04 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a light unto my path, a positive outlook on life, a reverential fear of God, abundance, as a father the son in whom he delighteth, be not wise in thine own eyes, bind them about thy neck, challenges to be responsibly handled, come to know and love him like we do, courage, creativity, curse, depart from evil, despise not the chastening of the Lord, divine protection, don't worry about tomorrow, duty bound, everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed, evildoing, faith, favour, fear the Lord, find favour and good understanding, fulfillment, get it deep in our hearts, God causes us to get wealth, God will make the paths straight before you, God's supernatural wisdom, good friends, good health, have fellowship and intimacy with God, he shall direct thy paths, health to thy navel, high esteem, holy spirit, honour the Lord with thy substance, hypothetical problems of tomorrow, in all thy ways acknowledge him, in the sight of God and man, Jesus Christ, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, keep the Lord's commandments, lean not unto thine own understanding, length of days long life and peace, let not mercy and truth forsake thee, let thine heart keep my commandments, LOVE, marrow to thy bones, mercy, my son forget not my law, negative word, neither be thou weary of his correction, promotion, salvation, self-control, self-discipline, success, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, take therefore no thought for tomorrow, talent, the gospel truth, the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, the morrow shall take thought for itself, the result of such devotion, the wise council of Solomon, thy barns be filled with plenty, thy presses burst out with new wine, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, to put it into proper practice, trust in the Lord with all thy heart, truth, use those blessings to help others, whom the Lord Loves He corrects, wisdom, with God and man, with the first fruits of all thine increase, worry gets you nowhere, worry is the devil's handiwork, write them upon the table of thine heart
Proverbs 3:1. My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
Ah friends, Thursday has rolled around somewhat quickly, and we’re all looking forward to Friday and the weekend, but remember we have to get through Thursday first, (smile) so let’s concentrate on today as Jesus so wisely warned us: ‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow (therefore don’t 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) Yes friends, the Lord knows what we need, and if we keep Him first place in our lives He will provide it. It’s like Bruh David says in that favourite psalm: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1)
And we don’t need to worry about what will happen tomorrow, for like the scholars tell us; ‘each day has its own troubles and challenges to be responsibly handled, without worrying about the hypothetical problems that could arise tomorrow.’ That is not to say we should not make some cursory plans, or consider what consequences can follow from today’s problems, but not to fret and worry over them, so that we cannot handle today’s problems properly. Remember, worry, is the devil’s handiwork, and it get’s you nowhere, but heartache and sickness.
And that’s why Cousin Sol gives us this wonderful advice from Proverbs, which we all can quote, but do not properly put into practice, otherwise our lives would not be as difficult as they are. So let’s listen once again to the wise and wonderful council of Cousin Sol, the wisest man ever, and see if we can get it deep enough in our hearts and souls to put it into more serious practice than we’re currently doing. (smile)
So please read with me: ‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.’ (Prov. 3:1-2) Now that’s the first lesson. Keep the Lord’s commandments for they shall bring us long life, and peace.
Then he continues: ‘Let not mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS) and truth forsake thee; bind them about thy neck ; write them upon the table of thine heart (thy mind): so shalt thou find favour and good understanding (high esteem) in the sight of God and man.’ (Prov. 3:3-4) There’s another lesson; to let mercy and truth be thoroughly bound within your heart, wear them like a necklace around your neck, for when those things are foremost in your behaviour, you will find favour with God and man.
Next comes the verses we all know and are quick to quote with our lips, but are not well written in our hearts. Cousin Sol lays it right on the line when he wisely declares: ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths.’ (Prov. 3:5-6)
There it is my faithful brethren, the two verses that you can break the whole Bible down to. Place your complete trust in the Lord, lean on, depend on, and rely on Him, don’t go your own way, and faithfully acknowledge the Lord, or as the scholars tell us; ‘ have fellowship and intimacy with God in all of life. The result of such devotion is that God will make the paths straight before you.’
