01 Nov 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a blossoming of life, a simple formula for achieving peace of mind, a warm glow of heat, aggrieved, an undying affirmation of faith and trust, becoming more intimate with God, behold the upright, bring forth thy righteousness as the light., cease from anger, clocks turning back, commit thy way unto the Lord, confidently trust the Lord, Daylight Savings Time, deepen my breath, delight thyself also in the Lord, do good, dwell in the land, everlasting life, evildoers shall be cut off, faith, feed on his faithfulness, forsake wrath, fret not thyself because of evildoers, fret not thyself because of him who prospers, fret not thyself in any wise to do evil, full of the fruit of the Spirit, give thee the desires of thine heaert, growing closer to God, have life more abundantly, he shall bring it to pass, holy spirit, I am the way the truth and the life, I marvel to think, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, in all sincerity and truth, in the face of the wicked's prosperity, increase my awareness of you, it only causes harm, Jesus Christ, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, LOVE, mark the perfect man, mercy, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity, no man comes to the Father but by me, note the blameless man, nothing better than spending time with the Father, refuse to surrender fully to God, Rest in the Lord, surrendering our lives to God, the christian's greatest endeavour, the end of that man is peace, the good graces of the Lord, the Lord shall deliver them from the wicked, the Lord shall help them, the Lord shall save them because they trust in Him, the unchanging character of God, those the wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth, thy judgement as the noonday, trust also in him, trust the Lord with all of life's problems, undying affirmation of faith and trust, unwise actions, unwisely choose to keep control, wait patiently for the Lord, what it takes to live the abundant life
Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 November 2025 Psalm 37:5.
Psalm 37:5. Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
And then it was Saturday…our lazy-day Saturday! A mostly sunny and surprisingly somewhat warm day, as I went outside before coming down to write the Bit and felt a warm glow of heat on my face from the mid-morning sun. And is it ever good to feel the warmth of the sun at this time of year. Oh, by the way it’s also the first day of November and all the Halloween nonsense is now finished. The clocks will also be turned back one hour tonight to facilitate Daylight Savings Time, another of our unwise actions.
But the power brokers seem to like those unwise actions, and the people are not enough aggrieved by them to rise up and meaningfully complain. So, until that time comes, we’ll just have to grin and bear it. But that doesn’t mean because we don’t agree with some things that we cannot enjoy life. Absolutely not! For we have a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who came to earth and died that we might have life, and have it even more abundantly. (John 10:10b)
As this commentary explains: ‘It means blossoming into a life full of the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22–23). While false teachers and false religions offer shallow, temporary relief, only Jesus brings truly everlasting life and spiritual abundance (John 14:6).’ And we know that reference refers to this wonderful verse: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ And He certainly is all of those things!
Anyway, on this first-lazy day Saturday in November, let us now offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, with all sincerity and truth. ‘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 there’s nothing better than spending time with the Father and becoming more intimate with Him. It also warms the cockles of His heart, because He created us for that very purpose; to have strong and LOVING communion with Him. Unfortunately though, too many of us miss out on that glorious situation, because we’re too busy to spend time with God, or we just don’t believe it’s necessary. But as the old people would say; the taste of the pudding is in the eating. It might look good or bad, but you’ll never know what it tastes like until you eat it.
Likewise, you’ll never know how beautiful true intimacy with our heavenly Father is until you try it. That’s where we find all the peace, the calm, the LOVE and compassion, the understanding and joy that enables us to live that abundant life Christ died for us to have. That’s why Bruh David strongly exhorts us in Psalm 27: ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness).
Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm). For the evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps. 37:1-9)
There it is my people, the sure way to enjoy the abundant life that begins right here on earth. And as the scholars explain: ‘The psalm also contains a simple formula for achieving peace of mind in the face of the wicked’s prosperity: fret not…neither be thou envious, (vs. 1), trust…do good (vs. 3), delight thyself also in the Lord (vs.4), commit thy way…trust (vs.5), rest…wait patiently…fret not (vs.7), cease from anger…forsake wrath…fret not (vs.8). All of these exhortations urge the believer to confidently trust the Lord with all of life’s problems.’
It surely does my people. And that’s the only way for us to get in to the good graces of the Lord, and most importantly stay in His good graces. It’s not a one time thing, but a continuous process of putting our lives in His august trust, surrendering our lives completely to Him. That’s the ONLY way He can mould and change us into the image of Christ that He desires. The problem though is that too many of us refuse to surrender fully to the Lord. Oh yes, we give Him some parts of ourselves, but not all of us. We unwisely choose to keep some for us to control. But that means we cannot then enjoy the abundant life, because it’s only through total surrender that is possible.
And I like what the scholars say to end their explanation. ‘The psalm concludes most appropriately with an undying affirmation of faith and trust in the unchanging character of God.’ And reading that most appropriate ending together is a perfect way to end Today’s Bit. So please read with me: ‘Mark the perfect (blameless) man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.’ (Ps. 37:37-40)
Yes my fellow believers, trust and total surrender in the Lord God Jehovah is what it takes to live the abundant life. So let’s be wise and put all that we are and have in His mighty, LOVING and compassionate hands to day nuh. Because it’s all for our benefit! Much LOVE!
…growing closer to God each day…should be the Christian’s greatest endeavour…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all things work together for good, another scorcher, as a father the son in whom he delighteth, be as a tree planted by the waters, be not weary of his correction, be not wise in thine own eyes, blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, bring forth thy righteousness as the light., called according to His purpose, casting all your care upon him, cease from anger, christianity, come to know and love him like we do, commit thy way unto the Lord, delight thyself also in the Lord, depart from evil, despise not the chastening of the Lord, direct thy paths, faith, fear the Lord, feed on God's faithfulness, forsake wrath, fret not thyself because of him who prospers, fret not thyself in any wise to do evil, give thee the desires of thine heart, god, God will cause us to succeed even in tough times, he cares for you, he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him, he that comes to God, health to thy body, heat warnings, her leaf shall be green, holy spirit, honour the Lord with thy substance, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, hurry, I will not fear what flesh can do to me, in all thy ways acknowledge him, In god I have put my trust, In God will I praise his word, in god's eyes, in the year of drought, it only causes harm, Jesus Christ, lean not unto thine own understanding, let not your heart be troubled, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, marrow to thy bones, mercy, mut believe that He is, neither shall cease from yielding fruit, rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him, run from your kin to your enemies, s promised never to leave nor forsake us, salvation, shall not be anxious, shall not see when heat comes, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, so shalt thou dwell in the land, spreads out her roots by the river, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the fear of man bringeth a snare, the man who brings wicked schemes to pass, thy barns be filled with plenty, thy judgement as the noonday, thy vats burst out with new wine, to them that love God, trust in the Lord, trust in the Lord and do good, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, trust my friend Jesús, truth, Tuesday Mantra, what time I am afraid I will trust in thee, whom the Lord loves he chastens, whoso puts their trust in the Lord shall be safe God, wisdom, with the firstfruits of all thine increase, without faith it is impossible to please God, worry, you believe in God believe also in me
Proverbs 29:25. The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe (secure, lit. set on high).
