04 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a light unto my path, a positive outlook on life, a reverential fear of God, abundance, as a father the son in whom he delighteth, be not wise in thine own eyes, bind them about thy neck, challenges to be responsibly handled, come to know and love him like we do, courage, creativity, curse, depart from evil, despise not the chastening of the Lord, divine protection, don't worry about tomorrow, duty bound, everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed, evildoing, faith, favour, fear the Lord, find favour and good understanding, fulfillment, get it deep in our hearts, God causes us to get wealth, God will make the paths straight before you, God's supernatural wisdom, good friends, good health, have fellowship and intimacy with God, he shall direct thy paths, health to thy navel, high esteem, holy spirit, honour the Lord with thy substance, hypothetical problems of tomorrow, in all thy ways acknowledge him, in the sight of God and man, Jesus Christ, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, keep the Lord's commandments, lean not unto thine own understanding, length of days long life and peace, let not mercy and truth forsake thee, let thine heart keep my commandments, LOVE, marrow to thy bones, mercy, my son forget not my law, negative word, neither be thou weary of his correction, promotion, salvation, self-control, self-discipline, success, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, take therefore no thought for tomorrow, talent, the gospel truth, the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, the morrow shall take thought for itself, the result of such devotion, the wise council of Solomon, thy barns be filled with plenty, thy presses burst out with new wine, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, to put it into proper practice, trust in the Lord with all thy heart, truth, use those blessings to help others, whom the Lord Loves He corrects, wisdom, with God and man, with the first fruits of all thine increase, worry gets you nowhere, worry is the devil's handiwork, write them upon the table of thine heart
Proverbs 3:1. My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
Ah friends, Thursday has rolled around somewhat quickly, and we’re all looking forward to Friday and the weekend, but remember we have to get through Thursday first, (smile) so let’s concentrate on today as Jesus so wisely warned us: ‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow (therefore don’t worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt. 6:34) Yes friends, the Lord knows what we need, and if we keep Him first place in our lives He will provide it. It’s like Bruh David says in that favourite psalm: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1)
And we don’t need to worry about what will happen tomorrow, for like the scholars tell us; ‘each day has its own troubles and challenges to be responsibly handled, without worrying about the hypothetical problems that could arise tomorrow.’ That is not to say we should not make some cursory plans, or consider what consequences can follow from today’s problems, but not to fret and worry over them, so that we cannot handle today’s problems properly. Remember, worry, is the devil’s handiwork, and it get’s you nowhere, but heartache and sickness.
And that’s why Cousin Sol gives us this wonderful advice from Proverbs, which we all can quote, but do not properly put into practice, otherwise our lives would not be as difficult as they are. So let’s listen once again to the wise and wonderful council of Cousin Sol, the wisest man ever, and see if we can get it deep enough in our hearts and souls to put it into more serious practice than we’re currently doing. (smile)
So please read with me: ‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.’ (Prov. 3:1-2) Now that’s the first lesson. Keep the Lord’s commandments for they shall bring us long life, and peace.
Then he continues: ‘Let not mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS) and truth forsake thee; bind them about thy neck ; write them upon the table of thine heart (thy mind): so shalt thou find favour and good understanding (high esteem) in the sight of God and man.’ (Prov. 3:3-4) There’s another lesson; to let mercy and truth be thoroughly bound within your heart, wear them like a necklace around your neck, for when those things are foremost in your behaviour, you will find favour with God and man.
Next comes the verses we all know and are quick to quote with our lips, but are not well written in our hearts. Cousin Sol lays it right on the line when he wisely declares: ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths.’ (Prov. 3:5-6)
There it is my faithful brethren, the two verses that you can break the whole Bible down to. Place your complete trust in the Lord, lean on, depend on, and rely on Him, don’t go your own way, and faithfully acknowledge the Lord, or as the scholars tell us; ‘ have fellowship and intimacy with God in all of life. The result of such devotion is that God will make the paths straight before you.’
Oh my brethren, that’s the gospel truth, for it’s all about trust and faithfulness. The Lord is indeed trustworthy and faithful, and if we sincerely turn to Him for guidance, He will lead us along right paths, lead and direct our footsteps in this crazy world. Remember that memorable verse in Psalm 119: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) That’s what Cousin Sol is referring to there.
And having given us those two majestic verses, he continues: ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones.’ (Prov. 3:7-8) More precious wisdom friends! If we don’t consider ourselves as overly wise and have a strong and reverential fear of the Lord, as well as not give evil any place in our hearts, our bodies will stay strong, for evildoing and boasting wreaks havoc on our bodies in due course.
Then Cousin Sol reminds us to ‘Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the first fruits of all thine increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov. 3:9-10) Wow! And that’s certainly the undeniable truth! For when we give back to God as generously as He gives to us, our wealth grows. However, it must be the first fruits of our increase, not the last. Remember it is God who causes us to get wealth, (Deut. 8:18) and He desires His share first.
Then we come to the final words of wisdom in this awesome passage of scripture, where Cousin Sol so wisely advises: ‘My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be thou weary of his correction: For whom the Lord LOVETH he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.’ (Prov. 3:11-12) More gospel truth my people! For just like our earthly fathers punish or correct us when we do wrong, so does the Lord admonish those whom He LOVES. And yes, none of us like to be punished or corrected, but what kind of Father would He be, if He didn’t correct us when we did wrong eh? Certainly not a LOVING One!
And having heard the marvellous wisdom of Cousin Sol one more time, let’s hope that this time it will sink even deeper into our hears and souls so that we can practice it, because it’s all for our benefit. Now let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our Thursday Blessings, undeserved blessings which God has so generously bestowed on us to help us do His earthly work.
As one strong and sincere 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!’
That means we’re now duty bound to go out and use those blessing to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…if we truly believe that God is our Creator and controller…then why do we refuse to put our complete trust in Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
07 Aug 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: A Daily Prayer for Wisdom, according to his glorious power, and with all thy getting, anything praiseworthy, as I seek your presence each day, bad air advisories, be careful for nothing, be filled with the knowledge of his will, be not weary of God's correction, be not wise in thine own eyes, being fruitful in every good work, bounden duty, Christians, confident that you'll direct my paths, courage, creativity, curse, delivered us from the power of darkness, despise not the chastening of the Lord, faith, favour, fear the Lord and depart from evil, fill me with the knowledge of your will, get understanding, giving thanks unto the Father, growing in spiritual maturity, guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus, guide me into your truth, have redemption through Christ's blood, health to thy navel, holy spirit, honour the Lord with thy substance, I acknowledge you, I lay down my anxieties, I trust you with all my heart, in all my ways, in all thy ways acknowledge him, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, in everything by prayer and supplication, increasing in the knowledge of God, Jesus Christ, lean not unto thine own understanding, let your requests be made known unto God, live a life pleasing to you, LOVE, make straight your paths, marrow to thy bones, mercy, more than conquerors, negative word, not relying on my own understanding, nothing that comes against us will prosper, of the inheritance of the saints, presenting every need with thanksgiving, qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of, receive clear direction for my life, salvation, self-control. self-discipline, strengthen my faith, strengthened with all might, success, supernatural strength, the BIBLE, the forgiveness of sins, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the peace that surpasses all understanding, therefore get wisdom, thy barns be filled with plenty, thy presses burst out with new wine, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, trusting that your peace, truth, unto all patience and longsuffering, walk worthy of the Lord, whatsoever things are true, wisdom, wisdom and understanding, wisdom is the principal thing, with joyfulness, with thanksgiving, with the firstfruits of all thine increase
Colossians 1:9b. to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.
