21 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great family, a strong will, abundance, christianity, Christians, come to know and love God like we do, courage, creativity, David behaved himself wisely, David his ten thousands, dying for Friday to come, end of sermon, faith, favour, God's awesome wisdom, good friends, good health, holy spirit, if God spares life, in a more refined manner, jealousy, Jesus Christ, Jonathan stripped himself, Jonathanand David made a covenant, LOVE, loved him as his own soul, make a mess of today, mercy, negative word, one of the devil's most successful tools is jealousy, promotion, prosper and succeed, receive clear direction for my life, rise to today's challenges, salvation, Saul eyed David from that day forward, Saul hath slain his thousands, Saul was very wroth, self-control, self-discipline, share those undeserved blessings, small things can easily stir up jealousy, still warlike and bloodthirsty today, success, supernatural strength, talent, the BIBLE, the green eyed monster, the head of the Philistine in his hand, the interesting relationship between Saul David and Jonathan, the long and short of the story, the love that's possible despite tough circumstances, the son of thy servant Jesse, the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, the women came out singing and dancing, their blood took to one another, truth, undeserved blessings, viewed him suspiciously, what can he have more than the kingdom, what jealousy can wreak in our lives, wisdom, with tabrets with joy and with instruments of musick
Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 May 2026 1 Samuel 18:9.
1 Samuel 18:9. And Saul eyed David (viewed him suspiciously) from that day and forward.
And it seems that this Thursday will be another bright and sunshiny but mid-teens temperature day. But we’ll take it any day over the cold and miserable winter weather! (smile) And many of us are just dying for Friday to come so that we can rest up after our hectic Victoria Day weekend. However, remember that we’ve still got to rise to whatever challenges today will bring, so please don’t think too much about tomorrow and the rest period following it, or else you might just make a mess of today. End of Sermon!
And today we’re going to take a look at the violence and damage the green eyed monster, jealousy, can wreak in our lives, as portrayed by the relationships between King Saul and Bruh David, as well as the LOVE that’s possible, in spite of tough circumstances, as portrayed by Bruh David and Jonathan, Saul’s son and heir. We see the relationships begin with Bruh David’s victory Goliath. King Saul enquired whose son Bruh David was, but his captain Abner had no idea. So Saul told him to find out.
The Bible then tells us: ‘And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.’ (1 Sam. 17:57-58) Imagine that nuh, a young boy, only in his teen age years, walking around with the head of a man he’d slaughtered held in his hands! But we’re no different today, still warlike and blood thirsty, just in a supposedly more refined manner.
But the Bible continues: ‘And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David (the life of Jonathan was bound up with the life of David), and Jonathan LOVED him as his own soul.’ (1 Sam. 18:1) I guess Jonathan was hanging around his father when he spoke to Bruh David, and possibly after some conversation, the souls of the two young boys just took to each other. Or as the old people would say, their blood just took to one another. But however it happened, that day, saw the beginning of a very strong relationship develop between the two youngsters.
And per the Good Book: ‘And Saul took him (Bruh David) that day, and would let him go no more home to his father’s house.’ (1 Sam.18:2) Such was the power of the king, and his apparent liking for Bruh David. ‘Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he LOVED him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of (took off) the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.’ (1 Sam. 18:3-4)
The scholars speculate that ‘Jonathan’s transfer of his royal attire to David may indicate his covenantal pledge to transfer his privileged position as heir to the throne.’ Who knows? Jonathan most likely knew that Bruh David had already been anointed as the next king of Israel, and with a strong religious background felt it the right thing to do under those circumstances. The long and short of the story though is that Bruh David ended up working for Saul, both as a warrior and as a harp player to pacify Saul’s soul with the music when the evil spirit took it over.
The Bible states: ‘And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely (prospered): and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants. And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine(s), that the women came out of the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tabrets (small drums), with joy, and with instruments of musick (three stringed instruments).
And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. And Saul was very wroth (angry), and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? And Saul eyed David (viewed him suspiciously) from that day and forward.’ (1 Sam. 18:5-9)
Ah friends, how these little things can stir up jealously and cause us to do crazy and evil things. So what if Saul only slew thousands and David slew ten thousands? Saul was still the king, and David his servant. But no, we always want to be doing better than anyone who is supposedly below us in social status. Unfortunately though, time and space have run out on us, so tomorrow, if God spares life, we’ll continue with this most insightful story, between Saul, Jonathan and Bruh David.
Now let’s declare our undeserved Thursday Blessings, which the Lord in His awesome wisdom and generosity had seen fit to nonetheless bestow 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!’
And having made that declaration, it now behooves us to go out and use those undeserved blessings 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!
…jealousy…one of the devil’s most successful tools…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a big storm arose, a directive from God that we don't like, always obey God's directive, another week of work, arise, be renewed and refreshed, by the good example we your faithful believers set, call upon thy God, cast lots, cast me forth into the sea, Christian witness leaves a lot to be desired, christianity, Christians, cry out against it, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, disobey the Lord's directive, disobeying God also causes others to be hurt, divine aid, faith, flee from the presence of the Lord, for my sake is this great tempest upon you, found a ship going to Tarshish, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship and relaxation, getting me safely through another week of work, give our leaders wise guidance, go to Nineveh that great city, God is omnipotent omniscient and omni-present, God working in His mysterious ways, God's omnipotent help, green foliage, help us to be responsible, holy spirit, how foolish was that, hurt ourselves and others when we intentionally disobey God, if God spares life, in these two short days off, Jesus Christ, joah rose up to flee unto Tarshish, Jonah was fast asleep, Jonah went to Joppa, lay not upon us innocent blood, let us not perish for this man's life, LOVE, made vows, make multiple excuses, mercy, offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, others suffer for our disobedience, our sinful world can wake up, paid the fare thereof, problems are escalating, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, salvation, so shall the sea be calm unto you, spring, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that God will think on us, that we perish not, the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, the BIBLE, the long and short of the story, the lot fell on Jonah, the men feared the Lord exceedingly, the rebirth of our dead world, the safest wat to avoid trouble, the sea ceased her raging, the throne of grace, the weekend is here at last, the word of the Lord came unto Jonah, their wickedness is come up before me, these troubled times, they took up Jonah and cast him forth into the sea, thou O Lord hast done as it pleased thee, to handle unexpected storms properly, trusting faith, truth, wake up and smell the coffee, we beseech thee O Lord, we cannot escape god's presence, we cannot run from God without consequences, what meanest thou O sleeper, wherefore they cried unto the Lord, wisdom, wise guidance, with your generous help
Jonah 1:2. Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry (out) against it; for their wickedness is come before me.
