21 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a child that will grow up, a joyful reminder, a ray of hope, a rosy huea rose hue, a silent wish, a tiny star lights up, add a little punch to our faith, all a dream, all across the land, allowing our lights to shine brightly, an illusion now, as the manner of some is, as ye see the day approaching, be of good courage, caught unawares, Christmas week, Ciro Dammicco, consider one another, dawns a brand new morn, don't focus on material stuff, everyone to everyone's neighbour, exhorting one another, faith, feel you're on solid ground, fellowship, flickers in the sky, focus on christ, for a spell or two, for Jesus' sake, forget to tell each other we care, Fred Jay, gathering together in fellowship, God always keeps His promises, God is trustworthy, happy that they are in the world, hate to love, He is faithful that promised, he shall strengthen thine heart, hold fast the confession of our hope, hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, holy spirit, in God's good time, in the evil darkness of the world, it must come true, Jesus can come back at any time, Jesus Christ, Johnny Mathis, King of Kings, like a chicken with your head cut off, Lord of Lords, LOVE, mercy, misery and suffering, more sensitive to the needs of our fellow man, no one knows, no one seems forlorn, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, our raison d'etre, our reason for living, our responsibilities as people, out bounden duty, reminds us of Christ's birth, resurrecting our salty flavour, running around, sails the seven seas, salvation, settles all around, show our loved ones they are important to us, somehow, sometime soon, stand strong in Faith, substitutionary death, sweet sacrifices of praise, take too much for granted, the birth of a new baby brings joy, the fourth week of Advent, the holidays provide a wonderful opportunity, the living truth, the Spirit of Christmas, the walls of doubt crumble, the winds of change, the world is waiting, this comes to pass, to bind friendships, to encourage each other, to provoke unto love and good works, tossed and torn, trust God and His promises, truth, turn tears to laughter, wait in faith, wait in faith I say on the Lord, wait with patience and perseverance, waiting for one child, war to peace, way up high, what colour child, When a child is born, whisper in the trees, words to be forgotten forever
Hebrews 10:23. Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Only 3 more days to get ready friends for that most auspicious occasion; the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Yes, it’s the fourth week of Advent, making it also Christmas week. So, make sure you have everything prepared and ready, so that come the big day on Thursday, you’re not running around like a chicken with your head cut off trying to do what should have already been done. (smile)
And today when we enter the Lord’s sanctuary to fellowship with other believers and see all the decorations and stuff, please let’s not focus on that material stuff. Yes, it does look nice, but the important focus should be on Jesus Christ, our raison d’être, our most important reason for living.
Our song of worship this morning is also a beautiful one, based on a child’s birth, and aptly titled, ‘When a Child is Born.’ And it’s strange to note that just like ‘Joy to World’ was not written as a Christian hymn, but became one of the biggest sellers in that genre, so too is today’s song.
The melody and tune were taken from two compositions by Italian composer Ciro Dammicco, with English lyrics written as a Christmas song by Austrian composer Fred Jay, although there’s no specific reference to Christmas in it. But it’s also turned out to be big hit in our Christmas repertoire. And one of the best versions of the song was done by that soulful crooner Johnny Mathis in 1976. So, let’s raise our sweet sacrifices of praise to heaven in a touching, sincere, soulful rendition of this wonderful song When a Child is Born, which so tenderly reminds us of Christ‘s birth.
And we’ll begin, a la Johnny Mathis, with an inspiring monologue, where he exhorts us thus: ‘I believe that we can be more sensitive to the needs of our fellow man, that we can be better neighbours to each other. Sometimes we take too much for granted, and we forget to tell each other we care. I think the holidays provide a wonderful opportunity to bind friendships and to show our LOVED ones they are important to us. That we’re happy they are in the world. It’s something we should do more often. And the spirit of Christmas is a joyful reminder of our responsibilities as people.’
And isn’t that the living truth my fellow believers? It surely is! After that, we hum the first few bars over some quiet music. (Humming: ‘Hn hn hn hn hn, hn hn hn hn…’ Then we break into joyful song: ‘A ray of hope flickers in the sky A tiny star lights up way up high All across the land, dawns a brand new morn This comes to pass when a child is born –
A silent wish sails the seven seas The winds of change whisper in the trees And the walls of doubt crumble, tossed and torn This comes to pass when a child is born – A rosy hue settles all around You’ve got the feel you’re on solid ground For a spell or two, no one seems forlorn This comes to pass when a child is born –
( Monologue ) – And all of this happens because the world is waiting, Waiting for one child Black, white, yellow, no one knows But a child that will grow up and turn tears to laughter, Hate to LOVE, war to peace and everyone to everyone’s neighbor And misery and suffering will be words to be forgotten, forever)
(Singing: – (It’s all a dream, an illusion now It must come true, sometime soon somehow All across the land, dawns a brand new morn This comes to pass when a child is born.) All across the land, dawns a brand new morn This comes to pass when a child is born.’
And yes, there’s something about the birth of a new baby that brings and spreads joy to all who hear about it. It’s one of the few universally joyful occasions in our crazy, ungodly world. And don’t worry, that dream, which now seems like only an illusion, that too will certainly come to pass my faithful brethren, because the Lord set it all in motion with the birth of Christ, our King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, who was born to do just that, all in God’s good time!
Now, although it’s been some two thousand years since Christ was born and gave us salvation through His sacrificial and substitutionary death, and we are still waiting for the final times, we need to be patient, and wait in faith on the Lord, as Bruh David exhorts us to do in Psalm 37: ‘Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith), I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps. 37:14) And that’s what we need to do if we are true believers.
Look how long the Israelites waited for the Messiah; hundreds of years, but He did come. And just like Jesus promised, He will eventually come back and make all things right, but we must stand strong in faith and wait with patience and perseverance. That brings us to these beautiful and inspiring scripture verses in Hebrews.
‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke (stir up) unto LOVE and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb. 10:23-25)
Oh friends, it sounds simple on paper, but it is indeed difficult to put into practice. However, if we are true believers, we need to trust God and His promises, while gathering together in fellowship, to encourage each other, especially as the day of Jesus’ return can happen anytime, and we certainly don’t want to be caught unawares whenever that happens.
So, this Christmas, let’s add a little punch to our faith nuh, resurrecting our salty flavour and allowing our lights to shine brightly in the current evil darkness of our world, for Jesus’ sake! Why? Because God is trustworthy, unchanging, and will always keep His promises. Furthermore, as Christians, it’s our bounden duty! Much LOVE!
