Only in Almighty God can Believers find Safety and Refuge in this Evil and Ungodly world!

11 Jun 2025 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 46:1.       ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in time of trouble.

So it’s Wednesday my people, our second wind day. It opened bright and sunshiny and somewhat cool, but it’s warming up, and we on the late bus, because after church, I ran around and did a couple errands, then had to come home and rest before writing the Bit. Yuh know the ole fella’s not as young as he used to be, and unfortunately can’t light the candle at both ends again. (smile)

And today, as we witness all the strife, the anger, the carnage and all the other negative things that are so prevalent in our world, I believe this word from the Sons of Korah in Psalm 46, is a good scripture for us to hold close to our hearts. So please read with me: ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in time of trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst (heart) of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.’ (Ps. 46:1-3)

Yes my fellow believers, that’s how strong our faith ought to be; winning out even in the most serious predicaments. That’s because the Lord God Almighty; our omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present Deity has us in the palm of His hands and has promised to take care of us. Like Bruh Paul says in his letter to the Romans: ‘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, though we will have problems in this ungodly world, the Lord’s promised that in the end He will work it all out for the good of those who put their trust in Him. And Jesus reinforces that promise when He says: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) And He certainly has, by defeating hell, death and the grave through His death and resurrection!

That means we ought not to be afraid of what man can do to us, but be more concerned about what the Lord Jehovah can do. As Jesus said: ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt. 18:28) And what does all of the mean?

This commentary explains that verse thus: ‘Jesus encourages his followers not to be afraid of those who might persecute or kill them for their faith, as such people can only affect their physical body. The verse contrasts this with the fear of God, who has authority over both the physical and spiritual realms. The phrase “destroy both body and soul in hell” refers to the concept of eternal punishment, where the soul is also eternally separated from God. This verse highlights God’s sovereignty over life and death and the importance of prioritizing Him over any human authority.’

Now those are some things that we ought to take into serious consideration as we walk amongst all the evil and ungodly doings that are currently running rampant in our world. We all are human, and fear does come upon us at some time or other, but the important thing to remember is that God is sovereign over the entire universe, and as a child of God, you have His protection and ought not to let fear overtake you for any length of time. Remember these marvellous words of Bruh Paul to Timothy: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7)

And if that doesn’t set your heart and soul free of fear, then listen to these most assuring words of Bruh David from Psalm 62, titled My Rock and My Salvation. He writes: ‘My soul, wait thou (silently) only upon God; for my expectation (hope) is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved (shaken). In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah’ (Ps. 62:5-8)

And if there’s one thing we can say about both Bruh David and Bruh Paul is that they not only talked the words of God, but they also walked them. They both had oodles of trials and tribulations, many more serious than any we will ever have, but they never once gave up on their faith, never once feared that the Lord would not come through for them. Now that’s the kind of faith we all need to build in these fearful and troubled times. However, unfortunately, faith is only built when we go through trials and tribulations, when we personally endure tough times.

We don’t need faith when the going’s good; but we surely need it when we don’t have the foggiest notion how to handle our tough situations. And that’s the time to call upon Almighty God for help, and believe that He will see you through! But more importantly, take a page from Bruh David’s book and continually call on Him. (smile) Bruh David constantly called on the Lord, even when thinks were good. That’s when we need to give Him praise and thanks for keeping our souls and lives together.

We can’t only know Him when things are rough. But sadly, that’s the only time many of us call on Him. No friends, the Lord God Jehovah must always be in our sights, be our times good or bad, for that’s when He knows that we truly care for Him, and are not only interested in what He can do for us. And with all that glorious information under our belt, (smile) let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail.

As one, in a 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 if you truly know the Lord, then you’ll know of the promise that those who endure right to the very end with Jesus, will have a future even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So please, let’s be wise and make plans to endure right to the very end nuh, and so enjoy that glorious future together! Much LOVE!

…only in God…can we be truly safe…from the ravages of this evil world…

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

In Times of Trouble, It is of the Utmost Necessity to Know and Believe that Jehovah God is Our Help and Refuge!

31 Mar 2025 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 62:8.       Trust in him (the Lord) at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.

