29 Jun 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: almighty god, be not afraid, believe in Jesus Christ, believe on him whom he sent, Bible, bless me, Capernaum, celebrate, Christ's people, Christ's victory, comfort, courage, covers all the bases, doubting Thomas, embrace the Son, encourage, eternal livelihood, eternal separation, eternity, everlasting life, exhort, feeds the five thousand, fellowship, first order of business, five loaves, foolish, getting together, God is in our thoughts, god the father, heavenly Father, imperils, individual approach, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus rescues us, John, joy, labour for food that endures, Labour not for food that persihes, let my heart find peace, life in the hereafter, LOVE, lusting after the things of the world, miracle, most worthwhile goal, on the inside looking out, opening prayer, our greatest teacher, peace, physiacl food, placed God in the background, praise, private time with God, reconcile, redeem, salvation, saviour, Sea of Galilee, selfless sacrifice, sinless life, Son of man, spiritual purposes, teaching of Jesus, thanksgiving, the Life, the only way, the Sabbath, the Truth, the Way, the Word, the work of god, time and time again, truer words were never spoken, two fishes, understanding, uplift, utmost importance, walking on water, warning, what God expects, wisdom, work the works of God, worship, worst thing could happen, wrong
John 6:29. Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
Oh mih people, how we doing this bright and bountiful Sunday morning eh? I do hope that the Lord is in our thoughts, and that all those who celebrate the Sabbath on Sundays are getting ready to go and fellowship with others of like intentions.
Meanwhile, for those who celebrate the Sabbath on other days, I hope that you have already successfully fellowshipped with your peers. For we need to remember that fellowshipping is extremely important in the lives of Christ’s people.
It’s where we encourage and exhort and uplift each other. So please make it a habit of getting together with others of your denomination at least once a week to celebrate Christ’s victory, and to offer up praise and worship in thanksgiving for all that He’s so selflessly done for us.
And before I forget, here is a most useful prayer that we can all use when we come to share private time with our Maker. I’ve shared it sometime ago, but in light of yesterday’s Bit, where we talked about reading the Word, it seemed rather apropos to share it again. I found it at the back of my mother’s Bible after she went to be with the Lord, and since then, I’ve used it all the time.
It’s plain and simple and to the point. ‘Dear heavenly Father, as I open my Bible, I pray that you will let my heart find peace. As my mind is filled with new understanding, Grant that I may learn the things you want me to know from the words I read. Bless me to find the courage, the comfort, the joy, these pages can bring, as I read about Jesus our greatest teacher. Amen.’
Oh Friends, I don’t think we can getter a better opening prayer than that, for it covers all the bases! But it’s your choice to use it or not, though you can certainly use it as a guide to develop your own individual approach. Whatever you’re comfortable with, that’s what you ought to use.
And today, my fellow believers, we’re going to look at an interesting and most important teaching of Jesus. This happens the day after He feeds the five thousand with the five barley loaves and two small fishes, then gathers up twelve baskets with the remnants of that meal. That certainly opened their eyes and made them believe that Jesus was indeed a prophet. (John 6:1-14)
But Jesus fearing that they would take Him by force and try to make Him king, went off by Himself into the mountains. Then that evening, without Jesus, the disciples got into a boat to cross over the Sea of Galilee, but part way over a wicked storm hit them.
And like the gracious Saviour He is, who comes to our rescue time and time again, the disciples, now in great despair for their lives, eventually see Him walking on the water towards them, saying; ‘It is I; be not afraid.’ (John 6:20)
Now obviously after hearing about Jesus great miracle of feeding, the next day throngs gathered in expectation of more of the same. But unfortunately they couldn’t find Jesus, although they knew that He hadn’t gone over in the boat with the disciples. But nonetheless, they rushed over by boat to the other side, to Capernaum, looking for Him.
‘And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither? Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles (signs), but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.’ (John 6:25-26)
Jesus knew that they weren’t looking for Him for spiritual purposes, for spiritual fodder, but for physical food. And He therefore warns them: ‘Labour not for the meat (food) which perisheth, but for that meat (food) which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.’ (John 6:27)
Oh Friends, that warning is also of the utmost importance to us today, as we have sadly placed God in the background of our society with only sparse acknowledgment, and are daily lusting more and more after the unenduring things of the world.
And that is oh so wrong, so foolish my brethren, because it imperils our salvation, our eternal livelihood, setting us up for eternal separation from Almighty God, which is the very worst thing that could ever happen to a human being!