..the birth of Jesus was a momentous occasion…and no other birth…has caused so many numerous ripples and repercussions…which are still being felt all around the world today…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a faithful man shall abound with blessings, a lack of trust in god's timing, Abraham and Sarah's impatience to have a child, Abraham's Son with Hagar, according to his glorious power, anger rests in the bosom of fools, avaricious society, be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry, be of good courage, be slow to wrath, better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, careful planning, continuing instant in prayer, desire without knowledge, diligence, endure to the end with Jesus, faith, family conflict, halfway home, hands on the plough, haste, hasty actions, he shall strengthen thine heart, he that hasteth with his feet sinneth, he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly, he that is perverse in his lips and is a fool, he that is slow to wrath is of great understanding, he that maketh haste to be rich, holy spirit, impatience, inappropriate driving, Isaac, Ishmael, Jesus Christ, let every man be swift to hear, mercy, more haste less speed, mount up with wings as eagles, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, nor go by flight, not turning back, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, patience, patience is a fruit of the Spirit, patience is the bedrock of the Christian life, patient in tribulation, rejoicing in hope, salvation, seeking wisdom before acting, serious consequences, serious mistakes, shall not go unpunished, slow to speak, slow to wrath, steadfast in prayer, strengthened with all might, suffer disappointment, thank God, that the soul be without knowledge, that the soul be without knowledge it is not good, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the God of Israel will be your rear guard, the Lord will go before you, the plans of the hasty lead to poverty, the thoughts of the diligent, the thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness, they shall run and not be weary, they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness, wait in faith I say on the Lord, wait in faith on the Lord, walk and not faint, Wednesday morning snow, Wednesday Wail, winter is in the air, wisdom, ye shall not go out with haste
Isaiah 52:12. ‘For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the Lord will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward (rear guard).’
Well friends, it’s one of those days, when we are reminded that winter is in the air! (smile) And the snow began falling early this Wednesday morning, and in some places, like my area, it’s still falling. Therefore you can imagine what the morning commute was like, or rather is like. I’ve seen several pictures of accidents and road blocks caused by the snow and inappropriate driving. But it looks like the snow plows and sanders are our in full force and are doing their best to keep up with the falling snow.
Let’s hope and pray that by the time evening commute rolls around that things would have settled down and the roads will not be as dangerous, although there are always impatient and ignorant folks who try to go too fast and cause accidents. And I guess that’s a good enough reason for us to check out some scriptures on haste and impatience today. And I like the overview on the subject from this commentary. ‘Scriptures often caution against haste and impatience, linking them to foolishness, mistakes, and a lack of trust in God’s timing. Instead, the Bible encourages diligence, patience, and seeking wisdom before acting.’
And that’s the living truth. We see much loss in scripture by haste and not waiting on God’s timing, like how King Saul, the first king of Israel lost his kingship due to his impatience in offering a sacrifice. And Abraham and Sarah’s impatience to have a child of their own, led them to father one with their Egyptian maid Hagar, Ishmael, which only caused family conflict back then, with Isaac their natural son, and is till causing it today, between the Jews and the Muslims.
And Cousin Sol, the wisest man, had a lot to tell us about haste. Proverbs 19 opens with two dillies. ‘Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool. Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good: and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth.’ (Prov. 19:1-2) Yes friends, desire without knowledge and hasty actions can certainly lead to serious mistakes and even more serious consequences.
Then in Proverbs 21, Cousin Sol offers this bit of awesome wisdom. ‘The thoughts (plans) of the diligent tend only (lead surely) to plenteousness; but every one that is hasty only to want (surely to poverty). (Prov. 21:19) And we all know there’s much truth in those words, as many of us have experienced them in our own lives, where instead of careful planning, we hastened to get plenty, but instead suffered disappointment. As the old people would say, more haste, less speed. And again, the Proverbs of Cousin Sol offers up this gem re hastiness. ‘He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit (impulsive) exalteth folly.’ (Prov. 14:29)
Meanwhile in Ecclesiastes, writing as the Preacher, Cousin Sol offers up this other tidbit on haste. ‘Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.’ (Eccl. 7:9) More unadulterated truth! And the last piece of wisdom from Cousin Sol is this: ‘A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent (go unpunished).’ (Prov. 28:20) And we see that happening every day, especially in this current greedy and avaricious society, people rushing to get rich and falling flat on their faces.
But Isaiah however tells us about waiting on God’s timing. ‘For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the Lord will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward (rear guard).’ (Is. 52:12) And we also get the same wise advice from Isaiah. 40. ‘But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run , and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is. 40:31) Yes my faithful brethren, God’s protection is always present when we wait on him, and don’t rush out in haste or fear. Furthermore, in Galatians, Bruh Paul lists patience (longsuffering) as a fruit of the Spirit. (Gal. 5:22-23)
Then in the epistle of James, he cautions us re patience and anger, when he writes: ‘Wherefore my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not (does not produce) the righteousness of God.’ (James 1:19-20) Then Romans 12:12, tells us about patience in affliction as an aspect of faith ‘Rejoicing in hope; patient (persevering) in tribulation; continuing instant (steadfastly) in prayer.’ And in Bruh Paul’s letter to the Colossians, when talking about walking worthy of the Lord, he exhorts: ‘Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness.’ (Col. 1:12)
There we have it friends, walking with God in patience and joyfulness despite what might happen to us. And we’ll close with this gem from the pen of Bruh David in Psalm 27 that we all know. ‘Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith) I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:14)
Now, with all those wise and wonderful words of scripture on haste and patience under our belts, lets’ 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 the long and short of the story is that if we endure to the very end with Jesus, then we will enjoy a future even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So, wisdom dictates that we endure to the very end, so we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…patience is the bedrock of the Christian life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new creation, a tough row to hoe, acknowledge God is working everything out for our good, all things are become new, anger, apropos for these trying times, as you promised, be of good courage, both young and old men together, by faith, comfort them, developed a cold, did not appreciate God's goodness and mercy, discipleship, do a brand new thing in me, emotional fatigue, enable me to praise you, faith, give me rest from my sorrow, go through the trials of life, God knows best, God's thoughts and ways are higher than ours, grow spiritually, He is faithful that promised, hold fast the confession of our hope, holy spirit, hurry, I will do a new thing, if any man be in Christ, If any man will follow me, in god's eyes, in these crisis days, it takes time and experience to build strong faith, it's not easy walking with Christ, Jesus Christ, let him deny himself, let us hold fast the profession of our faith, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, make a way in the wilderness, mercy, moving lethargically, my cross to bear, not a Sunday evening stroll, now it shall spring forth, old things are passed away, on the late bus, one more thing, one of the most difficult things to do, One Year Book of Bible promises, ought not to lose faith, paid a high price for rebellion, piercing pain, praise is just so hard to come by in trying times, praise is the hardest thing of all, praise lifts our spirits, ravages your body and mind, rejoice from their sorrow, resentment, rest from my feaf, rest from the bondage that binds me, rivers in the desert, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, self-centredness, separate the sheep from the goats, shall ye not know it, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, streams in my desert, strengthen thine heart, take up his cross daily and follow me, the beloved of God, The Hardest Thing, the Promised Land, the virgin rejoice in the dance, through all my lifetime, tied up in knots, to whom we belong, trials and tribulations, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, turn their mourning into joy, wait in faith I say on the Lord, wait in faith on the Lord, waiting on God's timing, water in the wilderness, wisdom, without wavering, withstand tough circumstances, worry, you promised to be my God, you will keep your word
Isaiah 43:19a. ‘Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?
Ah friends, it’s Tuesday, and we’re on a somewhat late bus because the ole fella has developed a cold that has me moving slowly and rather lethargically. (smile) Like it wasn’t enough for me to be running around in T&T in the rain etc., but now to be doing it in the snow and get this flu, which causes a runny nose and ravages your body and mind like a cancer, and has you feeling lousier than ever. It’s a good thing I only get them once or twice a year. But right now it’s my cross to bear, and I will do my best to bear it valiantly. (smile)
And today we’ll look at a poem from Our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that is very apropos for these trying times in which we’re currently living. It’s simply titled ‘The Hardest Thing.’ So please read with me. ‘O God In these crisis days Of piercing pain And emotional fatigue Do a brand new thing in me. Give me water in the wilderness And streams in my desert. You have promised to be my God Through all my lifetime. Surely You will keep your word! As You promised Give me rest from my sorrow And from my fear And from the bondage That binds me. One thing more, dear Lord: Enable me to praise you when to praise is the hardest thing of all.’
