17 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a blessed scripture, all guns firing, be able to comfort them which are in trouble, be careful for nothing, be not afraid neither be thou dismayed, be of good cheer, be strong and of a good courage, blessed be God, Bruh David's men spoke about stoning him, Bruh David's reaction to the burning of Ziklag, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God, casting all your care upon him, christianity, comfort in hard times, David followed the Lord's advise, David's men blamed his for the disaster, do better, do good work for Jesus, don't even have time to think, encouragement is right at our fingertips, endure to the end, faith, for our sakes and Jesus', give thanks for being alive, greater is he that is in you, halfway home, hands on the plough, have all the tools and parts, have I not commanded thee, have overcome them, he careth for you, He giveth power to the faint, he may exalt you in due time, hearing and putting into action are two different things, hold our horses, holy spirit, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, I have overcome the word, i have overcome the world, I'm so glad to be alive, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, Jesus Christ, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, know the scriptures, let your request be made known unto God, LOVE, mercy, mount up with wings as eagles, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not looking back, on an early bus, our second wind day, run and not be weary, salvation, scriptures that provide encouragement, sterngth and courage, than he that's in the world, thank God, that in me ye might have peace, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the Father of mercies, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of All Comfort, the Lord sometimes allows hardship to come against us, the Lord thy God is with thee wherever you go, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the way we live this earthly life depends a lot on us, the young men shall utterly fall, the youth shall faint and be weary, these things I have spoken unto you, they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, to a glorious future with Jesus, to find a wife asap, to them that have no might he increaseth strength, truth, use them when the time comes, wait on the Lord, wake up to the seriousness of the situation, walk and not faint, Wednesday Wail, who comforteth us in all our tribulation, wisdom, ye are of God little children
Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 June 2026 John 16:33.
John 16:33. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’
Ah mih people, it’s Wednesday, our second wind day, so let’s catch it if we want to continue to do good work for Jesus. And would you believe we’re on an early bus, even though I went to my church group this morning! Glory be! Let’s also give thanks for being alive to see another day, despite the high level of evil and ungodliness that’s currently permeating our world. And as we promised yesterday, if the breath still flowed through our body today, we’d continue to look at scriptures that give us encouragement in our everyday lives.
And I like how this overview breaks down the scriptures according to purpose. Beginning with this famous one for Strength and Courage, as the Lord continues speaking to Joshua, after making him the Israelite leader following the death of Moses. For the third time in four verses He admonishes Joshua: ‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9)Now you cannot get encouragement from a better source, but hearing it and putting it into action are two entirely different things, for when the enemy comes at you with all guns firing, sometimes you don’t even have time to think, much less be strong and courageous, but we’re expected to be thus, because we have all the parts and tools to do so.
Then, as per Peace and Anxiety, these verses from Philippians show us the way. ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God. and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7)
And what about a scripture for Overcoming Weariness? This one we all know and quote although we don’t action it as we ought to. Isaiah wisely informs us: ‘He giveth power to the faint (weak); and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is. 40: 29-31) What a beautiful promise my brethren! But it doesn’t happen automatically, we have to hold our horses and wait upon the Lord.
Then there’s this section about Comfort in Hard Times. Here Peter exhorts us: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-7) Yes friends, Almighty God is our greatest source of comfort, as Bruh Paul explains in these verses from 2 Corinthians. ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:3-4)
Wow! What a blessed scripture! We comfort others by the comfort we receive from God Himself! Then as per Assurance in Trials, John enlightens us from his first epistle. ‘Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.’ (1 John 4:4) And that’s a known fact, Jesus in us is indeed greater than Satan that’s in the world. And Jesus confirms this when he reassures us: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
Oh my fellow believers, we certainly don’t lack for encouraging scriptures in the Lord’s Word, for that’s why it was written; to enlighten, guide, encourage, strengthen and comfort us. But it’s not always easy to do, and we first have to know the scriptures, then put them into action when the time comes. And here is one of the best examples in the Bible of putting scripture into action. It’s Bruh David’s reaction when the Philistines refused his help to fight with them against Israel, although he was then living in their territory, and he returned to his town of Ziklag and found it burned to the ground by the Amalekites, and all the women and children taken captive.
To make matters worse, although Bruh David had also lost his wives and children, his men were sorely grieved, and spoke about stoning him, blaming him for the disaster. (1 Sam. 30:1-6a) And how did Bruh David handle that frightening situation? The Bible tells us: ‘but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.’ (1 Sam. 30:6b) Yes friends, that’s what we need to do when things are really going badly; encourage ourself in the Lord our God, turn to Him in prayer with questions as to one’s direction, like Bruh David did. In that case, the Lord directed him to go after the Amalekites, (1 Sam. 30:7-8)
And he followed the Lord’s advice, went after the Amalekites and defeated them in a great victory and recovered all that he had lost… and more. (1 Sam. 30:9-12) Ah mih people, at times the Lord might allow life to become difficult for us, but He’ll never leave us in the lurch, that is if we turn to Him for guidance and encouragement. So, in the long run, the way we live this earthly life depends quite a lot on us. We have all the tools to make it good, but what good are tools that aren’t being used eh? No good at all! So let’s wake up and wise up to the seriousness of the situation and do better, for our sakes, as well as for Christ’s.
Now let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we endure to the end, then, an even more glorious future has been promised, one we cannot imagine or comprehend. So, let’s be wise and endure to the very end, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…we don’t lack for encouragement…it’s right there at our fingertips…just waiting to be taken…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
16 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a foundation stone scripture in our hearts, a man's heart deviseth his way, according to his riches in glory, all the days of your life, all we have comes from God, an early bus, as I was with Moses so will I be with thee, be strong and of a good courage, boast about God's goodness and mercy, challenges, Christians, come to know and love him like we do, discouragement, distress, divide the inheritance, duty bound, encouragement, encouraging scriptures, every other foe, faith, for Christ's sake, glory in my infirmities, God is the most powerful being in the universe, grin and bear it, holy spirit, hurry, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I will boast in God, I will not fail thee nor forsake thee, I will not give up, if God spares life, in all these things we are more than conquerors, in Christ there is no giving up, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, lock stock and barrel, look to God for strength each day, LOVE, man plans but God laughs, mercy, more than a conqueror, my god shall supply all your need, my grace is sufficient for thee, my strength is made perfect in weakness, necessities, no man shall stand before thee, no matter how fierce or relentless the battle, nothing to boast about, over doubt, Prayer Cards from In Touch, remove the thorn from his flesh, reproaches, salvation, Satan tempts us, share His love with my neighbours, stand firm in christ, stand firm in the Lord, take pleasure in infirmities, talking to the Holy spirit, taunts me with past failures, taunts us with past failures, thank you for your power within me, Thank You Lord, that's life, the beloved of God, the best encouragement comes from God, the BIBLE, the Creator of the universe, the enemy of my soul, the land I swear to give them, the Lord directs his steps, the power of Christ may rest upon me, the power of Jesus that dwells within us, the power of the Holy spirit, the strength I need, there is no one greater than you, threaten to knock me over, through him that loved us, throwing in the towel, to emerge victorious today, to share Christ's love and friendship, to whom we belong, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wasn't in the cards, when I am weak then I am strong, wisdom, worry, you are almighty
Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 June 2026 Philippians 4:1b.
