The Overwhelming Importance of Christians Seeking God’s Wisdom before Making Their Plans!

29 Aug 2025 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 27:1.         Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

And then it was Friday, a sunny but somewhat chilly day for August. It’s only about 15 degrees Celsius. But that did not stop the many shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ from going up to high heaven. There’s just something about Friday, whether it be hot or cold, that gets the populace in shouting mode. And it’s all because of the upcoming weekend, and the relaxing break from the humdrum work life that it promises. 

And this weekend promises to be a big one, as it’s the last long weekend of the summer season, as well as the celebration of Labour Day on Monday. It’s a holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September, dedicated to honour the contribution of workers to the current Labour scene, to remember all the labour unrest and violence that happened in the 19th century, when workers were brutally illtreated by management and had very little, if any legal rights. Those demonstrations, that met with extremely violent reactions by the owners, thankfully led to the eventual legalization of unions in 1894. 

Most of us take the current situation for granted, but it certainly wasn’t so in the beginning, and many workers suffered and died at the hands of owners to enshrine the work system we now have. But even today, you can see the owners fighting to get it back to where the workers have very little or no rights or say in their working conditions. Unfortunately, the excessive greed and hunger for power still lives within the ownership class. But let’s hope that today’s workers won’t allow the situation to deteriorate to what it was like a couple of centuries ago, although that would please the owners no end. 

So, although this is a weekend for celebration, it’s also one for remembering the horrific labour scenes that took place not that long ago, and pledging to stand up strong and fight for what we now have, and not let those inhumane times ever happen again. End of Sermon. (smile) 

And today, our scripture lesson is also very applicable to these greedy, selfish, and strife filled times. The words come from the wise writings of Cousin Sol in Proverbs. He admonishes us thus: ‘Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.’ (Prov. 27:1) And believe me people, those are indeed very wise words, especially in these times of lawlessness and uncertainty. 

Remember Jesus warned us to ‘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 (troubles) thereof.’ (Matt. 6:34) So, although some contingency plans can be made for tomorrow, we should not worry about it, and instead concentrate on the problems and challenges of today, for tomorrow will bring it’s own problems and challenges. And we might not even make it to tomorrow if we don’t handle today’s problems properly. 

And Jesus also gave a wonderful parable that spoke to covetousness and greed, but also highlighted the problems of placing too much interest and trust in tomorrow. He spoke of the rich man whose land produced so much fruit, that he did not have enough room to store it all.  But after a moment’s contemplation, he hit upon this wonderful plan. 

‘And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow (store) all my fruits (crops) and goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat drink, and be merry. But the Lord said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.’ (Luke 12:18-21) 

Yes friends, whatever we do, we must first give thought to God, and enquire about the wisdom of our decisions or intentions, for He might have completely different plans and ideas for us, like He did for that greedy, rich man. And that’s why James also warns us that rejoicing in boastings is evil. He puts it thus: ‘Go to now (come now), ye say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain (profit): Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.’ (James 4:13-14) 

And that’s the living truth my fellow believers! Our earthly lives are very short and can be taken away from us at any time by Almighty God, our Creator and Life-giver. So, instead of boasting about what we will do tomorrow or in the distant future, James wisely advises: ‘For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings (boast in your arrogance): all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.’ (James 4:15-17) 

Oh my fellow believers, I could not put it any better than that, and it’s something we ought to seriously consider in our daily walk, especially in this season when anything goes. Are there good things we know we ought to do, and are not doing them? If so, we are only building up our sin account, which is not a wise move. So, let’s go right now to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant seeking divine aid in these tough and turbulent times. 

Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough…  because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. 

We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

Now friends, despite our prayer, we still need to do our part; that’s improve our witness for Christ, because it’s our lack of good, strong and constant witness that’s caused the enemy to become so powerful in our world. And until we improve, divine aid will not be forthcoming. It’s as simple as that! Much LOVE!

…believers know what to do…but for one reason or another…we are not doing it…

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

The Importance of conferring with God before making important decisions.