Oh my people, can you believe it’s already the 7th of August; we’ve already completed a week of this new month. It seems to be going just as fast as the others, and also being just as hot and dry, with bad air advisories and little or no rain. But being children of God, we have the godly ability to handle anything that comes against us. As the Bible tells us, we are more than conquerors (Rom. 8:37) and nothing that comes against us will prosper. (Is. 54:17) But be that as it may, all our God given help begins with prayer. And today we’ll check out one titled ‘A Daily Prayer for Wisdom.’ And as so often is the case, I cannot remember who sent it to me, but it’s still very viable. (smile)
So please pray with me. ‘Father, I trust you with all my heart, not relying on my own understanding. In all my ways, I acknowledge You, confident that You’ll direct my path. Today, fill me with the knowledge of Your will through all wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so I may live a life pleasing to You. I lay down my anxieties, presenting every need with thanksgiving, trusting that Your peace which goes beyond all understanding will guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Guide me Lord, into Your truth, and strengthen my faith as I seek Your presence each day. In Jesus name. Amen.’
And what I like about that prayer is that it’s a compact, combination of several verses of the Bible. As the card says, ‘This daily prayer is based on Scripture verses from: Proverbs 3:5-6; Colossians 1:9; Philippians 4:6-7.’ And what better time and place to review those foundational scriptures that we all know but don’t live up to as we should? None like right now! (smile) So let’s begin our review with these marvellous words from Cousin Sol’s amazing Book of Wisdom, Proverbs.
He wisely advises: ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make straight) your parts.’ (Prov. 3:5-6) Oh friends, that’s wisdom to the nth degree! You know, if we would do only those things contained in those two verses, our lives would be so enriched, both spiritually and physically, that we would not know what to do with ourselves, for that’s the basic wisdom of our Christian faith; trust the Lord, listen to His commands and do them. And when we add these other words of that scripture passage to those above, we get such a beautiful picture of Christian living!
Listen up, ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones. Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) be filled with new wine. My son despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of (detest) his correction: For whom the Lord LOVETH he correcteth; even as the father the son in whom he delighteth.’ (Prov. 3:7-12) And right there friends we have a synopsis of the Bible in a few verses. If you followed them sincerely, you could not go wrong.
Then there’s this other beautiful scripture passage from the pen of Bruh Paul to the Colossians re his prayer for them. ‘For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.’(Col. 1:9) Now that’s the verse quoted by the prayer, but we cannot leave out the other parts of Bruh Paul’s prayer which gives us such understanding into his prayers.
He then continues: ‘That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet (qualified us) to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in (the) light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated (transferred) us into the kingdom of his dear Son (the Son of His LOVE): In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:’ (Col. 1:9-14)
Wow friends! What a wonderful prayer! Please note that Bruh Paul didn’t pray for them to be rich or healthy or have no problems, but for them to be totally anchored in God; learning His word and doing it, thus growing in spiritual maturity. And it’s a method of prayer that we can all adopt that rises above our physical and material desires. And the last scripture used in our earlier prayer is another marvellous passage, this time from Bruh Paul’s letter to the Philippians, where he desires to introduce them to the God of peace.
He consequently writes. ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything 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) Yes my fellow saints, more foundational scriptures; we must not be anxious or fearful about anything, but take all our anxieties and fears to the Lord in prayer, and when we do that, His outstanding peace, which is greater than we can ever understand will keep our hearts free from worry, fear and anxiety.
And then in Bruh Paul’s practical style, he tells them what to think about. ‘Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest (noble), whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise (anything praiseworthy), think (meditate) on these things. Those things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.’ (Phil. 4:8-9)
Oh my people! What more can we ask for eh? Not much. However, the Lord in His overwhelming generosity has given us, what we call our Thursday Blessings. That’s undeserved blessings, to do His earthly work. So let’s declare them (chuh!!!) and thus activate them right now nuh. As one strong and sincere 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!’
Now, it’s our bounden duty to go out and use those blessings on behalf of others, just as generously as the Lord blessed us with them, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…wisdom is the principal thing…therefore get wisdom…and with all thy getting…get understanding… (Prov. 4:7)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all things work together for good, another scorcher, as a father the son in whom he delighteth, be as a tree planted by the waters, be not weary of his correction, be not wise in thine own eyes, blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, bring forth thy righteousness as the light., called according to His purpose, casting all your care upon him, cease from anger, christianity, come to know and love him like we do, commit thy way unto the Lord, delight thyself also in the Lord, depart from evil, despise not the chastening of the Lord, direct thy paths, faith, fear the Lord, feed on God's faithfulness, forsake wrath, fret not thyself because of him who prospers, fret not thyself in any wise to do evil, give thee the desires of thine heart, god, God will cause us to succeed even in tough times, he cares for you, he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him, he that comes to God, health to thy body, heat warnings, her leaf shall be green, holy spirit, honour the Lord with thy substance, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, hurry, I will not fear what flesh can do to me, in all thy ways acknowledge him, In god I have put my trust, In God will I praise his word, in god's eyes, in the year of drought, it only causes harm, Jesus Christ, lean not unto thine own understanding, let not your heart be troubled, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, marrow to thy bones, mercy, mut believe that He is, neither shall cease from yielding fruit, rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him, run from your kin to your enemies, s promised never to leave nor forsake us, salvation, shall not be anxious, shall not see when heat comes, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, so shalt thou dwell in the land, spreads out her roots by the river, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the fear of man bringeth a snare, the man who brings wicked schemes to pass, thy barns be filled with plenty, thy judgement as the noonday, thy vats burst out with new wine, to them that love God, trust in the Lord, trust in the Lord and do good, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, trust my friend Jesús, truth, Tuesday Mantra, what time I am afraid I will trust in thee, whom the Lord loves he chastens, whoso puts their trust in the Lord shall be safe God, wisdom, with the firstfruits of all thine increase, without faith it is impossible to please God, worry, you believe in God believe also in me
Proverbs 29:25. The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe (secure, lit. set on high).