And after the rain comes the sun … that’s the Lord’s decree. And so it’s been this Friday morning in early May, when the trees are blooming with new life and a picturesque colour of green foliage. That tells us that it’s surely spring, the rebirth of our dead world in the northern climes. And with that breath of freshness in the air, our Friday Mantra rose gaily to heaven: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at long last!’
And is it ever so nice to see leaves on the trees again. By the way, that tree in my neighbour’s backyard still has the old leaves that survived the winter, blowing along with the new ones. You can see their light brown colour amongst the light green of the new leaves. Will keep you informed on that unusual scenario. (smile)
And today, we’ll also look at another interesting story, that of the prophet Jonah. The Bible tells it thus: ‘Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah (Dove) the son of Amittai (Truth), saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry (out) against it; for their wickedness is come before me.’ (Jon. 1:1-2)
Now, that’s how it usually begins; with a directive from the Lord that we don’t care for. So what happens then? We make multiple excuses and then disobey the Lord’s directive. And Jonah was no different. The Bible continues: ‘But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.’ (Jon. 1:3)
How foolish was that eh? Did Jonah really expect to escape from the Lord’s presence? Likewise, do we really expect to escape from His presence when we run and hide from Him? Oh friends, hiding from Almighty God is impossible, because He’s omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present. Meaning, He’s all powerful, all knowing, and all present, or present everywhere. So, I don’t know if Jonah really thought he could run from the Lord without any consequences. But hopefully we know that. (smile)
And during the journey to Tarshish, a big storm arose, that wanted to break up the boat. So the voyagers were all afraid, and cried out to their own god, while casting out stuff to lighten the boat. ‘But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.’ (Jon. 1:5b) Like Jonah was doing a Jesus routine; fast asleep during the storm, while the boat was about to break up. (Mark 4:35-41) But like Jesus, his restful sleep was unfortunately disturbed.
‘So the shipmaster (captain) came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not. And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil (trouble) is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.’ (Jon. 1:6-7) How amazing eh mih people for the lot to fall on Jonah! But we all know that was the hand of the Lord working in His mysterious ways.
And there’s one important thing to note here; in our disobedience, or running from God, we don’t only hurt ourselves, but very often innocent people too. The other people on the ship didn’t do anything to warrant the trouble, but Jonah’s disobedient presence amongst them, forced them to withstand unnecessary trouble. So please, let’s think seriously about what we’re doing when we try to get away from God, for some of our LOVED ones might end up suffering for our disobedience.
The long and short of Jonah’s story is that he eventually told his shipmates what was happening with him. And when they asked what they could do so that the sea would be calm; ‘And he said unto them, Take (pick) me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto (for) you: for I know that for my sake (because of me) this great tempest is upon you.’ (Jon. 1:12) But the men didn’t take him seriously and still rowed hard through the storm trying to come to land.
But the storm was too powerful for them. ‘Wherefore they cried unto the Lord, and said, We beseech thee O Lord, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us (do not charge us) with innocent blood: for thou O Lord hast done as it pleased thee.’ (Jon. 1:14) And there was absolutely no doubt about that; the Lord had indeed done as He pleased. (smile) ‘So they took up (lifted) Jonah, and cast him forth (hurled him) into the sea: and the sea ceased her raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord and made vows.’ (Jon. 1:15-16)
Now, it doesn’t always happen thus, but fortunately in this case, Jonah’s disobedience might also have created some believers, as they witnessed God’s immense power. However, the safest way to stop potential trouble from happening, is always to obey the Lord’s directive. And tomorrow, if God spares life, we will continue with Jonah’s story, and see what other valuable lessons we can learn from it. Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant seeking divine aid to help in these troubled times.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. 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 please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good 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 as we keep saying, it’s not only the unbelievers who need to wake up and smell the coffee, but also we supposedly faithful believers, because our Christian witness still leaves a lot to be desired. Much LOVE!
…oh…how we hurt ourselves and others…when we intentionally disobey God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a complete satisfaction, a genreal designation of the dwelling place of the saved, a proof of spiritual rebirth, a strong will, abundance, acknolwedges their sin, be as a tree planted by the waters, behooves us to go out and share those blessings, being fortunate, blessed a certain characterisitic of someone who want to serve God, blessed are the meek, blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are they that mourn, blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, blessed is the man tha trusteth in the Lord, children of the Most High God Jehovah, christianity, Christians, clear direction for my life, come to know and love him like we do, comforted by the compassion of God, comforted in confession, courage, creativity, curse, delay the greenery of spring, divine grace, divine protection, experience a deep desire for personal rightousness, experience profound inner joy and spiritual well being, faith, favour, favoured by God, frost avisory warning, future possessors of earth, good freinds, good health, got a zeppo, gratitude for life's gifts, he filleth the hungry soul with goodness, he satisfieth the longing soul, her leaf shall be green, holy spirit, how prideful foolish and unwise nakind can be, humbled by the grace og God, hunger and thirst for what only God can give, if God spares life, independent of circumstances, inherit the kingdom of heaven, Jesus Christ, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, LOVE, mercy, mourn for human anguish, mourn for sin, negative word, neither shall cease from yielding fruit, promotion, salvation, shall not be careful in the year of drought, shall not see when heat comes, spiritual poverty, spreadeth out her roots by the river, supernatural wisdom, talent, the Beatitudes, the BIBLE, the kingdom Jesus preached is both in you and yet to moe, the opposite of the proud and haughty in spirit, the penultimate day of our work week, the presently installed rightful heirs, the Sermon on the Mount, their dependence on God to save them, theirs is the kingdom of heaven, they shall be comforted, they shall be filled, they shall inherit the earth, those who mourn for sin cahll be cmforted in, to possess divine favour, true blessings only come from sincere association with God, truth, ultimately share in the kingdom of God on earth, wanting something but not willing to pay the price, whose hope the Lord is, wisdom
Jeremiah 17:7. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.
And then it was Thursday, the penultimate day of our work week, and are we ever looking forward to Friday and the weekend. But wait, am I seeing correctly? The computer is giving me a Frost advisory warning. Between the last day of April and the first day of May, we should expect frost… Let’s hope that isn’t true, for the young buds are just beginning to appear on the trees, and a frost cover would only inhibit their growth and thus further delay the greenery of spring that we’re all just dying to see, after a tough winter.
