The Wisdom of Reverencing Almighty God if One wants to enjoy a Blessed Life!

16 Oct 2025 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 128:1.          Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways.

And we’ve rolled into Thursday, the second to last day of this short work week, with more sunshine, lollipops and rainbows! I even felt the heat of the sun on my face when I went outside a short while ago. The sun is still releasing heat in the northern climes in the middle of October? Oh how blessed we are! Let’s hope and pray that when the weather turns negative, as it must at some time, it doesn’t go to the other extreme. But not to worry, we faithful believers in Christ can handle anything that comes against us with the help of our loyal and LOVING Savior who strengthens us in all we need to do! Give Him some thanks and praise for His awesome goodness to the children of men! 

That brings us to this short but ever so important and encouraging Psalm 128, so aptly titled ‘Fear the Lord.’ And what wonderful advice that is! Reverencing the Lord God Almighty, Sovereign of the Universe, is always in our best interests. And from the opening verse the psalm gives us wonderful news. ‘Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways.’ (Ps. 128:1) Wow! That ought to immediately capture our attention, and have us asking, why is that eh? 

But before we get to the answer, here is some more scripture that offers the same wonderful advice, but breaks it down into more practical activity. ‘Blessed are the undefiled (blameless) in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.’ (Ps. 119: 1-3) 

Now here is the awesome answer to why we should continually reverence the Lord our God. ‘For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands (fruit of thy labour): happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.’ (Ps. 128:2) What more can a man ask eh, than enjoying the fruit of his labour? It’s like Cousin Sol says in Ecclesiastes: ‘There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good (his soul should enjoy good) in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.’ (Eccl. 2:24) 

It’s also like the Lord said to Isaiah. ‘Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him (done to him).’ (Is. 3:10-11) Yes friends, in every utterance of the Bible, righteousness pays, while evil does not! And the writer of Psalm 128 gives us even more good news when he continues: ‘Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of (in the heart of) thine house: thy children like olive plants  round about thy table.’ (Ps. 128:3) 

Mama Mia! It gets better with each line my people! A fruitful wife with plenty children. And how is that good? Psalm 127 explains: ‘Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man (warrior); so are the children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.’ (Ps. 127: 3-5) No wonder the inability to have children was such a big deal in the olden times! It was accredited as righteousness and viewed as a reward from God, much more than it is today. 

Then the author of the psalm throws in a li’l langniappe or broughta, to sweeten the pot. ‘Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.’ (Ps. 128:4) And in conclusion, he offers a prayer for blessing. ‘The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion: thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel.’ (Ps. 128:5-6) How can it get any better than that eh my brethren? Living to see not only your numerous children grow and prosper, but also your grandchildren and peace in Israel! That last one though might mean you will need to live a very, very long time to see it. (smile) 

However, the psalm is so simple and straightforward that I can’t understand how many more of us are not following what it says. It’s like the scholars explain: ‘The message of this psalm is that one is never truly happy until he is truly holy.’ And there are so many scriptures that resonate with that same sentiment. But I guess the sinful pleasures of the world hold more glamour and glitter than the supposed boring and holier than thou righteousness of God. But please, let’s remember that all that glitters is not gold, and furthermore, all of the devil’s enticements are worthless and filled with many negative consequences. Or as Cousin Sol says in Ecclesiastes: ‘This also is vanity (futility) and vexation of spirit (a grasping for the wind).’ (Eccl. 2:26) 

And to further improve on what the psalm says, the Lord has also bestowed on us several undeserved blessings to do His earthly work. We call them 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 such a declaration (steups!!!) it now behooves us to go out and use those underserved blessings to help others, just a generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…submission to the Lord and His revelation…the Bible…leads to a healthy, holy and blessed life…

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

The Most Beneficial Partnership in Life, is that with Almighty God!

17 Mar 2025 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 128:1.        Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways.

And in accordance with God’s great plan of creation, another new day has dawned, thankfully not rainy like the last two, and we have also opened our eyes to see it, another part of God’s great plan. (smile) Unfortunately though, that new day is called Monday, which means getting back to work after the quiet and restful weekend and once again experiencing all the frustrations, annoyances, irritations, disappointments and resentments that will undoubtedly crop up during the day. 

But if we have made good use of the weekend, by getting sufficient rest, going to church and renewing our faith and confidence, then we will be able to handle whatever comes against us in Jesus’ name, with the awesome help of His Holy Spirit. Now, isn’t that alone a great reason to make Jesus our Lord and Saviour eh? For sure! And when you add all the other benefits we receive by making Him the Lord of our lives, it’s inconceivable that anyone could ever refuse to accept Him as the Number One Person in their lives. 

And we all know what Psalm 103 says about the Lord’s benefits: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVING-KINDNESS and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps. 103:2-5) 

Yes Friends, that’s some of the wonderful benefits we receive when we partner with Almighty God, through His Son, Jesus Christ. And we’ve got to pay close attention to that word partner, because it doesn’t all happen automatically, but is dependent on us playing our part in the relationship. And I believe Psalm 128 gives us a good idea of how that works. 

It says: ‘Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands (the fruit of thy labour): happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of (in the heart of) thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.’ (Ps. 128:1-4) 

Now we all want to have those good things; happiness, eating the fruit of our labour, a fruitful wife and many responsible children. But it only comes when we sincerely reverence the Lord, walk in his ways and keep his commandments. And the opening verses of Psalm 119, agree with that, as they say: ‘Blessed are the undefiled (blameless) in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.’ (Ps. 119:1-4) 

There again, we see the responsibility expected us of from God, basically to keep His commandments, obey and revere Him, seeking Him with our whole hearts, not a part of them. But Moses possibly says it best, or rather more explicitly, when he told the Israelites as he reminded them of their responsibilities. 