And the crowd back then, not fully understanding Jesus’ words, continued: ‘Then said they unto him, what shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.’ (John 6:28-29)
Yes Friends, that is what God expects of us! Before we can do anything in His name, we must first believe in and on Jesus Christ; the One He sent to enlighten us, to selflessly sacrifice His sinless life on our behalf, and thus redeem and reconcile us to Himself! That, my people, ought to be our first order of business! Not the last, as some of us consider it.
And that is quite ably backed up by Jesus’ statement to doubting Thomas, when he declared: ‘Lord, we know not wither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.’ (John 14:5-6)
Oh my brethren, no truer words have ever been spoken! So if you are truly concerned about your life in the hereafter, and you ought to be, then you’d better take those words to heart and put them into action in your life. For that my Friends, is indeed wisdom of the highest order possible. Much LOVE!
…to spend eternity on the inside with the Father looking out…one must first embrace the Son and all that He stands for…that’s the ONLY WAY to achieve that most worthwhile goal…
08 Jun 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a red letter day, a rushing mighty wind, abide, asenscion, awe, baptize with the Holy spirit, baptized with the Holy ghost, baptizing, be filled with the Spirit, be joyous, beautiful storm, breaking of bread, Christ's Resurrection, confounded, continued steadfastly, controlling influence of the Spirit, crooked generation, Day of Pentecost, defeated hell death and the grave, democratic appearence, diligence, dissipation, do Jesus' work, do not be drunk with wine, excellence, exhort, faith, Feast of the first fruits, fellowship, filled with the Holy Ghost, fire-like appendages, foregiveness, Galileans, get freindly with the Spirit of Jesus, glory hallelujah, guided aright, Holy Ghost, in the apostles' doctrine, Jerusalem, Jesus Christ, Jesus' promise, John baptized with water, lead and guide, moving like a magnet, Pentecost, permanent placing of the Spirit, Peter, Praise the Lord, prayers, promise of the Father, recharge our spiritual batteries, rechargeable battery, remarkable, remission of sins, repent, resurrection, righteousness., showered, sincerity, speak with tongues, spectacular happenings, testify, the gift of the Holy ghost, the Holy ghost power, the Holy Ghost showered en masse, three thousand souls, truth, wisdom, wonder
Acts 2:2. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
Oh Friends, it’s the Day of Pentecost! Two thousand years ago, some fifty days after Jesus’ triumphant resurrection, where He defeated, hell, death, the grave and that foolish crook Lucifer, and some ten days after His ascension, the Holy Ghost came to earth as a beautiful storm; a storm of wind, laced with fire-like appendages.
As the Good Book describes it: ‘And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord (purpose or mind) in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven (divided) tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.’ (Acts 2:1-4)
What a mighty act of our mighty God! Thus fulfilling the promise Jesus made to the disciples just before His ascension. ‘And being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.’ (Acts 1:4-5)
Oh my people, the Lord was at work back then, just like He is now. That’s why we sing: ‘The Holy Ghost power is moving just like a magnet. The Holy Ghost power is moving just like a magnet. Moving here, and moving there. The Holy Ghost power is moving just like a magnet.’
Yes my people, the Holy Ghost power is busy all over the world, moving just like a magnet. So if you have even one iota of metal, one iota of Jesus Christ in you, be careful, or rather be joyous, for it will target you. And please don’t try to resist it; instead, let it fall graciously upon you, for there’s nothing as remarkable as the Holy Ghost power in all the heaven and the earth!
Ah Friends, what a day that day of Pentecost was when the Holy Spirit was first showered down en masse on all believers! Before that it was given to special people who God needed to do great works for Him, like the prophets. But since that day in Jerusalem, each and every believer is baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit.
As you can see from verse 5 above, Jesus promised that ALL would be baptized with the Spirit, as they came to the faith. And as the scholars point out, though the first set of scriptures only said that they were ‘filled,’ (Acts 2:4) they were indeed baptized with it.
Baptizing is the permanent placement of the Spirit in us, while filling is the continuous regeneration of that power. That means we have to continually renew the controlling influence of the Spirit in our lives, like a rechargeable battery, so that it can abide strong and powerful in our beings, and thus lead and guide us successfully in all righteousness and truth.
Now that day of Pentecost we’re talking about was not the first one, but it was an annual feast day in the Jewish calendar, occurring fifty days after the Feast of the first fruits, hence the name Pentecost in Greek. (Lev.15:15-22) And though it only lasted one day, it was certainly a joyous occasion, although I doubt that any of them could have been as joyous as that one when the Holy Spirit made its democratic appearance, beginning the promise of filling all and sundry that believed.
