gentle and humble in heart

The Overwhelming Importance of Christians Living with the Peace of God, in the Rest of God!

08 Aug 2026 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a cloudy and dreary day, a heavenly peace, a peace that sets you free in the midst of trouble, a physical home, a promise of rain, a rest to the people of God, a topsy-turvy life, as God did from his, assured that God will work it out, be diligent to enter God's rest, be of good cheer, believers must actively trust God through faith, ceasing from one's own spiritual and physical striving, Christ conquered the world through His death and resurrection, christianity, come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, deepen my breath, don't copy the rebellious unbelieving mistakes of the Israelites, endless wandering in the wilderness, eternal rest, faith, find rest for your souls, foreshadowing of a deeper security, frolicking in the sunshine, gentle and humble in heart, he also hath ceased from his own works, he that entered into his rest, holy spirit, I am meek and lowly in heart, i have overcome the world, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, I will give you rest, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, know you all the more, labour to enter into God's rest, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, learn of me, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief, let not your heart be troubled, LOVE, marvel to think, mercy, my peace I give unto you, my yoke is easy and my burden light, negative circumstances, neither let it be afraid, not as the world giveth give I unto you, Peace i leave with you, placing active faith in Jesus, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, relax under th covers, relief from slavery, rest from work like God did on the seventh day, salvation, slow my thoughts, surrendering your need to earn your salvation through good works, take my yoke upon you, thank you for this tenderness, the BIBLE, the disobedience of the Israelites in the wilderness, the final spiritual rest available to believers, the Giver of Rest, the great invitation, the keys of hell death and the grave, the Lord's greatest desire, the peace and rest of God, the peace of God that passes all human understanding, the Prince of Peace, the Promised Land Rest, the rest of God, the ultimate spiritual rest, the weekly Sabbath Rest, these things I have spoken unto you, to have deep intimacy with His children, trusting God's daily grace instead of your own control, truth, wisdom, with all sincerity and truth, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present

Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 August 2026 John 14:27.

John 14:27. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

And then it was Saturday, our lazy-day Saturday. But unfortunately this second Saturday in August did not open as bright and sunshiny as the first one last week, which we spent frolicking in the sunshine in Caribana. This one’s somewhat cloudy and dreary, with a promise of afternoon rain. But as always we’ll handle it with the grace and style of Jesus that indwells us. And furthermore, what better kind of lazy-day Saturday is there than a cloudy, rainy one where you can just relax under the covers or on the couch and let the world pass by? None!

However, before we get on with the lazing around, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer 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!’

And as we keep saying, the Lord’s greatest desire is to have deep intimacy with His children, and if our hearts were sincere when we offered up that prayer, then we’ll soon find our souls and spirits filled with the peace of God that passes all understanding. A peace that we can in no way truly comprehend or understand, because it’s a heavenly peace not a worldly one. It’s like when Jesus was informing the disciples of His going away and the coming of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. He said to them: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27)

Yes friends, the peace of Jesus, the peace that we get when we interact with Him is of much higher quality than what the world calls peace. It’s truly peace; peace which can set you free from all worries and fears and negative circumstances, even in the midst of your topsy-turvy life. How awesome is that eh! Being able to go though difficult times and circumstances with the assurance that God will work it all out for your good in the end.

Then Jesus went on to later tell the disciples: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) There again Jesus is specifying that in Him we can find a different kind of peace than what the world offers, and in any case we don’t need to be afraid, because He’s already conquered the world through His death and resurrection; having taken aways the keys of hell, death and the grave from Satan. (Rev. 1:18)

And another valuable aspect of our faith, like the peace of God, is what we call the rest of God. It’s like this Overview explains. ‘Entering God’s rest means ceasing from your own spiritual and physical striving. You enter it by placing active faith in Jesus Christ, surrendering the need to earn your salvation through good works, and trusting God’s daily grace instead of your own control.’