It’s Tuesday friends, and another scorcher, with heat warnings. But we’ve gotten through the last two fiery days with God’s help, so why won’t we get through this one too? No reason whatsoever! For He’s promised numerous times in His word to never leave nor forsake us, if we put our total and sincere trust in Him. And I guess today is a day for reminding ourselves of scriptures that advise us to trust in the Lord God of our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But there are so many that I don’t know which ones to choose, so for ease of understanding, we’ll choose some of them with which we’re already acquainted. (smile)
And we’ll begin with this one that shows Bruh David’s awesome trust in God, when he ran from King Saul to his deadly enemies, the Philistines in Gath, and they took him in. He writes in Psalm 56 – Times of Distress: ‘What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God will I praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can to me.’ (Ps. 56:3-4) Now, if you can run to your enemies from your own kin, then that’s showing amazing trust in the God you worship.
And that’s what’s expected of us, when Isaiah awesomely declares: ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed (sustained by) thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah (Yahweh) is everlasting strength (the rock of ages).’ (Is. 26:3-4) And if you don’t believe that, then read the rest of that passage, where Isaiah details God’s amazing strength. (Is. 26:5-11)
Now here is another dandy scripture, this time from the pen of the prophet Jeremiah. ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see (fear) when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful (anxious) in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.’ (Jer. 17:7-8) Wow mih bredrin! That’s a scripture that’s just right for today, with all the heat and drought that’s currently assaulting us. Yes, with total trust in our great God, we have no reason to fear, because He will cause us to succeed even in tough times!
Meanwhile, Peter puts it this way: ‘Humble yourselves therefore 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.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-7) And remember, you can only truly trust when you are submissive to whomever, or whatever you claim to trust in. That’s why the author of Hebrews tells us: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb. 11:6)
Ah mih people, faith is born of trust, you cannot have faith in someone or something unless you have invested trust in the situation or the person. Then there are these verses from Psalm 37, aptly titled, Trust in the Lord, verses we continually quote but never quite live up to them. See if you remember them. (smile)
‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on God’s faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm).’ (Ps. 37:3-8)
So what else can we say about having trust in the Lord eh? Plenty! Just listen to these marvellous verses from the pen of the wisest one, Cousin Sol, also ones we know, but don’t put into full use. In Proverbs, he exhorts and admonishes us thus! ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make straight or smooth) thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength, refreshment) to thy bones.
Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine. My son despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of (detest) his correction: For whom the Lord LOVETH he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.’ (Prov. 3:5-12)
And that’s wisdom to the nth degree! So why don’t we put those verses to better use eh? Who knows? But because we don’t, we cannot utilize the fullness of God’s promises and provisions. There’s also this one from Cousin Sol that might not be so familiar. ‘The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe (secure, lit. set on high).’ (Prov. 29:25) Another bit of wise advice.
Then there’s this famous verse from Bruh Paul to the Romans. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) Now that calls for great trust to believe that in spite of all our problems, everything will eventually work out for the best. But that’s what our faith is about; trust in Almighty God. It’s like Jesus said: ‘Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.’ (John 14:1) And that’s exactly what we need to do.
And for those of us who are sincerely trying to do that, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong 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!’
Now, we are required 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!
…sincere trust can only come from…strong hope, belief and faith…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new flock of believers, a simple life, acknowledging God, activities curtailed, artificial intelligence, be not wise in thine own eyes, Bible, bring backsliders back to your fold, Cloudstrike, crying out for help, depart from evil, despise not God's chastening, disaster mode, energy, enthusiasm, faith, fear not neither be dismayed, fear the Lord, Friday chant, go to God in prayer, god, God is not a man that he should lie, God's omnipotent help, health to thy navel, honour the Lord with thy first fruits, honour the Lord with thy substance, I am the Lord I change not, Information Technology, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the same yesterday today and for ever, lean not unto thine own understanding, LOVE, marrow to thy bones, monstrous problems, negative circumstances, problems escalating, raise their voices in praise, simmering unrest, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the error of their ways, the Lord will not fail nor forsake thee, the perfect Christian life, the throne of grace, thy barns shall be filled with plenty, thy presses shall burst out with new wine, tremendous reliance on technology, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, unexpected storms, wake up and smell the coffee, whom the Lord loves he chastens, wisdom
Proverbs 3:5. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
And then it was Friday… but the shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! were not as loud or as plentiful as they usually are because many people are still in disaster mode and don’t have the enthusiasm, energy or faith to raise their voices in praise. But raising out voices in praise is exactly what we ought to do in dire situations because acknowledging God raises our levels of energy, enthusiasm and faith, despite our negative circumstances.
And to make matters worse, this morning there’s been a technological breakdown with a computing firm called Cloudstrike, which has paralyzed systems and events all over the world. It’s not a hacking or invasion of the system but a technological problem and hopefully by day’s end it will be corrected. But in the meantime many institutions, both large and small cannot carry on their business as usual. Consequently, a large portion of the population has also had their activities curtailed by the outage.
It just shows the tremendous reliance we’ve placed on technology and the worldwide difficulties it causes when something goes awry. But that’s the way of our current world, Information Technology (IT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are now ruling the roost. And we’re now experiencing what can happen when we place all our eggs in one fragile basket, for though technology is wonderful when it works properly, but the smallest wrinkle can cause monstrous problems.
We just have to learn to handle those times when technology lets us down. And the first thing we should always do when unexpected situations arise is go to God in prayer for wisdom and strength to handle them. He is our guide and protector and will NEVER lead us down the wrong path. And we have God’s faithful promise of that from way back when Moses said it to the Israelites: ‘And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’ (Deut. 31:8)
Yes friends that’s the Lord’s ever-faithful promise! And since He does not change, as this commentary tells us: ‘Malachi 3:6 says, “I am the Lord, I change not.” Hebrews 13:8 says Jesus is the same “yesterday, today, and forever.” When everything else shifts and changes, you and I are still standing on a solid, unchanging foundation.’ Wow! What assurance we have my brethren!
And furthermore God doesn’t lie, as the Bible assures us: ‘God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?’ (Num. 23:19) That means whatever He promises, or says He’ll do, it will be done! Matter fixed! And when it comes to seeking godly direction, these wise words from the wisest man who ever lived, Cousin Sol, should be our guiding light.
‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy way acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones. Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine. My son, despise not the chastisement of the Lord; neither be weary of (detest) his correction: for whom the Lord LOVETH he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.’ (Prov. 3:5-12)
Oh friends, those are verses to live by! Why? Because they encompass all of what God expects from us! Trusting in Him, and not in ourselves; having a reverential fear of Him and not engaging in evil; honouring Him by being generous in our relationships, first to him, and then to our fellow man; and not despising His correction when we do wrong. If we follow those basic desires of God, then our paths will be straight, our bodies will be strong and healthy, our lives will be prosperous; overall, the Lord will cause His face to shine upon us.
