15 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: a common denominator, a fine summer's day, a real late bus, appear beautiful outward, at the least convenient time, being honest, beleivers also need to wake up and smell the coffee, better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, by the good example we your faithful believers set, Christ demands integrity from His followers, christianity, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, derogatory remarks, diligence, divine help, do our best to make our actions match our words, doing the right thing, doing the right thing even when no one's watching, don't get too self-righteous, enjoying the weekend, faith, for Christ's sake, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, full of dead men's bones, full of hypocrisy and iniquity, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship and relaxation, God's omnipotent help, God's generous help, he that is perverse in his lips and is a fool, he that is perverse in his ways, help us to be responsible, holy spirit, hypocrites, iin soul body and mind, incorruptible, integrity, Jesus Christ, Jesus was a perfect example of integrity, like unto whited sepulchres, LOVE, mercy, never too late to share God's word, no internet connection, of all uncleanness, our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffe, people who don't do what they say, perverse in his ways though he is rich, renewed and refreshed, salvation, serious problems are escalating, sincerity, smell it sweet and strong, stand strong and steadfast, strong mral prinicples, technology can nake and break you, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the gospel truth, the weekend is here at last, to handle unexpected storms properly, trusting faith, truth, ungodly times, wisdom, wise guidance, woe unto you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites, ye outwardly appear righteous unto men
Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 August 2026 Proverbs 19:1.
Proverbs 19:1. ‘Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.’
Ah friends, we’re on a real late bus today. At one stage I wondered if it would even come. But it did come eventually, and it’s not too late to write a short sweet Friday Bit, because I hate missing any days, unless I’m too sick to do so. (smile) And this lateness stems from the fact that I have had no internet connection for the last 24 hours. Technology, technology, technology! It can make you, but it can also break you, and at a time when it’s least convenient.
I won’t even bother to explain what I’ve been going through for the last two days with my internet service provider. Trying to fix one problem caused a whole black out of internet and TV service, and it was only late this afternoon that a technician came and fixed it. The problem though is that all of them have problems, and getting them fixed in a timely and unstressed manner seems to be a common denominator, so moving from to another doesn’t make much sense, for you’ll be only faced with a different kind of problem and go through the same stress to have it fixed. End of my complaining! (smile)
Oh, by now, everybody will have already shouted up their Friday mantra: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at last!’ gone to work on a fine summer’s day and be enjoying the weekend activities, after a long and tiring five days of consecutive work. But it’s never too late to share the Word of God. So let’s delve in and come up with a short, sweet Friday Bit! (smile)
And here is the perfect scripture to titillate us today. It comes from the Proverbs of Cousin Sol, and warns: ‘Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.’ (Prov. 19:1) And isn’t that the gospel truth my faithful brethren, for if it’s one thing Christ desires from His followers is integrity. And what’s integrity eh?
Basically, it’s like this overview describes. ‘Integrity means being honest. It means having strong moral principles. A person with integrity does the right thing. They do this even when no one is watching. The word also means being whole, complete, or undivided, as well as incorruptible. Small examples are like returning extra change given to you by a cashier by mistake, or keeping a promise even when it is hard to do.’
And our Lord and Saviour Jesus was the perfect example of integrity! Now, following Him is not always easy for us, but we must always do the best we can, especially in respect of things like integrity, sincerity and diligence. That’s because those around us might not hear what we say about the gospel, but they will certainly see it from our lifestyle. And remember examples speak for forcibly than words. So although others may not remember what you say, they’ll certainly remember what you do, how you behave in certain situations.
Now that’s one of the big problems in Christ’s church today. Too many of us supposed Christians say one thing and then do something entirely different, something that does not jive with our words. It’s why Jesus made these derogatory remarks about the Jewish leaders of His day. ‘Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres (whitewashed tombs), which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity (lawlessness).’ (Matt. 23:27-28)
And that my friends is one of the reasons why the unbeliever doesn’t pay much attention to supposed Christians; because many of us are simply a bunch of hypocrites! And why would you knowingly want to mix with a bunch of people who don’t do what they say, keep promises, or show true integrity eh? And integrity was so important that Cousin Sol wrote about it twice: ‘Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness (integrity), than he that is perverse in his ways, though he is rich.’ (Prov. 28:6) That just goes to show that neither wealth, power or any other earthly trapping ought to make us lose or lack integrity!