Philippians 4:1b. ‘…stand firm in the Lord…’
Oh friends, I tried hard to make an early bus today, but it seems like that wasn’t in the cards, wasn’t meant to be. As the old people would say, ‘Man plans, and God laughs.’ And as Cousin Sol so wisely tells us: ‘A man’s heart deviseth (plans) his way, but the Lord directeth his steps.’ (Prov. 16:9) And that’s no lie, for the Lord stepped in, and against my plan, I ended up going out the street with the Duchess this morning. (smile) But that’s life, and we just have to grin and bear these things when they happen.
And to help us do just that, today we’ll look at a prayer from the recent Prayer Cards issued by the In Touch Organization, this one titled ‘Encouragement.’ And do we ever need that in great amounts in these uncertain and difficult times, when it seems like our world is speeding down to hell in a hand basket. So please pray with me.
‘Lord Jesus, thank You for Your power within me. You are almighty. Challenges may threaten to knock me over, but in You I’m more than a conqueror. So, no matter how fierce or relentless the battle, I will not give up. When the enemy of my soul taunts me with past failures, I will boast in You. Be the strength I need to emerge victorious today – over doubt, discouragement, and every other foe. Thank You Lord. There is no one greater than You. Amen!’ And my fellow believers, once you truly know the Lord God Almighty, you’ll definitely know that there’s none greater than Him!
So let’s try and dissect the prayer. And right from the very beginning, it offers us encouragement, telling us about the great power of Jesus that dwells with us. That’s the power of the Holy Spirit; our Guide, Leader, Comforter, etc. etc. That means we already have the power we need to fight our battles, but we need to use it; by talking to the Holy Spirit, asking for guidance and direction, and then actioning whatever He tells us.
And I like how it says that challenges may threaten, but because we have the most powerful being in the universe dwelling within us, we are able to conquer them. As Bruh Paul so rightly puts it in his letter to the Roman church: ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom. 8:37) And that’s a scripture that we need to make one of the foundation stones in our hearts, so we can remember and act on it when times get rough.
But possibly the most important statement in the prayer is this one; ‘I will not give up.’ Praise the Lord my brethren! Yes, regardless of how tough and frightening times might get, there is no giving up, for as I keep reminding us, in Christ’s vocabulary there are no words like giving up, like throwing in the towel. And why should there be, when we’re dealing with the Creator of the universe, the One who died for our sins and reigns in heaven advocating on our behalf? And also when the scriptures tell us; ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil. 4:13)
And furthermore, when Satan tries to tempt and taunt us with our past failures, we’ll just ignore him, and boast about our great God and His goodness and mercy. As Bruh Paul writes in 2 Corinthians, after asking three times for the Lord to remove a particular thorn from his flesh, and eventually got this answer. ‘And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities (weaknesses) that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distress for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.’ (2 Cor. 12:9-10)
Ah friends, we really don’t have anything of ourselves to boast about, because all we have comes from Jehovah God. So, if the feeling takes us to boast, the right person to boast on and about is our heavenly Father, for He equips us with whatever we need. As Bruh Paul says in Philippians: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) So whatever we need, the Lord provides, and we are contented with whatever He provides, for it’s often better than what we could provide on our own.
And it’s to the Lord God Almighty to whom we must look for the strength to be victorious on each and every day of our earthly journey. And there are many scriptures on encouragement, like this one from the Lord to Joshua. ‘There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I swear unto their father to give them.’ (Josh. 1:5-6)
Now that’s a wonderful bit of encouragement, straight from the Lord Himself, meaning it could not get any better than that. But being strong and courageous is not always easy to do, even when we know the Lord is with us, that’s why the scripture for today’s prayer encourages us to: ‘…stand firm in the Lord…’ (Phil. 4:1b) And there are several more encouraging scriptures to look at, but because time and space are against us, we’ll look at them tomorrow, obviously providing that God spares our lives. (smile)
Now, let’s go home declaring 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’re 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!
…consider the power of Christ Jesus within you…and stand firm in Him… (In Touch Devotional Prayer Card)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
25 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a disciplined mind, add any enthusiasm to the situation, all for the glory of Jesus, all the days of thy life, allow your incredible aura of love, another new work week, as I was with Moses so will I be with thee, be constantly in thy mouth, be not afraid neither be thou dismayed, be strong and of a good courage, but of power love and of a sound mind, constantly bombarded by the enemy's evil schemes, dangerous and unfair jobs, depend on us to a large extent, divide for an inheritance, divine aid, don't be afraid of any task God gives us, don't turn away from the law, drilled into Joshua's brain, encouragement, face challenges, faith, fill us with steadfast faith, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, furthering your glorious kingdom, get into the groove, God's conversation with Joshua, have good success, have I not commanded thee, have success, holy spirit, humble servants, humbly ask, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I praise and thank you God, I will not fail thee nor forsake thee, inclement weather, inspire us to rise to greater heights, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, jobs that serve a useful purpose, keep our promises, keeping families together, living in fear, LOVE, make thy way prosperous, make worthwhile inroads into the enemy's ranks, mano a mano, meditate therein day and night, meet the enemy in battle, mercy, no man shall be able to stand against thee, no partying on Monday, observe to do according to all the law, observe to do all that's written therein, our omnipotent and merciful God, perform like you're capable of performing, positive reassurance of our faith, prerequisites for success, prosper, put it into action, reassurance, regardless of what happens, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality and enthusiasm, sally forth with confidence, salvation, step up to the plate, sudy the law and live by it, sure conquerors, surrender our all to you, the evil and ungodly world, the fulfillment of promises, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the gospel truth, the Lord thy God is with thee wherever you go, the lustful ways of the world, the throne of grace, this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, to lead and guide all your servants, too comfortable in the pleasures of the world, truth, turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, we're not afraid, wearing God's powerful protective spiritual armour, wisdom, work all five days, wrought in our weary souls
Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 May 2026 Joshua 1:9.
Joshua 1:9. Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Another new work week my people. And this time we have to work all five days, no partying on Monday, like we did last week. (smile) And it will undoubtedly be difficult for some of us to get back into the five-day groove, but get back into it we must, if we’re to do Jesus proud. Then the inclement weather we’ve had over the weekend certainly doesn’t add any enthusiasm to the situation, but the bright sunshine and warm weather of this Monday ought to inspire us to rise to greater heights, all for the glory of Jesus! (smile)
And as we face our challenges today, please, let’s remember we can face them mano a mano, because of this most important acclamation, this positive reassurance of our faith: ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengetheneth me.’ (Phil. 4:13) And that’s the gospel truth, for whatever we need to do on Christ’s behalf, He will enable us to do it. And that reminds me of God’s conversation with Joshua, when He made him the leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. He promised him: ‘There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. (Josh. 1:5)
Yes friends, the Lord gives us all wonderful promises, but sometimes the fulfillment of those promises depends on us to a large extent. And so it was with Joshua. The Lord made sure He pointed out certain things he needed to do to have a successful mission. He warned him: ‘Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance (you shall give as a possession) the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper (have success) whithersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:6-7)
Please note that the Lord specifies two things in those two verses; that Joshua must stick to the letter of the law, and twice He warned him, to be strong and very courageous. Those were the prerequisites for success. Now that warning hasn’t changed since then. We modern day believers are still required to be strong and very courageous and obey the law in living for Christ. And let’s not say we can’t do it, because Bruh Paul has already declared that we are more than able, for ‘God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) In other words, we need not be afraid of any task we are given.
