The Overwhelming Importance of Christians Understanding Their Bounden Duty to Give Thanks and Praise to Almighty God!

Today’s Scrip-Bit   7 July 2026   Psalm 107:1.

Psalm 107:1.        ‘O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy (LOVING KINDNESS) endureth for ever.

And on this first Tuesday in July, a beautiful sunshiny summer’s day, with a cool breeze blowing to tone down the heat, I want us to do something we certainly don’t do as much as we ought to; that’s give thanks to our heavenly Father for another day of life on this wonderful planet earth, and also for all the good things He’s done for us down through the ages. So to comply with that desire, we’ll check out a few Bible verses out of the many that remind us of that faithful duty.

 And the first scripture we’ll look at is this one from Psalm 107, titled ‘God’s Redemptive Power.’ It opens with this marvellous statement: ‘O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy (LOVING KINDNESS) endureth for ever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy.’ (Ps. 107:1-2) And that’s us my brethren; for the Lord has most definitely redeemed us from the burden of sin the enemy had us imprisoned in and yoked under, through the shed blood of Christ that paid for our sins and washed us white as snow.

For that we should be everlastingly thankful and grateful, otherwise we would still be heading straight for hell fire and damnation, instead of eternal life with Christ. And that was the Lord’s doing because of His great LOVE for us! Please, let’s remember that and continually give Him thanks, as Bruh Paul says to the Thessalonians: ‘Rejoice ever more. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:16-18) Yes, friends, even in adversity we’re expected to rejoice, pray, and give thanks, because that’s what the Lord expects of us.

Likewise Bruh Paul wrote thus to the Philippians: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7) Oh my people, the best way to bypass fear and anxiety is through prayer, but our God desires thanksgiving in our prayer, and you’ll notice throughout the Bible, that whenever prayer is made, it usually opens with thanksgiving.

That takes us to 1 Chronicles 16, where it says: ‘Then on that day David delivered first this psalm to thank the Lord into the hand of Asaph and his brethren. Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek ye the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually.

Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgements of his mouth; O ye seed of Israel his servant, ye children of Jacob, his chosen ones. He is the Lord our God; his judgements are in all the earth. Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.’ (1 Chro. 16:7-15)

Now that’s only the beginning of Bruh David’s song of praise, which has been encapsulated into Psalm 105:1-15. But here’s how he ends the song in 1 Chronicles. ‘O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory (triumph) in thy praise. Blessed be the God of Israel for ever and ever. And all the people said, Amen, and praised the Lord.’ (1 Chr. 16:34-36)

And that’s how it ought to be my people; us finding joy and praise and thanksgiving in the Lord our God, because He’s both our Creator and Sustainer, and we can’t do much of anything without His approval and/or help. And here, we go back to Psalm 107 as the psalmist declares: ‘Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING KINDNESS), and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron (prisoners);

Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned (despised) the counsel of the most High: Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder (broke their chains in pieces). Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING KINDNESS), and for his wonderful works to the children of men.’ (Ps. 107:8-15)

Yes, my fellow believers, that’s what our God is all about. And if you still don’t believe that we ought to give thanks and praise to our God, then listen to these true words from Psalm 103, where Bruh David writes: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVING KINDNESS and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps. 103: 2-5)

And if those aren’t all most excellent reasons to give God thanks and praise, then I don’t know what is. But I do hope we’ll review those scriptures and let them raise the level of our praise and thankfulness to Almighty God. Now, let’s declare our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.

As one strong and 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!’

That now makes us duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…giving thanks and praise to God…is what we were created to do…

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

The Importance of Praising God in Song, and Communicating to Others, His Wonderful Works to the Children of Men!

Psalm 105:2.        Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of his wondrous works.

It’s no wonder that after the rain last night, that Wednesday has opened cloudy, damp and somewhat humid. And to tell the truth, the rain wasn’t so plentiful or powerful, but it’s accompaniment by the extravagant lightning and thunder show, with the heavenly rock drummer, Thor, putting on an especially rollicking performance made the show spectacular. Yes, I haven’t heard such cracking bouts of thunder in a long while. 