21 Nov 2024 Leave a comment

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

James 4:15.       For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

And now it’s Thursday; the penultimate day of our work week…and we’re seeing a li’l light at the end of the tunnel…for tomorrow is Friday…the day we live for! But please remember we’ve got to get through Thursday before we can celebrate Friday, and who knows what can happen in that space of time. So let’s not be too confident of being alive and with everything being okay on Friday. 

That brings to mind James’ discourse on Rejoicing in Boastings is Evil. He writes: ‘Go to now (come now), ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain (make a profit): Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice (boast) in your boasting (arrogance): all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.’ (James 4:13-17) 

Ah friends, we all do that kind of stuff, without even considering what the Father has in mind, much less asking His opinion or blessing on whatever we want to do. We simply take things for granted, that they will go along as they always have. But that’s a dangerous supposition, for life can change without a moment’s notice. That’s why it’s always good to speak with the Father before making our pronouncements, for He might just be of a different opinion. (smile) 

And I like how the scholars explain the first two verses there: ‘This one is a fool, for he thinks he knows something that he doesn’t. He presumes he has the resources to control his destiny. (cf. Prov. 27:1; Luke 12:13-21).’  But sadly, far too many of us, even Christians, can be painted with that brush. But as Cousin Sol so rightly tells us in Proverbs: ‘Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.’ (Prov. 27:1) And we know that scripture, but we still do it, because we’ve gotten so accustomed to doing it without any serious repercussions. 

That brings us to the other reference the scholars gave where Jesus teaches us to beware of covetousness. He warns: ‘Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.’ (Luke 12:15) Then He goes on to tell them this parable about the rich, greedy fool. The one where this rich man’s harvest has been so bountiful that he has nowhere to store it. 

So he says to himself: ‘This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow (store) all my fruits (crops) and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.’(Luke 12:17-21) 

That again is so true of too many of us, who kill ourselves to accumulate the material things of the world, without any thought to God, neither spending time with Him and being obedient to His word or keeping Him first place in our lives, nor giving generously of our possessions to do His kingdom work. That obviously will draw forth His displeasure. And yes, there are many of the wicked who are amassing great fortunes, but please remember the Lord’s Word that the wicked will destroyed, and won’t even be remembered. 

Bruh David says it in Psalm 37 – Trust in the Lord. ‘For evil doers shall be cut off destroyed: but they that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider (look diligently for) his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.’ (Ps. 37:9-13) 

It could not be said any plainer or more straightforward than that my brethren. So please let’s take serious note of those words and do our best to refrain from the world’s entreaties, from the enemy’s attempts to get us involved in evil doing. And let’s remember, as James says, those who know how to do good and don’t do it, to them it’s considered sin. Now, let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) and thus activating our Thursday Blessings that the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. 

As one 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 activated those undeserved blessings, it’s now our bounden duty to go out and use them on behalf of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!

…before making any pronouncements…it’s always best to confer with God first…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   22 March 2024 Proverbs 27:1.

22 Mar 2024 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 27:1.       Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

Well, it’s that day, when all the voices around the world can’t help but sing ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ Let’s hope that those who went to work on clear, dry ground this morning won’t be too unhappy when they have to make the evening drive home in snowy weather conditions. Yes, the snow has begun coming down in my area, and granted, right now it’s merely trickling down, but as my Jamaican people would say, ‘one one cocoa full basket.’ And that’s the truth, a little of anything builds up over time, so if the snow continues to fall, even as slowly as it’s now doing, by this afternoon a fair amount would have fallen and made driving and walking conditions difficult. 

So, a word of warning, unless you must go out, don’t go! (smile) And today we’ll talk about a very popular but unwise thing that we all do from time to time. It comes from the wise words of Cousin Sol in Proverbs, under the general heading of ‘The Wrath of a Fool. It says: ‘Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.’ (Prov. 27:1) And doesn’t that sound familiar. It certainly does! For as James, Jesus’ brother, so wisely wrote to the Jewish diaspora. 