But yuh know what, we can handle anything that comes against us because we are children of the Most High God Jehovah and thus are blessed. And talking about being blessed, I read a scripture earlier this morning that talked about it, and afterward got a zeppo that we should check out some scriptures that deal with the subject. (smile) And there are several interesting ones in the Bible. But before we begin looking at scriptures about being blessed, it might be useful to first have a definition of what we mean by being blessed.
And this overview explains it thus: ‘”Be blessed” generally means to be favored by God, to possess divine favor, or to experience profound inner joy, peace, and spiritual well-being independent of circumstances. It signifies being fortunate, consecrated, or fortunate to have something. The term is used in both spiritual contexts (divine grace) and secular, everyday language (gratitude for life’s gifts).’
So, however we take it, blessed means to be rich or well-off in certain aspects of life. And the scripture I read earlier on certainly displays those sentiments. And it’s a scripture that we all know from the prophet Jeremiah, speaking on the Lord’s behalf ‘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! What a marvellous blessing! You’d think that all of us would then be running down such an awesome blessing by totally putting our trust in the Lord God Jehovah. But we’re not. However, we all want to be blessed like that tree. That just goes to show how prideful, foolish and unwise mankind can be; desperately wanting something but not willing to pay the price to get it. Yes friends, we all want to be blessed by the Lord, but we don’t want to live the way He desires, so foolishly we forego His many blessings.
And Jesus brought the message of blessing to the forefront by giving us the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount. Each of the Beatitudes begins with the word ‘Blessed’ and talks about a certain characteristic of a person who wants to serve God, or who has been saved. Jesus begins with ‘Blessed are the poor in Spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matt. 5:3) And the scholars explain that by saying: ‘The poor in spirit are the opposite of the proud or haughty in spirit. They have been humbled by the grace of God and have acknowledged their sin and therefore their dependence on God to save them. They will inherit the kingdom of heaven; is a general designation of the dwelling place of the saved.’
Then the next Beatitude says: ‘Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.’ (Matt. 5:4) And the scholars offer this explanation of that verse. ‘Those that mourn … shall be comforted. The depth of the promise of these statements is almost inexhaustible. Those who mourn for sin shall be comforted in confession. Those who mourn for the human anguish of the lost shall be comforted by the compassion of God.’
Now here’s the next Beatitude: ‘Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth (land).’ (Matt, 5:5) Which the scholars say refers again to those who have been humbled before God and will not only inherit the blessedness of heaven, but also will ultimately share in the kingdom of God on earth. Here in the opening statements of the Sermon on the Mount, is the balance between the physical and spiritual promise of the kingdom. The kingdom of which Jesus preached is both “in you” and is yet “to come.”
We then hear this awesome promise from our Lord and Saviour: ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’ (Matt. 5:6) And the scholars say that ‘These future possessors of the earth are its presently installed rightful heirs, and even now they hunger and thirst after righteousness. They experience a deep desire for personal righteousness, which in itself is a proof of their spiritual rebirth. Those who are poor and empty in their own spiritual poverty recognize the depth of their need, and they hunger and thirst for that which only God can give them. They shall be filled refers to a complete satisfaction. The psalmist proclaimed: “He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.’ (Ps. 107:9)
Ah friends, I do hope we’ve gotten an understanding of the Beatitudes that we’ve covered so far, only halfway, because time and space are forcing us to stop for today. So tomorrow, if God spares life, then we’ll continue looking at the Beatitudes and some other scriptures that talk about being blessed. Now, let’s turn and declare our Thursday Blessings; undeserved blessings which the Lord 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!’
And having made that declaration, it now behooves us to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…true blessings…only come from…sincere association with God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
22 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a direct admonishment about complaining, a terrible pain, a twisted knee, alive and functioning, all these things happened unto them for examples, among whom ye shine as lights of the world, another shot of pain coursing through the ole body through, as some of them also murmured, as some of them also tempted, brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness, Chrisitans, christianity, complaining is prevalent in our society, complaining is the devil's attirude, destroyed by serpents, destroyed of the destroyer, do all things without murmurings and disputings, endure right to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, Give God praise for He's a good God, grudge not one against another, halfway home, hands on the plough, heard of the patience of Job, heard the bone in my knee crack, holy spirit, if God spares life, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, Jesus Christ, lest ye be condemned, let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall, LOVE, mercy, Moses prayed for the people, Moses warned the Israelites about complaining, much people of Israel died, neither let us tempt Christ, neither murmur ye, not a happy camper, not turning back, our soul detests this manna, our soul loathed this light bread, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, pain has been my constant companion, pray unto the Lord that He take away the serpents, salvation, second wind day, seen the intended end by the Lord, so glad to be alive, spoken in the name of the Lord, take the prophets as examples of suffering affliction and patience, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the Israelites complained about lack of food and water in the wilderness, the judge stands at the door, the Lord heareth your murmurings, the Lord is very compassionate and of a tender mercy, the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, the people spake against God and Moses, the serpents bit the people, the sons of God, the soul of the people was much discouraged, there is no bread neither water, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, we count them happy which endure, we have sinned, we have spoken against God, Wednesday Wail, why do bad things happen to good people, wisdom, wise advice, with the help of God, without rebuke, written for our admonition, ye may be blameless and harmless, your murmurings are against the Lord
Philippians 2:14. Do all things without murmurings (grumbling) and disputings:
Aye friends, it’s a sunny and fairly warm Wednesday morning, the day we supposedly catch our second wind, but I don’t know anything about catching no second wind nuh, (smile) all I can say is that the ole fella is not a happy camper. I don’t know if the Lord took umbrage, was displeased or whatever, when I said yesterday that I would be glad to see the absence of pain from our lives because it’s been my constant companion over the last several years.
But whether that’s true or not, yesterday afternoon after writing the Bit, I went upstairs to the kitchen to fix something to eat. And, lo, and behold, during the preparation, I turned away from the kitchen counter to do something, I don’t even remember what it was, but all I know is that a terrible pain shot through my right knee. It seems like instead of turning my whole body, I simply turned my knee and twisted it. And to make matters even worse, later in the evening, I bent down to unplug an electronic device and unexpectedly heard the bone in my knee crack, with another shot of pain running through my ole body.
Obviously I doctored it with some of whatever the Duchess had, and although I can walk a bit, getting up and sitting down are not easy, but trying to lie down is the worst; I have to lift my leg with my hand and put it in the bed. Turning around in the bed is not particularly pain free either. And although the Duchess advised me not to come down to the basement to write the Bit, how could I not do what I’m called to do once I’m alive and functioning somewhat eh?