And this last day of March, which began as a wet and miserable, dangerous Monday, has by midday, thankfully become a somewhat dry and cloudy day with a bit of sunshine peeping through the clouds.  It’s been a tough weekend, what with the constant rain in most of the city and severe ice-storms on the outskirts, that left many people without heat and light for several days.  And it’s definitely not a pleasant scenario when you have no heat or light, your food is spoiling, and when you look out, or venture to go out, all around you are trees, buildings and roads covered with dangerous ice. 

Some people even complained about tree branches, laden by the weight of the ice falling on their houses and being incapable of doing anything about it. And the ice storms are infinitely more dangerous and problematic since you can’t clean them up as easily as the snow storms. So, it seems the month of March intends to go out like a lion, just as it came in. Well good riddance to you! (smile) 

Ah friends, in such situations the wisest move is to raise up your faith and turn to Almighty God for help, with prayerful words like these from Psalm 62. ‘My soul, (silently) wait thou only upon God; for my expectation (hope) is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved (shaken). In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.’ (Ps. 62:5-7) 

Yes my people, when our world is dark, either physically or spiritually, or both, and we’re not sure what to do, our faith must be strong enough to automatically turn us to God for guidance and to shine a li’l light in our lives. And these words of Bruh David in the next verse of Psalm 62, exemplify exactly what we mean. He solemnly declares: ‘Trust in him (the Lord) at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.’ (Ps. 62:8) 

And that’s certainly the everlasting truth! For God is our Creator, He’s wiser and more powerful than us. Actually, He’s the wisest and most powerful being in the entire universe, therefore in times of trouble, He’s the most appropriate person to turn to for help. And there are a couple of perfect examples of troubled people doing just that. 

The first one is Hannah, the prophet Samuel’s mother. She had been barren for many years and thus looked down upon as unworthy of being a wife, but one day she got her act together went into the temple and cried out to the Lord for a child. The priest Eli saw her mumbling and thought she was drunk. ‘And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord.’ (1 Sam. 1:15) 

Meanwhile in Psalm 42 -My Soul Thirsts for the Lord – Bruh David is having his problems, is hungering for God, and thus poignantly writes: ‘My tears have been my meat (food) day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday (a pilgrim feast). Why art thou cast (bowed) down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance (presence).’ (Ps. 42:3-5) 

Yes my brethren, both Hannah and Bruh David poured out their souls to the Lord in their time of need, and He came through for them. Hannah got the son she desired, Samuel, and Bruh David eventually found the peace of mind he was seeking. So it’s very good advice to turn to Almighty God for help in troubled times. Furthermore, throughout His Word, the Bible, He’s promised on numerous occasions to help us when we feel lost and helpless, but we need to make the initial approach. 

And what greater promise of help is there than Jesus’ Great Invitation? None whatsoever! He states with heartfelt sincerity: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Now, who else could make such an outstanding promise and  also have the awesome power to keep it eh? Only our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! That’s why it’s of the utmost importance to keep Him first and foremost in our lives. 

So, since we’re all in a spot of trouble, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid in these crazy and ungodly times. Altogether: ‘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. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but 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. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us 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 friends, let’s remember that it takes two to tango, so therefore, if we need divine help, then we’ve got to do our part and dance…dance to God’s music of obedience, faithfulness, sincerity, etc. etc. Much LOVE!

…covenant relationships cannot be successful…if only one partner is keeping there part of the covenant…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   20 April 2022 Psalm 62:1.

20 Apr 2022 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 62:1.      Truly my soul waiteth (waits silently) upon God: from him cometh my salvation.

Come then friends, let’s celebrate this new day of life, the first Wednesday after Easter, as we ought to. Who knows, this might just be the last one, so let’s go out in a blaze of glory! And if by the Lord’s grace it isn’t, then we can keep on going on out every day in a blaze of joy, because every day is a day that God has made for us to enjoy, despite the problems and difficulties we might face. And as the Good Book so astutely reminds us: ‘The joy of the Lord is our strength.’ (Neh. 8:10) 

So there we have it: joy and strength from our Lord God Jehovah! We can’t ask for much more than that. But it doesn’t come automatically, we have to do our part to receive and live it. And that’s where so many of us are falling down. We expect that joy to come automatically, so we just sit around and wait for it, instead of working to make it a reality. But not even the free gifts of salvation and God’s amazing LOVE come automatically, we have to step out in faith and receive them. 