And believe me friends, that last request is a tough but oh so necessary one, for when we are going through the many trials and tribulations of life, praising God doesn’t often seem like an option. Sometimes we feel that He’s let us down, not with us as He promised, and praise is just so hard to come by in those trying times. But yuh know what; it’s in those trying times that we need praise the most, because it lifts our spirits and brings us back into our sturdy and faithful relationship with God. We acknowledge that His thoughts and ways are higher than ours (Is. 55:8-9) and thus He knows best and has good reason(s) for allowing whatever hardship has come against us.
Most of the time, we don’t or won’t understand it, but by faith we must acknowledge that He is working everything out for our good, otherwise we will just get ourselves tied up in knots of resentment, anger, worry and self-centredness. And no, it’s not easy walking with and working for Christ. That’s one of the first things we ought to learn as believers. Following Christ was never, and will never be a Sunday evening stroll in the park. By it’s very nature, it’s a tough row to hoe, as Jesus indicated when He set out this definition of discipleship. ‘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)
Now that certainly doesn’t evoke or bring to mind any Sunday evening strolls in the park. No! It’s all about sacrifices and DAILY taking up our crosses and walking in whatever direction Jesus chooses for us. And in all of our trials and tribulations, there is one thing we must hold on to if we are to survive them; it’s as this scripture from Hebrews reminds us: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised).’ (Heb. 10:23)
And that’s where the power and strength of our faith comes in. If we truly believe that God will fulfill all of His promises, in His own time, then we won’t’ be as worried and dismayed as if we don’t believe it. And right there is where we separate the sheep from the goats; those who sincerely believe and thus can withstand the tough circumstances, and those who’s faith is still too small to handle them. The real crux of the problem though is that it takes time and experience to build strong faith. Faith doesn’t just come overnight, so we will only grow spiritually when we go through the trials in our lives.
Now, in the poem we also ask God to do a new thing in us with water in the wilderness and streams in the desert. But haven’t you heard, don’t you know that the Lord promised that very thing a long time ago. Listen as Isaiah tells us about it. ‘Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.’ (Is. 43:19) And that is exactly what the Lord did as He carried the children through the wilderness to the Promised Land.
The problem though is they did not appreciate His goodness and mercy and subsequently rebelled, then had to pay a high price in the consequences of said rebellion. The same goes for us today; we want everything quickly, but God does not move quickly unless it’s absolutely necessary. And that’s something we very badly need to learn. Nothing’s wrong in calling out for help, but when the Lord doesn’t answer right away we ought not lose faith, for in His mind there’s a good reason for not moving quickly. And remember we already said that His mind and ways are higher than ours, so we must learn to wait in faith.
And the new thing the Lord does begins when we come to salvation. As Bruh Paul writes: ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ (2 Cor. 5:17) Yes friends, when we come to Christ, we are completely changed into a new person with Christ-like behaviour and urges. We forget about, give up our past lives, all for the new one that Jesus gives. And as the Bible Promise for our poem today tells us: ‘Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.’ (Jer. 31:13)
Yes my people, that’s what the Lord will do for us, but we have to do like Bruh David says in Psalm 27: ‘Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait(in faith), I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:17) Now that’s not always easy to do, but until we learn to do it, we will constantly be beset by numerous fears and worries that will substantially limit our faith. Now let’s go home declaring (chuh man!) our Tuesday Mantra, 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!’
And having said that, we are now bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…waiting on God’s timing…is probably the most difficult thing for Believers to do…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 Sep 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a confident and dependent trust in God, a warm welcome, Abraham's faith, abundant redemption, accepted in God's sight, be gracious unto you, be of good courage, being not weak in faith, blessed are all they that wait for him, challenges, considered not his own body dead, convinced that God could keep His promises, delivered for our offences, faith, faith has a purpose, faith must have a valid content, faith must have a valid object, faith produces works, giving God the glory, have mercy upon you, he shall strengthen thine heart, holy spirit, hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord, hurry, I wait for the Lord, if God spares life, if we beleive on him that raised Jesus from the dead, imputed to him for righteousness, in god's eyes, in his word I do hope, it is good that a man, Jesus Christ, Jesus' righteousness is available to all, let Israel hope in the Lord, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, mercy, more than they that watch for the morning, my soul doth wait, my soul waiteth for the Lord, no element of uncertainty, not written for his sake alone, plenteous redemption, proble, raised again for our justification, recued us from the throes of sin and death, redeem Israel from all his iniquities, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, strong in faith, the beloved of God, the deadness of Sarah's womb, the difficulty of waiting on God, the father of many nations, the Lord is a God of justice, the Lord is good unto them that wait for him, therefore will the Lord wait, to the soul that seeketh him, to whom it shall be imputed, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wait in faith on the Lord, waiting, waiting on God is not easy but it's wise, wavered not at God's promise through unbelief, who against hope believed in hope, with the Lord there is mercy, worry
Lamentations 3:25. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
A warm welcome to Tuesday, a sunny and fairly warm day, when all the stress and frustrations of Monday have been washed clean from the slate of life, and we’re only dealing with Tuesday and its problems and challenges! Wow! What a nice Bruh Paulean sentence! (smile) At least I am like Bruh Paul in one respect, I can write long and convoluted sentences.
Anyway, it’s another great day on God’s Planet Earth, so let’s enjoy it the best we can, which includes contemplating a couple of interesting verses from the Lamentations of Jeremiah. They come from that famous chapter 23, and say: ‘The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam. 3:25-26) And those verses are ever so true and resonate with a sense of the difficulty we all have of waiting patiently and earnestly on God.
It’s like the prophet Isaiah wrote re God’s graciousness and mercy in spite of Israel’s rebelliousness. ‘And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgement (justice): blessed are all they that wait for him.’ (Is. 30:18) And the scholars offer this explanation. ‘Because God is gracious and has been willing to wait for His people to return to Him, He will certainly bless those who wait for him. “Waiting” is a confident and dependent trust in God.’
And there are many verses in scripture that talk about waiting on God, though it’s not always easy to do. So let’s examine a couple more nuh, like this passage from Psalm 130 which says: ‘I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more that they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning. Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS), and with him is plenteous (abundant) redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.’ (Ps. 130:5-8)
Oh friends, that’s how we ought to hope, trust, have faith and wait in the Lord, for He’s promised us oodles of blessings if we wait on Him. And there’s no better example of patiently waiting, especially when there seemed to be no hope, than Abraham and God’s promise of a son from his own loins and thus becoming the father of many nations. It’s as Bruh Paul writes to the Romans re Abraham’s faith.
‘Who against (contrary to) hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb: he staggered (wavered) not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong (strengthened) in faith, giving God the glory. And being fully persuaded (convinced) that, what he had promised, he was also able to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.’ (Rom. 4:18-22)
Ah mih people, how many of us would have waited 25 years for God’s promise of a son eh, especially when the man was a hundred years old and the woman ninety? Not many of us. But Abraham believed that God was able to do what He promised, and thus waited patiently for it. And because of that strong faith and waiting ability, he was considered righteous. And you surely need a lot of faith to wait so long for something that went against the laws of nature.