But you should have seen me coming down the basement stairs just now with a bottle of water in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other, trying to put one foot in front of the other in a way that would ease the pain, while trying to hold on to the handrail for balance. It was certainly a ‘jokified’ scene, but with the help of God, I made it down without any further negative incidents. Give God praise, for He’s indeed a good God! Now, that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it. (smile)
Anyway, as they say, who knows why bad things happen to good people, (smile) but we’ll take this unfortunate incident to consider what the Bible says about complaining. And we’ll begin with Bruh Paul’s direct admonishment about complaining in his missive to the Philippians. He says: ‘Do all things without murmurings (grumbling) and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless (innocent), the sons (children) of God, without rebuke (fault), in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation (generation), among whom ye shine as lights in the world.’ (Phil. 2:14-15)
Meanwhile James tells us: ‘Grudge not (don’t grumble) one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned (judged): behold, the judge standeth before the door. Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering, affliction, and of patience. Behold we count them happy (blessed) which endure. Ye have heard of the patience (perseverance) of Job, and have seen the end of (the intended end by) the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful (compassionate), and of tender mercy.’ (James 5:9-11)
And it could not get any clearer than that my brethren. However, from the very beginning the Israelites complained about lack of food and water in the wilderness, and Moses warned them about complaining. ‘And Moses said, This shall be when the Lord shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the Lord heareth your murmurings which ye murmur (grumble) against him; and what are we? Your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord.’ (Ex. 16:8)
Yes friends, when we murmur or grumble, it’s against the Lord we’re really murmuring because He’s the one who’s set the path for our lives. And that time, the Lord heard the Israelites pleas and sent them quail and manna, but that did not stop them from complaining, as Bruh Paul points out two occasions in his first letter to the Corinthians.
‘Neither let us tempt (test) Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples (examples): and they are written for our admonition (instruction), upon whom the ends of the world (ages) are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.’ (1 Cor. 10:9-12)
What wise advice my people; only wish the Israelites had taken it. And that first example Bruh Paul mentions comes from the Israelites complaining even after they had defeated the Canaanites with the Lord’s help. The Bible tells us: ‘And they journeyed from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged (impatient) because of the way. And the people spake against God, and against Moses,
Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water, and our soul loatheth (detests) this light bread (manna). And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people of Israel came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.’ (Num. 21:4-7)
Oh my people, please let that be an example to us, with all the grumbling and complaining that’s so prevalent in our current society. Now there’s more for us to talk about on the subject of complaining, but it will make the Bit too long and unwieldy, so we’ll leave that for tomorrow, if God spares life obviously. Therefore, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And for those who endure with Christ right to the very end, an even more exciting and glorious future is earmarked for them. So let’s be wise and endure to the end nuh, so that we can enjoy it together! Much LOVE!
…complaining is not a Christian attitude or attribute…but comes from the devil himself…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
18 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a foundational truth of our faith, a warning to christians, be of good courage, catch our second wind, Christians, endure to the end, faith, get up and get moving, go through tough times to learn to wait in faith, gone before me, halfway home, hands on the plough, he shall strengthen thine heart, holy spirit, I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, I would have told you, if God spares life, if I go and prepare a place for you, if it were not so, in my Father's house are many mansions, in the unknown future, Jane Williams, Jesus Christ, King of Kings, learn patience through experience, left behind, let not your heart be troubled, LOVE, Mellitus College, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not looking back, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, Prayers through the Ages, salvation, so glad to be alive, spend eternity with Christ, teach me to wait with patience, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the Lord of lords, the promise of answered prayer, the promise of Christ's return, the promise of peace, the promise of spirtual power, the rewards of Christian living are enormous, to a glorious future with Jesus, to know your presence, to our detriment, to prepare a place for me, to trust that you are with me, to watch with alertness, treat us with dignity and respect, truth, wait in faith I say on the Lord, wait in faith on the Lord, waiting with patience is a big problem, Wednesday Wail, where I am there ye may be also, wisdom
John 14:3. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Now after Monday and Tuesday, comes Wednesday, the day we catch our second wind. And can you believe that it’s already Wednesday, when we were just complaining about it being Monday and having to go back out to work after a relaxing weekend? (smile) That shows how quickly the days, months and years are moving along, warning us Christians to get up and get ourselves together and move along with them, otherwise, to our detriment, we’ll get left behind. Remember, Christ was always a proactive person. He didn’t wait for others to make a move. He usually made the first move. So let’s learn from His example and get doing what we know we’re supposed to do. End of Sermon! (smile)
Today, we’re going to share a short but very interesting prayer credited to Jane Williams, a professor at St. Mellitus College in London, England, founded in 2007, whose mission is to provide innovative theological education and training for those called to serve Christ in the church and the world. This prayer can be found in the 2025 publication of the Anglican Diocese of Toronto, titled ‘Prayers Through The Ages.’ So please pray with me: ‘Christ, you have gone before me to prepare a place for me, that where you are there I may be also. Teach me to wait with patience, to watch with alertness, to trust that you are with me in the unknown future and to know your presence.’
Oh friends, the prayer is short and simple but contains a whole lot of biblical references, and things that Christians ought to know and be doing. Let’s look at the first sentence: ‘Christ you have gone before me to prepare a place for me, that where you are I may be also.’ Now that is a foundational truth of our faith. We believe that Christ rose from the dead and ascended back to heaven in part to prepare a place for us to spend eternal life with Him. And it’s not me who said that, but Jesus.
Listen to how He puts it to the disciples and consequently to us: ‘Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.’ (John 14:1-3) So you see when we believe that, it means we’re believing in Jesus.
And the scholars offer theses explanations. ‘Let not your heart be troubled refers to Peter, Jesus just having told him of his imminent denial of his Lord (13:38). But the larger reference is to all the apostles, through whom Jesus is going to lay the foundation of the church. His comfort also includes instruction about His departure, the sending of the Holy Spirit, the promise of spiritual power, of answered prayer, and of peace, but especially the promise of His return.’