So, to get divine help in that most important aspect of our Christian lives, lets’ go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And remember, let’s not get too self-righteous, because we too need to wake up and smell the coffee, so that we can do a better job for Jesus Christ! Much LOVE!
for Christ’s sake…let’s do our best…to make our actions match our words…and vice versa…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
07 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a boost to our spirits, a cloudy rainy day, a man's heart deviseth his way, a modicum of circumspection, a prevalent habit, a vapour that apeeareth for a little time, all good things will come to an end, all such boasting is evil, all such rejoicing is evil, always seek God's opinion, and doeth it not to him it is sin, anxiety and confusion, be responsible, boast in your arrogance, boast not thyself of tomorrow, buy and sell and get gain, Christians, continue there a year, doing our own thing, eat drink and be merry, faith, fleshly lusts and desires, following the world, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship and relaxation, God wants to be involved in every aspect of our lives, God's omnipotent help, God's generous help, help in troubled times, holy spirit, if the Lord will, invoke God's mercy and will for our lives, is not rich toward God, Jesus Christ, life is full of surprises, LOVE, make a profit, man made idols, man plans and God laughs, mercy, no concern for what God expects of us, no room to bestow my fruits, our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffe, our witness for Christ is unacceptable, plans of the heart belong to man, problems are escalating, pull down my barns and build bigger, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, salvation, say to my soul, so is he that layeth up treasure for himself, Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the asnwer of the tongue is from the Lord, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry, the BIBLE, the example we faithful believers set, the Lord can ditch all of our best laid plans, the Lord directeth his steps, the Lord is a jealous God, the Lord is sovereign over man's scheming and planning, the Lord is sovereign over our thoughts and words, the preparations of the heart in man, the throne of grace, the weekend is here at last, then vanisheth away, these ungodly times, this night thy soul shall be required of thee, thou fool, thou knowest not what a day may bring forth, to him that knoweth to do good, today or tomorrow, truth, we don't come up to scratch, we shall live and do this or that, we will go into such a city, wealth driven society, what is your life, whose shall those things be which thou hast provided, wisdom, ye know not what shall be on the morrow, ye ought to say, ye rejoice in your boasting
Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 August 2026 Proverbs 27:1.
Proverbs 27:1. Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
And finally the streak of bright, sunshiny summer days has ended, corroborating the saying that all good things will come to an end sometime, leaving us all hoping that it will happen later rather than sooner. (smile) Anyway, this first Friday in August is a cloudy, rainy one, but that didn’t stop us from sending up a boisterous Friday Mantra: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at last!’ Regardless of what’s happening or what the weather is like on a Friday, we always seem to get a boost to our spirits simply because the weekend is at hand.
And some of us want this weekend even more than normal, so we can catch up on our rest, after the great amount of partying we did last weekend and from which we have not yet recovered. But going to work tired is the price we pay for overdoing it, for that lack of the modicum of circumspection. (smile) And that is a fitting start to the situation we’re going to address today, conveyed by these wise words of Cousin Sol from Proverbs. ‘Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.’ (Prov. 27:1)
But unfortunately, in today’s busy and ungodly world, that’s a very normal situation. We all talk about and plan for what we’ll do tomorrow, not knowing whether we’ll even be around to put those plans into action. For who knows when the Grim Reaper will show up and announce our time has come? No one. And many of us have made future plans but never woken up to action them. It’s like the parable Jesus told of the rich man, whose land was very productive.
‘And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits (store my crops)? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow (store) all my fruits (crops) and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, but is not rich toward God.’ (Luke 12:17-21)
And in this current wealth and power driven society, that’s a very prevalent habit. We’re all seeking our individual treasure, with scant, if any concern for God and what He expects of us. That’s why so many of our supposed well-laid plans fall by the wayside, and have thus led to sayings like, ‘man plans and God laughs,’ or ‘the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry,’ meaning that life is full of surprises. Or as Cousin Sol wisely puts it in Proverbs: ‘The preparations (plans) of the heart in man (belong to man), and the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.’ (Prov. 16:1) And the scholars tell us, that means the Lord is sovereign, even over a man’s thoughts and words.
Then later on in that same chapter, Cousin Sol writes another wise saying on the subject. ‘A man’s heart deviseth (plans) his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.’ (Prov. 16:9) And per the scholars, the Lord is sovereign over man’s scheming and planning. So if the Lord can ditch all of our best laid plans, how are we to approach the situation eh?
I guess it’s like James describes it. He writes: ‘Go to now (come now), ye that say, To day or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain (make a profit): Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is you life? It is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boasting (boast in your arrogance): all such rejoicing (boasting) is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.’ (James 4:13-17)
Yes friends, the answer to the question is ever so simple; invoke God’s mercy and will for our lives! What will it take for us to understand that God wants to be involved in every aspect of our lives, and since He is our Creator and Controller, He is able to do exactly as He desires if, in His opinion, we don’t come up to scratch. But no, we insist on following the path of the ungodly world and doing our own thing without any thought of or consultation with our Maker. And remember, He is indeed a jealous God and does not want us bowing to any other gods, be they man-made idols or our own fleshly lusts and desires.
So the only wise way to live this earthly life is by talking to Him about our desires and plans, and then listening for His replies. So let’s do that right now nuh, by confidently but humbly, approaching the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, so we can find grace and mercy to help in these very troubled times. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them.
Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And before our egos get too puffed up, let’s note that we believers need to also wake up and smell the coffee, because our witness for Christ is totally unacceptable! And it’s high time we improve it! Much LOVE!
…God’s opinion should be sought…in every plan or decision we make…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Jul 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a hiding place, a place of comfort, be of good courage, be renewed and refreshed, be responsible, blessed is the man maketh the Lord his trust, by the good example we your faithful believers set, christianity, deal treacherously, defeat and destroy the enemy, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, divine aid, established my goings, faith, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship and relaxation, God always gives the best, God is a refuge for us, God shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities, God's omnipotent help, God's timing is perfect, he brought me up also out of an horrible pit, he hath put a new song in my mouth, he inclined unto me, he is my defence, He only is my rock and my salvation, he shall exalt thee to inherit the land, he shall strengthen thine heart, holy spirit, I shall not be moved, I wait for the Lord, I waited patiently for the lord, In God is my salvation and my glory, in his word do I hope, in soul body and mind, Jesus Christ, let me not be ashamed, let none that wait in faith on thee be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me, let them be ashamed which transgress without cause, LOVE, many shall see it and fear, mercy, more haste less speed, more than they that watch for the morning, my expectation is from him, my hope is from God, my refuge is in God, my soul, my soul doth wait, my soul silently wait thou upon God, my soul waiteth for the Lord, O my God I trust in thee, our best interest, our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffe, our society's desire for speed, out of the miry clay, pour out your heart before God, praise unto our God, relax in God's uprightness, respecteth not the proud, rushing about but going nowhere, salvation, Selah, serious problems are escalating, set my feet on a rock, speed kills, stand strong and steadfast, such as turn aside to lies, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the Lord heard my cry, the rock of my strength, the throne of grace, the weekend is here at last, time for Christians to rise up, trust in him at all times, trusting faith, trusting in God's will, truth, two short days off, unexpected storms, wait in faith I say on the Lord, wait in faith on the Lord, wait on the Lord and keep his way, wisdom, wise guidance, with him is plenteous redemption, with the Lord there is mercy, with your generous help, you shall see when the wicked are cut off
Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 July 2026 Psalm 27:14.
Psalm 27:14. Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith), I say, on the Lord.
And on this hot and sunshiny summer Friday morning, the shouts of our Friday Mantra obviously rang out loud and clear to high heaven! ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at long last!’ To tell the truth, the weekend doesn’t seem as though it took long to come, but came rather quickly, just like July began only last week and we’re already into double digit days. There doesn’t seem to be anything like slow moving time again, it all seems to have speeded up just like our society’s desire for speed in everything.
But please, let’s remember that very true adage; speed kills, not only on the roads but in many other areas of life too. Not taking time to make wise decisions has become a norm in our society; too many things are being rushed into without proper consideration, and like so many of us we’re simply rushing about, but going nowhere. It’s like that other old adage; more haste, less speed. And most of us have experienced that in several areas of our lives, where we hurry to do things or go places, but we simply end up taking more time that we expected.
That’s why there’s such wisdom in these words of Bruh David from Psalm 27: ‘Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith), I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:14) And friends there’s nothing better than waiting in faith on God, for His timing is perfect and He always gives us the best of whatever He has to offer. If, and when we learn to wait in faith patiently on Him, then we’ll see and experience a great calm and trust in our spirits, we’ll not be as anxious and fearful as before, because we’ve accepted the Lord’s timetable and are no longer desirous of pursuing our own will, but trusting in His.
And that statement of waiting on the Lord in faith seemed to be rather important to Bruh David, because he mentions it in several psalms. In Psalm 25, My heart Shall Not Fear, he declares: ‘O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none that wait (in faith) on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause (deal treacherously).’ (Ps. 25:2-3) Then in Psalm 37, Trust in the Lord, Bruh David advises: ‘Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off thou shalt see it.’ (Ps. 37:34)
Ah friends, it’s all about trusting God, being sure of His supremacy and of His wonderful and generous LOVE and compassion for us; therefore we can rest in His timing and relax in His uprightness and righteousness. Meanwhile in Psalm 40, Praise for God’s Deliverance, Bruh David sincerely informs us: ‘I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet on a rock, and established my goings (steps). And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord. Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.’ (Ps. 40:1-4)
Oh my people, those are the kinds of things that happen when we trust in the Lord and wait on Him, for He is ever generous to those who truly trust, rely and wait on His timing and promise! Then in Psalm 62, My Rock and My Salvation, Bruh David declares: ‘My soul, (silently) wait thou only upon God; for my expectation (hope) is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved (shaken). In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.’ (Ps. 62:5-8)
And that’s the glorious truth my brethren! God is a refuge, a hiding place, a place of comfort, calm and peace for those who trust, believe in and wait patiently on Him! And it’s not Bruh David alone that writes about the importance of trusting and waiting on God. Listen to this passage from Psalm 130, Hoping and Waiting for the Lord.
