The Overwhelming Importance of Putting One’s Total Trust in Almighty God and Surrendering ALL of One’s Self to Him!

01 Nov 2025 Leave a comment

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   1 November 2025   Psalm 37:5.

Psalm 37:5.        Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

And then it was Saturday…our lazy-day Saturday! A mostly sunny and surprisingly somewhat warm day, as I went outside before coming down to write the Bit and felt a warm glow of heat on my face from the mid-morning sun. And is it ever good to feel the warmth of the sun at this time of year. Oh, by the way it’s also the first day of November and all the Halloween nonsense is now finished. The clocks will also be turned back one hour tonight to facilitate Daylight Savings Time, another of our unwise actions. 

But the power brokers seem to like those unwise actions, and the people are not enough aggrieved by them to rise up and meaningfully complain. So, until that time comes, we’ll just have to grin and bear it. But that doesn’t mean because we don’t agree with some things that we cannot enjoy life. Absolutely not! For we have a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who came to earth and died that we might have life, and have it even more abundantly. (John 10:10b) 

As this commentary explains: ‘It means blossoming into a life full of the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22–23). While false teachers and false religions offer shallow, temporary relief, only Jesus brings truly everlasting life and spiritual abundance (John 14:6).’ And we know that reference refers to this wonderful verse: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ And He certainly is all of those things! 

Anyway, on this first-lazy day Saturday in November, let us now offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, with all sincerity and truth. ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’ 

And there’s nothing better than spending time with the Father and becoming more intimate with Him. It also warms the cockles of His heart, because He created us for that very purpose; to have strong and LOVING communion with Him. Unfortunately though, too many of us miss out on that glorious situation, because we’re too busy to spend time with God, or we just don’t believe it’s necessary. But as the old people would say; the taste of the pudding is in the eating. It might look good or bad, but you’ll never know what it tastes like until you eat it. 

Likewise, you’ll never know how beautiful true intimacy with our heavenly Father is until you try it. That’s where we find all the peace, the calm, the LOVE and compassion, the understanding and joy that enables us to live that abundant life Christ died for us to have. That’s why Bruh David strongly exhorts us in Psalm 27: ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness). 

Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm). For the evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps. 37:1-9) 

There it is my people, the sure way to enjoy the abundant life that begins right here on earth. And as the scholars explain: ‘The psalm also contains a simple formula for achieving peace of mind in the face of the wicked’s prosperity: fret not…neither be thou envious, (vs. 1), trust…do good (vs. 3), delight thyself also in the Lord (vs.4), commit thy way…trust (vs.5), rest…wait patiently…fret not (vs.7), cease from anger…forsake wrath…fret not (vs.8). All of these exhortations urge the believer to confidently trust the Lord with all of life’s problems.’ 

It surely does my people. And that’s the only way for us to get in to the good graces of the Lord, and most importantly stay in His good graces. It’s not a one time thing, but a continuous process of putting our lives in His august trust, surrendering our lives completely to Him. That’s the ONLY way He can mould and change us into the image of Christ that He desires. The problem though is that too many of us refuse to surrender fully to the Lord. Oh yes, we give Him some parts of ourselves, but not all of us. We unwisely choose to keep some for us to control. But that means we cannot then enjoy the abundant life, because it’s only through total surrender that is possible. 

And I like what the scholars say to end their explanation. ‘The psalm concludes most appropriately with an undying affirmation of faith and trust in the unchanging character of God.’ And reading that most appropriate ending together is a perfect way to end Today’s Bit. So please read with me: ‘Mark the perfect (blameless) man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.’ (Ps. 37:37-40) 

Yes my fellow believers, trust and total surrender in the Lord God Jehovah is what it takes to live the abundant life. So let’s be wise and put all that we are and have in His mighty, LOVING and compassionate hands to day nuh. Because it’s all for our benefit! Much LOVE!

…growing closer to God each day…should be the Christian’s greatest endeavour…

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

The Overwhelming Importance of Christians Not Being Jealous of Evildoers!

02 Apr 2025 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 37:1-2.       Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb.