But the Lord took His commands to Joshua so seriously that He expanded on them in the next couple of verses, when He warns: ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth (shall be constantly in thy mouth); but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:8-9)
Oh my brethren, you see how the Lord drilled those three things into Joshua’s brain: First we need to study the law and live by it, don’t turn away from it regardless of what happens. Then we need to be strong and courageous, and we have all the tools to do that. And last but not least, don’t be afraid, because the Lord our God is with us wherever we go! What wonderful assurance that is my fellow believers! No other supposed God offers that kind of assurance and confidence to their followers because they can’t fulfill it. They don’t have the power or wherewithal to do so. Only the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, omnipotent and merciful can make such a promise and fulfill it!
But yuh know what friends, we can have all the encouragement and reassurance in the world from God, but until we believe it and put it into action, it’s all wasted. And that’s what the Lord was trying to push home to Joshua; you can do it, because I’ve given you all you need, and I’m here to back you up, but you need to step forward, step up to the plate and perform like you are capable of performing. The same goes for us today, as so many of us are living in fear, or have simply gotten too comfortable in the lustful ways of the world and thus are not stepping forward to do our duty.
However, we hope and pray that very soon, before it’s too late, we’ll all wake up and see the light and perform the way we ought to. Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine help to turn things around. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise and thank You this Monday morning for our jobs; jobs we sometimes don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank You Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm You’ve wrought in our weary souls over the weekend. It’s that rejuvenation of spirit which now allows us to sally forth with confidence into the evil and ungodly world, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s evil schemes. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing Your powerful, protective spiritual armour!
We surrender our all to You, and humbly ask that You allow Your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit to lead and guide all Your servants, as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, thereby furthering Your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen!
Now, let’s go out and keep our promises! Much LOVE!
…it’s not if we can…for we have all it takes…but if we desire to…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, a zeppo, above the highest heavens, amidst all the anxiety and confusion, be able to comfort them which are in trouble, be exalted O God, be responsible, be strong and of a good courage, blessed be God, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God, by the example your faithful believers set, Christ has given us the victory, come boldly to the throne of grace, comforts us in all our tribulation, crying out for God's help, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, discontent and dissatisfaction, divine aid, every ounce of emotion is drained, faith, fear not nor be afraid of them, feel and extra connection with God, find grace to help in time of need, Friday chant, God intuitively provides information, God sent not his son into thte world to condemn the world, God's love is everlasting, Gods' word is unquestionable, guide thee with mine eye, he hath not believed, he that believeth not is condemned already, he that believeth on him is not condemned, he will not fail thee nor forsake thee, holy spirit, humbly with confidence, I give them eternal life, I will instruct thee, I will not leave you comfortless, in the name of Jesus, in the name of the only begotten Son of God, introduce a new flock of believers, Jesus Christ, lifted to peaks of delight, LOVE, loved you with an everlasting love, may your glory shine over all the earth, mercy, my future is secure, my heart is a brambled desert, my past is forgiven, my sheep hear my voice, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand, never leave me comfortless, obtain mercy, omnipotent help, one body of Christ, One Year Book of Bible promises, our sinful world can wake up, Rare Moments of Delight, rare mysterious momnets, return backsliders to your fold, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, serious problems are escalating, show them the error of their ways, smell it sweet and strong, stand strong and steadfast, stay safe, teach thee in the way thou shall go, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the ecstacy of feeling, the Father of mercies, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of All Comfort, the Holy Spirit is the Comforter, the Holy Trinity, the Lord hath appeared of old unto me, the Lord thy God doth go with thee, the world through him might be saved, these ungodly times, they shall never perish, trusting faith, truth, unexpected storms, wake up and smell the coffee, wisdom, wise guidance, with lovingkindness have I drawn thee, you add to my knowing
Psalm 108: 5. ‘Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth.’
So finally it’s Friday; the day we’ve all been looking forward to, and although it’s somewhat cloudy, we really don’t care, and have offered up our Friday Mantra: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here!’ But please note, that doesn’t mean we can laze around at work today. No! It means we still have to be diligent and do whatever is needed in the name of Jesus, because that’s what He expects of us.
And today we’ll look at an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This one doesn’t sound familiar to me, but who knows, I might have shared it before. The fact is that they are all worthy to be shared again and again for they are inspiring, encouraging and tell lots of truths about our situations. This one is titled ‘Rare Moments of Delight.’
So please read with me: ‘Because you are God And Your Word is unquestionable There are things I assuredly know Even when my heart is a brambled desert And every ounce of emotion is drained: I know Your LOVE is everlasting I know You will never forsake me Nor will you leave me comfortless I know I can come to You boldly I know you will teach and instruct me You will guide me with Your eye I know my past is forgiven And my future is secure. But, oh, dear God How I praise You for the marvel Of those rare, mysterious moments when suddenly, without a flash or a sound You add to my knowing The ecstasy of feeling and I am lifted to peaks of delight!’
Oh friends, the poem doesn’t only gives us some of the many promises that our great God has made, and what we know from reading His Word, which keeps us safe and secure, but there’s an even greater feeling, one where He just intuitively flashes us some information that we were not expecting, which brings us even closer to Him. It’s what we sometimes call receiving a Zeppo. That sudden intuitive feeling that something is right, or it’s what we should do. It’s like when I was looking through the book today for a poem to offer, when I came to the one we just read, there was this feeling like the Lord was saying that’s the right one. So I just used it. At times like those we feel and extra connection with our God, renewing our convictions that He is indeed real and looking out for us.
And all I want to do now is remind us of some of the scriptures that we spoke of in the poem. For instance God’s everlasting LOVE. The Bible says it in different ways in several scriptures, but this one from Jeremiah probably says it the best. ‘The Lord hath appeared of old (from afar) unto me, saying, Yea, I have LOVED you with an everlasting LOVE: therefore with LOVING-KINDNESS have I drawn thee.’ (Jer. 31:3) And as per never leaving nor forsaking us, there are again several scriptures that point out that promise, but Moses said it quite early to the children of Israel. ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee nor forsake thee.’ (Deut. 31:6)
Then as per never leaving us comfortless, there’s this great scripture from Bruh Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth, where he talks about the Comfort of God. ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:3-4)
Wow! What a magnificent scripture! God comforts us so that we can comfort others with the comfort we receive from Him. And don’t forget the Holy Spirit that dwells within us is also know as the Comforter. (John 14:16; 15:26) And Jesus also promised, ‘I will not leave you comfortless (as orphans): I will come to you.’ (John 14:18) So there’s lots of comfort to be had from our Holy Trinity!
