The Importance of Believers Actioning Their Trust in God’s Goodness and Faithfulness!

29 Nov 2025 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 34:8.       O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

We home my Scrip-Bits family! We back home in good ole Canada! And there’s’ no place like home! Even if you spend time in a palace, when you return to the l’il hovel you call home, you always feel a special kind of comfort, a special familiarity, that brings out a different vibe. Anyway, today is Saturday, our lazy-day Saturday, where we do little or nothing at all! And believe me, today is one day I don’t want to do anything, but I must write the Bit, since I haven’t done so for what…the last three days, because as I said in the last Bit, whenever that was, (smile) I was going through hell to get to paradise in Tobago, which sadly turned out to be just a figment of my imagination. 

But before we get into that hellish stuff, which is all behind us now, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, as one voice, with all sincerity and truth. ‘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!’ 

And every time we say that prayer, it touches something in me, making me feel somewhat closer to our Maker. And that’s how it ought to be, because what we just asked for is a closer walk with him, increased intimacy. And if you don’t know, or don’t remember, our God’s greatest joy is for us to come seeking intimacy with him, since that was His main purpose in creating us. And now that we have grown closer to our God, and are feeling the peace and calm which emanates from Him, when we ask for it, let’s go back to the hellish stuff we were talking about earlier. (smile) 

Well, in the last Bit, I mentioned the tough day in the Pitch Lake in South Trinidad, then having to come back to Port of Spain and go to dinner with some family members, and after that, simply being too tired to write anything. Now, the next morning, Friday, we were up early again, so we could stop off to see my favourite Uncle, Uncle Foster, with whom I lived a wonderful bachelor life back in the day, before heading to the airport, dreaming of some easier time in that earthly paradise called to Tobago. 

But unfortunately that was not to be. For after we got settled there on Friday afternoon, the Duchess went off with a couple of friends to get some food, while I waited for a gentleman to bring a rental car for me. And the Lord does move in mysterious ways, because the fella finally showed up in the night when I could not see the car properly, and I almost said leave it until tomorrow, but something told me to take it right then. And it’s a good thing I did, for around nine the next morning, while  sipping some coffee, contemplating life on the porch of the villa, looking out at lovely expanse of greenery on a marvellous golf course, that backed on to the villa, the Duchess called me inside and informed me that she had an unexpected medical problem. 

Well, hell began again after that. The children came down from their hotel a little ways up the street and began making enquiries about medical help. We finally found a doctor who was willing to see her, and headed out to see him around midday. He, in his medical wisdom decided that she needed to be hospitalized for a twenty four hour period of observation. So we journeyed down to the hospital, which sadly began my journeying back and forth to the hospital. When we got there we sat in the Emerge Dept. for some time, before she was finally admitted to the Triage unit, where apparently they wanted to do some tests, but since she had eaten something shortly before, they had wait some time before doing them. 

Oh friends, I don’t know how many times I journeyed back and forth to the hospital, in the rain and in the sun. And would you believe that for two of those days rain fell like crazy. On one day I even had to step into water to get into the car where it was parked at the villa, because the parking spot was flooded. And several times, just like at the pitch lake, especially walking up the hill to the hospital in the broiling sun, I had to ask the Lord for the strength to do it. And He indeed lived up to His Word as He said to Bruh Paul, who had asked Him three times to remove the thorn from his side. ‘And he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness.’ (2 Cor. 12:9a)  

The long and the short of the story though is that they did not do very much for the Duchess at the hospital, except put a saline drip in her arm, and take blood. Sunday eventually came, and the same story. Then later in the day she was transferred to the Surgical Unit. For what purpose? They alone knew. But we knew that there was going to be NO surgery done in Tobago! Sunday evening I went to see her, and she looked worse that she did before being admitted. So obviously I was unhappy. And the sad part is that the doctors and nurses were too arrogant and full of themselves to speak to you properly. But thankfully, they were dealing with the well-mannered and diplomatic Duchess and children and not me. 

So Sunday passed away and Monday came. And the same nonsense went on, supposed tests and no real word of anything concrete. Meanwhile the doctor who had admitted her, as well as a medic cousin of mine, were saying there was no need to keep her there when the medical problem had subsided. So Monday evening came, and still nothing. Eventually though, the Duchess decided that she would release herself. And that’s what she did. And from the moment she stepped out of the hospital, she looked better and was in a better frame of mind, because hospitals, unless you’re truly sick, can be rather discouraging and disconcerting if you’re just lying there with no medical treatment. 

