from the hand of God

The Overwhelming Importance of Christians Understanding the Great Power of the Tongue. Part 1!

23 Oct 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a beautiful masterpiece, a deceitful tongue, a positive outlook on life, a world of iniquity, abundance, achieving deeper intimacy with God, an everyday occurrence, an ungodly man diggeth up evil, an unruly evil, be able to bridle the whole body, boasteth great things, by thy words thou shalt be condemned, by thy words thou shalt be justified, can a vine bear figs, clear direction for my life, cna the fig tree bear olives, come to know and love christ like we do, creativity, curse, curse and bless with the same tongue, deliver my soul from lying lips, doth a fountain send forth at the same place, driven of fierce winds, duty bound, every idle word that men speak, eye candy, faith, favour, from the hand of God, full of deadly poison, get ready for the deep chill, growing in spiritual maturity, guided by the Holy Spirit, holy spirit, how big a fire a small flame sets, how great a matter a little fire kindleth, if any man stumble not in word, in his lips there is a burning fire, in many things we all stumble, indisputable truth, inner mechanism, it defileth the whole body, Jesus Christ, leaves changing colours, less unholy words to answer for, LOVE, made after the likeness of God, mercy, negative word, no fountin can yield both fresh and salt water, our tongues cause much anguish and heartache, out of the same mouth, proceedeth blessing and cursing, programmed by God, prosper, put bits in horses mouths, salvation, set on fire by Satan, set on fire of hell, sets on fire the whole course of life, setteth on fire the course of nature, ships are turned around with a small rudder, so is the tongue among our members, succeed, sweet and bitter water, talent, the big day of reckoning, the gospel truth, the impulsiveness of our tongues, the lusts of the world, the same is the perfect man, the similitude of God, the tongue can no man tame, the tongue is a fire, the tongue is a little member, the tongue is a system of iniquity, the tongue is small but powerful, the tongue needs to be used wisely, therewith bless we God, therewith curse we men, they shall give account of on judgment day, those things ought not to be so, truth, unruly tongues, wisdom

James 3:6a. And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity, so is the tongue among our members,

And this new day of life brings us to Thursday, the penultimate day of our work week! The week is surely moving along very quickly, like the leaves on the trees, which are now swiftly changing colour and falling off as the weather gets colder and their inner mechanism programmed by God their creator, tells them it’s time to get ready for the deep chill. (smile) I hope our inner God-given sense also tell us the same thing and we follow it obediently, like the trees follow theirs. And by the way, that fiery red tree in my neighbour’s backyard, is now also filled with luminous yellow leaves, so it’s a startlingly beautiful masterpiece of red and yellow from the hand of our wonderful God.

Now, He’s doing His work to provide us with great eye candy, but are we doing ours, to help bring unbelievers to Him, as well as growing in spiritual maturity and thus achieving deeper friendship and intimacy with the One we claim to LOVE and worship? And sadly that answer is a big NO; for we are not being guided by the Holy Spirit as we ought to be, but instead we are allowing the world and it’s lusts to guide us, with our unruly tongues in the forefront. Remember yesterday we spoke of the impulsiveness of our tongues and the problems they consequently cause?

Today we’ll continue talking about that power of the tongue, for both good and evil. And James has a wonderful treatise on the tongue. He explains: ‘For in many things we offend all (all stumble). If any man offend not (stumble not) in word, the same is a perfect man, and be able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold, also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet they are turned about with a very small helm (rudder), withersoserver the governor listeth (the pilot wants). Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter (forest) a little fire kindleth (sets on fire). (James 3:2-5)

Ah friends, we see the power of small things to move great matters; like the bit in the horses mouth, the rudder on the ships and the ability of a small flame to cause a huge fire. And James continues delving into the matter of the tongue. ‘And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity, so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature (our existence); and it is set on fire of hell.’ (James 3:6) Wow! What an expose on our tongues!