Then, as per going boldly to God, we all know the scripture from Hebrews that says: ‘Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:16) Now, boldly there doesn’t mean proudly or arrogantly, but humbly with the confidence that God will not turn us away. And as per His teaching and instructing us, Bruh David says it quite clearly in Psalm 32: ‘I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.’ (Ps. 32:8)
And finally, as per our forgiven past and safe futures, there are many scriptures that address those points, but for time’s sake we’ll only check out a couple of statements from Jesus. The first is one we all know: ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world: but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.’ (John 3:17-18) Then later on Jesus declares to His accusers: ‘My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck (snatch) them out of my hand.’ (John 10:27-28) You cannot get any safer or more secure than that my faithful brethren!
And lest we forget, (smile) the Bible Promise for today’s poem comes from Psalm 108. ‘Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth.’ (Ps. 108:5) That’s the NLT (New Living Translation). Meanwhile the KJV (King James Version) says: ‘Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth;’ (Ps. 108:5) And though we are King James people here, (smile) I like the NLT version, and we’ll use it as our Bit. Now let’s go to the throne of grace, confidently, but humbly, through our Friday Chant seeking divine aid to help in these very troubled times.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And though we pray good prayers, friends, the truth is that until we come together as the supposed one body of Christ, and begin seriously living for Him, getting divine aid will always be a problem for us. Much LOVE!
…Christ has given us the victory…we now have to make sure we don’t lose it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a frightening request, a pivotal moment, an exposition of the greatness of God's character, as I was with Moses so will I be with thee, ascend up into heaven, Ash Wednesday, at times it feels uncomfortable and scary, be strong and of a good courage, bring glad tidings of good things, carnival celebrations, christianity, Christians, come to know and love christ like we do, confidence, confronting sin is hard, Consider This Section of the In Touch Devotional, continually in the Lord's presence, don't be afraid of them, Dr. Robert H Schuller, duty bound, dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, encouragement, even in our darkest moments God remains beside us, even there shall thy hand lead me, faith, faith-filled walk with christ, fear not, formed in our mother's womb, God is with us even when we want to hide, God never leaves us to face anything alone, God's unceasing presence, God's unfailing love, he that speaks evil of his brother and judges his brother, he will not fail nor forsake thee, holy spirit, how beautiful are the feet, I will recompense saith the Lord, in god's eyes, inviting God to examine our thoughts and motives, it is high I cannot attain unto it, Jesus Christ, judging isn't our department, laid your hand upon me, lead me in the way everlasting, lonely, lonely but never alone, LOVE, make my bed in hell, mercy, no man shall be able to stand against thee, of them that preach the gospel of peace, our relationship with God, salvation, search me O god and know my heart, see if there be any wicked way in me, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, speak not evil of one another, speaks evil of the law and judges the law, strengthen our sense of purpose, such knowledge is too wonderful for me, take comfort in the Lord, take the wings of the morning, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the divine presence of God, the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our king, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord shall judge his people, the Lord thy God doth go with thee, the Lord's presence is alway with us, the reality of the human experience, there is one lawgiver, thou art there, thy right hand shall hold me, to uncover what lies beneath, trust my friend Jesus, truth, try me and know my anxious thoughts, Tuesday Mantra, Vengeance belongeth unto me, whither shall I flee from thy presence, whither shall I go from thy spirit, who art thou that thou judgest another, who is able to save and destroy, wisdom, worry, you have enclosed be behind and before
Psalm 139:23. Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my anxious thoughts;
Then it was Tuesday, and the Family Day partying finish! But it still continues in places like Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago and New Orleans, where the Carnival celebrations are now in full swing, with today being the last day of music, costumes and masqueraders on the streets, carrying on like leggo-beasts. Then tomorrow, we’ll all get pious and godly for Ash Wednesday. Hn! What a life we living!
But judging isn’t our department, it belongs to the Creator and Controller of the universe, and several scriptures speak to that situation like these. Isaiah says: ‘For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us.’ (Is. 33:22) Meanwhile Hebrews tells us: ‘For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense (repay), saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.’ (Heb. 10:30)
Meanwhile James, the brother of Jesus puts it a bit sterner, when he writes: ‘Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and destroy: who art thou that judgest another?’ (James 4:11-12) And that’s a very good question, which we will all have to answer on an individual basis.
Now, here is an interesting article from the ‘Consider This’ Section of this month’s In Touch Devotional, which can pertain to many of us. Please read with me: ‘Confronting sin is hard, isn’t it? At times it feels uncomfortable and scary. Lonely, even. But it doesn’t have to. Think about the closing verses of David’s prayer in Psalm 139: ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.’ (Ps. 139:23-24).
Such a frightening request – inviting God to examine our thoughts and motives, to uncover what lies beneath. But He is with us, even in those moments when we’d rather hide. He does not leave us to face anything alone. How do we know this? Go back and read Psalm 139 from the beginning. There you’ll find 18 verses that explore God’s with-ness, His unceasing presence and unfailing LOVE toward us. Like David, we can say to our Father, “You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.’ (Ps. 39:5-6) We too, can take comfort in the Lord, knowing that even in our darkest moments, He remains beside us.’
Now how does all of that sit with us as individuals eh my fellow believers? Does it frighten us, or does it make us strong, in the knowledge that even when the Lord uncovers our darkest sins, He never leaves us, His presence is always with us? It should strengthen us, for remember what Moses said to the Israelites? ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee, he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Deut. 31:6)
And it’s the same thing the Lord told Joshua when He made him leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. ‘There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Josh. 1:5) And it’s the very same thing the Lord is saying to us today my fellow believers. Regardless of what happens, or what we do, the Lord’s presence is, and will always be with us!
There’s no need to be afraid of walking this very stressful and dangerous life alone. We might be lonely, but we’re NEVER alone, for the Lord our God is always with us! And just that fact, ought to strengthen our sense of purpose and allow us to go on in good fashion. And as the article says, I hope you all took a moment to read the first 18 verses of Psalm 139, for it is a magnificent Psalm.
And I like how the scholars describe it: ‘Psalm 139. Certainly one of the grandest psalms in all of the Psalter, it is also one of the richest theologically. It combines an exposition of the greatness of God’s character with the reality of the human experience. From verses 19-22 we find that David wrote the psalm during a time of opposition. It therefore contains truths that were meaningful to him during these troublesome times. They may be summarized under four key thoughts as David addresses the Lord.: You know me (vs. 1-6); You are with me (vs. 7-12); You created me (vs. 13-18); and Your cause is my cause (vs. 19-24)’
Ah friends, it is indeed a marvellous psalm, containing so much information about our relationship with God, and how we are continually in His presence from the moment we are formed in our mother’s womb…and even before. And I always remember my first introduction to the psalm. It was many years ago on the Hour of Power Programme from the Crystal Cathedral in California, when the greatest actor preacher, Dr. Robert Schuller, raised his hands and declared in such an amazing fashion:
‘Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall (can) I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.’ (Ps. 139:7-10) Yes, that was a pivotal moment in my life, and it reminds me of the words of Bruh Paul in Romans, where He’s talking about how the Word reaches listeners. ‘How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!’ (Rom. 10:15b)
Oh my people, I hope and pray that what we’ve spoken of today will encourage and strengthen us in our faith-filled walk with Christ, because we can never get too much encouragement and confidence in these tremulous and uncertain times. Now, let’s go home declaring 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’re 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!
