer want, wisdom
Psalm 1:1. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
Welcome to a glorious Tuesday friends! Another in a mighty long line of glorious days provided by our heavenly Father, filled with new blessings and mercies! Wow! He must be truly something special if everyday He can pump out brand new favour and grace upon us.
We must be sincerely thankful for all that He’s done, is doing, and has faithfully promised to do for us when we believe on His Son Jesus and are obedient to His will. Oh glory to our great God my brothers and sisters in Christ!
And on that note, here is an appropriate poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. After reading it yesterday, I just knew I had to share it today. It’s suitably titled ‘The Man God Honours.’
And it says: ‘There are thousands of men in the world. Men come in assorted sizes – tall and short, wide and lean. There are bankers, salesmen, politicians, mechanics, lawyers, teachers. But the man God honours is marked by at least five characteristics.
FIRST: He is a man totally committed to God, and his concern is that he will obey God’s Word, whatever the cost. SECOND: He is a man whose faith can be defined as confident trust. His high priority is prayer, knowing that a supernatural God works in supernatural ways.
THIRD: He rests his past, present, and future in the hands of an all-LOVING God, even in times of turbulence, uncertainty, agony, misunderstanding, and pain, assured that his times are in God’s hands.
FOURTH: He believes with all his heart that, as he keeps steadily travelling along God’s pathway, God will honour him with every blessing. FIFTH: He has one consistent desire: “God make me a man after your own heart.”
Oh how true that all is my brethren! Oh, and by the way, that doesn’t refer to only men as opposed to women, but to all God’s creations, both male and female. So women please don’t get your egos all tied up in knots. (smile) And besides, it’s a woman who wrote it. Hn!
So, since it’s Tuesday, it’s time to confess our Tuesday Mantra. Let’s say it as though we truly believe and mean it. ‘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 the world. Amen!’
Oh friends, every time I confess that prayer, it just touches something in my heart, knowing that I am BELOVED of God, and a FRIEND of Jesus! Mama Mia! It couldn’t get much better than that nuh!
And I do hope that it touches the same responsive chord in all of you, my Scrip-Bit readers, because they are such eye-opening, heart-warming and hope-filled sentiments, giving us much needed encouragement and faith.
Now let’s turn to our Bit, which is the scripture passage that our poem above was based on. ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.’
Yes Friends, that is the gospel truth! The Lord will indeed bless the righteous person, who scorns the ways and deeds of the ungodly and wicked!
Oh I know we recently highlighted this scripture in a Bit, but it is one of the many scriptures that cannot be ever brought up to our conscience too often, because it is a seminal, foundational aspect of our faith. And you’ll also note that it’s the first Psalm in the Psalter, which must mean something.
So let’s continue with the palmist’s powerful and true contention. ‘But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder by talking to oneself) day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ (Ps.1:2-3)
Oh my people, more words of indisputable truth! The man or woman who makes Jehovah God his priority will never suffer want! That is our God’s faithful promise!
Now here is the flip side to all of that. ‘The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.’ (Ps.1:4-6)
Yes my brethren, simple and to the point: you honour God and you succeed, you don’t honour Him and you perish. It couldn’t be any plainer than that.
Now here are some poignant explanations on the Psalm from the scholars. ‘Psalm1. The key word in the psalm is the word blessed. It serves here as a pronouncement upon a man – but a certain kind of man. In essence, the psalm is teaching that the blessed or happy man is the righteous man.
The happy man avoids evil influences, deeds, and attitudes (v.1); he delights in God’s Word (v.2); therefore God cause him to prosper (v.3). On the other hand, the ungodly is worth no more than chaff (v.4), and his destiny is judgement (v.5).
Finally, the evaluation by the Lord Himself is described (v.6). There is an ellipsis (omission of words) which is understood with both clauses in verse 6. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous [and it will be blessed], but [He also knows] the way of the ungodly [and it] shall perish.
The psalm forms an appropriate introduction to the Psalter since it sets before the readers the three characters who will figure mostly in the psalms: the righteous, the ungodly, and God.’
Yes my fellow believers, that’s the wonderful type of life we have to look forward to when we sincerely believe in Jesus, when we surrender our all to Him and make His commandments our priority; our earthly lives are based on His truth.
It just couldn’t get any better than that my people, because that is indeed the wisdom of all the ages! Much LOVE!
…when you put God FIRST…He causes you to PROSPER…
P.S. What can I say eh friends? A late night begets a late morning. That’s just the way of God’s world! (smile) Much LOVE!
SCRIP-BITS 