And the scholars offer some interesting insights into those verses. ‘There are five essential characteristics of faith. (1) Faith must have a valid content. Paul quotes Gen. 17:5 (the promise to be the father of many nations); the content of Abraham’s faith was valid because that content was the revelation of God. (2) Faith must have a valid object. The object of Abraham’s faith was God, the giver of the revelation.
(3) Faith is contrary to hope and yet rests upon hope. This is a hope in which there is no element of uncertainty (vs. 18a). (4) Faith has a purpose. The purpose of Abraham’s faith was that he might become the father of many nations, realizing the promises given him in the Abrahamic covenant (cf. Gen. 12:1-3; vs. 18b). (5) Faith produces works. Abraham’s faith conditioned the way he lived. He staggered not (did not doubt) God’s promises.’
And these next verses are also very important. Bruh Paul writes: ‘Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for (because of) our offences, and was raised again for (because of) our justification.’ (Rom. 4:23-25) Yes friends, Abraham’s testimony was also an example for us, to encourage us to believe in God, the Father who rescued us from the throes of sin and death by the sacrificing His Son Jesus Christ.
And here are some explanations from the scholars. ‘But for us also: The principle of justification valid for Abraham is valid for all believers. Raised again for our justification: Because Jesus was raised from the dead we know that His sacrifice on Calvary was accepted in God’s sight and Jesus’ righteousness is available to all.’
Now, there’s much more to say on the subject of waiting on and hoping in God, but it’s too much for this one session, so, as always, if God spares life, we’ll continue on this topic tomorrow. But here’s this classic scripture to end on: In the words of Bruh David: ‘Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:14) That’s wise advice my brethren, and with it under our belts, let’s go home now declaring (chuhhh!!!) our Tuesday mantra, 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!’
And now it behooves us 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 the way we do! Much LOVE!
…waiting on God is not easy…but it’s ever so wise…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
11 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a comforting reminder, a hot summer's day, a light to lighten the Gentiles, a red letter day, a state, above mine enemies round about me, all the days of my life, all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem, answer me, be of good courage, be responsible, by the example your faithful believers set, can a woman forget her sucking child, can wake up and smell the coffee, christianity, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, deliver me not unto the will of mine enemies, departed not from the temple, discontent, dissatisfaction, embrace you love and compassion, faith, false witnesses are risen up against me, fateful words of Simeon, gave thanks likewise to God, give thanks to god, God promises to never abandon of forget those who trust in Him, God's steadfast love, God's timing is not our own, have mercy also upon me, he shall hide me in his pavilion, he shall strengthen thine heart, hear O Lord, hide not thy face far from me, holy spirit, I had fainted, I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, in the presence of mine enemies, in the secret of his tabernacle, in the time of trouble, in these ungodly times, in times of difficulty, introduce a new flock of believers, Jesus Christ, lead me in a plain path, leave me not, led by the Holy Spirit, LOVE, mercy, my cup runneth over, my heart said unto thee, my heart shall not fear, neither forsake me, night and day, not have compassion on the son of her womb, now shall mine head be lifted up, O God of my salvation, offer in his tabernacle, offered up his trust and confidence in God, omnipotent help, one thing I have desired of the Lord, our sinful world, our witness for Christ leaves a lot to be desired, perceived abandonment, petition for deliverance from his enemies, problems escalating, put not thy servant away in anger, return backsliders to your fold, sacrifices of joy, salvation, served God with fastings and prayers, set me upon a rock, show them the error of their ways, sing praises unto the Lord, stand on the faithful promises of God, stand strong and steadfast, stay safe, such as breathe out cruelty, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, Teach me thy way O Lord, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord, the BIBLE, the glory of thy people Israel, the lord will take me up, the prophetess Anna, they may forget yet will I not forget thee, thou anointest my head with oil, thou hast been my help, thou preparest a table before me, thy face Lord will I seek, to behold the beauty of the Lord, to bring revelation to the Gentiles, to enquire in his temple, to see the goodness of God in the land of the living, truth, unexpected storms, unless I had believed, unwavering love, wait in faith I say on the Lord, wait in faith on the Lord, wait on God's timing, when I cry with my voice, when my mother and father forsake me, when you said seek my face, wisdom, wise guidance
Psalm 27:14. Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith), I say, on the Lord.
At long last it’s that most welcome day we call Friday! And the shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ have most assuredly being raised to high heaven from all over God’s great universe. And it’s a good day to give thanks to Almighty God, as we’re alive to see this partly sunny but hot summer’s day, with temperatures in the high twenties.
Now, today I want to keep looking at Psalm 27, that marvellous psalm of encouragement titled ‘My Heart Shall Not Fear.’ So, let’s continue from verse 4, where Bruh David continues to express his complete confidence and trust in God.. He writes: ‘One thing have I desired of the Lord, that I will seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty (delightfulness) of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.’ (Ps.27:4)
That reminds us of the red letter day in Christ’s life, when His parents brought him to the temple to be presented to the Lord. First, there was this older devout gentleman, Simeon, that hung around the temple, who had been promised life until he saw the Lord’s Christ. He was led by the Holy Spirit to the temple that day, and beheld Jesus, took him in his arms and blessed the Lord and spoke glowingly of Jesus being ‘A light to lighten (bring revelation to) the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Isreal.’ (Luke 2:32).
Then there was the prophetess Anna, a widow of about eighty four years, ‘which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.’ (Luke 2:37-38) Yes, there is something to be said for hanging around the Lord’s temple; you can experience His delightfulness and enquire about your life. (smile)
As Bruh David continues: ‘For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me upon a rock. And now shall mine head be lifted up (in honour) above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacles sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:5-6)
And having offered up his trust and confidence in God, Bruh David then presents his petition for deliverance from his enemies. ‘Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. when thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek. Hide not thy face far from me; put (turn) not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.
When my mother and father forsake me, then the Lord will take me up (take care of me). Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain (smooth) path, because of mine enemies. Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: or false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty (violence).’ (Ps. 27:7-12)
Oh my people, Bruh David opened up his heart to the Lord for assurance of His help. And there are certain promises of God for all that’s been asked.. He will protect His LOVED ones from the enemy. As Bruh David writes in Psalm 23: ‘Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.’ (Ps. 23:5-6)
And as per forsaking us, hear this amazing promise from the writings of the prophet Isaiah. ‘Can a woman forget her sucking (nursing) child, that she should not have (and not have) compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.’ (Is. 49:15) Yes friends, as this commentary tells us, ‘That’s a powerful statement of unwavering LOVE and commitment, This verse emphasizes God’s promise to never abandon or forget those who trust in Him, even if a parent were to forget their child, which is considered a near impossibility. The verse is a comforting reminder of God’s steadfast LOVE and presence in times of difficulty and perceived abandonment.’
How much more reassurance do we need eh? Hopefully none. But as is Bruh David’s won’t, the scholars say: ‘Finally, he returns full-circle to the trust previously stated as the only proper attitude of one who must now wait for God to act.’ He therefore writes: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith), I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:13-14)
And there’s the whole crux of the matter my brethren; waiting on God in faith after we have offered up our prayers and petitions. It’s where many of us get lost, by not realizing that God’s timing is very seldom our own, and we must wait until He judges it the right time to give us whatever was ask for. Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine help in these terrible 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 despite all our gushing words, we all know that our witness for Christ, leaves a lot to be desired, so let’s try and do better nuh. Much LOVE!
