Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 July 2021 Proverbs 29:18.

19 Jul 2021 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 29:18.     ​ ‘Where there is no (prophetic) vision, the people perish (cast off restraint): but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.’

And before you know it, the weekend is done, and the weekly cycle of work has begun again! Yeh friends, the weekend seems to pass so quickly, while the workweek seems to take forever. But you know, that’s only a matter of our perception, for all the days are the same in length and are controlled by the same mechanism. And we just think that what we like passes quickly, and what we don’t like lasts an interminably long time. 

But never fear, for there is method to the Lord’s madness. He is the Supreme Being and knows what He’s doing. He set up His universe the way He thought best, so who are we, a mere creation, to doubt, or find fault with His decision making eh, just because it’s somewhat tough on our mortal bodies? (smile) 

And there is only one way to overcome that, by asking the Lord for understanding, as set out in Psalm 119. ‘Teach me O Lord, the way of thy statutes (unchangeable regulations); and I shall keep it unto the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law (Word); yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.’ (Ps. 119:33-34) Yeh friends, when we have pliable or teachable hearts and go to the Lord sincerely seeking understanding, He will gladly give it to us. 

But we have to get the ball rolling by going to Him, we can’t wait for Him to come to us. His will must be our heart’s desire, so that we can truthfully declare: ‘Make me to go in the path of thy commandments (directives, charge); for therein I do delight.’ (Ps. 119:35) And that’s no joking matter my brethren, because the Lord takes His commandments very seriously, so you can’t tell Him that unless you truly mean it, just to try and appease Him. He will not fall for it, because He checks the motives of our hearts for every word we say to Him. 

So, unless you are serious about all this stuff, please don’t go asking for it. But if you are, the Lord will be overjoyed for you to say to Him: ‘Incline my heart unto (cause me to long for) thy testimonies (what You have said about Yourself and Your will), and not to covetousness. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity (looking at worthless things); and quicken (revive) thou me in thy way. Stablish (establish) thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear (fearing thee). Turn away my reproach which I fear: for thy judgements (decisions) are good. Behold, I have longed after thy precepts (instructions): quicken (revive) me in thy righteousness.’ (Ps. 119:37-40) 

Oh my people, we can never go wrong by seeking God and all that He has to offer. Remember Jesus’ fateful words of warning from the Sermon on the Mount, re serving one master and running down earthly stuff: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33) Yes my fellow believers, our number one priority ought to be seeking God and His righteousness, and then all the other stuff we need will be given to us by Him. 

And on that subject, please remember Bruh Paul’s directive to Timothy. ‘But refuse (reject) profane and old wives’ fables (because they promote ungodliness) and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.’ (1 Tim. 4:7-8) And the scholars paraphrase that last verse thus: ‘For physical exercise is of limited value, but godliness, the result of spiritual exercise, has unlimited value, since it brings blessings for both now and eternity.’ 

Matter fixed friends! We need more spiritual exercise than we do physical, but unfortunately, the gyms, with their tough workout routines are enticing many more people than the churches in these godless times. Meaning that spiritual exercise seems to be taking a back seat to the physical aspect. Consequently, that doesn’t bode well for our society, for a society that rejects God will always suffer serious consequences. Like Cousin Sol says: ‘Where there is no (prophetic) vision, the people perish (cast off restraint): but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.’ (Prov. 29:18) 

That means when you don’t have God’s direction, divine revelation in a society, there are no restraints, and people do whatever they want, like in our current world. The scholars tell us that ‘Morality is based on adherence to God’s revealed will.’ And it obviously hasn’t been revealed to us because we are a very immoral society. 

But it’s not too late to get some divine revelation friends, however, as we said above, the onus is on us to get the ball rolling by going to God for direction. So let’s do that right now nuh, go to Him in prayer, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, laying out all our problems, fears and doubts before Him, asking for divine wisdom and guidance. 

Altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

Now, remember that humility and sincerity are essential for positive answers to prayer. So, let’s hope that we were sincere and humble. Much LOVE!

…only through seeking God’s kingdom…and its righteousness…will mankind see heaven…and not hell…                                                                                              

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 June 2021 Psalm 119:34.

30 Jun 2021 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 119:34.      Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law, yea, I shall observe it with all my heart.

Well, it looks like a new day, Wednesday to be exact. So I guess that means we’re moving on, hopefully in a positive and godly manner, for those are the only ways we will ever be truly successful! And if we’re being godly, then we most certainly will give, or will have given thanks for the wonderful blessing of being able to see another glorious day on God’s great earth, only rivalled by the exotic pleasures of heaven. 