At one stage when the rain lightened, I went out on my porch to enjoy some peaceful moments out there, but within two minutes I was back inside after several lightning displays and a couple cracks of thunder chased me away. (smile) That brings us to today’s question: ‘Can You Sing in the Rain?’ It’s the title of an interesting story from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. 

So please read with me: ‘When I was a child I LOVED to take long walks with my tall, LOVING father. We trudged through the meadows, we climbed rolling hills, and often we walked through tree-lined parks. As we walked, Dad would tell me stories about his childhood, and I would ask countless questions about my grandparents. One day on a country road we walked under a gentle mist of rain. In the distance we saw a sparrow perched on a tree branch. The tiny bird was just singing away. 

My father asked a question: “Could you sing in the rain if nobody saw and nobody heard you but God?” Years have passed since that long-ago day. There have been wonderful days of joy. and there have been days of tears, too. Sometimes in the darkest night, during the most severe storm, God has enabled me to sing in the rain when nobody saw and nobody heard but God. Even through tears God has reminded me that the longest storm the world has ever known came to an end one sunny morning. And after the storm – a rainbow! God did it for Noah…and He does it for us!’ 

And that’s a wonderful fact that we should all be so very thankful for! Yes friends, even the longest and most powerful storm has to end sometime, and all the while it’s going on, our great God will hold and protect you in the shelter of His arms. It’s like Isaiah said of the Lord: ‘He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is. 41:11) Now that’s what our great and wonderful God is about! Shepherding His people! Like Bruh David says so eloquently Psalm 23: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1) 

And that’s what shepherds do; provide for their sheep, in both food and safety. And that’s what our God has promised to do and has indeed done. Remember the story of Noah, (Gen. chap. 6-9) when the Lord decided to destroy the earth by water, for the wickedness of man was so great in the earth, and his thoughts and intentions of his heart were continually evil. And God was sorry that He had ever made man on the earth. It sickened him, or grieved him at his heart. (Gen. 6:5-6) 

‘But Noah found grace in his sight.’ (Gen 6:8) And He was instructed to build a great ark and take in his family and two of every of God’s creations, for the Lord was going to destroy the world by water And as the author of Hebrews tells us in the Heroes of Faith chapter: ‘By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear (reverence), prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.’ (Heb. 11:7) Another great man of faith friends! 

But yuh know what? As Jesus reminds us: ‘But as the days of Noe (Noah) were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be….before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe (Noah) entered the ark.’ (Matt. 24:37-38) Yes sir! In those evil and dreadful times, it  was all about having a good time…just like it is now. That means the Lord will return when we least expect Him. Consequently, we need to be on constant alert, and have everything in readiness, as though He was coming back today. And we have to do our best to bring a lot of souls to Him before that awesome day. 

And to help us in doing so, Psalm 105 leads the way. From which our Bible Promise for the poem and Bit for today comes. It gently remind us: ‘O Give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of his wondrous works. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore. Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgements of his mouth; O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen. He is the Lord our God: his judgements are in all the earth.’ (Ps. 105:1-7) 

Now, unfortunately, too many of us, don’t seem to remember or value the advice given in the psalm, but if we don’t wake up and get our act together very soon, like immediately, we’re likely to be caught unawares, and thus lose out on all the good things when Jesus returns unexpectedly. And that would certainly be a crying shame! So, let’s consider ourselves warned. 

Now, it’s time to go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry 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 it’s been promised that whoever endures with Jesus to the every end, will experience an even more glorious future than they can imagine or comprehend. So, let’s be wise and endure to the end nuh, so we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!

…Jesus is our Good Shepherd…but too many of us are disobedient sheep…and eventually…will pay the consequences of disobedience…

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

The Overwhelming Importance of Consciously Seeking God and Giving Him Praise…Daily!

Psalm 105:7.       ‘He is the Lord our God: and his judgements are in all the earth.’

