25 Jul 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a call for hope, a declaration of hope, a declaration of humility, a declaration of trust, A Humble Heart, abundant redemption, as a child that is weaned of his mother, associate with humble folks, Baruch, be a faithful minister, be not wise in thine own eyes, be not wise in your own conceits, be not wise in your own estimation, being like a little child before the Lord, Christians, cling to God with all our might, condescend to men of low estate, content with the Lord's appointment, deepen my breath, don't seek out your own greatness, don't set your mind on high things, eating grass like and ox, enjoying the good weather, faith, fear the Lord and depart from evil, give thee thy life as a prize, holy spirit, I have behaved, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, I will bring evil upon all flesh, in all places whither thou shalt go, in all sincerity and truth, in things too high for me, increase my awareness of you today, Jeremiah's secretary, Jesus Christ, know you all the more, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, lean not unto thine own understanding, let Israel hope in the Lord, lolling in the sunshine, LOVE, loving-kindness, mercy, mind not high things, my heart is not haughty, my soul is even as a weaned child, Nebuchadnezzar, neither do I exercise myself in great matters, nor mine eyes lofty, peace and calm, Pharaoh, quiet my soul, quieted myself, recognized the sovereignty of God, redeem Israel from all his iniquities, rejoicing, relax my muscles, salvation, seek them not, seekest thou great things for thyself, slow my thoughts, thank you for this tenderness, that which I have built I will break down, that which I have planted I will pluck up, the BIBLE, the breath of life, the breath of life is still flowing through one's body, the gospel truth, the Lord checks our hearts, the Lord delights in having intimacy with us, the Lord God of Abraham Isaac and jacob, the Lord silikes pride and haughtiness, the plagues of Egypt, thy life will I give unto thee for a prey, to our hungry souls, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, truth, well done thou good and faithful servant, wisdom, with the Lord there is mercy, woe is me now, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 July 2026 Jeremiah 45:5a.
Jeremiah 45:5a. And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not:
Wow! It’s our lazy-day Saturday! And I did enjoy some lazy-time in my bed this morning, but had to cut it short to come down and write the Bit. But them’s the breaks! (smile) And besides, it’s too beautiful a summer’s day to waste just lying in bed doing nothing. One should be up and about outside enjoying the good weather, lolling in the sunshine and rejoicing that the breath of life is still flowing through one’s body.
However, before we do any lazy stuff, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, in all sincerity and truth. As one strong 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 as always, when the Lord checks our hearts, if He finds them to be sincere, then He’ll soon be sending the peace and calm that we requested, to our hungry souls, for He just delights in having intimacy with His greatest creation; the human being. And today we’ll look at Psalm 131, titled ‘A Humble Heart,’ Bruh David’s declaration of humility. So please read with me: ‘Lord, my heart is not haughty (proud), nor mine eyes lofty (conceited): neither do I exercise (concern) myself in great matters, or in things too high (difficult, profound) for me. Surely I have behaved (calmed) and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child. Let Israel hope in the Lord from henceforth and for ever.’ (Ps. 131:1-3)
Yes friends, it’s short and simple but contains some profound sentiments. The first one is humility. Remember the Lord dislikes pride and haughtiness possibly more than anything else, because it shows that you have no need of or use for Him. Cousin Sol calls it one of the seven abominations that the Lord dislikes, (Prov. 6:16-19) and throughout the Bible those who have been overly proud have eventually been brought to task by the Lord. For example, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon who thought he was so great, and the Lord humbled him by seven years of madness, eating grass like the ox, until he recognized the sovereignty of the God of Daniel, the One True God. (Dan. 4)
And like Pharaoh, ruler of the greatest nation at the time, who refused to free the Israelites and faced a whole lot of plagues on Egypt, then drowned Pharaoh’s army in the Red Sea when trying to pursue the fleeing Israelites, breaking Egypt’s power, humbling her, through His great might. (Ex. 7-12)
Then there’s this interesting story of the biblical scribe, Baruch, the prophet Jeremiah’s secretary. It seems Baruch was of noble birth and was apparently aware that he could have risen to a high position, but under Jeremiah’s influence, he repressed his ambition, being contented to follow the prophet. Jeremiah dictated his prophecies to Baruch, who read them to the people. King Jehoiakim was a greatly angered at hearing them, and had Baruch arrested and the scroll burned. Baruch was eventually taken to Egypt, along with Jeremiah. (43:6)
Now, apparently at one stage Baruch had been depressed and or unhappy, and had written ‘Woe is me now! for the Lord hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.’ (Jer. 45: 3) Then the Lord instructed Jeremiah: ‘Thus shalt thou say unto him, The Lord saith thus; Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land. And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil (adversity) upon all flesh, saith the Lord: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey (as a prize) in all places whither thou goest.’ (Jer. 45: 4-5)
Yes my people, that’s the voice of the Lord warning one worker not to seek his own greatness, but to stick with the Lord’s work. As the scholars say: ‘Baruch’s lofty calling was simply to be a faithful minister, content with the Lord’s appointment. For faithfulness has its own reward.’ And that’s the living truth! For when we serve the Lord faithfully and don’t seek out our own greatness, He rewards us with lasting favour and mercy.
