The Solid Reasons for Believers to Resist the Devil’s Lure!

11 Mar 2025 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 37:1.       Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

Oh friends, it’s another beautiful, sunshiny day in my area, with temperatures supposedly around plus 7 degrees. Wow! Now, yesterday it was also supposed to be around the same temperature, but it surely didn’t feel that warm. Thankfully though, most of the snow has now melted, and if this warm weather continues, then it shall soon be all gone. 

And by the way, I heard some other good news this morning; some birds chirping outside my bedroom window. Was I ever surprised. Birds chirping in the second week of March? It’s either they didn’t go south for the winter, or they believe that spring is near, so they came back. And when I came downstairs just now and looked out the kitchen window, I saw a couple of them frolicking in their usual fashion out there. It would surely be a boost to our collective spirits if spring was right around the corner, giving us a much-needed break from the tough winter that we’ve now become unaccustomed to. (smile) 

Yes, we’ve gotten so accustomed to the easy living of these modern and prosperous times that what in earlier times would have been a normal winter, has now become a winter of huge proportions. What a set of wusses, that’s weak, shallow, ineffectual people we’ve become! No wonder we feel so entitled to living the good life without even lifting a finger to make it happen. But do not fear, we will all get our comeuppance in due time. The Lord’s promised it, and we know that whatever He promises will come to pass…in His good time. (smile) 

And what’s on tap for today, you ask? Well, I just opened the Good Library, and this most interesting and most relevant psalm jumped out at me. It’s Psalm 37, where Bruh David writes about Trust In the Lord. So let’s read it together nuh, and see what good and useful information we can glean from it. He begins: ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.’ (Ps. 37:1-2) 

And right there in the opening verses my people, we have some very important and reassuring words. Don’t be jealous and envious of those who do evil and seem to prosper, for their undeserved prosperity will eventually be diminished by God’s intervening hand. Now, those words of reassurance have never been needed more than in these very evil and ungodly times, where Satan’s rule is at it’s highest. And how do we counter Satan’s attempts to inveigle us into his evil doings. 

Bruh David lays it our very plainly in these following verses of the psalm. ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on God’s faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.’ (Ps. 37:3-6) Yes my brethren, those are the basic ways to keep the devil at bay and the Lord in first place in our lives, so that He can uplift and exalt us in due time. 

And we all know that sticking to the Lord like white on rice is not easy in these very turbulent and chaotic times, but He’s given us all the tools we need to do it, we simply have to get up the gumption to use them, and not let the seemingly pleasurable things of the world get us off track, like Beelzebub is trying so hard to do. And if we do that to the best of our ability, here’s what Bruh David says will happen. ‘And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.’ (Ps. 37:6) For sure! The Lord will ensure your justice and righteousness, if you make Him number one in your life. 

Then Bruh David adds a li’l langniappe, or extra for good measure, when he continues: ‘Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who propsereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm). For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place (look diligently for it), and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.’ (Ps. 37:7-11) 

Oh my fellow saints, the wicked are ruling the roost right now, but we know that eventually the Lord will cut them down like the grass withers at high noon, so we should encourage ourselves and each other not to give up, not to let the worthless baubles and bangles that the enemy flashes in front of our faces to lure us into his evil trap. The Lord’s promised, and He’s faithful. So let’s stand strong and wait on Him. He knows what He’s doing. Remember His thoughts and ways are so much higher than ours, that we cannot even begin to understand them. (Is. 55:8-9) 

Remember too, that Satan is a created being just like us, and his power is nonexistent in our lives, unless we allow him to use it. And the Bible tells us that when the Lord’s ready, He will get rid of him forever. ‘And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.’ (Rev. 20:10) So friends, it’s certainly within our power to resist the devil, but we have to use the tools provided, if we wish to do it successfully. 

And I like how the scholars explain it. ‘The psalm also contains a simple formula for achieving peace of mind in the face of the wicked’s prosperity: fret not…neither be thou envious (vs. 1), trust…do good (vs. 3), delight thyself also in the Lord (vs. 4), commit thy way…trust (vs. 5), rest…wait patiently…fret not (vs. 7), cease from anger…forsake wrath…fret not (vs.8). All of these exhortations urge the believer to confidently trust in the Lord with all of life’s problems. The psalm concludes appropriately with an undying affirmation of faith and trust in the unchanging character of God.’  