And the scholars explain that verse thus: ‘The tongue is a system (world) of iniquity that sets on fire the whole course of life, and is even set on fire by Satan.’ And we see that awesome power of our tongues in our everyday life, where it causes arguments and strife, even wars, because of a few insensitive, demeaning or boastful words. James then further enlightens us: ‘For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.’ (James 3:7-8)

And is that ever the indisputable truth, as everywhere these days you can hear tongues spewing more vitriol than anything else. For as James points out: ‘Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude (likeness) of God.’ (James 3:9) That’s more indisputable truth! How can we curse and bless with the same tongue eh? As James states: ‘Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.’ (James 3:10) And that’s the gospel truth! We should not be blessing and cursing with the same tongue, but it’s an everyday occurrence in this evil and ungodly world!

Then James puts forward these questions to prove his point. ‘Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.’ (James 3:11-12) Oh my people, the unholy use of our tongues causes so much anguish and heartache in our world that we should pray for the Lord to dumb us all.

However, there’s one thing we forget about the use of our tongues, and Jesus said it quite plainly. ‘But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account in the day of judgement. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.’ (Matt. 12:36-37) Yes my people, we shall all give account for our words come the judgement day, so we had better start shaping up from right now, so that we will have less unholy words to answer for, come that big day of reckoning. (smile)

For as that wise man, Cousin Sol once said: ‘An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire.’ (Prov. 16:27) There again we have the provoking and anger stirring problems of our tongues! And all we can do is mirror the worlds of psalm 120: ‘Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue. What shall be given unto thee? or what shall be done unto thee, thou false (deceitful) tongue? Sharp arrows of the mighty (a warrior), with coals of juniper (the broom tree).’ (Ps. 120:2-4)

Yes friends, that’s what some of our tongues deserve. But we’ll go out on a positive note by declaring our Thursday Blessings. That’s the many undeserved blessings the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. So as one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!

I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’

Now friends, we’re duty bound to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…the tongue is small…but ever so powerful…and needs to be used wisely…

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

The Wisdom of Reverencing Almighty God if One wants to enjoy a Blessed Life!

16 Oct 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: abundance, all that glitters is not gold, all the days of thy life, as arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, blessed are the undefiled, blessed are they that keep His testimonies, blessed is every one that feareth the Lord, by the sides of thine house, children are an heritage of the Lord, come to know and love christ like we do, courage, creativity, curse, do no iniquity, eat the fruit of their doings, eat the labour of thy hands, faith, favour, fear the Lord, felt the heat of the sun, from the hand of God, fulfillment, futility, God's goodness to the children of men, God's supernatural wisdom, good health, grasping for the wind, happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them, happy shalt thou be, he should eat and drink, holy spirit, in the heart of thine house, it shall be ill with him, it shall be well with thee, Jesus Christ, leads to a healthy holy life, LOVE, make his soul enjoy good in his labour, mercy, more glamour and glitter, negative consequences, negative word, nothing better for a man, one is never truly happy until he is truly holy, peace upon Israel, prosper, reverencing God, righteousness pays while evil does not, round about thy table, salvation, say ye to the righteous, see the good of Jerusalem, see thy children's children, seek him with the whole heart, sovereign of the universe, speak with the enemies in the gate, submission to the Lord and his revelation, succeed, sunshine lollipops and rainbows, talent, that walketh in his ways, the BIBLE, the children of the youth, the devil's enticements, the fruit of the womb is his reward, the fruit of thy labour, the holier than thou righteousness of God, the Lord shall bless thee out of Zion, the reward of his hands, the sinful pleasures of the world, they shall not be ashamed, this also is vanity, thy children like olive plants, thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine, truth, vexation of spirit, walk in his ways, walk in the law of the Lord, wisdom, woe unto the wicked

Psalm 128:1. Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways.

And we’ve rolled into Thursday, the second to last day of this short work week, with more sunshine, lollipops and rainbows! I even felt the heat of the sun on my face when I went outside a short while ago. The sun is still releasing heat in the northern climes in the middle of October? Oh how blessed we are! Let’s hope and pray that when the weather turns negative, as it must at some time, it doesn’t go to the other extreme. But not to worry, we faithful believers in Christ can handle anything that comes against us with the help of our loyal and LOVING Savior who strengthens us in all we need to do! Give Him some thanks and praise for His awesome goodness to the children of men!