Ah mih people, if we’re down here now, we might as well enjoy it, since being miserable and unhappy won’t solve matters. And furthermore, if you’re a believer in Christ Jesus, then you have oodles of promises to help you feel better in the many storms of life and handle them in a positive manner, with your Lord and Saviour at the helm of your tossed and battered ship. Remember the joy of the Lord is our strength, and once we have Him bubbling up in us, we can handle anything that comes against us. 

And if we’re finding it difficult to handle our current circumstances then listen to these words of comfort from Psalm 119, the section titled – ‘Give me understanding.’ Please pray with me: ‘Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law, yea, I shall observe it with all my heart. Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight. 

Incline my heart unto (cause me to long for) thy testimonies, and not to covetousness. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity (looking at worthless things); and quicken (revive) thou me in thy way. Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear (to fearing thee). Turn away my reproach which I fear: for thy judgements are good. Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken (revive) me in thy righteousness.’ (Ps. 119:33-40) 

Yes friends, therein lies a path of prayer to understanding. (smile) Now, here are some explanations from the scholars on the meaning of some of the terminology found in the psalm. ‘The multifaceted character of God’s Word is revealed by at least eight key synonyms for it in the psalm. (1) Law (torah) is the most frequent of the words. It comes from a verb meaning “to teach,” and thus came to be applied to a wide range of revelation, from an individual directive to the entire Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible). It emphasizes that God has taught us in His Word what He requires of us. 

(2) Testimonies (‘edot) emphasizes the content of the Word as that which God has testified of Himself and His will. (3) Precepts (piquidim) refers to instructions from a superior regarding the duties of those under him, in this case, from God to man. (4) Statutes (huqim) is related to a verb meaning “to engrave” and thus implies permanent and unchangeable regulations. (5) Commandments (mitswot) is a word assuming the authority of the commander and the inherent necessity of obeying the content of the charge. 

(6) Judgements (mispatim) or ordinances refers to decisions God has made as a judge in order to make earthly behaviour conform to His heavenly standard. (7) Word (dabar) is an all-embracing term for God’s revelation in any form. (8) Word (imra) might also be translated “promise,” though the translation does not distinguish it from the preceding term to whose meaning it relates closely. It comes from the verb “to say” and assumes that the content of revelations is from the mouth of God. Other terms that seem to speak of God’s Word include ways (vs. 3, 37), name (vs. 55), and faithfulness (vs. 90). 

With these key words to express the substance of God’s revelation, the psalmist explores the entire gamut of human response to the Word of God: praise and thanksgiving for it, petitions that it may be kept, petitions that the psalmist may experience its comfort or conviction, confidence that its promises will be fulfilled, prayer for the ability to understand it, petitions that those who disregard it (the wicked) may be judged and so on. Because of this exaltation of the Word of God, this psalmist has sometimes been accused of worshiping the Word itself. However, his adoration of the Word always leads to its Author who inspired it. All believers should be accused of this kind of LOVE for the Bible.’ 

What a day that would be eh my people, when we are accused of such an uproarious LOVE for God’s word! Glory Hallelujah! But seriously though, that’s the direction in which our lives ought to be moving every day that we draw breath; a greater LOVE for God and His Word! That’s why we talk about moving up from glory to glory; everyday improving our understanding of the Word and becoming a li’l more like Jesus character wise. 

Oh friends, if we’re not growing, becoming more mature in our faith, then we are not fulfilling the Lord’s desire for our lives. Remember Bruh Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving to the church at Philippi, where he declares: ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath began a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil 1:6) 

Yes my faithful brethren, our God will not stop working His goodness in us until His Son returns. That means we also have a responsibility to learn what He desires of us and behave the way He has set out in His Word. We have no excuses whatsoever, for He has laid out exactly what He desires in His Law. His testimonies are sure and true. In His superior position, He has made clear His precepts, the duties He expects us to perform and live up to. 

And because His Word is so important to our earthly lives, He expects His statutes, steadfast and unchangeable as they are, to be engraved in and on our hearts, so that we can dutifully obey His commandments as our Guide and Leader. And if we don’t conform to His heavenly standard here on earth, then we will be subjected to His divine judgement, which can be pretty tough at times. 

So friends, the long and short of the story is that we are God’s creation, and He desires us to be obedient to Him and His dictates, otherwise there will be a price to pay. As Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) likes to say: ‘The best way to live is to obey God, and leave all the consequences up to Him.’ And that’s wisdom in spades friends. If we obey God to the best of our ability, we will reap a bushel of blessings. 

And now, since it’s Wednesday, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our most wonderful position in Christ Jesus! As one strong, sincere and confident voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And we all know that if we faithfully endure to the end, that future will be even more glorious that we can ask or even imagine. Much LOVE!