Well friends, we don’t know what’s going to happen as yet, per that snow that was previously forecasted, but Liberation Day, as per that unwise, wannabe dictator, Donald Trump, has turned out to be rather cloudy, windy and cold. I don’t know who he’s liberating with his foolish policies nuh, possibly the money that will now accrue to those in power. (smile) 

He should have called it Back to Poverty Day, and Stupidity Day, because that’s all his policies are doing, reducing a large proportion of his people, as well as others around the world to poverty status. How could firing thousands of people for no good reason, especially from essential ministries like health and education, stopping International Aid and raising tariffs on numerous products be liberating eh? The wise people know that trade wars benefit no one. But I guess that’s the new age thinking being developed by Trump and his other greedy, unwise cronies. 

But as the Good Library so purposefully and steadfastly proclaims from Psalm 37: ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb.’  (Ps. 37:1-2) And that’s God’s truth my people! 

The wicked will have their day in the sun, but eventually, that same sun will dry and wither them up as the grass at midday. And as the old people would say, every dog has his day. Now is Trump and his foolish cronies time, but that whole evil edifice will eventually come crumbling down, because it was not built on the Rock that’s Jesus, but on the sinking and shifting sand that is Satan. 

And how do we build on the Rock that’s Jesus, you ask? Bruh David states it loud and clear in the following verses of the psalm, when he wisely advises: ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noon day.’ (Ps. 37:3-6) 

Yes my fellow believers, those are some of the basic building blocks for building on the Rock, the sure foundation that’s Jesus! Very simple, but oh so wise doings. Trust in the Lord, do good, delight thyself in Him, Commit thy way unto Him, and He shall bring you righteousness and justice as bright as the noonday sun.  

Now, those are all things that we can do fairly easily if we are serious about building our house on the Rock that’s Jesus. And though Satan will do his very best to try and turn us away from Jesus, we have the powerful comforter and intercessor, the Holy Spirit of Jesus to help us keep Satan at bay… if we sincerely listen to Him. 

But that’s not all there is to building our houses on the Rock that’s Jesus, for Bruh David continues: ‘Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm).’ (Ps. 37:7-8) Yuh see friends, some more important building blocks; resting in the Lord and waiting patiently on him, as well as curtailing our anger, and not pursuing evil, for evil only causes harm to both ourselves and others. 

And Bruh Paul also advised the Ephesians against unnecessary anger when he said: ‘Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.’ (Eph. 4:26-27) Why is that eh? The scholars tell us that ‘Sinful anger is to be replaced by (briefly held) righteous indignation, that the devil may not be given an opportunity to gain a foothold in our souls.’  And also, when you go to bed angry, your sleep is disturbed by the anger, there’s no sense of peace or rejuvenation, which is the purpose of sleep, and you wake up as angry and miserable as you went to bed. 

And all of that is wisdom in spades my people, because as Bruh David says in the next couple of verses: ‘For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place (look diligently for him), and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.’ (Ps. 37:9-11) 

And Cousin Sol in his wisdom in Proverbs agrees with his father, when he says: ‘For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect (blameless) shall remain in it. But the wicked shall be cut off (destroyed) from the earth (land), and transgressors shall be rooted out.’ (Prov. 2:21-22) Then that was all reiterated by Jesus in the Beatitudes, from the Sermon on the Mount, when He declared: ‘Blessed are the meek (the strong, but lowly and humble): for they shall inherit the earth (land).’ (Matt. 5:5) 

Oh my fellow saints we could not get it any plainer than that! In this life the wicked will eventually be destroyed, but those that stand strong in the Lord will be fed with goodness and mercy and enjoy the land of abundance. Now, will we rather be destroyed with the wicked, or inherit the land with the meek? That’s a no brainer! For we will all choose the latter. As Moses wisely advised the Israelites: ‘therefore choose life, that thou and thy children may live.’ (Deut. 30:19b) And so we have, as this declaration (wow!!!) of our Wednesday Wail indicates. 

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

And if you didn’t know, there’s a promise that says whoever endures to the very end with Jesus will enjoy a future even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So, let’s be wise and plan to meet at the very end and enjoy that future together nuh! Much LOVE!

…the necessary things for building on the Rock…trust…do good…delight thyself in…commit thy way to…rest in…cease from anger…forsake wrath…don’t do evil…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   25 August 2023 Psalm 73:3.

25 Aug 2023 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 73:3.       For I was envious at the foolish (boastful), when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

And after a wet and foggy night, Friday has turned out somewhat sunny, but the cloud cover is still there threatening the blue skies that are peaking out. (smile) But that hasn’t stopped us from zestfully proclaiming: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at last!’ And believe me, as August is winding down, there won’t be many more warm and pleasant weekends, as the cold weather begins to take over. But we know that we can handle whatever comes against us, because we have Jesus on our side, and He’s promised never to leave nor forsake us. (Heb. 13:5) Give Him some thanks and praise my brethren, for He is as faithful as the day follows the night. 