That brings us to this short but ever so important and encouraging Psalm 128, so aptly titled ‘Fear the Lord.’ And what wonderful advice that is! Reverencing the Lord God Almighty, Sovereign of the Universe, is always in our best interests. And from the opening verse the psalm gives us wonderful news. ‘Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways.’ (Ps. 128:1) Wow! That ought to immediately capture our attention, and have us asking, why is that eh?

But before we get to the answer, here is some more scripture that offers the same wonderful advice, but breaks it down into more practical activity. ‘Blessed are the undefiled (blameless) in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.’ (Ps. 119: 1-3)

Now here is the awesome answer to why we should continually reverence the Lord our God. ‘For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands (fruit of thy labour): happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.’ (Ps. 128:2) What more can a man ask eh, than enjoying the fruit of his labour? It’s like Cousin Sol says in Ecclesiastes: ‘There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good (his soul should enjoy good) in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.’ (Eccl. 2:24)

It’s also like the Lord said to Isaiah. ‘Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him (done to him).’ (Is. 3:10-11) Yes friends, in every utterance of the Bible, righteousness pays, while evil does not! And the writer of Psalm 128 gives us even more good news when he continues: ‘Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of (in the heart of) thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table.’ (Ps. 128:3)

Mama Mia! It gets better with each line my people! A fruitful wife with plenty children. And how is that good? Psalm 127 explains: ‘Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man (warrior); so are the children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.’ (Ps. 127: 3-5) No wonder the inability to have children was such a big deal in the olden times! It was accredited as righteousness and viewed as a reward from God, much more than it is today.

Then the author of the psalm throws in a li’l langniappe or broughta, to sweeten the pot. ‘Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.’ (Ps. 128:4) And in conclusion, he offers a prayer for blessing. ‘The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion: thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel.’ (Ps. 128:5-6) How can it get any better than that eh my brethren? Living to see not only your numerous children grow and prosper, but also your grandchildren and peace in Israel! That last one though might mean you will need to live a very, very long time to see it. (smile)

However, the psalm is so simple and straightforward that I can’t understand how many more of us are not following what it says. It’s like the scholars explain: ‘The message of this psalm is that one is never truly happy until he is truly holy.’ And there are so many scriptures that resonate with that same sentiment. But I guess the sinful pleasures of the world hold more glamour and glitter than the supposed boring and holier than thou righteousness of God. But please, let’s remember that all that glitters is not gold, and furthermore, all of the devil’s enticements are worthless and filled with many negative consequences. Or as Cousin Sol says in Ecclesiastes: ‘This also is vanity (futility) and vexation of spirit (a grasping for the wind).’ (Eccl. 2:26)

And to further improve on what the psalm says, the Lord has also bestowed on us several undeserved blessings to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!

And having made such a declaration (steups!!!) it now behooves us to go out and use those underserved blessings to help others, just a generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…submission to the Lord and His revelation…the Bible…leads to a healthy, holy and blessed life…

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

Man’s Basic Duty is to Fear (Reverence) Almighty God, and to Obey His Commandments!