‘Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else. Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee (you may prosper), and with thy children after thee, and thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth (live long in the land) which the Lord thy God giveth thee for ever.’ (Deut. 4:39- 40) 

Now there’s no mistaking what the Israelites and consequently we modern day believers need to do to see the Lord’s blessings on our lives. And for our information, the scholars explain that ‘The law is identified as testimonies…statutes…judgements. The “testimonies” denoted the covenant stipulations; the “statutes” were laws written down or inscribed on some suitable medium; and the “judgements” were the decisions of a judge (cf. Ps. 19:7-9).’ 

And those are also some very interesting verses from the pen of Bruh David, as he writes about God’s Law is Perfect. Please read with me: ‘The law of the Lord is perfect, converting (restoring) the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. 

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb (the drippings of the honeycomb). Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.’ (Ps. 19:7-11) 

Oh my people, what a great and happy world we would have if many more of us kept the Lord’s law instead of Satan’s lawlessness! Bruh David explains it so excellently; it makes wise the simple, restores our soul, rejoices our hearts, it’s  true and righteous, more desirable that gold, sweeter than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb, it warns us about the pitfalls of this life and last but not least it brings great rewards to those who revere the Lord and keep His law! 

It could not get any better than that my fellow believers! However, the Lord’s law is not always easy to keep in this sinful and ungodly world, but being the wise and compassionate Sovereign He is, He’s also provided a way for us to get His help; that’s by going to the throne of grace in times of need. So let’s do that right now nuh, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. 

Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. 

So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And even in our own prayer, we voice the same things God expects of us; prayer, sincerely seeking His face, and turning from our evil ways. So how do we expect to get help if we don’t put those important things in place eh? Much LOVE!

…the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge…but fools despise wisdom and instruction… (Prov. 1:7)

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   8 April 2024 Psalm 128:4.

08 Apr 2024 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 128:4.       Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.

Ah friends, on this cloudy and somewhat apocalyptic Monday morning when we have to go out to labour, though we’d much prefer to look at the eclipse of the sun, let me first apologize for the Bit’s lateness yesterday. This time it was not my fault, but that of a persnickety computer. I had everything ready, but do you think I could access my contact information to send it. No way. Eventually, just as I was about to mash up the computer, (smile) I contacted my more computer literate young daughter, and she showed me a very simple way to do it. But in my annoyed state, that solution never occurred to me. 

Ah Lord, this computer directed age eh! The damage one small problem can cause is phenomenal. And problems always seem to occur at the most inopportune times. But that’s the way of this new world, and if you can’t beat them, then you might as well join them!  And that’s my gripe for today. (smile) Now, on a more serious note, we’ll look at a psalm that’s short and seems to be rather simple, but holds a lot of interesting and important weight. It’s Psalm 128 – titled ‘Fear the Lord.’ 

Please read with me: ‘Blessed is everyone that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways.’ (Ps. 128:1) Now, doesn’t that resonate within us, and remind us of the beginning of at least two other psalms? The first one is that great psalm 119, which begins thus: ‘Blessed are the undefiled (blameless) in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with their whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.’ (Ps. 119:1-3) 

And the other psalm we remember is obviously the first one in the Psalter: ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ (Ps. 1:1-3) 

Oh friends, it just seems that the man who sincerely reverences the Lord, keeps himself reasonably free from sin and from evil doers, and also meditates regularly on the Lord’s word is very blessed, much rewarded. Now that should not really surprise us because that’s exactly what the Lord told Joshua long ago, when He made him the ruler over the Israelites after the death of Moses. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall continually be in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8) 

No wonder so many of us supposed believers are not having prosperity and success, because we are not meditating regularly on the law of the Lord. So many of us don’t even read the Bible, much less spend time studying it. But from the very beginning that’s been the formula for prosperity and success. And I most definitely like how Psalm 128 states its case. When we reverence the Lord and walk in His law we are clothed in happiness. Read with me again: ‘For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands (the fruit of thy labour): happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.’ (Ps. 128:2) 

Now who doesn’t want that kind of life eh? We all do! But we’re obviously not doing what it requires for us to enjoy such a life, so we’re not experiencing it. And this next verse is surely enticing and to die for: (smile) ‘Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides (in the heart) of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table.’ (Ps. 128:3) Wow! What wouldn’t we give to have that kind of prosperous and successful life eh! 

Well, all we have to do is what the psalmist then says: ‘Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord. The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel.’ (Ps. 128:4-6) Now isn’t that a nice, short and compact but rather interesting and blessed psalm? Of course! It’s telling us that we can never be truly happy until we are totally serving the Lord. And if we do that, we’ll be blessed before, behind, and seven ways till Sunday! (smile) 

And we all want such a life. So please let’s get serious about the Lord and do what He says we should nuh…that is, if we truly want a blessed, successful and prosperous life. And to help us turn things around, let’s go to the throne of grace, seeking divine help for these times of desperate need. 

As one voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. 

So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

Now let’s remember that prosperity begins with humility, sincere prayer and turning from our evil ways. Much LOVE!

…the formula for success…begins and ends…with the Bible…

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