Ah friends, as I was perusing the Good Library, looking for something to write on, I came upon Psalm 73, a psalm of Asaph, titled ‘Prosperity of the Wicked.’ It’s one I know, but haven’t read for some time, and it suddenly struck me as being very appropriate for these evil and ungodly times. For it points out how easy it is to lose our faith and fall into evil doings, when we see the wicked prosper in spite of their ungodliness. Now, the scholars have some wonderful explanations on it, so I’ve decided to follow their lead. 

They say: ‘This psalm is another dealing with the problem of the prosperity of the wicked. Unlike Psalm 37, however, it does not emphasize the brevity of that prosperity.’ And Psalm 37 is Bruh David’s famous psalm that says: ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.’ (Ps. 37:1-2) However, the author of Psalm 73, Asaph, ‘observes that sometimes the bounty achieved by the wicked does in fact last throughout life (v.4)’ And we have all seen the wicked prosper throughout their entire lives. 

But Asaph ‘emphasizes every believer’s need to test his own personal relationship with God. That alone provides the ultimate satisfaction available to the believer who witnesses the affluence of the wicked. The psalm contains two key parts, first the psalmist describes the problem of the wicked’s prosperity (vs. 1-16). Not only is it an objective fact (vs. 4-12), but it almost caused him to stumble spiritually and lose his faith (vs. 1-3, 13-16) So now that we have some idea of what the psalm is all about, let’s read it together. 

‘Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean (pure) heart. But as for me, my feet were almost gone (I almost stumbled); my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish (boastful), when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no bands (pangs, pain) in their death: but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain (serves as a necklace); violence covereth them as a garment. 

Their eyes stand out with fatness (bulge with abundance): they have more than their heart could wish. They are corrupt (scoff), and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily (proudly). They set their mouth against the heavens: and their tongue walketh through the earth. Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to (drained by) them. And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High? Behold, these are the ungodly who prosper (who are always at ease) in the world; they increase in riches.’ (Ps. 73:1-12)  

Oh my people, haven’t we all seen what Asaph is speaking about in these evil and wicked times, when the rich seek even more than they can ever use, but their greed is so rampant that they are willing to oppress and even kill the poor to satisfy their greedy and lustful desires. And despite their greed, evil deeds and ungodliness, they prosper in this evil and ungodly world. Meanwhile, the righteous are chastened, as Asaph writes. 

‘Verily I have cleansed my heart (kept my heart pure) in vain, and washed my hands in innocency (innocence). For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning. If I say, I will speak thus: behold I should offend against (would have been untrue to) the generation of thy children. When I thought to know (understand) this, it was too painful for me (troublesome in my eyes); Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.’ (Ps. 73: 13-17) 

Yes my brethren, in spite of Asaph’s righteousness, it was not until he went into the Lord’s sanctuary that he truly understood what was happening! And it can indeed be incomprehensible to many of us who try to live godly, and yet see the wicked prosper in their evil deeds and schemes. But we have to hold on to our faith, and believe as Bruh David says that eventually they will be destroyed. Unfortunately, it might not be in our lifetime, or even theirs, but the Lord has promised to destroy the wicked, and we all know that He’s faithful to keep His promises. 

In the meantime, if we want to stand strong and not fall for, or stumble into the prosperity of the wicked, we also have to take these words of Bruh David very seriously, where he says in Psalm 37: ‘Trust in the Lord and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.’ (Ps. 37:4-6) 

And I know that’s all easy to say, but doing it under the shadow of the wicked’s prosperity takes a lot of effort, sacrifice and faithfulness in God. But that’s what we signed up for when we received Jesus as Lord and Saviour. He will make a way, where there seems to be no way, and He will supply all of our needs, and no weapon formed against us will ever prosper, but at the same time we must realize it won’t all be sunshine, lollipops and roses, for no life is ever like that, not even the prosperous wicked. 

And if God spares life, we’ll continue with Psalm 73 tomorrow. Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking help to handle all the evil and ungodliness that’s coming against us. As one voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough…  because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. 

Oh 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. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. 

Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the 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, it’s up to us to keep our promises, and do our part, so that heaven can do its part! Much LOVE!