14 Oct 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a man toils in his own strength, after the image of God, all these things shall be added unto you, all things are full of labour, another generation cometh, appear with Christ in glory, come to know and love christ like we do, duty bound, enjoy his work, failed to bring lasting satisfaction, faith, fear God and keep his commandments, finding fulfillment in material accomplishment, from the hand of God, frustrating tasks, futility, give up our earthly vices, god giveth to man who is good in his sight, God shall bring every evil work into judgement, grasping for the wind, he should eat and drink, holy spirit, hurry, I am the beloved of god, if ye then be risen with Christ, if you don't work you can't play, in god's eyes, in search of enduring fulfillment, is that which shall be done, it is that which shall be, Jesus Christ, joy, knowledge, leave the fruit of our labour behind, life is a roller coaster ride, life is not one jolly party, LOVE, make his soul enjoy good in his labour, man caanot express it, man's days are filled with sorrow, mercy, nor the ear filled with hearing, not on things on earth, nothing better for a man, obey God and leave all the consequences to him, on the right hand of God, one can only find true fulfillment in God, one generation passeth away, pursued fulfillment, put off the old man with his deeds, put on the new man, receiving it as a gift of God, renewed in knowledge, salvation, seek those things which are above, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, set your affection on things above, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, stop complaining about our jobs, struggles, suffer pain and grief, suffering, teaches us patience, Thanksgiving celebrations, that which is done, the daily grind and common task, the earth abideth for ever, the eye is not satisfied with seeing, the Preacher, the same routine, the sphere of God's blessing, the task of gathering and collecting, the thing that hath been, the whole duty of man, there is no new thing under the sun, this also is vanity, to find some sense of lasting fulfillment, to give to him that is good before God, to the sinner he giveth travail, trust my friend Jesus, truth, trying every avenue possible, Tuesday Mantra, vexation of spirit, wearisome, when Christ who is our life shall appear, where Christ sits, whether it be good or evil, who can have more enjoyment than i, wisdom, wisdom exceeds folly, wisdom knowledge and joy, wise words, with every secret thing, work and play are essential, work takes first place, ye are dead, your life is hid with Christ in god

Ecclesiastes 2:24a. There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour.

And then it was Tuesday…and all the thanksgiving celebrations finish…and we back to the same old daily grind and common task. (smile) But that’s what life is all about, doing the same routine and ofttimes boring and frustrating tasks every day. And that’s good for us, because it teaches us patience and not to expect life to be one jolly party all the time, and learn that work and play are essential, but work takes first place, for if you don’t work, you cannot afford to play. (smile) And some wise words from Cousin Sol, as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes, might help us better understand what life is all about.

He says: ‘One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever… All things are full of labour (wearisome); man cannot utter (express) it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.’ (Eccl. 1:4; 8-9) And that’s basically true; life is a roller coaster ride, and most of what happens now, has happened before, and will most likely happen again, although it might take a different form and shape or intensity.

Yes friends, Cousin Sol with his wealth and wisdom took to studying life, and in Chapter 2, according to the scholars ‘he pursued fulfillment through pleasure, wine, great artistic works, wealth, aesthetic and artistic pleasures and fame. However, all of these failed to bring lasting satisfaction to the wisest man of all time, yet people three thousand years later are still trying them in search of enduring fulfillment.’ And we see it all around the world where we’re trying every avenue possible to find some sense of lasting fulfillment.

But after discovering that wisdom exceeds folly, as far as light excelleth darkness (Eccl. 2:13) and that man’s day are filled with sorrow, (Eccl. 2:18-23) Cousin Sol comes to the conclusion: ‘There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God. For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto (have enjoyment), more than I? For God giveth to a man that (who) is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail to gather and to heap up (the task of gathering and collecting), that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity (futility) and vexation of spirit (a grasping for the wind).’ (Eccl. 2:24-26)

Ah mih people, although Cousin Sol found that a lot of life was futile because we try to find fulfillment in material accomplishment, but then have to leave the fruit of our labour behind for someone else to enjoy or waste, he still maintained that the best way to live this life is to enjoy it and work as though it is all a gift from God. As the scholars explain: ‘When a man toils in his own strength, he is bound to suffer pain and grief. The answer then is for him to enjoy his work by receiving it as a gift of God. Elsewhere work is said to be part of God’s curse on man (Gen. 3:17-19), but it can become the sphere of God’s blessing.’

And if we hope to get through these tough and perilous times, then that’s exactly how we ought to consider work; as a gift from God. Remember, there are lots of folks out there who don’t have a job, and although they do their best to get one, just cannot do so, which obviously causes them all sorts of struggles and suffering. Therefore, for those of us who are blessed to have a job, we ought to stop complaining about it, and instead enjoy it as the gift of God, by which we are able to eat, clothe and cover ourselves and our families. And yes, the job might not be the greatest, but it’s a job, and there are many out there who would be glad to have it.