‘Go to now (come now), ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain (make a profit): Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice (boast) in your boastings (arrogance): all such rejoicing (boasting) is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.’ (James 4:13-17) 

Oh my people, what wonderful words of wisdom and good advice are to be found in that passage of scripture! First, we make all sorts of pronouncements about our future without including God, without even asking for His opinion and/or direction. That’s not wise, for who knows what another day may bring, since our lives are as vapour, that’s here one minute and gone the next. A lot of people went to bed last night expecting to get up this morning and continue life as usual, only to be disappointed, because they were either too ill to get up or the Lord had called them home during the night. That just shows how little control we have over our lives. 

Again, many people who have left home this morning hale and hearty to go to work, won’t return home this evening because they either got sick at work and ended up in the hospital, or they met in a car accident and unexpectedly departed this life. So that should teach us two things; firstly, to always involve God in all of our decisions, to seek out His eternal wisdom on whatever we’re planning to do. And secondly, to always be good to the ones we LOVE, show them true appreciation, and tell them we LOVE them at every opportunity, for we don’t know if or when we will be unexpectedly separated. 

Now, all of that reminds us of the parable of the rich fool that Jesus told, when asked about dividing an inheritance between two brothers. First off, He warned: ‘Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.’ (Luke 12:15) Yes friends, the tentacles of the green eyed monster; envy, jealousy, selfishness and covetousness are rampant in our world today. We must remember though that our earthly possessions are not the most important things in our lives, for as we said earlier on, our lives are like a wisp of vapour; one minute here, then gone the next. So why spoil our already short lives by coveting and fighting for earthly things that we will just leave behind for others to fight over eh? It’s the height of foolish pride! 

Then Jesus told this most appropriate parable. ‘The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: and he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits (store my crops)? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow (store) all my fruits (crops) and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.’ (Luke 12:16- 21) 

As usual, my fellow saints, Jesus did not mince words. He spoke it loudly and plainly. Those who don’t have God in their lives, as their guiding light, will eventually stumble and fall into the darkness of the evil one. Please, let us learn the necessary lessons from all that we’ve said this morning, so we don’t fall into Satan’s evil net. Now, it’s time to go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, asking for help in these our desperate times of need. 

As one voice: ‘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 I’d just like to remind us that no divine help will be forthcoming until we show the ‘trusting faith’ and be the good ‘examples of faithful believers,’ we spoke of in our prayer. Much LOVE!

…boasting…in and of ourselves…is the devil’s playground…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   22 September 2022   Psalm 118:24.

22 Sep 2022 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 118:24.        This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.

And then it was Thursday, the penultimate day of the workweek, with many of us anxiously, hopefully looking forward to that last day tomorrow. But please remember Jesus’ wise advice: ‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow (do not worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt. 6:34). 

Now that’s the overwhelming truth my people! We need to look after, to concentrate on today, which is all we have right now. Tomorrow will look after itself. We don’t know if we’ll even be around to see tomorrow, so why spend so much time concentrating on it eh? Instead, let’s do as the psalmist so wisely proclaimed: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24) 

And that’s wisdom in spades. Today is what we have, so let’s enjoy it, otherwise we’re wasting God’s precious time and blessings, especially the new mercies and compassions that He’s prepared new for us this special day. Yes mih bredrin, every day we spend on this planet earth is a special day which the Lord made so that we can enjoy it and do His will. That’s why He blesses us anew every day. 

Jesus said it very clearly: ‘I am come that they (His flock, His followers) might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10b) Now how can we enjoy a more abundant life if we’re always thinking of tomorrow and not focusing on today, as we ought to eh? That’s defeating Jesus’ very plan for our lives. And I like how James admonishes his readers, and consequently us on the subject of tomorrow. 

