Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 July 2017 Psalm 119:34.

01 Jul 2017 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Psalm 119:34.   Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CANADA!

Happy Birthday to You! Happy Birthday to You! Happy One fiftieth Dear Canada! Happy Birthday to You! Yeh friends, Canada is one hundred and fifty years old today! 

That takes us back to July 1. 1867 when the British North America Act was signed, paving the way for the Confederation of the three separate colonies of Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to become the Dominion of Canada. And what a colourful history it has complied over the years; both good and bad, and is now aspiring to move to the forefront in this new technological age. 

And regardless of what anybody else says or thinks, I will keep on saying that right now, it is the best big country in the world. Matter done! (smile) 

So let’s move on to some of our friend Anselm’s quotes of this past week nuh, as he tries to inspire us to a better tomorrow. And this first one is rather appropriate. ‘Start your day in a positive way.’ Simple and to the point my brethren! There’s no better way to begin our day than on a positive note. 

And that leads us to this long one. ‘Mindfully move through your day. When you spend your time in the present moment then it becomes so much easier to access positive emotions and to stay practical about what you can actually do about something in your life.’ 

But it’s true. We need to live much more in the present than in the past or the future. What did Jesus say, words to the effect that we should not worry about the future, but more about today, for tomorrow will take care of itself. (Matt.6:34) 

That then leads to this wise advice. ‘Exercise regularly and eat and sleep well.’ Now that is godly wisdom that too many of us refuse to follow in this oh so busy world, where everything is go, go, go! And the big pharma companies and shrinks are making a killing on all the therapy, drugs and over the counter stuff we use to counter the effects of poor sleeping, eating and exercising habits. 

And this last quote is very useful: ‘Learn to take criticism in a healthy way.’ But we need to take it with a grain of salt, because there are a lot of folks out there who just like to criticize, but don’t have a clue what they’re talking about. And it’s getting even worse with all the social media and evolving technology, where everybody is a critic. So just make sure you listen to someone who has something productive to offer. 

And there is no better way of acquiring discernment than by following the advice of our Bit and sincerely asking the Lord: ‘Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.’ 

Yeh friends, when you have the wisdom of God flowing through you, accentuated by His Holy Spirit, you can work wonders and move mountains! And how do we come by that awesome wisdom of God? 

Listen as James explains it. ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach); and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (not doubting). For he that wavereth (doubts) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.’ (James 1:5-8) 

Oh my brethren, godly wisdom is easy to come by, we just have to ask the Lord for it, but we have to do so in strong faith, not doubting. Jesus said: ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.’ (Matt.7:7-8) 

Yes my fellow believers, we need to sincerely ask and seek and knock, otherwise we won’t receive much. And James admonishes us when he talks about worldliness’ and pride. ‘Ye lust, and have not: ye kill (murder), and desire to have (covet), and cannot obtain: ye fight and war (battle), yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts (pleasures).’ (James 4:2-3) 

Oh friends, it’s all right there in black and white: we don’t receive because we don’t ask, and when we do ask, we ask for the wrong things, things that are not in the will of God! And it’s obvious that if we ask for things outside of God’s will, He will not grant them to us. So we try to do stuff on our own and fail miserably. What a waste of time and effort friends, when we could be getting good things from God. 

And you know it all boils right back down to Jesus’ advice: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness: and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33) And I can tell you from personal experience my fellow believers, once you sincerely try living for God, there won’t be a whole lot of things you’ll have to ask Him for. He will provide most of what you need at the time you need it. 

As I keep saying, my only problem with the Lord is His timing. Now I know without a doubt that He will show up on time, but too often He waits for the last minute! But I guess that’s just another way to test our faith. 

Oh friends, our God is a good God; or rather a most excellent God! You just have to surrender your life to Him, trust Him and have faith in the promises in His word. And as you grow in faith, you’ll see the wonders He works in your life. 

Right now the Lord has me on a merry-go-round of sickness, and I believe that He will eventually work it all out for my good, but what took me by surprise, and what has endeared Him even more to me, is that even in these times of trial, He is also helping to bring the desires of my heart to fruition!  

And those are the desires that He placed there! So how can I not LOVE Him then eh mih breddren and try my best to please Him?  And He will do the same for you, if you give yourself, heart, body and soul to Him. He doesn’t expect us to be perfect, for He knows He made us as imperfect beings, but He does ask for obedience, above all things. Much LOVE!