And we have this other passage from Bruh Paul to the Romans where he warns about high-minded and haughty things. ‘Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not (do not set your mind on) high things, but condescend to men of low estate (associate with humble folks). Be not wise in your own conceits (estimation).’ (Rom. 12:16) Now that’s wonderful advice my brethren, for as Cousin Sol warns in Proverbs: ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding… Be not wise in tine own eyes: fear the Lord and depart from evil.’ (Prov. 3:5; 7)
Exactly what Bruh Paul said. For being haughty, wise and know it all, will only bring your down fall eventually, when the Lord gets tired of your foolish pride. But getting back to Psalm 131. The scholars say that the second verse where Bruh David claims to have weaned himself like a child is a declaration of his trust in the Lord, being like a little child before Him, and the third verse is a call for hope. It’s like what the palmist says in Psalm 130: ‘Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS), and with him is plenteous (abundant) redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.’ (Ps. 130:7-8)
Now that’s the gospel truth my brethren! For only with the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, is there much LOVING-KINDNESS and plenty redemption! Therefore wisdom dictates that we follow the Lord, cling to Him with all our might, so that we can receive His numerous, wonderful rewards at the end. Much LOVE!
…the words every believer desires to hear…well done…thou good and faithful servant…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
07 Aug 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: A Daily Prayer for Wisdom, according to his glorious power, and with all thy getting, anything praiseworthy, as I seek your presence each day, bad air advisories, be careful for nothing, be filled with the knowledge of his will, be not weary of God's correction, be not wise in thine own eyes, being fruitful in every good work, bounden duty, Christians, confident that you'll direct my paths, courage, creativity, curse, delivered us from the power of darkness, despise not the chastening of the Lord, faith, favour, fear the Lord and depart from evil, fill me with the knowledge of your will, get understanding, giving thanks unto the Father, growing in spiritual maturity, guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus, guide me into your truth, have redemption through Christ's blood, health to thy navel, holy spirit, honour the Lord with thy substance, I acknowledge you, I lay down my anxieties, I trust you with all my heart, in all my ways, in all thy ways acknowledge him, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, in everything by prayer and supplication, increasing in the knowledge of God, Jesus Christ, lean not unto thine own understanding, let your requests be made known unto God, live a life pleasing to you, LOVE, make straight your paths, marrow to thy bones, mercy, more than conquerors, negative word, not relying on my own understanding, nothing that comes against us will prosper, of the inheritance of the saints, presenting every need with thanksgiving, qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of, receive clear direction for my life, salvation, self-control. self-discipline, strengthen my faith, strengthened with all might, success, supernatural strength, the BIBLE, the forgiveness of sins, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the peace that surpasses all understanding, therefore get wisdom, thy barns be filled with plenty, thy presses burst out with new wine, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, trusting that your peace, truth, unto all patience and longsuffering, walk worthy of the Lord, whatsoever things are true, wisdom, wisdom and understanding, wisdom is the principal thing, with joyfulness, with thanksgiving, with the firstfruits of all thine increase
Colossians 1:9b. to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.
Oh my people, can you believe it’s already the 7th of August; we’ve already completed a week of this new month. It seems to be going just as fast as the others, and also being just as hot and dry, with bad air advisories and little or no rain. But being children of God, we have the godly ability to handle anything that comes against us. As the Bible tells us, we are more than conquerors (Rom. 8:37) and nothing that comes against us will prosper. (Is. 54:17) But be that as it may, all our God given help begins with prayer. And today we’ll check out one titled ‘A Daily Prayer for Wisdom.’ And as so often is the case, I cannot remember who sent it to me, but it’s still very viable. (smile)
So please pray with me. ‘Father, I trust you with all my heart, not relying on my own understanding. In all my ways, I acknowledge You, confident that You’ll direct my path. Today, fill me with the knowledge of Your will through all wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so I may live a life pleasing to You. I lay down my anxieties, presenting every need with thanksgiving, trusting that Your peace which goes beyond all understanding will guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Guide me Lord, into Your truth, and strengthen my faith as I seek Your presence each day. In Jesus name. Amen.’
And what I like about that prayer is that it’s a compact, combination of several verses of the Bible. As the card says, ‘This daily prayer is based on Scripture verses from: Proverbs 3:5-6; Colossians 1:9; Philippians 4:6-7.’ And what better time and place to review those foundational scriptures that we all know but don’t live up to as we should? None like right now! (smile) So let’s begin our review with these marvellous words from Cousin Sol’s amazing Book of Wisdom, Proverbs.
He wisely advises: ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make straight) your parts.’ (Prov. 3:5-6) Oh friends, that’s wisdom to the nth degree! You know, if we would do only those things contained in those two verses, our lives would be so enriched, both spiritually and physically, that we would not know what to do with ourselves, for that’s the basic wisdom of our Christian faith; trust the Lord, listen to His commands and do them. And when we add these other words of that scripture passage to those above, we get such a beautiful picture of Christian living!
Listen up, ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones. Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) be filled with new wine. My son despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of (detest) his correction: For whom the Lord LOVETH he correcteth; even as the father the son in whom he delighteth.’ (Prov. 3:7-12) And right there friends we have a synopsis of the Bible in a few verses. If you followed them sincerely, you could not go wrong.
Then there’s this other beautiful scripture passage from the pen of Bruh Paul to the Colossians re his prayer for them. ‘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.’(Col. 1:9) Now that’s the verse quoted by the prayer, but we cannot leave out the other parts of Bruh Paul’s prayer which gives us such understanding into his prayers.
He then continues: ‘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; 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): In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:’ (Col. 1:9-14)
Wow friends! What a wonderful prayer! Please note that Bruh Paul didn’t pray for them to be rich or healthy or have no problems, but for them to be totally anchored in God; learning His word and doing it, thus growing in spiritual maturity. And it’s a method of prayer that we can all adopt that rises above our physical and material desires. And the last scripture used in our earlier prayer is another marvellous passage, this time from Bruh Paul’s letter to the Philippians, where he desires to introduce them to the God of peace.
