God is the Boss | SCRIP-BITS

Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 February 2024 Psalm 150:6.

06 Feb 2024 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: and with what measure ye mete, come back like a boomerang, cry out to God for help, defer not to pay it, disobedience, do unto others as you want them to do to you, God is not a doting grandfather, God is the Boss, he hath no pleasure in fools, hurry, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, judge not that ye might not be judged, let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord, light is greater than darkness, LOVE, more than you sow and later than you sow, praise God in his sanctuary, praise God without ceasing, Praise ye the Lord, promises are made to be broken, pull up our bootstraps, rebellion, share His love with my neighbour, talk a big talk, the beloved of God, the golden rule, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, when thou vowest a vow unto God, wisdom, worry, you reap what you sow

Psalm 150:6. Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.

And there’s an awesome outpouring of bright sunshine in my area, this first Tuesday in February! Exactly like it ended up being yesterday! And who says that light isn’t greater than darkness eh? That the sun won’t find a way to dissipate the dark clouds? No way Jose! Not if Jesus has anything to say about it. And He does have something to say about it. In fact He has something to say about EVERYTHING, for the universe belongs to Him, and He rules it as he sees fit! Glory to God, our Creator and Controller; our Saviour and our Heavenly Father! Give Him some thanks and praise my fellow believers, for all the wonderful things He’s done, is doing, and has promised to do for us underserving children of men!

And all God’s children offered up this loud and grateful thanks: ‘Praise ye the Lord, (shout Hallelujah!) Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power (His mighty expanse of power). Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet (cornet): praise him with the psaltery (lute or lyre) and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah to the glory of His holy and precious name!)’ (Ps. 150. 1-6)

Oh friends, if you didn’t realize it, we were just praying, giving praise to our great God from Psalm 150, the last one in the Psalter, that advises us to praise God for His mighty acts. And as you can see the last verse so rightly and wisely admonishes: ‘Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord.’ (Ps. 150:6) That means all of God’s creatures, creations, whatever you choose to call them, ought to give much praise and thanks to their most wonderful Creator. Unfortunately though, that’s a command that too many of us either disobey completely or do in a half-hearted manner, with little, if any sincerity.

But, on the other hand, when we cry out to God for help, we expect Him to rush to our rescue, although when life’s good with us, we don’t have any time for Him, don’t even remember that He exists. However friends, let’s get one thing straight; God isn’t there for our selfish and personal benefit, neither is He a doting grandfather who will succumb to our every selfish desire. No! He’s the Creator of the universe and all therein! That means we are His to do with as He pleases. We are the ones to be doing His will, rather than He doing ours. So, in blatant layman’s terms; the Lord is the Boss and we are the workers, and if we don’t do what He says, there will be serious consequences to our disobedience and rebellion.

And we all talk a big talk, but like the whiney ingrates that we really are, when those consequences arise, we’re quick to hold our heads and bawl, forgetting the pride and arrogance we displayed when the Lord tried to direct our steps in a godly manner. And we’re quick to beg for forgiveness and make all sorts of promises that we don’t intend to keep, but in the heat of the moment all sorts of stuff quickly flows from our vile and evil hearts through our lying lips, and we unwisely tell the Lord that we’ll pull up our bootstraps if He helps us.

But please note these words of wisdom from Cousin Sol as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes. ‘When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer (delay) not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.’ (Eccl. 5:4-5) Yes friends, let’s not go about making hasty and rash promises to God nor man, for there are always consequences, sometimes dire ones, to unkept promises.

And sadly, in these evil and ungodly times, unkept promises litter our world like never before. It seems the adage of ‘promises are made to be broken,’ has taken on a whole new meaning in these last days. We all desire that others keep their promises to us, but cannot stand the sacrifice needed to keep ours to others. What a selfish and unchristian-like thing to do. Remember what Christ said in the Sermon on the Mount: ‘Judge (condemn) not, that ye might not be judged (condemned). For with what judgement (condemnation) ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete (use) it shall be measured to you again.’ (Matt. 7:1-2)

Now all that means basically is what you sow you’ll reap. Whatever you say or do to or about someone else, the same will come back to you. And as Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) would say: ‘You reap what you sow, more than you sow, and later than you sow.’ And that’s the gospel truth my people! Whatever you do, either for good or bad, like a boomerang, tends to accumulate back to you, sooner or later. Thus the wisdom in closely watching what we say and do.

