draw near to God and he will draw near to you

The Overwhelming Importance of Believers Staying Close to God through Prayer, Bible Study, Fellowship and Service to Others!

18 Oct 2026 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a heartfelt version, abide in me and I in you, abiding with God, an answer to all of life's cares, an outward indication of an inner condition, as the world turns, as ye see the day approaching, be not afraid neither be thou dismayed, be strong and of a good courage, being diligent in prayer, believe your life is in God's hands, believers must get together on a regular basis, cast all your cares on God, casting all your care upon him, come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, constant prayer, diligent Bible study, don't give in, don't give up now, draw near to God and he will draw near to you, essential for spiritual life peace and fruitfulness, except it abide in the vine, exhorting one another, faith, fellowship, gather in God's sanctuary, giving thanks and praise to God, go and pray unto me, God does not lie, God eternal immortal invisible, God is always there, God why, have I not commanded thee, he careth for you, he that abideth in me and I in him, he'll never forsake you, He'll never leave you, holding on to faith, holy spirit, humble service to others, I am the vine ye are the branches, I will give you rest, I will hearken unto you, I will listen to you, in spite of how things may appear, in spite of what you see or feel, it doesn't matter what may come our way, Jesus Christ, Judith Gayle, keep God first place in our lives, keep on believeing, like life will never change its tide, LOVE, mercy, no better advice than that, no more can ye except ye abide in me, not a dispensary of spiritual food and medicine, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, only one place we are safe, regular fellowship with other believers, remembering we're not alone, rooted and grounded in the scriptures, salvation, says give up now, search for me with all your heart, seek me and find me, stand strong n faith and perseverance, Stay with God, stay with Jesus, staying connected to God, staying with God, sweet sacrifices of praise, tell everyone you meet, the branch caanot bear fruit of itself, the church is a body interacting, the glorious truth, the Great Invitation of Jesus, the heartaches are severe, the importance of Christian fellowship, the Lord thy God is with thee wherever you go, the mountains get so high sometimes, the only wise God, the onus is on us to search for God, the perfect message for these evil and ungodly times, the road it gets so rocky at times, the same bringeth forth much fruit, the valley seems so wide, the way you feel, then shall ye call upon me, there's hope in God, this journey will never end, trusting God to do what is right, truth, walking with God, whatever may come your way, wisdom, without me ye can do nothing, you cry, you feel that will ease the pain, you feel you can't hold on, you got life in him, you keep asking the question, your mountains have to disappear

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 October 2026 John 15:4a.

John 15:4a. Abide in me, and I in you.

As the world turns, it’s Sunday once again my people, another beautiful, sunshiny fall day! That means it’s time to gather in God’s sanctuary to fellowship with other believers, while giving thanks and praise to our great and wonderful God! And it’s also of the utmost importance that Christians fellowship with one another so that we can encourage and lift up each other. The author of Hebrews rightly reminds us of that fact when he writes: ‘Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb. 10:25)

Yes friends, believers ought to get together on a regular basis and worship Almighty God. As the scholars say: It involves the entire worship of Christ, and is an outward indication of an inward condition. The assembling of God’s people provides opportunity for reciprocal encouragement, strengthening and the stirring up that can be gained from one another (cf. Col. 3:12-16). It consists of participation in worship and fellowship. The church is a body interacting (1 Cor. 12:14-27); it is not merely a dispensary of spiritual food and medicine.’

And now that we’ve heard the argument for gathering in fellowship, let’s turn to our song of worship for today. It’s a popular gospel song encouraging believers to stand strong in faith and perseverance and is simply titled ‘Stay with God.’ It’s sung by the well-known Jamaican gospel artiste Judith Gayle, from her 2016 album ‘The Winner In Me.’ And we’re going to offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, mid-tempo, heartfelt version, showing that we truly believe what we’re singing.

So, singing: ‘I know the mountains get so high sometimes I know the valley seems so wide It seems this journey, it will never end And you keep asking the question: God why? I know the road it gets so rocky at times, Ah, I know the heartaches are severe Oh, It seems like life will never change its tide But there’s an answer to all of life’s cares. (Chorus: Stay with God In spite of what you see or feel Stay with God In spite of how things may appear Come on, Stay with God It doesn’t matter what may come our way There is only one place we are safe Stay with God.)