…it pays to stand on the faithful promises of God…and wait on His wise timing…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a time of intense persecution, Arthur Howells, be of good courage, be with Christ throughout eternity, be ye also ready, behold I come as a thief, being alert to what's happening in our world, being ready for Jesus' return, believers will not experience the tribulation, blessed is he that watcheth, blessed is the man maketh the Lord his trust, bounden duty, Christ doesn't lie or make false promises, come to know and love him like we do, even unto the end of the world, faith, foolish wisdom, for in such an hour as ye think not, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come, free will, have doubts and fears in our daily walk, he shall strengthen thine heart, holy spirit, hurry, I go to prepare a place for you, I had fainted, I will come again and receive you unto myself, I would have told you, if it were not so, if ye believe in God believe also in me, if you don't have complete trust and faith in Him, in my Father's house are many mansions, in the land of the living, in the unknown future, innovative theological education, Jane Williams, Jesus Christ, June's into double figures, keepeth his garments, known in what watch thethief would come, lest he walk naked, let not your heart be troubled, lo I am with always, LOVE, Mellitus College, mercy, no purpose in having a God, nor such as turn aside to lies, our duty to stay alert for Jesus' coming, outdoor activity, remain faithful and loyal to Christ, respects not the proud, salvation, selfish longing for summer, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, teach me to wait with patience, temptation, the Battle of Armageddon, the beloved of God, the day of the Lord cometh as a thief in the night, the end of the church age, the frigid weather of winter, the Great Commission, the Little Book of Lent, the problem lies with us, the quality of being right in God's eyes, the Rapture, the Son of man cometh, there may I be also, they see his shame, those called to serve Christ, to know your presence, to prepare a place for me, to see the goodness of the Lord, to trust that you are with me, to watch with alertness, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, unbelievers will be overtaken by destruction, ungodliness, unless I had believed, wait I say on the Lord, wait on the Lord, warm blooded animals, watch therefore, watch with alertness, watching for the return of Jesus, where I am there ye may be also, where you are, wisdom, with the whole wide world, worry, you have gone before me
Matthew 24:44. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Aye friends, please note that the month of June has already reached double figures. (smile) Yes, June is moving along quite quickly, and before we know it, summer will be over and we’ll be thrust back into the dark and frigid weather of winter. Please answer me, if you can, why do the nice, warm, summer months seem to pass more quickly than the cold dreary winter ones eh?
Technically speaking, they all move at the same speed, but it’s possibly our warped, selfish longing for the summer warmth and sunshine, as well as the outdoor, activity it provides in semi-naked dress, that makes us feel those days are going by more quickly than the ones where we’re all bundled up and spend most of the time indoors. But that’s just life in the northern climes, and why we naturally hunger so much for summer. God made us to be warm blooded animals, and gave us places with sunshine and warm weather all year round, but we, in our free will and foolish wisdom, chose to live in the cold places, so we just have to learn to stand our bounce. (smile)
And on this sunny Tuesday in early June, we’ll say a prayer from the recent Prayer Through the Ages Publication of the Anglican Diocese of Toronto, highlighting Daily Prayers for spiritual renewal. This one is ascribed to Jane Williams, a Professor at St. Mellitus College in London, founded in 2007 by the Church of England to provide innovative theological education and training for those called to serve Christ in the church and the world. I believe the prayer was originally published in 2014 in The Little Book of Lent, compiled by Arthur Howells.
And now that we know the origins of the prayer, (smile) let’s pray it together. ‘Christ, you have gone before me to prepare a place for me, that where you are there I may be also. Teach me to wait with patience, to watch with alertness, to trust that you are with me in the unknown future and to know your presence. Amen!’ Ah friends, that’s short and sweet and to the point! And it encompasses several scriptural and Christian values that we ought to possess.
The first sentence reminds us of Jesus’ promise to the disciples, and consequently to us, where He reassures them. ‘Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions (dwellings): if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.’ (John 14:1-3)
Oh my faithful believers, Christ promised to prepare a place in heaven for us, and come back for us, so we could be with Him throughout eternity. And if He promised it, He will surely do it, because He doesn’t lie or make false promises. So therefore, if in our daily walk, we have doubts and fears, then the problem lies with us, for our God does whatever He says. That’s why the prayer implores God; ‘Teach me to wait with patience…’ Yes, that’s a big part of our Christian walk, waiting with patience, as Bruh David so astutely puts it in Psalm 27, titled – My Heart Shall Not Fear.
To end the psalm He reasons: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith), I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps.27:13-14) And I know that’s sometimes easier said than done, but if you are reading the Word and living it, your faith ought to be growing, and anytime God comes through for you, then that ought to add another notch to your faith, and help you to wait in patient faith.
The prayer also asks for us to watch with alertness. Now that’s something we have to do on two fronts. The first is being alert to what’s happening in our world, and quickly recognizing the trends of ungodliness and temptation that are coming against us and prevent them from addling our souls. The next avenue of alertness is that of watching for Jesus’ return, and being ready for it. Jesus Himself warned us: ‘Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman (master) of the house had known in what watch (hour) the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered (allowed) his house to be broken up (into). Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt. 24:42-44)
Bruh Paul also says it in his first letter to the Thessalonians. ‘For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.’ (1 Thess. 5:2) So we have been warned, it’s now our duty and self-interest to stay alert for Jesus’ coming. And what does it mean that Jesus will come as a thief in the night? This commentary explains it thus: ‘The passage assures us that believers will not experience the tribulation. The day of the Lord will commence unexpectedly, like the arrival of a thief at night. It is described as a time of darkness with dreadful consequences. Unbelievers, identified as those who belong to the night, will be overtaken by destruction.’
That’s why we must be ready for the Rapture, the end of the church age, for the period of the Great Tribulation will indeed be one of horrific violence and persecution. And Jesus even assures those believers in the Great Tribulation, when He says; ‘Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.’ (Rev. 16:15)
This is the time of Jesus’ Second Coming, before the battle of Armageddon, where Christ finally defeats Satan and his cronies. The scholars tell us that’s ‘an exhortation to the surviving believers to be watchful and alert, and to remain faithful and loyal to Christ during a time of intense persecution. To have garments, rather than be naked, relates to spiritual preparedness.’
And finally, as to trusting God and knowing that He’s always with us, these two scriptures tell it like it is. The first comes from Psalm 40, where Bruh David confidently writes: ‘Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.’ (Ps. 40:4) And the second scripture is a gem of a promise from Jesus, where after He gives the disciples the Great Commission, He ends: ‘and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b) Now, if you can’t believe Jesus, then I don’t know whom else you can believe.
However, for those of us who believe Him totally, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world 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!’
