The Overwhelming Need for Christians to Believe that God will One Day Judge the World!

04 Aug 2025 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 75:7.        But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up (exalts) another.

So it’s a bright and sunshiny Monday, the last day of this August long weekend that features the Caribana cultural activities. And even with an air advisory warning from the numerous forest fires, the celebrations are moving full steam ahead. (smile) But please, let’s remember tomorrow is work, and if you don’t show a modicum of circumspection in your celebrating today, tomorrow you’ll suffer the consequences; being physically sick, hung over, dead tired, or whatever negative situation crops up, and it might even endanger your job. So let’s be wise and party heartily, but above all, party wisely! End of Sermon. (smile)

And today we’ll look at the interesting Psalm 75, titled The Righteous Judge, who obviously is Almighty God. This psalm comes from the pen of Asaph, another great song writer that worked with Bruh David. The psalm opens thus: ‘Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare.’ (Ps. 75:1) And as in so many other psalms, we see the writer opens with praise and thanksgiving for God’s presence and His awesome works.

Then he continues: ‘When I shall receive the congregation (choose the appointed or proper time) I will judge uprightly. The earth and all the inhabitants are dissolved: I bear up (firmly set up) the pillars of it. Selah. I said unto the fools (boastful, arrogant), Deal not foolishly (boastfully or arrogantly): and to the wicked, lift not up the horn (don’t raise your head proudly like a horned animal): Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck (in insolent pride).’  (Ps. 75:2-5)

And what does all of that mean? This commentary explains it thus: ‘The psalm begins by thanking the Lord for His many incredible actions. It then speaks from the Lord’s perspective as He states that judgment will occur only on His timing. The psalmist compares the boastful people to a wild ox that lifts up its horn against heaven and stretches its neck out in arrogance. And those tempted to reject God’s authority, are met with serious warnings. Those who oppose the Lord will suffer wrath beyond their imagination.’

Then Asaph gets to the meat and potatoes of the psalm, explaining God’s judgement. ‘For promotion (exaltation) cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up (exalts) another.’ (Ps. 75:6-7) And is that ever the indisputable truth! For we see examples of it, as well as hear the same words all through the scriptures. But we still refuse to believe it. And these words from the song of Hannah, the prophet Samuel’s mother, in thanksgiving for the Lord’s answer to her prayer for a son, tell it like it is:

‘The Lord killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.  He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and he has set the world upon them.

He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn (strength) of his anointed.’ (1 Sam. 2:6-10)

Yes friends, Hannah says it all in that marvellous song of thanksgiving for the Lord’s curing of her barren state. And one of the best examples of that lowering and exalting is found in the Book of Daniel, where the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, having troublesome dreams,  appeals to Daniel for help, and is given the revelation that because of his arrogance and foolish pride, he will go mad for seven years. And we see it when He get’s proud and boastful about his building of the great empire of Babylon, ‘by the might of my power, and the honour of my majesty.’

While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass like oxen, and seven times (years) shall pass over thee, until thou know the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.’ (Dan. 4:30-33)

You see my people, the Lord’s Word is not a joke, so we had better believe whatever it says. And I like how after seven years of madness, the kingdom is restored to Nebuchadnezzar, and he testifies thus: ‘Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth and his ways judgement (justice): and those that walk in pride he is able to abase (humble).’ (Dan. 4:37) Now if a pagan king could make such a mighty testimony about the Lord’s power, why aren’t we believing it eh? For today, we are walking in so much pride and arrogance, that humility and meekness are almost non-existent. No wonder so many of the proud and boastful are falling.

Ah friends, unfortunately, we got away from the psalm, but that’s okay for the scriptures we looked at gave us a better understanding of it. (smile) And if the Lord spares life tomorrow, we will continue looking at the remainder of Psalm 75. Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine help for our numerous problems.

Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.

So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And we all know what it will take to get divine aid…better Christian witness from us. So please, in our best interest, let’s cut out all the foolish talking and useless pride, and simply do it nuh. Much LOVE!

…a word to the wise is sufficient…

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

The importance of Man living to please God!

