The Overwhelming Importance of Christians Knowing and Believing that God is Always Willing and Able to extricate Them from Trouble!

08 Apr 2026 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 40:2.        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).

So we’ve come to Wednesday, our second wind day. But we shouldn’t need to catch any second wind, for most of us have only worked one day so far this week. What we might need to catch our second wind from is the joyful Easter celebrations that are still weighing us down. We’d be lucky if we can get any serious work done this week.

But we need to get ourselves together for Jesus’ sake, for although celebrating His Easter resurrection is a big deal and a must, we also need to abide by His wishes that we give the best of ourselves to our work, doing so with diligence and efficiency, behaving as though we were working directly for Him. As Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) liked to say: ‘Always look your best, do your best and be your best.’ And that is exactly what our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ expects from His followers.

Now today, we’re going to check out an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin simply titled ‘Always There,’ and I’m sure it will strike a note in many of our hearts because it’s so appropriate in these distressful and hurting times. And as always, I don’t know if I’ve shared it before, but it’s certainly worthwhile sharing again. (smile)

So please read with me: ‘So often, Lord I reach to the bottom of the abyss. So often I taste the dregs Of my own helplessness. Yet it is there, exactly there That You come to my immediate rescue. When I feel totally impoverished Of all self-sufficiency When I want to vanish into nowhere From the depths of despair I call Your name And You are always there for me!’

And that calls for a big ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ my people, because that is the gospel truth! Whenever we are down to nothing, wallowing in the mires of despair, loneliness and worthlessness, that is the time to desperately cry out to God for help, for the succour that He alone can provide, for the true healing and LOVING that only come from Him!

And I know that in these perilous and very hazardous times a lot of us are feeling like we’re lost, lonely and don’t know which way to turn. However, the best advice you can ever get in such a situation is to turn immediately to the God of Abraham, Isacc and Jacob for He cares very much for you. As Peter so wisely puts it in his second epistle: ‘Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (2 Pet. 5:6-7)

And He certainly does, else why would He send his only begotten Son to earth to die for you eh? Simply because He cares a whole lot for His finest creation. As Bruh Paul says in one of my favourite scripture verses: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) Now, if that isn’t showing amazing and abundant LOVE for a bunch of ungodly and ungrateful sinners, then I don’t know what is!

That’s why we never have to run from God. We might not like everything He does or desires of us, but we know in the long run He’s promised to work everything out for our good, (Rom. 8:28) and we definitely know that He is a God who keeps all of His promises, never reneges on any of them. And yes, the ravages and vicissitudes of life, those unpredictable, often uncontrollable, and frequently challenging changes, the ups and downs that we all experience at some time or other, tend to bring us to our knees, despite our innate strength.

And that’s exactly when we need to turn to Almighty God, to cry out for His help, and yuh better believe that His timing will be perfect; He will lift you up out of the mire and bring you to safety. It’s like Bruh David says in Psalm 40 – Praise for God’s Deliverance. ‘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.’ (Ps. 40:1-3)

Oh my people, that’s exactly what the Lord will do for those of us who feel lost and sinking deep into a pit of miry clay. But the most important part is that we have to call out to Him, call out to Him in all sincerity and truth for His help! And when you do that, have no fear, He will be there to help you. It’s like the Bible Promise for our poem today from the prophet Isaiah says: ‘And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought (dry places, sun scorched lands), and make fat thy bones (strengthen your frame): and thou shalt be like a well-watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not (never fail).’ (Is. 58:11)

Oh my fellow believers, that’s a promise our God will always keep if we come to Him in humility, sincerity and obedience. And Bruh David said that in spades in Psalm 40. ‘Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.’ (Ps, 40:4) So, on this Easter Wednesday, please, let’s make up our minds to seek God sincerely, especially if our present circumstances are looking dire and hopeless. For that’s what He’s there for.

Now, let’s declare our Wednesday Wail, letting all the world know of our wonderful 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 here’s an even greater promise: all who endure to the end with Christ, will enjoy a more than glorious future with Him. One that we cannot even imagine or comprehend. So, wisdom dictates that we endure to the very end, that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!

…the ONLY ONE…truly able to pull you out of the mire of life…is Jesus Christ…

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Today’s Scrip-Bit   25 April 2022 Ecclesiastes 3:1.

25 Apr 2022 Leave a comment

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

Ecclesiastes 3:1.      To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.

And on this last Monday of April 2022, the second one after Christ’s triumphant resurrection at Easter, although the sun is shining under a slight cloud cover, we are not in any doubt of our past, present or future. And why is that you ask? Well, obviously because we are alive and kicking through the awesome mercies and compassions of our great God, which are new every day! And all God’s children gave out a loud, proud and grateful ‘Glory Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Praise His Holy Name!’ 

