extol him that rideth upon the heavens

The Overwhelming Importance of Believers Exalting God’s Name and Exceedingly Rejoicing in His Goodness!

29 Jan 2026 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a father of the fatherless, a good family, a judge of the widows, a positive outlook on life., a strong will, abundance, all ye that are upright in heart, an object of scorn, as smoke is driven away, as wax melts before the fire, be glad in the Lord, Bible, by his name JAH, children of God, clear direction for my life, come to know and love christ like we do, curse, David danced before the Lord, divine protection, drive them away, duty bound, everything will turn out right in the end, extol him that rideth upon the heavens, faith, favour, find great joy in God, generously bestowed, give thanks, God brings out those bound in chains into propserity, God in his holy habitation, God is a defender of widows, God sets the lonely in families, God's supernatural wisdom, great adoration, he that trusteth in the Lord, heartfelt gladness, holy spirit, in every thing give thanks, Jesus Christ, let God arise, let his enemies be scattered, let the righteous be glad, let the wicked perish as the presence of God, let them exceedingly rejoice, let them rejoice before God, let them that hate him flee before him, LOVE, many sorrows shall be to the wicked, mercy, mercy shall compass him about, negative word, pray without ceasing, promotion, prya, put in a nutshell, rejoice, rejoice before God, rejoice evermore, rejoice ye righteous, self-disicpline, share our undeserved blessings, shout for joy, sing praises to his name, sing unto God, talent, the ark of the Lord, the destruction of God's enemies, the penultimate day of our work week, the presence of God, The Triumphant God, these cold and uninspiring day, this is the will of God in Christ concerning you, true believers in Christ, truth, undeserved favour, weep and moan regulalrly, wisdom

Psalm 68:3. But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.

Then it was Thursday, the penultimate day of our work week. And there’s some joy showing through as the week slowly peters out. (smile) And it’s amusing that since the snowstorm on Sunday, everyday has been mostly bright sunshine and not the dreary cloudiness we had hitherto been saddled with. I don’t know if regular sunshine in the winter months is worth the price of such a massive snowfall, but we’re surely glad to see the sun to brighten our spirits, especially in these cold and uninspiring days. (smile)

But on a more serious note, today, I want us to look at a few verses from Psalm 68, titled, ‘The Triumphant God.’ The scholars say that although there is no superscription explaining when this psalm was written, there is general agreement that it was written when the ark of the Lord was moved from the house of Obed-edom to the new location in the tabernacle specially built for it in Jerusalem, and Bruh David danced before the Lord. (smile) (2 Sam. 6:1-18 )

However, what I want us to consider in the first few verses is the magnificent manner in which Bruh David desires the destruction of God’s enemies, talks of His might and power, praises His Holy name, while encouraging us to also sing His praises with joy and great adoration. So please read with me. ‘Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice. Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol (praise) him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH (Lord), and rejoice before him. A father of the fatherless, and a judge (defender) of the widows, is God in his holy habitation. God setteth the solitary (lonely) in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains (into prosperity): but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.’ (Ps. 68: 1-6)

There again, like yesterday, we see friends God’s great interest in the widows, orphans and the downtrodden. But today I want us to focus on the third and fourth verses, that encourage us as the righteous of God to be glad before him, to rejoice exceedingly, to sing praises to his name, to extol Him. And that word ‘extol’ does not simply mean to praise but to laud, to magnify, to exalt, to glorify, to acclaim and greatly celebrate! Yes friends we ought to find such great joy in our wonderful God that we just let it all hang out with praises and worship, fellowship and heartfelt gladness.

It’s like when Bruh David brought the ark home to Jerusalem he felt such a joy and blessing that the Good Book tells us, he danced before the Lord. But to his wife Michal, it was a vile and disgusting behaviour, not fit for a king. However, Bruh David was of a different opinion, and because of her snotty snobbishness, he banned her from his presence, and she was thus childless all of her days. (2 Sam. 6:20-23) That obviously made her an object of scorn and inuendo, for remember the great importance placed on wives bearing their husbands children in those days.