Now, it’s our bounden duty to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…what’s the purpose of having a God…if you don’t have complete trust and faith in Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: asking for intervention, at the top of our game, await your blessings, be of good courage, becoming Christ-like, besieged by doubts, beyond repair, chaos in our world, come to know and love him like we do, count your blessings, craving speed, duty bound, faith, false wisdom, give thanks always, God always answers, God is our main source of hope, God wipes away all tears from our eyes, greed, he shall direct your paths, he shall strengthen your heart, he will save us, holy spirit, hurry, I put my hope in you, impatience, impatient society, in all thy ways acknowledge him, in god's eyes, in Jesus' name, in need of a miracle, in need of restoration, In Touch Devotional Magazine, Jesus Christ, lacking in common sense, lean not unto thine own understanding, leaning on you is all I know to do, LOVE, mercy, negative things, no more crying, no more death, no more pain, no more sorrow, our guiding light, power-hunger, risky to ask for your help, salvation, Satan's playbook, self-aggrandizement, selfishness, share His love with my neighbours, share the Love and friendship of Christ, speed kills, spiritual growth, the beloved of God, the former things are passed away, the Master Planner, the Millennial kingdom, things in my life, this is our God we have waited for him, times of uncertainty, trials and tribulations, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, trust my friend Jesuss, truth, Tuesday Mantra, turn to Christ in times of uncertainty, wait I say on the Lord, wait in faith on the Lord, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation, what if you don't answer, whatever the outcome, wisdom, worry, you'll be with me
Proverbs 3:5. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Oh, it’s a good looking Tuesday, sunshiny and bright! And they say the temps will be in the high teens, if not higher, so let’s give thanks for the good weather, life and LOVE and all the other wonderful things we enjoy in this blessed land! Yes, though life might be somewhat on the rough side, it’s always to our benefit to give thanks, as we said on Sunday when we sang the hymn, Count Your Blessings, because, if we do that, we’ll find that our blessings outweigh our troubles…every time. And to help us do that, here’s this interesting prayer from the In Touch Devotional Magazine for May.
Please pray with me. ‘Lord, things in my life feel beyond repair, in need of a miracle. Yet it feels risky to ask for Your help. What if You don’t answer? But leaning on You is all I know to do. So here I am, God, in need of restoration. Here I am, asking for intervention, knowing, whatever the outcome, You’ll be with me. I put my hope in You and await your blessings. In Jesus’ name. Amen!’
Ah friends, that prayer says a whole lot, gets right down to the nitty gritty of the problem. We need help, but we’re not sure what to do. God is supposed to be our main source of hope, but we’re afraid that He might not answer our cries for help. However, our hope and trust in Him does win out in the long run. And that’s just the way it ought to be my faithful brethren. We all have troubles, and are ofttimes besieged by doubts, but if we claim that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, then He’s the One we should always turn to in times of uncertainty.
And as per that comment that we’re afraid God might not answer our petitions, that’s never true. For God always answers; sometimes He may say yes, sometimes wait, and sometimes no. But there’s always an answer. We might not like it, but it’s usually in our best interest. And I like the line that says; ‘But leaning on You is all I know how to do.’ And so it should be, if we follow Cousin Sol’s directive in Proverbs. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make straight or smooth) thy paths.’ (Prov. 3:5-6)
Yes my people, when we make that our guiding light, then there’s nothing else we’ll know how to do, except turn to God! And that’s exactly what our wonderful God desires of us; turning to Him, in every situation and circumstance. And I know sometimes that’s hard to do, because we believe we have all the answers to the situation, but it’s never wrong or foolish to run them by our Creator before we try to put them into action, for He’s the One that knows all, sees all and has all power. So who better to turn to than Him eh?
But with our impatience and false wisdom we feel we know it all, so we move on with our plans without running them by the Master Planner, perhaps afraid that He might give us a negative decision, when we’re so sure that what we want to do is right. Or He might just hold us up for too long … until the opportunity disappears. But that might be His way of telling us it’s not a good decision, or it’s not the right time. And I can tell you from hard experience, that it’s always best to consult with the Lord before you make any important moves or decisions, for He will never lead you astray, and yes, sometimes He might tell you to wait, but He knows best.
For as Bruh David, from personal experience so wisely advises in Psalm 27: ‘Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith), I say on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:14) Oh my brethren, that is such wonderful advice, although we so often ignore it, much to our detriment. Yuh think Bruh David would ever have become king of Israel, although he had been anointed for it, had he not patiently gone through the trials and tribulations that befell him after the anointing. No way! That was a learning and testing and waiting period. And in our spiritual growth, in becoming Christ,-like, we will all encounter such periods.
And the prophet Isaiah makes a glorious statement on the subject when speaking about death being swallowed up in victory. ‘And it shall be said in that day (the beginning of the millennial kingdom), Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord, we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.’ (Is. 25:9) Now that’s true waiting! So, if we can’t wait for a little time for Him to deal with our small earthly problems, how will we ever be able to wait for the big day eh? That day when God wipes away all tears from our eyes, with no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, nor pain, for all the former things are passed away. (Rev. 21:4)
Ah mih people, we have to learn to wait. Unfortunately though, our current society is filled with impatience, and requires speed in everything, but the truth is that speed can be very inefficient, and speed also kills, as we can testify by the numerous speeding deaths we have on our roadways. But sadly that doesn’t stop us from craving speed, from crying out for it, and also dying from it. How foolish and lacking in common sense we’ve recently become, although we claim to have so much wisdom, to be at the top of our game.
But just look around at the chaos and disaster that typifies our world, and then tell me if that’s the product of wisdom. That isn’t even man’s wisdom, much less God’s! That’s only selfishness, greed, power-hunger, self-aggrandizement and all the negative things that come from Satan’s playbook. And, very unwisely, too many of us believers are following those bad plays, that’s why our world is getting worse and worse every day. But we desperately need to stop it from sliding right down into the quagmire of Satan’s desire.
So please, let’s stand up like the strong, wise and courageous disciples of Jesus that we are nuh, and begin fighting back and turning things around in Jesus’ name. That’s our purpose and destiny! And for those of us who are already trying to do that, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world 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!’
And having made that declaration, we are now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…leaning on God…and waiting in faith on Him…are two of the wisest decisions we can ever make…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, a new flock of believers, backsliders, be of good courage, both hope and wait quietly, by the example your faithful believers set, Christian witness, christianity, Christians, divine help, error of their ways, faced with challenges, faith, for the salvation of the Lord, Friday chant, gospel truth, great grief of soul, he shall strengthen your heart, holy spirit, I am vile, I had fainted, I will hope in him, in times of difficulty, it is good, it is good for me to draw near to God, it is good that a man, Jesus Christ, lay my hand upon my mouth, lean on God in total confidence, LOVE, mercy, Mother's Day weekend, my flesh and my heart faileth, omnipotent help, our sinful world can wake up, perfect peace, persevere in one's faith, problems escalating, put my trust in the Lord God, resilience, salvation, shalom, smell the coffee, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the BIBLE, the Lord God Jehovah, the Lord is my portion saith my soul, the object of Faith, the simmering unrest, the throne of grace, thou will keep him in perfect peace, to see the goodness of God in the land of the living, true courage comes from relying on God, trust in the Lord for ever, trusting faith, truth, unless I had believed, wait in faith on the Lord, waiting for Christ is action oriented, whose mind is stayed on thee, wisdom
Lamentations 3:26. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.
And it’s a bright, sunshiny Friday, though only about 12 degrees Celsius, but that didn’t stop all the ‘Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here!’ shouts from rising to heaven. Now, everybody’s excited about this weekend, especially the merchants, because this is another celebratory occasion on which we spend big bucks. Yes friends, this is the Mother’s Day weekend, so you know all the attention will be on Mom, and she will be showered with flowers, cards, and all kind of other gifts, to celebrate this her special Day.