…one thing we’re never lacking…that’s the divine presence of our God and Saviour…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
31 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a flaw in our prayer, a new flock of believers, acclamation of our faith, all things work together for good, be content with such things as ye have, be of good cheer, be reminded of our previous struggles, be responsible, be strong and of a good courage, by the example we faithful believers set, can wake up and smell the coffee, carry them in his bosom, comfort ye my people, crying out for your help, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, discontent, dissatisfaction, divine help, drag us back into medieval times, embrace your love and compassion, faith, fear not, feed his flock like a shepherd, fellowship, Friday chant, gather the lambs with his arm, gently lead those that are with young, God will continue empowering us, God's omnipotent help, Halloween Day, his arm shall rule for him, his reward is with him, his work before him, holy spirit, I am the good shepherd, I am with you, i have overcome the world, I know my sheep and are known of mine, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee, I will not fear what man can do to me, improve our witness, in me you might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, Jesus Christ, keep you in all places you go, let your conduct be without covetousness, life is not a bed of roses, LOVE, mercy, no rights or privileges, nor be afraid of them, on the late bus, our Christian witness is not good enough, our sinful world, our walk with christ is a two way street, prayer time with the Father, problems escalating, restoring faith in God, return backsliders to your fold, revert to such an inhumane situation, salvation, shining our bright lights in the darkness, smell it sweet and strong, spreading our salty flavour, stand strong and steadfast, stay safe, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the daily grind and common task, the enemy comes against us in christ's name, the error of their ways, the evil spirits come out to play, the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep, the gospel truth, The Lord is my helper, the Lord tests us, the Lord will come with strong hand, the shedding of innocent blood, the throne of grace, the trick or treat game, the unexpected storms, the way of life, these things I have spoken unto you, to shower down blessings on us, to stand up and fight the evil enemy, to them that love God, tribulation, trusting faith, truth, unexpected storms, waiting with bated breath, walking with the Lord, we may boldly say, who are called according to His purpose, wisdom, wise guidance
Isaiah 40:1. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
Ah friends, the ole fella had a rather late night, thus he also had a rather late morning. (smile) Consequently, we are on the late bus this Friday October 31, or Halloween Day, when all the evil spirits and people come out to play the trick or treat game. But that’s a topic for another day, not this wet, cloudy, windy Friday, where we’ve offered up our acclamation of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ which means the weekend is upon us, those two short days we have for ourselves; to rest, recuperate and have some fun, before getting back to the daily grind and common task.
Ah well, that’s just the way life is, for once up a time, and it’s not so long ago that many people worked seven days a week, with a day off once in a while. Thankfully our situation has improved some, although the greedy employers would like nothing better, and indeed are trying their best to drag us back into the medieval times where we had absolutely no rights nor privileges. But we won’t ever allow that to happen, for too much innocent blood has ben shed to get us to where we are today, to ever revert to such an inhumane and ungodly situation. And all God’s children said a loud and proud, ‘Amen!’
And I’m chuckling here, because I don’t know where that all came from because it’s not Labour Day or anything of the sort, but I guess the Good Lord just wanted us to be reminded of our previous struggles and have us understand that He will continue empowering us to stand up and fight the aggressive and evil enemy. It’s like Isaiah promised on the Lord’s behalf. ‘Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God…Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand (in strength), and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work (wage) before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is. 40:1;10-11)
Yes friends, that’s one of the many promises of our God to be with us at all times and look after us. And Jesus embodied that promise in Himself when He subsequently declared: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep…I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.’ (John 10:11;14) It’s like the author of Hebrews also reminds us: ‘Let your conversation (conduct) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall (can) do unto me.’ (Heb. 13:5)
Now that’s a most powerful acclamation of our faith, and hopefully we all will stand strong in it, because our God is ever-faithful to keep His promises. As he said to Jacob, when he dreamed that famous, mind-boggling, but life changing dream (Gen. 28:10-14) ‘And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.’ (Gen. 28:15) And we all know that the Lord kept His promise to Jacob.
It’s also like Moses said to the Israelites on God’s behalf: ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Deut. 31:6) And that promise was also kept, except for the times when Israel rebelled against the Lord and suffered the dire consequences of such rebellion and disobedience. But all in all, Israel had it pretty good. For as Bruh Paul warns us in his letter to the Romans: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28)
And that’s one of the most important scriptures for Christians to know and understand. The Lord will keep His promises and look after us, and eventually all things will work out for our good. But we need to thoroughly understand that life, especially the Christian life is not a bed of roses, but can often be a tough slog, especially when the enemy comes against us in Christ’s name, or when the Lord Himself tests us. So it’s ever so necessary to keep in mind these most reassuring and encouraging words of Jesus. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
And all that’s the gospel truth, my fellow believers, but it’s not easy to put into practice. That’s why we need to keep on growing in our faith, through reading and meditating on the Word, through fellowship with other believers and sincere prayer time with the Father. And our God is so wonderful, that through Jesus’ sacrifice, we can now go directly to the throne of grace seeking divine help. So let’s do that right now nuh, through our Friday Chant.
All together: ‘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 we’ve prayed a good prayer, but there’s one flaw in it; if the new flock of believers are like us, then they won’t be of much use, because our current Christian witness is not up to scratch. That means we have to improve, if we truly desire divine aid! So let’s get to it nuh. The Lord is waiting with bated breath to shower down blessings on us…when we improve our witness, by spreading our highly flavoured salt far and wide, and shining our lights much brighter in the many dark places of the earth. Much LOVE!
…walking with the Lord is a two way street…He’s kept all His promises…now we need to do our part…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Aug 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a disciplined mind, a light unto my path, all I'm asking from you, all that I am, ammunition, as many as are led by the Spirit of God, be not afraid neither be thou dismayed, be strong and of a good courage, but of power love and a sound mind, cheating, crime, crowding my mind, do you remember, every tongue, fighting the good fight for Christ, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, for God so loved the world, give me the strength, glorified together, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, heirs of God, help me believe, help me today, holy spirit, I have to climb, I'm only human, if we suffer with Christ, if you're looking below, in what I could be, it's worse now than then, Jesus Christ, join the joyful throngs, joint heirs with Christ, LOVE, Marvia Providence, mercy, need to listen carefully, no weapon formed against thee shall prosper, one day at a time, one day at a time sweet Jesus, praise, pushing and shoving, responsibly handle the challenges of today, rise against thee in judgement, salvation, show me the stairways, show me the way, stealing, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, take therefore no thought for tomorrow, thanksgiving, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the bells are ringing, the children of God, the heritage of the servants of the Lord, the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit, the Lord thy God is with thee wherever you go, the Lord's faithful promise, the Lord's sanctuary, the morrow, the Sermon on the Mount, the Spirit of adoption, the spirit of bondage, their righteousness is from me, they are the sons of God, thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, thou shalt condemn, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, to do everything I have to do, tomorrow may never be mine, tomorrow shall take thought for the things of itself, truth, turn to the left, violence, walk in the footsteps of Christ, we cry Abba Father, we're born to faith not fear, when ye turn to the right hand, when you walked among men, where our bread is buttered, wisdom, with God as our guide, worship
Romans 8:14. ‘For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons (daughters) of God.