And yes, we ought to be everlastingly grateful that He’s not consumed us in our iniquity, but even more so that He gives us a brand new start every day! Wow! Yes mih bredrin, our great God doesn’t believe in stale, left over stuff, so He gives us a new burst of His spiritual energy every single day of our lives, just enough to get us successfully through that particular day. And some of us might be greedy and want more than a day’s worth, but He knows just how much is sufficient for us. 

Remember Jesus’ words in the prayer He taught the disciples? ‘Give us this day our daily bread.’ Yes, all we need is one day of God’s provision at a time, like He did with the manna He gave to the Hebrews in the wilderness. If they picked up more than a day’s worth, it was spoiled by the next day. (Ex. 16) And we must learn to be satisfied with what God gives us every day, don’t try to go running ahead of Him, because then we only screw up all His well laid plans for us. And sadly, our impatience, and our ability to wait on God and His impeccable timing is exactly why so many of us are getting nowhere fast. 

One commentator puts it simply and succinctly: ‘For us, God’s timing often feels like a long, desperate delay. God’s perfect timing does two things: It grows our faith as we are forced to wait and trust in God and it makes certain that He, and He alone, gets the glory and praise for pulling us through.’ That’s gospel truth my people! And Bruh David said it in Psalm 31: “My times are in Your hands …” (Ps. 31:15) More gospel truth! 

And there are so many scriptures in the Good Book that teach us about waiting on God’s perfect timing. So, this Monday morning, let’s remind ourselves of a few of them nuh. It can’t possibly do us any harm, and it will certainly do us much good. (smile) And we begin with this marvellous and true statement from Cousin Sol writing as the preacher in Ecclesiastes, where He wisely declares: ‘To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.’ (Eccl. 3:1) And that’s no lie, for God has planned His universe with perfect perfection (smile) and nothing happens outside of His plan. 

And we ought to remember that, for as Cousin Sol writes in Proverbs 16: ‘A man’s heart deviseth (plans) his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.’ (Prov. 16:9) And the Lord is indeed sovereign over man’s planning and scheming, as so many of us have found out to our detriment. 

But these marvellous words from the prophet Jeremiah on God’s behalf, ought to boost our faith and trust in God, although they don’t seem to do so, otherwise we wouldn’t be as impatient and disobedient as we are. ‘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) Now, if God gives such a great promise, why would He do anything contrary to it eh? No reason whatsoever! 

And if He does allow us to go through hardship it’s only to test our faith and to grow us. And for that, He’s given us this magnificent and everlasting promise. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) So as children of God, we ought to know and believe that He will indeed work out everything for our good eventually and wait patiently for His awesome timing. But our current behaviour doesn’t reflect that promise enough. 

And these words of Peter remind us that our God works on an entirely different timeline than us. ‘But beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.’ (2 Pet. 3:8) Now that should make us put on our thinking caps. (smile) And furthermore, as Peter continues: ‘The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’ (2 Pet. 3:9) 

That explains why we’re not consumed but receive new mercies and compassions every day. If the Lord wasn’t long-suffering, that’s patient, we would have been destroyed long ago. So please let’s give much thanks that patience is one of His many virtues. And I think that these words from Jeremiah in his Lamentations is a wonderful scripture to close on. ‘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. 3:24-26) 

Now friends, there’s absolutely no way we can doubt those scriptures because they are the indisputable truth of God’s word. So please, let’s get ourselves together nuh, for our sakes and those of our children, and begin truly believing in what we read and waiting patiently on God’s timing, because He always has what’s best for us. There’s absolutely no doubt about that! And in keeping with all that we’ve said today, let’s go to our wonderful God in prayer, right now nuh, letting Him know our wants and desires through our Monday Morning battle Hymn. 

As one strong and confident but humble voice. ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.  

And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

Now it’s time to show our sincerity by living the way we promised…provided we want to receive a positive answer from God. Much LOVE!

…living this earthly life is very simple…simply obey God…and leave all the consequences to him… (Uncle Charles – Dr. Charles Stanley)                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 October 2014 Psalm 22:11

10 Oct 2014 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 22:11.    Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.

Wow Friends, it’s Friday! And there was lots of jumping and jiving and shouting: ‘TGIF! Thank God It’s Friday! Glory Hallelujah! The workweek soon finish, and party time start, especially on this upcoming long weekend of Thanksgiving! Mama Mia!

What a grand ole time we’re going to have; giving thanks and singing praises to our heavenly Father, for all that’s He’s so kindly done for us this past year!’
 