As Jesus simply puts it: ‘Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.’ (Matt. 7:12) In other words, my fellow saints, our Lord and Saviour, our Leader, is simply telling us to follow the Golden Rule: ‘Do unto others as you would have them do to you.’ And there’s no better way to live, even if you’re not a believer in Christ Jesus. But if you are, then that’s the ONLY way to live! End of Sermon! (smile)

Now let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’

And, having made that serious proclamation, it’s our duty now to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with all we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE him like we do! Much LOVE!

…praise God without ceasing…for that is the wise and comely thing to do…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 July 2022 1 Corinthians 3:18.

26 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: accomplish your divine will, alive and kicking, all the upright in heart shall follow it, allowing us to see another beautiful day, be not wise in thine own eyes, but God gave the increase, do as I say not as I do, enmity and strife amongst each other, fear the Lord and depart from evil, God calls the shots not us, God is the Boss, hurry, I am the beloved of god, I have planted and Apollos watered, if any man among you, it shall be health to thy navel, judgement shall return unto the righteous, let him become a fool, let no man deceive himself, let no man glory in men, LOVE, marrow to thy bones, obey God and leave all the consequences to him, our names are nit in the obits, seemeth to be wise in this world, share His love with the world, the amazing hope of salvation, the breath of life, the lies deceits of the enemy, the Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, the Lord will not cast off his people, the sacrificial death of Jesus, the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, worry

1 Corinthians 3:18. Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world (age), let him become a fool, that he may be wise.

Glory be! It’s Tuesday, and we are alive and kicking, thanks to God’s goodness and mercies that are new every day! Wow! Our names are not in the obits like so many others! Now that calls for some thanks and praise, doesn’t it? For sure! So please pray with me.

‘Dear heavenly father, with all of our souls, bodies, hearts and minds, we thank You for allowing us to see another beautiful day on planet earth. We know that it’s only through Your amazing goodness and mercy that it has happened, and it means You have more work for us to do down here. So please lead and guide us today, and every day that You give us the breath of life, to enable us to successfully accomplish your divine will, because that’s all that really matters. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!’

Ah mih people, please don’t ever doubt that we worship a most wonderful, merciful and good God, and it’s only through His awesome grace and mercy that we’re still breathing and have the amazing hope of salvation through the sacrificial death of His Son Jesus Christ. Some of us might think otherwise, how come He’s so good, when we suffer pain and sorrow and we don’t get what we want, when we want it?

But let’s remember that God is not there to just give us our selfish desires, if and when we please, but instead, we are here to do His divine bidding, to follow His will, be that as it may, even down to sacrificing our lives or the lives of others, if He so desires! Let’s get it straight; He is the Creator, and we are the created. He is the Boss and we are His servants, or children, or whatever you choose to call us. That means He calls the shots, not us!

And until we get that fact straight in our minds, the devil will always be able to lead us astray with his many lies, deceits and disinformation. We were made to honour and revere God, not for God to play doting grandfather to us. It’s amusing, but also sad, that we expect our children to obey our every wish, but don’t think we need to give the same obedience to our heavenly Father. As the ole people would say, ‘do so ain’t like so, do as I say, but not as I do.’ Yes, the rules pertain to everybody else… but us. (smile)

That leads us to these wise words of Bruh Paul to the church at Corinth when they were fighting over whom to belong to, Paul or Apollos. ‘Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world (age), let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, he taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain (futile). Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours. Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.’ (1 Cor. 3:18-23)

Ah mih people, yuh see how it easy it is for contention to spring up in the church? As Bruh Paul said earlier on. ‘I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.’ (1 Cor. 3:6-7) So it does us no good to be contending over who is the most important or wisest, because God gave them all to us to help us in our earthly journey, but in the long run, it is He Himself who produces whatever fruit we bear.