He consequently writes. ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7) Yes my fellow saints, more foundational scriptures; we must not be anxious or fearful about anything, but take all our anxieties and fears to the Lord in prayer, and when we do that, His outstanding peace, which is greater than we can ever understand will keep our hearts free from worry, fear and anxiety.
And then in Bruh Paul’s practical style, he tells them what to think about. ‘Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest (noble), whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise (anything praiseworthy), think (meditate) on these things. Those things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.’ (Phil. 4:8-9)
Oh my people! What more can we ask for eh? Not much. However, the Lord in His overwhelming generosity has given us, what we call our Thursday Blessings. That’s undeserved blessings, to do His earthly work. So let’s declare them (chuh!!!) 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!’
Now, it’s our bounden duty to go out and use those blessings on behalf of others, just as generously as the Lord blessed us with them, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…wisdom is the principal thing…therefore get wisdom…and with all thy getting…get understanding… (Prov. 4:7)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: acknowledge God in all thy ways, as a father the son in whom he delighteth, as a shock of corn comes in its season, be in league with the stones of the field, be not wise in thine own eyes, chaos, christianity, Christians, climate change, come to thy grave in a full age, dangerous aspect, deliver thee in six troubles, depart from evil, despise not the chastening of the Lord, despise the Lord's correction, disaster, don't be discouraged, Eliphaz the Temanite, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fear the Lord, fear the Lord and depart from evil, fellowship and intimacy with God, forfeit many blessings, forgotten the exhortation, glad to be alive, God-centred lives, halfway home, hands on the plough, happy is the manhwas God corrects, he maketh sore and bindeth up, he shall direct thy paths, he shall redeem thee from death, he that spareth his rod hateth his son, he woundeth and his hands make whole, health to thy navel, hear it, heartfelt prayers, hid from the scourge of the tongue, holy spirit, honour the Lord with all thy substance, in famine, in war, Jesus Christ, know thou it for thy good, laugh at destruction and famine, lawlessness, lean not to thine own understanding, life waits on no one, LOVE, make hay while the sun shines, make smooth thy paths, marrow to thy bones, mercy, native instincts, neither be weary of his correction, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him, not be afraid of destruction, not be afraid of the beasts of the earth, not turning back, numerous blessings, salvation, second wind day, so it is, thank God, the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the power of the sword, there shall no evil touch thee, thine offspring as the grass of the earth, thy barns be filled with plenty, thy presses shall burst out with new wine, thy seed shall be great, thy tabernacle shall be at peace, to a glorious future with Jesus, trials and tribulations, trust in the Lord with all thy heart, truth, we have searched it, Wednesday Wail, when you don't hear you feel, which speaks unto you as the children of God, whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, windstorms, wisdom, with the firstfruits of all thine increase
Proverbs 3:7. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord and depart from evil.
And then it was Wednesday, our second wind day of the work week, but unbelievably, it’s also the last day of April 2025. Can you imagine that April’s over already, and most of the things we were supposed to do in this month have not been done? I can’t handle it nuh. The days are passing by too quickly for my liking. But I guess I should remember that some wise person once said, ‘life waits on no one.’ And that’s the living truth. So, all I can do is pray and ask the Lord to help me put whatever day(s) I have left to good use, in His cause. In other words, to make hay while the sun shines.
And the sun is shining right now, so let’s see what hay we can make nuh. (smile) Now, the rain we were promised yesterday really never showed up, except for a li’l drizzle early in the day. I suppose the strong winds we experienced all day, drove away the rain clouds. But that’s another intriguing and dangerous aspect of climate change. In recent years we’ve been having windstorms aplenty, even during the summer months. And we can only do our best to help turn things around, while offering up heartfelt prayers to our great and wonderful God for help to handle whatever comes against us.
That brings us to these wise words of Cousin Sol in Proverbs, words that we all know, but don’t necessarily practice enough. And with all the chaos, disaster and lawlessness that’s currently surrounding us, now is a perfect time to review them. Cousin Sol wisely advises us to: ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths.
Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body) and marrow (strength) to thy bones. Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst forth with new wine.’ (Prov. 3:5-10)
Oh my people, those are probably the six wisest verses in the Bible. And if we follow them, then our lives will be God-centred and filled with numerous blessings…as well as the necessary trials and tribulations. (smile) But we will be able to handle those with God as our Guide and Helper. According to the scholars, in verses 5-6, ‘Three commands are given: trust, meaning “rely on, depend on”; lean not, meaning do not depend on your own native instincts; and acknowledge him, meaning have fellowship and intimacy with God in all of life. The result of such devotion is that God will make the paths straight before you.’
And if we add honouring God with our first fruits and tithes, then our lives will be almost complete. And why almost you ask? Because there’s one more important provision in Cousin Sol’s game plan, where he wisely advises: ‘My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of (detest) his correction: For whom the Lord LOVETH, he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.’ (Prov. 3:11-12) And that’s ever so true my faithful brethren! Our God corrects us because He LOVES us just like our earthly fathers do, and if we despise that correction, or rebel against it, we’ll forfeit many blessings.
And there are several scriptures that remind us of that particular subject. In the Book of Job, his friend Eliphaz the Temanite expounds on it thus: ‘Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole. He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee. In famine he shall redeem thee from death: and in war from the power (hand) of the sword. Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.