Yes my people, this is Thanksgiving weekend in Canada and there will be mucho mucho celebrations all across this great land, from the coasts of the Atlantic on the east, across the vast Prairies in the middle, over the mighty Rocky Mountains to British Columbia on the coast of the Pacific out west!
 
Please remember that one caution though of Granny’s: ‘drunk or sober mind yuh business.’ In all our giving of thanks, let’s not give, or allow the loathsome enemy even one toehold, one reason to infiltrate our godly spirits and make us stumble before Almighty God.
 
And to keep us somewhat in remembrance of that, let’s chant our Friday Chant with sincere passion and enthusiasm, which will hopefully lead to a fair amount of circumspection. (smile) All together 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.’
 
Now with that caution invoked, let’s turn to an interesting quote from Ashley Montague (1905- 1999) the British / American anthropologist and humanist, born Israel Ehrenberg in London, England, but who later migrated to the U.S, became a citizen and lectured at many of its famous universities.
 
Ashley says that ‘Every human being is a problem in search of a solution.’ And that’s the living truth Friends!
 
We all need help in many areas of our lives, but oftimes we’re too proud or scared to ask for it, afraid either of the changes that will be involved, especially since change is something many of us are very wary of. Though the old way may be troublesome, we still feel more comfortable with it, because we know it, and hold the supposed new and better way suspect since it’s unknown.
 
On the other hand, we’re sometimes too proud to let others know that we’re hurting and need help, that we’re actually less than we seem to be. But my brethren, it’s quite all right, in fact very natural and very wise to ask for help, and to consider change if it will either help solve or completely resolve our problems. 
 
And the best person to turn to for help is obviously Jesus Christ, our be all and end all, the great Helper, Healer, Friend and Redeemer! Remember His Great Invitation too; to come to Him when we are weary and burdened, and He will lighten our load and give us rest. (Matt.11:29-30)
 
And in his cry of anguish and song of praise, Psalm 22, Bruh David highlights the situation very well, when he cries out to Almighty God in our Bit: Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.’
 
And that is oh so true my people, for as Bruh David says later on in Psalm 60 – a prayer for help against the foe: ‘Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.’ (Ps.60:11)
 
That’s also indisputable truth, since man’s help is often insufficient, not forthcoming, or deceptive and deceitful! Just think about all the fraudulent acts being committed in these difficult times in the name of help!
 
And Bruh David ends that psalm with these thoughtful and faithful words. ‘Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.’ (Ps.60:12)
 
Yes Friends, in this vast and controversial universe, it is only Jehovah God that we can put our entire trust in, and know for a fact that He will help us. Bruh David did it, and we see the most excellent results he achieved, although his life was not always the most upright and righteous. But he implicitly trusted the God of his fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, whom he knew to be ALWAYS FAITHFUL!
 
Remember the old hymn we sung recently: ‘What a Friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry EVERYTHING to God in prayer!’ That’s the wisest move we can ever make my people!
 
The problem though is that with our busy lives in this busy society, we want answers and help immediately, now for now, sometimes even yesterday. But unfortunately when we go to Jesus, according to the nature of the problem, and the motives of our heart, we’ll probably not receive an immediate answer, or one that we don’t like.
 
But Friends, I can personally testify to the fact that if we take our problems to our Lord and Saviour, He will help us, in His own time and His own way! We just need to be patient, show the faith we’re supposed to have. And if the problem is genuine and requires immediate solving, fear not, He will do so.
 
That’s one thing about God’s timing, my brethren; it is perfect! He is NEVER LATE!
 
But the truth is, waiting patiently is not always easy, for even though I know that from personal experience, I still sometimes get anxious when His help doesn’t seem to be forthcoming in time. But NOT ONCE has He ever showed up late, ALWAYS on time! He is the supreme example of a just in time system!
 
And to encapsulate all that we’ve spoken of, (smile) let’s end with these true, beautiful and encouraging words from Psalm 33 – Praise to the Lord for His creation.
 
‘A horse is a vain thing (false hope) for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.
 
Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our HELP and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.’ (Ps.33:17-22)
 
Yes my people, as we hope in the Lord, so will His mercy and blessings be showered down upon us! Much LOVE!
 
…trust in the Lord with all thine heart…and lean not unto thine own understanding… (Prov.3:5) 
 
P.S. Oh Friends, I truly don’t know why the Bit is so late nuh, because I got up at a reasonable hour. I guess it was just my running around aimlessly, being a slow-coach, and/or trying to find the right info to use. (smile) But as always, with our great God, it works out perfectly, for His glory, every time! Much LOVE!