The world however is quite taken up with individual importance and wisdom, which the Lord considers total foolishness, as Bruh Paul says above. And Cousin Sol said it so perfectly long before that, when he declared: ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear (reverence) the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones.’ (Prov. 3:7-8)

That’s the truth in spades my brethren! This lust for worldly wisdom and importance is driving us crazy, causing us to strive for unimportant things like wealth, power and glory, and in the fallout, enmity and strife amongst each other. That’s not what the Lord wants for us my people. He desires us to get along, as one body in Christ Jesus, doing His holy will, bringing the unbeliever from the darkness of Satan to the bright, shining and empowering light of Christ. But we can’t do that if we are fighting amongst each other for power and position, or totally neglecting the will of God.

And the psalmist wraps it all up nicely with these revealing words from Psalm 94. ‘The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity (futile). Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest (instructs), O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law; That thou mayest give him rest (relief) from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked. For the Lord will not cast off (abandon) his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance. But judgement shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it.’ (Ps. 94:11-15)

Yes friends, the Lord God Jehovah is a father unto us, and just like we LOVE, instruct, chasten and have the good of our children at heart, so does He have our welfare at heart. And just like we set a path for our children and enable them to walk it, so will He do whatever is necessary to keep us walking the straight and narrow path that leads through Jesus to Him. He’s playing the same role that we play as earthly parents. It’s as simple as that.

Now, for those of us who are sincerely endeavouring to stay on the straight and narrow path, let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Tuesday mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one 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 the world. Amen!’

And having made that declaration, it now behooves us to go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him… (Uncle Charles – Dr Charles Stanley)

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 August 2021 Hebrews 13:8.

13 Aug 2021 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: all will be right with your world, be responsible and stay safe, bring backsliders back to your fold, Christ's all-embracing yoke, come unto me all ye that labour, confusion and havoc of Covid 19, faintest not, Friday chant, Friday the 13th, God is the Boss, God runs things His way, He giveth power to the faint, horse of a different colour, I will give thee rest, imagine my crosses nuh, in accordance with His will, Jesus Christ, King of Kings, look me in mih eye, LOVE, mount up with wings as eagles, neither is weary, of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth, omnipotent help, our sinful world, salvation, shall renew their strength, show them the error of their ways, stand strong and steadfast, stronghold, tell me point blank, the Creator of the ends of the earth, the example your faithful believers set, the heavens are the work of thy hands, the Immutability of God, the Lord and Saviour, the One and Only Living God, the Prince of Peace, the same yesterday today and forever, the unchanging character of God, the work scene killing me, there is no searching of His understanding, they shall perish but thou shalt endure, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint, they that wait upon the Lord, this lost sinful and evil world, to them that no might he increaseth strength, trusting faith, wake up and smell the coffee, wax old like a garment, wise guidance, wreaking havoc on mih nerves

Hebrews 13:8. ‘Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.’

Friday, oh Friday! Is about time yuh reach here yes! Even if you are the supposed bad mind, evil, Friday the thirteenth, ah still glad yuh finally reach, because ah tired. This work scene killing me! Is over a year now I didn’t have to come down in this ugly city five days a week to do this frustrating work. But then a couple weeks ago, mih boss call and said is time to come back down here. Oh mih child, you wouldn’t know how that long drive, twice a day in jam up traffic, wreaking havoc on mih nerves and mih life in general nuh.

It took me ten years to get accustomed to driving downtown in the traffic every single day. But then it only took me a li’l more than a year to unlearn it. And you can imagine how bad it going to be when we come out of all the covid restrictions, and the traffic really start to hit it the road? It going to be real awful.