And that first day was truly a red letter day, for when the people in Jerusalem heard about the spectacular happenings, they came to where the apostles were, ‘and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue (language or dialect), wherein we were born?’ (Acts 2:6-8)
Oh yes Friends, there were all different kinds of people from many different places living in Jerusalem at that time, but yet these poor, uneducated Galileans spoke to each one of them in their own language. Glory Hallelujah! No lesser force than the mysterious movement of the mighty Holy Spirit was involved! Some people even mockingly said that they were drunk, but Peter, in his finest hour, got up and spoke to them. Read Peter’s sermon in Acts 2:14-42.
But my people, Peter’s speech was so great that day that I have to share the end, knowing that many of you won’t check out the scripture. (smile) ‘Then Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission (forgiveness) of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward (crooked) generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.’ (Acts 2:38-42)
And all God’s people declared a loud, ‘Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!’ Yes Friends, what a red letter day that was, and we still talk about today it in tones of awe and wonder!
However my people, it’s time for us to be moving on, so I’m going to exhort us, on this day of Pentecost 2014, to get downright friendly with that Spirit of Jesus that indwells us, and today recharge, refill our spiritual batteries, so that we can be guided aright and do Jesus’ work with the excellence and diligence that’s required of us. That’s a mark of true sincerity and everlasting wisdom! Much LOVE!
…and be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation)…but be filled with the Spirit… (Eph.5:18)
21 May 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bed of roses, alive and kicking, author, backbone, belly, blazed the trail, blessed day, champions, Christian faith, christianity, cloud of witnesses, Colossians, compassed about, complain, deity, despising shame, discouraged, don't worry, emulate, encourage, endeavours for Jesus, endurance, endured the cross, ensnares us, ethical condition, every good work, exciting, exhort, faint, feels great to be alive, filled with the knowledge of God's will, finished the course, finisher, frutiful, give it a try, giving thanks to god, glory hallelujah, God doesn't give us more than we can bear, God will never leave nor forsake us, God works everything out for our good, God's glorious power, God's people, good hands, gospel truth, grow in the image of Jesus, happiness, hostility, human creations, in your patience, increasing in the knwoledge of god, interesting, Jesus Christ, joy, joyfulness, lay aside every weight, leap of faith, light, light at the end of the tunnel, live our lives in faith, longsuffering, Love God, love our neighbours, make this world a better place, mandate, mature, meditiate, misfortunes, morality, negatives, our Lord and Saviour, pains, partakers of the inheritance, patience, peace, perseverance, phenomenal, ponder, possess ye your souls, power of darkness, practical situations, praise Your Holy Name, prayer, prayer for spiritual wisdom, promise to walk worthily, right hand of God, run with patience, serve and worship, setbacks, show Love, sin, sincere effort, sinners, skilful application of God's wisdom, spiritual understanding, spread the word, steadfast and strong, strengthened, thank you heavenly Father, the middle of the week, the patient in spirit, the proud in spirit, the race set before us, the weekend is near, trials, tribulations, true nature of things, uplift, walk worthy of the Lord, walking in Jesus' footsteps, walking in LOVE, wasting our God-given lives, weary, Wednesday, wisdom, wonderful faith, working for Jesus
Luke 21:19. In your patience possess ye your souls.
‘Wednesday, oh Wednesday, oh glorious Wednesday – the middle of the week! A bright light at the end of the tunnel! That means the weekend is near! Glory Hallelujah!’
Yeh Friends, it’s not only on Fridays we should celebrate, but if possible, everyday of the week, for it tells us that we’re alive and kicking through the generous bounty of our great and wonderful God!
And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful: ‘Thank You heavenly Father for allowing us to see another blessed day on planet earth! We bless you and praise Your Holy Name and promise to walk as worthily as we can in the name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen.’
Ah mih people, it does feel great to be alive, doesn’t it? It surely does! Despite all the pains, the setbacks, the misfortunes, the trials the tribulations, I don’t think many of us would prefer to be dead.
We complain a lot about the negatives in this life, but remember it’s the only one we have, and furthermore, the only one we’ll ever get. So let’s enjoy it nuh, especially when we have such a wonderful faith like Christianity to live it under.
Remember what Jesus said in our Bit: ‘In your patience possess ye your souls.’
And if we don’t listen to Him and follow His wonderful example, we’ll just be wasting our God-given lives. And that would be such a tragedy!