And it follows from the scripture in Hebrews. ‘There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour (be diligent) therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief (disobedience).’ (Heb. 4:9-11)

The scripture is referring to the disobedience of the Israelites in the wilderness who were troubled all through their wilderness stay and died there, while the second generation who went into the Promised Land, led by Joshua, enjoyed a rest in God. Believers must therefore actively trust God through faith rather than copying the rebellious, unbelieving mistakes of the ancient Israelites in the wilderness.

And there are three basic kinds of rest in the Bible. The weekly Sabbath Rest, where we rest from work like God did in the Creation. (Gen. 2:1-3) Then there is the Promised Land Rest that we spoke of above, which the Israelites who came out of Egypt did not enjoy, because of their disobedience in the wilderness, but which their children born in the wilderness enjoyed. They found a physical home and relief from slavery and endless wandering in the wilderness; a sort of foreshadowing of a deeper security. Then there’s the Eternal Rest, the ultimate spiritual rest. The final spiritual rest available to believers. That’s being at rest with Jesus at the end of it all.

And that rest of God is nowhere highlighted better than in Jesus’ Great Invitation, where He declares to all and sundry: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30)

Oh my people, whatever kind of peace or rest you desire, you can find it all in one source; that’s in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour; the Prince of Peace and the Giver of Rest! So there’s no need to go searching anywhere else for either peace or rest. And this lazy-day Saturday is as good a day as any to ponder what we’ve spoken about and to consider our own situations as per the peace and rest of God. Much LOVE!

…there’s nothing more important or valuable in this world…than the peace and rest of God…

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

The Overwhelming Importance of Christians Knowing and Believing that Christ is ALWAYS with Them in Every Circumstance!

02 Aug 2026 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a renewal of faith and confidence, a song about finding strength, a soulful ballad, a spiritual source, a unique song, and lo I am with you always, beats so imperfectly, believest thou this, bondage to Satan, Christians, come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, during difficult times, each restless heart, emotional weariness, empowers others to overome adversity, even unto the end of the world, faith, find rest unto your souls, finding inner strength and hope, for praise worship and thanksgiving, gentle and humble in heart, give you rest, have the light of life, he that believeth on me shall never thirst, he that cometh to me shall never hunger, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, holy spirit, hope, I am filled with wonder, I am still, I am strong, I am the bread of life, I am the good shepherd, I am the resurrection and the life, I am the way the truth and the life, I can stand on mountains, I glimpse eternity, I know my sheep and are known of mine, in the face of worldly challenges, Jesus Christ, Jesus is a Superstar, Jesus is there for us in any area we need help, Jesus will take good care of us, Jesus' yoke is filled with mercy and grace, join other believers in the Lord's sancturary, Josh Groban, learn of me, long holiday weekend, LOVE, meek and lowly in heart, mercy, most important action, my heart burdened be, my soul so weary, no life without its hunger, no man cometh unto the Father but by me, numerous festivities taking place, perseverance, reach your full potential, salvation, Secret Garden, sinful darkness, sweet sacrifices of praise, take my yoke upon you, that action under our belt, the BIBLE, the first Sunday in August, the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep, the gospel truth, the great invitation, the light of the world, the love and guidance of God, the presence of a loving you, the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit, the sacrifice of Jesus, the support of another person, though he were dead yet shall he live, to be more than I can be, to walk on stormy seas, truth, until you come and sit awhile with me, wait here in silence, when I am down, when I am on your shoulders, when troubles come, when you come, whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die, wisdom, You Raise Me Up

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 August 2026 Matthew 28:20b.

Matthew 28:20b. …and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

Oh my people, on this first Sunday in August, although the rain is trying to create some unnecessary havoc, with the long holiday weekend in progress, and the numerous festivities taking place, let’s not forget the most important action we need to take; that’s joining other believers in the Lord’s sanctuary for praise, worship and thanksgiving. For without that action under our belt, the upcoming week will not be as easy to handle, for our faith and confidence would not have received its weekly renewal. (smile)

And to help us do that this week, we have a wonderful song to sing; one that all of us know and LOVE; one simply titled, ‘You Raise Me up.’ It’s a song originally recorded in 2001 by the duo Secret Garden with singer Brian Kennedy, but was made famous worldwide by Josh Groban in 2003. And it’s one of those unique songs that speak to all of us in one way or another, so let’s not delay any longer, and offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful ballad, a scintillating, heartfelt version.