But yuh know what? Our intelligence and information levels have risen so much in the last century, that we no longer focus on the simple things in life, everything now needs to be more sophisticated and complex, otherwise it’s not worthwhile. But friends, the simple things have always been, and will always be the best way to go. And we’ve said that to point out the simple commands that Cousin Sol lays down for the perfect Chrisitan life, but we try to make it much more complicated than it ought to be. And hopefully, this time around, those simple directives will stick in our minds and we’ll put them into action and thus simplify out much too complicated lives. (smile)
Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant to help with our earthly problems. 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!’
And if we truly desire divine aid, then we’ve got to set a better example as believers in Jesus Christ! Much LOVE!
…Jesus lived a simple life for a reason…it was the easiest and best life to live…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Nov 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook on life, be not wise in thine own eyes, bind them about thy neck, curse, despise not the chastening of the Lord, faith, favour, fear the Lord and depart from evil, fellowship, find favour and good understanding, God always comes first, he shall direct thy paths, health to the navel, honour the Lord with thy substance, in all thy ways acknowledge him, in the sight of God and man, Jesus Christ, lean not unto thine own understanding, length of days long life and peace, let not mercy and truth forsake thee, let thine heart keep my commandments, LOVE, marrow to they bones, mercy, my son forget not my law, negative word, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him, self-control, success, Thursday Blessings, thy barns shall be filled with plenty, thy presses shall burst out with new wine, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, truth, we can do all things though Christ who strengthens us, whom the Lord loveth he correcteth, wisdom, with the firstfruits of all thine increase, with the Lord's help, write them upon the table of thine heart
Proverbs 3:1. My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments.
Well, the penultimate day of this work week, Thursday, and the last day of this month, November, has chosen to open bright and sunny, though somewhat cold. But this is the winter season, so what do we expect eh? (smile) Let’s at least give thanks for the sunshine, which I didn’t have when I was doing my errands yesterday. But with the Lord’s help we did handle them successfully though. And in the long run, that’s the important thing…We can do whatever the Lord desires us to do because He anoints and strengthens us to do it! All glory be to His blessed name!
And today friends, all we’re going to do is read, peruse, study and find some useful insights into perhaps one of the most important and insightful passages in the entire Bible. Yes, friends, if we follow these simple, but ever so important commands as outlined by Cousin Sol in Chapter 3 of Proverbs, our lives will be filled with the Lord’s grace, mercy and understanding. So let’s read from Proverbs Chapter 3, verse 1. ‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments.’
Wow! Right there we have the ultimate in fellowship and discipleship. The overwhelming need to remember the commandments of God, if you are a follower of God. Why? ‘For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.’ (Prov. 3:2) And aren’t those things that all of us desire? For sure! So we now know the way to find long life, length of days and peace…keep the commandments of God. We therefore have no more excuses. (smile)
Then the next verse kindly informs us: ‘Let not mercy (LOVING-kindness) and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck, write them upon the table of thine heart (thy mind). So shalt thou find favour and good understanding (high esteem) in the sight of God and man.’ (Prov. 3:3-4) There again we have the formula for finding favour in the sight of both God and man; the strong keeping of mercy and truth in our lives; so strong that they become like an adornment, like a necklace around our necks.
So now we know how to acquire long life, length of days, peace, favour and high esteem. Mama Mia! Are we ever going to go out and acquire them now! But wait a minute, not so fast, there are still a few other things we have to know and consider. (smile) Listen to the two basic, but perhaps the two most important verses in this section. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths.’ (Prov. 3:5-6)
Yes my brethren, if we practice those three things: trust in the Lord, don’t depend on our own native instincts and acknowledge God, that’s have fellowship and intimacy with Him all through our life, then He will guide our paths, make them straight before us. Now that doesn’t mean we won’t have problems, but when the problems come He will give us the wherewithal to handle them. So how can we ever go wrong if we do those three basic things eh? Never!
Then there are some other reminders that further build our lives in Almighty God. Hear this one: ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.’ (Prov. 3:7) Now that should be a no-brainer! It’s obvious we cannot put too much trust in our finite and puny understanding, while reverencing the Lord and staying away from evil are all important parts of being a Christian. And Cousin Sol tells us just how following that advice helps us. ‘It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones.’ (Prov. 3:8) Now good health and strength are things we all desire. So now we know how to get them. (smile)
And here’s another bit of awesome wisdom: ‘Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov. 3:9-10) There we have it friends; if we want to be blessed with abundance, we need to honour God and man and give generously of our firstfruits, not from the remainder. God must ALWAYS come first!
And having heard all the comparatively easy things to do in this section of scripture, here comes another important but ofttimes difficult bit of wisdom to handle. And Cousin Sol puts it as nicely as possible. (smile) ‘My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, neither be weary of (detest) his correction: For whom the Lord LOVETH he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.’ (Prov. 3:11-12)
Ah mih bredrin, we know that’s a hard pill to swallow, but we won’t always do right, and just like our earthly fathers correct us when we do wrong in their sight, likewise the Lord corrects us when we do wrong in His sight, not because He just wants to punish us, but because He LOVES us. Allowing us to do wrong and not correcting us is not LOVE, but and absence of LOVE, more like encouragement to do wrong.
And the author of Hebrews, using Cousin Sol’s thoughts, puts it like this: ‘And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children (sons). My son despise not thou the chastening (discipline) of the Lord, nor faint (be discouraged) when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord LOVETH he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.’ (Heb. 12:5-6)
Yes my fellow saints, even the best of us have faults and foibles that don’t belong in us, which stop us from becoming more Christlike, which is the Lord’s end plan. Therefore, He has to remove them by disciplining us. So let’s not be upset and disappointed when He chastens us nuh, for it’s only for our good. And He’s such a wonderful God that He’s even bestowed numerous undeserved blessings on us to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings, so let’s declare (yesss!!!) them out loud now, so that they can be activated.
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 having activated those blessings, it’s now our bounden duty to go out and use them on the Lord’s behalf, just as generously as He bestowed them on us! Much LOVE!