And to make matters worse, when I tell mih boss about how the downtown drive nerve wracking, yuh know what this boldfaced man look me in mih eye and tell me point blank. ‘I’m sorry my dear, if you can’t do the drive, then get a house closer to your work. And have no fear, if you don’t want the job, I have plenty others who are willing to take it for less pay!’ But imagine my crosses nuh! After I done slave for this imbecile man for so long, he have the nerve and bad manners to tell me such a thing!’

Yes friends, that’s life! As the old people would say, if life doesn’t get you one way, it will get you another. And that’s the gospel truth! This woman apparently didn’t get sick and had it fairly easy during the big covid lockdown, possibly working from home, so she got quite used to the situation. But then, when life struck, as it takes pleasure in doing, and she had to go back out to work, it was a horse of a different colour. Life does us that all the time friends: set you up one way, only to drag you down in another.

And it is our responsibility, ofttimes a difficult one, to not allow it to take us to the cleaners. It means we need to find a constant in our lives; something or someone that that doesn’t play terrible games like life does. And believe me people, the ONE and ONLY constant, unchangeable force in this world is the Lord God Almighty; He of Abraham, Jacob and Isaac! Yes friends, wisdom dictates that we tie ourselves, bind ourselves securely to the ONE and ONLY Living God, through His mighty Son, Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, the Prince of Peace, the Lord and Saviour of this lost, sinful and evil world!

And why is that you ask? Simple! Because He is the ONLY thing or person in this universe that does not change, and He is also trustworthy, therefore He can be depended on to look after our affairs in accordance with His will. And I know you don’t like that last part about accordance with His will, but we need to remember that Jehovah God is the Creator and Ruler of this universe; in other words, He is the BOSS, and like in the story above, what the Boss says, goes. (smile)

So, now that we have established that most important fact, that God runs things His way, (smile) let’s look at the immutability, the unchanging character of God, and see how it can greatly benefit us. Here are some scriptures from the Good Book, the Lord’s Holy Word, which let us know in no uncertain terms of His forever constant nature. The writer of Hebrews puts it very simply and clearly when He talks of ‘Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.’ (Heb. 13:8)

But if that’s too simple for you, because mankind tends to think that only complicated things are worthwhile, then let’s consider the more complicated terms of Psalm 102. The psalmist confidently declares: ‘Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure (continue): yes, all of them shall wax (grow) old like a garment; as a vesture (cloak) shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.’ (Ps. 102:25-27)

Now does that impact you more forcefully? I certainly hope so, because if you do not engage the Lord God Jehovah, through Jesus Christ, as your stronghold and salvation, then you are in for a very rough ride in this life and then eternal separation from the Creator at the end time. But here are some marvellous verses of scripture that you ought to seriously consider. It comes from the prophet Isaiah.

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

Now that ought to capture you attention! (smile) But seriously friends, not only does the Lord not change, but He also gives power and strength to the weak and weary. And if you’re still not sure, then listen to this wonderful invitation from Jesus nuh. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ (Matt. 11:28) Now which other supposed god or idol offers that kind of invitation eh? None whatsoever. And even if they did, they could not fulfill it, because it’s only the Living God who has the power to do it!

And there are many other scriptures we can quote about God’s unchangeability, strength and magnanimous character, but time and space prevent us. So, we hope that what we’ve said will hit home to you, and help you to draw closer to Christ, because that’s where your bread is truly buttered. Now, let’s take our problems to God in prayer, another wonderful facet of being under His everlasting yoke of comfort, safety and rest.

As one strong and sincere voice, let’s declare our Friday Chant. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets.

So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways.

And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’

Now, please my brethren, let’s remember, that God’s answer totally depends on the example we set…that is of faithful believers. Much LOVE!

…if you are living under Christ’s all-embracing yoke…you don’t have to worry about a thing…just do as He says…and all will be right with your world…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 February 2021 Job 13:15a.

