Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 November 2015 Proverbs 3:35

13 Nov 2015 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 3:35. The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion (the legacy) of fools.

Well Friends, it’s Friday; Friday the 13th to boot… So what? Who believes in those old wives tales and witches manipulations anymore eh? I hope nobody, for a day is a day. It is made by the great God Jehovah and runs like any other day. 
 
So whether Friday falls on the thirteenth or the fourteenth or fifteenth, they are all made so that we can rejoice and be glad in them. 
 
So please lets forget about all the foolishness the enemy tries to put in our heads, about bad luck and otherwise on a day like today, and just enjoy the LOVING-kindness and blessings of our heavenly Father, as we normally do nuh. 
 
It’s amazing though that many who usually shout ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, the weekend, and it’s time to party down the place,’ are quiet today. 
 
Come on my people, let’s focus on the weekend and what we’re going to do on our two days off rather than some nebulous, unsubstantiated black magic in the offing. And to overcome any dormant fears, let’s chant our Friday Chant with much gusto and confidence. 
 
As one chanter now: ‘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. 
 
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ 
 
Yes Friends, that’s the template for the next few days! Put it to work and we’ll all be fine. And to go along with that, here is an appropriate quote from my ‘P.S. I LOVE You ‘ Poster. It says: ‘We can’t do much about our appearance, but we have total control over the kind of person we become.’ 
 
And generally speaking that’s true, because with all the plastic surgery and otherwise available today, we can change our appearance a fair amount. But, as for who we become on the inside, that’s totally up to us. 
 
People can give us all sorts of advice and direction, but in the long run it’s totally up to us decide what advice we’re going to take, what direction we’ll go in, and consequently what kind of person we will become. 
 
And hopefully, as believers in Jesus Christ, we will take His wise advice and go in the good and prosperous direction that He points us toward. That brings us to our Bit for today: ‘The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion (the legacy) of fools.’ 
 
And that’s no lie Friends, for we can see it writ large in our society, and even in our own small area of influence. Shame is cast upon those who insist on doing foolish things. It’s sad, and oftimes wrong, but we can do a million wise and good things, but are remembered for, and tormented by the one mistake or foolish thing we’ve done. But I guess that’s just the nature of the beast. 
 
Anyway, what I want to do today is simply highlight some scripture passages that deal with supposedly foolish behaviour, mainly from Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. But we’ll begin with this one from Psalm 4 – An evening prayer of trust in God. 
 
Bruh David asks the burning question back then. ‘O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? How long will ye love vanity (worthlessness), and seek after leasing (falsehood)?  Selah.’ (Ps.4:2) 
 
Oh Friends, unfortunately that is still a burning question today, for mankind still refuses to give God His appropriate honour and glory, possibly even more so now than back then, because unashamedly we are going a whoring after all sorts of other gods and idols. And that my brethren will undoubted bring us a legacy of shame and nothing else. 
 
Now listen to Cousin Sol. Right at the beginning of Proverbs he proffers this serious warning. ‘The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the (principal) beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.’ (Prov.1:7) Yes Friends, wisdom begins by acknowledging Almighty God and all that He is! 
 
Now hear him in Chapter 10, where he begins contrasting the wise and the foolish ‘The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want (lack) of wisdom.’ (Prov.10:21) 
 
Then in Chapter 11, Cousin Sol declares: ‘He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be the servant to the wise of heart.’ (Prov.11:29) No doubt about that Friends! We see it in our society all the time, where the wise lord it over the unwise. 
 
Now here are a couple of verses from Chapter 12, where Cousin Sol continues his contrasting between the wise and the foolish. ‘The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto (listens to) counsel is wise. A fool’s wrath is presently known (known at once): but a prudent man covereth shame.’ (Prov.12:15-16) Gospel truth that my brethren! 
 
Turning to Ecclesiastes, listen to these pearls of wisdom. ‘For a dream cometh through the multitude of business (effort or activity); and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.’ (Eccl.5:3) 
 
That brings us back to Proverbs, where Cousin Sol declares: ‘Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace (keeps silent), is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.’ (Prov.17:28) No disputing that my people, as we do it all the time! 
 
And we’ll end there for today. Don’t want to give us too much material to consider (smile), but I do hope that these sayings will have an impact on our behaviour, as we read and ponder them in regards to our own life, for I am sure that we all have room for improvement along those lines. Much LOVE!
 
…I was sometimes wise…but not seldom foolish…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 June 2013 Luke 24:49

15 Jun 2013 Leave a comment

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

Luke 24:49:    And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
 
‘Standing, standing, standing on the promises of God! Yes, we’re standing, standing, standing on the promises of God!’
 