Anyway, getting back to the praise and worship due our magnificent and generous God, listen to these words of Bruh David from Psalm 32, titled ‘Confession and Forgiveness.’ He ends it with these very purposeful verses. ‘Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about (surround him). Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.’ (Ps. 32:10-11) And I believe that’s something not enough of us do on a regular basis. But we do weep and moan very regularly. (smile)

Now, if our God is so good, why do we weep and moan more often than we rejoice and be glad eh? If we know and believe God’s promise that everything will turn out all right in the end (Rom. 8:28) then why are so many of us still so fearful? It means that we don’t truly believe. And what did Bruh Paul encourage the Thessalonians to do? ‘Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (2 Thess. 5:16-18)

That puts it all in a very nice nutshell my people. (smile) Our basic duties are to pray, rejoice and give thanks! And even though it’s difficult to do in these crucial times, we desperately need to increase all three activities if we are to remain true believers in Christ Jesus and children of God. Now let’s do some giving of thanks by declaring our Thursday Blessings; underserved favour most generously bestowed on us by our marvellous God to 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!’

And having made that declaration (yesss!!!) we’re now duty bound to go out and use those undeserved blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…God made mankind to LOVE…pray to…sing His praises and worship Him…

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

God Cares for all Creation, but is a Strong Defender of the Poor and Downtrodden!

26 May 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a father of the fatherless, a judge of widows, a little goes a long way, acknowledging our sins, afraid of repercussions form the wicked, before you can blink an eye, begging for begging sake, blessed are the poor in spirit, burgeoning wealth, by his name JAH, children of the Most High, cursed is he that perverts justice of the stranger, defend the poor and fatherless, deliver the poor and needy, die like men, divine aid, do justice to the afflicted, extol him that rideth upon the heavens, faith, fall like one of the princes, follow Christ's example, free them from the hand of the wicked, get their comeuppance, get up and get moving, glad at calamities, God champions the poor, God is a defender of widows, God is a good god, greed, He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, he that honours God has mercy on the poor, he that oppresses the poor, holy spirit, humble servants, humbled by the grace of God, inherit the throne of glory, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, judge the earth, judge unjustly, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, Monday's wake up call, most charity seeking society, negative situations, neither oppress the afflicted, no intention of sharing their wealthtoo few have too much, power to solve our problems, promise to prosper us, reaching out to the poor, reliant on god for salvation, reproaches his Maker, rob not the poor, running rampant in our world, salvation, self-aggrandizement, shall not go unpunished, show partiality to the wicked, sincere repentance, sing praises to his name, sing unto God, spoil the soul that spoiled them, struggling to keep life and limb together, thank you for life and strong faith in Christ, the Beatitudes, the breath of life, the God who heals, the importance of caring for those in need, the Lord lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, the Lord will plead their case, the majority have too little, the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, the throne of grace, theirs is the kingdom of heaven, to satisfy the desperate needs of others, to set them among princes, too few have too much, truth, turn from our evil ways, wisdom, wise guidance

Psalm 68:5. A father of the fatherless, and a judge (defender) of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.

Oh friends, can you imagine it’s Monday already? The weekend passes so quickly, that before you can blink the proverbial eye, we get Monday’s wake up call to begin another week of work. But instead of complaining, let’s be thankful that we can answer that wake up call, that the awesome breath of life is still flowing through our bodies, for many won’t be able to answer it as the Lord called them home during the night. Let’s also be thankful that we have a job to go, for many of our fellow men don’t, and are thus struggling to keep life and limb together.

And it’s so sad and unconscionable that with the burgeoning wealth in the world, more wealth than there’s ever been, we’ve also become the most charity seeking society ever! Yes, there’s never been as many charitable associations and organizations as there are right now, and sadly, they are not all begging for begging sake, but some are begging to satisfy the desperate needs of others! What an unpleasant, absurd and ridiculous situation. One that should never occur!

And it all boils down to the ferocious greed and self-aggrandizement that’s currently running rampant in our world. Too few people have too much, while the overwhelming majority have too little. And those with too much apparently have no intention of sharing their wealth. And truthfully, they don’t have to give away everything, to solve our many problems, but just share a little more than they’re currently doing, for a little goes a long way with those who don’t have. But unfortunately that doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen anytime soon, the way the greedy haves are scraping up even the little that the have nots possess.