I know the way you feel says give up now I know you feel you can’t hold on You’re not the only one who is carrying your load Remember He said to cast all your cares on Him. I know you cry and tell everyone you meet Because you feel that will ease the pain But if you just believe your life is in God’s hands Then today I tell you your mountains have to disappear. (Chorus 2) Ooh yeah You got life in Him There is hope in Him There’s a bright future Just stay with him yeah just stay with him yeah Oh he’ll never leave you He’ll never he’ll never never forsake you no Just cast all your cares upon Him

Don’t give up now Don’t give in no Whatever may come your way God is always there, Stay with God In spite of what you see or feel Stay with God In spite of how things may appear Stay with God It doesn’t matter what may come our way There is only one place we are safe Come on, Stay with God Stay with Jesus Stay with Jesus Stay with God Eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God yeah Stay with God…Stay with Jesus…Stay with God…right until the end…Stay with God…’

Oh my people there could be no better advice than that: Stay with God, because He’s the eternal, immortal, invisible, only wise God that there is! And as this Overview tells us: The message of the song, is that ‘It encourages listeners to hold on to faith, stay in prayer, and trust God even when walking through difficult valleys, high mountains, or severe heartaches. It reminds believers that they are not carrying their burdens alone and the God never forsakes them.’ And that is a perfect message for these evil and ungodly times.

The question then becomes; how do we stay with God? Simply put, it’s as the message of the song says, by holding on to our faith, while staying diligent in prayer and remembering we’re not alone, neither will our God ever forsake us. So, we keep on believing, trusting God to do what’s right, when the time is right, being rooted and grounded in the scriptures so we can learn God’s promises, and place all our heavy load on Him, as He desires us to do in His Great Invitation: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ (Matt. 11:28) And as Peter wisely says: ‘Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 5:7)

Then, as this other Overview tell us: ‘The Bible teaches that staying connected to God – often described as abiding, walking with God, or drawing near – is essential for spiritual life, peace, and fruitfulness.’ And there are numerous scriptures that deal with those subjects, so let’s look at a few. In the gospel of John, Jesus says it quite clearly: ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:4-5)

Now, that’s Jesus telling it exactly like it is! Without Him playing a major role in our lives we cannot do much of anything, especially bear worthwhile fruit. Then James is also very explicit, when he says: ‘Draw near to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you.’ (James 4:8a) And through the prophet Jeremiah, the Lord clearly states: ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:12-13) There you have it friends, the onus is on us to seek God with all of our hearts, if we desire to stay close to Him.

And we’ll end with this beautiful and very reassuring promise from God to Joshua, and consequently to us: ‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9) And that’s from the Lord God Almighty Himself, so it must be the glorious truth, for our God does not lie. So, this Sunday, as we meet and greet and fellowship with our fellow believers, let’s keep all the sentiments we’ve expressed first place in our hearts, for then we will live a blessed, peaceful, spiritual and fruitful life as our God desires! Much LOVE!

…the best way to stay with God is…through constant prayer…diligent Bible study…regular fellowship with other believers…and humble service to others

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

The Importance of Christians Understanding They are not to Blow Their Own Trumpet, but Live in Godly Humility!

04 May 2026 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a false witness that speaketh lies, a hodge podge of wannabes, a lying tongue, a proud look, admire people for mediocre achievements, all of you be subject one to another, allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us, allow your incredible aura of love, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, be clothed with humility, blowing their own trumpet, bombarded by the enemy's evil schemes, change unwise phiosophy, christianity, Christians, Christians are not expected to be glory seekers, comparisons sometimes make things easier to handle, constantly bombarded by, devises wicked plans, distressing times, divine aid, draw near to God and he will draw near to you, enjoy glory with humility, every little bit helps, faith, feet that be swift in running to mischief, fill us with steadfast faith, for men to search their own glory is not glory, furthering God's glorious kingdom, glory is bestowed, glory is earned, go out to meet the enemy in battle, God gives grace to the humble, God resisteth the proud, hands that shed innocent blood, haughty eyes, he may exalt you in due time, he that humbleth himself shall be exalted, he that soweth discord among brethren, hear those words over a loud speker, help us wake up from our slumber, holy spirit, humble servants, humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, humbly ask, into the evil and ungodly world, it is not good to eat much honey, Jesus Christ, Jesus looks for humility in christians, jobs that serve a useful purpose, keeping lives and families together, let another man praise thee, LOVE, lovely weather, make worthwhile inroads into the enemy's ranks, mercy, not thine own mouth, nothing to match God's exaltation, over the weekend, reached the peak of your existence, resist the devil and he will flee from you, sally forth with confidence, salvation, self aggrandization, self- gratification, seven are an abomination unto him, social media, submit yourselves therefore to God, sure conquerors, thank you for our jobs, the BIBLE, the far reaching tentacles of social media, the living truth, The Lord dislikes what the world likes, the rejuvenation of Spirit, the renewed vitality and enthusiasm, the wise words of Solomon, the world seeks pride and haughtiness, these six things doth the Lord hate, to begin a new week of work, truth, we know we're invincible, we surrender our all to you, wearing your powerful protective spiritual armour, whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased, wisdom, you've wrought in our weary souls

Proverbs 27:2. Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.