It’s Tuesday friends, and another scorcher, with heat warnings. But we’ve gotten through the last two fiery days with God’s help, so why won’t we get through this one too? No reason whatsoever! For He’s promised numerous times in His word to never leave nor forsake us, if we put our total and sincere trust in Him. And I guess today is a day for reminding ourselves of scriptures that advise us to trust in the Lord God of our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But there are so many that I don’t know which ones to choose, so for ease of understanding, we’ll choose some of them with which we’re already acquainted. (smile)
And we’ll begin with this one that shows Bruh David’s awesome trust in God, when he ran from King Saul to his deadly enemies, the Philistines in Gath, and they took him in. He writes in Psalm 56 – Times of Distress: ‘What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God will I praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can to me.’ (Ps. 56:3-4) Now, if you can run to your enemies from your own kin, then that’s showing amazing trust in the God you worship.
And that’s what’s expected of us, when Isaiah awesomely declares: ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed (sustained by) thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah (Yahweh) is everlasting strength (the rock of ages).’ (Is. 26:3-4) And if you don’t believe that, then read the rest of that passage, where Isaiah details God’s amazing strength. (Is. 26:5-11)
Now here is another dandy scripture, this time from the pen of the prophet Jeremiah. ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see (fear) when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful (anxious) in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.’ (Jer. 17:7-8) Wow mih bredrin! That’s a scripture that’s just right for today, with all the heat and drought that’s currently assaulting us. Yes, with total trust in our great God, we have no reason to fear, because He will cause us to succeed even in tough times!
Meanwhile, Peter puts it this way: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-7) And remember, you can only truly trust when you are submissive to whomever, or whatever you claim to trust in. That’s why the author of Hebrews tells us: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb. 11:6)
Ah mih people, faith is born of trust, you cannot have faith in someone or something unless you have invested trust in the situation or the person. Then there are these verses from Psalm 37, aptly titled, Trust in the Lord, verses we continually quote but never quite live up to them. See if you remember them. (smile)
‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on God’s faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm).’ (Ps. 37:3-8)
So what else can we say about having trust in the Lord eh? Plenty! Just listen to these marvellous verses from the pen of the wisest one, Cousin Sol, also ones we know, but don’t put into full use. In Proverbs, he exhorts and admonishes us thus! ‘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 or smooth) 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, refreshment) 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 out 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 a father the son in whom he delighteth.’ (Prov. 3:5-12)
And that’s wisdom to the nth degree! So why don’t we put those verses to better use eh? Who knows? But because we don’t, we cannot utilize the fullness of God’s promises and provisions. There’s also this one from Cousin Sol that might not be so familiar. ‘The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe (secure, lit. set on high).’ (Prov. 29:25) Another bit of wise advice.
Then there’s this famous verse from Bruh Paul to the Romans. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) Now that calls for great trust to believe that in spite of all our problems, everything will eventually work out for the best. But that’s what our faith is about; trust in Almighty God. It’s like Jesus said: ‘Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.’ (John 14:1) And that’s exactly what we need to do.
And for those of us who are sincerely trying to do that, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong 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 my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now, we are required to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…sincere trust can only come from…strong hope, belief and faith…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
16 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a simple formula for achieving peace of mind, almighty god, an undying affirmation of faith and trust, because they trust him, behold the upright, bring forth thy righteousness as the light., brings evil schemes to pass, cease from anger, commit thy way unto the Lord, communing with God, delight thyself also in the Lord, deliver them from the wicked, divine aid, dwell in the land, ease the pain, envious of the wicked, faith, feed on God's faithfulness, fellowshipping with other believers, forsake wrath, fret not thyself because of him who prospers, fret not thyself in any wise to do evil, getting sufficient rest, give thee the desires of thine heart, God is their strength in the time of trouble, going to the Lord's sanctuary, grace, hate to pitch to him, he shall bring it to pass, hits us out of the park, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, in the face of the wicked's propserity, it only causes harm, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, lead off hitter, listen to the wisdom of God's Word, LOVE, mark the perfect man, mercy, not rocket science, of the many suffering from negative situations, our guidebook for earthly living, our troubled and ungodly world, praise and give thanks to God, pray, renewal of spirit, Rest in the Lord, salvation, save them, scripture must be put into action, self-control, self-discipline, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, strong faith in Christ, thank you for life, the BIBLE, the end of that man is peace, the God who heals, the Lord shall help them and deliver them, the only true source of help for man, the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord, the transgressors shall be destroyed together, the unchanging character of God, these exhortations, thy judgement as the noonday, to alleviate our problems, to confidently trust the Lord, trials and tribulations, trust in the Lord and do good, truth, turn from our evil ways, urge the believer, use the confidence, wait patiently for him, wisdom, wise guidance, with all of life's problems
Psalm 37:40. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.
And another work week has begun, with Monday as our usual lead-off hitter! And we all hate to pitch to him, because he so often hits us out of the park. (smile) But let’s not allow him to agitate us today and make us fearful of his big swing, by pitching him balls that he cannot hit. Yes friends, let’s use the confidence, the grace, and the renewal of spirit that we got from going to the Lord’s sanctuary yesterday and, with the Lord’s help, understand how to handle Monday on the mound for the opening week’s pitch.
Remember how the psalmist Asaph says in Psalm 73, that he was envious of the wicked for their earthly prosperity, but it was not until he went into the Lord’s house and communed with Him that he learned the answer to his problem. We can also learn to handle Mondays by communing with God. And learning to handle Monday is not always easy, because it takes a lot of self -control and self-discipline.
Meaning not wanting to party the whole weekend away, but getting sufficient rest that you will be fresh to begin anew on Monday. And most importantly, fellowshipping with other believers so that the Holy Spirit can work on you while you praise and give thanks to Almighty God, and listen to His wise and Holy Word. Amen! End of sermon! (smile)Yes friends, that’s the basic way to properly handle Mondays.
And now that we know how to handle Monday’s, what about the rest of the week, you ask? Well that’s easy. (smile) Here’s some practical advice from Bruh David from Psalm 37. He says: ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on God’s faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.’ (Ps. 37:3-6)
So my brethren, we’ve got to begin with trusting God, doing good, delighting ourselves in Him, and committing our way to Him, before any serious and productive improvements come our way. But that’s not all, for it’s a big job, that we can only do with God’s help! The next step, as Bruh David lays it out, is to ‘Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him; fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of a man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (it only causes harm).’ (Ps. 37:7-8)
That’s basically how to handle the rest of the week friends. (smile) Remember, knowing scripture is of no use unless we put it into action, unless we live it in our everyday lives. That’s why the Lord gave us the Bible; to be our Guidebook for earthly living. And if we don’t use it as such, we’ll be sadly wasting all the heartaches, trials and tribulations that the godly men, the prophets and Jesus went through to live it, and then go through more hardship to get it written, so that we can have a good example of how to live this earthly life.