At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh: neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth. For thou shalt be in league with (have a covenant with) the stones of the field: and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee. And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle (tent) shall be in peace: and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin (find nothing amiss). Thou shalt know also that thy seed (descendants) shall be great, and thine offspring as the grass of the earth. Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in his season. Lo this, we have searched it, so it is; hear it; and know thou it for thy good.’ (Job 5:17-27)
Oh friends, it seems that Eliphaz had researched the subject and came up with those marvellous conclusions. So, we will also advise us to hear it, and know it for our own good, because it’s a rather important subject in God’s kingdom. Meanwhile the author of Hebrews in talking about Jesus and what He underwent on our behalf, reminds us: ‘And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as children (sons of God), My son, despise not thou the chastening (discipline) of the Lord, nor faint (be discouraged) when thou art rebuked of him. for whom the Lord LOVETH, he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he recieveth.’ (Heb. 12: 5-6)
Yes friends, God disciplines those He LOVES, in conjunction with these wise words of Cousin Sol’s from Proverbs: ‘He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that LOVETH him, chasteneth him betimes (promptly).’ (Prov. 3:24) Many of you might not agree with that verse, but speaking from personal experience, I can assure you that it works. It doesn’t mean abusing a child, but it does mean as the old people would say, when you don’t hear, you feel. And I can assure you too, that if many of our young people had had a taste of the rod in their early lives, they would not be the rebellious and ungodly people they are today.
And Jesus Himself considered discipline important, when He said in His message to the church at Laodicea: ‘As many as I LOVE, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore and repent.’ (Rev. 3:19) So if Jesus said it, who am I to refute it eh? Oh my people, we can either be obedient, or accept the Lord’s discipline with grace. It’s as simple as that! Now, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Jesus Christ.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we endure with Christ to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever imagine. So let’s be wise and endure to the end nuh, and so enjoy that glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…sincerely trusting God…and totally leaning on Him…are the wisest things a human being can ever do…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Nov 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook on life, be not wise in thine own eyes, bind them about thy neck, curse, despise not the chastening of the Lord, faith, favour, fear the Lord and depart from evil, fellowship, find favour and good understanding, God always comes first, he shall direct thy paths, health to the navel, honour the Lord with thy substance, in all thy ways acknowledge him, in the sight of God and man, Jesus Christ, lean not unto thine own understanding, length of days long life and peace, let not mercy and truth forsake thee, let thine heart keep my commandments, LOVE, marrow to they bones, mercy, my son forget not my law, negative word, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him, self-control, success, Thursday Blessings, thy barns shall be filled with plenty, thy presses shall burst out with new wine, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, truth, we can do all things though Christ who strengthens us, whom the Lord loveth he correcteth, wisdom, with the firstfruits of all thine increase, with the Lord's help, write them upon the table of thine heart
Proverbs 3:1. My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments.
Well, the penultimate day of this work week, Thursday, and the last day of this month, November, has chosen to open bright and sunny, though somewhat cold. But this is the winter season, so what do we expect eh? (smile) Let’s at least give thanks for the sunshine, which I didn’t have when I was doing my errands yesterday. But with the Lord’s help we did handle them successfully though. And in the long run, that’s the important thing…We can do whatever the Lord desires us to do because He anoints and strengthens us to do it! All glory be to His blessed name!
And today friends, all we’re going to do is read, peruse, study and find some useful insights into perhaps one of the most important and insightful passages in the entire Bible. Yes, friends, if we follow these simple, but ever so important commands as outlined by Cousin Sol in Chapter 3 of Proverbs, our lives will be filled with the Lord’s grace, mercy and understanding. So let’s read from Proverbs Chapter 3, verse 1. ‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments.’
Wow! Right there we have the ultimate in fellowship and discipleship. The overwhelming need to remember the commandments of God, if you are a follower of God. Why? ‘For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.’ (Prov. 3:2) And aren’t those things that all of us desire? For sure! So we now know the way to find long life, length of days and peace…keep the commandments of God. We therefore have no more excuses. (smile)
Then the next verse kindly informs us: ‘Let not mercy (LOVING-kindness) and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck, write them upon the table of thine heart (thy mind). So shalt thou find favour and good understanding (high esteem) in the sight of God and man.’ (Prov. 3:3-4) There again we have the formula for finding favour in the sight of both God and man; the strong keeping of mercy and truth in our lives; so strong that they become like an adornment, like a necklace around our necks.
So now we know how to acquire long life, length of days, peace, favour and high esteem. Mama Mia! Are we ever going to go out and acquire them now! But wait a minute, not so fast, there are still a few other things we have to know and consider. (smile) Listen to the two basic, but perhaps the two most important verses in this section. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths.’ (Prov. 3:5-6)
Yes my brethren, if we practice those three things: trust in the Lord, don’t depend on our own native instincts and acknowledge God, that’s have fellowship and intimacy with Him all through our life, then He will guide our paths, make them straight before us. Now that doesn’t mean we won’t have problems, but when the problems come He will give us the wherewithal to handle them. So how can we ever go wrong if we do those three basic things eh? Never!
Then there are some other reminders that further build our lives in Almighty God. Hear this one: ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.’ (Prov. 3:7) Now that should be a no-brainer! It’s obvious we cannot put too much trust in our finite and puny understanding, while reverencing the Lord and staying away from evil are all important parts of being a Christian. And Cousin Sol tells us just how following that advice helps us. ‘It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones.’ (Prov. 3:8) Now good health and strength are things we all desire. So now we know how to get them. (smile)
And here’s another bit of awesome wisdom: ‘Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov. 3:9-10) There we have it friends; if we want to be blessed with abundance, we need to honour God and man and give generously of our firstfruits, not from the remainder. God must ALWAYS come first!
And having heard all the comparatively easy things to do in this section of scripture, here comes another important but ofttimes difficult bit of wisdom to handle. And Cousin Sol puts it as nicely as possible. (smile) ‘My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, neither be weary of (detest) his correction: For whom the Lord LOVETH he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.’ (Prov. 3:11-12)
Ah mih bredrin, we know that’s a hard pill to swallow, but we won’t always do right, and just like our earthly fathers correct us when we do wrong in their sight, likewise the Lord corrects us when we do wrong in His sight, not because He just wants to punish us, but because He LOVES us. Allowing us to do wrong and not correcting us is not LOVE, but and absence of LOVE, more like encouragement to do wrong.