And for the last day, I’ll like to bombard us with more scripture that teaches patience, perseverance, endurance, backbone and belly. (smile) No my brethren, you don’t have to tell me, for I know from personal experience, that it’s not easy, a bed of roses, working for and walking in Jesus’ footsteps, but it sure is exciting and interesting!
And you’ll never know how interesting and exciting it is, until YOU give it a try!
It’s all about a significant leap of faith Friends! A leap I enjoin us all to sincerely take today, right now, so that we can all work together to make this world a better place.
For that is what we were commanded to do by our leader, Jesus Christ: SPREAD the Word all over the world; LIVE our lives in true Faith, and above all, SHOW LOVE to our magnanimous and magnificent God and also our neighbours!
Wow! What an awesome mandate! Now let’s hear some scripture that’s supposed to encourage, uplift, exhort and keep us steadfast and strong in our earthly endeavours for Jesus.
Let’s start with Bruh Paul’s message to the Colossians, where he’s talking about prayer for spiritual wisdom: ‘For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
(Scholars note: Wisdom is an accurate perception into the true nature of things. Understanding is the skilful application of his wisdom in practical situations).
That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
(Scholars’ note: Patience is persevering through problems, trials, tribulations and so forth. Longsuffering is forbearing the faults and offences of others).
Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet (qualified us) to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in (the) light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated (transferred) us into the kingdom of his dear Son (the Son of His LOVE).’ (Col.1:9-13)
And the Scholars’ note in verse 12: ‘Light is the ethical condition in which God’s children live, namely, that of spiritual understanding with its accompanying morality and happiness.’
Ah Friends, as I said above, it’s not easy, but working for Jesus is surely interesting! Now here these rich and encouraging verses from Hebrews 12, which we all know, but refuse to take seriously.
‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us,
Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (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 the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (discouraged) in your minds (souls).’ (Heb.12:1-3)
Yes mih people, we find the best examples of it all in Jesus!
And the scholars’ have this to say: ’12:2. Just as verse 1 establishes some qualities for the entrance into and the actual running of life’s race, so verse 2 directs one’s eyes to the finish line. Jesus is the author and finisher in that He has already blazed the trail and finished the course.
12:3-4. Though chapter 11 provides many champions for believers to emulate, the supreme example of endurance is Jesus Himself.’
And isn’t that the gospel, gospel truth my brethren! His is a very difficult, and possibly impossible example for most of us to emulate, but try we must. Don’t worry though, our God knows exactly what we are capable of, for He made us, and all He really expects of us is a sincere effort in our daily living.
And if we give that sincere effort, then He will help us to mature and grow in the image of His Son. For remember, our wonderful God doesn’t ever give us more than we can bear. And even then, He’s promised to work out everything for our good, when we’re called to do His bidding.
So there’s no need to worry and fret, for our heavenly Father has us in the palms of His hands, plenty better hands than All State, and will never leave nor forsake us. Ah mih breddren, what a marvellous and magnificent Deity we serve and worship! He’s just so phenomenal! I can’t understand how His human creations choose not to work for and follow His directives.
But we His true followers WILL change that won’t we? For sure, as we go about doing good, spreading His Word and living a life of Christian faith, celebrated with joy, peace and LOVE! Now that’s true wisdom!
And we’ll end here for today. You already have much scripture to ponder and meditate upon, so I won’t burden you with any more. I’m so kind and thoughtful, aren’t I. (smile) Please have a blessed day my brethren, walking in LOVE for Jesus! Much LOVE!
…better is the end of a thing…than the beginning thereof…and the patient in spirit…is better than…the proud in spirit… (Eccl.7:8)
16 Nov 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Abram, Adam, affliction, angel of the Lord, anger, anxiety, assures, barrenness, bear a son, belief, bitterness, childbearing age, children, clueless man, conceived, covenant, dealt harshly, descendants, despised, Egypt, endear ourselves to God, endless problems, exhort, faith, fatall error, father of many, fled, foolish, foolish pride, founding father, Garden of Eden, God's promises, God's will, God-given day, godly patience, goodness, Hagar, harsh treeatment, hope, impatience, inherit, Ishmael, Jehovah God's people, judgement, legal heir, listen, LOVE, lusts of the flesh, maid, omnipotent, original descisions, perseverance, play God, Praise the Lord, pregnant, promises, rash, resentment, river Euphrates, river Nile, Sarai, strife, submit, succumbed, thanks, the Lord judge, thoughtless actions, through the ages, true believers, true wisdom, undeserving children of men, vast tract of land, wait patiently, warfare, warp, wild man, wilderness
Genesis 15:18. In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed, (descendants) have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.