And thankfully, all that Jesus promised the disciples long ago, has now been bequeathed to us, fellow believers in His cause. Isn’t it just great knowing that we have a place being prepared for us by the Lord of Lord and King of Kings where we will spend eternity with Him! It’s not only great, but sensational! Knowing that such a lofty person has taken the time to look upon us poor mortals and treat us with dignity and respect that we don’t deserve, is indeed mind boggling! (smile)
However, before we get to those wonderful hallowed halls of heaven, there are certain things we first need to take care of here on earth. Like the prayer says, ‘Teach me to wait with patience.’ Now that’s one of our biggest problems, because we want every thing now for now, but God doesn’t operate that way. He takes His time to do stuff, and if we want to enjoy His best blessings, we need to learn to wait on His timing. And there are numerous scriptures, especially in the Psalms, that deal with that tough subject. But I think Bruh David says it best in psalm 27: ‘Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith), I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:14)
Now that’s what we need to do, but it’s difficult to do in these busy and crazy times when everything moves so quickly. And sadly, we only learn patience though experience. Yes, we have to go through tough times to learn to wait in faith on God. There’s no quick way to do it. Now, there are some other aspects of the prayer we need to consider but it will make the Bit too long. So, if God spares life, tomorrow we will continue looking at it. In the meanwhile let’s declare our Wednesday Wail. Letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we stick with Jesus right to the very end, then there’s a promise of an even more glorious future. One that we cannot imagine or comprehend. So let’s stick to the end nuh, so that we can enjoy it together! Much LOVE!
…true Christian living is not easy…and it takes time…but the rewards are enormous..
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, amidst all the anxiety and confusion, be responisble, bow to none other than Almighty God, by the example that we faithful believers set, can wake up and smell the coffee, christianity, Christians, crying out for God's help, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, divine aid, embrace your love and compassion, enjoy the weekend, faith, fear not, four men walking loose in the fire, Friday chant, god moves in mysterious ways, God's omnipotent help, heated seven time more than normal, help to navigate this crazy world, holy spirit, I am the Lord thy God, I have called thee by name, I have redeemed thee, I will be with thee, I will give men for thee, if God spares life, introduce a new flock of believers, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, Nebuchadnezzar, our Christian witness is not good enough, our sinful world can wake up, people for thy life, problems are escalating, reach our destination safely, redeemed by Jesus Christ, refused to bow to a golden calf, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, Shadrach Meshach Abednego, show them the error of their ways, stand strong and steadfast, stay safe, strong in faith, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the evening commute, the fourth is like the son of God, the Holy One of Israel, the Lord keeps all his promises, the real power of faith is shown in the positive action of faith, the throne of grace, the weather conditions, these ungodly times, they have no hurt, they shall not overflow thee, thou art mine, thou hast been honoured, thou wast precious in my sight, through the rivers, thrown into a furnace of fire, thy Saviour, trusting faith, truth, use the discontent and dissatisfaction, when thou passest through the waters, wisdom, wise guidance and direction, with God's help
Isaiah 43:1b. O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
And it’s Friday friends; the day we’ve all been looking forward to. And we’ve offered up our Friday Mantra: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at last!’ However, I don’t think we’ll be happy with the weather conditions, for they are forecasting rain and snow for today. Well, the rain has already begun, which means it’s wet and cloudy, now we’re only waiting for it to change to snow.
And if that happens before the evening commute, it will be a long and dangerous time for many getting home to enjoy the weekend. But there’s not much we can do about the weather conditions except grin and bear it, and take our time moving through it, and with God’s help, eventually get to our destination safely.
And who says our God isn’t great and moves in mysterious ways eh? After talking about the weather, I didn’t know what to write on, so, as always, in those situations, I simply opened the Bible, and the Lord be praised, it fell open to this most appropriate scripture from the prophet Isaiah, talking about being redeemed by the Lord.
Please read with me: ‘But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned: neither shall the flame kindle upon (scorch) thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee (in thy place). Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable (honoured), and I have LOVED thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.’ (Is. 43:1-4)
What a marvellous promise my people! And we know the Lord keeps all His promises. He did indeed redeem Israel from all the terrible consequences of her rebellion, by bringing her back to her former land and making her great again. And the same way God reassured them: ‘Fear not: for I have redeemed thee,’ it’s the same thing He’s saying to us today, and we know that it’s true, because we have been redeemed by His Son Jesus Christ! So there’s nothing to fear!
And if you think our great God cannot protect us from the floods and fires, just check out the scripture in Daniel chapter 3, where his three friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who refused to bow down to a golden calf made by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar, were thrown into a furnace of fire heated seven times hotter than normal. And what was the result? Because the fire was so hot, it slew the men who took the three Hebrew men up to the mouth of the furnace and cast them in.
But what of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego? The Bible tells us: ‘Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was atonied (astonished), and rose up in haste, and spake, and said to his counsellors (high officials), did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt (are not hurt); and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God (like a son of the gods).’ (Dan. 3:24-25)
Yes friends, anything is possible when your faith in Jehovah God is strong. They knew that the Lord could save them, but were not sure of it, yet, they still refused to bow to an idol. And that’s how we ought to be in these terrible times of ungodliness and evil. So strong in faith that whatever comes against us, we will not bow to anyone but God Almighty!
But here’s some interesting info from the scholars, who say, re The fourth is like the Son of God: (lit., a son of the gods”): Neb had no knowledge of Christ and was probably saying nothing more than that a divine being was protecting the three men. The fourth person may have been the preincarnate Christ, who often appears in the Old Testament as “the angel of the Lord,” or may have been an angel sent by God to protect them.’
Unfortunately though friends, we’ll have to stop there for today, because the story although it has a wonderful ending, will make the Bit much too long, and we’re already on a late bus. (smile) So if God spares life tomorrow, we’ll continue with the awesome story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant to find divine aid to help us successfully navigate this stormy and crazy world.
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 friends, although our prayers might be sincere, our Christian witness is not good enough, and until it improves, we will not see much divine aid! So let’s up the ante on our witness nuh! Much LOVE!