The psalmist acknowledges: ‘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: I say, 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 Isreal from all his iniquities.’ (Ps. 130:5-8) And that’s exactly what happens when we wait patiently for the Lord, put our trust in Him and aspire to live the way He desires!
Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid to do all the things we need to do to live sincerely for God. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land.
So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now, let’s be reminded that we believers also need to wake up and smell the coffee, because our current Christian witness for Christ is totally unacceptable. It has to be, if the enemy is dominating our world to such a great extent. It’s time for us to rise up, resist, defeat and destroy the enemy! Much LOVE!
…waiting in faith…patiently on God…is in our best interest…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: an incorruptible crown, anger, anxiety, be disqualified, be renewed and refreshed, blasphemy, bring it into subjection, but one receiveth the prize, by the good example we your faithful believers set, Christian faith, christianity, competes for the prize, confusion, covetousness, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, desire, discipline my body, divine aid, encompassed about with, every man that striveth for mastery, faith, filthy communication, fornication, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship and relaxation, God's omnipotent help, God's generous help, help us to be responsible, heroes of faith, holy spirit, I have preached to others, I keep under my body, I myself should be a castaway, idolatry, if God spares life, if you want to eat you must work, imperishable, is temperate in all things, Jesus Christ, lack of a strong work ethic, lackadaisical attitude, lay aside every weight, lay aside whatever impediment that weighs us down, lie not one to another, lighten our load, LOVE, malice, mercy, mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth, not as one that beats the air, our faith keeps us rooted and grounded in God, out faith is being seriously challenged, passion, persihable, poor witness for Christ, problems are escalating, put off the old man with his deeds, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, run our faith race with endurance, run that ye may obtain, run with patience, salvation, self-control, stand strong and steadfast, successful in our race of faith, surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the children of disobedience, the end of the work week, the endurance of a long distance runner, the race set before us, the race that is set before us, the sin which doth so easily beset us, the sin which so easily beset us, the sinful world, the weekend is here at last, the wrath of God, they which run in a race run all, to obtain a corruptible crown, trusting faith, truth, undisciplined, unexpected storms, ungodly times, wake up and smell the coffee, wisdom, wise guidance, withstand the constant temptation, witnesses, wrath, you can't win if you're not prepared
Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 June 2026 Hebrews 12:1b.
Hebrews 12:1b. let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us.
And then it was that blessed day of Friday, another hot and sunny one, and all the shouts of the Friday Mantra gloriously rose up to heaven: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at last!’ Our society has become so obsessed with Friday that we don’t give much thanks for any other day. I guess it’s because Friday has become associated with the end of the work week, and our society does not have a great work ethic, so working is not something we like to do.
But as the saying goes; if you want to eat, and have a roof over your head, you have to work. Bruh Paul even went so far as to tell the Thessalonians, that the busybodies and gossipmongers among them, who refused to work, should not be given food. (2 Thess. 3:10-11) Now, that seems a fair reckoning, but doing it is an entirely different story. (smile)
And today we’re going to talk about one of the most precious things we have, but also one of the hardest to keep on the right trail. That’s our Christian faith, which in this evil and godly world of today is being seriously challenged at every turn, but needs to be strong enough to endure and withstand the constant temptation and bombardment that’s thrown at it. For it’s our faith that keeps us rooted and grounded in the goodness, mercy and LOVE of our ever-faithful God.
And this passage in Hebrews 12, gives us an interesting explanation and path to follow. ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are encompassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us.’ (Heb. 12 :1) Ah friends, that’s a tough requirement, but it needs to be done, if we are to be successful in our race of faith.
There are a lot of heroes of the faith, witnesses, who have gone before us and who are looking on at our progress. We also need to stand strong like they did, but there’s only one way to do that. As the author of Hebrews says; we need to lay aside every weight, or whatever impediment that keeps us weighed down, the scholars suggest stuff like clothing and body weight. But for the diligent runner or the faithful Christian, those things must be removed, so it can lighten our load.
We also need to put aside every sin which so easily ensnares us. And what sins ensnares us eh? The scholars seem to think that refers to the one sin that is uppermost in our lives; the one sin that defeats us above all others. And there are numerous sins that ensnare us. It’s like Bruh Paul wrote the Colossians: ‘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:’ (Col. 3:5-9) Now that gives us some idea of the kinds of sins we ought to put aside as we run our faith race.
Then the author of Hebrews states that we should run our faith race with patience, that’s perseverance, or better yet endurance. We need to have the endurance of a long distance runner because our faith race is indeed a long one, and those short of breath will never win it. And we have another good example of how we should run that race from Bruh Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. He writes: Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain.