24 Jun 2024 Leave a comment

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

Colossians 3:23.        And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

Chuh man! Another Monday…another work week. And yes, many of us don’t like the equation: Monday equals work, but that’s the only way the equation we all LOVE: Friday equals pay day, will ever come to pass. (smile) Oh friends, we cannot get away from work…and besides work is good for us, it keeps us busy and adds challenges to our lives, gives us a reason for getting up every day. (smile) For as Cousin Sol declares from his immense wisdom: ‘In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips (idle chatter) tendeth only to penury (poverty).’ (Prov. 14:23) And that’s the gospel truth! 

But above all, let’s remember we’re not working for ourselves but for God. Bruh Paul said it very clearly in Colossians: ‘And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.’ (Col. 3:23-25) It doesn’t get any clearer than that my brethren. In the long run, it’s Christ we all serve, although men may be our earthly masters. 

And these two commentaries give us some inkling of what it really means to work for God. The first says: ‘We are told to work with all of our hearts, no matter what we are doing and to do so as though we are “working for the Lord” and not for humans. These Bible verses about work ethic tell us that no matter what we are doing we must persist as though we are serving God and not man.’ 

And the second commentary declares: ‘So, I conclude, yes, God enlists us into his service, which means he calls us to have a part in accomplishing his purposes, not meeting his needs. And he accomplishes his purposes precisely by supplying the grace to do our work, because the giver gets the glory; the servant gets the joy.’ That reminds us of Bruh Paul’s words in Philippians: ‘For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of (according) to his good pleasure.’ (Phil. 2:13) 

Yes friends, we are made in God’s image to fulfill His purposes, not our own. And until we understand that, we will always get caught up in the quandary of working for men or working for God. It’s so much simpler to just conclude that all we do is for God, although we might be working under human masters, for God is the Master of the universe, as Daniel says when he received the night vision revealing to him the answer to King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream: 

‘Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up (raises up) kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know (have) understanding. He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.’ (Dan. 2:20-22) 

And if you don’t believe that, then listen to what King Nebuchadnezzar says in Daniel after the Lord drove him crazy for seven years, for his haughty boast. ‘Is it not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom (a royal dwelling) by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?’ (Dan. 4:30) And while the king was yet talking the Lord decreed His sentence upon him, and for seven years he lost his mind, was like a wild animal. 

Then at the end of the seven years, Nebuchadnezzar regained his mental equilibrium and commented thus: ‘And at the end of the days (time) I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: 

And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed (considered) as nothing: and he doeth according to his own will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay (restrain) his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? … Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of the heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgement (justice): and those that walk in pride he able to abase (humble).’ (Dan. 4:32-35, 37) 

Now my people, if a pagan king can sing those mighty praises to our God, after firsthand experience of His awesome power, what is expected of us eh, His true believers? Humble adoration, reverential awe, much thanks and praise, obedience to His holy will, Number One in our lives…amongst other things. (smile) And having made up our minds to do as we ought, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid in these turbulent times.

Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. 

So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And we begin by humbling ourselves, praying and sincerely seeking God’s face! Much LOVE!

…the earth is the Lord’s…and the fulness thereof…the world…and they that dwell within… (Ps. 24:1)

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   11 May 2023 Deuteronomy 8:18a.

11 May 2023 Leave a comment

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

Deuteronomy 8:18a.      But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth,

Now is it possible for us to get four consecutive days of glorious sunshine in this wet and cloudy spring season…although the supposed experts are saying that it might be mostly cloudy? And the answer is a very affirmative YES!  Because they don’t control the weather, but our Lord and Saviour Jesus does, and He can cause it to be totally sunny after all. Praise His holy name! 

Yes friends, our great God can do anything He so desires. He desired to create this universe and all therein, and that’s exactly what He did. He desired to give His greatest creation free will, knowing that we could and would abuse it, but He didn’t want a set of robots, so He took the chance on us. And we did abuse His goodwill…and are doing so to this very day…possibly even more so than at any other time of our existence, for now we desire to totally get rid of our Creator. 

What kind of gratitude is that eh? None whatsoever! Especially after He gifted us with the life of His sinless Son, Jesus Christ, to pay for our abominable sins and thus have the option of being reconciled back to him through His awesome grace, mercy and forgiveness. But no, we’ve gotten so big for our britches, falsely believing that all the advancements and great wealth we’ve built up in our society to be our doing, and not rightly the Lord’s, through His guidance and direction. 

Remember Moses’ warning to the children of Israel, about when they went into the Promised Land and got wealthy? ‘Then thine heart be lifted up (you become proud), and thou forget the Lord thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint. 

Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove (test) thee, to do thee good at thy latter end. And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.’ (Deut. 8:14-18) 

Now, Moses was talking there to the young group of Israelites who were born in the wilderness during the forty wandering years. That’s because the Lord decreed that none who came out of Egypt beside Joshua and Caleb, not even Moses, would enter the Promised Land, for all their disobedience and disgusting behaviour, despite His amazing LOVING-kindness towards them. 

But sadly, that is exactly what that young group did when they got in there and got wealthy. They forgot Moses’ warnings, and promptly moved away from the God of their fathers, turned to idols and worshipped the gods of the nations around them, whom the Lord had specifically told them not to associate with, because He knew that was exactly what would happen. 

They obviously did not pay heed to these ending words of Moses’ message. ‘And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the Lord thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish. As the nations which the Lord destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish, because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the Lord you God.’ (Deut. 8:19-20) And perish they did, every time they turned away from the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, they underwent some disastrous calamity. 

And believe me friends, that is exactly what’s happening to us today. Look at the chaos in our current society, it all stems from a rejection of Almighty God! He might not be doing it personally, but He’s certainly not stopping us from destroying ourselves, which we would not be doing, if we were living in the LOVE, mercy and forgiveness that He desires of us. What amazes me though, is that every time the Israelites turned away from God and suffered for it, they eventually turned back to Him and were restored in His fellowship. 

However, our generation is too proud and arrogant to even consider doing that. We were once a godly society, going along very well, then like Satan we got too proud because of the advancements we were making. Next thing we want to kick out God because we think it’s our own doing. Let me remind us though of the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar, who at one time was the most powerful man in the world. He had a dream and the prophet Daniel warned him of its negative consequences if he continued in a certain line of behaviour. 

Daniel’s parting words were: ‘Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness (by being righteous), and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening (prolonging) of thy tranquility.’ (Dan. 4:27) But the king did not listen, and a year later, while walking in the palace, He ‘spake and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom (a royal dwelling) by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?’ (Dan. 4:30) 

But lo and behold, while the king was speaking, a sentence of madness was right then being pronounced on him, by the Lord God Jehovah. And yes, he was a pagan king, but even pagan kings get power through the hands of the Lord God Jehovah. Remember Daniel’s words when he received the meaning of the king’s dreams. ‘Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his. And he changeth the times and seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up (raises up) kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know (have) understanding.’ (Dan. 2:20-21) 

Yes, whatever happens in the universe comes under the eventual control of Almighty God, regardless of race, creed, colour or culture. That very day, Neb was sentenced to seven years of madness, to eating grass like an ox, ‘until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomever he will.’ (Dan. 4:32) And after seven years of madness, Neb’s senses were reverted, and he praised the Lord God with such enthusiasm. ‘Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgement (justice), and those that walk in pride he is able to abase (humble).’ (Dan. 4:37) 

Oh my people why can’t we learn from the examples of the Israelites and Nebuchadnezzar and turn back to the God of our fathers’, who LOVES us so much that He even sent His Son to die to pay for our sins. It’s the only wise move we can make in these very trying times. And for those of us who are attempting to do just that, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Thursday Blessings, blessings that have been generously bestowed on us by our heavenly Father to help us do His earthly work. 

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!’ 

Now, let’s get out into the evil world and use those blessings to make a positive difference in Christ’s name. Remember friends, it all depends on us! Much LOVE!

…the three attributes for man’s wellbeing…obedience…obedience…obedience… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 September 2014 Daniel 4:30

10 Sep 2014 Leave a comment

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

Daniel 4:30.   The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for for the house of the kingdom (a royal dwelling) by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?
 
Aye Friends, did you see the big, super full moon last night? It was just so big and beautiful! Like two normal full moons, placed one on top of the other, with the bottom one ensconced about a third of the way into the one on top. It’s the second consecutive month I’ve seen it, but I have no idea of its significance, if any. It surely looks beautiful and intriguing though! (smile)
 
And talking about intriguing, last night I made sure that I went to bed at an earlier than usual hour, so that I could also get up earlier. Why? Because though I claim to be on a summer hiatus and am not killing myself, or compromising my normal lifestyle to get the Bit our early, my conscience bothers me when it’s late.
 