Oh my brethren, that’s the gospel truth, for it’s all about trust and faithfulness. The Lord is indeed trustworthy and faithful, and if we sincerely turn to Him for guidance, He will lead us along right paths, lead and direct our footsteps in this crazy world. Remember that memorable verse in Psalm 119: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) That’s what Cousin Sol is referring to there.
And having given us those two majestic verses, he continues: ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones.’ (Prov. 3:7-8) More precious wisdom friends! If we don’t consider ourselves as overly wise and have a strong and reverential fear of the Lord, as well as not give evil any place in our hearts, our bodies will stay strong, for evildoing and boasting wreaks havoc on our bodies in due course.
Then Cousin Sol reminds us to ‘Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the first fruits of all thine increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov. 3:9-10) Wow! And that’s certainly the undeniable truth! For when we give back to God as generously as He gives to us, our wealth grows. However, it must be the first fruits of our increase, not the last. Remember it is God who causes us to get wealth, (Deut. 8:18) and He desires His share first.
Then we come to the final words of wisdom in this awesome passage of scripture, where Cousin Sol so wisely advises: ‘My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be thou weary of his correction: For whom the Lord LOVETH he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.’ (Prov. 3:11-12) More gospel truth my people! For just like our earthly fathers punish or correct us when we do wrong, so does the Lord admonish those whom He LOVES. And yes, none of us like to be punished or corrected, but what kind of Father would He be, if He didn’t correct us when we did wrong eh? Certainly not a LOVING One!
And having heard the marvellous wisdom of Cousin Sol one more time, let’s hope that this time it will sink even deeper into our hears and souls so that we can practice it, because it’s all for our benefit. Now let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our Thursday Blessings, undeserved blessings which God has so generously bestowed on us to help us do His earthly work.
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!’
That means we’re now duty bound to go out and use those blessing to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…if we truly believe that God is our Creator and controller…then why do we refuse to put our complete trust in Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
21 Aug 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 24 hour spans of time, a bad habit, a deep abiding joy, a great family, a spiritual strength, a very present help in trouble, an intimate relationship with Jesus, cast into the future, christianity, comes from a relationship with god, curse, despising the shame, divine protection, do what God has assigned for today, don't worry about tomorrow, empowers believers to face challenges, encourage their joyful walk with the Lord, endured the cross, faith, favour, find strength in difficult times, for the joy that was set before him, fulfilment, getting ahead of ourselves, God is our refuge and strength, God's grace is sufficient in our weakness, God's joy, God's supernatural wisdom, good freinds, handle the challenges of each day, holy spirit, is set down at the right hand of God, Jesus Christ, Jesus' selfless sacrifice, knowing God's love and provision, like jelly in his hands, looking unto Jesus, lose sight of what's happening today, LOVE, mercy, negative word, panting for Friday, planting worrisome thoughts in our minds, promotion, propser, rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, reliance on God's prmises, reluctant to endure sacrifice and pain, robbed us of our joy, robbed us of our strength, salvation, self-control, self-discipline, stolen our joy, succeed, success, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, supernatural strength, take one day at a time, take therefore no thought for tomorrow, the author and finisher of our faith, the BIBLE, the devil's plaything -worry, the Feast of the Tabernacles, the joy of the Lord is your strength, the morrow shall take thought for itself, the things of itself, though the earth be removed, though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, though the mountains shake, though the waters roar and be troubled, truth, undeserved blessings, use our blessings to help others, we will not fear, wisdom, worry and fear take over
Nehemiah 8:10b. …for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’
Then it was Thursday, our second to last day of the work week, and everyone’s panting for Friday and the weekend. However, before we get there, we need to navigate Thursday first, and enjoy the sunshine, with a touch of cloud cover, and the cool breezes it brings, while doing what God has assigned us for today. Yes, we do have a bad habit of getting ahead of ourselves, often to our detriment. (smile)
That’s why God broke up the time into 24 hour spans, with day to work and night to rest, because He knew we could not handle much more than that. Consequently, as the saying goes, we can only take one day at a time, and that’s today, that’s why it’s called the present, not the past or the future.