And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate in all things (has self-control). Now they do it to obtain a corruptible (perishable) crown, but we an incorruptible (imperishable). I therefore so run , not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under (discipline) my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (be disqualified).’ (1 Cor. 9:24-27)
Yes mih bredrin, this race of faith that we’re running is one for our very life, therefore we need to be serious about it, have discipline and self-control, while working hard to keep our endurance going strong, for endurance and self-discipline are two important aspects of our race, that we badly need if we hope to win that imperishable crown promised to us by the Lord.
But sadly, endurance and self-discipline are two of the least recognized and practiced attributes in today’s society. Not many of us can stick with anything or project for a long time, or have the discipline to do the tough things needed to accomplish success. No wonder our society has become lackadaisical and undisciplined, wild and unruly. Unfortunately though, time and space have run out on us, so if God spares life tomorrow, we’ll continue looking at this race of faith that we are required to run.
Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid to help us run our race. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And we Christians also need to wake up and smell the coffee, because our work and witness for Christ is definitely not good or strong enough, otherwise our world would not be in the terrible state it’s currently in! Much LOVE!
…everyone who runs a race…runs to win…but you can’t win if you’re not prepared…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
29 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a prayer we can all testify to, accept Christ as Lord and Saviour, anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, appreciating the good times, at the end it shall speak and not lie, be of good courage, by the good example we your faithful believers set, Chrisitans, christianity, confused, contentment is a learned behaviour, contentment is learned through the ups and downs of life, contentment is not learned in the classroom nor overnight, count myself not to have apprehended, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, ended up somewhere unexpected, escalating problems, forgetting those things which are behind, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, fully knowing God, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship and relaxation, God doesn't waste detours, God gently and slowly guided me along the way, God will change us when we come to Him, God will never lead us astray, God's omnipotent help, God's generous help, God's mysterious and intriguing aspects, God's teaching mesomething I might never have learned, he may run that readeth it, he shall strengthen thine heart, help me, help us to be responsible, I have learned, in this place, in this season of my life, IN Touch Devotional Prayer, in whatsoever state I am, it will surely come, Jesus Christ, keep looking back, lack of sufficient Biblical knowledge, learn to be contented, LOVE, make it plain upon tables, meeting me where I am, mercy, motivated to do God's will, move forward with the Lord, my life took a strange turn, need to navigate Friday's challenges, Not that I speak in respect of want, on another path, our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffe, Praise the Lord, press toward the mark, reaching forth unto those things that are before, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, salvation, see the good things happening here, stand strong and steadfast, stop trying to get back to my plan, surrender our all to God, teach me to be content, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the goal, the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, the Lord infused the leaves with new life, the Lord tries to teach us on whatever path we're on, the Lord will always meet us where we are, The Lord's promises wll all eventually come to pass, the throne of grace, the vision is yet for an appointed time, the weekend is here at last, therewith to be content, this one thing I do, though it tarry wait for it, to trust you're at work, trusting faith, truth, undeserved blessings, unexpected closures of doors, unexpected storms, wait in faith I say on the Lord, wait in faith on the Lord, wisdom, wise guidance, wondering what happened, write the vision
Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 May 2026 Ephesians 3:13b.
Ephesians 3:13b. but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth (forward) unto those things which are before (ahead),
Wow! It’s Friday! And many sing ‘Praise the Lord!’ Yes, we ought to give him much thanks and praise for allowing us to see another day, a bright and sunshiny fairly hot one. And you can be sure that our Friday Mantra went up with much gladness. ‘TGIF! Thank the Lord it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at long last.’ Yes, the weekend is come, but let’s not forget we still need to navigate the many challenges that Friday will undoubtedly throw at us.
And by the way, that tree in my neighbour’s backyard that had the light brown leaves that survived during the winter, I recently looked for them and could not find them, for all the leaves are now green. They must have either finally dropped off, or by some miracle the Lord infused them with new life and turned them green again. And I like to think the latter idea is what happened, because it shows the miraculous, mysterious and intriguing aspects of our great God.
And that mysterious, intriguing aspect of God also applies to the prayer we’re going to read today. Why, you ask? Because this is the third day that I’m bringing the May In Touch Devotional downstairs to write about the prayer, but surprisingly, the first two days the Lord guided me elsewhere. But today seems to be the day for the prayer.
So let’s pray: ‘Lord, my life took a strange turn, and I ended up somewhere unexpected. I keep looking back – confused and wondering what happened. But You don’t waste detours. You’re teaching me something I might never have learned on another path. Help me to stop trying to get back to what I had planned and instead to see the good things happening here – how You’re meeting me where I am. Teach me to be content, to trust You’re at work in this place and season of my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Oh friends, that’s certainly an interesting prayer, one that all of us can testify to at some time or other in our lives. I know I can. And writing this Bit is certainly one of those times. When the Lord came calling with the idea, I laughed and told Him my lack of sufficient Biblical knowledge made it impossible. But as is His custom, He persevered, and finally I agreed and began with small steps, as He gently and slowly guided me along the way. That’s what happens when you accept Christ as Lord and Saviour; you are motivated to do His will, sometimes by gentle leading, or by sudden, unexpected closure of doors in your face.