The bells are ringing on this beautiful but a tad cloudy Sunday morning my people! That means it’s time to join the joyful throngs heading to the Lord’s sanctuary to offer up praise, worship and thanksgiving and receive grace, mercy, forgiveness and strength to fight the good fight for another week. And opening today’s worship is a Christian contemporary song authored by Marijohn Wilkins and Kris Kristofferson, most appropriately titled, ‘One Day At A Time Sweet Jesus.’ And that’s all we can handle, even if we foolishly and selfishly wish for more.
And today we’re going to offer up a rich, scintillating, Reggae version of the song, per Jamaican Gospel Artiste, Marvia Providence. So, let’s open our mouths and hearts and allow sweet sacrifices of praise to reach up to high heaven, beginning with the rocking chorus. Singing! ‘(Chorus: One day at a time sweet Jesus That’s all I’m asking from you Give me the strength To do everything that I have to do Yesterday’s gone sweet Jesus And tomorrow may never be mine Help me today, show me the way One day at a time)
I’m only human I’m just a woman (man) Help me believe in what I could be and all that I am. Oh show me the stairways I have to climb Lord for my sake teach me to take One day at a time. (Chorus) Oh do you remember? When you walked among men? Well Jesus you know If you’re looking below That its worse now than then Oh there’s Cheating and stealing, violence and crime. There’s pushing and shoving And its crowding my mind So Lord for my sake teach me to take One day at a time.
(Chorus: One day at a time sweet Jesus That’s all I’m asking from you Just give me the strength To do everything that I have to do Yesterday’s gone sweet Jesus And tomorrow may never be mine Help me today, show me the way One day at a time Oh help me today Show me the way One day at a time… One day at a time…Sweet Jesus…Teach me to take One day at a time…One day at a time…Lord help me today…Show me the way…One day at a time.’
And if you are sincere, He will help you to do just that. For remember we recently read in the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus offered that exact wise advice, when He said: ‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt. 6:34) That means, everyday has its own problems, that need to be handled right then, and although we should make some rough plans for the morrow, we ought to concentrate on what’s happening today, and not too much about tomorrow.
For if we don’t responsibly handle the challenges and responsibilities of today, we might not even get to tomorrow. Yes, as the song says; ‘tomorrow may never be mine.’ But if we do see tomorrow, with God as our guide, we will be able to responsibly handle those troubles and problems it creates. That’s our Lord’s faithful promise. But believe me, with all the confusion and otherwise that’s constantly happening around us, learning to take one day at a time is not always easy, that’s why the song asks for help to do it.
We’re only human, frail and fragile beings, so we need help to believe in what we could be and what we truly are. And there are a few scriptures that can help us do just that beginning with this most encouraging scripture from Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) That’s the first thing we must acknowledge; we’re not born to fear, but to faith.
Then know who we are in Christ. As Bruh Paul writes the Roman church. ‘For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons (daughters) of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.’ (Rom. 8:14-17)
Ah my brethren, if we believe in Christ, we need to realize that He’s freed us from fear and eternal death, and thus caused God to adopt us. And if we are children of God, then nothing can harm us. ‘No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of (from) me, saith the Lord.’ (Is. 54:17) More ammunition for us to be strong and not fear, once we link up with Jesus.
That brings us to this magnificent scripture, where the Lord Himself warned Joshua when He made him leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. ‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9) Now that is scripture we should have at the forefront of our lives, every day! For it’s the backbone of our faith; the continual and everlasting presence of our wonderful and faithful God walking beside us all the time.
As the prophet Isaiah further reminds us. ‘And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.’ (Is. 30:21) That’s the guiding and leading of the Holy Spirit that indwells us, softly whispering to us as we daily try to walk in the footsteps of Christ. The problem though is that if we truly want to hear that guiding voice, we need to listen carefully, for it’s not a loud, invasive or intrusive one, but a gentle, comforting voice.
And we cannot end without possibly the most important verse of scripture in the entire Bible; these marvellous, reassuring words of Jesus to Nicodemus: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16) Now that shows just how much the Lord cares for His human creation. Therefore, let us stand strong in the Lord, and keep fighting the good fight for Christ, for that’s where our bread is buttered! Much LOVE!
…thy word is a lamp unto my feet…and a light unto my path… (Ps. 119:105)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Aug 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Guidebook for earthly living, a most encouraging and reassuring promise, after one time is two, all things work together for good, be not afraid, be strong and of a good courage, Bible, brings us to a realization, called according to His purpose, Caribana Parade, christianity, Christians, daily taking up our cross, deepen my breath, denying ourselves, do according to all that's written therein, enter the pearly gates of heaven, faith, following Jesus, frustrations, God has the power to make everything right, God is in control, God will eventually make all things right, God will never leave nor forsake us, have good success, have not I commanded thee, holy spirit, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, if we read the Bible, if you can't control it don't worry about it, in all sincerity and truth, increase my awareness of you today, it's all for our benefit, its multitude of wisdom and riches, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, leave it all to God, Lord I want to be with you now, LOVE, make thy way prosperous, mercy, neither be thou dismayed, omnipotent god, Pan Alive Steelband Competition, place our total faith and trust in God, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, salvation, slow my thoughts, still fresh through all the ages, thank you for this tenderness, the beauty of prayer, the Bible is God's word to us, the C.N.E grounds, the indisputable truth, the Lord thy God is with thee wherever you go, the low standard of the mas, the trials and tribulations of life, this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, thou shalt meditate therein day and night, to spend eternity with Christ, to the ends of the earth, to them that love God, truth, we'll find God wisdom on its pages, wisdom, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Romans 8:28. And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
And then it was our lazy-day Saturday for this our August long weekend, but for many of us, it certainly won’t be a lazy-day, for we’ll be somewhere down the Lakeshore around the C.N.E. grounds taking in the Caribana Parade. And yes, I know that’s not the official title, but to us old folks, it will always be CARIBANA, and will go down in the annals as such. (smile) Now, as the old people would say, after one time is two yes. And that’s the reality of the situation, for I never missed the Caribana Parade for thirty something years, but for the last fifteen or so I haven’t been. Sometimes I don’t even remember that it’s around. Why?
For several reasons. First of all, because the old bones can’t take the stress of the plenty walking and jumping any longer, plus I would go there and not see anyone I knew. That was just unfathomable, because in earlier times, as soon as I hit the Lakeshore I would see oodles of people I knew. And last, but possibly the most important reason is that the quality of the mas in the parade has gone down so low that it’s not worth going to see anymore. And that’s not only my opinion, but a lot of others too, who knew what real mas and mas costumes were about.