And the author of Hebrews, using Cousin Sol’s thoughts, puts it like this: ‘And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children (sons). My son despise not thou the chastening (discipline) of the Lord, nor faint (be discouraged) when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord LOVETH he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.’ (Heb. 12:5-6)
Yes my fellow saints, even the best of us have faults and foibles that don’t belong in us, which stop us from becoming more Christlike, which is the Lord’s end plan. Therefore, He has to remove them by disciplining us. So let’s not be upset and disappointed when He chastens us nuh, for it’s only for our good. And He’s such a wonderful God that He’s even bestowed numerous undeserved blessings on us to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings, so let’s declare (yesss!!!) them out loud now, so that they can be activated.
As one 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 activated those blessings, it’s now our bounden duty to go out and use them on the Lord’s behalf, just as generously as He bestowed them on us! Much LOVE!
…the fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the (very) beginning of knowledge…but fools despise wisdom and instruction…(Prov. 1:7)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
26 Jul 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: accomplish your divine will, alive and kicking, all the upright in heart shall follow it, allowing us to see another beautiful day, be not wise in thine own eyes, but God gave the increase, do as I say not as I do, enmity and strife amongst each other, fear the Lord and depart from evil, God calls the shots not us, God is the Boss, hurry, I am the beloved of god, I have planted and Apollos watered, if any man among you, it shall be health to thy navel, judgement shall return unto the righteous, let him become a fool, let no man deceive himself, let no man glory in men, LOVE, marrow to thy bones, obey God and leave all the consequences to him, our names are nit in the obits, seemeth to be wise in this world, share His love with the world, the amazing hope of salvation, the breath of life, the lies deceits of the enemy, the Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, the Lord will not cast off his people, the sacrificial death of Jesus, the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, worry
1 Corinthians 3:18. Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world (age), let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
Glory be! It’s Tuesday, and we are alive and kicking, thanks to God’s goodness and mercies that are new every day! Wow! Our names are not in the obits like so many others! Now that calls for some thanks and praise, doesn’t it? For sure! So please pray with me.
‘Dear heavenly father, with all of our souls, bodies, hearts and minds, we thank You for allowing us to see another beautiful day on planet earth. We know that it’s only through Your amazing goodness and mercy that it has happened, and it means You have more work for us to do down here. So please lead and guide us today, and every day that You give us the breath of life, to enable us to successfully accomplish your divine will, because that’s all that really matters. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!’
Ah mih people, please don’t ever doubt that we worship a most wonderful, merciful and good God, and it’s only through His awesome grace and mercy that we’re still breathing and have the amazing hope of salvation through the sacrificial death of His Son Jesus Christ. Some of us might think otherwise, how come He’s so good, when we suffer pain and sorrow and we don’t get what we want, when we want it?
But let’s remember that God is not there to just give us our selfish desires, if and when we please, but instead, we are here to do His divine bidding, to follow His will, be that as it may, even down to sacrificing our lives or the lives of others, if He so desires! Let’s get it straight; He is the Creator, and we are the created. He is the Boss and we are His servants, or children, or whatever you choose to call us. That means He calls the shots, not us!
And until we get that fact straight in our minds, the devil will always be able to lead us astray with his many lies, deceits and disinformation. We were made to honour and revere God, not for God to play doting grandfather to us. It’s amusing, but also sad, that we expect our children to obey our every wish, but don’t think we need to give the same obedience to our heavenly Father. As the ole people would say, ‘do so ain’t like so, do as I say, but not as I do.’ Yes, the rules pertain to everybody else… but us. (smile)
That leads us to these wise words of Bruh Paul to the church at Corinth when they were fighting over whom to belong to, Paul or Apollos. ‘Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world (age), let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, he taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain (futile). Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours. Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.’ (1 Cor. 3:18-23)
Ah mih people, yuh see how it easy it is for contention to spring up in the church? As Bruh Paul said earlier on. ‘I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.’ (1 Cor. 3:6-7) So it does us no good to be contending over who is the most important or wisest, because God gave them all to us to help us in our earthly journey, but in the long run, it is He Himself who produces whatever fruit we bear.
The world however is quite taken up with individual importance and wisdom, which the Lord considers total foolishness, as Bruh Paul says above. And Cousin Sol said it so perfectly long before that, when he declared: ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear (reverence) the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones.’ (Prov. 3:7-8)
That’s the truth in spades my brethren! This lust for worldly wisdom and importance is driving us crazy, causing us to strive for unimportant things like wealth, power and glory, and in the fallout, enmity and strife amongst each other. That’s not what the Lord wants for us my people. He desires us to get along, as one body in Christ Jesus, doing His holy will, bringing the unbeliever from the darkness of Satan to the bright, shining and empowering light of Christ. But we can’t do that if we are fighting amongst each other for power and position, or totally neglecting the will of God.
And the psalmist wraps it all up nicely with these revealing words from Psalm 94. ‘The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity (futile). Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest (instructs), O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law; That thou mayest give him rest (relief) from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked. For the Lord will not cast off (abandon) his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance. But judgement shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it.’ (Ps. 94:11-15)
Yes friends, the Lord God Jehovah is a father unto us, and just like we LOVE, instruct, chasten and have the good of our children at heart, so does He have our welfare at heart. And just like we set a path for our children and enable them to walk it, so will He do whatever is necessary to keep us walking the straight and narrow path that leads through Jesus to Him. He’s playing the same role that we play as earthly parents. It’s as simple as that.