Describing unchristian conduct, he writes: ‘Go to now (come now), ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain (make a profit): Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings (boast in your arrogance): all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.’ ((James 4:13-17) 

Oh my people, James covers a whole lot in those few verses. So let’s see what the scholars have to say on them. Re 13-14: ‘This one is a fool, for he thinks he knows something that he doesn’t. He presumes he has the resources to control his destiny. (cf. Prov. 27:1; Luke 12:13-21).’ And those scriptures are excellent references of our unfortunate concentration on tomorrow. In the verse from Proverbs, Cousin Sol does declare very forcefully. ‘Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.’ (Prov. 27:1) 

Meanwhile the passage from Luke is where Jesus tells the parable of the rich fool, who had so much that he had no room to store it. So, in his wisdom, decides to tear down everything and build anew, that he might have space to store all his wealth, and then take things easy: ‘eat, drink and be merry.’  But in his frail and finite wisdom he missed one important thing, he did not factor in God’s will. 

Consequently, when God came along, He said to him. ‘Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.’ (Luke 12:20-21) Yes friends, we are in a partnership with Almighty God and partners are supposed to talk with and cooperate with each other. That means we cannot make plans without including God. 

And going back to the verses from James, the scholars tell us in vs.15: Re ‘This or that. This verse teaches that God does have something for Christians to do and that they should plan accordingly. James only condemns elaborate planning that omits God. (cf. Prov. 16:9)’ Now, since I delight in spoon feeding us, (smile) here is that verse from Proverbs. ‘A man’s heart deviseth (plans) his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.’ (Prov. 16:9) Yes my people, our God is indeed sovereign over our scheming and planning. So it’s His will that usually wins out. 

And moving back once more to James, we discover that in vs. 17: ‘To do good here requires including God in one’s plans. Omitting God is not merely bad planning; it is sin.’ And that’s not rocket science, but simple common sense. If you know what is right to do, and don’t do it, then you’re wrong, and it can therefore be construed as sin. And Jesus, in His telling of the parable of the unfaithful servant, (Luke 12:41-48) says as much. 

‘And that servant, which knew his lord’s (master’s) will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him much shall be required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.’ (Luke 12:47-48) 

Oh friends, right there, Jesus is indirectly talking about us. Servants bear a great responsibility to their masters, and if Jesus is our Lord and Saviour, we as His followers, or His servants, also bear a huge responsibility to Him and His will. We need to remember that at all times. Yes, life is good, is better with Jesus than with anybody else, but that good life doesn’t come gratis or free. There is indeed a price to pay, a responsibility to be shouldered, and if we don’t shoulder our responsibilities, then there are consequences to be suffered for our irresponsibility. 

But our God is so good that He doesn’t just send us out to do His bidding without the necessary tools to accomplish it. That’s why we’ve been endowed with what we call our Thursday Blessings, tools to perform His awesome will. So, let’s activate them right now by declaring (steups!!!) them nuh. 

Altogether now, in 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 activated those marvellous blessings, let’s go out now and put them to use in Jesus’ name, as is our bounden duty. Much LOVE!

…can you imagine the mountain of sins…we believers pile up each day…by knowing the good and right things to do…and not doing them… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8​  

Today’s Scrip-Bit   28 October 2021 Proverbs 27:1.

28 Oct 2021 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 27:1.     Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

And then it was Thursday, the penultimate day of the work week, and some of us are getting excited as the work week winds down, eagerly looking forward to the weekend and all the frivolity it plans to bring. Yes sir, from the beginning of the week, all some of us look forward to is the weekend and what goodies it has in store for us. But I want to pull us up short with some wise advice from Cousin Sol on the matter of thinking too far ahead, without the Lord’s will reckoned in. He says: ‘Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.’ (Prov. 27:1) 

And that’s wise advice we all should heed my brethren, for none of us knows what lies ahead in each day for us, but we still make golden plans for them. Just check the obits to see how many of us who went to bed last night, presumable hale and hearty, but did not arise this morning. Or how many of us leave to go to work on a morning and don’t ever arrive back home in the evenings. Life is unpredictable and we should not be overly presumptuous and make sumptuous plans for our days. (smile) Now that doesn’t mean we can’t make plans, but plans that consider the will of God in them. 