Just imagine that eh! Oh, I’m so sweet and conscientious! (smile) But it’s just true. I like it to be available when my readers get up, though realistically, that’s not always possible. Not to worry though, because I still got in all my required activities last night, I just began earlier than usual. (smile)
 
That included my quiet time out on my porch, quietly communing with Mother Nature and our Creator in the peaceful hours of the night, where it’s just the insects singing their praises to Almighty God, with a slight breeze gently rustling the leaves of the tree, which unfortunately in my area are beginning to go into their fall and winter mode.
 
Oh I also saw my nocturnal friend last night; a long, slim and slinky black, brown and white cat. He usually slinks silently by along the walkway at the bottom of the porch steps without paying me any notice sitting at the top.
 
And it’s always amusing to see it take the same route all the time; around to the right side of a big tree in the yard, across the sidewalk to the right side of the stop sign, then diagonally over to the far side of the junction where the two streets meet. And it comes back exactly the same way, doesn’t deviate at all.
 
Last night though, possibly because I was standing up baying at the big, beautiful full moon when it finally broke through the cloud cover, it didn’t come by the walkway, just stood up in the road and looked curiously at me for a few moments, before quietly heading off down the other side of the street.
 
And yuh telling me that quiet time out on my porch with Mother Nature and our wonderful Creator isn’t beneficial!
 
Oh Friends, you all must try it sometime, especially those of you who have constant warm weather all year round. It just brings a quiet sense of peace and relaxation as you sit and listen to the harmonic sounds of nature, while emptying your soul of any problems that are currently bothering you to a closely listening and very receptive God.
 
It doesn’t get any better than that Friends! And having testified more than I intended to, (smile) let’s see what space and time we can find for our Bit: ‘The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom (a royal dwelling) by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?’
 
Now yesterday, we saw that though Daniel warned king Nebuchadnezzar about the sickness he’d face if he continued in his prideful and egotistic way, Neb still carried on in the same vein. And a year later, while walking through his sumptuous palace, before those words could even come out of his mouth, his fate was sealed in heaven.
 
Now my people, what I want us to pay close attention to is God’s reasoning behind Neb’s fate. It’s quoted several times: ‘until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.’ (Dan.4:32b)
 
Oh my brethren, that is something that mankind today, foolishly basking in their selfish and egotistical ways also need to learn. Jehovah God is, was, and will always be the ruler of heaven and earth, and He gives whatever He desires, to whom ever He desires! He gives, and He takes away!
 
And if you read the Old Testament, you’ll see that God had Nebuchadnezzar, a heathen king, playing a major role in the history of Israel. And the sad part is that Neb had oodles of opportunity to see God’s mighty and marvellous works through Daniel’s correct interpretation of his dreams and also the faith of his three buddies, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace incident.
 
But like so many of us today, he just didn’t pay enough attention to God’s movement in his life. However, like many of us, at the end of the day, he was singing God’s praise. Let’s hear some of his testimony.
 
Before telling the story of his vision of the tree, he proudly proclaims: ‘Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. I thought it good to show the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me.
 
How great are his signs! And how mighty are his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.’ (Dan.4:1-3)
 
What a moving testimony from a heathen king Friends! But it gets better. After his mental illness he staunchly declares: ‘And at the end of the days (time) I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes to heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:
 
And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed (considered) as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay (restrain) his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
 
At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness (splendour) returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in (restored to) my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me.
 
Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgement (justice); and those that walk in pride he is able to abase (humble).’ (Dan.4:34-37)
 
Ah Friends, if a heathen king could declare such a moving testimony, it behooves us to pay close attention to the pride and egotism in our own behaviour, because it’s a fool’s wisdom to think that we can do much without God’s help!
 
And if it’s one thing the Lord won’t stand for, as we saw in the passage from Isaiah yesterday (Is.42:8), is us, or anybody else stealing His glory. And if we foolishly try to do it, then we will pay a hefty price like Nebuchadnezzar did.
 
So let’s take king Neb’s words to heart and behave in a suitable manner nuh, so that the Lord can raise us up, instead of abasing and humbling us. That’s wisdom of the highest order! Much LOVE!
 
…who shall steal the Lord’s thunder and get away with it eh…NOBODY…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 September 2014 Daniel 4:30

09 Sep 2014 Leave a comment

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

Daniel 4:30.  The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for for the house of the kingdom (a royal dwelling) by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?