Now, for those of us who are sincerely endeavouring to stay on the straight and narrow path, let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Tuesday mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one 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 the world. Amen!’
And having made that declaration, it now behooves us to go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him… (Uncle Charles – Dr Charles Stanley)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
17 Mar 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a grim countenance, a reserved place in heaven, abundance, achieve great faith, atonement for sins, be joyful and of good cheer, be not afraid or anxious, be not wise in thine own eyes, courage, curse, defeating the purpose of Christ's sacrificial death, disregard the difficulties of the moment, enter the crazy milieu, expectations of leaisure and pleasure, faith like a grain of mustard seed, fear the Lord and depart from evil, grace, have life more abundantly, heavens seems like a distant nebulous place, heroes of faith, honour the Lord with thy substance, lean not unto thine own understanding, LOVE, mercy, negative word, overcome life's problems, peace be still, prepare for Monday, talent, the complexities of life, the first fruits of all thine increase, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Thursday Blessings, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, unconditional LOVE, we only grow through adversity
Proverbs 3:5. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Then came Thursday, and we are all moving along steadfastly, knowing that there is only one day between us and the big day of Friday. And I have this interesting question to pose on that subject. Why do we handle life so much better when we have something to look forward to eh, something that pleases us, or will work on our behalf? We handle Thursday quite nicely, knowing that the next day is Friday, and our weekend pleasures will begin.
But we don’t handle Sunday quite as nicely, definitely not looking forward to Monday, the start of our work week. We often seem to have a grim countenance on Sunday evenings as we prepare for Monday. That is when we do prepare for Monday before Monday morning, (smile) and then have to rush and panic and become frustrated before we enter the crazy milieu with other frantic people hurrying to work.
Is it that expectations of leisure and pleasure boost our spirits so much that we conveniently disregard the difficulties of the moment? And if that’s so, then this next question automatically follows; why then aren’t we conveniently disregarding the problems of this world when we think of all the leisure and pleasure we will have in heaven with Jesus?
Is it because heaven seems like a nebulous place a long way off, and neither do we expect to get there for a long long time? (smile) Or is it that we simply don’t have enough faith in Jesus and all His promises to rebuke the things and images of this evil world? But whatever the reason for our disregard of things heavenly, I want to remind us today that that’s not a very wise approach to life.
Remember Christ said He died for us to have life, and to have it more abundantly. (John 10:10) Now that’s not only spiritual or eternal life after we die, but also a good and practical physical life, for heaven doesn’t begin when we die, but when we accept Christ as our Lord and Saviour. So, if we don’t accept the many things He offers down here on earth, we are defeating the purpose of His sacrificial death on the cross at Calvary.
Yes friends, Christ’s death included much more than atonement for sins and a reserved place in heaven! It includes things like grace, mercy, and unconditional LOVE, through the awesome power and guidance of the Holy Spirit! In other words, help to navigate this cruel and wicked world with a modicum of peace, LOVE and joy that’s otherwise unattainable! Please remember His offers of peace and reassurance in John 14:27, and 16:33. And if we sincerely accept them, then we ought not be afraid or anxious, but joyful and of good cheer.
And yes, it can be tough to do those things when the storms of life seem to be coming against us with full force, but Jesus calmed the physical storm on the Sea of Galilee by simply saying, ‘Peace, be still. ’ (Mark 4:39) So, if He can calm physical storms, there’s no reason whatsoever why He can’t calm the emotional and spiritual ones roiling in our souls. But we have to turn to Him seriously and sincerely, and have even a little faith, like that of a small mustard seed, as Jesus describes it: ‘Which, indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among the herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge (nest) in the branches thereof.’ (Matt. 13:32)
Yes my faithful brethren, that’s how the kingdom of God grows in us – little by little. And unfortunately, that growth is controlled by the difficulties we face in this world, because it’s only through adversity that we can grow in faith. Each difficulty we conquer raises the level of our faith, and helps us to conquer the next one in an easier manner. The sad fact is that that as we grow in faith, so do the complexities of life grow in complexity. (smile) But that’s how we achieve great faith.
And if you read Hebrews 11, that great chapter on the Heroes of Faith, you’ll see that all of them went through tough times before their faith grew strong and great. The important thing that they all did though from the beginning was trust in the Lord and acknowledge His faithfulness, even when it wasn’t yet manifested in their lives. Now that’s what God expects of His followers; a high level of trust in His faithfulness although we haven’t yet experienced it. It’s not easy, but that’s why we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us; to help us achieve that trust.
And these magnificent and wise words penned by Cousin Sol in Proverbs, gives us the perfect formula for achieving it. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make straight) thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones. Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions) and with the first fruits of all thine increase: So that thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov. 3:5:10)
Oh my people, if you must choose five verses from the scriptures that reflect the best and wisest way to live for and with God, those are them! You can never go wrong if you follow that wise advice of Cousin Sol. But that’s exactly where so many of us go wrong, we might know the advice, but we don’t take it as seriously as we ought, and thus end up with problems that could have been otherwise avoided.
Anyway, the Lord in His awesome grace, has bestowed on us several tools to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings. However, since a blessing is not a blessing until it’s declared out loud, let’s declare them right now nuh, so that they can take effect. Altogether now: ‘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 as always, when God blesses us, He also expects us to use those blessings to bless others in His holy name. So, let’s go out and do that as generously as God did it with us nuh. Much LOVE!