However, we need to take Cousin Sol’s wise advice very seriously, for if the wisest and richest man ever tried to find fulfillment in life and material things and personal pleasures, and found it all futile and wasteful, why are we still running down those things trying to find fulfillment in them eh? Remember, the ONLY place that one can find true fulfillment is in God. Bruh Paul wrote it thus 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 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.’ (Col. 3:1-4)

Yes friends, to find true fulfillment down here, we have to give up all the earthly vices and lusts and instead concentrate on the good things that are above. And as Bruh Paul later says, ‘put off the old man with all his deeds …and put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.’ (Col. 3:9-10) That means in the image of Jesus, the plan that God has for all of His human creation. Meanwhile, Jesus also advised us on the finding of fulfillment, when in the Sermon on the Mount, He instructed us to stop worrying about clothes, food and shelter: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33)

So, enjoying the good things of life is not wrong, but the real duty of man is like Cousin Sol says at the end of Ecclesiastes. ‘Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every evil work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.’ (Eccl. 12:13-14) And that’s exactly what the Bible tells us from Genesis right back to Revelation: God is Supreme, and He will manifest the works of mankind in His own time.

Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Wail, letting the whole world 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, (awright!!!) 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!

the best advice…obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him… (Dr. Charles Stanley).

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 April 2024 Psalm 90:12.

01 Apr 2024 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a balanced diet, a balanced life, a long weekend, a modicum of circumspection, a vacuum of anything, all these things shall be added, April Fool's day, being ruled by desires, come ye yourselves apart, disobeyed your word, Easter celebration, Easter Monday, eat and drink, enjoy the fruit of his labour, fall into place, from the hand of God, hold our passions in check, humble servants, in perfect symmetry, into a desert place and rest a while, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, keep God number One, LOVE, make his soul enjoy good in his labour, mass confusion, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, negative effects, negative situations, our ying and yang, personal fitness, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, sincerely seek your face, temperance, the God who heals, there is nothing better for a man, trun from our evil ways, we have all sinned, wisdom, wise guidance

Psalm 90:12. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom (gain a heart of wisdom).

Well, it’s Monday; Easter Monday to boot, a holiday in many places, consequently the Easter celebrations roll on, as we relive the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour on that Easter Sunday, some two thousand years ago. This Monday is also the first day of April, making it ‘All Fool’s, or April Fool’s Day’ where we play practical jokes and hoaxes on each other. But please be careful when playing April Fool’s Day jokes, for many have been known to cause unexpected sadness and sorrow.

So this Monday is a big Monday, especially with no work and the celebration of one of the most important days in our Christian faith. But please, as Jeeves would recommend, please use a modicum of circumspection in the celebrations; balance your partying with your upcoming responsibilities. (smile) Remember, there’s work tomorrow and the boss won’t take it kindly if you book off sick or show up tired and droopy after such a celebrated long weekend. Not at all!

And my people in these crazy times, a balanced life is ever so important for your personal health and well-being. In a fast-paced, modern world, sustaining a balanced diet, alongside personal fitness, can help improve and stabilize overall health and wellbeing, which can help us live a fuller and longer life. As Cousin Sol so rightly says as The preacher in Ecclesiastes: ‘There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour (his soul should enjoy the good of his labour).This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.’ (Eccl.2:24).

The problem with that though, is finding the right balance. It’s very easy to work too much or party and laze around too much. The wise man will find a comfortable balance and enjoy the fruits of his labour. And we have a good example of that wisdom, when Jesus, before He feeds the five thousand, tells the disciples, ‘Come ye yourselves apart (aside) into a desert (deserted) place and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.’ (Mark 6:31)

Sadly, many of us do the same thing, work our fingers to the bone and don’t get enough rest. And though the negative effects might not show up right away, I can guarantee that they will show up eventually, and in ways you certainly won’t expect. So there’s wisdom in taking one day at a time, as Moses says in Psalm 90: ‘So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom (gain a heart of wisdom).’