Now, we must not forget that our God is a good God, and won’t let His people suffer more than they can handle, but will always make a way out for them. Furthermore, let’s remember that although God cares for all people, He particularly champions the poor and downtrodden, the needy and vulnerable. And there are so many scriptures on that subject that we could spend an entire day and never cover them all. So let’s look at a few of them to solace our souls. (smile)

Like this proclamation from the prophet Samuel. ‘He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and he hath set the world upon them.’ (1 Sam. 2:8) Then there’s this one from a number of curses that Moses promised would happen to the children of Israel if they rejected God. ‘Cursed be he that perverteth the judgement (justice) of the stranger, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen.’ (Deut. 27:19)

Meanwhile Bruh David says in Psalm 68 – The Triumphant God – ‘Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol (praise) him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him. A father of the fatherless, and a judge (defender) of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.’ (Ps. 68:4-5) And while speaking of Unjust Judges in Psalm 82, Asaph writes thus: ‘How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked (show partiality to the wicked)? Selah. Defend (vindicate) the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid (free) them out of the hand of the wicked.’ (Ps. 82: 2-4)

And sadly there are many, many poor who today need to be freed from the hands of the wicked. But most of us refuse to lift a hand to do anything, afraid of the repercussions from the mighty wicked. But let’s remember what Asaph said in the closing verses of that psalm. ‘I have said, Ye are gods (mighty ones or judges); and all of you are the children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.’ (Ps. 82: 6-8) And God has promised that He will judge the earth in His time, so there’s no fear of it not happening, and then the wicked will pay for all their abominable and atrocious deeds.

And fear ye not, Cousin Sol does have something to say on the subject. (smile) He writes; ‘He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor (needy).’ (Prov. 14:31) And there’s’ a sister verse to that one: ‘Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not go unpunished.’ (Prov. 17:5) Then there’s this: ‘Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate: For the Lord will plead their cause, and spoil (plunder) the soul that spoiled (plundered) them.’ (Prov. 22:22-23)

Unfortunately though, that’s exactly what’s happening in our world today. The poor and afflicted are being taken serious advantage of, by the wealthy and powerful. But they will get their own comeuppance in due time. And what did Jesus do during His time here on earth? He ministered mostly among the poor and marginalized, demonstrating the importance of caring for those in need. And He left us with this promise from the Beatitudes: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matt. 5:3) Yes friends, blessed, or happy are those of us who have been humbled by the grace of God, acknowledging our sins, and are consequently reliant on God for our salvation.

Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid in these most dangerous and treacherous times. 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 we do need to pray for help, however, we can’t just sit back and wait on God to help us. We also have to get up and help ourselves with the amazing tools that He’s already given us. So please, let’s get up and get moving my fellow saints! Christ is depending on us! Much LOVE!

…it’s time for Christians to truly follow Christ’s example……by sincerely reaching out to the poor and downtrodden in His name…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 August 2023 Psalm 68:1.

05 Aug 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a father of the fatherless, a judge of widows, can't burn the candle at both ends, David danced before the Lord, deepen our intimacy with God, extol him that rideth upon the heavens, extol our great God, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, increase my awareness of you today, Jah, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let God arise, let his enemies be scattered, let the righteous be glad, let them rejoice before God, let them that hate him flee before him, LOVE, no longer a spring chicken, Pan Alive Festival, Pan Fantasy, poor planning, prepared of thy goodness for the poor, quiet my soul, reflect on God's goodness, setteth the solitary in families, sing praises to his name, sing unto God, slow my thoughts, sound system problems, the ark of the covenant, the rebellious dwell in a dry land, The Triumphant God, what a fiasco, your love both surrounds and fills me

Psalm 68:1. Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.

Oh friends, it’s Lazy -day Saturday…and do I ever need it, after a rough outing at the Pan Alive Festival last night in Toronto. What a fiasco that turned out to be, especially after my pardner and I got there early, about six o’clock, when it was officially scheduled to begin. The only thing on time was the box office, an improvement over last year. The doors weren’t even opened, but that was not a big problem because the crowd was still very sparse. I guess they learned from previous experience that it never starts on time.