And the scholars offer this interesting explanation on a portion of the psalm. ‘The psalm also contains a simple formula for achieving peace of mind in the face of the wicked’s prosperity: fret not … neither be thou envious (vs.1), trust …do good (vs.3), delight thyself also in the Lord (vs. 4), commit thy way … trust (vs.5), rest … wait patiently … fret not (vs.7), cease from anger …forsake wrath … fret not (vs.8). All of these exhortations urge the believer to confidently trust the Lord with all of life’s problems. The psalm concludes appropriately with an undying affirmation of faith and trust in the unchanging character of God.’
And these are the last words of the psalm: ‘Mark the perfect (blameless) man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.’ (Ps. 37:37-40)
Yes my fellow believers, the Lord does all He does for the righteous because they trust sincerely and fully in Him. Let’s remember that most important aspect of our faith, so that we can live it out successfully. Now, it’s time to go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to help with our many serious 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 friends, we know exactly what we need to do to receive divine aid, for it’s not rocket science; our prayer clearly states it. God has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we turn from our evil ways, humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek His face. So please, let’s get to doing that right now nuh, because we desperately need divine help in our troubled and ungodly world! Much LOVE!
…the only true source of help for man…is that which comes from Almighty God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a trade war, a trade was benefits no one, basic building blocks for building on the Rock, be ye angry and sin not, believers in Christ, blessed are the meek, bring forth thy righteousness as the light., built on the sinking sand of Satan, cease from anger, choose life, christianity, Christians, commit thy way unto the Lord, delight themselves in the abundance of peace, delight thyself also in the Lord, do good, Donald Trump's policies, endure to the end, every dog has his day, evil only causes harm, evildoers shall be cut off, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, feed on his faithfulness, for yet a little while, forsake wrath, fret not thyself because of evildoers, fret not thyself because of him who prospers, give thee the desires of thine heaert, glad to be alive, God's truth, halfway home, hands on the plough, have their day in the sun, he shall bring it to pass, holy spirit, in any wise to do evil, Jesus Christ, keep Satan at bay, let not the sun go down on your wrath, LOVE, mercy, neither be thou envious against, neither give place to the devil, new age thinking, not built on the Rock that's Jesus, not looking back at the past, raising tariffs, reducing people to poverty, Rest in the Lord, righteous indignation, salvation, sinful anger, so shalt thou dwell in the land, thank God, that thou and thy seed might live, the abundance of peace, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the evil edifice will come tumbling down, the Good Library, the man who brings wicked devices to pass, the meek shall inherit the earth, the perfect shall remain in it, the sure foundation that's Jesus, the upright shall dwell in the land, the wicked shall not be, the workers of iniquity, they shall inherit the earth, they shall soon be cut down like grass, those that wait upon the Lord, thou shalt be fed, thy judgement as the noonday, to a glorious future with Jesus, transgressors shall be rooted out, trust also in him, trust in the Lord, truth, unwise cronies, wait patiently for him, wannabe dictator, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, wisdom in spades, with them up as grass at midday, wither as the green herb, you shall look diligently for him
Psalm 37:1-2. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb.
Well friends, we don’t know what’s going to happen as yet, per that snow that was previously forecasted, but Liberation Day, as per that unwise, wannabe dictator, Donald Trump, has turned out to be rather cloudy, windy and cold. I don’t know who he’s liberating with his foolish policies nuh, possibly the money that will now accrue to those in power. (smile)
He should have called it Back to Poverty Day, and Stupidity Day, because that’s all his policies are doing, reducing a large proportion of his people, as well as others around the world to poverty status. How could firing thousands of people for no good reason, especially from essential ministries like health and education, stopping International Aid and raising tariffs on numerous products be liberating eh? The wise people know that trade wars benefit no one. But I guess that’s the new age thinking being developed by Trump and his other greedy, unwise cronies.
But as the Good Library so purposefully and steadfastly proclaims from Psalm 37: ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb.’ (Ps. 37:1-2) And that’s God’s truth my people!
The wicked will have their day in the sun, but eventually, that same sun will dry and wither them up as the grass at midday. And as the old people would say, every dog has his day. Now is Trump and his foolish cronies time, but that whole evil edifice will eventually come crumbling down, because it was not built on the Rock that’s Jesus, but on the sinking and shifting sand that is Satan.
And how do we build on the Rock that’s Jesus, you ask? Bruh David states it loud and clear in the following verses of the psalm, when he wisely advises: ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noon day.’ (Ps. 37:3-6)
Yes my fellow believers, those are some of the basic building blocks for building on the Rock, the sure foundation that’s Jesus! Very simple, but oh so wise doings. Trust in the Lord, do good, delight thyself in Him, Commit thy way unto Him, and He shall bring you righteousness and justice as bright as the noonday sun.
Now, those are all things that we can do fairly easily if we are serious about building our house on the Rock that’s Jesus. And though Satan will do his very best to try and turn us away from Jesus, we have the powerful comforter and intercessor, the Holy Spirit of Jesus to help us keep Satan at bay… if we sincerely listen to Him.
But that’s not all there is to building our houses on the Rock that’s Jesus, for Bruh David continues: ‘Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm).’ (Ps. 37:7-8) Yuh see friends, some more important building blocks; resting in the Lord and waiting patiently on him, as well as curtailing our anger, and not pursuing evil, for evil only causes harm to both ourselves and others.
And Bruh Paul also advised the Ephesians against unnecessary anger when he said: ‘Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.’ (Eph. 4:26-27) Why is that eh? The scholars tell us that ‘Sinful anger is to be replaced by (briefly held) righteous indignation, that the devil may not be given an opportunity to gain a foothold in our souls.’ And also, when you go to bed angry, your sleep is disturbed by the anger, there’s no sense of peace or rejuvenation, which is the purpose of sleep, and you wake up as angry and miserable as you went to bed.
And all of that is wisdom in spades my people, because as Bruh David says in the next couple of verses: ‘For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place (look diligently for him), and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.’ (Ps. 37:9-11)
And Cousin Sol in his wisdom in Proverbs agrees with his father, when he says: ‘For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect (blameless) shall remain in it. But the wicked shall be cut off (destroyed) from the earth (land), and transgressors shall be rooted out.’ (Prov. 2:21-22) Then that was all reiterated by Jesus in the Beatitudes, from the Sermon on the Mount, when He declared: ‘Blessed are the meek (the strong, but lowly and humble): for they shall inherit the earth (land).’ (Matt. 5:5)
Oh my fellow saints we could not get it any plainer than that! In this life the wicked will eventually be destroyed, but those that stand strong in the Lord will be fed with goodness and mercy and enjoy the land of abundance. Now, will we rather be destroyed with the wicked, or inherit the land with the meek? That’s a no brainer! For we will all choose the latter. As Moses wisely advised the Israelites: ‘therefore choose life, that thou and thy children may live.’ (Deut. 30:19b) And so we have, as this declaration (wow!!!) of our Wednesday Wail indicates.