Anyway, with her release, it meant going back and forth to the first doctor to check on her, and unforunately, with all the running around, I believe it was not until late Tuesday evening, night had already fallen, I was able to get a short dip in the wonderfully therapeutic salt water. Imagine that nuh…in sweet Tobago for five days before immersing the ole, pained up body in the salt. After that though hell became more like the paradise we had hoped for, and we were able to get in some visiting with friends and family, as well as go around the island on Thursday. Then on Friday, it was time to head home. 

And here we are, on this lazy day Saturday at the end of November 2025, contemplating what happened back there. Ah friends, only the Lord knows the purpose for all that happened, but even if I didn’t believe before, now I have to, because without the Lord’s amazing strength and grace during those ten days away from home, I most definitely would not have been able to handle the trials and tribulations that I experienced. That’s why we’ll close with these amazing truths from the scriptures. ‘O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.’ (Ps. 34:8) ‘For the LORD is good; his mercy endureth for ever; and his faithfulness unto all generations.’ (Ps. 100:5) Much LOVE!

…if you say you believe…then you ought to show it by your trust…

Visit the Scrip-Bit Blog at https://randyobrien50.com

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

Contemplating the Awesome Benefits of Close Communion with God! Part 2.

01 Feb 2025 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 103:2.        Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

Awright friends, it’s our lazy-day Saturday, and a bright and sunshiny though pretty cold one; something like minus 13. Nevertheless, it’s so good to see some sunshine after such a long period of damp, cloudy and dreary winter days. The sun almost blinded me when I opened the blinds a short while ago, and I said to myself, that can’t be true, sunshine after all this time? But it is true, and we thank the Lord, for His goodness to us undeserving children of men! (smile) Anyway, enough prattle, let’s turn to our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer and offer it up with all sincerity and truth. 

As one 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!’ 

Oh my people, that prayer is so sweet and compelling that if our voices came from a sincere heart with right motives, the Lord cannot help but answer it with a rush of peace, calm and contentment to our needy souls. Did you feel it? I certainly did. I felt that calm and peaceful feeling just washing over me, helping me to let go of any anxieties and fears that I hitherto had. Hope the same thing happened to you, for our God is a God of comfort and peace. As Bruh Paul calls Him: ‘the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.’ (2 Cor. 1:3) And so He is! 

Now, yesterday we began looking at some of the many benefits to be had in God’s kingdom, taking our cue from Bruh David’s words in Psalm 103: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.’ (Ps. 103:2) But unfortunately, we ran out of time after talking about two of the biggest benefits, forgiveness of sins, and healing of our diseases. So, let’s continue now with the list of benefits that Bruh David identifies. ‘Who redeemeth thy life from destruction…’ 

Now what does that mean? Well, basically “Redeeming” signifies God’s act of rescuing or saving someone from a perilous situation, in this case, from destruction. And we see it all throughout the Bible where God rescues His people from destruction. It’s a sacred promise found in Psalm 5: ‘But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest (protects, covers) them: let them also that LOVE thy name be joyful in thee. For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass (surround) him as with a shield.’ (Ps. 5:11-12) 

And nowhere do we see that better than in Psalm 107, titled ‘God’s Redemptive Power.’ It reads: ‘O Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS) endureth forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south. 

They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary (desolate) way, they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distresses. And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-KINDNESS), and for his wonderful works to the children of men!’ (Ps. 107:1-8) 

Oh friends, in times of distress, when we cry out to God for help, He hears and answers. Meanwhile, ‘In the New Testament, “redemption” refers to the act of being saved from sin and its consequences through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, essentially “buying back” humanity from the bondage of sin by paying the price through his blood on the cross, allowing reconciliation with God and the possibility of eternal life; this is considered the central act of salvation in Christianity.’  And Bruh Paul puts it thus to the church at Ephesus: ‘In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.’ (Eph. 1:7) 

And when we come to the next benefit; ‘who crowneth thee with (LOVING-KINDESS) and tender mercies;’ (Ps. 103:4b) it all dovetails very nicely, because when the Lord redeems us from our distresses, be they sins or physical disasters, He also crowns us with His awesome grace, favour and mercy. One is a natural part of the other. He won’t simply redeem us then leave us to our own designs. No way! Our God does everything in totality. And this next benefit tells it exactly like it is: ‘Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps. 103:5) 

The Lord gives us good food to eat, when we’re hungry, like He gave the Israelites manna in the wilderness for forty years, and also puts good words in our mouths, from His Word. The two of them combine to renew both our physical and spiritual selves. As Isaiah says in these well-known verses: ‘Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. 