…the fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the (very) beginning of knowledge…but fools despise wisdom and instruction…(Prov. 1:7)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
16 Jun 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a good foundation against the time to come, all the nations will call you blessed, and all the tithe of the land is the Lord's, be careful of what you wish for, be responsible, bring backsliders back to your fold, bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, charge them that are rich, divine help, Friday chant, give from a generous heart, honour the Lord with thy substance, introduce a new flock of believers, laying u in store for themselves, LOVE, no mention of going to church, omnipotent help, open the windows of heaven, pour you out a blessing, sacrificed all her living, show them the error of their ways, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the first ten percent not the last, the widow who cast in two mites, there shall not be enough room to receive it, they be not highminded, they may lay hold on eternal life, thy barns shall be filled with plenty, thy presses shall burst out with new wine, time for playing and partying, trust in the living God, trust not in uncertain riches, trusting faith, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy, wise guidance, with the first fruits of all thine increase, ye shall be a delightsome land
Proverbs 3:9. Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the first fruits of all thine increase:
And then it was Friday, and everybody shouted the same old, same old mantra: ‘Thank God it’s Friday and the work week is almost done! The weekend is here for playing and partying!’ Please note that nobody mentioned anything about going to church and fellowshipping and worshipping Almighty God. But we’ll take that for granted, as it being a normal, expected weekend behaviour, that doesn’t need shouting out loud. (smile)
And after some early morning showers, Friday in my area has turned out somewhat sunny, but cool and windy with some dark clouds hovering overhead, threatening some more heavenly blessings. Remember the other day when we were dying for heavenly blessings? Well now we’re getting more than we possibly want. Raising up the ole cliché of being careful what you wish for, because when you get it you might not like it.
Now, today I want to continue sharing some tidbits of scripture on money and how to and how not to use it. And the first scripture comes from Cousin Sol reputedly the wisest and richest man ever. He says in Proverbs: ‘Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the first fruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov. 3:9-10)
And this follows directly from the Lord’s command in Leviticus. ‘And all the tithe (tenth part) of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s, it is holy unto the Lord…And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord…These are the commandments, which the Lord commanded Moses for the children of Israel on Mount Sinai.’ (Lev. 27: 30, 32, 34)
Yes friends, the Lord commanded from long ago that His take for owning the earth and all therein, and leasing it out to mankind, was ten percent, and please note it’s the first ten percent, not the last. It’s the first fruits. We give God His share right off the top, not wait until we’ve done what we want then give Him of what’s left.
This led the Lord in the book of Malachi to tell the people they were robbing Him. He tells them: ‘Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings? Ye are cursed: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat (food) in mine house, and prove (test) me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time (fall to bear fruit) in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome (delightful) land, saith the Lord of hosts.’ (Mal. 3:8-12)
Oh my people, right there is the solution for a blessed land; giving the Lord what rightfully belongs to Him! And how our world would change for the better if we turned back to God, or even those who still believe will tithe and give God what’s His, instead of playing stingy and barely giving Him what He deserves.
Oh brother… and I’m sadly chuckling here because I was going to say that I’ve never experienced a day like this when almost every sentence I’ve written had several misspelt words, and that was true of the first one in this sentence. I wrote ‘Brither instead of Brother.’
And they are mostly simple, everyday words…and chuh man, I just misspelled simple and misspelled misspelled twice in that sentence…and when I thought I had misspelled misspelled a third time, I spelled times wrong too! Ah Lord eh! There must be a reason for my propensity to misspell today, but I don’t know what it is. (smile)
But getting back to those scriptures on money. Listen to this most interesting one from Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘Charge (command) them that are rich in this world (present age), that they be not highminded (haughty), nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute (give), willing to communicate (share). Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life.’ (1 Tim. 6:17-19)
So friends, although Jesus said it was difficult for a rich man to enter heaven, (Matt. 19:23) He never said it was impossible, and here Bruh Paul is advising Timothy to command rich people to give generously of what they possess, so that it might be accounted to them for good in heaven. And so should all of us be generous, be we rich or poor, but with the right motives, the right state of our hearts, not just to hope that it helps us get into heaven. As Jesus spoke of a widow’s sacrificial offering, while sitting in the temple with His disciples.
The Bible says: ‘He looked up, and saw the rich men casting (putting) their gifts into the treasury. And he saw a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites (small copper coins worth very little). and he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings: but she of her penury (poverty) hath cast in all the living (livelihood) she had.’ (Luke 21:1-4)
Yes, ofttimes sacrificial giving is more recognized than giving from mere abundance. As the scholars says: ‘God does not measure giving by conventional human standards.’ And also, we ought not to flaunt our giving, as Jesus said, let not the left hand know what the right is doing (Matt. 6:3-4) That means, as this commentary informs: ‘We should never do our giving in order to be seen by, and subsequently, to be praised by others. In other words, we do not want to give because of what we might get from it—like others thinking more highly of us or paying us compliments, or to receive some special treatment because of our giving.’
And with those words of wisdom let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, for divine help to fix our many earthly problems. As one voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the confusion and anxiety caused by the pandemic and our many other serious problems. We can’t fix them on our own Lord, so we desperately need 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. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, without further serious setbacks. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe.
And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to 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. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic, the bubbling discontent and dissatisfaction in our land, as a means of restoring faith in You, 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!’
And if we’re seriously looking for divine help, then we need to make those changes necessary for them to be forthcoming. Much LOVE!
…the more we give…from a generous heart…the more we will receive…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
17 Mar 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a grim countenance, a reserved place in heaven, abundance, achieve great faith, atonement for sins, be joyful and of good cheer, be not afraid or anxious, be not wise in thine own eyes, courage, curse, defeating the purpose of Christ's sacrificial death, disregard the difficulties of the moment, enter the crazy milieu, expectations of leaisure and pleasure, faith like a grain of mustard seed, fear the Lord and depart from evil, grace, have life more abundantly, heavens seems like a distant nebulous place, heroes of faith, honour the Lord with thy substance, lean not unto thine own understanding, LOVE, mercy, negative word, overcome life's problems, peace be still, prepare for Monday, talent, the complexities of life, the first fruits of all thine increase, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Thursday Blessings, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, unconditional LOVE, we only grow through adversity
Proverbs 3:5. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Then came Thursday, and we are all moving along steadfastly, knowing that there is only one day between us and the big day of Friday. And I have this interesting question to pose on that subject. Why do we handle life so much better when we have something to look forward to eh, something that pleases us, or will work on our behalf? We handle Thursday quite nicely, knowing that the next day is Friday, and our weekend pleasures will begin.
But we don’t handle Sunday quite as nicely, definitely not looking forward to Monday, the start of our work week. We often seem to have a grim countenance on Sunday evenings as we prepare for Monday. That is when we do prepare for Monday before Monday morning, (smile) and then have to rush and panic and become frustrated before we enter the crazy milieu with other frantic people hurrying to work.
Is it that expectations of leisure and pleasure boost our spirits so much that we conveniently disregard the difficulties of the moment? And if that’s so, then this next question automatically follows; why then aren’t we conveniently disregarding the problems of this world when we think of all the leisure and pleasure we will have in heaven with Jesus?