23 Feb 2021 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a life of peace and abundance, a perfect and upright man, accuse God, adversary, all his promises are faithful, and naked I shall return, angelic beings, curse God, escheweth evil, feast then famine, God can be trusted implicitly in all things, God holds sovereign over all things and people, God is the Boss, God will empower us to come up higher, God's ways are higher than ours, hast thou considered my servant Job, have a good attitude, He also shall be my salvation, he prayed for his friends, hurry, I will maintain mine own ways, in everything give thanks, in god's eyes, LOVE, naked came I, none like him in the earth, one that feareth God, out of my mother's womb, pray without ceasing, rejoice evermore, Satan, Satan is a finite being, share His love with the world, sorrow then joy, strong faith, the beloved of God, the christian motto, the prince of darkness, the sons of God, Though he slay me, too big for his breeches, trust God to work all things out for good, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, worry, yet will I trust in him

Job 13:15a. Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him:

And after the snow comes the mild temperatures…then comes the snow again! I guess that’s how life is, how the Lord orchestrated it to happen; feast then famine, sorrow then joy, one good then bad and so on. But throughout it all He expects us to have a good attitude, to trust Him to work all things out together for our good, as His faithful promise proclaims. (Rom. 8:28)

And yes, that good attitude is not always easy to come by, especially when the evil and trouble of the world comes against us, but if we are sincere in our trust and belief in Christ Jesus, then we will be able to do it; He will empower us to come up higher in His name. But we have to reach that level of faith where we know that we know that we know ALL His promises are faithful and leave it all in His mighty hands.

Oh friends, we need to reach the level of faithful maturity so that we can say like Job, when his whole world suddenly came tumbling down. ‘Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return thither; the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly (accused Him with wrong).’ (Job 1:21-22)

Yeh mih people, all of that is much easier said than done, but as believers that’s where we need to get to in this earthly life. How many of us accuse God, even curse Him when things go wrong in our lives even while we’re trying to live right eh? Too many! We need to remember that God is the BOSS, and whatever He says goes, even though it may seem unfair to us.

And remember too that His mind and ways are higher than ours, thus His plans and purposes we will never fully understand. And if we intend to live a fairly peaceful and productive life here on earth, we need to understand, believe and live His faithful word. ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11)

Oh my brethren, once we can get those promises written down deep in our hearts, minds and souls, then we can live the kind of earthly life Jesus died for us to live; one of peace and abundance, with our eyes focused on the things of heaven, not those of the earth. And if you don’t believe me, then check out how God dealt with Job nuh. After He allowed Satan to inflict wrong on Job so He could prove Job’s faithfulness, He gave Job twice as much as he had in the beginning. ‘And the Lord turned (restored) the captivity (losses) of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.’ (Job 42:10)

Please notice praying for his friends was also an important aspect of God restoring Job’s fortunes. And please note too that Satan had to go to God to get to Job. The Good Book says: ‘Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan (the Adversary) came also among them.’ (Job 1:6)

And if we’re wondering how that was possible, hear the scholars. ‘1:6. Sons of God in this passage refers to angelic beings. Satan is considered one of them, though fallen from his original sinless state. His name means “Adversary,” and in this narrative he lives up to its meaning. The passage shows that Satan has access to God’s presence, though this does not seem to be Satan’s abode.’

Oh my people, nobody knows how God operates better than Satan, because he was once one of His top operatives before his pride and lofty position made him too big for his britches, and he got kicked out of heaven for trying to overthrow God. Just imagine the ‘boldfacedness’ of the created being nuh! Unfortunately though, we’re doing just like he did, trying to kick God our of our society. But a word of warning to the wise: that will NEVER happen!

Anyhow, moving on with the story from the Good Book. ‘And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.’ (Job 1:7) The scholars tell us that refers to Satan’s activity, and though he does not admit it there, his many travels are for evil purposes. (1 Pet. 5:8)

‘The activity of Satan indicates that he has only limited access to God. This account in Job emphasizes that God is sovereign over Satan. It also teaches that Satan is a finite being and therefore not omnipresent (be in several places at once). Nor can he touch God’s servants without God’s permission.’