…the real power of faith…is not shown merely in talk of faith…but in the positive action of faith…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
18 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a place of show, anoint thine head, another round of snow, appear not unto men to fast, appear unto men to fast, Ash Wednesday, by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, call a solemn assembly, command that these stones be made bread, disfigure their faces, endure to the end with Jesus, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, falsehood, fasted forty days and forty nights, fasting, freezing rain, God is gracious, God's Word is all we need, halfway home, hands on the plough, holy spirit, if God spares life, if thou be the Son of God, in whom I am well pleased, into the wilderness, it is written, Jesus baptized by John the Baptist, Jesus Christ, Jesus was led up of the spirit, Jesus' source of strength, Jesus' use of scripture to resist temptation, Lent, LOVE, man shall not live by bread alone, material wealth, merciful, mercy, mourning, not looking back, obedience to the Father's will, of a sad countenance, of great kindness, on a late bus, our second wind day, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, outward deceitful doings, physical pleasure, prayer, raise our societal stature, relents from doing harm, rend your heart and not your garments, repenteth him of evil, repentnace, salvation, sanctify a fast, self-examination, slow to anger, so glad to be alive, suffer for suffering sake, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the Spirit of God descending like a dove, this is my beloved Son, to a glorious future with Jesus, to be tempted by Satan, to be tempted by the devil, to please man, truth, turn unto the Lord your God, turn ye even to me with all your heart, wash thy face, Wednesday Wail, weeping, when ye fast be not as the hypocrites, wisdom
Matthew 4:4. But he (Jesus) answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Oh friends, it’s Wednesday, our second wind day…and unfortunately we on a late bus! But many of us shouldn’t need to catch a second wind, since this is only our second day of work this week, unless we’re still tired rom the Family Day celebrations this past weekend. (smile) However, we will certainly need some help to deal with the serious freezing rain that’s happening in our area. The above freezing temps of the last few days have suddenly disappeared and the computer is calling for snow later. So let’s get prepared for another round of snow and cold temperatures, for that’s what happens in winter. (smile)
Now, today is also a special day in the life of the Christian Church; Ash Wednesday, which begins the season of Lent. Lent represents the forty days that Jesus spent in the wilderness fasting and being tempted by Satan, without wavering in His faith. During these forty days before Easter the believer is expected to carry out a serious discipline of fasting, repentance, prayer and self-examination. However within those confines there are certain parameters of do’s and don’ts. And we’ll begin with this interesting scripture from Joel, who after warning about the Dark Day of the Lord, (Joel 2:1-11) then announces the Lord’s Call to Repentance.
And is there ever a great need for repentance in today’s very sinful world! Not only from the unbelievers, but also from we supposed believers. So, listen up, as Joel writes: ‘Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend (tear) your heart, and not your garments, and turn (return) unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness (LOVING-KINDNESS), and repenteth him of the evil (relents from doing harm).
Who knoweth if he will return and repent (turn and relent), and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering (meal or grain) unto the Lord your God? Blow the trumpet (ram’s horn) in Zion, sanctify (consecrate) a fast, call a solemn (sacred) assembly.’ (Joel 2:12-15) Now friends, that’s possibly what we need to do; call a big, sacred fast, and turn back to the Lord our God, from whom many have turned away in the search for physical pleasure and material wealth.
But before we move on, hear this crucial explanation from the scholars . As per ‘rend your heart and not your garment,’ they say: ‘The customary way a Jew showed his grief was to tear his outer garment. This external sign could be meaningless. The tearing of the outer garment is useless unless the heart is also broken in repentance and contrition.’ And sadly, that’s what many of us do nowadays; have outward shows of fasting, repentance and all the other sacrificial stuff when in reality our hearts are not truly involved.
That’s why Jesus warned us thus about fasting. ‘Moreover when ye fast, be not as the hypocrites (pretenders), of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.’ (Matt. 6:16-18) Ah mih people, this society has become such a place of show and falsehood, of outward deceitful doings to please man, and raise our societal stature that you don’t know what or whom to believe. But as true disciples of Jesus, we should not be doing anything just to be seen and uplifted by mankind.
And we could not talk about Ash Wednesday and not consider the temptations that Jesus suffered after being baptized by John the Baptist in the River Jordan, with the Spirit of God descending like a dove, alighting on Him, and the voice from heaven saying, ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ (Matt. 3:16-17) After that, the Bible tells us: ‘Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered (hungry) And when the tempter came to him, he said, if thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he (Jesus) answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.’ (Matt. 4:1-4)
And according to the scholars, the victory in each aspect of the temptation is related to Jesus’ use of Scripture. It is written: First He quotes Deuteronomy 8:3, about man not living by bread alone, but by the Word of God. The source of bread is more important than the bread itself. Later, during the conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus would say to the disciples, “I have meat to eat that ye know not of.” (John 4:32) Jesus’ source of strength was obedience to the Father’s will and He would not even work a miracle to avoid personal suffering when such suffering was a part of God’s purpose for Him.’
Wow! Not many of us would have the resilience and obedience to suffer for suffering sake. And imagine the contradiction in Jesus’ earlier situation nuh, where, after being highly praised by the Father, the Spirit led Him into the wilderness to suffer and be tempted. But that’s often how it is in the Will of God, and we just have to learn to live with it, by looking at the rewards at the end. Now there are two other temptations that Jesus experienced in the wilderness, but because there is so much information contained in them, it would make the Bit much too long if we included them today. So, if God spares life tomorrow, then we will continue with those other temptations.
Now let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And for those who endure to the end with Jesus, there’s an even more glorious future to enjoy. So, hope to see you there! Much LOVE!
…the Bible…the Word of God…contains ALL we need to live this earthly life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook on life, a smiley kind of day, a winter storm, abundance, Accept god's sovereignty over our lives, action comes with a hefty price, Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed with God's supernatural widom, charged God foolishly, come to know and love christ like we do, community support, courage, curse, curse God and die, dent our spirits, faith, favour, fell upon the ground and worshipped, fulfilment, God can bring purpose out of suffering, guidance for navigating difficult times, He keepeth all his bones, holy spirit, if God spares life, immediate relief, in all this, it's the Lord's perogative to gie and to take, Jesus Christ, Job arose and rent his mantle, Job sinned not, LOVE, made of sterner stuff, many are the afflictions of the righteous, mercy, misfortune is a part of life, naked came I out of my mother's womg, naked shall I return thither, negative word, not one of them is broken, one of those day, perseverance, prosper and succeed, salvation, saveth such as be of a contrite spirit, shaved his head, take difficulties in stride, talent, talk is cheap, the aberrations of winter, the BIBLE, the Christian life, the Lord delivereth him out of them all, the Lord gave, the Lord hath taken away, the Lord heareth and delivereth them out of all their troubles, the Lord is nigh unto them of a broken heart, the Lord's timetable, the response that God expects, the righteous cry, truth, undaunted faith in action, undeserved blessings, wisdom, without blaming something or someone, without complaining
Job 1:21b. the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.