But unfortunately, the rest of the year we don’t seem to appreciate, or even remember her as much. How hollow and ungrateful is that eh? Forgetting, or not paying sufficient attention to the one who spent nine long months carrying you in their womb, much to their own pain and discomfort, then bore the maddening pain of childbirth, suckling you at her tender breast, then enduring the even more maddening years of raising you to be the godly person you are today. Please, let’s not only remember our Mothers on this one day of the year, but every single day, because what she did for us was a God-given task, that no one else could ever do for us. End of Sermon! (smile)
Today, the Good Library opened unto the Book of Lamentations, to some interesting and important scriptures that the prophet Jeremiah wrote in his time of sadness and despondency. Although he was going through a rough time seeing Jerusalem destroyed and his own imprisonment, yet when he sat and thought about it all, he was still able to come up with these most encouraging and true words. ‘The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam. 3:24-26)
And all that’s the gospel truth my people, as corroborated by many other people of God who while going through their own trials and tribulations still adhered to and extolled the hope and faithfulness found in Almighty God. And the scholars agree when they say, ‘Jeremiah’s observation resembles those of other saints who have experienced great grief of soul.’ And we have some great examples like this one from Job, who having first challenged God, then the Lord turned the tide and asked him,
‘Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth (rebukes) God, let him answer it. Then Job answered the Lord, and said, ‘Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.’ (Job 40:2-5) And as the scholars inform us. ‘Job’s reply is one of humble submission in the face of an omnipotent and omniscient God.’ Oh, how I hope and pray that many more of us would come to such a wise conclusion and be so humble before our Creator and heavenly Father!
And we all know of Isaiah’s famous encouraging words. ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord JEHOVAH (Yahweh) is everlasting strength (the Rock of Ages).’ (Is. 26:3-4) And the scholars explain all of that thus: ‘Israel is promised perfect peace (shalom, shalom). This emphatic expression indicates a peace that goes beyond human comprehension (cf. Phil. 4:7). To have one’s mind…stayed means to lean on God in total confidence and security. Trust is the ultimate expression of that confidence. Notice that the object of one’s faith is as important as the act of trust. Here the object of faith is the Lord JEHOVAH.’
Then we have these very humbling words of the psalmist Asaph, after understanding that being worried about the prosperity of the wicked is not worth it. At the end of Psalm 73, he writes: ‘Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. 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 (that are unfaithful to 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. 73:25-28)
Truer words were never spoken my people. But we cannot talk about waiting and trusting in God without these most poignant verses of Bruh David’s from psalm 27: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of God in the land of the living. Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:13-14) And this commentary breaks down the phrase ‘wait on the Lord’ for us. As per the ‘Meaning of “wait on the Lord”: This phrase doesn’t imply idle waiting. It signifies a state of expectancy, seeking, and relying on God’s guidance and provision. It’s a posture of faith and trust in His promises.
As per Courage and Strength: The verse emphasizes that while believers wait on the Lord, they should also be of good courage. God promises to strengthen their hearts, providing them with resilience and strength in times of difficulty. And as per Relevance for believers: The phrase encourages believers to persevere in their faith, even when faced with challenges. It reminds them that true strength and courage come from relying on God, not from their own abilities.’
And having heard all of that encouraging scripture, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, to find divine aid in these most difficult times. Altogether now: ‘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 friends, having offered up that prayer for divine help, we now need to improve our faithfulness as believers in Christ, because we all know that our Christian witness is not as good as it ought to be, otherwise our world would not be in such chaos. Much LOVE!
…waiting for Christ is not a passive situation…but an active one…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: anxious, be of good courage, blessed is the man that trusts in God, crucifixion of christ, desperately wicked, Easter Saturday, empty words, ensure our hearts are right and sincere, faith, go and pray unto me, good advice, greater intimacy with God, holy spirit, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I test the most secret parts, I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, I will hearken unto you, impatient, increase my awareness of you today, incurably sick, Jesus Christ, Joseph of Arimathea, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, like a tree planted by the rivers of water, look not on his countenance, LOVE, make a positive difference, man looks on the outward appearance, mercy, on the height of his stature, outward doings, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, rise in victory, salvation, seek God with all thy heart, sincere prayer, slow my thoughts, strengthen thine heart, thank you for this tenderness, the death knell of Satan, the fatal blow, the heart is deceitful above all things, the imminent demise of Satan, the joyful expectation, the Lord looks on the heart, the Lord sees not as man sees, the waiting kills us, these things understood not the disciples, to give every man according to his ways, to the fruit of his doings, truth, wait I say on the Lord, wait on the Lord, who can know it, wisdom, ye shall call upon me, ye shall seek me and find me, you search for me with all your heart, your love surrounds and fills me
1 Samuel 16:7b. for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.
Oh my people, it’s Easter Saturday and the waiting ensues. Christ was crucified and buried yesterday, so today we wait with bated breath for the upcoming miraculous transformation. Like a butterfly waits for its chrysalis (hard outer shell) to crack and allow it to spread its beautiful wings and fly, so too, we wait for Jesus to arise majestically and victoriously from the grave. While alive, He sounded the imminent demise, the death knell of Satan, hell, death and the grave, and He finally applies the fatal blow in His death! And all of God’s people shouted a loud and grateful, ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ in glorious expectation.
Yes friends, it’s ofttimes the waiting that kills us; we know that something good is coming, or about to happen, but we get so anxious and impatient that we lose the joyful expectation of what’s to happen. That’s why Bruh David so wisely advises us in Psalm 27: ‘Wait (expectantly, in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (expectantly, with faith), I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:14) And that’s good advice my brethren this Holy, lazy-day Saturday (smile) that’s fairly warm, but looks rather cloudy and dreary.
But re the waiting, yuh know what? We’re in a much better position than those early believers who watched Jesus crucified on the cross, then buried in the wealthy Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb. Why? Because we know that on the third day, He will rise again in victory! But the early Christians did not pay a lot of attention, or even understand when He mentioned that amazing situation as His time wound down. And at the actual crucifixion they were too afraid and terrified to remember such a seemingly inconspicuous incident.
The gospel of Mark tells that Jesus, after casting out a dumb and deaf spirit from a child, ‘And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it (didn’t want anybody to know). For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is (being) delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise again the third day. But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.’ (Mark 9:30-32) So it was no surprise that they were terrified at Christ’s death wondering what would happen to them.
And as John says after Jesus’ marvellous kingly entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. ‘These things understood not his disciples at first: but when Jesus was glorified (resurrected and ascended), then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.’ (John 12:16) But we know better because it happened long ago and was written down for our benefit. And to help us wait with faith, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with all sincerity and truth.
As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And we know that if our prayer was sincere then our spirits will soon be much calmer and more peaceful that they were before. That’s because our God just LOVES it when we come to Him seeking greater intimacy, and simply cannot refuse our requests. That’s why we have these verses from Jeremiah to remind us of the fact. ‘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, it says it right there in spades; when we seek God with all of our heart, we will find Him, and He will listen to our prayer. Now, that can mean sometimes our prayers are not heard, or not answered because we didn’t seek God with our whole heart. As Jesus said when lambasting the Pharisees for their hypocrisy. ‘Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias (Isaiah) prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh (near) unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.’ (Matt. 15:7-8) And Isaiah did prophecy that in Chapter 29:13-16)
However, with the world having become as material and carnal as it currently is, no doubt many of us fall into that same trap; turning to God, with only our lips and mouths, while our hearts are far from Him. That obviously won’t get us anywhere with Him, for it’s our hearts He looks at, not our outward show, or the insincere words we mouth. And we have at least two examples of the Lord saying this.