And all God’s children said a loud ‘Amen!’ to that. Then, I like how God boasted on Job to Satan. ‘Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect (blameless) and upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth (shuns) evil?’ (Job 1:8) Oh brother, I don’t know if I want the Lord to boast so on me to the enemy nuh. (smile)

But as the scholars explain: ‘1:8. The initiative in the conversation lies with God, but He may well have simply expressed what was on Satan’s mind. God’s view of Job is the same as the description given in 1:1.’ And Satan failed miserably in trying to get Job to curse God.

Instead he worshipped Him. Despite all the inaccurate and hurtful things his supposed friends said against him, and the way that people despised and turned away from him, Job stood strong in the faith of his God. These word of his, say it all. ‘Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways (defend my ways) before him. He shall also be my salvation: for a hypocrite shall not come before him.’ (Job 13:15-16)

Mama Yo! That’s what yuh call ‘strong faith!’ And the scholars explain: ‘13:15. Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him expresses the unquenchable faith of one who lives by faith, not by sight. Even when it appears that God Himself has turned against Job, he will still trust in God.’

Now friends, it’s that kind of unquenchable faith that we need to have, especially in these very rough times that we’re currently experiencing. It’s not easy, and will never be easy, once we live here on planet earth with the prince of darkness it’s ruling force. But we know that Jesus will come again and eventually make everything right.

And this note from the scholars on the turning around of Job’s life is important. ‘The point to be garnered from the book is not that God intends to deal with every servant as abundantly as He did with Job; rather, that God holds sovereign and LOVING sway over every human life. Therefore He can be trusted implicitly in all things (cf. Rom. 8:28; 1Thess. 5:18).’ And that’s what I’ve been trying to say from the very beginning friends! (smile)

So for those of us who sincerely believe and implicitly trust, let’s go home now declaring (yeahhh!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know who and whose we are. As one strong 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 the world. Amen!’

Now let’s go and do exactly that nuh! Much LOVE!

…the Christian motto…rejoice evermore…pray without ceasing…in everything give thanks…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 October 2014 Psalm 71:20

23 Oct 2014 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a prayer for help in old age, a successful Friday, all thanks and glory be unto God, all the chances in the world, awesome majesty, bear down to our task, beset by enemies, brought to shame, Bruh David, cast off, charge down to the finish line, Come and let us return unto the Lord, conform us to the likeness of Jesus, confounded, detract, don't let up now, drink the wine of astonishment, everlasting wisdom, faithfulness, give us help from trouble, God is the Boss, God shall tread down our enemies, God will work it all out for our good, God's goodness, God's LOVING-kindness, grab the bit in our teeth, grin and bear it, heal the breaches, homestretch, I will praise thee, I will rejoice, indisputable truths, learning, like a shining star, machinations of god, made the earth to tremble, pondering on god's Word, proclaim and live god's word, proclamation of faith, promise, Psalm, pursue the knowledge of God, puts us through our paces, raise us from the dead, reverential awe, righteousness., rough times, seek my hurt, serving and worshipping Jehovah God, shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth, shalt quicken me again, sounds like music to my ears, spoken in his holiness, staggering, talk of thy righteousness, the potter's wheel, the power to heal, them that fear thee, thou hast redeemed my soul, thou Holy one of Israel, thou which hast showed me great and sore troubles, Though he slay me, threatened, through God we shall do valiantly, Thursday, triumph, trust, turn thyself to us again, undying faithfulness, vain is the help of man, victory, walk consitently with God, winning the race, wisdom, workweek race, yet will I trust him

Psalm 71:20. Thou, which hast showed me great and sore (severe) troubles, shalt quicken (revive) me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

And then it was Thursday!

Yes Friends, we’re now rounding the bend that leads into the homestretch of the workweek race! And we’re looking good too…with all the chances in the world of winning the race, so please don’t let up now, but rather let’s bear down to our task, grab the bit in our teeth and charge on down to the finish line, to a successful Friday!