Is it because heaven seems like a nebulous place a long way off, and neither do we expect to get there for a long long time? (smile) Or is it that we simply don’t have enough faith in Jesus and all His promises to rebuke the things and images of this evil world? But whatever the reason for our disregard of things heavenly, I want to remind us today that that’s not a very wise approach to life.
Remember Christ said He died for us to have life, and to have it more abundantly. (John 10:10) Now that’s not only spiritual or eternal life after we die, but also a good and practical physical life, for heaven doesn’t begin when we die, but when we accept Christ as our Lord and Saviour. So, if we don’t accept the many things He offers down here on earth, we are defeating the purpose of His sacrificial death on the cross at Calvary.
Yes friends, Christ’s death included much more than atonement for sins and a reserved place in heaven! It includes things like grace, mercy, and unconditional LOVE, through the awesome power and guidance of the Holy Spirit! In other words, help to navigate this cruel and wicked world with a modicum of peace, LOVE and joy that’s otherwise unattainable! Please remember His offers of peace and reassurance in John 14:27, and 16:33. And if we sincerely accept them, then we ought not be afraid or anxious, but joyful and of good cheer.
And yes, it can be tough to do those things when the storms of life seem to be coming against us with full force, but Jesus calmed the physical storm on the Sea of Galilee by simply saying, ‘Peace, be still. ’ (Mark 4:39) So, if He can calm physical storms, there’s no reason whatsoever why He can’t calm the emotional and spiritual ones roiling in our souls. But we have to turn to Him seriously and sincerely, and have even a little faith, like that of a small mustard seed, as Jesus describes it: ‘Which, indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among the herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge (nest) in the branches thereof.’ (Matt. 13:32)
Yes my faithful brethren, that’s how the kingdom of God grows in us – little by little. And unfortunately, that growth is controlled by the difficulties we face in this world, because it’s only through adversity that we can grow in faith. Each difficulty we conquer raises the level of our faith, and helps us to conquer the next one in an easier manner. The sad fact is that that as we grow in faith, so do the complexities of life grow in complexity. (smile) But that’s how we achieve great faith.
And if you read Hebrews 11, that great chapter on the Heroes of Faith, you’ll see that all of them went through tough times before their faith grew strong and great. The important thing that they all did though from the beginning was trust in the Lord and acknowledge His faithfulness, even when it wasn’t yet manifested in their lives. Now that’s what God expects of His followers; a high level of trust in His faithfulness although we haven’t yet experienced it. It’s not easy, but that’s why we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us; to help us achieve that trust.
And these magnificent and wise words penned by Cousin Sol in Proverbs, gives us the perfect formula for achieving it. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make straight) thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones. Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions) and with the first fruits of all thine increase: So that thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov. 3:5:10)
Oh my people, if you must choose five verses from the scriptures that reflect the best and wisest way to live for and with God, those are them! You can never go wrong if you follow that wise advice of Cousin Sol. But that’s exactly where so many of us go wrong, we might know the advice, but we don’t take it as seriously as we ought, and thus end up with problems that could have been otherwise avoided.
Anyway, the Lord in His awesome grace, has bestowed on us several tools to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings. However, since a blessing is not a blessing until it’s declared out loud, let’s declare them right now nuh, so that they can take effect. Altogether now: ‘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 as always, when God blesses us, He also expects us to use those blessings to bless others in His holy name. So, let’s go out and do that as generously as God did it with us nuh. Much LOVE!
…only through the help and strength of Jesus…can we successfully overcome life’s problems…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
14 Dec 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: bind them about thy neck, despise not God's chastening, disobedience, do not depend on your native instincts, endure chastening, evil ways, fellowship and intimacy with God, find favour and good understanding, God is standing by, grace and peace of God, he shall direct thy paths, honour the Lord with thy substance, I am the beloved of god, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, in all thy ways acknowledge him, in subjection unto the Father of spirits, in the sight of God and man, it yieldeth the peaceful fruit of righteousness, lean not unto thine own understanding, length of days long life and peace, let not mercy and truth forsake thee, let thine heart keep my commandments, LOVE, my son forget not my law, no chastening for the present seems joyful, ride out any storm, share His love with the world, thy barns be filled with plenty, thy presses burst out with new wine, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, wisdom in spades, with all thy heart soul and mind, worldwide misfortune and calamity, write them upon the table of thine heart
Proverbs 3:1. My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments.
The grace and peace of Almighty God to you my faithful brethren, this Tuesday morning in the Advent Season of this crazy year of 2021! And though the waters are troubled and there’s danger all around, I just want to remind us that our great God is standing by, and He’s faithfully promised that if we hold on to His marvellous Son, Jesus, the One who sacrificed His sinless life on the cross at Calvary so unselfishly for us, we will be able to ride out any storm that threatens to overwhelm us.
That’s why Cousin Sol wrote these wise words in Proverbs, under the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit. ‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments. For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy (LOVING-kindness) and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck (like a necklace); and write them upon the table of thine heart (thy mind). So shalt thou find favour and good understanding (high esteem) in the sight of God and man.’ (Prov. 3:1-4)
Ah mih people, it couldn’t get any clearer than that. Just look at the wonderful benefits that will accrue to us if we are obedient to God’s will and purpose and let mercy and truth guide our lives. We talking about seeing things like prosperous days in a long and productive life, with favour and high esteem from both God and man. Now it couldn’t get any better than that, could it? Certainly not!
And if you don’t believe Cousin Sol, then listen to Moses as he instructed the Hebrew children long before that. ‘All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe (be careful to observe) to do, that ye may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto (promised) your fathers.’ (Deut. 8:1) Yes friends, the blessings of God will always fall on the obedient, faithful, truthful and merciful!
So, I wonder why our world is in such an angry uproar and consumed by so much violence and strife? Could it be because we have not kept those traits above there that please our Creator and heavenly Father? I would tend to say that our disobedience and evil ways have played, and are still playing a big part in our current worldwide misfortune and calamity. Now the Lord knows that living for Him will not always be easy, but He expects us to make a sincere effort and even went to the awesome length of sacrificing His only Son Jesus so that those who believe in Him will have divine help to live the way He desires.
And yuh know what, Cousin Sol was so conscientious and interested in our welfare that he broke down the rules for us into their most basic form. Listen as he admonishes and guides us in his wisdom. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth) thy paths.’ (Prov. 3:5-6) That’s wisdom in spades my people.
And if you still don’t understand it all, then listen as scholars explain. ‘3:5-6. Three commands are given: trust, meaning “rely on, depend on”; lean not, meaning do not depend on your own native instincts; and acknowledge him, meaning have fellowship and intimacy with God in all of life. The result of such devotion is that God will make the paths of your life straight before you.’ Now that doesn’t mean you won’t have problems, but you can be assured that He will guide you through them, eventually working it all out for your benefit.