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 you didn’t know, there’s a promise that says whoever endures to the very end with Jesus will enjoy a future even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So, let’s be wise and plan to meet at the very end and enjoy that future together nuh! Much LOVE!
…the necessary things for building on the Rock…trust…do good…delight thyself in…commit thy way to…rest in…cease from anger…forsake wrath…don’t do evil…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
11 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a boost to our collective spirits, a formula for achieving peace, a much needed break, a set of wusses, a solid foundation, as the light, be not envious against, Bible, birds chirping, blessed are the meek, bring forth thy righteousness, cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, cease from anger, commit thy way unto the Lord, confidently trust in the Lord, delight themselves, delight thyself also in the Lord, do not fear, don't be jealous, duty bound, easy living, entitled to the good life, evildoers shall be destroyed, faith, for ever and ever, for faith and hope, forsake wrath, fret not thyself because of evildoers, get up the gumption, give thee the desires of thine heart, God's intervening hand, God's thoughts and ways are higher than man's, he shall bring it to pass, holy spirit, hurry, I am the Lord, I am the Lord I change not, in due time, in god's eyes, in the face of the wicked's prosperity, ineffectual people, Jesus Christ, justice, keep the devil at bay, keep the Lord in first place, like white on rice, LOVE, mercy, of the prosperous evildoer, power to resist the devil, prosperous times, resist the devil, Rest in the Lord, ruling the roost, salvation, shall inherit the earth, share His love with my neighbours, soon be cut down like grass, spring is near, the abundance of peace, the Beatitudes, the beloved of God, the man who brings wicked schemes to pass, the meek shall inherit the earth, the tools we need, the tough winter, the unchanging nature of God, the whole wide world, the workers of iniquity, those that wait upon the Lord, thy judgement as the noonday, tormented day and night, trust in the Lord and do good, trust my freind Jesus, truth, wait patiently for him, we'll all get our comeuppance, wisdom, with all of life's problems, wither as the green herb, without lifting a finger, worry, wrath only causes harm
Psalm 37:1. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
Oh friends, it’s another beautiful, sunshiny day in my area, with temperatures supposedly around plus 7 degrees. Wow! Now, yesterday it was also supposed to be around the same temperature, but it surely didn’t feel that warm. Thankfully though, most of the snow has now melted, and if this warm weather continues, then it shall soon be all gone.
And by the way, I heard some other good news this morning; some birds chirping outside my bedroom window. Was I ever surprised. Birds chirping in the second week of March? It’s either they didn’t go south for the winter, or they believe that spring is near, so they came back. And when I came downstairs just now and looked out the kitchen window, I saw a couple of them frolicking in their usual fashion out there. It would surely be a boost to our collective spirits if spring was right around the corner, giving us a much-needed break from the tough winter that we’ve now become unaccustomed to. (smile)
Yes, we’ve gotten so accustomed to the easy living of these modern and prosperous times that what in earlier times would have been a normal winter, has now become a winter of huge proportions. What a set of wusses, that’s weak, shallow, ineffectual people we’ve become! No wonder we feel so entitled to living the good life without even lifting a finger to make it happen. But do not fear, we will all get our comeuppance in due time. The Lord’s promised it, and we know that whatever He promises will come to pass…in His good time. (smile)
And what’s on tap for today, you ask? Well, I just opened the Good Library, and this most interesting and most relevant psalm jumped out at me. It’s Psalm 37, where Bruh David writes about Trust In the Lord. So let’s read it together nuh, and see what good and useful information we can glean from it. He begins: ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.’ (Ps. 37:1-2)
And right there in the opening verses my people, we have some very important and reassuring words. Don’t be jealous and envious of those who do evil and seem to prosper, for their undeserved prosperity will eventually be diminished by God’s intervening hand. Now, those words of reassurance have never been needed more than in these very evil and ungodly times, where Satan’s rule is at it’s highest. And how do we counter Satan’s attempts to inveigle us into his evil doings.
Bruh David lays it our very plainly in these following verses of the psalm. ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on God’s faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.’ (Ps. 37:3-6) Yes my brethren, those are the basic ways to keep the devil at bay and the Lord in first place in our lives, so that He can uplift and exalt us in due time.
And we all know that sticking to the Lord like white on rice is not easy in these very turbulent and chaotic times, but He’s given us all the tools we need to do it, we simply have to get up the gumption to use them, and not let the seemingly pleasurable things of the world get us off track, like Beelzebub is trying so hard to do. And if we do that to the best of our ability, here’s what Bruh David says will happen. ‘And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.’ (Ps. 37:6) For sure! The Lord will ensure your justice and righteousness, if you make Him number one in your life.
Then Bruh David adds a li’l langniappe, or extra for good measure, when he continues: ‘Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who propsereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm). For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place (look diligently for it), and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.’ (Ps. 37:7-11)
Oh my fellow saints, the wicked are ruling the roost right now, but we know that eventually the Lord will cut them down like the grass withers at high noon, so we should encourage ourselves and each other not to give up, not to let the worthless baubles and bangles that the enemy flashes in front of our faces to lure us into his evil trap. The Lord’s promised, and He’s faithful. So let’s stand strong and wait on Him. He knows what He’s doing. Remember His thoughts and ways are so much higher than ours, that we cannot even begin to understand them. (Is. 55:8-9)
Remember too, that Satan is a created being just like us, and his power is nonexistent in our lives, unless we allow him to use it. And the Bible tells us that when the Lord’s ready, He will get rid of him forever. ‘And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.’ (Rev. 20:10) So friends, it’s certainly within our power to resist the devil, but we have to use the tools provided, if we wish to do it successfully.
And I like how the scholars explain it. ‘The psalm also contains a simple formula for achieving peace of mind in the face of the wicked’s prosperity: fret not…neither be thou envious (vs. 1), trust…do good (vs. 3), delight thyself also in the Lord (vs. 4), commit thy way…trust (vs. 5), rest…wait patiently…fret not (vs. 7), cease from anger…forsake wrath…fret not (vs.8). All of these exhortations urge the believer to confidently trust in the Lord with all of life’s problems. The psalm concludes appropriately with an undying affirmation of faith and trust in the unchanging character of God.’