However, let’s remember that when the Lord closes one door He is planning to open another, but in His own good time. That means we have to be patient and trust Him completely. And in Psalm 27, Bruh David wisely advises us to; ‘Wait (in faith, patiently) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith, patiently), I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:14)
Then there’s this promise of God through the prophet Habakkuk, when He directs him to; ‘Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables (tablets), that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.’ (Hab. 2:2-3) Yes my people, whatever the Lord promises, will come eventually, but we need to have enough faith to wait patiently for it.
And when the Lord’s leading is different to our plan, we always try to go back to our original plan, instead of looking forward to what God has in store. But I guess that’s human nature, which points to an important aspect of our faith; the fact that the Lord will always meet us exactly where we are. We don’t have to change before He comes to us . No. He will change us when we come to Him. And the Lord certainly doesn’t waste detours, for He teaches, or tries to teach us something on whatever path we’re on. That means we have to learn to be contented and move forward with the Lord on any path He chooses to lead us.
It’s as Bruh Paul says to the Ephesians: ‘Not that I speak in respect (in regard) of want: for I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.’ (Phil. 4:11) Now contentment is no easy ability to develop. Certainly not! For as the scholars tell us: ‘Contentment is a lesson learned neither in a classroom, nor overnight, but through many practical experiences in life.’ In other words, contentment is only learned through the many ups and down of life, through trusting the Lord’s goodness and mercy during our many difficulties, as well as appreciating the good times.
And Bruh Paul’s earlier words to the Philippians, is a most worthwhile example of how we ought to conduct our own lives. He writes: ‘Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended (fully knowing God): but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth (forward) unto those things which are before (ahead), I press toward the mark (goal) of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 3:13-14) That’s the attitude we must adopt my people, especially in these dark, gloomy and chaotic times. Let’s forget what’s behind us, forget out past mistakes and /or accolades, while looking and moving forward to the future God has planned for us.
Now, none of that is easy to do, but our God is so wonderful that He never asks to do anything without giving us the tools to do it. And in times of trouble, He invites us to come to the throne of grace for divine help to do His will. So let’s do that right now through our Friday Chant.
Altogether: Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And friends, it pays to remember that we supposed Christians also need to wake up from our slumber and smell the coffee, so that we can do a better job for Jesus! Much LOVE!
…God will never lead us astray…but we must surrender our all to Him…for it to work…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a big life cahnge, according to His abundant mercy, acknowledgement of God's faithfulness, an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, an opportunity for gratitude, an optimistic frame of mind, at the appearing of Jesus Christ, be found unto praise and honour and glory, be renewed and refreshed, be sincere about trying, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by the example that we faithful believers set, christianity, Christians, David lived out his faith, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, difficult to look beyond what's currently happening, divine aid, faith, fill you with all joy and peace in believing, find the silver linings in hardships, followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, Friday chant, full of glory, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship and relaxation, God's omnipotent help, God's faithfulness, God's unconditional LOVE, great is thy faithfulness, hard family times, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, have hope faith trust and love in Jesus' goodness and mercy, he is my defence, He only is my rock and my salvation, help in these evil times, help us to be responsible, his compassions fail not, holy spirit, I shall not be moved, in heaviness through manifold temptations, in tough and uncertain times, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jesus Christ, kept by the power of God, LOVE, loving-kindness, mercy, more precious than gold that perishes, my expectation is from him, my hope is from God, my soul wait thou only upon God, our responsibility to get the ball rolling, personal health concerns, problems are escalating, ready to be revealed in the last time, receiving the end of your faith, reconciliation, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, reserved in heaven for you, salvation, see a difficult challenge, sighs and groans, stand strong and steadfast, tell a story of tiredness and uncertainty, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that fadeth not away, the BIBLE, the God of hope, the light at the end of the tunnel, the Lord takes pleasure in those who reverence him, the Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, the salvation of your souls, the scriptures were written to give us hope, the sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, the throne of grace, the trial of your faith, the undisputed truth, the weekend is here at last, therefore have I hope, they are new every morning, this I recall to mind, those that hope in his mercy, though it be tested with fire, though now for a season, though now ye see him not, through faith unto salvation, through patience and comfort of the scriptures we might have hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost, to handle the unexpected storms properly, trials and tribulations, trusting faith, truth, turning to scriptures of hope, whatever was written beforehand, whatsoever things were written aforetime, wherein ye greatly rejoice, whom having not seen you love, wisdom, wise guidance, with God's generous help, with hope there's always life, written for our learning, ye may abound in hope, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, yet believing
Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 May 2026 Romans 15:13.