And Jesus fully understood this problem, that’s why He advised in His Sermon on the Mount: ‘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) And many of us, even believers, ought to take those words to heart and sincerely action them in our lives, because our minds are too often cast into the future, or tomorrow, and thus we lose sight of what’s happening around us today.
No wonder Jesus said we should not worry about tomorrow, for each day has its own challenges and problems, which we need to responsibly handle and not concern ourselves with what might or might not happen the following day. And I’m sure we’ve all concocted possible fearful and disastrous happenings that will come upon us on the morrow, and not even one problem, or one iota of what we’d imagined presented itself on the day. Now, that doesn’t mean we must not make plans for certain possible outcomes, but we’re not to worry about them, especially if, in our own strength we cannot do anything to curtail or prevent the problems.
That’s the thing about worry, the devil’s plaything. It causes you to use up your hard earned energy and joy on things that you have no control over. So why worry about them when you can’t do anything about them eh? But that’s what the devil takes immense pleasure in doing; planting worrisome thoughts in our minds, so that he can steal our joy, for once he has stolen our joy, we are like jelly in his hands. Remember what the Bible says about our joy? ‘…for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 8:10) That means once Satan has robbed us of our joy in the Lord, then he’s also robbed us of our strength, and that’s something we should strive to never allow to happen!
And I like how this commentary explains ‘the joy of the Lord is our strength.’ It says: ‘This verse (Neh. 8:10) emphasizes that God’s joy, experienced through a relationship with Him, empowers believers to face challenges and find strength in difficult times. It’s not a fleeting happiness, but a deep, abiding joy that comes from knowing God’s LOVE and provision.’
Yes friends, Nehemiah had been speaking to the Israelites after they had lost their joy through the destruction of Jerusalem. However, they had rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem in a miraculous fifty-two days through the astute, God-given leadership of Nehemiah, and were just getting to know the scriptures of the Lord through the public reading and explaining of them by the scribe Ezra and his associates, and were about to celebrate the Feast of the Tabernacles. Thus Nehemiah’s exhortation to encourage their joyful walk with the Lord.
And according to the commentary: ‘The joy of the Lord: is not simply a feeling, but a spiritual strength that comes from a relationship with God and reliance on His promises.’ Therefore, if we desire to have that spiritual strength, then we need to build a strong and intimate relationship with Jesus on an ongoing basis.
And there are several other scriptures that talk about the joy of the Lord as a source of strength. For instance these words of the Sons of Korah from Psalm 46 – Our Refuge and Strength. They confidently declare: ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available hep) in trouble. Therefore will we not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst (heart) of the sea. Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.’ (Ps. 46:1-3)
Now that definitely shows strong faith and joy in the Lord! That although things are turned topsy-turvy, we will not fear, and keep our joy knowing that the Lord’s faithful in His promises, and will not allow anything untoward to happen to us. Meanwhile, this other scripture from Hebrews 12, tells us about ‘Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher (the originator and perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of God.’ (Heb. 12:2)
Yes my people, for the joy that was to come from His selfless sacrifice, Jesus endured the shame and disgrace and pain of the cross. So why are we so reluctant to endure a little sacrifice and pain for the joy that will eventually be ours eh? And to help us endure the problems we will obviously face in this ungodly and evil world, as well as to do His earthly work, the Lord has generously bestowed on us numerous undeserved blessings, that 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 awesome declaration, (chuhhh!!!) it now behooves us to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…even if we lose our strength in the Lord’s joy…there’s no need to worry…for we will then find…His sufficient grace in our weakness…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
07 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: after all these things do the Gentiles seek, anxious care is the direct opposite of faith, bring us to the truth of God's faithfulness, build our faith in God, can add one cubit unto his stature, challenges, deprivation, deprive oneself, doing our best, don't worry about tomorrow, even Solomon in all his glory, faith, gather in barns, God knows you need these things, God's most precious creation, holy spirit, hurry, I am the beloved of god, if God so clothes the grass which today is, in god's eyes, inner mental stability, Jesus Christ, leaving the rest to God, life is more than meat, live in perpetual insecurity, LOVE, mercy, neither do they reap, neither do they spin, O ye of little faith, outward physical provisions, personal experience, placing it all in God's faithful hands, put God Number One, salvation, seek first the things of heaven, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, Sermon on the Mount, shall he not much more clothe you, share His love with my neighbours, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, take no thought for your life, take therefore no thought for tomorrow, the best earthly life, the body is more than clothing, the fowls of the air, the lilies of the field, the morrow shall take thought for itself, the spirit of man, the spiritual blessings of God, they sow not, they toil not, thrown into the dustbin of time, to be forgotten forever, to be responsibly handled, to set one's heart on material possessions, tomorrow is cast into the oven, troubles, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, was not arrayed like one of these, what people say about me, which of you by taking thought, who can add one cubit unto his height by worrying, why worry about clothing, wisdom, worry, worry about the lack of material possessions, you can't serve God and mammon, your heavenly Father feeds them
Matthew 6:34a. Take therefore no thought for the morrow (don’t worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.