That’s the life and work balance, but then there’s also a spiritual balance. This commentary explains it thus: ‘When we are in balance, we feel complete in ourselves. There isn’t a vacuum of anything. We feel free to be who we want to be and live the life we want. We can express our needs and focus on what we want without feeling less than or anxiety or fear. We feel happy and joyful.’ I guess we can call that the state when our ying and yang are in perfect symmetry. (smile)

Furthermore, as this quote from an article on the Spiritual Meaning of Balance,’ by Vinita Hampton Wright found on the ignatianspirituality.com website explains. ‘In Christian spirituality, balance has more to do with temperance, which means that we allow our deepest principles to hold our passions in check. As Paula Huston explains in her book ‘By Way of Grace’ temperance has been misconstrued in popular language to mean an unhealthy denial of life’s pleasures. But from earliest times Christians have valued spiritual balance. St. Ignatius spoke of people having “disordered affections”—being ruled by desires rather than free to make wise choices.

When we don’t practice temperance, eventually our affections will become disordered. A temperate person honors her desires and passions as gifts from God, but she does not constantly rearrange her life according to the ongoing flux of those desires and passions … One of the best gifts of temperance is that it frees us to enjoy our loves. When I write, I can throw myself into it completely. And when temperance tells me it’s time to stop writing and do something else, I can put down my work and enter the next thing wholeheartedly. Identify situations in which you feel pushed, or hurried, or desperate. Can you describe what’s going on, and how you might apply some temperance?’

And all of that makes complete sense, but here is the wisdom in which it’s all encapsulated, the words of Jesus: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) That covers it all friends. Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine help to make the changes we so desperately need to make, so that our world can become a better place for us, our children, and our children’s children.

Altogether now: ‘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!’

Now, let’s remember that the most important aspects of our prayer are, coming to God with sincere repentance in our hearts, as well as turning from our evil ways. If those two situations aren’t rectified, sooner than later, then divine help will not be forthcoming! It’s as simple as that! Much LOVE!

…keep God number ONE…and everything else will fall into place…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 February 2024 Psalm 46:10a.

07 Feb 2024 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a gift from God, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, A Listening Heart, a peculiar treasure, a small minded mentality, a trace of impatience, Be still and know that I am God, disobedience, endure to the end, enjoy good in his labour, exalted in all the earth, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, from the hand of God, good examples of salt and light, halfway home, hands on the plough, hear and your soul shall live, holy spirit, I will be exalted among the heathen, if my people would only listen, if ye will obey my voice, in whom I am well pleased, incline your ear and come unto me, Jesus Christ, keep my covenant, lack of faith, lack of faithfulness, listen to Him, LOVE, not turning back, nothing better for a man, thank God, the breath of life, the god of jacob is our refuge, the joy of the Lord is our strength, the Mount of Transfiguration, this is my beloved Son, this is the day the Lord has made, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, we will rejoice and be glad in it, Wednesday Wail

Psalm 46:10a. Be still and know that I am God:

A blessed Wednesday my people, as we rise and greet this new day, and assert with faith and thanksgiving: ‘This is the day the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24) And if we’re wise, we’ll do just that because it’s our heritage, our gift of God. I like how Cousin Sol says it in Ecclesiastes. ‘There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour (his soul should enjoy good). This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.’ (Eccl. 2:24)

And the scholars explain: ‘When a man toils in his own strength, he is bound to suffer pain and grief. The answer then is to enjoy his work by receiving it as a gift from God.’ And isn’t that the awesome truth! When we look at what we have and do as gifts from God, a sense of peace and rightness comes over us and we labour in a much more joyful spirit than otherwise. So, on this middle day of our workweek, when we catch our second wind, please, let’s listen to the voice of the Spirit of our great God, and allow Him to bring us that joy of the Lord that’s our strength, that we might do His work with sincerity and truth, and be good examples of salt and light in this dark and evil world.