Remember we’re in a partnership with God, and partnerships mean that each partner has a specific job to do. Well, the Lord’s done His, providing us with salvation and forgiveness of sins, but it’s then left for us to receive it. The Lord can’t receive it for us. And I believe this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin provides a good insight into how our souls and spirit ought to respond to God’s goodness. It’s simply titled ‘At Last.’ 

Please pray with me. ‘At last there is One With whom I am perfectly safe. One who knows thoroughly All the rubbled ruins of my heart. At last I see that all that is Riddled and distorted in me Can still find God-planned fulfillment. At last I need no longer explore The deep, dark forest of my thoughts For there is One who understands me Far better than I understand myself. 

One who stands with me In the thick of battle One who supports me On the slippery ice-created paths. At last I have entrusted myself To One who guarantees my wholeness Someone whose LOVE is immeasurable. In all the world He alone can LOVE me As I need to be LOVED. At last there is One – My Lord and My God!’ 

Oh my people, all of that is the God-awesome truth! But until we come to that reality, the reality of realizing and accepting that the Lord LOVES us so truly and powerfully, we won’t be able to give ourselves to Him, the way we should. Just imagine the powerful LOVE He must have borne us to send His Only Son to die on the cross of Calvary, so that our sins could be forgiven. I don’t think there could be any greater show of LOVE than that! Jesus said it to the disciples: ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ (John 15:13) 

And that’s the gospel truth! Laying down one’s life for another is the greatest outpouring of LOVE any being can show; be they human, animal, or God! And that’s exactly what Jesus did; lay down His life for us, on the strong recommendation of the Father. So how, in all wisdom, truth and gratitude, can we not turn to Christ and sincerely devote our lives to Him, who died to give us the greatest gifts of all, true salvation and life eternal? And the Bible Promise for today’s poem is also our Bit for today. Now, first I’ll share the NIV (New International Version) used in the Book of Bible Promises, then the real Mccoy (smile) the King James Version (KJV). 

Here’s what the NIV says: ‘My soul finds rest in God alone: my salvation come from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be alone.’ Chuh! It’s true and all that, but it sounds so listless and lifeless! Now compare it to the KJV. ‘Truly my soul waiteth (waits silently) upon God: from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defense (strong tower); I shall not be greatly moved (shaken).’ (Ps. 62:1-2) 

Now that seems livelier, to evoke more confidence, more passion. How can you down grade the majestic words and sentiments of Bruh David eh? (smile) I find that some of these new versions water down the Word, make it too simplistic, while others with all their explanations make it more difficult to understand. In the end though, I guess the important thing is that we hear, understand and live the true word in whatever form it’s offered. That take us to these reassuring and reaffirming verses of Psalm 33 titled, ‘Praise to the Lord for his creation.’ 

The psalmist writes: ‘Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear (reverence) 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: for 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. 33:18-22) 

Yes friends, our God, our Lord, Our Creator is right there always watching out for us…but we need to accept it and believe it, and then live accordingly. Nothing is going to fall in our laps. As Bruh Paul said to the Philippians, we need to ‘work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.’ (Phil. 2:12) That means, everything we need to become mature Christians has already been provided, we now need to do the work necessary to actually grow up and become Christ-like, because that is the ultimate purpose God has for all of us. 

And earlier on in that same letter Bruh Paul assured them of ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:6) So there we have it; the Lord has provided all we need to grow to maturity, and He will also keep on helping us to do so until Christ returns. But we need to wake up, get passionate and do our part, if we want to become even a li’l Christ-like! And for those of us who have made that decision, let’s go home now declaring (steups!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our blessed and wonderful position in Christ Jesus. 

As one, loud, proud and grateful 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 as always, let’s remember, that if we endure to the end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. As Jesus said: ‘But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.’ (Matt. 24:13) Much LOVE!

perseverance…persistence…endurance…those are the keys to victorious living…to living for Christ… 

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