Yes friends, our God is immutable, unchangeable! And we see the Lord saying that in Malachi: ‘For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.’ (Mal. 3:6) ‘That implies that God’s character and eternal purposes do not change, which gives a solid foundation for his people’s faith and hope.’ Amen!
Now let’s go home with boosted faith and spirits, declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere 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 my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that declaration (steups!!!) we’re now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…Jesus reaffirmed Bruh David’s promise in the Beatitudes…blessed are the meek…for they shall inherit the earth… (Matt. 5:5)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Oct 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a forgotten word, after the image of God, and the lust thereof, anger. greed, bandied about, Bible, blessed are the meek, cease from anger, Christian, deepen my breath, evildoers shall be cut off, faith, fight the good fight, filthy communication, forsake wrath, god, hang all the law and the prophets, he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever, holy spirit, increase my awareness of you, intimacy with god, jealousy, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, lie not one to another, LOVE, Love the Lord thy God, Love thy neighbour as thyself, negative attirudes, negative sentiments, not of the Father, of the world, on these two commandments, personal desires, physical desires, put off the old man, put on the new man, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, renewed in knowledge, resntment, salvation, sanctify them through thy truth, seek those things which are above, self-interest, sincerity, slow my thoughts, thank you for this tenderness, the corruptible things of earth, the first and great commandment, the incorruptible things of heaven, the Lord's presence, the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, the pride of life, the second is like unto it, the things of the world, the world passeth away, they are not of the world, they shall inherit the earth, those that wait upon the Lord, thy word is truth, truth, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God, wisdom, with all thy heart soul and mind, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present, your unceasing nearness
Matthew 22:37. Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Oh, it’s another sunshiny day in my area, though somewhat blustery, with seasonal temperatures, and the leaves are now truly beginning to fall. But that’s what fall is all about; blowing wind and falling colourful leaves with some rain. And though it’s all good when the sun shines, we haven’t seen the other part of the equation, that’s rain, for almost a couple of weeks now, although it’s been promised several times by the weather people.
And until such time as the rain decides to bless us, we’ll just have to grin and painfully bear the sunshine. (smile) And I did have a nice li’l lazy day Saturday reprieve, as I went to bed rather late this morning. But enough with the unimportant stuff, let’s get to our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer and offer it up with all sincerity and truth.
As one 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!’
Ah friends, there’s’ nothing better than achieving more intimacy with God, of going deeper and deeper into His presence! And that’s only possible when we sincerely seek Him, as Jesus explains. ‘Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ (Matt. 22:37-40)
Yes my fellow believers, the abiding principle in the law of God, is LOVE! That’s His greatest attribute, and what should be the prevailing sentiments and emotions on His earth. But it certainly is not. For hate, anger, resentment, strife, greed, jealousy and all the other negative sentiments and emotions are currently ruling the world. LOVE is a forgotten word, and even when remembered, it’s merely bandied about trivially, with no real respect for it’s true meaning.
And with the negative emotions in prominence, there’s no wonder that our world is in a state of chaos, and fading fast away as the negatives become even more prevalent, and LOVE recedes even further into the background. And the scriptures warn us about the very bad effects of those negative attitudes.
Listen to this one from that famous Psalm 37 – Trust in the Lord. Bruh David spells it out loud and clear. ‘Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm). For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps. 37:8-9)
And Jesus said it thus in the Sermon on the Mount, as He taught the Beatitudes: ‘Blessed are the meek, for thy shall inherit the earth.’ (Matt. 5:5) Yes, my brethren, the meek are those that have humbled themselves before God, have strength and power, but don’t abuse it, they can control their sinful urges, and instead wait on God’s direction to use His gifts for the good purposes He desires.
Meanwhile, Bruh Paul had this to say to the Colossians. ‘If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection (mind) on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore (put to death) your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection (passion), evil concupiscence (desire), and covetousness, which is idolatry:
For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:’ (Col. 3:1-10)
And that’s how it ought to be when we receive Christ as Saviour! We put away the sinful things of our old life and take up the new and LOVING things of God! Looking more unto the incorruptible things of heaven, than the corruptible things of the earth. Unfortunately though, too many supposed Christians are still indulging too much in the things of the world and not enough in the things of heaven. We are allowing the things of the world to influence us too much.
Remember what Jesus said in His prayer for the disciples? ‘They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them (set them apart) through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.’ (John 17:16-19)
Yes my fellow believers, Jesus sent us into the world to continue His task of bringing sinners to repentance, and like Him, we are NOT supposed to allow the world to instill their worldly thoughts into us, because we know the truth, which is God’s Word. We do have to dwell IN the world to be able to do His work, but we don’t have to be OF the world. And that’s where many of us are falling down in our Christian walk. We’re allowing the ungodly and sinful things of the world to seep into our souls and spirits, thus negating the work we should be doing for Christ.
Thus Satan is winning the battle over us, as John says in his first epistle. ‘For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh (physical desires), and the lust of the eyes (personal desires), and the pride of life (self-interests), is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.’ (1 John 2:16-17)
Oh my fellow saints, our world is going through a very rough time right now, and consequently we are suffering more than is necessary, but we only have ourselves to blame for the terrible state of God’s great earth. For, if all the supposed Christians would get up and live more of the true Christian life, we would not be in such a dire state of tremendous trials and tribulations. And, only as we seriously stand up and fight the good fight for Christ, will things ever improve. Let’s go home considering that today nuh, in light of what it will mean for our children’s children and their children. Much LOVE!
…only as true LOVE comes back into our world…will it ever improve…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
22 Apr 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a perfect Lazy day Saturday, bring forth thy righteousness as the light., cease from anger, commit thy way unto the Lord, delight thyself also in the Lord, fear ye not, forsake wrath, Fret not thyself over evildoers, hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord, I am the Lord that is my name, it is good that a man, let Israel hope in the Lord, living in an earthly paradise, LOVE, loving kindness, more than they that watch for the morning, my glory will I not give to another, my soul waiteth for the Lord, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity, neither my praise to graven images, Satan is no match for God, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, that he may be gracious unto you, that he may have mercy upon you, the desires of thine heart, the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, the Lord is good unto them that wait for him, the Lord shall fight for you, the Lord's never late, therefore will he be exalted, therefore will the Lord wait, those that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth, to the soul that seeketh him, trust in the Lord and do good, wise and encouraging words, with him is plenteous redemption, with the Lord there is mercy, wither as the green herb, ye shall see them again no more for ever
Lamentations 3:26. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation (deliverance) of the Lord.
And it’s a perfect lazy day Saturday! The rain fell during the night…and is still drizzling some, the temperature is in the low teens, just the right atmosphere for lying in bed and enjoying a peaceful Saturday morning. Unfortunately though, some of us cannot afford to enjoy those luxuries, those creature comforts, for we have to get up and be about our Father’s business. (smile) And what does our Father want us to talk about on this brand-new day eh, when His mercies and compassions are brand spanking new, not yesterday’s leftovers?