And then it was Monday … a beautiful, sunshiny though somewhat windy Monday, with temps around 20 Celsius! So, there ought to be no problem in getting up and going out to work today, with such lovely weather. Just think about the many Mondays in the past few months when every Monday was a cold snowy one, and you’ll just breeze through today! (smile) Seriously though friends, sometimes the comparisons between things and times do make them easier to handle. And yes, it might be just in our minds, but every little bit helps.

Well since I had nothing specific in mind to talk about today, I opened the Word to find something worthwhile to discuss. And, lo, and behold, it opened unto the Book of Proverbs, which houses those wise words of Cousin Sol; the wisest man ever. And my eyes caught upon this most provocative second verse of Chapter 27. ‘Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.’ (Prov. 27:2)

Oh my people, how I wish our world could hear those wise words continually over a loud speaker, so that they could change their unwise philosophy of being the ones to blow their own trumpets and let their associates know of their great deeds. For that’s the current philosophy of today’s world. No one waits for others to say wonderful things about them, they broadcast it themselves. No wonder our world is such a hodge podge of wannabes, who will never be, especially with the far reaching tentacles of social media. It’s all a matter of self-gratification and self-aggrandization.

But the Lord’s Word totally rejects that situation. Listen to Cousin Sol again, earlier on in Proverbs. ‘It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search (seek) their own glory is not glory.’ (Prov. 25:27) And that is indeed the living truth my brethren! When we seek our own glory, how can that be glory eh? For as a general definition of glory states: ‘Glory generally means high renown, honor, praise, or magnificent splendor, often earned through achievement or bestowed upon something.’

And I like those last two statements, meaning that glory must first be earned and then bestowed upon you. People notice your achievements then bestow glory on you. You don’t bestow glory on yourself. And Jesus said it quite explicitly, when speaking on humility. ‘For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased (humbled); and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.’ (Luke 14:11) But our world doesn’t pay attention to that philosophy; we allow people to exalt themselves and we admire them for middling achievements.

But the Bible staunchly demands humility from God’s people. Listen to Peter: ‘Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.’ (1 Pet. 5:5-6) Oh friends, sometimes it’s good to know that you are appreciated by your fellow man, and looked upon with fondness, but there’s nothing to match God’s exaltation! When the Lord exalts you, that’s when you know you’ve done really worthy stuff in His name, and thus you’ve reached the peak of your existence!

That’s why James also encourages us to seek humility. ‘God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. … Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:6b-7; 8a;10) It’s obvious that Christians are not expected to be glory seekers, but should enjoy it with some humility if it comes.

Oh, and I just remembered a good scripture passage for us to close with; one that wraps it up all very nicely and also reminds us of what not to do as believers. (smile) Please read with me from Cousin Sol’s proverbs. ‘These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look (haughty eyes), a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations (devises wicked plans), feet that be swift in running to mischief (evil), A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.’ (Prov. 6:16-19)

And isn’t it interesting to note that all things the Lord dislikes are what the world likes and is very focused upon today. Just thought I’d throw that scripture in there to help us wake up from our slumber, from our comfortable world driven lifestyle. (smile) Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to help in these distressing times.

Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise and thank You this Monday morning for our jobs; jobs we sometimes don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose; keeping lives and families together. We also thank You Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm You’ve wrought in our weary souls over the weekend. It’s that rejuvenation of spirit which now allows us to sally forth with confidence into the evil and ungodly world, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s evil schemes.

But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing Your powerful, protective spiritual armour! We surrender our all to You, and humbly ask that You allow Your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit to lead and guide all Your servants, as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, thereby furthering Your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen!

And with all the reminders we’ve had today, we ought be able to go out and do good work for God! Much LOVE!

…Jesus looks for humility in Christians…the world seeks pride and haughtiness in its people…

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

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The Overwhelming Importance of Believers Staying Close to God through Prayer, Bible Study, Fellowship and Service to Others!

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