The Overwhelming Importance of Not Only Seeking God, but Seeking Him with Right and Sincere Motives!

13 Sep 2025 Leave a comment

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

Jeremiah 29:13.         And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

And then it was our lazy-day Saturday! Thank You Lord! It’s the time to just lie abed as late as possible, then get up, have a cup of coffee, and retire to the couch for more lazing around. (smile) After five frustrating and draining days of work, we’ve earned the right to relax, to just be quiet and allow our bodies to catch themselves. And there’s no better way to accomplish that desired situation than by offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. 

So, with all sincerity and truth, let’s pray: ‘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 we say those simple words of praise and communion, we feel the peace and calm of the Lord just flowing into us and with a deep sigh, our entire being just relaxes, and all the tension of the past five days just drift right into outer space. (smile) Yes friends, that’s what seeking intimacy with our wonderful God can do! 

Remember, that’s what He desires from us; that sense of deep and sincere communication. He says it very clearly in His Word, through the prophet Jeremiah. ‘And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:13) Now isn’t that a marvellous promise? It certainly is! But it requires seeking the Lord with all of our hearts. We cannot go seeking Him with just lip service and no heart throbs, for He will not answer us. And sadly, that’s what many of us are doing today, simply running to God with our mouths and asking for all sorts of unwise things, and when we don’t get them, we wonder why, and then bad talk and blaspheme the Lord. 

But it’s like Jesus said to the Pharisees: ‘Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias (Isaiah) prophesy of you saying, This people draweth nigh (near) unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.’ (Matt. 15:7-9) Yes my fellow believers, unfortunately that’s very true of many of us in these dreadful and devilish times. 

And I like this verse of promise from Isaiah’s prophesy. ‘Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?’ (Is. 29:15) Now that’s exactly how many of us behave; foolishly trying to hide our true feelings and works from the Lord. But remember our God is omniscient, all seeing, all knowing and wise as ever, so there’s nothing we can ever hide from Him. 

Especially when He checks the motives of our hearts before He even considers our prayers. And He says it quite plainly through the prophet Jeremiah. ‘The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked (incurably sick): who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try (test) the reins (minds), even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.’ (Jer. 17:9-10) 

And I like what this commentary says about that last verse: ‘It explains that God not only examines human motivations but also rewards individuals according to their deeds and the fruit of their actions. This divine scrutiny extends beyond outward actions to the inner intentions and thoughts of every person, revealing hidden motives and ensuring judgment aligns with their true desires and ways.’ 

Oh my brethren, we cannot get away from the close scrutiny of our all knowing God. He made us and knows exactly what we’re all about. And it’s like the Lord said to Jeremiah when He called him into ministry. ‘Before I formed thee in the belly (womb) I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee (set thee apart), and ordained (appointed) thee a prophet unto the nations.’ (Jer. 1:5) So the Lord knows what’s happening with us right from the very beginning. 

It’s also like Bruh David says in that magnificent Psalm 139 – Praise to the All-Knowing God. ‘O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou comapsseth (comphendest) my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. …For thou hast possessed my reins (formed my inward parts): thou hast covered (weaved) me in my mother’s womb. 

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right (very) well. My substance (bones) was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously (skillfully) wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect (unformed); and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned (the days fashioned for me) when as yet there was none of them.’ (Ps. 139:1-4; 13-16) 

Oh my people, all of that just shows how our God is deeply involved in our creation even before we’re created. He doesn’t just create us, He plans it all out before putting it into action. That ought to tell us that there’s nothing we can hide from Him, nothing about us He doesn’t know, and nowhere we can go where He won’t find us. (Ps. 139:7-12) So why are we still foolishly trying to hide things from Him and escape His LOVING embrace eh? Who knows? 

But it is certainly time to stop doing it, for it will only be to our detriment. Remember all the Lord is doing is not for Himself, but for us, and if we don’t show the proper wisdom and appreciation, we will have to suffer the consequences, which can be very heartrending. So, on this somewhat cloudy, lazy-day Saturday in mid-September, let’s seriously consider all we’ve said, and let it sincerely lead us into the arms of Christ, where we were created to be! Much LOVE!

…man was made by God…for God’s holy purposes…not for man’s selfish, sinful ways…

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

The Overwhelming and All Important Need that Christians Have for Christ!