Romans 15:13. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Oh my people, we could not ask for a better Friday; a sunny one with temps in the high teens. No wonder our Friday Mantra was so bubbly when it was sent up. (smile) ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at long last!’ Yes, the work week has wound down to this last day and the many sighs and groans being emitted do tell a story of tiredness and uncertainty in managing these never before experienced ungodly and evil times. But let’s remember that we are followers of the Lord Jesus Christ; that means we have hope, faith, trust and LOVE in His goodness and mercy.
And I like how this commentary from the website countryliving.com talks about our behaviour and activity in those times. ‘In tough and uncertain times, it can be difficult to look beyond what’s currently happening in your life and see the light at the end of the tunnel. Whether you’re going through a big life change, a hard time for your family, or personal health concerns, an optimistic frame of mind can help you see a difficult challenge as an opportunity for gratitude. When you’re feeling low, try to find the silver linings in your hardships.’
And that silver lining begins with turning to scriptures of hope. And since we’ve been granted life for today, let’s keep our promise of yesterday to continue looking at scriptures on hope. Now there are so many, that it’s difficult to choose which ones to share. But we’ll begin with this one we all know from the pen of Jeremiah in His Lamentations. ‘This I recall to my mind (God’s faithfulness), therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:21-23) And that’s the undisputed truth friends! For it’s only because of God’s mercy and compassion that we’re alive to tell the tale today.
Now what about these interesting verses from Psalm 62, where Bruh David confidently declares: ‘My soul, (silently) wait thou only upon God; for my expectation (hope) is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved (shaken).’ (Ps. 62:5-6) What strong faith my people! And we know Bruh David lived it out in his own lifetime, despite the many trials and tribulations he suffered. And that’s the same way we need to come up hopeful, strong and faithful when we go through adversity. It’s not easy, but we have the tools to do it, if we’re sincere about trying.
And we have this other reassuring verse from Psalm 147: ‘The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear (reverence) him, in those that hope in his mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS).’ (Ps. 147:5) More comfort, support and acknowledgement of God’s faithfulness! Meanwhile, Bruh Paul in talking about being likeminded, wrote thus to the Romans: ‘For whatsoever things were written aforetime (beforehand) were written for our learning, that we through patience (perseverance) and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.’ (Rom. 15:4) Oh my people! The scriptures were written so that we could have hope! Glory be to God!
Then there’s this marvelous scripture from Peter that raises hope to a higher level. He writes: ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again into a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness (distressed) through manifold temptations: That the trial (genuineness) of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that persisheth, though it be tried (tested) with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing (revelation) of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye LOVE; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.’ (1 Pet. 1:3-9)
Yes mih bredrin, our hope in Jesus is not a dead one, but alive and kicking because of His resurrection. And our hope and faith and belief in Him is so great that although we’ve never seen Jesus in person, we LOVE Him nonetheless with a mighty LOVE, that exceeds our LOVE for anything or anyone else, because He’s provided the salvation for our souls so that we won’t be eternally separated from God, but instead spend eternity with Him. Now that’s the level of hope to which we all need to attain, so that we can rejoice with unspeakable, indescribable joy.
And we’ll end with this heartfelt prayer from Bruh Paul to the Romans: ‘Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.’ (Rom. 15:13) Ah my fellow believers, once our forefathers Adam and Eve disobeyed God and brought sin into the world, life has never been easy, but through God’s insurmountable, unconditional LOVE, we’ve always had hope, and in the coming of Jesus Christ; His death and resurrection, we’ve finally received the reconciliation that God planned from the very beginning. So please, let’s not lose hope now, when the rewards are oh so near.
Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid and reassurance to help us in these evil times. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Yes friends, our whole world needs to wake up and smell the coffee, and it’s our responsibility to get the ball rolling, and thereby set a good example for the rest of the world! So let’s get to it right away nuh, for remember God doesn’t want to lose even one human soul to Satan, that means we’d better hurry up and get working, for time is quickly slipping away! Much LOVE!
…once there’s hope…there’s always life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a big storm arose, a directive from God that we don't like, always obey God's directive, another week of work, arise, be renewed and refreshed, by the good example we your faithful believers set, call upon thy God, cast lots, cast me forth into the sea, Christian witness leaves a lot to be desired, christianity, Christians, cry out against it, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, disobey the Lord's directive, disobeying God also causes others to be hurt, divine aid, faith, flee from the presence of the Lord, for my sake is this great tempest upon you, found a ship going to Tarshish, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship and relaxation, getting me safely through another week of work, give our leaders wise guidance, go to Nineveh that great city, God is omnipotent omniscient and omni-present, God working in His mysterious ways, God's omnipotent help, green foliage, help us to be responsible, holy spirit, how foolish was that, hurt ourselves and others when we intentionally disobey God, if God spares life, in these two short days off, Jesus Christ, joah rose up to flee unto Tarshish, Jonah was fast asleep, Jonah went to Joppa, lay not upon us innocent blood, let us not perish for this man's life, LOVE, made vows, make multiple excuses, mercy, offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, others suffer for our disobedience, our sinful world can wake up, paid the fare thereof, problems are escalating, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, salvation, so shall the sea be calm unto you, spring, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that God will think on us, that we perish not, the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, the BIBLE, the long and short of the story, the lot fell on Jonah, the men feared the Lord exceedingly, the rebirth of our dead world, the safest wat to avoid trouble, the sea ceased her raging, the throne of grace, the weekend is here at last, the word of the Lord came unto Jonah, their wickedness is come up before me, these troubled times, they took up Jonah and cast him forth into the sea, thou O Lord hast done as it pleased thee, to handle unexpected storms properly, trusting faith, truth, wake up and smell the coffee, we beseech thee O Lord, we cannot escape god's presence, we cannot run from God without consequences, what meanest thou O sleeper, wherefore they cried unto the Lord, wisdom, wise guidance, with your generous help
Jonah 1:2. Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry (out) against it; for their wickedness is come before me.