Singing: ‘When I am down and oh, my soul so weary When troubles come and my heart burdened be Then I am still and wait here in the silence Until You come and sit awhile with me (Chorus: You raise me up so I can stand on mountains You raise me up to walk on stormy seas I am strong when I am on Your shoulders You raise me up to more than I can be: You raise me up so I can stand on mountains You raise me up to walk on stormy seas I am strong when I am on Your shoulders You raise me up to more than I can be.)

There is no life, no life without its hunger Each restless heart beats so imperfectly But when You come and I am filled with wonder Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity You raise me up so I can stand on mountains (You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains) You raise me up to walk on stormy seas (Walk on stormy seas) And I am strong when I am on Your shoulders Oh, you raise me up to more than I can be You raise me up to more than I can be.’

That was wonderful friends! And though the song is not a recognized hymn, it does have many of the qualities that most hymns have. It’s like this Overview explains. ‘”You Raise Me Up” is an inspiring ballad about finding strength, hope, and perseverance through the support of another person, often interpreted as God or a spiritual source, especially during difficult times. The lyrics describe a person’s emotional weariness and how the presence of a LOVING “you” empowers them to overcome adversity, “stand on mountains,” “walk on stormy seas,” and achieve more than they could alone.’

And isn’t that the gospel truth! We could not find our way in this life without the awesome LOVE and guidance of our wonderful God, through the sacrifice of His sinless Son, Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary, and then the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit within us to help lead and guide us along the straight and narrow path! And we discover that situation, right in the very first verse, where troubles burden us, and we sit in silence waiting until that special someone comes to sit with us.

Who’s that special someone eh? No one but Jesus, as He offers His Great Invitation to all who are burdened and weary. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30)

Yes friends, Jesus’ yoke is indeed light, for it’s not as heavy as the yoke that the Rabbis of old, placed on their followers, with the numerous laws that no sinful human could ever keep properly. Instead, Jesus’ yoke is light and unencumbered, because it’s filled with mercy and grace. That makes Him the best One to provide comfort and support and lift you up when you are hurting.

And if as they say, the song is about finding inner strength and hope in the face of worldly challenges, He is indeed the One most able to provide those things. And if you’re also looking for someone to support you, so that you can reach your full potential, and even greater, then Jesus is again the One you need. For lets’ look at all the things He is and does.

In the first place, He claims: ‘I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.’ (John 8:35) He is the bread that gives spiritual and eternal life. Then He claims: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12) That means Jesus won’t allow you to be pressured into or remain in the sinful darkness and bondage that Satan delights in keeping those who follow him.

Then again, as Jesus says to Martha, Lazarus’ sister: ‘I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead (may die), yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?’’ (John 11:25-26) Now that’s a good question for all of us to seriously ponder. Then there’s this claim, where Jesus says to the disciple Thomas, and consequently to all of us: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.’ (John 14:6) So nobody can get to Father God, but through belief in His Son Jesus Christ.

Then last, but by no means last, Jesus claims: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep… I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.’ (John 10:11&14) And we all know what a good shepherd does- take good care of the sheep in his flock. Therefore, if we put our trust in Jesus, He will take good care of us. In fact, all those ‘I am’ statements were to show us how unique and all-encompassing is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. In any area in which we need help, He is always there for us. As he says at the end of the Great Commission: ‘and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b)

Now how can you beat that eh? You simply cannot, for Jesus is a Superstar; the One and only One in the universe. That means we can rest assured in all areas of our lives, if we have Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. Let’s hope you do. Much LOVE!

…Jesus can raise us up from any state or trouble…in which we find ourselves…

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

The Overwhelming Importance of Christians Understanding How Badly They Need God Every Moment of Their Lives!