Oh Friends, it doesn’t seem as though my late night endeavours are blending well with my early morning rising to write the Bit nuh. What a momentous discovery! (smile) But it’s all good. Sometimes some things just have to be done late at night. Let’s just hope that they are the exception rather than the rule.
 
I’m still enjoying my semi-summer weather though, which usually ends up with an early morning spell on my front porch, communing with the peaceful moments of nature and my wonderful Creator. So it’s not all fun and frolic. (smile)
 
Now here’s an interesting quote from Pearl S. Buck (1892-1973) American writer and novelist. ‘Every great mistake has a halfway moment, a split second when it can be recalled and perhaps remedied.’
 
And that’s quite true. Decision making is often a process, rather than just a split second moment, and just before pulling the trigger there’s usually a point where we can change our minds. The problem though is that once we make up our minds on something, it’s often difficult to change them, despite warnings of the dangers ahead.
 
That means we need to take our time, try and not rush the decision making process without properly considering the ramifications of all the possible outcomes. That brings us to our Bit, a perfect example of what we’re talking about.
 
‘The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of my kingdom (a royal dwelling) by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?’
 
And we all know the story of Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king who besieged Israel and carried the Israelites into exile in Babylon. This particular episode deals with his dream about a huge, powerful, stately and useful tree. (Dan.4:10-16) His astrologers, magicians and soothsayers though couldn’t interpret the dream, so he called in Daniel to do it.
 
And it’s interesting to see how king Neb perceives Daniel, from prior experience with his dream interpretation. (Dan.2) ‘But at last Daniel came before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods (Spirit of the Holy God):
 
And before him I told the dream saying, O Belteshazzar, master (chief) of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods (Spirit of the Holy God) is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell (explain to) me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof.’ (Dan.4:8-9)
 
However, after being told the dream, Daniel was troubled by the interpretation he received from God. The king saw this and said to him, ‘Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, (if only) the dream be to (concerned) them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to (concerned) thine enemies.’ (Dan.4:19)
 
Then Daniel goes on to tell the king that the dream heralded his sickness, mental illness. (Dan. 4:20-23) The essence of the vision was thus: ‘This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king:
 
That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times (years) shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
 
And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure (assured) unto thee, after that thou shalt have known (come to know) that the heavens (heaven, God) do rule.’ (Dan.4:24-26)
 
Now to most of us, hopefully such an interpretation would have made us think twice about our current lifestyle. And Daniel even warns king Neb about it. ‘Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness (by being righteous), and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening (prolonging) of thy tranquility.’ (Dan.4:27)
 
But Neb fails to take Daniel’s advice, and a year later, while walking in his sumptuous palace, he foolishly declares the words of our Bit.
 
And the Good Book tells us: ‘While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed (has been taken) from thee.
 
And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times (years) shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
 
The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.” (Dan.4:31-33)
 
Ah mih people, yuh see how our omnipotent God does move in mysterious ways, His power and glory to protect!
 
Neb unwisely felt that his glory was all his doing. But the Lord God Jehovah showed him differently. The same thing happens to us daily Friends; we mistake the power and blessings of Almighty God for our power. But as Cousin Sol so wisely informs us: ‘Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall (stumbling). (Prov.16:18)
 
So please, let’s pay careful attention to the lustful and evil pride that tends to rise up in us when we are on top of the world and wisely realize that it’s not our power and might that got us there, but that of our Creator and Provider. For remember what He so vividly states in Isaiah 42: ‘I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.’ (Is.42:8) Nuff said!
 
And we’ll close with some significant information from the scholars re Neb’s illness.’4:33. Two important questions arise form this incident: (1) Could it happen to a man? and (2) Could it have happened to Nebuchadnezzar? The answer to both questions is Yes. There is a mental illness known as zoantrophy in which a man thinks and acts like an animal. It is also called boantrophy, more specifically when a man thinks of himself as an ox.
 
In answer to the second question, this illness is not mentioned in Nebuchadnezzar’s annals, but one would not expect such a humiliating experience to be chronicled. On the other hand, his long reign of 43 years (605-562 B.C.) is more than long enough to include the lengthy sickness.’
 
So my brethren, let’s take all of this to heart as we make our journey through this rough and tumble world, always remembering where the real power of the universe lies…in the hands of Almighty God! Now that is truly heavenly wisdom! Much LOVE!
 
…wherefore does mortal man think he’s so powerful…when he does not even have power over the breath of his life or length of his earthly days…