10 Aug 2025 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 11:28.         Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

And since today is a bright and sunshiny Sunday friends, hot like those of the recent past, and also with a heat warning, it means that all roads lead to the Lord’s Sanctuary – hope they are air-conditioned. (smile) We go there to offer up praise, worship and thanksgiving, and to receive His amazing grace, mercy, strength and joy, to help us handle the vicissitudes of the upcoming week. And today we begin our worship with a marvellous and most appropriate contemporary Christian song for these tough and turbulent times. It is simply titled, ‘Lord I Need You.’ 

And that is the indisputable truth, for in these ungodly and scary times, we need the Lord more than ever. However, before we get into the song, since we are talking about needing God, I believe it would be helpful to define ‘a need.’ So, here’s an interesting definition from this commentary.

It says, ‘A need is something that is necessary for an organism to live a healthy life. Needs are distinguished from wants in that, in the case of a need, a deficiency causes a clear adverse outcome: a dysfunction or death. In other words, a need is something required for a safe, stable and healthy life (e.g. food, water, and shelter) while a want is a desire, wish or aspiration.’

Now, taking that definition of a need into consideration, saying that we need the Lord is certainly another indisputable truth. For without Him in our lives, leading, guiding, and protecting us, we would surely die, both physically and spiritually! Oh yes, He is certainly someone we need to help our human organisms lead a healthy life. (smile) And now that we know what a need is, let’s offer up our sacrifices of praise through this beautiful and most timely song, in an uplifting and lively version, like that done by the renowned Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.

Singing: ‘Lord I come, I confess Bowing here, I find my rest Without You, I fall apart You’re the one that guides my heart (Chorus: Lord, I need You, oh I need You Every hour, I need You My one defense, my righteousness Oh God, how I need You) Where sin runs deep, Your grace is more Where grace is found is where You are And where You are, Lord I am free Holiness is Christ in me (Chorus)

So teach my song to rise to You When temptation comes my way And when I cannot stand, I’ll fall on You Jesus, You’re my hope and stay (Chorus. Lord, I need You, oh I need You Every hour, I need You My one defense, my righteousness Oh God, how I need You You’re my one defense, my righteousness Oh God, how I need You My one defense, my righteousness Oh God, how I need You.’

And as we said before that is the indisputable truth! And not only the indisputable one nuh, but also the gospel truth as well as the infallible one…and any other serious truths out there! (smile) Yes my people, God created us and still controls us, therefore we need Him big time. And if we read Psalm 139, Bruh David’s Praise to the All-Knowing God, we will see how He formed us in our mother’s wombs, knows our thoughts, and everything we’ll say before we even say, we cannot hide from Him, and above all how ‘fearfully wonderfully’ we’re made. So how can we not need Him eh?

Then, we see, the chorus in the song confesses our need for the Lord every hour as our “one defense, my righteousness.” Meanwhile the first verse talks about finding rest in God, and without Him, we’d fall apart. That’s very true, and recalls Jesus’ Great Invitation to cover just such needs. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30)

And all who hear that invitation and don’t accept it, they are certainly crazed in the head! For there’s nothing like it to be gained from anyone else. And as the chorus tells us how badly we need the Lord, the second verse let’s us know that  ‘Where sin runs deep, Your grace is more Where grace is found is where You are And where You are, Lord I am free…’

And where is the Lord’s grace found? The author of Hebrews reminds us: ‘Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:16) Yes friends, grace can be found most abundantly at the throne of grace!

Then the last verse declares: ‘So teach my song to rise to You When temptation comes my way And when I cannot stand, I’ll fall on You Jesus, You’re my hope and stay’ Oh my fellow believers, it’s like James says: ‘Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that LOVE him.’ (James 1:12) And to help us endure the temptation, these practical scripture verses from the pen of Bruh Paul to the Ephesians could be our guide.

‘See then that ye walk circumspectly (carefully), not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time (making the most of every opportunity), because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ (Eph. 5:15-21)

That’s the good thing about Bruh Paul, he doesn’t only fill us with doctrine, but always gives some practical advice on how to integrate it into our lives.  And we’ll end with this testimony from an unknown believer. He testifies: ‘God has used this song so much in my life over the past couple months. There are moments when we feel desperate, when we wonder why, we feel alone, we are so joyful, we feel so blessed…or we ask that God would show us what He wants from us and how to live.

And that’s where these words touch my heart so much…”Lord, I need You, oh I need You. Every hour I need You. My one defense, my righteousness, oh God how I need You.” He is ALL that we need. That’s what He wants from us. For us to run to Him, cling to Him and trust Him with everything we’re going through. Whether it’s painful and hard, or joy filled and exciting! We need Him!’

