Today’s Scrip-Bit    16 September 2023 Genesis 41:52.

16 Sep 2023 Leave a comment

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

Genesis 41:52.       For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.

And it’s indeed a cool but wonderful, sunshiny lazy-day Saturday morning friends! Just right for early morning lazing around, which I have already done. (smile) Unfortunately, I can only have so much lazy time in the morning because I have to be about my Father’s work, but once that’s done, I can have as much lazy time as I desire. And with that said, let’s get down to the Father’s business, beginning with our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. 

As one sincere and humble voice. ‘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!’ 

Wow! And I hope like me, your thoughts have been slowed, your soul quieted, your muscles relaxed and your breath deepened, so that you can get into the presence of our heavenly Father and rest completely in Him. And all God’s people said a loud and heartfelt: ‘Praise the Lord for His goodness to the children of men!’ 

Now let’s get back to that amazing and intriguing saga of Bruh Joseph; a story line that only God, our omnipotent dramatist could have imagined and successfully brought to life. And yes, it seems like it’s never going to end, but it’s ever so important to the founding and the fortunes of the Jewish people. So, yesterday we left off where Bruh Joseph was promoted to Second in command of Egypt through the goodness of the Lord’s hand upon him. 

The Bible then tells us: ‘And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharoah king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls (abundantly). And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and he laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same. And Joseph gathered corn (grain) as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left of numbering (stopped counting): for it was without number.’ (Gen. 41:46-49) 

Ah friends, you will have noticed how diligent and businesslike Bruh Joseph was from the time he entered Potiphar’s employ, all through the tough times in jail, and finally that diligence, as well as the experience in handling people, though only as a servant, now served him in very good stead as the second ruler of Egypt. As the saying goes, you can’t be a good leader, unless you are a good follower. And that is exactly why the Lord had him experience those tough times, otherwise he would not have been able to do the job the Lord had planned for him. 

And according to the scholars: ‘Thutmose III gave the following charge to his newly appointed vizier (Prime Minister or Second in Command): “Look thou to this office of vizier. Be vigilant over everything that is done in it. Behold, it is the support of the entire land. Behold, as to the vizierate, behold it is not sweet at all, behold it is bitter as gall.” And I’m sure that was the very truth, for although Bruh Joseph had Pharaoh’s complete blessing, there must have been those who found it irresponsible and downright disgusting to be lorded over by a Hebrew. 

And if it wasn’t his Hebrew background, then simply the fact that the citizens were being told how to handle their food and to bring their grain to the king’s storehouses. You know how we are suspicious of anything or anybody that’s involved in hoarding, especially if some of it belongs to us. But for whatever reason, the job that Bruh Joseph inherited was not an easy one. And he most definitely would not have been able to handle it if the Lord had not put him through the school of the Holy Ghost. 

So my brethren, when the Lord places us in some sore spots, before He promotes us, it’s not that He wants to harm us, but more to test and grow us, so we can be ready for the destiny He’s planned for us. Therefore, it’s essential that we go through those tough times with a good attitude, waiting patiently on God’s timing, and keeping Him first place in our lives, not complaining about why such hard times have befallen us while we’re trying to live right, and getting angry at God. 

Remember there’s always method to God’s madness; always a purpose behind His actions, for He doesn’t do anything willy nilly, without thinking things through right to the very end. As the prophet Jeremiah records: ‘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) And if we claim to believe and trust in Him, then we must be prepared to wait on His timing and go through whatever lessons or hard knocks of life that He chooses to allow to come upon us. That’s the true test of faith and discipleship! 

Now here’s another important aspect of Bruh Joseph’s life in Egypt. The Good Library kindly informs us: ‘And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of the famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On bare unto him. And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh (Making Forgetful): For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house. And the name of the second called he Ephraim (Fruitfulness): For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.’ (Gen. 41:50-52) Aren’t those names and sentiments behind them just wonderful my brethren? They surely are! 

And I like this commentary on that situation by the scholars. They tell us of Bruh Joseph’s two sons and what their names mean. Then say: ‘The reference to all his toil, and all my father’s house only means that the hardship brought upon him by his brothers was a thing of the past. Ephraim, meaning “Fruitful,” signified God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction. What a sweet, pleasant, and thankful spirit he showed in interpreting the events that had transpired in his life! The fulfillment of Pharaoh’s prophetic dreams set the stage for the final scene in the fulfillment of Jospeh’s own dreams.’ 

Mama Mia! And you won’t’ want to miss the upcoming marvellous episodes in Bruh Joseph’s story! So please tune in next time. And until then, please, let’s try and live the faithful life that Bruh Joseph lived nuh, even while undergoing trials and tribulations. Most of us are not suffering the way He did, so we should be able to show more faithfulness. Although, as they say, the worst Christian is a comfortable Christian. But let’s put the lie to that statement nuh! Much LOVE!

…without trials and tribulations…a Christian won’t grow in Christlikeness… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   26 March 2022 Matthew 4:19.

26 Mar 2022 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 4:19.      And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets and followed him.

So, finally we come to Saturday, that in-between day where you can either do plenty or nothing at all! (smile) And though many of us choose to do the latter, a lot of folks are busy doing their household chores like laundry, house cleaning and grocery shopping, things they could not do during the work week. 