Oh friends, thankfully we’ve lived to see Tuesday, while Monday, with all its frustrations has been thrown into the dustbin of time to be forever forgotten. That’s why we need to find a balance between taking each day seriously and not taking it too seriously. And possibly the best advice on that subject comes from Jesus Himself, when, in the Sermon on the Mount, he taught us thus:
‘Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for (don’t worry about) your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat (food), and the body than raiment (clothing)?’ (Matt. 6:25) What an awesome statement that is my brethren! It encompasses so much. Prior to this Jesus spoke about trying to serve God and mammon. (Matt. 6:24)
That therefore explains the scholars’ opening remarks. ‘Jesus now deals with the equally dangerous tendency of those who have few possessions: worry! Take no thought means “Do not be anxious.” Meaning to be so disturbed about material needs that we distrust God and are distracted from faithfully doing His will. Anxious care is the direct opposite of faith. Therefore, even the poor are not to worry needlessly about what they should eat, drink, or wear.
The question Is not the life more than meat, and the body more than clothing? indicates that inner mental stability must come from the spirit of a man and not from outward physical provisions. To set one’s heart on material possessions or to worry about the lack of them is to live in perpetual insecurity and to deprive oneself of the spiritual blessings of God.’
Oh my people, that’s a lot to take in, and also much easier said than done when we’re going through serious deprivation. However, it’s in those times when we can build out faith in God, by doing what we can, then leaving the rest to Him, placing it all in His faithful and generous hands. And I can tell you from personal experience that that’s not very easy to do when you have no idea how your going to make both ends meet. But, if we’re true believers in Christ Jesus, that’s exactly when we have to take a leap of faith and trust in Him, surrender our all to Him.
And that kind of faith doesn’t grow overnight; it takes trusting Him on several occasions and seeing Him come through on each one, before your faith will start to grow. And each time you lay your trust in God, it becomes easier to believe and have faith that He will faithfully do what He’s promised. Yes friends, that’s how faith grows. Unfortunately, there’s no easy way to grow it; only personal experience can bring us to the truth of God’s faithfulness and trust.
And I like how Jesus illustrates His point in that verse by using the things of nature around Him. ‘Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather in barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought (by worrying) can add one cubit unto his stature (height)? And why take ye thought for raiment (worry about clothing)?
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed (clothed) like one of these. Wherefore if God so clothe (clothes) the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?’ (Matt. 6:26-30)
And truthfully friends, we can’t argue with any of Jesus’ statements, for the birds of the air, the lilies of the field and the grass of the earth are all fed and made beautiful by the Lord God Almighty. And if those less important things are so well looked after, why wouldn’t our heavenly father look after His most precious creation eh? No reason whatsoever!
