The Overwhelming Importance of Clinging to God’s Promise of Faithfulness even in Conflicting Situations of Life!

13 May 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Romans 8:29.         For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the first born among many brethren.

And then it was Tuesday, before which we had a lovely Monday, with temps in the twenties, and in the evening I got to sit on my porch in my shirt sleeves, enjoy a cool summer breeze and watch the people go by. Unfortunately though, I saw several dogs being walked, but no children. And you know that’s one of my pet peeves. The society seems more interested in dogs, rather than children. But who am I to judge them eh? Jesus said ‘judge not, that ye be not judged,’ (Mat. 7:1) and I’m trying, but sometimes it’s difficult to overlook certain things. 

Anyway, today seems like it’s going to be another beautiful day, so let’s enjoy it without any more unnecessary contention, we already have enough in our world. Instead, let’s focus on an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. And this one is emphatically titled ‘O God … My God.’ And if you don’t need it, then I’m glad for you, because I certainly need it. as I’m going through a season of inexplicable stuff that I can’t make heads or tails of, but as we are led to believe, there is a reason for it all. I just can’t figure it out with my puny understanding. (smile) 

So please read with me: ‘O God…My God Though You now seem totally hidden I am clinging to You hopefully Even confidently. Someday, some way, You will make All You are now permitting Blessedly clear. With fixed purpose, dear God I am determined to wait, to trust To rely upon Your faithfulness. Despite the drain and strain I anticipate new perspectives And fresh depths of insight Into all that is now so mysterious. O God, in ways unanticipated You are teaching me the great truth Of Samuel Rutherford’s words: ‘I see that grace grows best in the winter.’ Thank You, dear God Thank You for that!’  

Ah mih friends, it’s definitely not easy when the Lord puts you through your paces without any reasoning or understanding…and in the real winter time too, which makes it even harder. But you just have to grin and bear it, and as the poem says, wait, trust, and rely on his faithfulness. And I’m certainly doing that, but sometimes the conflicting things get a bit much to bear, and all you can do is cry out for help and some sense of understanding, though ofttimes you won’t get an answer, but you are still expected to hang in there and trust in His timing and faithfulness. I guess it’s one of the ways in which we grow in spiritual maturity. 

And of course, the promise for today’s poem comes from Peter’s tough but wise statement. ‘But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you.’ (1 Pet. 5:10) I guess that explains it all. The Lord is simply doing His intended work by bringing us into line with His wonderful Son, as Bruh Paul writes in Romans. ‘For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the first born among many brethren.’ (Rom. 8:29) 

And believe me, there are no easy steps in that task, especially when we’re saturated with all the lustful and carnal things and thoughts of the world. And this commentary explains it quite clearly and  succinctly. ‘The Lord’s intention is to conform His people to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ, making them His sons and brothers, as stated in Romans 8:29. 

This process of transformation, known as being “conformed to the image of His Son,” involves a spiritual growth where believers’ lives reflect Christ’s character and LOVE. God’s redemptive plan includes choosing, calling, and glorifying those He foreknew and predestined. In other words, God’s desire, His intention, was to have many sons who are just like Christ. He wanted a mass-reproduction of Christ in humanity.’ 

But sadly, He doesn’t seem to be getting that right now, with all the turning away and questioning of His existence and sovereignty. However, as Bruh Paul says to the Corinthians. ‘But we all, with open (unveiled) face beholding as in a glass (mirror) the glory of the Lord, are changed (being transformed) into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.’ (2 Cor. 3:18) 

And the scholars offer this explanation. ‘Beholding as in a glass: The term beholding can have the sense of “reflecting.” The believer himself “reflects” the glory of the Lord just as the face of Moses reflected the glory of the Lord (vs.13). For Moses the glory eventually faded away, but under the New Covenant the believer is changed into the same image. This transformation takes place by the abiding presence of God.’ 

Oh my fellow believers, having read that, the question we must now ask is whether the glory of God is being truly reflected in our faces? Obviously our faces won’t shine as brightly as Moses did when he came down from Mt. Sinai bearing the two tablets of stone that had the Ten Commandments inscribed on them. Being in God’s presence caused the radiant light to reflect on his face. This bright countenance caused fear in Aaron and the Israelites, who initially didn’t recognize Moses because of the light, and he had to wear a veil to speak to them. (Ex. 34:29-35) 

We won’t need a veil, but surely the unbeliever will see the glory of God shining in our faces, if we are a true reflection of Jesus Christ. And I do hope we’ll all hunker down and bear whatever inexplicable things that come against us, knowing as Bruh Paul so confidently proclaims: ‘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) Remember faith means believing in what you cannot see. 

And with that in mind, let’s faithfully declare (steups!!!) 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 that means we’re now expected to 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!

…being changed from glory to glory…is never an easy transformation…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

Today’s Scrip-Bit   10 March 2023   1 Peter 4:12.