But the Caribana Celebrations is still a big thing in the city and I’m glad that they can make some tourist dollars off of it. And just to show how the standards have fallen, I went to the Pan Alive Steelband Competition last night, and there were only three bands out of the six that competed that should have been in the competition. Even one of the guest bands sounded better than the first three competitors. Steups! But who am I, a non mas and non pan person to say anything eh? (smile) And to stop my spirit from getting upset as I remember what was, and what is right now, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with all sincerity and truth.
As one strong 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!’
That did it friends! (smile) I’ve released whatever frustrations I had about the state of the current mas and pan situation, and have accepted that things change, and not always in a manner that I like, but since I cannot change them, I just have to leave them alone. And that’s the beauty of prayer; it brings us to a realization, that if we cannot control it, we should not worry about it, just leave it all up to God, because He has the power to make everything right, and has promised to do so, through this marvellous verse from Romans. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28)
Yes my faithful brethren, if we LOVE the Lord and place our total faith and trust in Him, then eventually, when, in His wisdom, He knows the time is right, then He will work everything out for our good. So, although it can be very difficult when we’re going through the trials and tribulations of this earthly life, we need not worry, because we know that our omnipotent God is in control and He will eventually make all wrongs right! But we can only stand strong in faith when we know His Word, that’s why constant reading and meditating on it is absolutely necessary.
The Lord even said it in no uncertain terms to Joshua, when He made him the leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. And not once, but several times in a few verses of Joshua chapter one. Hear this direct command: ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth (shall be constantly in your 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)
Straight from the Lord’s mouth my people! If we want to be prosperous and have success then we need to know His Word, because that’s the purpose for which it was created. That reminds me of the quote I got from some unremembered place: ‘The Bible is God’s Word to us, still fresh through all the ages. And if we read it, we will find God’s wisdom on its pages.’ That’s gospel truth friends! The Bible was written as a Guidebook for Earthly Living, but we have to read and study it constantly if we want to discover its multitude of wisdom and riches.
And this last thing God said to Joshua is one of my favourite scripture verses. After telling him about constantly meditating on His Word, the Lord then expounded and admonished: ‘Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9) Oh my people, what a most encouraging and reassuring promise! And it’s the indisputable truth, for our faithful God is always with us, since He’s promised never to leave nor forsake us. (Heb. 13:5)
And if we want to have a successful and prosperous life here on earth, then enter the pearly gates to spend eternity with Jesus, then we have to take all those commands and promises seriously, live by them each and every day, being true disciples of Christ. That’s denying ourselves, taking up our cross every day and following Him to the ends of the earth! (Luke 9:23)
And today is a good day to ponder our situation; whether we’re following God’s directives, meditating on His word, denying ourselves, daily taking up our cross and following Him. Remember, it’s all for our benefit! Much LOVE!
…if you don’t know God’s Word…then you cannot live the way He desires…or have a prosperous and successful life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
22 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a cloud of darkness, a future and a hope, a lamp unto our feet, a light to our path, a positive outlook on life, a strong will, abundance, all came to pass, all the days of thy life, as I was with Moses, be not dismayed, be strong and of a good courage, by day, by experience, by night, by trial and error, calamity, christianity, courage, creativity, curse, depending on God, faith, favour, fear thou not, God keeps all His promises, God's supernatural wisdom, grow in God, He will not fail thee neither forsake thee, holy spirit, I am thy God, I am with thee, I know the thoughts I think toward you, I will not fear what man can do to me, I will strengthen thee, I will uphold thee, in a pillar of cloud, in a pillar of fire, Jesus Christ, laying our lives on the line for God, let your conversation be without covetousness, lost my way, LOVE, mercy, negative word, no man shall stand before thee, not a word failed, nothing to worry about, of any good thing, put our total trust in God, salvation, self-control, self-discipline, so will I be with thee, stood behind them, talent, the angel of God, the BIBLE, the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel, the Lord he it is that doth go before thee, The Lord is my helper, the Lord went before them, the pillar of cloud went from before their face, there failed not ought, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give them light, to give you an expected end, to go by day and by night, to live for Christ, to make our paths straight, truth, wisdom, with the right hand of my righteousness
Joshua 21:45. ‘There failed not ought (not a word failed) of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.’
Oh, it’s positively a rainy, rainy, dark and cloudy Thursday. The rain’s been falling since yesterday evening; a steady drizzle, and looks like it will continue for some time yet. But just like we need the sunshine, we need the rain, though not in too much quantity, for that could cause situations that we’d prefer not to experience. (smile) However, since we’ve put our total trust in the Lord God Almighty, we have nothing to worry about. There might be concerns, but definitely no worries. For God has promised in His Holy Word, several times, never to leave nor forsake us, and He keeps ALL His promises, as said in the Book of Joshua.
‘There failed not ought (not a word failed) of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.’ (Josh. 21:45) And the prophet Isaiah reiterates that sentiment by declaring: ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’ (Is. 41:10) Then the prophet Jeremiah agrees with those sentiments, when he declares: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity) to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11)
And there are many more scriptures relating to God’s faithfulness, but we will not experience it until we too grow in faith, believing that He is truly faithful. And unfortunately, that comes only by going through uncomfortable situations and depending on God to see you through. And each time you do that, and He proves His faithfulness, your faith grows stronger and you believe some more. That’s the only way to truly grow in God; by experience, by trial and error, by learning His Word and putting it into practice, by laying our proverbial lives on the line for him, and seeing Him fulfill each and every promise.
But yuh know what mih bredrin, it seems the ole fella has lost his way yes. For I originally planned to ruminate through some scriptures where the Lord promised to never leave nor forsake us, but then I apparently got sidetracked in looking at scriptures that spoke of His faithfulness to His promises. (smile) But that’s okay, because they are all enmeshed together as the Word of the Lord. So, let’s turn now to some scriptures that validate God’s promise to never leave or forsake us. And we’ll begin with a practical experience of God’s promised care for His people, through the way He led the Israelites when they left Egypt.
The Bible tells us: ‘And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.’ (Ex. 13:21-22) Now, there’s nothing that can fulfill words of promise better than the actual experiencing of them. And to further show our God’s faithfulness, when the Egyptian army trundled down after the Israelites to take them back to Egypt, the Lord literally blocked the Israelites from the sight of the Egyptians.
The Bible says: ‘And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud of darkness to them, but it gave light by the night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.’ ((Ex. 14:19-20) Oh my people, what a wonderful God we serve! Now who would have thought of such a marvellous manoeuvre but Him eh? Nobody! And since He is omnipotent and has power to do anything, that should come as no surprise.
So with all of that practical experience behind them, Moses was thus able to truthfully tell the young generation that would eventually enter the Promised Land: ‘And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be ye dismayed.’ (Deut. 31:8) And yuh know what friends? That message has never been rescinded. For today, the Lord our God still is the One who goes before us, to make our paths straight, and as the psalmist says, who gives us His Word to be a lamp unto our feet, and a light to our path. (Ps, 119:105)
How can we ever doubt or dispute the Word of our God eh my people, when we’ve seen it played out in the Bible, as well as in our own lives? It would be pure foolishness; stupidity at it’s highest to discount the Word of God! And if you still need more scriptures on God’s promise never to leave nor forsake His people. Then check out Joshua 1:5-9, where the Lord promises him: ‘There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Josh. 1:5) Then the Lord goes on to encourage him to be strong of a good courage, the same things we need to be, if we intend to live for Christ.