Oh friends, as the song says, it’s just one of those days; one of those beautiful Thursdays when everything is covered in white, several inches deep. (smile) Yes, a winter storm has dropped a lot of snow on us during the past twelve hours, and it’s still sprinkling down as we speak. I can imagine the mess the morning commute must have been, and I’m sure many people could not even get to work because of it. But that’s the price we pay for living in the northern climes. Occasionally we’re hemmed in and severely restricted by the aberrations of the winter weather. (smile)
And after the storm … then comes the hard part; digging and shovelling ourselves out of it. The main roads in my area have not even been touched as yet, so you can imagine the chaos in the busier parts of the city. Usually, you’ll hear vehicles passing, but today nary a one is passing by, that’s to tell you the condition of the streets. But we’ll take it all in stride, as we usually do, and complain as we dig ourselves out, but we certainly won’t allow a li’l snow to dent or downgrade our spirits, for we are made of sterner stuff than that. (smile)
It’s a smiley kind of day. It has to be, or all the snow out there would just drive you crazy. And how do we do that? By turning to God’s Word which gives encouragement and reassurance in every instance of misfortune or disaster. It’s like the overview of this commentary says: ‘Scriptures on dealing with misfortune emphasize faith, perseverance, community support, and the belief that God can bring purpose out of suffering. The Bible acknowledges that misfortune is a part of life and provides guidance for navigating these difficult times.’
Yes my brethren, God’s Word certainly provides guidance for navigating difficult times. So let’s look at a few of them nuh, so we can gain some reassurance on this snowy day. And there’s no better scripture to begin with than this one from Job, where after losing everything; the Bible tells us: ‘Then Job arose, and rent (tore) his mantle (robe), and shaved his head, and fell upon the ground, and worshipped. And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.’ (Job 1:20-22)
And yes, that kind of faith and righteous behaviour is indeed difficult to show forth when tragedy befalls us, but it’s the necessary response that God expects. Please note that the first thing Job did was worship the Lord. And that’s where it ought to begin, although it’s not easy to remember that or to do it, even when we remember. And then Job did not blame the Lord for His misfortune, although the Lord had to be involved in some form and fashion for He oversees everything that happens to us. Job simply stated the logic of it all: the Lord gave, now the Lord’s taken away what He gave. That’s His prerogative.
So although his life had gone from heaven to hell in a short time, Job did not blame God or curse him and die, as his wife told him to do. (Job 2:9) Unfortunately though, many of us don’t have that kind of faith which enables us to take our difficulties in stride without complaining or blaming something, or someone, God included. But that is the kind of faith we need to have if we expect to successfully navigate this world as followers of Jesus. We need to truly trust and accept God’s sovereignty over all the matters in our lives.
Meanwhile these marvellous words of Bruh David from Psalm 34 encourages us to turn to prayer when difficulties arise. He writes: ‘The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The Lord is nigh (near) unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit (crushed in spirit). Many are the afflictions of the righteous: bur the Lord delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.’ (Ps. 34:17-20)
Yes my fellow believers, the Lord does all of that, but unfortunately it’s on His own timetable. We want immediate relief, but the Lord has what He considers important reasons for not granting immediate relief. And I can tell you about that from personal example. In the last few weeks I’ve been crying out to the Lord for relief from the pains in my stomach, and I did not doubt that it would eventually come, but for whatever reason, the Lord did not see fit to give me some relief until very recently. And as I said a couple of days ago, I don’t know if my attitude during that time was satisfactory in God’s eyes, for I did complain some, but I certainly did not curse Him.
That’s why talk is cheap, but action comes with a hefty price, which many of us are not prepared to pay. And sadly, it looks like time and space have run out on us, so we’ll stop there for today. Tomorrow, if God spares life, we’ll continue looking at some scriptures that encourage us in difficult times. Now, let’s declare our Thursday Blessings, underserved ones, generously bestowed on us by the Father 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!’
And having made that declaration (awright!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and use those blessings 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!
…the Christian life calls for showing undaunted, fearless faith in action…not merely in talk…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Sep 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a month of good weather, a pelican in the wilderness, a sparrow alone on a house top, adorationworship, all the kings of the earth thy glory, an owl of the desert, as we forgive our debtors, blurt out our needy requests, but thou O Lord shall endure forever, come to know and love him like we do, comes sincerely from the heart, Consider This, daily bread, deliver us from evil, desires to hear our problems, divine intervention, don't make it a habit, don't take it for granted, duty bound, eaten ashes like bread, faith, for thine is the kingdom, forgive us our debts, give us this day our daily bread, hallowed be thy name, hear my prayer O Lord, help us in the best way possible, holy spirit, hurry, if God spares life, in earth as it is in heaven, in god's eyes, In Touch Devotional, Jesus Christ, Jesus is our personal friend, Jesus taught his followers to pray, lead us not into temptation, let my cry come unto thee, LOVE, loves us closer than a brother, mercy, mingled my drink with weeping, my bones burn like glowing embers, my bones cleave to my skin, my days are like a shadow, my days vanish like smoke, my enemies reproach me all the day, my heart is blighted, Our Father which art in heaven, prayer is welcome in heaven, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, soothes his troubled mind, the beloved of God, the heathen shall fear thy name, the last day of September, The Lonely Soul, the power and the glory for ever, the prayer of the destitute, the unchanging nature of God, the voice of my groaning, thine indignation, thou hast lifted me up and cast me down, thy kingdom come, thy remembrance unto all generations, thy will be done, thy wrath, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wisdom, withered like grass, worry
Psalm 102:1. Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come unto thee.
Oh friends, it’s Tuesday, another beautiful summer’s day! It’s also the last day of September; a month that’s been awfully good to us in terms of weather conditions. It’s provided so many nice, bright, sunshiny and warm days that we’re not accustomed to at this time of year, that I’m anxiously wondering what the month of October will offer us. But we’ll have to wait until tomorrow to find that out, if God spares life. (smile)
Anyway, today we’re going to look at an article in the September In Touch Devotional under the title of Consider This. So please read with me. ‘When Jesus taught His followers how to pray, He began with adoration and worship and ended with a request – a model many of us follow today. In Psalm 102, we find an honest cry from the writer’s heart: ‘For my days vanish like smoke; my bones burn like glowing embers. My heart is blighted and withered like grass; I forget to eat my food (Ps. 102:3-4 -New International Version).
It’s only after this revelation, this transparency before him, that the writer praises God for who he is and the ways He is faithful. Sometimes, before we can offer praise and adoration, we need to talk to God about how we’re feeling. And that’s okay. Jesus is Lord, but He is also our friend – one who wants to hear how we’re doing and listen to our honest, unfiltered selves.’