10 Mar 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

1 Peter 4:12. Beloved, think not it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.

And then it was Friday, with a lot of us shouting: ’TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at last!’ But that was earlier this morning when the roads were all clear and dry. I wonder how many of us will exhale the same sentiment now that the snow’s been falling for a couple of hours and it’s another winter wonderland out there, that will surely make the evening commute chaotic? And it’s still coming down, pretty heavily too. It seems determined to leave us something to talk about. (smile) And it also seems like snow on a Friday is becoming a habit in this last part of the winter season. 

And unfortunate as that might be, it’s all a part of living in the northern climes and we just have to grin and bear it, get on with shovelling the stuff and say thank You Lord, for life and health and strength to endure it! Remember friends, with the Holy Spirit of Jesus dwelling within us, nothing is impossible. We just have to put our minds to it. And I believe we have just the right story today that delightfully broaches the subject. It comes from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, and it’s aptly titled ‘Fiery Trials.’  

So please read with me: ‘God is teaching me incredible lessons regarding growth. I see with undeniable evidence that growth means pruning, and pruning means pain. I confess, I’m actually a coward about pain. I certainly never pray for it. I don’t anticipate or look for it. I do only one thing. I ask God to steady me, since the Bible so clearly states that trials are a part of our life-walk with Him. In all honesty I would prefer to escape the testing. 

I don’t like the pain of emotional trauma, which can be so overwhelming and baffling. I don’t like the deep cutting pain that goes on and on without relief. The pain of loneliness frightens me, the pain of losing someone dear to me grieves me. Nevertheless, I am praying for an open heart. I can’t begin to contemplate what fiery ordeals God may choose for my testing and growth, but I do long for my yieldedness to prove my willingness to be conformed to the image of His dear Son.’  

Mama oh Mama! That can surely be the cry, the mantra of every Christian, of every soul that’s ever come to Christ in humble sincerity. For none of us likes pain or trials or testing that brings tough times, even sickness and sometimes death. But in God’s kingdom it is necessary to go through some tough times that we might grow in the image of His Son Jesus Christ. And why is that you ask? Because the scripture says: ‘For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the first born among many brethren.’ (Rom. 8:29) 

Yes my people, God’s number One plan is that all who come to Him be remade in the image of Christ, who is the only perfect being in the universe. And no, we will never be perfect like Him, but the idea is to become as close to His perfection as humanly possible. That means we need to grow in spirituality, and we can only grow when we go through tough times and hard tests. That’s just the reality of life. Living on the mountain top doesn’t really teach us anything, but when we ‘re down in the valley, that’s where we learn and grow through the rough and tough times found down there. 

And sadly, Jesus spelled it out for us in clear language, when He stated. ‘I am the true (genuine) vine, and my Father is the husbandman (vinedresser). Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth (prunes) it, that it may bring forth more fruit.’ (John 15:1-2) Wow! And we all know the benefits of pruning: cutting off today, to make better tomorrow. And indeed, the Father prunes the children so they can bear more and better fruit. It’s just a fact of life. Our earthly fathers do it to us too and we don’t complain, when some of them say, ‘It’s either my way, or the highway!’ 

But we tend to get antsy with our heavenly Father when He desires to test and prune us so that we can become closer replicas of Christ Jesus. Consequently, Bruh Paul later wrote to the Roman church these encouraging but tough-talking words. ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.’ (Rom. 12:2) Now friends, that verse is one of the most important scriptures in the entire Bible. 

And why is that? Because it points out to us the battlefield where all the actions of life are controlled. Yes, in the mind. The mind is the battlefield of our lives. Both the Holy Spirit and the devil fight for supremacy in our souls through our minds, through our thoughts, that either lead to good or bad decisions and actions. That’s why it’s ever so important to fill our minds with the scriptures so that we can fight the deceitful lies and schemes of Satan as he fights to have us come over to his dark and evil kingdom. 

And when our minds are flooded with the scriptures we can then appreciate, though not necessarily like (smile) this promise of Peter, on which our story was based today. ‘Beloved, think not it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you. But rejoice, inasmuch as (to the extent that) ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached (insulted) for the name of Christ, happy (blessed) are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth on you: and on their part he is evil spoken of (blasphemed), but on your part he is glorified.’ ((1 Pet. 4:12-13) 

Ah friends, I know those are hard scriptures to accept, but we just have to grin and bear them as we said earlier, because it is the will of God, that we go through some tough times to make us tough people. And remember that Christianity was never designed for cowards, but for people with belly and backbone, like Jesus possessed. Now let’s go to God, through our Friday Chant, asking for the wisdom and strength to handle all the problems that are currently coming against us. 

As one strong voice:  ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the confusion and anxiety caused by the pandemic and our many other serious problems. We can’t fix them on our own Lord, so we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, without further serious setbacks. 

And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to return backsliders to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic, the bubbling discontent and dissatisfaction in our land, as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

And if want the Father to do all that we’ve asked, we’ve now got to do all that we’ve promised. Much LOVE!

…tough times don’t last…but tough people do… 

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