And it seems to be these wise and encouraging words from the Lamentations of the prophet Jeremiah, which declare (yesss!!!): ‘The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation (deliverance) of the Lord.’ (Lam. 3:25-26) Oh friends, those are such powerful and wise words that if our world would only consider doing them, we’d be living in an earthly paradise rather than the earthly hell that currently surrounds us!
But no, our thing these days is to turn away from the Lord, the source of our creation and continued breath of life, even to the point of trying to turf Him out of our society. Yes, the evil and darkness in our world is so strong that a lot of us are leaning in that direction. But I’m here to tell us once again, that that will NEVER happen! The enemy might gain a fair amount of power, but the Lord will NEVER give up His hold on His creation and all therein, as He says so plainly in Isiah 42:8. ‘I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.’
What’s so difficult about that to understand eh? It’s very clear and plain as far as I can see. But the wicked and foolish just don’t learn. They don’t see that their leader, Satan himself was no match for God and was kicked out of heaven, and even then, he was further weakened by Christ’s triumphant victory over him at Calvary. For the wise believers though, there are several scriptures throughout the Bible that recommend waiting quietly and patiently upon the Lord. Let’s look at a few of them nuh.
And right at the very beginning, as the children of Israel stood fearfully watching the mighty Red Sea in front of them, blocking their escape route, with Pharaoh’s army hot on their heels, Moses uttered these words of truth, faith and encouragement to them. ‘And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation (deliverance) of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace (be quiet).’ (Ex. 14:13-14)
And we all know what happened: Moses, through the Lord’s grace, lifted up his rod and parted the Red Sea, the Israelites walked across on dry land, then the Egyptians were swallowed up by the reconverging waters. That’s possibly one of the mightiest acts the Lord ever did in man’s history, but can you believe that those Israelites forget about it in no time and began doubting the Lord and complaining about their circumstances. That’s why they wondered forty aimless years in the wilderness till all the adults who came out of Egypt were dead, with only Joshua and Caleb from that old group making it into the Promised Land.
And sadly friends, that’s still how many of us are today. The Lord has done all sort of good deeds in our lives, but we’re not very thankful, and forget them as soon as a new, unfortunate circumstance raises its head in our dreary lives. But there is yet hope for us, and we can change our attitudes with hopeful and encouraging words from the scriptures.
Listen to these encouraging words from Psalm 130 – A Song of Degrees – where the psalmist declares (chuh!!!): ‘But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared (reverenced). I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning. 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. 130:3-8)
Now how can we believers argue with those sentiments eh, when they are the gospel truth? But hear this verse from Isaiah, as he talks of the graciousness and mercy of our wonderful God. ‘And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgement (justice): blessed are all they that wait for him.’ (Is. 30:18) How can we ever go wrong waiting on our most merciful and gracious God eh? We cannot! But please note that in all our waiting we must exalt and reverence Him. That’s the most important aspect of waiting on His timing.
And there are many more scriptures in the Good Library on waiting and hoping in the Lord, but I believe Bruh David says it perfectly in Psalm 37, which advises us to trust in the Lord. Please read these marvellous words of wisdom and encouragement with me. ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on His faithfulness).
Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm). For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps. 37:1-9)
Oh my fellow saints, what marvellous, true and encouraging words for us to ponder on this rainy, lazy Saturday! So, let’s take a few minutes and do just that nuh, for it will certainly brighten our spirits and our day! Much LOVE!
…it’s not easy to wait on the Lord’s timing…but you can be assured that He’s in total control…and He’s NEVER late…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
08 Mar 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a cruel dream, against the workers of iniquity, awesome grace and mercy, bring for thy righteousness as the light, but their walk leaves a lot to be desired, cease from anger, come hell or high water, Commit thy way to the Lord, delight thyself in the Lord, do good, don't give up, for the crumbs that remain, forsake wrath, Fret not thyself over evildoers, give thee the desires of thine heart, it was all a dream, it's a balancing act, It's B.S., it's not equal or equitable, Jehovah Rapha, keep on fighting, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, neither be thou envious, only one sure way, praise Your Holy Name, rectify this untenable situation, Rest in the Lord, scrape the bottom of the barrel, show others the way, sincerely seek your face, Surrender our lives and souls to God, the disenfranchised, the God who heals, the haves talk a good talk, the many are suffering more than the few, the poor are getting poorer, the privileged are enjoying their privileges, the rich are getting richer, the righteous shall inherit the land, the true state of the wicked, the underprivileged, they shall soon be cut down like grass, this too shall pass, thy judgement as the noonday, trust in our Creator, trust in the Lord, wait patiently for him, wake up from our sinful slumber, walk our talk, wise guidance and direction, wither as the green herb, your humble servants
Psalm 37:1. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
The 5. a.m. alarm sounds…and I roll over and mutter, ‘O Lord, is Monday, got to get up and go and open the shop. Customers will soon be there knocking on the door anxious to get in…’ and I see myself bustling to fix up the place before opening time. But then something significant happens. I finally open my eyes and realize that it was all a dream, a cruel one, but still a dream. No real alarm went off, and one won’t go off until I don’t know when, for I have not opened the shop in months, because of the lockdown, and it won’t be opening this morning either, although the lockdown has been eased some.
I am a barber, I am a hairdresser, I am an esthetician, but my premises must still remain closed, while the liquor stores, the pot stores and the big groceries are open and making a killing. They won’t even allow me one or two customers at a time. Steups! But they still want me to pay rent on a shop that they’ve closed up, not me. And how do I get money to do that eh? From the li’l pittance the government so graciously grants me every few weeks? Chuh blast! And what am I supposed to live on, and feed my family with eh? It’s B.S! It’s all B.S!
The rich as usual are getting richer, while the poor are getting poorer, and the status quo still holds; the privileged ones are enjoying their usual privileges, while the underprivileged and disenfranchised scrape the bottom of the barrel for the crumbs that remain. But isn’t that the way it’s always been, from the beginning of time? The haves sometimes talk a good talk, but their actual walk leaves a lot to be desired.
I know it’s a balancing act, but the powers that be are not doing a good or even fair job of it. Those at the bottom of the feed trough are suffering so much more than those at the top, but they are still talking about we are all in this together. Yes, we are, but not equally or equitably! For the many are suffering a lot more than the few!