…the Word of God…our guide, our road map to earthly living…our entrance exams for heaven…                                                                                        

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 February 2021 Psalm 119:34.

19 Feb 2021 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 119:34.     ​Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.

Sorry friends, I had intended this to be another aberration, (smile) because I had some more early morning tests scheduled for today at the hospital. But unfortunately I got up too late to finish it and get to my appointment on time, so I decided to leave it until I got back. So here I am now, all fit and sound and not too thrilled because I thought that I was finished with this constant hospital and doctor scene, but apparently not. Steups! And in these Covid times, going to the hospital is like visiting at the jail; more security and checks than anything else. But I guess that’s all for our benefit. 

Anyway, since it’s Friday, let’s hear what the ordinary workingman has to say for himself nuh. And in a touchy manner, he declares: ‘I don’t have nothing to say for myself nuh! I don’t have no work, so I don’t have no money, so how can I say TGIF! Thank God is Friday eh? I’m home every day, with little or nothing to do. You can only fix so much, and after you fix what’s broken, what then? My wife is tired with me being underfoot all the time. My children tired playing with me too. They want to go out and play with their own friends, not their old man father. 

And if we thought it had confusion before, now it’s even worse with the new virus variants showing up, that supposedly more dangerous, and nobody knowing how to handle them. What’s wrong with the people in power, the ones who get the big bucks to make big decisions eh? Why can’t they be consistent and agree with one another eh? We have the government saying one thing, to open up the place, and the scientist saying another, shut it down because it have a third or fourth or how much ever wave coming. And one day they say they have enough vaccines, then the next day not. 

And then they can’t decide who to give it to first, but the rich and powerful getting them though. So how they expect the ordinary man to trust and have faith in them eh? That is why so much people acting out, although the virus still killing plenty people. And the school situation…Steups! That is another total muck up. Look, doh even ask me my opinion nuh, because all it does is get mih blood stirred up and liable to cause me to go and do something stupid. So a good day to you yes sirs!’ 

Ah mih people, the pandemic lockdown and the contentious uncertainty is certainly getting to the ordinary man, and you really can’t blame him, for everything he says is true. Yes, it is difficult to balance the need for the economy staying open and the need for people to stay safe, but there are definitely too many officials speaking with forked tongues. So what are we to do eh friends? 

I guess the wisest thing is always to turn to the Lord God Almighty in times of uncertainty and trouble, through prayer and scripture reading on the subjects that are puzzling us. And since we’re basically suffering from a lack of understanding, I believe this part of Psalm 119, which is titled ‘Give me understanding’ is a fine place to begin. 

So please pray with me: ‘Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart. Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight. Incline my heart unto (cause me to long for) thy testimonies, and not to covetousness. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity (looking at worthless things; and quicken (revive) me in thy way. Stablish (establish) thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear. Turn away my reproach which I fear: for thy judgements are good. Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken (revive) me in thy righteousness.’ (Ps. 119:33-40) 

And now that we have read and meditated on the relevant scripture for our predicament, it’s time to go to the Lord and sincerely expose our heart and soul to him in personal prayer. So let’s do that through our Friday Chant nuh. Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. Yuh know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus, the racial and political strife causing. We not accustomed to that kind of life Lord, and it really telling on us. And we know we can’t handle it on our own, that 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 both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the sure and wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, so that we can avoid any more serious setbacks. 

And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to also bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. It’s also a good opportunity to introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion because of the way we, your faithful believers, handle the situation. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

And all it takes friends to change our world is sincere confession of our sins, true repentance and thenceforth obedience to the word and will of God. The ancient Israelites foolishly toyed with the Lord’s word and will and suffered serious consequences for it. But we, oh so wise and brilliant moderns, think that we are above the Lord’s law, no wonder we’re suffering for disobeying it too. The only difference between us and those ancient Israelites is that they were smart enough to repent and turn back to God when the going got real rough. But we so biggish and full of ourselves, our oversized ego will not allow us to consider that wise move. 

Ah mih people, why is it so difficult for us to truly understand that the Lord created us and still controls our overall lives, and He doesn’t countenance willful disobedience for long. And the sad but true fact of the matter is this: only when we stop trying to kick God out of our society, repent and return to His fold, will our society recover from the many problems that it’s now facing! Put that in yuh pipe and smoke it! Much LOVE!

 …you reap what you sow…later than you sow…and more than you sow… (Uncle Charles – Dr. Charles Stanley) 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 August 2014 Psalm 119:33

20 Aug 2014 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 119:33.  Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end.