Finally, in the New Testament, the author of Hebrews wisely advises: ‘Let your conversation (conduct) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall (can) do unto me.’ (Heb. 13:5-6) Yes my faithful brethren, this verse emphasizes God’s consistent presence and provision for believers throughout their lives. And our God is so wonderful that He’s also bestowed on us blessings we don’t deserve, but need to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings, so let’s declare and activate them right now nuh.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration, it now behooves us to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…The most faithful and encouraging Being in the universe…is obviously…the Lord God Jehovah…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a great family, a new arena of strife, allow our guilt to become a burden, be strong and of a good courage, big and bold prayers, bring my soul out of trouble, broken right now, christianity, Christians, climate change, come to know and love God like we do, cut off mine enemies, deliver me from mine enemies, despise not the chastening of the Lord, destroy all that afflict my soul, determine to have our own way, disobedience, duty bound, eager to show us his kindness, even when we're faithless, faith, fall flat on our faces, favour, fear not, finally renewed commitment, for thy name's sake, for thy righteousness sake, forgotten the exhortation, fulfilment, give into temptation, glad to teach us the proper paths, God cannot deny Himself, God cannot excuse disobedience, God is compassionate and unchanging, God is determined to bless us, God is forever faithful, God is omnipotent, God will never let us down, God will never let us go, God will never let us off, God's reliable faithfulness, God's supernatural wisdom, good friends, good health, gospel truth, he will never fail thee nor forsake thee, He will never leave nor forsake us, holy spirit, I am persuaded, I am thy servant, I flee unto thee to hide me, in the image of Christ, in the name of Jesus, Jesus Christ, lead me into the land of uprightness, lifts our spirits, LOVE, may David's prayer be our prayer, mercy, must have access to our hearts, my son, negative word, no signs of peace in our world, nor be afraid of them, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him, nothing can separate us from God's matchless Love, nothing can separate us from the Love of God, of thy mercy, One Year Book of Bible promises, promotion. curse, prosper and succeed, Quicken me, rebellion, receive clear direction for my life, resist, resist until we feel exhausted, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, scourgeth every son he receives, self-control, speaks to you as children, strengthens our faith, strong will, success, teach me to do thy will, the beginning of May, the BIBLE, the Lord thy God doth go with thee, then confession, thou art my God, Three Discoveries, thy spirit is good, tough truth, truth, until comviction comes, use our blessing's on behalf of others, Whom God loves he chastens, windstorm, wisdom
Psalm 143:10. Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
And this Thursday, the first day of May, looks like it’s going to be a somewhat wet and cloudy one, although the sun is fighting a valiant battle to come out. But the winner of the contest is not as important as the fact that we’re now into the fifth month of 2025, almost half of the year is gone, and our world is no closer to any kind of peace and quiet. Instead, every day, a new arena of strife is popping up, with none of the old ones being settled. Even the climate change situation seems to be getting worse.
And I never realized how much damage that windstorm of two days ago had caused until yesterday, when I saw the pictures of fallen trees, damaged house, and learned that thousands of people were without power. As the duchess said when I mentioned it; although your area might be fine, you never know what’s happening elsewhere. And that’s the awful truth of this situation, for there wasn’t much damage in my area. So, please, let’s pray for those who suffered serious damage to their lives and properties, being thankful that we were spared such misfortune.
And here’s something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that reassures of us God’s goodness, faithfulness and LOVE for His human creation. It’s titled ‘Three Discoveries.’ And yes, I’ve shared this one before, (smile) but we all know these writings are so wonderful that they can be shared over and over and over again, as each time we read or hear them, they lift our spirits and strengthen our faith. So please read with me:
‘I have made three overwhelming discoveries regarding God’s reliable faithfulness. The first: God will never let us go – NEVER! We may fall flat on our faces. We may resist until we feel exhausted, but nothing can separate us from His matchless LOVE. The second: God will never let us down – NEVER! He is forever faithful, even when we are faithless. He cannot deny Himself. He will never leave us nor forsake us. The third: He will never let us off – NEVER! Whenever we give in to temptation, when we determine to have our own way – He says with all the LOVE of His Father-heart, I LOVE you too much to excuse disobedience .” Whom He LOVES, He chastens.
God is determined to bless us. He is eager to show us His kindness. He is glad to teach us the proper paths; but He must have access to our hearts. He will allow our guilt to become a burden until conviction comes, then confession, and finally renewed commitment! May David’s prayer be our prayer.’ And yes my people, all of what we’ve read there is the gospel truth! Our wonderful God is all about growing us up into strong, faithful children, in the image of His Son, Jesus Christ!
And there are scriptures to back up each of those three discoveries. So let’s check out a few nuh. As per the first one – God will never let us go, listen to this rock solid statement from Bruh Paul to the Romans nuh. ‘For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, not things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8:38-39) No friends, it could not get any surer than that!
Then, as per the second discovery – God will never let us down. Wow! There are so many scriptures that speak of His faithfulness that it would take us a whole day to go through them. (smile) But here’s one of the earliest promises of faithfulness. Its one Moses made to the children of Israel as he encouraged them re their journey into the Promised Land. ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Deut. 31:6) And the Lord Himself commanded Joshua in the same manner, several times, when He made him leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. (Josh. 1:7-9)
Now, per the third discovery – the Lord will never allow us to get away with disobedience or rebellion, we took a good look at that only a few days ago, when we considered some of the scriptures that tell of God’s chastening of His children. Scriptures like this one: ‘And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, (sons of God), My son, despise not thou the chastening (discipline) of the Lord, nor faint (be discouraged) when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord LOVETH he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he recieveth.’ (Heb. 12:5-6) Lots of tough truth in those verses my brethren, (smile) but that’s just the Lord’s way.
So, we’ve seen scriptures that corroborate the three discoveries, but we’re yet to discover what the last line of the prayer means. ‘May David’s prayer be our prayer.’ And what was Bruh David’s prayer? It comes from Psalm 143, where he’s pleading with God for guidance and deliverance as he’s once again best by enemies. ‘Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me (unto to thee I take cover). Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness. Quicken (revive) me, O Lord, for thy name’s sake: for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble. And of thy mercy cut off (put an end) to mine enemies, and destroy them all that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.’ (Ps. 143:9-12)
Oh friends, Bruh David was not afraid to pray big and bold prayers, because he knew that God was omnipotent, could do whatever He desired. Likewise, we should not be afraid to cry out to God when we’re in distress, because He desires us to call out to Him for help. He’s our Father, we’re His children, so whom else are we going to look to for help eh? And He’s gone even one step further by giving us undeserved blessings to do His earthly work, what we call our Thursday Blessings. So, let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (steups!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and use those blessings on behalf of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…God’s goodness, LOVE, mercy, grace, and faithfulness…will never change…for that’s who God is…a compassionate and unchanging God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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