And Cousin Sol didn’t stop there. He continued with his wise advice. ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength or refreshment) to thy bones. Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the first fruit of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov. 3:7-10)
Oh friends, the whole duty and wisdom of man is laid out in those verses from 1-10. If you follow them sincerely you will be so blessed and productive and prosperous that you won’t know what to do with yourself! (smile) As we said, it’s not easy to live that life in this world, but that’s why God gave us all the help He did. But we need to grasp that help and hold on to it tightly, if we want to receive the blessings that flow from living for Jesus.
And please excuse me, there’s one more important thing that Cousin Sol mentions. And this is probably the most difficult one to accept. (smile) He says: ‘My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of (detest) his correction. For whom the Lord LOVETH he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.’ (Prov. 3:11-12)
Ah mih bredrin, that’s a hard one, for none of us likes to be chastened or corrected, even when we do wrong. But our God knows that in our frailty and weakness we will make mistakes and since He is our heavenly father, it is His bounden duty to correct us, like our earthly fathers do. And He only corrects us because He LOVES us so deeply and doesn’t want to see us go astray and be lost from His fold.
And the author of Hebrews, in talking about God’s discipline, quotes those verses of Cousin Sol, then adds his two cents worth. ‘If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards (illegitimate), and not sons.
Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence (respect): shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure (as seemed best to them); but he (God) for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening (discipline) for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised (trained) thereby.’ (Heb. 12:7-11)
Yeh friends, living a disciplined life is tough, and when we make mistakes and get punished, we are never happy right then and there, but later on we realize that it was really for our good and it helped make us better people. And the purpose of all that we’ve said today is simply to have us use wisdom, the divine kind to live this earthly life, because when we do, it improves our entire life and existence and even flows down to the generations that come after us.
So, for those of us who are sincerely trying to live right, let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and confident 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 the world. Amen!’
And having proclaimed that proclamation (smile), we now must go out and share the awesome LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know, LOVE and serve him like we do. Much LOVE!
…man was made to serve…to revere…and to LOVE God…with all his heart, body and soul…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
02 Sep 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be not wise in thine own eyes, bring ye all your tithes into the storehouse, compassionate heart, curse, divine protection, eternal life, faith, favour, fear the Lord and depart from evil, find favour and good understanding, he shall direct thy paths, health to thy navel, hearing the same old lies, honour the Lord with thy substance, if I will not open the windows of heaven, if ye love me keep my commandments, in all thy ways acknowledge him, in the sight of God and man, it takes time to mature in the grace and mercy of God, lean not unto thine own understanding, let thine heart keep my commandments, living for Jesus is not a walk in the park, LOVE, marrow to thy bones, my son forget not my law, negative word, obedience, pitfalls, pour you out a blessing, prince of peace, promotion, prosper, prove me now, salvation, saved from eteranl damantion and separation, succeed, the enemy of our soul, the first fruits of all thine increase, the Lord giveth the the power to get wealth, the Lord's ever-faithful promise, the new mercies and compassions of God, there shall not be room enough to receive it, Thursday Blessings, thy presses' shall burst out with new wine, tribulations, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, walking the same old roads
Proverbs 3:1. My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments.
Oh friends, this cool Thursday morning in early September is another day for us to live gratefully and enjoy the new mercies and compassions of God. And if you have been walking the same old roads that are leading you to sure destruction, and hearing the same old lies from the enemy of your soul, then it’s time to turn to the One who can change all of that, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
Yes, He’s the One that LOVED us so much that He sacrificed His life that we could be saved from eternal damnation and separation from Almighty God! And yes, that’s a mighty fine thing He did there, the only One who could have accomplished it, for being eternally separated from the Creator of this universe is the worst thing that can ever happen to a human being. So please, it’s not wise to allow that selfless action of Jesus to go unused, to go to waste, by not accepting Him as Lord and Saviour, Redeemer, Prince of Peace and the many other things that He is and stands for.
But unfortunately, living for Jesus is not a nice easy walk in the park kind of life, for there are pitfalls and tribulations and all sorts of unhappy things can happen along the way. However, we are assured that despite the many problems we may face, there will also be lots of enjoyment and refreshment along the way, and eventually everything will work out for our good. That’s the Lord’s ever-faithful promise! And if you want to hook up with Jesus, you have to believe His many promises; that’s what we call faith! And with faith comes sincere obedience too.
And these wise words from the wisest man ever, Cousin Sol, as he exhorts us to obedience, should take first place in our hearts if we are to enjoy all the beautiful things that Christ has promised us, ending with salvation, eternal life in heaven with Him and our Triune God. So, let’s check out these most important words from the Good Book that ought to be our guide for daily living. Cousin Sol begins thus: ‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments.’ (Prov. 3:1)
Yes my brethren, it’s ever so important that we obey the rules and regulations involved in worshipping and living for Christ! All organizations have rules and regulations for its members to follow, otherwise there will be anarchy, with everyone doing as they please. And Jesus said it loud and clear to the disciples: ‘If you LOVE me, keep my commandments.’ (John 14:15) So if you don’t intend to keep God’s commands, then you are just wasting His time and yours. And please remember that God doesn’t really need us nuh, but we definitely need Him. So all of this is for our benefit, not His.
And one of the major benefits that come from keeping His commandments is this: ‘For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.’ (Prov. 3:2) Oh mih people, who doesn’t want all of that eh? We all do! But we won’t get it unless we obey our heavenly Father’s commands. And Cousin Sol continues with his wise words. ‘Let not mercy (LOVING-kindness) and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart (mind). (Prov. 3:3) And why should we do that? The answer is quite simple: ‘So shalt thou find favour and good understanding (high esteem) in the sight of God and man.’ (Prov. 3:4)
Oh people, people, there is always a good reason for accepting Christ as Lord and Saviour and obeying His commandments! It’s not just a disorganized, quickly thrown together thing. It’s taken thousands of years for this plan to come to fruition, and it’s not quite done yet. But for us to be a successful part of it we must do wise, though sometimes hard stuff like ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.’ (Prov. 3:5-6)
Oh, how can we ever go wrong when we allow the Creator of the universe to guide our lives eh? No way! But it has to be a constant, continual way of life. Like Cousin Sol says: ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength, refreshment) to thy bones.’ (Prov. 3:7-8) Wow mih bredrin! Who again doesn’t want those benefits eh? We all do. But they don’t come by just wishing and hoping, but by being continually faithful, obedient and trusting!
