The Necessity of Christians Knowing and Understanding God’s Great Faithfulness, and thus Wait Patiently on Him!

25 Aug 2026 Leave a comment

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   25 August 2026   Psalm 40:1.

Psalm 40:1.          I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

Ah friends, we’re into the last Tuesday of August; next week Tuesday we’ll be talking about September. (smile) But today, as many of the previous August days, it’s sunshiny and warm, so there’s still hope for August to finish up as a good month. And since we’re running a li’l bit late, (my fault) let’s get to today’s topic right away. And that’s this month’s prayer from the In Touch Devotional.

So, please pray with me: ‘Lord, sometimes I wonder if you hear my prayers – the waiting is so long, the ache so deep. But You’ve never left me – You see me when I feel invisible, when I feel as if I don’t matter. Nothing is too hard for You – no prayer too repetitive, no situation too broken. You turn mourning into dancing, emptiness into fulness. Help me hold on to hope when doubt tries to creep back in. I’ll never stop saying it: You are faithful. In Jesus’ name, amen.’  

And that last statement about God’s faithfulness is absolutely true! All of us who have spent anytime in God’s presence know that to be a glorious fact, because we have all experienced at least some modicum (small amount) of His faithfulness in our time with Him. And the bible has oodles of verses that talk about it, but we’ll only share a couple of the better known ones here.  

The first one comes from Bruh Paul’s second letter to Timothy, where he is telling him that the word of God is not bound, is not a chain: ‘It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: if we suffer (endure), we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.’ (2 Tim. 2:11-13) Oh my people, isn’t it wonderful and ever so encouraging to know that God is always God, regardless of who I am, or how I behave! His character is one of utmost faithfulness, therefore He remains steadfast and true even when I am not.

And the second scripture comes from Jeremiah’s famous testimony on the Lord’s faithfulness in his Lamentations. ‘This I recall to my mind, 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. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam. 3:21-26)

Yes my brethren, wiser words were never spoken! And waiting on the Lord can be very long and heart aching, that like the prayer says, we sometimes are led to wonder if He’s heard our prayers. But He indeed hears them all; it’s just that He takes His own time to answer them; whether it be yay, nay, or not now. Our job though is wait patiently and keep on persevering until we get an answer. Know one thing though, the Lord will not leave us in the lurch, whatever answer He has will arrive in good time for us to make the necessary arrangements.

And a man who certainly knew about waiting on the Lord, Bruh David, strongly advises it in several of his writings. In psalm 27, he says: ‘Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith), I say, on the Lord.’ Then in Psalm 37: he declares: ‘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)

Now listen to the crowning glory of waiting on the Lord. In Psalm 40 – Praise for God’s Deliverance, Bruh David testifies: ‘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 upon 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 that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.’ (Ps. 40:1-4)

And we all know that Bruh David is not talking from hear say, but from personal experience, because after the Lord anointed him king of Israel, he went through many years of trials and tribulations waiting for that to happen. And it would never have happened if he had not waited on God, patiently in faith. And we also know that waiting patiently in faith is not easy, especially when our circumstances seem to be pulling us under quicker than we can blink, but that’s where our faith and trust in God is expected to show up.

But there are a few things we need to know and believe. Firstly, that the Lord never leaves nor forsakes us, that’s His promise. (Heb. 13:5) So although we may not see or feel His presence, rest assured that He’s always there with us. As Jesus assured the disciples at the end of the Great Commission; ‘and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b) We could not desire better assurance than that my fellow believers.

And when the song says: ‘You turn mourning into dancing, emptiness into fulness,’ Bruh David corroborates those sentiments in Psalm 30, when he declares: ‘Hear O Lord, and have mercy upon me: Lord, be thou my helper. Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth (the sackcloth of my mourning), and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory (my soul) may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.’ (Ps. 30:10-12)

Yes friends that’s exactly how it ought to be; us continually giving thanks to God for His LOVE, faithfulness and everlasting goodness to the children of undeserving men! Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice! ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’ 

So let’s go out now and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…weeping may endure for a night…but joy comes in the morning…  (Ps. 30:5b)

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   25 January 2023 Psalm 30:11.

25 Jan 2023 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 30:11.       Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth (the sackcloth of my mourning), and girded me with gladness.