That’s why Jesus exhorts us: ‘Therefore take no thought (do not worry), saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:31-33)
Yes my people, that’s the right way to go. Having pledged allegiance to God, we must continue seeking His kingdom and His righteousness above everything else. If we put God as Number ONE in our lives, we will be blessed with all that we need. Please note, not necessarily what we want, but what we need, for our needs and wants are not always the same, neither do they always match up with God’s will for our lives. (smile)
And to end the subject of worry, Jesus leaves us with this tidbit of advice. ‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow (don’t 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) And the scholars tell us; “This means that each day has its own troubles and challenges to be responsibly handled, without worrying about hypothetical problems that could arise tomorrow.’
Yes my fellow saints, living for Christ is not a cakewalk, but if we take what He says seriously and put it into practice, we will live a life that’s incomparable, and one that shines bright like the sun at noonday! We will be blessed with the abundant life that Christ died for us to have! God will faithfully keep His part of the bargain, if we keep ours. Now let’s concentrate on keeping ours by declaring (chuh!!!) 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 made that pledge, it’s now our duty to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…for the best earthly life…seek first the things of heaven…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 May 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a better tomorrow, a blueprint, a new day, a short time, absurdities, accounting procedure, achieve your ends, agonized over, all these things, Amen, angel food, Anselm, attitudes, be added unto you, blunders, bring to each day, caterwaul, consistent living, consult the past, don't hurry, don't worry, don't worry about tomorrow, encumbered, enthusiasm, eternity, finish each day, followers of Jesus, fresh level, God's people, heaven, high a spirit, his righteousness, hurricane force wind, inner circle, Israelites, keep it righteous, kicked up its heels, lie, LOVE, manna, matter finish, neck of the woods, new insights, old nonsense, on your plate, ordinances, perspective, pilgrims, plans, quail, rest in peace, saved the best for last, seek ye first, smell the flowers, statutes, successful, sufficient unto the day, surround yourself, take no thought, the BIBLE, the east wind, the evil thereof, the kingdom of God, the morrow, tomorrow will worry about itself, trouble, unfaithful, unnecessary stuff, windstorm, wooden fence
Matthew 6:34. Take therefore no thought for the morrow (therefore 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.
Oh friends, it’s a glorious Saturday in my neck of the woods! And I have to chuckle as I say that because yesterday was somewhat of a nightmare. Early in the afternoon the weather cleared up, but a wicked windstorm then kicked up its heels, lasting until early evening. I believe that a hurricane force wind is around 110 – 120 km per hour… well this one was at least around 90 km per hour.
I lay in my bed listening to it caterwaul through the neighbourhood, and it brought to mind the east wind that the Lord stirred up when He gave the Israelites quail because they were tired of angel food; manna. (smile) At some stages I thought it might blow away my roof, so much noise it was making up there. But thankfully, the only damage I’ve seen so far is a piece of my wooden fence blown down into the neighbour’s backyard. Thank You Lord!
And since it’s Saturday, let’s take a look at some of the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this week, in his sincere efforts to inspire us for a better tomorrow. First up is this insightful quote. ‘Surround yourself with people who get you.’
And is that ever important my breddren! The only way to succeed is to have people around you who know what you are about, and are willing to work with you to achieve your ends. We can’t succeed by ourselves, neither with people working against us. That’s why it’s essential to build your inner circle ever so carefully.
And the second quote says: ‘You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry, don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.’ That’s true too. It reminds me of our Tuesday Mantra. Technically speaking, earth is not our home, we’re only here for a short time, pilgrims passing through.
Heaven is our real home, where we’ll spend eternity, so that’s where we ought to concentrate a fair amount of our efforts. And besides, how much control do we have over earthly things anyway? Not a whole lot. So why worry and hurry eh?
And as usual, we’ve saved the best for last. ‘Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.’ And all God’s people said a loud and positive ‘Amen!’
Hn, hn! But we still bring forward the crappy stuff we did yesterday, as though it’s an accounting procedure. No friends, to a certain extent we ought to let yesterday rest in peace. It’s come and gone, and there is nothing we can do about it. So only the very important, ongoing stuff should ever be opened on a new day, as we bring a new and fresh level of enthusiasm and perspective to it.
Jesus warned us: ‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow (therefore 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.’ What wise words from our Lord and Saviour!