And that’s the amazing truth, my brethren! So let’s keep our faith going strong by needing Christ as much as ever! Much LOVE!

…when you have Christ…you don’t need anyone or anything else…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 July 2015 Psalm 139:1‏

29 Jul 2015 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 139:12.  O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.

Oh Friends, it’s ‘Summertime, And the livin’ is easy. Fish are jumpin’, And the cotton is high. Oh your daddy’s rich, and your mama’s good looking, So hush little baby, Don’t you cry.’

Yes Friends, let’s live the words of the Gershwin Brothers lyrics and not cry and complain because it’s the time of year we so avidly look forward to; summer. The days are hot and sticky, but we’re thankful it’s not freezing and we have to dress up in several layers of clothes and spend so much time inside.

And it’s certainly amusing and thought-provoking the way the weather plays on our emotions and our responses to each season. In winter we’re somewhat dour and sour (smile).

Then when spring comes along we lighten up some, a rebirth of enthusiasm seems to take place. As the cooler winds blow and the trees come out in their spring green colours, we begin to get lively with all sorts of dreams being born.

And when the big one hits, when summer finally rolls around, oh we just get crazy and let it all hang out. But not for very long though, because as fall, as autumn rolls in, the trees soon start losing their leaves, although they first provide us with some beautiful fall colours, but a depressive mood creeps in.

Then when the first snowfall hits… Chuh! We get sad and morose again thinking about the long, cold, dreary days and nights of winter and long to get away to somewhere warm and sunny. Hn, hn!

What a life mih people! But it’s ours and we’ll be foolish not to enjoy it as much as we can, for remember Jesus said that He came to give us life, and that more abundantly. (John 10:10)

So regardless of the temperature or the kind of weather we’re currently enjoying, please, let’s go out everyday and enjoy it to the best of our ability, knowing and believing that it’s another beautiful gift from God, and that He has something important planned for our day, that’s why we’re still alive. End of sermon! (smile)

And since today is Wednesday, let’s wail on nuh. Please wail with me. ‘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 that’s exactly how it ought to be my brethren! Our focus should always be on Jesus, for He is indeed the Way, the Truth, the Life and the Light of our salvation. Glory to God!

And we’ll continue today with our Bit from that beautiful Psalm 139 –The everlasting presence and power of God. ‘O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.’ Yes Friends, our God knows all about us, as intimately as we can be known, because He created us, formed us in our mother’s womb, and we are ‘fearfully and wonderfully made.’

And Bruh David reminds us of that, as we continue from where we left off yesterday. ‘My substance (frame) was not hid from thee when I was made in secret, and curiously (skillfully) wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect (unformed); and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned (the days fashioned for me) when as yet there were none.

How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.’ (Ps.139:15-18)

Yes Friends, our God planned, designed and formed us, writing the details of our members in His book before they even existed, even before they began forming. Then He sat and LOVINGLY watched us grow in our mother’s wombs. Isn’t He just a marvellous Deity? He surely is!

Now the scholars grace us with some info on the Comparative Attributes of God as it pertains to Psalm 139, and I would be greatly amiss if I didn’t share it with you.

‘Psalm 139. The comparative attributes of God contrast human abilities with the divine nature. Everyone has some knowledge, but only God has all knowledge (omniscience). Everyone has presence, but only God has presence at all times everywhere (omnipresence). Every person has some degree of power, but only God has unlimited power (omnipotence).

Illustration: Psalm 139 lays a foundation for understanding the comparative attributes. The omniscience of God is seen in verses 1-6. The omnipresence of God is seen in verses 7-11. The omnipotence of God is seen in verses 12-16.

Application: A Christian’s response to the comparative attributes of God should be to surrender to His leadership because He is wise, He is able to protect us, and He knows the true way to life with Himself. (First Ref. Gen.3:8; Primary Ref. Ps.139:1; cf. Eph.1:8).’

So Friends, it is only sane and sensible that we hand over leadership of our lives to the One who created us and controls our days and destiny down here on this earth, and through salvation in heaven, or death and destruction in hell, till eternity. Nothing else makes sense, since we can’t control much of what happens to us.

And we’ll close with some more wise and telling words from Bruh David. ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my (anxious) thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.’ (Ps.139:23-24)

Ah mih people, let’s do that this morning nuh… Let’s cry out to God to search our hearts and minds and clean us up and lead us on the straight and narrow nuh. For that is indeed wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!