That means the malls and other business places are pretty busy on a Saturday. It’s probably the worst day to go shopping, since all those who can’t do it during the week are out shopping today. And with some of the mask restrictions lifted and the weather warming up, though it’s cloudy right now, a lot of us who have been shut in for so long, will just be out there spreading our wings and learning how to fly again. (smile) 

But before you go out and spread those wings, let’s note some good information on the subject, through the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And the first one tells us that ‘Vision without a task is only a dream. A task without a vision is but drudgery. But vision with a task is a dream fulfilled.’ 

Now that seems very logical, because visions and tasks go together, one without the other is like a ship without a rudder or a sail. One guides and informs the other. As the man says, if you don’t have a practical point to your vision, then it’s only a dream, a figment of your imagination. And if you’re just doing practical stuff without a purpose or have a positive focus, then all you’re doing is mindless, uninspiring, fatiguing hard labour. 

That brings us to the next quote, which says: ‘A leader has the vision and conviction that a dream can be achieved. He inspires the power and energy to get it done. A leader’s role is to raise people’s aspirations for what they can become and to release their energies so they will try to get there.’ 

And it is the gospel truth my brethren! That’s why leaders are so important in all walks of life. They ought to possess the vision and conviction in making a dream happen, as well as the necessary ability to encourage others, to help them aspire to higher levels, and to walk with them sincerely and faithfully through the challenges, through the fire that any worthwhile dream will present before it’s successfully accomplished. 

Now that’s why there have been few real leaders down through the ages. Some have the vision and conviction, but not the leadership skills to encourage others to walk their path. Meanwhile, others have the charisma, the innate power through their speaking ability to draw followers to them, but their causes are not worthwhile and eventually go up in flames. 

But down through the ages, there’s been ONE man who stood out as a leader, who had ALL that was necessary to lead. We know Him as our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The One who came down from heaven to die on the cross to atone for the sins of man, to give us the options of salvation and eternal life. He was truly a man with a vison and strong conviction on the kingdom of heaven, as well as the unerring sense to draw people to Him, to encourage them to follow in His footsteps. 

Yuh see how easy He got Peter and Andrew, two busy fishermen to follow Him. While walking by the sea of Galilee, Jesus saw them fishing, ‘And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets and followed him.’ (Matt. 4:19-20) Now that’s what you call the ability to inspire others! But a short while later, it got even better. Jesus saw James and John sitting in their boat mending nets with their father Zebedee and called them. And in response to that call, the Good Book says: ‘And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.’ (Matt. 4:22) 

Mama Yo! Without even a ‘by your leave,’ they just left their poor father and followed a man whom they didn’t know from Adam. But that’s what Jesus does to you. He inspires you to reach higher, to get better, to attain to excellence through diligence and faith in Him. And that’s why this next quote is so valuable. It says: ‘Sometimes it’s worth risking it all for a dream only you can see.’ Especially if it’s a dream that Jesus has put in your heart! 

Yes friends, many of us have dreams that others can’t see or don’t agree with, but oftentimes that dream is worth risking it all to try and accomplish. Just look at the numerous inventors, like Henry Ford with the combustible engine in a car, and Thomas Edison with electricity and his many other inventions. They thought their dreams worthwhile and risked it all. Now not everyone who does that is successful, for one reason or another, but I’m here to tell you that if it’s something Jesus puts in your heart, then He will see that it’s successful. 

And I’m talking here from personal experience. This Scrip-Bit was not my idea. Never in a million years did I ever dream that I would be writing on scripture. But the Lord broached the idea and I laughed, just like Sarah did when told she would produce a boy child in her old age. But despite my pleas that I couldn’t write on scripture because I didn’t know it, the Lord refused to take ‘No’ for an answer. Just like He didn’t take Moses’ excuse saying he stuttered and couldn’t be expected to talk to Pharaoh, the most powerful man in the world at the time. 

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m nowhere near Moses’ class, and so the Lord didn’t get as annoyed with me as He did with Moses (smile), but He certainly kept prodding me until I agreed. Now, fifteen years later, through His awesome faithfulness, I’m writing on scripture, although I still don’t know as much as I think I ought to. But the Lord isn’t complaining, because He knows that I’m sincerely trying, and that through His encouragement, grace and mercy, I’ve come a long way since that first Bit of one scripture verse in 2007. 

And the next quote is a perfect segue: ‘Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and most of all, LOVE of what you are doing or learning to do.’ And there again, I can vouch for the truth of that quote, because it’s only through those things that I’ve reached the level I’m now at, and to grow, I must continue doing them. 

Now, in our current society, we all see a lot of people enjoying the benefits of their success and we envy them, and want to be like them, but few of us are willing to go through the hardship and pain that it takes to be successful. We like the end results but not what it takes to get there. But my people, it’s only through perseverance and hard work will we ever become successful. So, if you’re planning on being a success in anything, you’d better prepare yourself for plenty hard knocks. 

And this last quote nicely closes today’s session. ‘Raise the bar a little higher each time you succeed.’ Yes my people, each time we have success, we need to set our cap a li’l higher and climb to the next level, because staying the same place, sitting on your laurels only breeds laziness, inertia and lethargy which kill your spirit and eventually set you on the road to decline and destruction. You can see examples in the fall of all the great nations and organizations that became successful then just sat on their laurels, making no efforts to keep their standards high. 

That’s why Cousin Sol’s advice is ever so important: ‘The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.’ (Prov. 18:15) And if you don’t understand that, (smile) here is the MSG (Message version). ‘Wise men and women are always learning, always listening for fresh insights.’ Yes friends, we must never stop learning, striving to be better, for when we do, we die. Much LOVE!

…the standards of a person, organization or society…say a lot about them…whether they are growing…or in decline… 

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