Then at 7.15, they promised to begin at 7.30. Somewhere in the eight o’clock vicinity they opened with some Indigenous drumming, and then a Nigerian drummer did his thing. Then as happens every year, they couldn’t find the judges. The first panside didn’t play the first note until 8.30, and then it sounded terrible because they put it through the sound system which wasn’t properly set up for the pans. The whole night we were plagued with reverberations and problems with the sound system, where the pans were concerned. And nobody in the crew thought to do something about it.

So the next three bands played through it, but then the fifth band, Pan Masters, walked off the stage and they were forced to fix it. That meant the last three bands Pan Masters, Pan Fantasy, and Afro Pan sounded more like they should sound. And as far as I’m concerned, Pan Fantasy mash them up again! (smile) Ah Lord eh? When are we going to learn to plan things properly and have them set up on time? That’s why our reputation for putting on functions is so terrible.

Anyway, when they got the sound problem fixed for the pans, D.J Bad Lad began playing some old tunes and the partying in the stands truly began, with a crowd that had by then increased substantially. In the beginning I vowed that would be my last Pan Alive Concert, but by the end, at 12 am. I might have changed my mind, (smile) because the vibes are usually beautiful at the pan festival. It’s sad though, that after their boast of putting on the show for fifty something years, they still can’t get it right.

Enough of my jabbering though. Let’s get serious and invoke our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. As one sincere voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’

And do I ever need that refreshing of the Lord’s Spirit this Saturday morning. It just reminds me that I’m no longer a spring chicken and I can’t try to burn the candles at both ends at the same time. (smile) And today we’re just going to keep things simple and extol our great God through these marvellous words of Bruh David in Psalm 68 – subtitled – The Triumphant God.

The scholars tell us that the psalm probably details the moving of the Ark of the Covenant from the house of Obed-edom to the new location on Zion’s mountain in Jerusalem. (2 Sam. 6:2-18) That’s when Bruh David danced before the Lord with all his might; an expression of spiritual joy, although his wife Michal saw his conduct as unbecoming of the king. In the psalm Bruh David reflects on the blessings of God on His people, Israel, and the conquest of her foes.

Please proclaim with me: ‘Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God. But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice. Sing unto God: sing praises to his name: extol (praise) him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, (a shortened form of Lord), and rejoice before him.’ (Ps. 68:1-4)

Yes friends, that’s how we, the righteous of the land ought to extol and praise the name of the Lord! And even when we come griping and complaining to Him, our first words must always be of praise and reverence, of respect for His overwhelming sovereignty, His dominance over the universe He so wonderfully created. In this case, after Bruh David gave thanks and praise, he then proceeded to elucidate the goodness of our magnificent Creator on His people’s behalf.

Let’s read again: ‘A father of the fatherless, and a judge (defender) of widows, is God in his holy habitation. God setteth the solitary (lonely) in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains (into prosperity): but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.’ (Ps. 68: 5-6) Please note that my people, our God is a defender of the poor, the downtrodden and lonely. He stands up for those who can’t stand up for themselves. So please be careful how you treat any who fall into those categories, for you will have the Lord God Almighty to deal with.

And Bruh David continues his exaltation of the works of Jehovah God on Israel’s behalf. ‘O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah: The earth shook, the heavens also dropped (rain) at the presence of God: even Sinai (Mt. Sinai) itself was moved at the presence of the God, the God of Israel. Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary. Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.’ (Ps. 68:7-10)

And that’s no lie friends, the Lord always prepares of His goodness for them that fear and reverence Him. So please, on this lazy-day Saturday, let’s take a little of that lazy time and reflect on God’s goodness in our own lives nuh. I guarantee that it will open our eyes wide with surprise at the amount of goodness He has actually bestowed on us, and that will oh so joyfully deepen the beautiful feelings of intimacy we each share with Almighty God! Much LOVE!

…ALL believers enjoy the tremendous goodness of God…it’s just that we don’t acknowledge it like we should…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 June 2021 Psalm 68:3.