And how do we rectify this rather untenable situation eh? Let’s see now. The first thing is that we must not give up. Come hell or high water we must continue fighting, because like all adversity, this too shall and must pass! And how do we do that? There’s only ONE sure way that I know, and that’s to trust in our Creator, Almighty God. Surrender our lives and souls to Him completely. He created us and still cares for us, and is the best one to lead and guide us through the universe He’s created for us to spend our formative years – eternity is our adult years. (smile)
And believe me, our God is allowing this pandemic to terrorize us because He’s trying to wake us up from our sinful slumber and bring us back to Him. Now the best way to do that is by taking His holy word to heart. Listen, as Bruh David teaches how from Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked. ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.’(Ps. 37:1-2)
Oh friends, that’s the initial step; do not envy or be jealous of the wicked who seem to prosper in their wickedness, for when the Lord is ready, their time of reckoning will come upon them. He has faithfully promised us that: ‘the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.’ (Ps. 37:28b-29)
Then here comes the mainstay: ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.’ (Ps. 37:3-6)
Yes my faithful brethren, that’s the starting point for us to stay strong and never give. Trust and delight in the Lord, and commit our way to Him, follow His lead and guidance, His plan for our life. No it’s not easy, but once we truly surrender to Him, He will enable us to do it. Then, as Bruh Paul would say: ‘And having done all that, thenSTAND!’(Eph. 6:13b) (smile)
But Bruh David puts it this way. ‘Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil for it only causes harm). For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps. 37:7-9)
And that my people, is the only way to get through this pandemic successfully; turn your eyes heavenward to the One who made you and cares a whole lot about you, judging from the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, that He made on your behalf. So let’s begin at the beginning nuh, turning our lives over to God through sincere prayer, namely our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
As one voice now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the many natural disasters that now seem more prevalent than ever.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control.
And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land 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!’
Now let’s go out and live up to our word. Much LOVE!
…like the haves…we Christians also talk a good talk…but in these troubled times…we desperately need to walk our talk…Jesus is depending on us to show others the way…
13 Oct 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a continuous life-long thing, a glimmer of spiritual desire, a personally intimate relationship with Christ, a religion called Christianity, above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, acknowledge that God is the instigator, be not envious against, blessings of water, bring forth thy righteousness, by Christ Jesus, cease from anger, Commit thy way to the Lord, delight thyself in the Lord, do good, don't have to hurry, don't have to worry, dwell in the land, exceeding abundantly, forsake wrath, Fret not thyself over evildoers, get intimate with God, give thee the desires of thine heaert, grateful for life, His desire planted in us, I awaked, I laid me down to sleep, I will not be afraid, in god's eyes, inherit the earth, Knowing God Intimately, LOVE, Most High God Jehovah, not a one and done thing, not what I do, not what I have, not what people say about me, nothing to give thanks for, of ten thousands of people, One Year Book of Bible promises, Rest in the Lord, Ruth Harms Calkin, sacrificed His sinless life, set themselves against me, shalt be fed, share His love with the world, supreme confidence, Thanksgiving Day, the evil doers shall be cut off, the giving of thanks, the Lord sustained me, the Me first club, the perfection of Jesus living in us, the whole world is your oyster, the workers of iniquity, they shall soon be cut down like grass, throughout all the ages, thy judgement as the noonday, trust also in him, trust in the Lord, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, unto Him be glory in the church, unto him that is able to do, wait patiently for the Lord, washed clean, wicked devices, wither like the green herb, words of wisdom, your august Creator
Ephesians 3:20. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.
Aloha mih bredrin! Welcome to a bright, fresh, sunshiny Tuesday morning, washed clean by some blessings of water during the early morning hours! And yes, Thanksgiving Day finish now, but not the giving of thanks! The giving of thanks must be a continual thing, for without the continual giving of thanks, eventually, there will be nothing to give thanks for! Wow! What words of wisdom!
But seriously though, there is nothing like giving thanks to the Lord our God since there’s nothing that pleases Him more than His most important creation being grateful for life and all that He has provided for them. He also hopes that that gratefulness will consequently lead them to want to know Him better. And how do we do that you wonder?
Well here are the basics in black and white, taken from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This poem is appropriately titled ‘ Knowing God Intimately.’ And that’s how we ALL ought to know Him – through the auspices of His Son Jesus Christ! That’s His greatest desire!
So please read with me. ‘How do we learn to know God so intimately that all of life takes on a new freshness? We acknowledge that God is the instigator. We would not be wanting Him if He did not first want us. Even a glimmer of spiritual desire is HIS desire planted in us. We resign from our self-appointed office as president of the “Me First Club,” which gives God the privilege of saying. “Good! Now I’ll promote you.”
We focus on Jesus Christ, God’s Son. It is never a matter of how conspicuous we are. It only matters that He is conspicuous in us. We make no promise of perfection. All the perfection we’ll ever have is the perfection of Jesus living in us. We let God’s Word saturate our hearts. Five or ten minutes a day is far more helpful than three hours once a week. We trust God to do within us what we cannot do, knowing that He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work in us.’
Yeahhhh friends! That’s how we get intimate with God! And it’s not a one time, one and done thing either, but is just like the giving of thanks, a continual, continuous life-long thing, that over time turns into a wonderful personal relationship between Creator and created. Mama Mia! There’s no relation more important or more beneficial that that one my people! For when you have such a close and intimate relationship with your heavenly Father, your august Creator, then the whole world is your oyster!
The devil will come against you in various guises, but he won’t be able to harm you, because you’ll be protected by the Most High God Jehovah and His majestic army of angels; your everlasting fortress and place of refuge. You will be able to say with supreme confidence, like Bruh David did: ‘I laid me down and slept: I awaked; for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set them themselves against me round about.’ (Ps. 3:5-6) That’s the kind of faith and belief that wells up in our souls and spirits when we know our Lord and Saviour on an intimate basis.
And by the way, that’s why He sacrificed His sinless self on the cross at Calvary…not to just have a religion called Christianity, but for each one within that awesome group to get to know Him intimately and personally. In other words, being a Christian means having a personally intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. And is that ever a whole lot of personal and intimate relationships! It surely is.
But that’s how great and how LOVING and wonderful our Lord and Saviour is, that He could have so many intimate relationships at the same time and give His best to each and every one of them! Wow! Give Him some much-deserved thanks and praise my fellow believers!
And the Bible verse associated with today’s poem is also very appropriate. Hear Bruh Paul in his missive to the church at Ephesus as he talks about prayer for inner growth. ‘Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.’ (Eph. 3:20-21)
Yes friends, through Christ and His church, glory must be given to God who has the amazing power to do more than our puny finite minds and imaginations can ever conceive. And just to add some biblical heft (smile) to our earlier contentions, listen to these marvellous words of Bruh David that also tell us how to achieve personal intimacy with our Creator.
‘Fret not thyself because of evil doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (you shall feed on His faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm). For evil doers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps. 37: 1-9)
Oh my people, it couldn’t get any clearer or more basic than that! So let’s hope that we’ve all received the message – once again nuh (smile), and will keep on doing just what it dictates, so we can keep that wonderful personal relationship with the Almighty going strong and fervent. And as we go home, let’s bravely tell the world who and whose we are.