Now hear this next directive from Cousin Sol nuh. ‘Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the first fruits of all thine increase. So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov. 3:9-10) Ah mih people, that’s oh so important in the Lord’s economy, yet so many of us refuse to do it. We stubbornly refuse to give back to the Lord the first portion of what we earn or harvest through His bounty. Yes, it’s through the Lord’s bounty that we gain anything, as Moses reminded the Israelites long ago: ‘Remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth…’ (Deut. 8:18)
And it’s not like the Lord needs it nuh, but He just wants to see if we really and truly believe Him when it comes to giving. In the Old Testament times they called it a tithe, or a tenth of what you earned. And it was also a means for the priests and people who worked in the church and could not work the land or raise animals, to get food, and to have food to share with the poor and the stranger.
And it was so important to the Lord that in Malachi, He claimed that the Israelites robbed Him, then challenged them thus: ‘Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat (food) in mine house, and prove (test) me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.’ (Mal. 3:10)
Yes friends, that’s how generous and faithful our great God is! But we also have to be faithful and trusting by giving back a fair portion of our goods for His work. And believe me, no one that has ever tithed will tell you it doesn’t work! Now it’s not just a matter of giving to get, but it must come from a sincere place in our hearts; a place of true belief and trust. And it does take time to mature in the grace and mercy of God, so all that stuff we’ve spoken about won’t happen overnight, but we do need to make a serious effort to live it.
And when we do that, Almighty God blesses us even more, bestowing what we call our Thursday Blessings, so that we can do a good job for Him down here on earth. So let’s declare them together now nuh, because they don’t come into effect until they are declared. As one strong 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!’
That’s for sure my fellow saints! But now we must go out and share those blessings just as generously with others as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…for an organization to be successful…all members must obey its rules…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
01 Jun 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: after their own pleasure, be not wise in thine own eyes, bind them about thy neck, despise not God's chastening, fear the Lord and depart from evil, find favour and good understanding, God dealeth with you as with sons, he for our profit, he shall direct thy paths, health to thy navel, honour the Lord with thy substance, I am the beloved of god, if ye endure chastening, immovable unchangeable God, in all thy ways acknowledge him, in god's eyes, it yieldeth the peaceful fruit of righteousness, lean not unto thine own understanding, lenght of days, let not mercy and truth forsake thee, let thine heart keep my commandments, long life and peace, LOVE, marrow to thy bones, my son forget not my law, neither be weary of his correction, no chastening for the present seems joyful, scriptural wisdom, shall they add to your life, share His love with the world, the first fruits of all thine increase, thy barns be filled with plenty, thy presses burst out with new wine, to hearken than the fat of rams, to obey is better than sacrifice, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, with God and man, write them upon the table of thine heart
Proverbs 3:1. My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
Can you believe it friends, this is already the first day of June, the sixth month? The year is just flying by despite all the problems currently engulfing the world! And it’s certainly a good thing that we have a strong, staunch, unchangeable, immovable God, who is the same yesterday, today and forever, otherwise we would be an easy prey to the numerous evil elements lurking around almost every corner! So it’s rather wise to call out to our great God at all times; in the morning, in the evening and in the midnight hour, for He is indeed our very help in times of trouble and tribulation.
And that’s why these monumental words of scriptural wisdom from Cousin Sol are so important to our earthly travels. ‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to your life.’ (Prov. 3:1-2) Yuh see the importance of obedience to God’s commandments friends? It shall only add long life and peace to your days here on earth!
Then Cousin Sol continues: ‘Let not mercy (LOVING-kindness) and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart. So shalt thou find favour and good understanding (high esteem) in the sight of God and man.’ (Prov. 3:3-4) Ah mih bredrin, that’s the incomparable benefit of walking in mercy and truth! And the scholars offer these explanations: ‘3:3. About thy neck: The teachings should be made as much a part of one’s adornment as a necklace. The table of thine heart, that is, the mind.’
But Cousin Sol doesn’t stop there, he gets deeper into his exhortations on obedience. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths.’ (Prov. 3:5-6) More incomparable wisdom friends!
Now hear the scholars on those two verses. ‘3:5-6. Three commands are given: trust, meaning “rely on, depend on”; lean not, meaning do not depend on your own native instincts; and acknowledge him, meaning have fellowship and intimacy with God in all of life. The result of such devotion is that God will make the paths straight before you.’ Now what more can we ask for eh my fellow believers?
However, there is much more available, as Cousin Sol tells it, tells it straight and true. ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones. Honour the Lord with all thy substance (possessions), and with the first fruits of all thine increase. So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov. 3:7-10)
Oh my people, if there was only one set of scriptures to describe the kind of life a believer in Jesus is supposed to live, those first ten verses of Proverbs 3, would be it! It covers everything from obedience to length of life, from trust to health, to increase and prosperity; the how’s, whys and wherefores of living for our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Now why aren’t we living that wise kind of life eh? Who knows? But wisdom dictates that that’s how we ought to live, and if we don’t, then we will suffer the consequences for wrongdoing and sinful living.
But even then, our God is so wonderful, as Cousin Sol explains: ‘My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of (detest) his correction: For whom the Lord LOVETH he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.’ (Prov. 3:11-12) Wow! What a wonderful God we serve and worship my people! As the scholars say of those verses: ‘God’s correction shows His LOVE (cf. Heb. 12:5-6).’
And we certainly will check out those verses which deal with God’s discipline. ‘And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children (sons), My son despise not thou the chastening (discipline) of the Lord, nor faint (be discouraged) when thou art rebuked of him. For whom the Lord LOVETH he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.’ (Heb. 12:5-6) So you see that discipline is as much a heavenly measure as it is an earthly one. (smile)
And the author of Hebrews takes the discipline matter a little further. ‘If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, wherefore all are partakers, then are ye bastards (illegitimate), and not sons. Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence (respect): shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure (as seemed best to them); but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.’ (Heb. 12:7-10)
Now that’s a very good question my brethren? If we respect our earthly fathers who punish us according to their whims and fancies, why won’t we reverence our heavenly Father, the One who gives us life and all the good things thereof, when He disciplines us for our profit, our benefit eh? Because we’re foolish, sinful, prideful and disobedient!
And the author of Hebrews concludes that message with this insightful comment: ‘Now no chastening (discipline) for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised (trained) thereby.’ (Heb. 12:11) And that’s the indisputable truth friends. Discipline or punishment never seems good for the present moment, but later on, when we look back at the situation, we usually see the benefits of it.
Anyway, if, after reading all of the above, we still continue in our foolish and disobedient ways, then what am I to say eh…except crapaud smoke yuh pipe! But for those of us who are sincerely trying to be wise and obedient, let’s go home declaring (awright!) our Tuesday Mantra.
As one strong, heart-felt 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 the world. Amen!’
And now, as our duty entails, let’s go out and share the awesome friendship and amazing LOVE of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Much LOVE!
…to obey is better…than to sacrifice…and to hearken…than the fat of rams… (1 Sam. 15:22)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
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