Oh Friends, those are such mightily important words in the lives of believers, for they play a role like nothing else does. That’s because in taking such a confident stand, we’re placing our faith and utmost trust in the promises of our God and Creator to control each and every aspect of our lives, surrendering our will to His holy and infinitely wiser one. And that says a whole lot about our level of faith and maturity in Jesus.
 
And I’ll certainly grab hold of this opportune opportunity, (smile) to remind us of some of God’s promises in the anonymous poem I shared not too long ago. I believe we need to hear it again, and thus reawaken and/ or rejuvenate our spirits.
 
Titled ‘God’s Promise’ the poem declares: ‘I will not fear – God is always with me. I will not doubt – God is always in control. I will not despair – God is always good. I will not falter – God is always watching. I will not fail – God is always victorious!’
 
And that’s all awesome truth Friends! And it all began when Adam and Eve had that glorious chance to live in paradise, but blew it because they figured God wouldn’t stand on His promise to kick them out if they disobeyed Him and ate of the tree of good and evil. But He did, and yet still, to this very day, we still don’t take Him seriously when He promises us stuff.
 
The beauty of it all though is that God also keeps His promises of good things and thoughts towards us.  Listen to Cousin Sol confirm this on the day the Ark of the Covenant was taken into the spanking new temple he’d built in God’s honour.
 
‘Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest (peace) unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.’ (1 Kin.8:56)
 
Yes my people, not a single one of God’s promises to Moses and the children of Israel failed to come through, whether they were for good or bad! And since our God or His Word doesn’t change, all those promises, both for good and bad, are still in effect up to this very day.
 
And I can assure us that we’re feeling the effects of some of the bad ones, because we have gone astray from God, just like Israel did so many times and paid a significant price every time.
 
Oh Friends, we have to realize that the Word of God is the awesome, indelible, undeniable, everlasting truth! He doesn’t talk just because He can, or likes to, as so many of us do. And furthermore, He means exactly what He says; if you follow my will, I’ll bless you. But if you don’t, then I’ll cause you to be cursed.
 
It’s simple and straight to the point. One line of action will bring providential results, while the opposite will cause serious problems. And isn’t that the same way we raise our children? So since we’re the Father’s children, all His dictates and directives are appropriate.
 
But enough tongue lashing, (smile) today I want to focus on one particular promise, and a major one too, which stems from our Bit. ‘And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.’ That was Jesus again promising to send the Holy Spirit upon His disciples, just prior to His ascension.
 
Now the Father had also made that fact known long before Jesus ever came to earth. Hear God’s promise through Isaiah that His Spirit would come upon Israel: ”Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant, and thou Jesurun, whom I have chosen.
 
For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring. And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.’ (Is.44:2-4)
 
The prophet Joel also had some foresight re the eventual universal outpouring of God’s Spirit, when he declared: ‘And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the (men) servants and upon the handmaids (maid servants) in those days will I pour out my spirit.’ (Joel 2:28-29)
 
So my brethren, Jesus ‘ promise to send the Spirit after His ascension was not something that He had just planned, but it was the Father’s intention from the very beginning. And we see it being refreshed and renewed in every age, until it finally comes to pass on the Day of Pentecost, fifty days after Jesus ascended. 
 
Listen, as it’s so beautifully and emotionally described in the Good Book. ‘And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord (purpose, mind) in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
 
And there appeared unto them cloven (divided) tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.’ (Acts 2:1-4) 
 
And that finally fulfilled the promises that were made way back when, enabling each new believer to have God’s Holy Spirit dwell in them, leading and guiding them as Jesus desires.
 
Oh Friends, all of you know about the Day of Pentecost and its unusual happenings, but I’m trying here to get us to focus on the idea of  promises coming through; like that awesome one at Pentecost, but even more so on the promises of our heavenly Father that are still coming true.
 
It’s very important that we notice the fulfilment of His promises in our lives, because that’s where, when and how we truly build faith and trust in Him. So today I’m simply asking us to believe in the promises of God and actively seek them out in our lives. They’re happening all around us every day, but we’re either too busy, blind or foolish to notice them.
 
Please, let’s turn that attitude around nuh, because it’s all to our benefit, not God’s. And it does show a high level of wisdom and trust when we can stand boldly, confidently and faithfully on His promises. Much LOVE!
 
…if we can trust in the fickle promises of fickle man…why not the faithful ones of Almighty God…creator of the world and all therein…