He giveth power to the faint (weak); and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.’ (Is. 40:28-31) 

Oh my fellow saints, on this lazy-day Saturday, the first day of February 2025, let’s take time to ponder all that we’ve said and allow it to renew both our faith and our physical energy, so that we can mount up with wings as eagles, and not grow weary in doing the Lord’s work! Much LOVE!

…Almighty God is a total God…in Him… EVERYTHING can be found for living life…

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

The Overwhelming Importance of Thanksgiving In ALL Circumstances!

28 Nov 2024 Leave a comment

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

Happy Thanksgiving U.S. of A!

Yes, it’s officially Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. and one can imagine how busy it is down there, with all the turkey and pumpkin pie celebrations. And they do have a lot to be thankful for; the question is to whom are they thankful for their many blessings? But that’s a story for another time and place. (smile) And on this Thanksgiving Thursday, I believe it’s only right and most appropriate to check out some scriptures on thanksgiving. 

So, let’s begin with this most relevant and interesting one from Bruh Paul to the Thessalonians, where he advises them, and consequently us to ‘Rejoice evermore. 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) Ah friends, that’s indeed true! For our God desires us to enjoy the abundant life he’s provided for us through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ, but at the same time He desires to hear some prayerful and thankful sentiments from us, His people. 

It’s only natural. We give much thanks to humans who give us non-essential earthly stuff, so why not give even greater thanks for ‘Every good and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness (variation), neither shadow of turning. Of His own will he begat us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.’ (James 1:17-18) 

Oh my people, the Lord created us to be the best and most important of his many creations and blesses us with more than we can ever ask or imagine, therefore it behooves us to give Him thanks, not only on this special day, but each and every day! Today we just pile it up a li’l higher and be more sincere! (smile) 

And then, both 1 Chronicles 16:34, and Psalm 107 1, rightly advocates: ‘O Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy (LOVING-KINDESS) endureth for ever.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth my brethren! From the very beginning our great God has been nothing but good to us! And even when we’ve fallen into temptation and sin, His unconditional and abiding LOVE shone forth as He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross at Calvary so that our abominable sins could be forgiven, and cast away as far as the east is from the west. (Ps; 103:12) 

How then, can we not in all good conscience give Him much thanks and LOVE, for as Bruh David reminds us earlier on in Psalm 103: ‘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) Now if that isn’t more than sufficient to give thanks for, then I don’t know what is! 

And what about this admonishment from Bruh Paul to the church at Ephesus? ‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord: Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear (reverence) of God.’ (Eph. 5:18-21) 

What wonderful, godly advice! Unfortunately though, I know that many will be drunk with wine to excess today, despite that good advice. However, let’s hope that that dissipation will not incur too many negative consequences, as it is generally wont to do. (smile) 

Then there’s this exhortation from Bruh Paul to the Ephesians. ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation (gentleness) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 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.’ (Eph. 4:4-7) 

And I’m chuckling here, because it seems like Bruh Paul wrote some kind of admonishment to each of the churches to keep praying, rejoicing and offering thanks to God come what may! And that’s exactly how it ought to be, given the fact that ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:22-23) 

Oh my fellow believers, there are so many things to be thankful to God for, especially His breath of life which He unselfishly shared with us when He created us and breathed it into our lifeless bodies made of dirt. That’s why it’s very surprising and hard to believe that so many of us can be so unthankful and disparaging of God to whom EVERYTHING belongs, and who gave and gives us EVERYTHING we possess. Listen up to these last wo scriptures which attest to those facts. From Psalm 24, Bruh David writes: ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.’ (Ps. 24:1-2) 

Then Psalm 100 tells us to ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth). Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100:1-5) 

And if you don’t believe that friends, then I don’t know what else to say. However, let’s declare and thus activate our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us do His earthly work and see if it makes a difference. (smile) As one voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! 

I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’  

And if you believe, then it behooves us to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us! Much LOVE!

…be it in joy…or tribulation…it is essential to give thanks to Almighty God…

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