26 Jul 2026 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a deficiency causes a clear adverse outcome, a misguided heart, a need is something that's necessary to sustain life, a want is a desire wish or aspiration, all fall down, bowing here, cling to God, come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, congregate in the Lord's sanctuary, consider all the blessings we have, dysfunction, eternal death, exciting, faith, fellowship, find grace to help in time of need, find rest unto your souls, find true rest and direction, gentle and humble in heart, God goodness and mercy, God's largesse, hard, headed straight for hell fire and damnation, Holiness is Christ in me, holy spirit, I confess, I find my rest, I need you every hour, I will call upon the Lord, I will give you rest, I will love thee O lord my strength, I'll fall on you Jesus, in whom I will trust, Jesus Christ, Jesus is more than sufficient for all our needs, Jesus is our be all and end all, joy filled, learn from me, let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, Lord I come, Lord I need you, LOVE, makes me wan to worship, Matt Maher, meek and lowly in heart, my buckler, my burden is light, my deliverer, my god, my high tower, my one defense, my righteousness, my shield, my stronghold, my yoke is easy, O God how I need you, obtain mercy, on the right hand of God, painful, run to God, salvation, saved from mine enemies, song of worship, Sunday, sweet sacrifices of praise, take my yoke upon you, teach my song to rise to you, the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, the delicious truth, the first day of the week, the horn of my salvation, the Lord is my rock and my fortress, the throne of grace, the undeserving children of men, there is no other God like our God Jehovah, this evil and ungodly society, time of need, total reliance on God, trust God with everything we're going through, truth, we cannot make it on our own, we need God every minute, we need God in every situation in our lives, we need the Lord's saving grace, when I cannot stand, when temptation comes my way, where grace is found is where you are, where sin runs deep, where you are Lord I am free, wisdom, without you I fall apart, worthy to be praised, you're my hope and stay, you're the one that guides my heart, your grace is more

Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 July 2026 Matthew 11:28.

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

It’s the first day of the week my fellow believers! Sunday! The day we congregate in the Lord’s sanctuary to celebrate His sovereignty as one joyful body, to offer up praise and thanksgiving for His mercy and goodness to us undeserving children of men. For without His largesse, we’d have no chance whatsoever of escaping eternal death.

And today’s song of worship is one that shows our total reliance on our Creator. It’s a 2011 contemporary Christian song by Matt Maher, most appropriately titled `Lord I Need You. So, without further ado, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, heartfelt, lively and uplifting version, as per the Brookly Tabernacle Choir.

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

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

And isn’t that the delicious truth! We desperately need the Lord’s saving grace, mercy, salvation, and all the other good things He has to offer, for we simply cannot make it on our own! But before we get into the specifics of the song, I think we should clarify what we mean by a need. And this commentary gives us a good basis on which to begin.

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

From that explanation, we can deduce that needs are ever so necessary in a human’s life, and most, if not all of them can only be met by or obtained through God’s goodness, grace and mercy! Just look at the first verse: ‘‘Lord I come, I confess Bowing here, I find my rest Without You, I fall apart You’re the one that guides my heart.’ Now where else can you find true rest and direction for an unsure or misguided heart eh? Nowhere else but in and through Jesus!

As He says in His Great Invitation: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11: 28-30) Now that’s Jesus satisfying a couple of our most basic needs; rest and relief from heavy burdens. No one else can do that like He does.

Then look at the chorus: ‘Lord, I need You, oh I need You Every hour, I need You My one defense, my righteousness Oh God, how I need You).’ And if that isn’t the gospel truth, then I don’t know what is! And in this evil and ungodly society that seems to be getting worse with each passing day, do we ever need the Lord. Not only every hour but also every minute, because life is passing by so swiftly, if He isn’t with us all the time then all fall down.