Here’s how James, Jesus’ brother puts it, referring to it as unchristian conduct. ‘Go to now (come now), ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain (make a profit): whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice (boast) in your boasting (arrogance): all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.’ (James 4:13-17) 

Yes friends, there’s a lot we can learn from those scriptures; like when we are being foolish and plan as though we control our destiny, or presume we have the resources to control it, when we don’t. Remember all the earth and what’s therein, including us, belongs to the Lord, and He doles it out to whom He wishes in what amount He desires. So, in making plans we must consider Him, at least consult Him and see what He has to say. 

For, as we’ve been told throughout the Good Book and have seen for ourselves, our lives are like a vapour, a column of steam or smoke that appears on earth for a short while, then quickly vanishes without a trace. And since we don’t know when our column of vapour will disappear, we have to take the Creator’s will into our planning as best we can. And the scholars offer these interesting explanations on those verses. ‘4:15. This, or that: This verse teaches that God does have something for Christians to do and that they should plan accordingly. James condemns only elaborate planning that omits God (cf. Prov. 16:9).’ 

And I’ll be charitable here and quote that verse for us. (smile) Cousin Sol says there: ‘A man’s heart deviseth (plans) his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.’ (Prov. 16:9) That’s because the Lord is sovereign over everything a man does, including his ungodly scheming and planning. As the ole people would say; man plans, but God laughs. And that’s the awesome truth as so many of us have found out to our detriment, when we don’t include God in our earthly plans. 

But let’s get back to the scholars and the last verse of James that we read. ‘4:17. To do good here requires including God in one’s plans. Omitting God is not merely bad planning; it is a sin.’  Now that’s a tough row to hoe, but it does make sense. If you are a Christian, a believer in God, and you know how to do good, but don’t do it, then that should automatically put a black mark against your name. And unfortunately, that happens a lot in our Christian circles today. Too many of us know the good we ought to do, but blatantly and stubbornly refuse to do it. No wonder our world is in such a mess and the unbelievers don’t take us seriously. 

And just in case you don’t believe what James says above there, then listen to this parable about the rich fool from his brother, Jesus. Having said to His listeners: ‘Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.’ (Luke 12:15) He then proceeded to tell them about the rich man whose land brought forth a plentiful crop, and he had nowhere to store it, so he decided to pull down all the old barns and build a bigger one so he could store all his harvest. 

‘And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease; eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided (stored up)? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.’ (Luke 12:19-21) Oh my people, it’s only common sense to be rich to our Creator, who owns everything and gives us everything, including the breath of life that keeps us going. 

And I like the explanation the scholars offer as per ‘12:21. Here Jesus brings out the meaning of verses 16-20. Notice that what Jesus calls for follows quite logically out of His own example (2. Cor. 8:9), as well as out of God’s graciousness toward all who seek Him (Rom. 10:12). Jesus is thus not speaking of a pay-as-you-go faith, but of participating in a relationship in which God already provides what he wishes His people to give back to Him.’ 

And I would not be a good teacher if I did not quote those verses the scholars referenced above there. (smile) It’s going to make the Bit longer, but all of us wiser. So here goes. 2 Cor. 8:9 says: ‘For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.’  In other words, Jesus was, is, and always will be the supreme example of sacrificial LOVE! Meanwhile, Rom. 10:12 tells us: ‘For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.’ 

Yes my people, whomsoever shall call upon the Lord shall be saved, regardless of race, creed, colour or class! So, having read, understood and digested all that scripture, (smile) let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Thursday Blessings; blessings that the Lord has so benevolently bestowed on us to do His earthly work. Altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! 

I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’ 

It’s now our duty to go out and share those blessings with others just as generously as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!

…true wisdom entails…including God in EVERYTHING we do…                                                                                                                

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8               

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 February 2020 Proverbs 27:1.

18 Feb 2020 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 27:1.    ​Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring.