…only through the help and strength of Jesus…can we successfully overcome life’s problems…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
02 Sep 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be not wise in thine own eyes, bring ye all your tithes into the storehouse, compassionate heart, curse, divine protection, eternal life, faith, favour, fear the Lord and depart from evil, find favour and good understanding, he shall direct thy paths, health to thy navel, hearing the same old lies, honour the Lord with thy substance, if I will not open the windows of heaven, if ye love me keep my commandments, in all thy ways acknowledge him, in the sight of God and man, it takes time to mature in the grace and mercy of God, lean not unto thine own understanding, let thine heart keep my commandments, living for Jesus is not a walk in the park, LOVE, marrow to thy bones, my son forget not my law, negative word, obedience, pitfalls, pour you out a blessing, prince of peace, promotion, prosper, prove me now, salvation, saved from eteranl damantion and separation, succeed, the enemy of our soul, the first fruits of all thine increase, the Lord giveth the the power to get wealth, the Lord's ever-faithful promise, the new mercies and compassions of God, there shall not be room enough to receive it, Thursday Blessings, thy presses' shall burst out with new wine, tribulations, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, walking the same old roads
Proverbs 3:1. My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments.
Oh friends, this cool Thursday morning in early September is another day for us to live gratefully and enjoy the new mercies and compassions of God. And if you have been walking the same old roads that are leading you to sure destruction, and hearing the same old lies from the enemy of your soul, then it’s time to turn to the One who can change all of that, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
Yes, He’s the One that LOVED us so much that He sacrificed His life that we could be saved from eternal damnation and separation from Almighty God! And yes, that’s a mighty fine thing He did there, the only One who could have accomplished it, for being eternally separated from the Creator of this universe is the worst thing that can ever happen to a human being. So please, it’s not wise to allow that selfless action of Jesus to go unused, to go to waste, by not accepting Him as Lord and Saviour, Redeemer, Prince of Peace and the many other things that He is and stands for.
But unfortunately, living for Jesus is not a nice easy walk in the park kind of life, for there are pitfalls and tribulations and all sorts of unhappy things can happen along the way. However, we are assured that despite the many problems we may face, there will also be lots of enjoyment and refreshment along the way, and eventually everything will work out for our good. That’s the Lord’s ever-faithful promise! And if you want to hook up with Jesus, you have to believe His many promises; that’s what we call faith! And with faith comes sincere obedience too.
And these wise words from the wisest man ever, Cousin Sol, as he exhorts us to obedience, should take first place in our hearts if we are to enjoy all the beautiful things that Christ has promised us, ending with salvation, eternal life in heaven with Him and our Triune God. So, let’s check out these most important words from the Good Book that ought to be our guide for daily living. Cousin Sol begins thus: ‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments.’ (Prov. 3:1)
Yes my brethren, it’s ever so important that we obey the rules and regulations involved in worshipping and living for Christ! All organizations have rules and regulations for its members to follow, otherwise there will be anarchy, with everyone doing as they please. And Jesus said it loud and clear to the disciples: ‘If you LOVE me, keep my commandments.’ (John 14:15) So if you don’t intend to keep God’s commands, then you are just wasting His time and yours. And please remember that God doesn’t really need us nuh, but we definitely need Him. So all of this is for our benefit, not His.
And one of the major benefits that come from keeping His commandments is this: ‘For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.’ (Prov. 3:2) Oh mih people, who doesn’t want all of that eh? We all do! But we won’t get it unless we obey our heavenly Father’s commands. And Cousin Sol continues with his wise words. ‘Let not mercy (LOVING-kindness) and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart (mind). (Prov. 3:3) And why should we do that? The answer is quite simple: ‘So shalt thou find favour and good understanding (high esteem) in the sight of God and man.’ (Prov. 3:4)
Oh people, people, there is always a good reason for accepting Christ as Lord and Saviour and obeying His commandments! It’s not just a disorganized, quickly thrown together thing. It’s taken thousands of years for this plan to come to fruition, and it’s not quite done yet. But for us to be a successful part of it we must do wise, though sometimes hard stuff like ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.’ (Prov. 3:5-6)
Oh, how can we ever go wrong when we allow the Creator of the universe to guide our lives eh? No way! But it has to be a constant, continual way of life. Like Cousin Sol says: ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength, refreshment) to thy bones.’ (Prov. 3:7-8) Wow mih bredrin! Who again doesn’t want those benefits eh? We all do. But they don’t come by just wishing and hoping, but by being continually faithful, obedient and trusting!
Now hear this next directive from Cousin Sol nuh. ‘Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the first fruits of all thine increase. So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov. 3:9-10) Ah mih people, that’s oh so important in the Lord’s economy, yet so many of us refuse to do it. We stubbornly refuse to give back to the Lord the first portion of what we earn or harvest through His bounty. Yes, it’s through the Lord’s bounty that we gain anything, as Moses reminded the Israelites long ago: ‘Remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth…’ (Deut. 8:18)
And it’s not like the Lord needs it nuh, but He just wants to see if we really and truly believe Him when it comes to giving. In the Old Testament times they called it a tithe, or a tenth of what you earned. And it was also a means for the priests and people who worked in the church and could not work the land or raise animals, to get food, and to have food to share with the poor and the stranger.
And it was so important to the Lord that in Malachi, He claimed that the Israelites robbed Him, then challenged them thus: ‘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)
Yes friends, that’s how generous and faithful our great God is! But we also have to be faithful and trusting by giving back a fair portion of our goods for His work. And believe me, no one that has ever tithed will tell you it doesn’t work! Now it’s not just a matter of giving to get, but it must come from a sincere place in our hearts; a place of true belief and trust. And it does take time to mature in the grace and mercy of God, so all that stuff we’ve spoken about won’t happen overnight, but we do need to make a serious effort to live it.