And I believe that this piece from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin will help us do just that. It’s titled ‘A Listening Heart,’ and I’m sure that I’ve shared it already, but it’s good enough to share again. (smile) So please read with me: ‘I remember vividly the lesson I learned from my husband one day as he came home from his office weary and depleted. It had been a difficult day. He needed to talk. My day had been difficult too. Countless interruptions, phone calls, guests coming for brunch the next day. I wanted to listen, so I suggested that he follow me from room to room while I dusted furniture.

We tried it. while I dusted the piano, he talked. When I cleaned the clanging piano keys he continued, but with a trace of impatience. Next the stereo, then the tables. When I moved, he moved. Suddenly he grabbed my shoulders. ‘Please listen to me!’ Frankly I was shocked. “Honey, I heard every word you said.’ ‘I mean listen with your heart!’ I dropped the dust cloth. We sat down, and I gave my full attention. No body signals, no folded arms, no finger tapping. I was again aware of the tremendous responsibilities my husband carried. He needed my understanding. He thanked me profusely for listening.

That night I remembered how often God had said to the children of Israel. ‘If my people would only listen.’ I thought of God’s yearning for an intimate relationship with us. He waits for our response to his still small voice. He longs for our listening hearts, How we must grieve him when we don’t listen.’ And is that ever the gospel truth my fellow believers! It certainly grieves the heart of our wonderful and ever-LOVING God when we don’t listen to Him, because He knows that the good He has in store for us will bypass us, and we’ll suffer the pangs of this world unnecessarily.

Now, here are a few scriptures that prove the point. The Bible tells us of the Lord’s warning to the Israelites: ‘And Moses went up unto God and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say unto the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare (sustained) you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar (special) treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine. And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.’ (Ex. 19:3-6)

What a blessed message friends! Straight from the mouth of the Lord their supposed God! But did they listen and obey His voice? No! And you’re asking why the Israelites didn’t listen to God? This commentary gives us some idea of the basic reason. ‘Why did the Israelites continue to disobey God, even when they always would be punished for their actions? Disobedience comes from lack of faith and lack of faithfulness. Their mentality was often that of a weak God, a God who couldn’t do much for them or who they didn’t want to serve.’

And, unfortunately that is the basic reason why so many of us today still refuse to listen to the voice of God; our faith is small, and we don’t consider God to be the true omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present Deity that He is. And we refuse to serve Him too because we like the evil lusts and pleasures of the world rather than the things of God. Then there’s this marvellous invitation from God to the Israelites again, this time through the prophet Isaiah.

‘Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me (listen closely), and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness (abundance). Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.’ (Is. 55:1-3)

Yes friends, another instance where the Lord invited the Israelites to listen to Him, and they again refused. And He also pleads with us in the New Testament. That day on the Mount of Transfiguration, where ‘Jesus’ face did shine as the sun and His raiment (clothes) was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them (Peter, James, John) Moses and Elias (Elijah) talking with him (Jesus). Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias (Elijah). While yet he spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye (listen) to him.’ (Matt. 17:2-5)

But yet we still don’t listen, because we find the discipleship of Jesus, the narrow path, is too onerous, compared to the wide open, but very destructive path of the world. But please my faithful brethren, it’s to our benefit to listen. And as the psalmists, the Sons of Korah so wisely advised in the Bible Promise for our reading: ‘Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in all the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.’ (Ps. 46:10-11) Please, let’s remember that and listen to the still small voice of God speaking to us through His messenger, the Holy Spirit.

Now, let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. Altogether: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’

And if we endure right down to the very end with Jesus, that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So, see you there! Much LOVE!

…to spend eternity in heaven rather than hell…one must listen and obey…

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

SCRIP-BITS

The Overwhelming Importance of Christians Understanding the Great Power of the Tongue. Part 1!

The Wisdom of Reverencing Almighty God if One wants to enjoy a Blessed Life!

Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 April 2024 Psalm 90:12.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 February 2024 Psalm 46:10a.

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