Ah Friends, it’s a damp Wednesday morning in my area, due to some sprinkles of blessings overnight. It’s also been forecasted to have thunderstorms during the day, so please dress appropriately those of you who live in the surrounding area; walk with your raincoat, your hat and your brolly (umbrella). (smile)
 
But the good news is that we’re half way through the workweek already. Praise the Lord! So just hang on in there, like Sloopy, the old song that only the old fogies will know, but everyone can imitate. Just another couple days and the weekend will burst upon us, and everyone will give a great sigh and declare a loud ‘Thank You God!’
 
But until then, let’s put our hands to the plough and don’t look back, look straight ahead, neither to the right nor to the left, and let’s run the race that’s set before us with a strong sense of purpose, trust, faith, hope and LOVE!
 
That’s the only way we’ll discover all that the Lord has in store for us, for remember He’s promised to give us a life with a future and hope of a better tomorrow. (Jer.29:11)
 
So let’s just get with the programme, no whining or complaining, regardless of the difficulties we encounter along the way, because our wonderful God has also promised that He will bring us safely through whatever storms we have to weather, and in better shape too.
 
Therefore we have nothing to fear, and whatever comes against us, we will handle with faith. And all God’s people joyfully declared: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WIIL rejoice and be glad in it!’ Yes Friends, that’s the only way to endure this pilgrim’s journey successfully!
 
That brings us to our Bit, from the great Psalm 119, divided into 22 sections, one for each of the letters in the Hebrew alphabet. Our section today is ‘He’, the section that petitions the Lord for understanding. ‘Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end.’
 
Yes my brethren, there’s no better gift we can ask of our heavenly Father than understanding of His Holy Word. That’s because when we understand where He’s coming from, we’ll be able to go where He desires us to go.
 
In other words, understanding opens up a whole new palette for us to paint on; discernment, direction and focus are brought to light, we’re illuminated, and guidance is totally enabled by the Holy Spirit.
 
And we have the perfect example of that in Cousin Sol. When the Lord anointed him king over Israel, and asked what he desired, Cousin Sol was wise enough to say: ‘Give therefore thy servant an understanding (hearing) heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people.’ (1 Kin.3:9)
 
Oh my fellow believers, the Lord was so pleased that Cousin Sol hadn’t asked for stuff like riches and power, that He nonetheless made him the wisest and richest man ever. (1 Kin.3:10-14) Wow!
 
And the psalmist in Psalm 119 feels so strongly about the attainment of understanding that he proclaims: ‘Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart. (Ps.119:34)
 
Oh my people, are we that hungry for understanding too? I surely hope so, because without understanding God’s Word, we can easily be led astray by the enemy and his evil minions. Now it’s not an easy thing to attain, nor maintain. It takes time, and diligence, and perseverance, and faith and trust.
 
For as Jesus said: ‘And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.’ (Matt.10:22) What an awesome promise Friends!
 
And we can see it, serious persecution still happening in many parts of the world, simply because of believing in Jesus. But if we endure the trials and tribulations with a staunch faith, as we said above, the Lord has promised to bring us out stronger, more Christ-like, on the other side.
 
However, to be able to do all of that successfully, we must first understand what the Lord and His Word are all about. And the psalmist makes a good argument of why understanding is so helpful, so vital and so necessary.
 
‘Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight. Incline my heart unto (cause me to long for) thy testimonies, and not to covetousness. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity (looking at worthless things); and quicken (revive) me in thy way.
 
Stablish (establish) thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear (fearing thee). Turn away my reproach which I fear: for thy judgements are good. Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken (revive) me in thy righteousness.’ (Ps.119:35-40)
 
Yes my fellow believers, every word there rings with indisputable truth! For understanding is the key to success in anything at all. With it, we know where to go, and where not go; what to do, and what not to do.
 
So today my Friends, let’s wisely turn to our magnanimous God, who’s generosity, like His LOVE, is unlimited, and ask Him for that key, that understanding we need to be successful in this evil, ungodly, troubled world that currently surrounds us.
 
Remember, Jesus’ promise in Revelation, during His message to the seven churches: ‘And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over nations….He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.’ (Rev.2:26; 29)
 
So today my people, let’s seek to understand and thus endure nuh. It’s the wisdom of heaven. Much LOVE!
 
…understanding is the sure foundation…upon which we can build the endurance…that we so desperately need to be successful…

P.S. Late night, spent mostly communing with the Lord. And that’s the gospel truth! (smile) And then to make matters even worse, just as I was about to send out the Bit, the so and so computer froze on me. Ah Lord eh! The trials and tribulations we have to go through to spread God’s Word eh! (smile) Much LOVE!