First, when He sent the prophet Samuel to Jesse’s house to anoint the next king of Israel, Samuel saw Eliab, who looked physically great and thought that he must be the one. ‘But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused (rejected) him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.’ (1 Sam. 16:7)
Then, when the prophet Jeremiah talks about blessed is the man that trusts in God, and he shall be like a fruitful tree planted by waters, etc. etc. (Jer. 17:7-8) he also says these very astute and mindful words. ‘The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked (incurably sick): who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins (test the most secret parts), even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings (deeds).’ (Jer. 17:9-10)
Yes my fellow believers, this lazy-day Holy Saturday, appears to be a very appropriate one to remember that the Lord looks at our hearts and not our outward doings or empty words, and therefore when we turn to Him, let’s ensure that our hearts are right and sincere. For that could make a whole lot of positive difference in our lives! Much LOVE!
…sincerity is one of the most valued of Christian attributes…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
04 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: an essential part of our walk with God, asking of you nothing, await all things from you, be of good courage, belief, Bible, both hope and wait quietly, christianity, diffing out, endure to the end, enjoy God's presence, even the youths shall faint and be weary, faith, first blast of winter weather, for the salvation of the Lord, God gives power to the faint, halfway home, hands on the plough, he shall strengthen thine heart, holy spirit, I had fainted, I'm glad to be alive, in God's time, in the depths of our being, it is good that a man, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, mount up with wings as eagles, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not looikng back, our desires and intentions wholly fixed on you, our prayer may tend to your glory, perseverance, Prayers Through the Ages Pamphlet, produce in our souls, right motives, run and not be weary, salvation, shall renew their strength, silence speaks louder than words, standing firm, teach our souls, Teach us O God, teach us to remain quiet, thank God, that deep and simple prayer, that silent language that says all things, the accomplishment of your will, the breath of life, the first thing to do is pray, the Lord is good to them that wait for him, to a glorious future with Jesus, to remain silent in your presence, to see the goodness of God in the land of the living, to the soul that seeks him, truth, under your action, unless I had believed, wait I say on the Lord, wait on God's answer, wait on the Lord, waith in faith, we may adore you, which says nothing and experiences everything, which specifies nothing and includes everything, wisdom
Psalm 27:14. Wait (wait in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say on the Lord.
At last we’re getting our first real blast of winter weather with a decent snow storm dropping it’s payload on us this morning. And it’s scheduled to go on for most of the day. However, thankfully, it’s not as bad as what the residents of some parts of cottage country endured this past weekend; something like around eighty cm. of snow overall. Now that is indeed a lot of snow, and they are still without power and still digging out from under the avalanche of snow. Hopefully, we will not get even half as much today, as we need to be broken back in gently to snow and its eccentric peculiarities; remembering how to drive and walk in it, as well to shovel it and dress properly for it. (smile)
It’s strange, but regardless of how often we experience winter and snow, the first snow fall always has us shaking our heads and wondering how best to handle it. And you know, as believers in Jesus Christ we’re thought that when in doubt, or when trouble arises, the first thing one should do is pray. So since this our first snowfall of the season, and we’re still a tad under the weather about it, let’s offer up this prayer from the Prayers Through the Ages Pamphlet recently put out by the Anglican Diocese of Toronto. This prayer is attributed to a lady by the name of Evelyn Underhill (1875-1941).
So please pray with me: ‘Teach us, O God, that silent language which says all things. Teach our souls to remain silent in Your presence; that we may adore You in the depths of our being, and await all things from You, while asking of You nothing but the accomplishment of Your will. Teach us to remain quiet under Your action and produce in our souls that deep and simple prayer which says nothing and experiences everything, which specifies nothing and includes everything. Do pray in us, that our prayer may even tend to Your glory, and our desires and intentions may not be fixed on ourselves, but wholly directed to You.’
Ah friends, I like that prayer because it says so much about us, about when we go to God in prayer, because it’s so often to ask and plead for something our flesh desires and very seldom to just enjoy His presence, sitting in silence and letting our souls and spirits interact with our heavenly Father, without expressing a desire for anything at all. Yes, sometimes we just need to sit in the Lord’s presence and enjoy silent communion with Him, as the prayer says; ‘produce in our souls that deep and simple prayer which says nothing and experiences everything, which specifies nothing and includes everything.’
As the old adage says, sometimes silence speaks louder than words. But don’t worry, the Lord knows what we need and what we want by looking at our heart, and if our motives are right and in accordance with His will, He will eventually grant them to us. But please note the important word in that sentence is ‘eventually.’ We seem to want everything right now, possibly yesterday, but the Lord doesn’t operate like that, He moves at His own pace, in His own time, and if we don’t learn how to wait on Him, then we’ll lose out on a whole lot of good blessings.
And there are many verses of scripture that advise and admonish us to wait on the Lord, because it is such and important feature of the Christian faith. And this commentary gives us a brief look at what it is. It asks ‘What does it mean to wait on the Lord? Then answers: ‘To some, that means spending time in prayer, seeking God. To others, it means standing firm on what God has already spoken to you. To wait on God’s answer, voice, or promise in prayer is an essential part of our walk with God.’
And is that ever so true! So let’s look at a few bible verses on the subject, beginning with this great one from Isaiah that we all know and quote but very seldom put into action. (smile) ‘He (God) 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)
It could not get any clearer than that my faithful brethren! But we’ve gotten so accustomed to the ways of the world, it’s busyness, impatience and wanting everything now for now, that we lose sight of what it takes to live for Christ, and thus get impatient, unnecessarily panicking, suffering doubts, fears and anxieties. Meanwhile, Bruh David says it thus in Psalm 27: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord, in the land of the living. Wait (wait in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27: 13-14)
Oh my people, Bruh David knew what he was talking about from hard experience. Remember he was anointed to be the next king of Israel as a teenager, but never received that promise until many years later, and in between those two occasions, he spent much of that time running for his life from the jealous king Saul who openly and unashamedly tried to kill Him. But Bruh David remained faithful and waited on God’s timing, even refusing to kill Saul when the opportunity presented itself. And eventually he did get all the Lord promised him.
The Lord seldom tells us when we’ll receive what He’s promised, but if we wait in faith, with patience and undergo whatever trials come our way while waiting, then He usually blesses us with even more than we’ve asked or He’s promised. And we only have time and space for one more scripture; this from another of God’s people who suffered greatly while doing God’s work, but never gave up hope in Him. Listen to the prophet Jeremiah from his Lamentations. ‘The Lord is good to them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam. 3:25-26)
Yes my fellow saints, that’s indeed godly wisdom. So let’s try to improve our waiting on God nuh, for it will only benefit us. 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 very end with Jesus, it’s been promised that that future will be even more glorious than we can either ask or imagine. So let’s plan to meet there nuh! Much LOVE!
…waiting successfully on God…demands a strong combination of…hope, faith, perseverance, belief and LOVE…that’s never easy to obtain…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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