22 Jun 2021 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: by his name JAH, can add one cubit to his stature, even Solomon in all his glory, extol him that rideth upon the heavens, He shall cover thee with his feathers, hurry, I am the beloved of god, in god's eyes, let the righteous be glad, let them exceedingly rejoice, let them rejoice before God, none shall come nigh thee, not be afraid of the terror by night, share His love with the world, sing praises to his name, sing unto God, the breath of life, the eternal God is thy refuge, the goodness of God, the Lord is my refuge and my fortress, the pestilence that walketh in darkness, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, under his wings shall thou take refuge, underneath are the everlasting arms, was not arrayed like one of these, which of you by taking thought, worry

Psalm 68:3. But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.

Well here comes Tuesday, mostly cloudy in my area, and definitely not as warm as the last few days! The weather is certainly playing some games with us this month, being hot and cold, or unstable, like so many of us are in these turbulent times. But nonetheless, as long as we are alive and have the Holy Spirit of Almighty God dwelling in us, we have to give thanks for His awesome blessing of keeping the breath of life flowing through our mortal bodies. That’s an unconditional requirement my faithful brethren!

As Bruh David says in Psalm 68 – God has gone before His people: ‘But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice. Sing unto God, sing praises to his name; extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, (a shortened Hebrew form of Lord), and rejoice before him.’ (Ps. 68:3-4) Oh my people, we could not get any better advice than that, or do anything more appropriate than sing praises to our wonderful God all the days of our lives.

That recalls the similar words of Moses in his farewell speech to the children of Israel. ‘There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun (beloved one, Israel), who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.’ (Deut. 33:26-27) Aren’t those encouraging and uplifting words my people? They certainly are!

And they lead us to Psalm 91, where the psalmist talks about God is a refuge and a fortress. ‘He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I shall say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.’ (Ps. 91:1-2) Oh friends, isn’t it wonderful to have a power mightier than us in whom we can find eternal security? It surely is! And I like how the psalmist continues assuring us of the safety and security found in the One True and Living God; He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

‘Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler (bird trapper), and from the noisome (perilous or deadly (pestilence). He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust (take refuge): his truth shall be thy shield and buckler (small shield). Thou shalt not be afraid for (of) the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day. Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth (lays waste) at noon day. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.’ (Ps. 91:3-8)

What words of utter confidence in our God! And that’s the kind of confidence that we need to have in these troubled last days my fellow saints of Christ. But unfortunately too many of us don’t have that level of faith and trust in the God we supposedly serve. But what’s the sense of serving a God if we don’t have the utmost trust in Him eh? None whatsoever! We say we surrender our lives to Jehovah God, but yet we hold back certain aspects of it from Him, and don’t put everything before Him, foolishly trusting in our own finite and puny selves to accomplish what only God can do.

For as Jesus so rightly asked: ‘Which of you by taking thought (worrying) can add one cubit unto his stature (height)? And why take ye thought for raiment (why do you 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, dressed) 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. 6:27-30)

Yeh friends, if our heavenly Father looks after His lesser creations so well, why wouldn’t He look after His greatest creation better than them eh? But we must sincerely believe that He is God, and a good God at that. For as the author of Hebrews declares: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb. 11:6)

And the rest of that chapter goes on to tell us about all the people of great faith that served the Lord down through the ages, even though they may not have received the earthly treasures they wanted, but they knew, had the faith to believe that greater treasures existed in heaven. As the author of Hebrews explains: ‘These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded (assured) of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.’ (Heb. 11:13)

That’s the kind of attitude, the level of faith to which we need to aspire my people! It doesn’t mean that we should not enjoy the goodness of God down here on earth, but we must acknowledge that earth is not our eventual home, that heaven is, and that’s where our real treasure will be found, as we spend eternal life with our great and wonderful triune God! But the only way we will raise the level of our faith is by surrendering ALL of ourselves to God, not parts thereof, and seriously studying the word of God, believing it, then putting it into action in our lives. Otherwise we’ll live a life being scared of even our own shadow.

Now, for those of us who are sincerely attempting to live a faithful life for God, let’s go home declaring (yeah!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know who we are. Altogether now: ‘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 the world. Amen!’

And having declared that, let’s go out now and share the awesome LOVE and friendship of Jesus with all those we meet. Much LOVE!

…when you truly know Jesus…all you want to do…is share him with others…

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 August 2023 Psalm 68:1.

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