…sin is indeed enticing…but are the sure and serious repercussions of sin…truly worth it… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   19 May 2022 Psalm 37:7a.

19 May 2022 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 37:7a.       Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: 

Well, Thursday’s turned up wet and cloudy, but we can’t complain because we’ve had some good weather for the last few days. And as Job said to his wife so long ago in their terrible tribulation: ‘What? shall we receive (accept) good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil (accept calamity)?’ (Job 2:10) Yes friends, we’ve got to learn to accept the bad with the good, and that doesn’t come easy, it’s a learned situation, born out of patience and long-suffering. 

And it’s especially necessary for this generation who have all the amenities available to them and figure they are entitled to only good times, to learn that reality. They need to understand that life isn’t one big, long, good time, but a series of ups and downs, of fair and foul weather, and moreover you cannot enjoy the fair weather unless you know the foul. Unfortunately, it’s the bad, the trouble in this life that makes us appreciate the good. 

And Job’s life is a good example of that. He would never have appreciated God’s goodness as much as he did, if trouble had not befallen him. The same goes for us today my people. All the trouble we’re currently going through is helping us to appreciate the Lord’s goodness and mercy, because we know that He will not allow us to suffer for ever, but with every problem will bring a way of escape or the ability to see the trouble through. 

And that’s why these words of Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked – are so important for us to know, and even more importantly to put into practice, because it doesn’t make any sense to know stuff and not action it. So, let’s renew our acquaintance with the marvellous advice of Bruh David nuh, let those faithful words find rest in our hearts and souls as we work them successfully into our everyday lives. ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb.’ (Ps. 37:1-2) 

And yes, it does seem like the wicked are prospering despite that promise of God. But please note, that like all of God’s promises, they will happen in His own time, but happen they will. And if He says that the iniquity workers will be destroyed, then they will be, when He’s good and ready, so you don’t need to worry about them. What you need to be concerned about is your own sense of righteousness, which can be enabled by these other promises. 

‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on God’s faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.’ (Ps. 37:3-6) Yes, my brethren, giving our life to the Lord, surrendering our all to Him is how our righteousness and justice is conceived and brought to life. 

And there’s more good advice that makes it even better. (smile) ‘Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm). For evil doers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider (look for) his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.’ (Ps. 37:7-11) 

And all of God’s people said a loud and proud ‘Amen!’ because it’s the word of the Lord, and His word is truth! He’s a most wonderful God, and we ought to LOVE Him with all our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, the way He desires of us, and for the many blessings and mercies He bestows on us every single day of our lives, the biggest being giving us the breath of life to see another day on His glorious earth. 

Oh my fellow saints, life’s been laid out so clearly and plainly for us that it’s shameful when we don’t accept it and live it out. Let’s quickly review that lay out of life nuh. First up is, ‘Fret not thyself because of evil doers.’ And yes, sometimes that’s not easy to do when you see the wicked prospering, but who’s the greatest in the universe eh? Almighty God. So, if He says something, then as a faithful believer you ought to believe it. And that leads us to ‘Trust in the Lord,’ so we can enjoy His faithfulness. 

And I do like this one: ‘Delight thyself in the Lord,’ for when I do that, He will give me the desires of my heart. Glory be my brethren! Who doesn’t want to get the desires of their hearts eh? We all do. However, those desires must be in line with God’s will, for good and not for evil, otherwise no dice. Then when we ‘Commit our way unto the Lord,’ He brings it to pass; light and righteousness overtake us like the noonday sun. And this is possibly the most important and surely the most difficult: ‘Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.’ 

Yeh friends, most of us find it difficult to wait for anything, especially in this now for now society, but waiting on God’s immaculate timing is essential if we expect to successfully receive His anointing. And there we have it, the basics of living for God, spelled out so wisely for us even before the coming of Christ. And the only thing He’s changed is that we must believe in Him, accept Him as Lord and Saviour, to get to the Father. 

So friends, why are we so worried, so anxious and discombobulated over the circumstances of our lives eh? There’s no reason whatsoever for it, because the Lord’s promised safety and salvation and He faithfully keeps His promises. And when we faithfully live for Him, then we see such a profusion of blessings that it just boggles our minds. And we have a very good example of that in our Thursday Blessings which the Lord has bestowed on us to help us do His earthly work. Let’s declare them right now nuh, so that we can activate them. 

Altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! 

I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’ 

And having activated those blessings, we’re now required to go out and share them with others just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!

…despite the heartaches and troubles you may face…you can never go wrong…living for Jesus… 

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8​        

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 October 2020 Ephesians 3:20.

13 Oct 2020 Leave a comment

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

Ephesians 3:20.     ​Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.

Aloha mih bredrin! Welcome to a bright, fresh, sunshiny Tuesday morning, washed clean by some blessings of water during the early morning hours! And yes, Thanksgiving Day finish now, but not the giving of thanks! The giving of thanks must be a continual thing, for without the continual giving of thanks, eventually, there will be nothing to give thanks for! Wow! What words of wisdom! 

But seriously though, there is nothing like giving thanks to the Lord our God since there’s nothing that pleases Him more than His most important creation being grateful for life and all that He has provided for them. He also hopes that that gratefulness will consequently lead them to want to know Him better. And how do we do that you wonder? 

Well here are the basics in black and white, taken from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This poem is appropriately titled ‘ Knowing God Intimately.’ And that’s how we ALL ought to know Him – through the auspices of His Son Jesus Christ! That’s His greatest desire! 

So please read with me. ‘How do we learn to know God so intimately that all of life takes on a new freshness? We acknowledge that God is the instigator. We would not be wanting Him if He did not first want us. Even a glimmer of spiritual desire is HIS desire planted in us. We resign from our self-appointed office as president of the “Me First Club,” which gives God the privilege of saying. “Good! Now I’ll promote you.” 

We focus on Jesus Christ, God’s Son. It is never a matter of how conspicuous we are. It only matters that He is conspicuous in us. We make no promise of perfection. All the perfection we’ll ever have is the perfection of Jesus living in us. We let God’s Word saturate our hearts. Five or ten minutes a day is far more helpful than three hours once a week. We trust God to do within us what we cannot do, knowing that He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work in us.’ 

Yeahhhh friends! That’s how we get intimate with God! And it’s not a one time, one and done thing either, but is just like the giving of thanks, a continual, continuous life-long thing, that over time turns into a wonderful personal relationship between Creator and created. Mama Mia! There’s no relation more important or more beneficial that that one my people! For when you have such a close and intimate relationship with your heavenly Father, your august Creator, then the whole world is your oyster! 

The devil will come against you in various guises, but he won’t be able to harm you, because you’ll be protected by the Most High God Jehovah and His majestic army of angels; your everlasting fortress and place of refuge. You will be able to say with supreme confidence, like Bruh David did: ‘I laid me down and slept: I awaked; for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set them themselves against me round about.’ (Ps. 3:5-6) That’s the kind of faith and belief that wells up in our souls and spirits when we know our Lord and Saviour on an intimate basis. 

And by the way, that’s why He sacrificed His sinless self on the cross at Calvary…not to just have a religion called Christianity, but for each one within that awesome group to get to know Him intimately and personally. In other words, being a Christian means having a personally intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. And is that ever a whole lot of personal and intimate relationships! It surely is. 

But that’s how great and how LOVING and wonderful our Lord and Saviour is, that He could have so many intimate relationships at the same time and give His best to each and every one of them! Wow! Give Him some much-deserved thanks and praise my fellow believers! 

And the Bible verse associated with today’s poem is also very appropriate. Hear Bruh Paul in his missive to the church at Ephesus as he talks about prayer for inner growth. ‘Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.’ (Eph. 3:20-21) 

Yes friends, through Christ and His church, glory must be given to God who has the amazing power to do more than our puny finite minds and imaginations can ever conceive. And just to add some biblical heft (smile) to our earlier contentions, listen to these marvellous words of Bruh David that also tell us how to achieve personal intimacy with our Creator. 

‘Fret not thyself because of evil doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (you shall feed on His faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday. 

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm). For evil doers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps. 37: 1-9) 

Oh my people, it couldn’t get any clearer or more basic than that! So let’s hope that we’ve all received the message – once again nuh (smile), and will keep on doing just what it dictates, so we can keep that wonderful personal relationship with the Almighty going strong and fervent. And as we go home, let’s bravely tell the world who and whose we are. 

In strong voice, with sincere hearts: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’  

So what we waiting for then eh? Let’s go out and show that trust and share that wonderful LOVE nuh! Much LOVE!

…fret not…trust…delight…commit…rest …cease…wait…and thou shall inherit…