In strong voice, with sincere hearts: ‘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!’
So what we waiting for then eh? Let’s go out and show that trust and share that wonderful LOVE nuh! Much LOVE!
…fret not…trust…delight…commit…rest …cease…wait…and thou shall inherit…
13 Sep 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Ah cyar leave Him, and he shall bring it to pass, cease from anger, Christian artist, chutney soca, cleansing mandated by the authorities, Commit thy way to the Lord, cut down like grass, delight thyself in the Lord, Denyse Plummer, died on the cross, forsake wrath, Fret not thyself over evildoers, from hell-bound to holiness, from revelry to righteousness, from sin to salvation, gospel truth, he shall give thee the desires of thine heart, I am under a rock, I found the truth, I saw the light, in any wise to do evil, in times of storm, Jahovah hides me, Jesus, Jesus is our shelter, Jesus is the best upgrade, King of Kings, LOVE Walk, masks are compulsory, Na Leaving, neither be envious, never condemn nor forsaken me, no hugging and shaking hands, no singing, physical distancing, Rest in the Lord, rose up just like a boss, shall inherit the earth, the Anglican Church reopens its doors, the greatest decision, the workers of iniquity, those that wait upon the Lord, trust also in him, wait patiently for the Lord, wither as the green herb, Yahweh, Yeshua
Psalm 37:4. Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
The day is here at last friends; the day when the Anglican church finally reopens its doors to their sanctuaries to have physical worship. Yes, it’s been five long months of technological worship while the sanctuaries lay quiet and dormant, some thought even dead! (smile) But the reawakening has eventually come, though with all the physical distancing and cleansing mandated by the authorities.
No hugging and shaking hands and masks are compulsory. Even the Eucharist has been changed up; no wine, just the wafer dropped into your hands by the priest with no bodily contact, and still physical distancing between believers as they approach the altar. And no kneeling at the altar either. Neither no singing. Only a soloist with a mask on, or the choir technologically beamed in.
Chuh! Some people might think the restrictions are too much and not worth the effort, while others will be overjoyed to have worship in church again. Anyway, to celebrate this auspicious occasion, the Lord decreed this special song for today’s worship. It’s by former star calypsonian Denyse Plummer turned Christian artist. It’s a rework of her earlier secular chutney soca hit, ‘Na Leaving,’ which celebrated all the good things of T&T, that those who were leaving there would miss.
From the first time I heard it, it became one of my favourite soca songs, and not only for the very descriptive lyrics, but also for the beautiful meshing, the impeccable melding of the African and East Indian riddims that we call chutney soca. So you can imagine when a few day ago, a friend sent me a copy of this reworked favourite with gospel lyrics, it was automatic that we should sing it this week. And isn’t it interesting how so many of the big secular artists are turning to gospel music nowadays. Some of them are even doing better than when they were singing the secular stuff, and if not financially, certainly in their soul and LOVE WALK. (smile)
Anyway, enough talk, let’s get to the sacrificial shout of praise. And as the sweet, soulful, easy rocking chutney soca music starts, we hear a couple bars, then we shout out ‘Jesus…Yahweh…Yeshua… Jahovah! From revelry to righteousness…Cyar leave Him. From hell-bound to holiness…Cyar leave Him. From sin to salvation…Cyar leave him. A kingdom destination…Cyar leave Him. There I was, in my glee, wallowing deep in a pig pen, full of life, but so empty, on my way to a fiery end. But someone told me about a Saviour, who said He LOVES me and He cares.
In times of storm He is my shelter, so in His arms you’ll find me there. Yuh see ah cyar live life without Him, He is my King of Kings, He’s the reason I’m still living. Ah cyar leave Him…ah cyar leave Him. Never condemn or forsaken me dread…Ah cyar leave Him…ah cyar leave Him. For God man I living, For God I go dead. There are so few, who made it through, and come from the darkness of this world. But I saw the light, I found the truth. I have more than silver, more than gold. I gave my life over to Jesus, the greatest decision I’ve made. Boy I recommend you try Him, Jesus is the best upgrade.
He came to earth and died on the cross, rose up just like a boss, when yuh see me smiling, He’s the cause. Ah cyar leave Him…ah cyar leave Him. Never condemn or forsaken me dread…Ah cyar leave Him…ah cyar leave Him. For God man I living, For God I go dead. I am under the rock. The rock is higher than I. Jahovah hides me. I am under the rock. Go tell my enemies, that I am under the rock. Jahovah hides me, I am under the rock. I am under the rock. The rock is higher than I. Jahovah hides me. I am under the rock. Go tell my enemies, that I am under the rock. Jahovah hides me, I am under the rock.
From revelry to righteousness…Cyar leave Him. From hell-bound to holiness…Cyar leave Him. From sin to salvation…Cyar leave him. A kingdom destination…Cyar leave Him. Jesus…Yahweh…Yeshua… Jahovah! (And we shout again) Jesus…Yahweh…Yeshua… Jahovah!’
Wow mih people, what a rocking piece of worship! Please check it out on YouTube. Now yuh better believer all heaven was celebrating too, because they know the truth of those awesome words. And yes, yuh better believe that is the kind of difference, the amazing transformation Jesus performs in our lives when we surrender our all to Him! And yuh know what? Once we get with Him, it’s impossible to leave Him! No, we just cyar leave him at all at all. Mama Mia! Such is the LOVE and inspiration He inspires in us!
There isn’t an untrue statement in that song. Jesus moves us from sin to salvation, to that kingdom destination of heaven. And just like the prodigal son of whom He spoke, when He finds us in the pig pen, He takes us out, washes and cleanses us, because He LOVES and cares for us so much. He doesn’t condemn not forsake us. In fact He came to earth and died so that we could receive forgiveness and reconciliation. In times of storm He is our shelter, so where else yuh expect to find us eh? In His arms, under the solid rock that He is, which is so much higher than us.
And there are so few that find the light that He is, and come out of their darkness, so when yuh find the truth, which He also is, yuh must end up with more than silver or gold! And no fooling, the best decision we can ever make is to give our lives over to Jesus; cause He’s the best upgrade! Yuh see how He rose from the grave, just like a boss? That tells you He is the best upgrade you can ever get; the upgrade of all upgrades! So when you consider all of that, how yuh go leave Him eh? NO WAY! Instead we going to run and tell we enemies all about Him, so they could come and meet Him and enjoy the same benefits.
And the scripture to which I was led to describe all of that was Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked – the immortal words of Bruh David. Please pray them with me nuh: ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on His faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm). For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps. 37:1-9)
And that friends is the gospel truth, and when you receive Christ as your Saviour that is the kind of stuff His Holy Spirit leads you to do. So make that wise decision today nuh, is the best one you could ever make! Much LOVE!
…once yuh find Jesus…yuh cyar ever leave him…He’s so sweet and generous…
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