…the smartest bet we can ever make…is to put all our hopes and dreams on Jesus…to WIN…no show or place bets…because Jesus is indeed the irrevocable, irreversible and ultimate WINNER…Glory to God…

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 January 2015 Ephesians 2:10

25 Jan 2015 Leave a comment

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

Ephesians 2:10.     For we are his workmanship (creation) created in Christ Jesus unto (for) good works, which God hath before ordained (prepared)  that we should walk in them.

Greetings and salutations my people, in the glorious name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, on this blessed but damp and foggy Sunday morning! All power and glory be to the One who sacrificed His holy and sinless life for us disgusting sinners.
 
And to show our grateful appreciation of that wonderful token of LOVE, let’s gather together in His sanctuary on this Sabbath Day, as He desires, to praise and worship Him, give Him the thanks that He so rightfully deserves, and in return receive His grace, mercy and forgiveness, so that our spirits can be renewed, our faith strengthened, and our actions positive and LOVE-filled!

And all God’s people said a loud and sincere: ‘Yes, let us do that, for it is meet and right so to do! 

And now, from the One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings from Ruth Harms Calkin, here is ‘Something Beautiful!’  ‘Here I am dear God  Your Child  A member of Your Family  Asking You  To make something beautiful of my life. Yet, even as I ask I am convinced  That the one beautiful thing  About a child of God  Is You, Jesus Christ. So, dear Lord  As You saturate me with Yourself  My life will be beautiful.’

And isn’t that the living truth Friends! There’s nothing as beautiful as a human being saturated with Jesus Christ! That inner beauty and LOVE of a true child of God just shines through the darkness of this world, knives through it like a big, bright spotlight closely focused on a performer on a stage! Oh my brethren, there’s no better state for us to be in, than to be filled with the beauty and joy of Jesus Christ! For we become new creations, old, evil ways are forgotten, and we look to the future with hope and faith. 

And the Bible promise for that poem is our Bit today; fateful words of Bruh Paul to the Ephesians. ‘For we are his workmanship (creation), created in Christ Jesus unto (for) good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.’ Friends, that’s truth to the nth degree!

And here are some explanations from the scholars to enlighten us. ‘2:10. For verifies the assertion of man’s good works having no part in obtaining salvation. (vs.8-9) Workmanship refers not to our original or physical birth, but to our spiritual birth: what we are spiritually in the good sense is due to God, not ourselves.

Created in Christ Jesus unto good works means “having been (morally) re-created by Christ Jesus for good works,” that is, Jesus remade our spiritual lives so that we could then do good works. The apostle’s thinking is this; since the Christian has been given spiritual life for the purpose of doing good works, there could have been no good works by him prior to conversion that would merit salvation. Good works follow – do not precede – salvation.’

And I’ll be my usual nice self (smile) and quote the two verses we mentioned above, re good works having no part in salvation. ‘For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.’ (Eph.28-9)

Yes Friends, part of the reason why salvation is not achieved by good works is so that men can’t boast about obtaining it on their own strength or merit. Remember, it is a free gift of God!

Now let’s look at a couple scriptures that reflect the theme of our Bit. Hear the palmist declare from Psalm 100 – A call to praise the Lord. ‘Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.’ (Ps.100:3-4)

Oh my people, if we’d only follow that wise advice of the psalmist, our lives and our world would be a much better place than it currently is!

Now listen to Isaiah, as he talks about the redemption of Israel. ‘But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify (hallow) my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel.’ (Is.29:23)

Without a doubt Friends, we are God’s handiwork, His greatest creation! Glory Hallelujah!

Another psalmist joyfully proclaims: ‘Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.’ (Ps.119:73) Words of awesome truth my brethren! And we’ll end with Bruh David’s version from Psalm 139 – The everlasting presence and power of God. ‘For thou hast possessed my reins (formed my inward parts): thou hast covered (weaved) me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right (very) well.’

My substance (frame, bones) was not hid from thee when I was made in secret, and curiously (skillfully) wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect (unformed); and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned (the days fashioned for me), when as not there was none of them.’ (Ps.139:13-16)

Yes Friends, Jehovah God was the planner, designer, architect and builder of every human being that was ever made. Therefore He knows all about us. We are definitely His, for He is our Creator, our Provider and our God. Without Him, we would not exist. Please, let’s remember that and give Him the appropriate level of praise, worship and thanks He deserves. That’s the duty of a sincere child of God. Much LOVE!

…without the Most High God Jehovah…nothing that was made…would be made…