Yes friends, our God is immutable, unchangeable! And we see the Lord saying that in Malachi: ‘For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.’ (Mal. 3:6) ‘That implies that God’s character and eternal purposes do not change, which gives a solid foundation for his people’s faith and hope.’ Amen! 

Now let’s go home with boosted faith and spirits, declaring 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 declaration (steups!!!) we’re now duty bound 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!

…Jesus reaffirmed Bruh David’s promise in the Beatitudes…blessed are the meek…for they shall inherit the earth… (Matt. 5:5)

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   24 May 2024 Acts 20:35b.

24 May 2024 Leave a comment

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

Acts 20:35b.       It is more blessed to give than to receive.

So the short work week is over due to the Victoria Day holiday on Monday…and we’ve all joyfully shouted: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ All the while wondering why we couldn’t have a four day work week instead of a five day one. (smile) But even if that miraculously happened, we would still be grumpy and dissatisfied on the first work day of the week. Even if we had to work only one day a week, it would still seem like a big inconvenience, because we so LOVE to do what we want, when we want, and working to earn a living is not one of the things we enjoy doing. Many of us believe that because we exist, we are therefore entitled to the good life. Hn! 

But the long and short of the story is that if we don’t work we won’t eat, have shelter over our heads, or clothes on our backs. So this wishing to exist in a utopian dream of living high on the hog without working for it is just that, a utopian dream. (smile) And until we’ve been truly hungry, homeless, and without clothes, many of us will never appreciate the true benefits of having a job and working diligently at it, be it the much exalted C.E.O of the company or the lowly janitor. 

Now please, let’s wake up to the realities of this life which is daily getting harder and more frustrating with more people being thrown out of work every day due to no fault of theirs, just the pressures of the economic seesaw, and thus end up facing the unpalatable prospects of going hungry and possibly homeless. And it’s therefore the duty of those who have to help those who don’t. Why? Let’s remember these important words of Bruh Paul from Acts, when he was about to leave Ephesus to go to Jerusalem. 

‘And now brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel. Yes, ye yourselves know that these hands have ministered unto (provided for) my necessities, and to them that were with me. I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ (Acts 20:32-35) 

Yes my fellow believers, giving is a big part of our discipleship, be it the giving of our time, money or material goods, we ought to be generous givers, for as Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Corinth: ‘But as I say, he which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity (compulsion): for God LOVETH a cheerful (joyful) giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency  in all things, may abound to every good work.’ (2 Cor. 9:6-8) 

Oh friends, our God is happy when we give generously from our hearts, and in return He then always causes us to have enough, both for ourselves and to share with others. Now having shown through scripture that giving is a large part of our duty as disciples, let’s see how it helps us emotionally. I believe these two commentaries ably explain the benefits of giving upon our own selves and souls. The first one says: ‘When we give, we demonstrate our trust in God in a tangible way. Hoarding resources demonstrates a trust in ourselves—we can take care of ourselves better than God can. Conversely, biblical generosity is an act of trust in God. We give our first and our best, trusting God will do as He says—provide for our needs.’ 

And the second tells us: ‘It is better to give than to receive because giving releases us from the isolation of self. To receive something is a privatized act. When we receive a gift from someone else—of money, goods, or even the gift of encouragement—we experience at minimum a sense of appreciation and often a time of great joy and comfort.’ So, giving and receiving show our trust in God, as well as lifts our spirits. And remember what God said through the prophet Malachi, about giving Him our tithes? 

‘Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat (food) in mine house, and prove (test) me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.’ (Mal. 3:10) That shows we should be most generous to God, with the first fruits of our labour. And in reality NOBODY is more generous that God. As James concurs in his epistle. ‘Do not err my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness (variation), neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.’ (James 1:16-18) 

Yuh see my fellow saints, the Lord created us to be an important creation, and is ever generous to us, especially when He sent Jesus into the world to sacrifice Himself so our sins could be paid for. Thus we also have the responsibility to be generous and faithful to Him and to those around us. And yes, times are tough, and it’s not always easy to live the way we ought, but we have the resources of heaven at our command, so let’s go there right now, through our Friday Chant and ask for help in these needful times. 

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

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

And though we can go to heaven for help, let’s never forget that that help will only come with our improved behaviour and faithfulness! Much LOVE!

…to give…to give…and yet to give…that should be our Christian motto…

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