 

And yuh see how life could turn back and bite yuh! Yes, for all of you in the G.T.A, who were crowing yesterday morning because you didn’t have to go to work, yuh see the dangerous and messy conditions you have to go out in today…the white enemy all over, after a heavy snowfall last night! Serve yuh right for lording it over those who had to go and labour yesterday! (smile) 

Ah friends, it’s just another winter’s day in the northern climes, and as you valiantly forge through it, you must have a good attitude, laugh and chuckle, hope for and think of the sunshine and good weather that soon come, otherwise it’s just going to drive you crazy, as you slip and slide through it. You might not like the snow, but the wise thing to do is to mentally embrace it, with Jesus’ help of course, so you’re not always flustered and bothered when you encounter it. 

Yes, that can be easier said than done, but like everything else in this world, we have been endowed with the parts to live a pleasant and abundant life, we just have to put our best foot forward in Jesus’ name. And all of that brings us to this ever so important principle of scripture and life in general. Hear these immortal, truthful and wise words of Cousin Sol. ‘Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring.’ 

And Jesus described it ever so well in the parable of the rich fool, who had so much wealth and not enough space to store it, that he decided to tear down all and build bigger and better… ‘and there will I bestow (store) all my fruits (crops) and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.’ (Luke 12:18-19) Yes my brethren, that’s how too many of us behave, believers included. We live too much for the world’s wealth and pretty but worthless possessions. 

And Jesus continued His parable with these words of everlasting wisdom. ‘But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?’ Yeh friends, for the lawyers and other professionals involved in the tremendous and foolish litigation that will follow his death! We see that played out everyday in the lives of the rich and famous: somebody is never satisfied with their portion of the estate, or unhappy that they didn’t get any. 

And the warning is also in the Old Testament. In 1 Kings 20, when Ben-hadad, king of Syria, threatened Ahab, king of Israel to destroy Samaria unless he gave up his wealth and power voluntarily, Ahab answered: ‘Tell him, let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.’ (1 Kin. 20:11) Yes my people, we never know what’s going to happen in between time. And Ben-hadad in his righteous anger was defeated by Israel, obviously with God’s help, when he finally came against them. 

But getting back to Jesus’ parable of the rich fool. Here is how He ended it. ‘So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.’ (Luke 12:21) And the scholars explain: ‘12:21. Here Jesus brings out the meaning of verses 16-20. Notice that what Jesus calls for follows quite logically out of His own example (2 Cor.8:9), as well as out of God’s graciousness toward all who seek Him (Rom.10:12). Jesus is thus not speaking of a pay-as-you-go faith, but of participation in a relationship in which God already provides what He wishes His people to give back to Him.’ 

Oh my people, remember all that we have belongs to God, and we’re just stewards of His belongings, so it’s rather boldfaced of us to think that we’re giving Him our things. (smile) Anyway, we have space to highlight those two scriptures the scholars quote above. ‘For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.’ (2 Cor. 8:9) Yes, when coming to sacrificial LOVE, Jesus is the poster child for that, the mightiest example to be ever found! 

And the next verse declares (yeah!): ‘For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.’ (Rom.10:11-12) I put in verse 11 so that the context could be better understood, that our God is rich in mercy, grace, forgiveness, what ever have you, towards all and any that call on Him, in sincerity of heart, be they Jew or Gentile! So it doesn’t make sense for us to become so attached to the things of the world, as so many of us are. 

Now hear James theorize on the subject: ‘Go to (come) now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain (make a profit): Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this or that. But now ye rejoice (boast) in your boastings (arrogance): all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.’ (James 4:13-17) 

And the scholars offer a couple of explanations. ‘4:15. This, or that: This verse teaches that God does have something for Christians to do and that they should plan accordingly. James condemns only elaborate planning that omits God (cf. Prov. 16:9).’ ‘4:17. To do good here requires including God in one’s plans. Omitting God is not merely bad planning; it is sin.’ Now if all of that doesn’t grab our attention and teach us not leave God out of any of our business, then I don’t know what will. (smile) 

Now let’s go home declaring (yeah!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know who and whose we are! In strong voice with sincere hearts: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world.  Amen!’ 

And the end goal is to now go out and share that wonderful friendship and amazing LOVE with those who don’t know Him! Much LOVE!

…a man’s heart deviseth (plans) his way…but the Lord directeth his steps… (Prov.16:9)