Oh Friends, once more we’ve opened our bleary eyes to greet another God-given day! And all God’s people gratefully declared: ‘Praise the Lord! Give Him endless thanks for His goodness to the undeserving children of men!’
Yes my people, we do need to praise and give thanks to our wonderful God for His unending grace, which we certainly don’t deserve. But like we have a special place in our hearts for our children, the same way the Deity that created us has a special fondness for us. He LOVES us so much that He can’t help but lavish LOVE on us. (smile)
Now I never intended to stay this long on God’s promises to Abram, but everyday I see more stuff, and since Abram is considered the founding father of our faith, of Jehovah God’s people, I believe we should look at his life and His relationship with the Almighty in some detail, so that we can get a fuller understanding of how our great God works, of how the promises He made, have led to the world we know today.
And today in our Bit, we have yet another promise God made to Abram. ‘In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed, (descendants) have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.’
What’s interesting Friends, is that in every instance the Lord assures Abram that he will have an abundance of descendants, who will inherit a vast tract of land, from the river Nile to the Euphrates. The problem though is some ten years have passed since God first promised Abram a multitude of descendants, but nothing has so far happened to fulfill it.
Now Sarai, Abram’s wife is seventy something, way past normal childbearing age, so she takes it upon herself to play God. She has an Egyptian maid by the name of Hagar: ‘And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.’ (Gen.16:2-3)
And foolishly, like many other men over the years, Abram listened to her and knew Hagar, her Egyptian maid. But Friends, as it so often happens, our impatience comes back to haunt us in ways we never considered before making the original decisions.
The Good Book puts it this way: ‘And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes (sight). And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong (the wrong done to me) be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the Lord judge between me and thee. But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee (as you please). And when Sarai dealt hardly (harshly) with her, she fled from her face (presence).’ (Gen.16:4-6)
Ah mih breddren, Hagar must have preened and pranced around the household when she discovered she was pregnant with Abram’s first born and legal heir, considering the endless possibilities of wealth and power that would accrue to her and her son. What amazes and amuses me though is Sarai getting on Abram’s case because Hagar despised her for her barrenness. Wasn’t it she who came up with the idea in the first place?
Abram was simply foolish to listen to her. There his faith in God must have wilted somewhat. But you can’t blame him too much, when you’ve been promised a child for ten years, and you’re already eighty-five years old.
But right there and then the whole anger, bitterness, resentment, hatred, strife and warfare began, because one woman took it upon herself to play God, then another allowed foolish pride to warp her thinking. And as usual too, in between was a clueless man. (smile) And sadly, nothing much has changed to this day. Ah Lord eh!
So Hagar runs away from Sarai’s harsh treatment into the wilderness, where an angel of the Lord finds her sitting beside a well. ‘And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under hands…
I will multiply thy seed (descendants) exceedingly, that it should not be numbered for multitude… Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael (God hears); because the Lord hath heard thy affliction. And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.’ (Gen.16:8-12)
Please note Friends, that God saw Hagar’s affliction and relieved her anxiety by promising that her son would be a father of many, though he would be wild and rash and have problems with mankind in general.
‘And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael. And Abram was fourscore and six (86) years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.’ (Gen.16:15-16)
Ah mih people, yuh see how our thoughtless actions can cause endless problems, even down through the ages. Sarai couldn’t wait on the Lord’s promise, possibly her faith had not reached the level necessary to keep on waiting regardless of the fact that she was old and nothing was happening. And poor Abram, although his faith seemed exceedingly strong, like Adam in the Garden of Eden, he succumbed to a woman’s arguments and made a fatal error in judgement, which has plagued the world since then, even to this day.
So though it’s oftimes difficult to wait on God’s promises, as true believers, we need to learn that godly patience which comes with strong belief and great faith. We cannot afford to let the lusts of the flesh drive us to do stuff outside of God’s will. When we think we’re speeding up God’s will, we’re usually just creating more problems. God doesn’t need our help to fulfill His promises. Remember He’s omnipotent.
So today, let’s exhort ourselves to listen, believe and wait patiently. For then we endear ourselves to God in true wisdom, and cause ourselves less problems. Much LOVE!
…but if we hope for that we see not…then do we with patience (perseverance)…(eagerly) wait for it… (Rom.8:25)
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