In the same manner, we should not worry about what went on yesterday. Everyday will have enough problems of its own for us to handle, so why add unnecessary stuff eh? That doesn’t mean we should not to be concerned about important, life changing or rearranging things, but generally speaking we upset ourselves with way too much unimportant stuff.
If we sit down and truly analyze a day’s proceedings, I’m sure we’ll find that half of what we agonized over when it was happening, did not deserve that level of concern. The best way to consistent living is to try and live in the here and now as much as possible. Deal with what’s currently on your plate.
Have plans, but plans can change like…like…the weather. You know what I really wanted to say, but don’t need the hassle from my female associates. (smile). Consult the past, but mostly to learn from it, not to live in it. Treat each new day, like exactly what it is; a NEW DAY! That way, you’ll bring new insights and attitudes to it.
Oh friends, earthly living is not easy, but as believers in, and followers of Jesus Christ, we have been given a blessed blueprint to make it as successful as possible; it’s called the Word of the Lord, the BIBLE! If we sincerely follow its statutes and ordinances, we will be successful. If we don’t, we won’t be successful. It’s as simple as that.
And there’s no better paraphrase to all of that, than these wise words of Jesus. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33)
Yes my brethren, Jesus has no cause to lie or be unfaithful in His promises, so if He says the best way to live this earthly life is by first seeking God and his righteousness, then you know that’s so. Matter finish! Much LOVE!
…bring to each day…just what is necessary to keep it righteous…
31 Dec 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a better person, a joyful shout, a waste of time, and all these things shall be added unto you, Anselm, at peace with your neighbours, be at war with your vices, bitten the dust, blessings, bodily exercise, breath of life, caustic, Christian, clamour, don't worry about tomorrow, drunk or sober, evil, faithful saying, form an invincible host against difficulties, from one day to the next, godliness, hug and kiss at midnight, hypothetical problems, keep happy, lies in you, material seekers, material things, mind yuh business, more mature Christian, New Year's Eve, no real substance, nothing changes, partying, pessimistic, pledged allegiance to Jesus, profitable, realistic, resolutions, revert to our former selves, righteousness, ring in the New year, rise above the little things, seek ye first the kingdom of God, spiritual exercise, spiritual priority, success and happiness, sufficent unto the day is the evil thereof, take no thought for tomorrow, the life to come, the Sermon on the Mount, tomorrow worriers, uncaring behaviour, ungodly, unlimited value, walk closer with Jesus, without ceasing
Matthew 6:33. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.
Well friends, the big day of New Year’s Eve is finally here! The partying will be sensational, the food will be to die for and the alco will be flowing like water! And everybody will hug and kiss at midnight and wish everyone a Happy New Year. Our society will be overflowing with good feelings for at least one time in the year. Glory to God!
And everybody will be making resolutions to improve every aspect of their lives. But wait, by a couple of weeks later all those promising resolutions would have unfortunately bitten the dust. Most of us will revert to our former selves and our former caustic, uncaring behaviour, for the New Year’s scene is simply one without any real substance. We create a great clamour as we ring in the New Year, but in truth it only lasts for a short while, since nothing much changes from one day to the next.
Oh I know some of you might think I’m being pessimistic, but I’m simply being realistic. I’ve seen it happen for so many years of my life, and each year our society becomes more evil and ungodly. Now nothing is wrong with a good party, but when we place so much emphasis on it and we don’t follow through, then it becomes a waste of time.
Now since it’s Saturday, here are a few quotes, resolutions, from our friend Anselm, who aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. Here is the first one. ‘One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this – To rise above the little things.’ And that does make sense, because we should never sweat the little things.
Then he says: ‘Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better person.’ Now that makes sense too. And the third one declares: ‘Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.’ And the last one is: ‘Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.’
Oh my people, all those resolutions are useful in their own way, but we don’t need so many. As I said at the end of last year, there is ONLY ONE RESOLUTION we need to make, and that is a sincere and diligent resolve to walk closer with Jesus, our Lord, Saviour, Friend, Brother, etc. etc. each and every day that His wonderful breath of life courses through our bodies! End of story!