And then it was Friday, Friday the thirteenth! But since our total trust is in our Saviour Jesus Christ, we don’t pay any attention to the old wives’ tales which surround such a date. Tales like breaking a mirror, which brings seven years of bad luck, walking under a ladder, spilling salt, and crossing paths with a black cat. We do our best to ignore them because that’s not what Jesus teaches, but what’s interesting though, is if we realize in time that one of those things is about to happen, we’ll most likely do our best to avoid it. (smile) As the old adage says, better safe than sorry. 

Anyhow, on this sunny but chilly Friday morning, we’ve already sent up our shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at last!’ We have the time to catch up on our Christmas shopping, baking and all the other things we do in the Christmas season. However, let’s remember that those things are merely the result of the season, not the cause of it. Jesus is the reason for the season of Christmas. 

So, all the foolishness about Happy Holidays and whatever terminology is used by the unbelievers to describe it, is pure hogwash, for if Christ had not been born, there would have been no holidays or anything else resembling it at this time. Therefore, in our daily lives, let’s make sure we talk about Christmas and Christ being the reason for all the festivities, and not leave Him conveniently out of the mix. End of Sermon. 

And today we’ll look at a few of the opening verses of Psalm 105, titled – God’s Wondrous Works, which gives a historical account of Israel and its association with Almighty God. We are first admonished: ‘O Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works. 

Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore. Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgements of his mouth; O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen. He is the Lord our God: his judgements are in all the earth.’ (Ps. 105:1-7) 

Ah friends what wise advice, especially in this festive season of Christmas, where we are celebrating God’s greatest gift to us, the birth of His Son, Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and Deliverer! How could we not give Him much thanks and praise for all He’s done for us, and make His awesome deeds known to the people far and wide. As Psalm 119 says: ‘Make me to understand the way of thy precepts (my duties in your name): so shall I talk of (meditate on) thy wondrous works.’ (Ps. 119:27) 

And consequently, we ought to be singing joyful songs of praise unto Him, or as Bruh Paul writes to the Ephesians: ‘Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to God. Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ (Eph. 5:19-21) Now that’s exactly what we ought to be doing this Christmas season on a much greater scale, while leaving the gifts, the shopping and the food preparation to take a lesser role. 

Yes, we ought to be glorying much more in the name of Jesus than we’re currently doing, and letting our hearts rejoice as we seek the presence of our wonderful God. Unfortunately, believers are not doing enough of those things, even at this Christmas season, we’re still more focused on the worldly than the spiritual things. As the psalm so rightly tells us: Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore.’ (Ps. 105:4) 

Oh my people, there is no way we could ever go wrong if we do that from the sincerity of our hearts! But if we don’t, we’ll keep on going in the wrong direction, just like the world is right now. It’s like Bruh David says in Psalm 27 – My Heart Shall Not Fear. ‘When thou saidst, Seek my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face Lord, will I seek.’ (Ps. 27:8) So why are we not seeking God’s face much more in these times of dire need eh? 

Because we’ve gotten too big for our britches; we feel with all our knowledge and technological inventions, we have become a god unto ourselves. But friends, let’s not go down that road any longer, or further, for we are simply deluding ourselves by thinking that we can run our own lives. In this strife-filled, evil and ungodly world, it’s oh so important that we remember, ‘He is the Lord our God: and his judgements are in all the earth.’ (Ps. 105:7) 

Yes my fellow saints; it’s like Isaiah says: ‘With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgements are in the earth, the inhabitants of the earth will learn righteousness.’ (Is. 26:9) And we all know that the judgements of the Lord are in the earth, otherwise it would not be such a chaotic and disastrous scene, so let’s do our best to learn righteousness nuh. And we can begin right now, by going to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, asking for divine aid in these dire times.

 Altogether: ‘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!’ 

Let’s remember now, that we will only see divine aid, if we wake up from our sinful ways and begin being much better witnesses for Christ Jesus in this ungodly world! Much LOVE!

…whatever you may think…Christmas…is all about Jesus…