And the chorus most rightly terms the Lord, ‘our one defense,’ which Bruh David clearly states in Psalm 18 – A Call for God’s Deliverance, when he confidently declares: ‘I will LOVE thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength (rock), in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold). I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps. 18:1-3)

It could not be said more clearly than that my people! And we know that Bruh David was talking there from personal experience and not simple hearsay. Then this verse tells us: ‘Where sin runs deep, Your grace is more Where grace is found is where You are And where You are, Lord I am free Holiness is Christ in me.’

And where do we find grace, but at the throne of grace! As the author of Hebrews so rightly informs us: ‘Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:16) And if we find grace where Jesus is, then Jesus must in heaven, as Peter says: ‘Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.’ (1 Pet. 3:22)

Yes my fellow believers, as I keep on saying, Jesus is our End All and Be All; without Him we’re completely lost, headed straight for hell fire and damnation, but with Him in our lives, we don’t need anything or anyone else, for He is more than sufficient for all our needs!

And we’ll close with a couple of testimonies on the song. The first one says: ‘God is ALL that we need. That’s what He wants from us. For us to run to Him, cling to Him and trust Him with everything we’re going through. Whether it’s painful and hard, or joy filled and exciting! We need Him!’ Don’t we know it!

And the second testimony declares: ‘This is a very beautiful song.it makes me look at God and see how much I need him in every situation in my life. It makes me want to worship every time I sing it. It surely is a blessing.’ What an awesome truth! And with that truth declared, I think we should spend some time today considering all the blessings we have, by having Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour! Much LOVE!

…what a great God we serve…there is no other like Him…

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

The Overwhelming Importance of Christians turning to the Promises of God in Times of Weariness!

15 Apr 2026 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a glorious future we can neither imagine or comprehend, April showers bring May flowers, attest to those sentiments, by the grace of God, can't take another step, catch our second wind, christianity, Christians, come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, endure to the end with Jesus, even the youths shall faint and be weary, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, faithful believers in Christ, feel like a millon dollars, feel quite bankrupt, find rest unto your souls, gentle and humble in heart, gently led me through it, God held my hand, God I come to you in thanks, God is with us every step of the way, God strengthens all who come to Him with sincere pleas, halfway home, handled the situation, hands on the plough, hast htou not known hast thou not heard, he gives power to the weak, He giveth power to the faint, help me go on, his commandments are not burdensome, his commandments are not grievous, holy spirit, I am meek and lowly in heart, I came not to call the righteous, I will give you rest, I've has many cloudy days, In Touch Organzation, in your strength God, Jesus Christ, keep on keeping on, leap along the toughest path, learn of me, let God's strength surprise you, LOVE, mercy, moment by moment, mount up with wings as eagles, my path is long and tiring, my yoke is easy and my burden light, no searching of his understanding, not looking back at the past, not turning back, only Jesus has the power to make such an offer, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, Prayer Cards from IN Touch Ministries, problems seem to grind on endlessly, put one foot in front of the other, refreshes me for each new day, regardless of the circumstances, rest assured, run and not be weary, run the deepest valley, salvation, so glad to be alive, take my yoke upon you, thank God, thank you for your great love, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the Creator of the ends of the earth, the great invitation, the Lord fainteth not neither is weary, the Lord never lets' you go through anything alone, the Lord reaches down and enables us, the young men shall utterly fall, they that are whole need not a physician but they that are sick, they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, this is the love of God, to a glorious future with Jesus, to call sinners to repentance, to them that have no might he increaseth strength, truth, walk and not faint, we keep His commandments, we need patience and endurance for the long fight ahead, Weariness prayer card, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, you give me strength, you keep hope alive in my heart, you're there to hold me up

Isaiah 40:29. He giveth power to the faint (weak); and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

Well friends, on this rainy and cloudy Wednesday morning, when we’re catching our second wind, we’re also halfway through the month of April. And let’s hope that the saying about April showers bringing May flowers, is true, because we seem to be getting a fair amount of rain everyday this week. But yuh know what, we’ll take the rain over the white precipitation any day. Thankfully too, we don’t have to think about that for at least another six months. (smile)

Anyway, today we’re going to look at one of the Theme Cards published by the In Touch Organization last year, a few of which I’ve already shared. Today’s theme is ‘Weariness.’ And it’s rather appropriate, because it’s a sad fact that many of us all over the globe are indeed weary, for one reason or another, with my name at the top of the list, for I’m just tired of all the sickness I’ve been undergoing for the last few months, where as soon I’ve dealt with one thing, something else crops us. But as faithful believers is Christ Jesus, we have to keep on keeping on as best we can, regardless of the circumstances.