Ah friends, please excuse the lateness of the Bit, but the ole fella was somewhat under the weather this morning and didn’t have the parts to get up and write earlier. (smile) So, we will endeavour to keep it short and sweet. Hn! Hn! Please remember though, I’m not God, only a frail and finite man, so sometimes I might renege on my promises. 

Anyway, let’s check out this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, that’s most appropriate for this new year of 2023. It’s titled” ‘Renewed Commitment,’ that’s to Jehovah God, something all of us need to seriously look into, because as the body or church of Christ, we are not putting our best foot forward on His behalf. 

So please read with me: ‘Forgive me, dear Lord For too often Letting the painful memories Of my yesterdays Crowd out the glad tomorrows You graciously offer me. I know I cannot rekindle The charred embers Of the past year. I cannot erase the blunders Made so impulsively Nor can I regain the opportunities That are forever lost. I cannot retract the impetuous words I wish I had not spoken Or replace the shallow choices I should not have made. But I Can open my wayward heart To Your cleansing power. With honest determination I Can renew my broken vows. And I Can begin to praise You This very day For the joy of beginning again.’ 

Oh my people, doesn’t that sound like so many of us this past year? Of course!. But as the poem says, we CAN renew our broken vows to God and begin worshipping and praising Him this very day, for the joy of beginning again. And isn’t that one of the majestic mercies of our great God; the ability to extend second chances…even third fourth and fifth ones! That’s what is so amazing about Him; despite our rebellious nature and wayward ways, He always takes us back, whenever we come running back to Him. 

Forgiveness, based on His unconditional and everlasting LOVE for us, His most important creation is just a natural aspect of His Being. Once He judges us to be sincere, He will forgive. But we must not attempt to take advantage of His wonderful grace and mercies by overdoing our rebelliousness, for though He is patient and longsuffering, He will not put up with our foolishness for ever. You just have to look at what He made His chosen people, Israel go through for their stubborn and continuous disobedience. 

So, let’s remember that our God is a most wonderful and forgiving Deity, but He’s no pushover, as He’s always promised, in His time, He will destroy the wicked, but save the righteous. That means we’ve got to concentrate on righteousness this new year of 2023. And we don’t have a lot of time to do it, because the first month of January is almost over. 

But enough with the conviction (smile) let’s turn to the Bible Promise on which our poem was based. It comes from Psalm 30, and says: ‘Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth (the sackcloth of my mourning), and girded me with gladness.’ (Ps. 30:11) 

That brings to mind a couple of other scriptures on the subject of mourning and dancing. First up are these true words of Cousin Sol writing as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes, where he reasons that there’s a season for every thing, including: ‘a time to weep, and a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance.’ (Eccl. 3:4) 

Then the prophet Isaiah, in declaring (yesss!!!) the acceptable year of the Lord to his people Israel said: ‘To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto (console) them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.’ (Is. 61:2-3) 

Now that’s the main reason the Lord made us: to glorify Him! And those are the things He desires to give to us, ‘beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness:’ things that so many of us are not enjoying because of our rebellious and unrighteous ways. We cannot be the ‘trees of righteousness’ the Lord desires us to be called if we are not in sync and harmony with Him. 

And this is the reason the psalmist gives for the Lord turning his mourning into dancing and girding him with gladness instead of sackcloth: ‘To the end that my glory (soul) may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.’ (Ps. 30:12) 

And that’s exactly what Christ desires of us, His supposed followers; to not be silent, as so many of us are, for whatever reasons. And also to sing His praises to ALL the world for as long as we live! And I’m sincerely pleading with us that this is the year we must turn things around in Christ’s favour; let His name, His LOVE, mercy, grace and forgiveness explode all over the planet and cause a magnificent revival of His LOVE Revolution! 

Wow! That’s our goal for this year, couldn’t have a better one. And so, for all of us in agreement with that, let’s go home now declaring (chuh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, informing all and sundry of our marvellous 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 for added encouragement, let’s remember that if we endure to the end with Jesus, that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So please allow that to boost our faith, enthusiasm and witness for Christ!  Much LOVE!

…to be in successful partnership with God…we must also do our part…it’s not a one way street… 

P.S. Glory be! I did keep my promise and made it shorter…a li’l bit. (smile) Much LOVE! 

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