And when we do that, Almighty God blesses us even more, bestowing what we call our Thursday Blessings, so that we can do a good job for Him down here on earth. So let’s declare them together now nuh, because they don’t come into effect until they are declared. As one strong 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!’
That’s for sure my fellow saints! But now we must go out and share those blessings just as generously with others as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…for an organization to be successful…all members must obey its rules…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
01 Jun 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: after their own pleasure, be not wise in thine own eyes, bind them about thy neck, despise not God's chastening, fear the Lord and depart from evil, find favour and good understanding, God dealeth with you as with sons, he for our profit, he shall direct thy paths, health to thy navel, honour the Lord with thy substance, I am the beloved of god, if ye endure chastening, immovable unchangeable God, in all thy ways acknowledge him, in god's eyes, it yieldeth the peaceful fruit of righteousness, lean not unto thine own understanding, lenght of days, let not mercy and truth forsake thee, let thine heart keep my commandments, long life and peace, LOVE, marrow to thy bones, my son forget not my law, neither be weary of his correction, no chastening for the present seems joyful, scriptural wisdom, shall they add to your life, share His love with the world, the first fruits of all thine increase, thy barns be filled with plenty, thy presses burst out with new wine, to hearken than the fat of rams, to obey is better than sacrifice, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, with God and man, write them upon the table of thine heart
Proverbs 3:1. My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
Can you believe it friends, this is already the first day of June, the sixth month? The year is just flying by despite all the problems currently engulfing the world! And it’s certainly a good thing that we have a strong, staunch, unchangeable, immovable God, who is the same yesterday, today and forever, otherwise we would be an easy prey to the numerous evil elements lurking around almost every corner! So it’s rather wise to call out to our great God at all times; in the morning, in the evening and in the midnight hour, for He is indeed our very help in times of trouble and tribulation.
And that’s why these monumental words of scriptural wisdom from Cousin Sol are so important to our earthly travels. ‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to your life.’ (Prov. 3:1-2) Yuh see the importance of obedience to God’s commandments friends? It shall only add long life and peace to your days here on earth!
Then Cousin Sol continues: ‘Let not mercy (LOVING-kindness) and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart. So shalt thou find favour and good understanding (high esteem) in the sight of God and man.’ (Prov. 3:3-4) Ah mih bredrin, that’s the incomparable benefit of walking in mercy and truth! And the scholars offer these explanations: ‘3:3. About thy neck: The teachings should be made as much a part of one’s adornment as a necklace. The table of thine heart, that is, the mind.’
But Cousin Sol doesn’t stop there, he gets deeper into his exhortations on obedience. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths.’ (Prov. 3:5-6) More incomparable wisdom friends!
Now hear the scholars on those two verses. ‘3:5-6. Three commands are given: trust, meaning “rely on, depend on”; lean not, meaning do not depend on your own native instincts; and acknowledge him, meaning have fellowship and intimacy with God in all of life. The result of such devotion is that God will make the paths straight before you.’ Now what more can we ask for eh my fellow believers?
However, there is much more available, as Cousin Sol tells it, tells it straight and true. ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones. Honour the Lord with all thy substance (possessions), and with the first fruits of all thine increase. So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov. 3:7-10)
Oh my people, if there was only one set of scriptures to describe the kind of life a believer in Jesus is supposed to live, those first ten verses of Proverbs 3, would be it! It covers everything from obedience to length of life, from trust to health, to increase and prosperity; the how’s, whys and wherefores of living for our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Now why aren’t we living that wise kind of life eh? Who knows? But wisdom dictates that that’s how we ought to live, and if we don’t, then we will suffer the consequences for wrongdoing and sinful living.
But even then, our God is so wonderful, as Cousin Sol explains: ‘My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of (detest) his correction: For whom the Lord LOVETH he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.’ (Prov. 3:11-12) Wow! What a wonderful God we serve and worship my people! As the scholars say of those verses: ‘God’s correction shows His LOVE (cf. Heb. 12:5-6).’
And we certainly will check out those verses which deal with God’s discipline. ‘And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children (sons), My son despise not thou the chastening (discipline) of the Lord, nor faint (be discouraged) when thou art rebuked of him. For whom the Lord LOVETH he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.’ (Heb. 12:5-6) So you see that discipline is as much a heavenly measure as it is an earthly one. (smile)
And the author of Hebrews takes the discipline matter a little further. ‘If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, wherefore all are partakers, then are ye bastards (illegitimate), and not sons. Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence (respect): shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure (as seemed best to them); but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.’ (Heb. 12:7-10)
Now that’s a very good question my brethren? If we respect our earthly fathers who punish us according to their whims and fancies, why won’t we reverence our heavenly Father, the One who gives us life and all the good things thereof, when He disciplines us for our profit, our benefit eh? Because we’re foolish, sinful, prideful and disobedient!
And the author of Hebrews concludes that message with this insightful comment: ‘Now no chastening (discipline) for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised (trained) thereby.’ (Heb. 12:11) And that’s the indisputable truth friends. Discipline or punishment never seems good for the present moment, but later on, when we look back at the situation, we usually see the benefits of it.
Anyway, if, after reading all of the above, we still continue in our foolish and disobedient ways, then what am I to say eh…except crapaud smoke yuh pipe! But for those of us who are sincerely trying to be wise and obedient, let’s go home declaring (awright!) our Tuesday Mantra.
As one strong, heart-felt 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 the world. Amen!’
And now, as our duty entails, let’s go out and share the awesome friendship and amazing LOVE of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Much LOVE!
…to obey is better…than to sacrifice…and to hearken…than the fat of rams… (1 Sam. 15:22)
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