Walking sincerely with Jesus, and trying to be a more mature Christian encompasses everything else we need or want to do. Why do you think He went through the trouble in the Sermon on the Mount to tell us our Bit eh? ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.’ Yes my fellow believers, all who have pledged their allegiance to Jesus, must keep on seeking His kingdom and its righteousness without ceasing.
Then Jesus adds: ‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow (Therefore 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.6:33)
And the scholars tell us, re those two verses. ‘6:33-34. The present imperative form of the verb (Gr. zeteo) indicates a continual or constant seeking. The contrast between the spiritual and the material is again emphasized. The believer is to seek first the righteousness that is characteristic of God’s kingdom and then all these things (material things) shall be added to him.
When our priority is spiritual, God will take care of the material, for where God guides, He provides. We need not even worry about tomorrow, for sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. (v.34) This means that each day has its own troubles and challenges to be responsibly handled, without worrying about the hypothetical problems that could arise tomorrow.’
And the sad part is that many of us Christians are material seekers as well as tomorrow worriers! The things of the world take first place in our lives, and consequently we have to worry about what will happen tomorrow. But if we just concentrate on following Jesus, we won’t have those things to worry about and all our material needs would be met.
Hear what Bruh Paul told Timothy on the subject. ‘But refuse (reject) profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. These things command and teach.’ (1 Tim.4:7-11)
Now listen to the scholars. ‘4:8. The verse may be paraphrased, “For physical exercise is of limited value, but godliness, the result of spiritual exercise, has unlimited value, since it brings blessings for both now and eternity.’
Yeh friends, if we seek God first, things like physical exercise, healthy diets, and all the stuff we feel we need, they will be inculcated into our walk with Him. As we go, Jesus will see what we need and guide us and give us the wherewithal to accomplish them.
And if you want an example of all that we’ve said, just read about Cousin Sol in 1 Kings 3:3-15, and you’ll see when he asked the Lord for wisdom and understanding to rule his people Israel, instead of riches and honour, the Lord made him both the wisest and richest man who ever lived.
Friends, He will do the same thing for each of us who sincerely surrenders to and trusts in Him. Now the burning question I have to ask before we close, is did we walk closer with Jesus this year, did we become more mature, more spiritually minded Christians?
Now only you and Jesus know the answer, and I sincerely hope we did. But just in case we didn’t, I’m pleading with us to make walking closer with Jesus our ONE and ONLY resolution for 2017. Let’s seriously focus in on it nuh. So at the end of 2017, if we’re still around, and I ask that question again, this time I’ll get a joyful shout of ‘Yes, I did!’ Now that’s wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!
…dress up in yuh fancy dan-dan…and party hearty…but please remember…that drunk or sober…to mind yuh business…
13 Apr 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: allegiance, beauty of God, can't serve two masters, commandments, constantly seek God, do not please men, don't give up, don't worry about tomorrow, eternal life, eternal separation, food in abundance, generous mercy, glory, God will never leave us, good foundation, good works, grace, hate, haughty, idols, lilies of the field, LOVE, low ebb, loyalty, lust of the flesh, material possessions, material things, perseverance, please God, pride, righteousness., salvation, seek the kingdom of God, serve God, serve mammon, splendour, trust, uncertain riches, woe is me
Matthew 6:24. No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and LOVE the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Oh Friends, the ole fella’s struggling this morning, and I just don’t know why. Nothing’s particularly wrong in my life, but for some strange, unknown reason my spirit’s been at a low ebb. I obviously asked the Lord to bring me unto myself and unto Him, but it took a while to happen. My search for a Bit lasted over half an hour. That’s much longer than it usually takes. The important thing though is I didn’t give up and go, ‘woe is me.’ I kept persevering because deep down I knew that that too would pass, the Lord would eventually pull me up out of whatever mire in which I was wallowing. That’s the beauty of our God, my brethren! Though He may allow us to wallow for a while, to suit His own mysterious, superior purposes, He will NEVER leave us to do so forever, once we sincerely seek Him. And I guess that’s why Jesus kept telling His listeners to stop worrying about what they should eat and drink and wear, using examples of the birds and flowers, which don’t sow or toil, but due to the Lord’s generous mercy and grace have food in abundance, and turn out to be very beautiful. Even Cousin Sol in all his splendour and glory wasn’t as beautiful as the lilies of the field. (Matt.6:25-29) In other words, we shouldn’t be overly concerned or anxious about material things, especially those of us who don’t have a lot. Don’t stop seeking God in order to acquire material possessions. Instead, Jesus offers this advice. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 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.6:33-34) Yes my people, when we seek the Lord sincerely and conscientiously, all our material needs will be met. The scholars have this to say: ‘This portion of the Sermon on the Mount is summarized by the statement seek ye first the kingdom of God. The disciples who have pledged their allegiance to the King must continue seeking the kingdom and its righteousness. The present imperative form of the verb (Gr. Zeteo) indicates a continual or constant seeking. The contrast between the spiritual and the material is again emphasized. The believer is to seek first the righteousness that is characteristic of God’s kingdom, and then all these things (material things) shall be added to him. When our priority is spiritual, God will take care of the material, for where God guides, He provides. We need not even worry about tomorrow, for sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. This means that each day has its own troubles and challenges to be responsibly handled, without worrying about the hypothetical problems that could arise tomorrow.’ And it’s rather interesting to see that all of that came about because of our Bit. ‘No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and LOVE the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.’ That’s so logical that even a blind man can see the truth in it! (smile) I like how the scholars explain it. ‘This kind of spiritual double vision causes one to believe he can serve two masters. Totally loyalty to God cannot be divided between Him and loyalty to one’s material possessions. A master (Gr. Kurios) is a lord or an owner. That God claims total lordship over His own is obvious in this passage. Therefore, Jesus rightly proclaimed, Ye cannot serve God and mammon. The term mammon is derived from the Aramaic term for possessions of wealth. Jesus is not condemning money or possessions in and of themselves, but the improper attitude of enslavement toward wealth.’ And that my people is the unfortunate bane of our existence in today’s society! We worship wealth and material possessions, treasure them and in of themselves, not as mere tools, not simply as what they can do for us. Right there we’re contravening the first commandment: ‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me.’ (Ex.20:3) And that’s not very wise my brethren, because earthly possessions are just that; they rot, are stolen and eaten away by insects, and when you die, they stay right here on earth. You don’t take a single thing with you. So why give them such prominence in our lives eh? Granted, they are important, but seeking and worshipping Almighty God is even more important, because in the first place, it’s He who causes us to get earthly wealth, and secondly also provides us with the two most important things, salvation and eternal life through Jesus Christ, when we give up this earthly body. Now let’s look at a few scriptures that support our Bit. Bruh Paul told the Galatians in no uncertain terms: ‘For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.’ (Gal.1:10) You can’t please men and please Christ too. Then he tells Timothy: ‘Charge (command) them that are rich in this world (present age), that they be not highminded (haughty), nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute (give), willing to communicate (share); Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life.’ (1 Tim.6:17-19) So Friends, being rich is not a problem, it’s what we do with our riches. The scholars correctly explain that ‘Salvation is not purchased by the giving of money, but generosity demonstrates the reality of one’s faith. Since the believer trusts God and not money, he gives. This giving shows where his heart is and that he views his wealth in light of eternity.’ Meanwhile James adamantly declares: ‘Ye adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of (with) the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy (makes himself the enemy) of God.’ (James 4:4) And finally from John: ‘LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.’ (1 John 2:15-17) Oh Friends, truer words were never spoken! It’s now up to us as individuals to believe or disbelieve those facts and act accordingly. I would definitely advise us to play it safe and believe, for disbelief will doom your soul to eternal separation from Jehovah God, the worse fate that can befall a man. Much LOVE!…anything that keeps or takes us away from God…is an idol…and thus sinful…
SCRIP-BITS 