…as Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) so eloquently puts it…obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 June 2012 2 Chronicles 32:7

13 Jun 2012 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living Tags: , , , , , , , ,

 
2 Chronicles 32:7.    Be strong and courageous, be not dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him.
 
Oh Friends, yesterday’s gone, tomorrow’s not yet come, but praise the Lord, today is here! Wow! What an acute perception! (smile) The point though Friends is that yesterday is flailing uncontrollably somewhere in eternity, and we can’t do anything about it, neither can we do anything about tomorrow, which is yet to show its ruddy face. But today Friends, today is in our grasp, it lies comfortably in the palms of our hands. It’s all we really have, so let’s use it wisely and diligently nuh. The Lord gave us a new day with new blessings and mercies every twenty-four hours because He didn’t want us pining for yesterday and/or worrying about tomorrow, two things we can do absolutely nothing about. Today though was made for us to run with. And this quote from George Eliot, the pen name of English poet and novelist Mary Anne Evans (1819-1880) spells it out nicely. ‘What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.’ Oh my people, yesterday is always the end of the day, and today is always the beginning! So let’s make it a habit to make and end of each yesterday, and a beginning of each today. Somewhat convoluted nuh! But that way we’ll be able to fully concentrate on the important matters at hand today, and thus do our best in dealing with them. Now that doesn’t mean we have to entirely forget about yesterday, or make no plans for tomorrow, because some things will obviously come forward from yesterday, and some from today will naturally move forward to tomorrow. The tricky part is to not dwell on what happened yesterday, or be too perplexed by what will happen tomorrow. I surely hope all of that makes sense to you, because I don’t know if it does to me. (smile) But I know that we’re all bright enough to pick sense from nonsense. The problem with profitably doing what I’ve said above though, is that we first need to be well grounded in a strong, philosophy, teaching or faith, so that we can comfortably let the past go, and not worry about the future. And we all know that the best remedy for all our troubles and needs is Jesus! The promises He’s made in His Word are exciting and exceedingly gratifying, as exampled by our Bit: ‘Be strong and courageous, be not dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him.’ Oh Friends, today we’re going to look at one of the most outstanding stories of courage and faith in the Lord recorded in the Good Book. It’s one we all know, about Bruh David and Goliath, the Philistine giant. Oh, if most of us only had a small portion of Bruh David’s strength and faith in Jehovah God, we would indeed move mountains! Anyway, Bruh David was a teenager looking after his father Jesse’s sheep, while the Israelite army was lined up against the mighty Philistines. However, one day his father sent him to the front lines with some food for his elder brothers in the army. But instead of being glad to see him and thankful for the food he brought them, the brothers mocked him for coming to the big man’s game of war. Bruh David though was not discouraged, and when he heard Goliath’s challenge to Israel, he took it up, while all the mighty men of Israel fled in fear. The Lord’s anointing was already upon him, for what teenager could otherwise have spoken these challenging words. ‘What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?’ (1 Sam.17:26) Strong and courageous words indeed my people! Eventually Bruh David came before King Saul requesting permission to go out and fight Goliath. But like everyone else, Saul was doubtful. But again, listen to Bruh David’s brave words. ‘Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.’ (1 Sam.17:32) Saul tried to tell him that he was only a youth while Goliath was a man of war, but Bruh David told him of how he had killed a lion and bear while watching the sheep, ‘and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing that he hath defied the armies of the living God…moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.’ (1 Sam. 17:36-37) Oh mih people, not many of us had such strong faith in Almighty God at such tender age! And finally, against all odds, refusing the unwieldy armour which he was not accustomed to, Bruh David went out to meet Goliath in his ordinary clothes armed with just a sling shot and a bag with some small, smooth stones. Obviously Goliath mocked him, re his youth and lack of armour. But hear Bruh David’s faithful reply: ‘Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.’ (1 Sam.17:45-47) And all God’s people said ‘WOW!’ Long and short Friends, the fight ended before it even began: Bruh David ran towards Goliath and shot a stone from his slingshot, a bull’s eye right into the giant’s forehead. Matter over! Yes Friends, when the Lord God Jehovah fights for us, it’s never a long, drawn out affair, but short and to the point. Today, all of us are fighting some battle(s) of our own, and trying to do it independently. But instead, let’s take heart from Bruh David’s story and stand strong and courageous in Jesus, and allow Him to fight for us. It’s what He wants to do, if we’ll only allow Him. Plus it will also cause us plenty less heartache. So let’s be pound wise and not penny foolish nuh! Much LOVE!…for God hath not given us the spirit of fear…but of power…and of LOVE…and of a sound mind… (2 Tim.1:7) P.S. It’s long, but powerful. (smile) I couldn’t have made it shorter without losing the vibe. Much LOVE!