And after the rain comes the sun … that’s the Lord’s decree. And so it’s been this Friday morning in early May, when the trees are blooming with new life and a picturesque colour of green foliage. That tells us that it’s surely spring, the rebirth of our dead world in the northern climes. And with that breath of freshness in the air, our Friday Mantra rose gaily to heaven: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at long last!’
And is it ever so nice to see leaves on the trees again. By the way, that tree in my neighbour’s backyard still has the old leaves that survived the winter, blowing along with the new ones. You can see their light brown colour amongst the light green of the new leaves. Will keep you informed on that unusual scenario. (smile)
And today, we’ll also look at another interesting story, that of the prophet Jonah. The Bible tells it thus: ‘Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah (Dove) the son of Amittai (Truth), saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry (out) against it; for their wickedness is come before me.’ (Jon. 1:1-2)
Now, that’s how it usually begins; with a directive from the Lord that we don’t care for. So what happens then? We make multiple excuses and then disobey the Lord’s directive. And Jonah was no different. The Bible continues: ‘But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.’ (Jon. 1:3)
How foolish was that eh? Did Jonah really expect to escape from the Lord’s presence? Likewise, do we really expect to escape from His presence when we run and hide from Him? Oh friends, hiding from Almighty God is impossible, because He’s omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present. Meaning, He’s all powerful, all knowing, and all present, or present everywhere. So, I don’t know if Jonah really thought he could run from the Lord without any consequences. But hopefully we know that. (smile)
And during the journey to Tarshish, a big storm arose, that wanted to break up the boat. So the voyagers were all afraid, and cried out to their own god, while casting out stuff to lighten the boat. ‘But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.’ (Jon. 1:5b) Like Jonah was doing a Jesus routine; fast asleep during the storm, while the boat was about to break up. (Mark 4:35-41) But like Jesus, his restful sleep was unfortunately disturbed.
‘So the shipmaster (captain) came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not. And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil (trouble) is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.’ (Jon. 1:6-7) How amazing eh mih people for the lot to fall on Jonah! But we all know that was the hand of the Lord working in His mysterious ways.
And there’s one important thing to note here; in our disobedience, or running from God, we don’t only hurt ourselves, but very often innocent people too. The other people on the ship didn’t do anything to warrant the trouble, but Jonah’s disobedient presence amongst them, forced them to withstand unnecessary trouble. So please, let’s think seriously about what we’re doing when we try to get away from God, for some of our LOVED ones might end up suffering for our disobedience.
The long and short of Jonah’s story is that he eventually told his shipmates what was happening with him. And when they asked what they could do so that the sea would be calm; ‘And he said unto them, Take (pick) me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto (for) you: for I know that for my sake (because of me) this great tempest is upon you.’ (Jon. 1:12) But the men didn’t take him seriously and still rowed hard through the storm trying to come to land.
But the storm was too powerful for them. ‘Wherefore they cried unto the Lord, and said, We beseech thee O Lord, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us (do not charge us) with innocent blood: for thou O Lord hast done as it pleased thee.’ (Jon. 1:14) And there was absolutely no doubt about that; the Lord had indeed done as He pleased. (smile) ‘So they took up (lifted) Jonah, and cast him forth (hurled him) into the sea: and the sea ceased her raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord and made vows.’ (Jon. 1:15-16)
Now, it doesn’t always happen thus, but fortunately in this case, Jonah’s disobedience might also have created some believers, as they witnessed God’s immense power. However, the safest way to stop potential trouble from happening, is always to obey the Lord’s directive. And tomorrow, if God spares life, we will continue with Jonah’s story, and see what other valuable lessons we can learn from it. Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant seeking divine aid to help in these troubled times.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And as we keep saying, it’s not only the unbelievers who need to wake up and smell the coffee, but also we supposedly faithful believers, because our Christian witness still leaves a lot to be desired. Much LOVE!
…oh…how we hurt ourselves and others…when we intentionally disobey God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
SCRIP-BITS 