So please read with me the prayer on today’s ‘Weariness’ card. ‘God, I come to You in thanks, because You give me strength. Sometimes I feel I can’t take another step. But when problems seem to grind on endlessly, You’re there to hold me up. When my path is long and tiring, help me go on. Though I’ve had many cloudy days, You keep hope alive in my heart. In Your strength, God, I can run the deepest valley and leap along the toughest path. Thank You for your great LOVE that refreshes me for each new day. Amen!’

Yes friends I can attest to those sentiments, because it was only by the grace of God that I handled the situation, and am still handling it, (smile) especially when in the early stages the medical people could not figure out exactly what was wrong with me, which forced me to make more visits to the hospital than I desired. But the saying that the Lord never let’s you go through anything alone is oh so true. And everyday I endured the unfortunate tiredness and pain, He held my hand and gently led me through it.

And if I ever had any doubts about His goodness and mercy, I certainly don’t have any now, for without His strength I could not have made it… and He’s still here with me, because I’m not completely out of the woods as yet. Some days I feel like a million dollars, others I feel quite bankrupt. (smile) And I’m sure many of you also have that same testimony, because He doesn’t only strengthen certain people, but all who come to Him with sincere and heartfelt pleas. And the scripture for today’s ‘Weariness’ card comes from that famous passage of Isaiah on weariness. Let’s read it together and use it renew our strength today.

Isaiah starts out by querying: ‘Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint (weak); and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is. 40:28:31)

And that’s no lie friends, for many of us can attest to such testimony, as when we thought we could not even put one more foot in front of the other, the Lord reached down and enabled us to go the whole distance we needed to go! For that’s the kind of God He is! The God of the poor, the weary, the lost, the helpless, the abused and the underprivileged! And yes, He’s also the God of the strong, the healthy and the rich! But it’s like when the Pharisees complained to the disciples about Jesus eating with the publicans (tax collectors) Jesus heard their disparaging remarks and then informed them: ‘They that are whole (healthy) need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’ (Luke 5:31-32)

That’s why the Lord is so interested in the weary, the tired and downtrodden. And if you don’t believe me, then listen to Jesus as He offers what we call the Great Invitation. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly (gentle and humble) in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30)

Oh my brethren, where you can get a better offer than that eh? Nowhere! For Jesus is the ONLY ONE who is able to make such an exciting, promising offer and back it up with His awesome power! And I like how John corroborates Jesus’ last verse there with this one from his first epistle. ‘For this is the LOVE of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous (burdensome).’ (1 John 5:3) Yes friends, Jesus’ commandments are not burdensome, but they do need patience and endurance for the long fight some of us might have to endure, and we can rest assured that He will be with us, every step of the tiring, weary way.

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

And if we endure right to the very end with Jesus, then we’re promised a future so glorious that we can neither imagine or comprehend it. Now, I’d say that’s a very good reason to stick it out to the very end…wouldn’t you! Much LOVE!

…let God’s strength surprise you…moment by moment… (the postscript from the ‘Weariness’ prayer card.)

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

SCRIP-BITS

The Overwhelming Importance of Christians Living with the Peace of God, in the Rest of God!

The Overwhelming Importance of Christians Knowing and Believing that Christ is ALWAYS with Them in Every Circumstance!

The Overwhelming Importance of Christians Understanding How Badly They Need God Every Moment of Their Lives!

The Overwhelming Importance of Christians turning to the Promises of God in Times of Weariness!

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