Wow! What victory is possible through our great God!

Ah Friends, that bit of Horse Racing analogy surely sounds like music to my ears, since I’m no longer involved in that most august pursuit. (smile) Yes, the Lord in His everlasting wisdom saw it fit to take me out, so all I can do is grin and bear it.

I wasn’t making any money anyway, just losing more than I could afford. I guess He figured that it would detract me too much from learning and pondering on His Word and His Ways. And since He is the Boss, I had no choice but to follow His leading.

And though I miss it some, I must admit that the Lord in His goodness and LOVING-kindness and mercy has since fashioned my life in such a way that I am comfortable with it. All thanks and glory be unto Him!

And today we have an interesting Bit… Oh sorry, ALL of them ARE interesting, since they are taken from God’s Word! (smile) Our Bit is taken from Psalm 71 – A prayer for help in old age – the cry of an elderly man, apparently beset and threatened by his enemies.

‘Thou, which hast showed me great and sore (severe) troubles, shalt quicken (revive) me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.’

And those two statements, which seem like opposite ends of the spectrum, are indeed indisputable truths my people!

Our God does allow us to have rough times to stretch and conform us to the likeness of Jesus, but by the same token, He also brings us out of those troubles like a shining star, all cleaned up and ready to proclaim and live His Word with all faithfulness, and will also raise us from the dead when the time is right.

As per the first statement: ‘Thou, which hast showed me great and sore (severe) troubles…’ Bruh David addresses it in Psalm 60 – A prayer for help against the foe. He laments thus: ‘O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered (broken) us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again (restore us).

Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh. Thou hast showed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment (staggering).

Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee (have a reverential awe for thee), that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah. That thy BELOVED may be delivered; save with thy right hand, and hear me.’ (Ps.60:1-5)

Truly hurting words my brethren! But then, like the elderly gentleman in our Bit, who is sure that the Lord ‘…shalt quicken (revive) me again, and shalt bring me up from the depths of the earth,’ Bruh David declares the certainty of being heard by the Lord and foresees in his petition, certain victory through the powerful machinations of the Lord his God.

‘God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete (measure out) the valley of Succoth. Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength (helmet) of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver; Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe: Philistia, triumph thou because of me.

Who will bring me into the strong city? Who will lead me into Edom? Wilt not thou, O God, which hadst cast us off? And thou, O God, which didst not go out with our armies? Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.’ (Ps.60:6-12)

Yes my fellow believers, though our God puts us through our paces on the potter’s wheel, we end up being beautiful works of art in His powerful craftsman’s hands!

As the psalmist continues after our Bit: ‘Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.’ (Ps.71:21)

Oh my brethren, what a great proclamation of faith and trust in Almighty God! I certainly hope we can all declare such a strong and faithful statement too.

Therefore, he declares: ‘I will also praise thee with the psaltery (lute or lyre), even thy truth (faithfulness), O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.

My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed. My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long: for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt.’ (Ps.71:22-24)

Ah mih breddren, when we walk consistently with God over a fairly long period of time, we do see His awesome majesty and undying faithfulness! So though troubles may overwhelm us, yet we are sure that in the end He will work it all out for our good, because that’s His avowed intention and faithful promise to us.

And we’ll close with these memorable and moving words from Hosea – Israel’s reply to God’s admonition – that so eloquently describe the seeming dichotomy that exists in our God.

‘Come and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten (stricken), and he will bind (bandage) us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.

Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord (let us pursue the knowledge of God): his going forth is prepared (established) as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.’ (Hos.6:1-3)

Oh my people, there is no greater wisdom than that in all the earth! Please, let’s embrace it, and thus return to serving and worshipping Jehovah God, for it is Him, and Him alone that has the power to bind and heal us of all our sinful wounds! Much LOVE!

…though he slay me…yet will I trust in him… (Job 13:15A)

SCRIP-BITS

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 August 2021 Hebrews 13:8.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 October 2014 Psalm 71:20

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