Ah mih people, that’s all oh so true! Jesus gave us a model pray in what we call The Lord’s Prayer, where He offers up praise and adoration before asking for a personal request. He taught us thus: ‘Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (the evil one): for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.’ (Matt. 6:9-13)
Yes friends, we see Jesus giving the Father glory and adoration before asking for His daily bread. And that’s a good model to follow, if we do it sincerely, so that God knows we’re not just coming to Him for selfish and greedy reasons, but we also value His Lordship and sovereignty. However, sometimes we’re so befuddled, anxious, afraid or whatever, that we don’t have time, or cannot even form words of adoration, and all we can do is blurt out our needy requests to God. And as the article says, that’s also okay with the Lord, for Jesus is our personal friend, the One who LOVES us closer than a brother, and He’s only to glad to hear our problems and then help us in the best way possible.
But we ought not to make it a habit and/or simply take it for granted. No. For just like we don’t like others to come to us just bleating out their wants and needs, but to at least make some pleasant conversation first, (smile) so does the Lord in general like to hear our appreciation and admiration for His heavenly grandeur. And having said all of that, let’s see what Psalm 102 has to say. And the very title, ‘The Lonely Soul,’ as well as the preamble before the psalm, tell us a whole lot about it. ‘A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the Lord.’ Now that’s something many of us know about. (smile)
So, please read with me. ‘Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come unto thee. Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble: incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily. For my days are consumed (vanish) like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth (a fire in a fireplace). My heart is smitten (stricken), and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread. By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave (cling) to my skin (flesh).
I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert. I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top. Mine enemies reproach me all the day; and they that are mad against me (deride me) are sworn against me. For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping, Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up (exalted me), and cast me down. My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass.’ (Ps. 102:1-11)
Now that’s certainly telling the Lord what’s wrong. However, right after pouring out the troubles of his heart, the psalmist turns to praise and adoration, and confidently declares: ‘But thou, O Lord, shalt endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations. Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come. For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof.
So the heathen (Gentiles) shall fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth thy glory. When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory. He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer. This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord.’ (Ps. 102:12-18)
Then the psalmist continues for another ten verses pouring out his admiration and gratitude to Almighty God. And as the scholars so interestingly point out: ‘The answer to the psalmist’s grief is not, in this case, direct divine intervention to alter his situation, rather the psalmist’s own reflection on the unchanging nature of God in His dealings with men soothes his troubled mind.’
Wow! So, you see, once we truly know and LOVE the Lord, we don’t always need divine intervention to solve our problems, but it can also come from our very own reflections. And once we sincerely praise and adore our great God, it doesn’t matter when we do it, for heaven is not a place that stands only on rigid ceremony.
Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. ‘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!’
And having made that declaration (steups!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…any prayer is welcome in heaven…once it comes sincerely from the heart…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 Sep 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a confident and dependent trust in God, a warm welcome, Abraham's faith, abundant redemption, accepted in God's sight, be gracious unto you, be of good courage, being not weak in faith, blessed are all they that wait for him, challenges, considered not his own body dead, convinced that God could keep His promises, delivered for our offences, faith, faith has a purpose, faith must have a valid content, faith must have a valid object, faith produces works, giving God the glory, have mercy upon you, he shall strengthen thine heart, holy spirit, hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord, hurry, I wait for the Lord, if God spares life, if we beleive on him that raised Jesus from the dead, imputed to him for righteousness, in god's eyes, in his word I do hope, it is good that a man, Jesus Christ, Jesus' righteousness is available to all, let Israel hope in the Lord, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, mercy, more than they that watch for the morning, my soul doth wait, my soul waiteth for the Lord, no element of uncertainty, not written for his sake alone, plenteous redemption, proble, raised again for our justification, recued us from the throes of sin and death, redeem Israel from all his iniquities, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, strong in faith, the beloved of God, the deadness of Sarah's womb, the difficulty of waiting on God, the father of many nations, the Lord is a God of justice, the Lord is good unto them that wait for him, therefore will the Lord wait, to the soul that seeketh him, to whom it shall be imputed, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wait in faith on the Lord, waiting, waiting on God is not easy but it's wise, wavered not at God's promise through unbelief, who against hope believed in hope, with the Lord there is mercy, worry
Lamentations 3:25. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
A warm welcome to Tuesday, a sunny and fairly warm day, when all the stress and frustrations of Monday have been washed clean from the slate of life, and we’re only dealing with Tuesday and its problems and challenges! Wow! What a nice Bruh Paulean sentence! (smile) At least I am like Bruh Paul in one respect, I can write long and convoluted sentences.
Anyway, it’s another great day on God’s Planet Earth, so let’s enjoy it the best we can, which includes contemplating a couple of interesting verses from the Lamentations of Jeremiah. They come from that famous chapter 23, and say: ‘The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam. 3:25-26) And those verses are ever so true and resonate with a sense of the difficulty we all have of waiting patiently and earnestly on God.
It’s like the prophet Isaiah wrote re God’s graciousness and mercy in spite of Israel’s rebelliousness. ‘And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgement (justice): blessed are all they that wait for him.’ (Is. 30:18) And the scholars offer this explanation. ‘Because God is gracious and has been willing to wait for His people to return to Him, He will certainly bless those who wait for him. “Waiting” is a confident and dependent trust in God.’
And there are many verses in scripture that talk about waiting on God, though it’s not always easy to do. So let’s examine a couple more nuh, like this passage from Psalm 130 which says: ‘I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more that they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning. Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS), and with him is plenteous (abundant) redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.’ (Ps. 130:5-8)
Oh friends, that’s how we ought to hope, trust, have faith and wait in the Lord, for He’s promised us oodles of blessings if we wait on Him. And there’s no better example of patiently waiting, especially when there seemed to be no hope, than Abraham and God’s promise of a son from his own loins and thus becoming the father of many nations. It’s as Bruh Paul writes to the Romans re Abraham’s faith.
‘Who against (contrary to) hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb: he staggered (wavered) not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong (strengthened) in faith, giving God the glory. And being fully persuaded (convinced) that, what he had promised, he was also able to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.’ (Rom. 4:18-22)
Ah mih people, how many of us would have waited 25 years for God’s promise of a son eh, especially when the man was a hundred years old and the woman ninety? Not many of us. But Abraham believed that God was able to do what He promised, and thus waited patiently for it. And because of that strong faith and waiting ability, he was considered righteous. And you surely need a lot of faith to wait so long for something that went against the laws of nature.
And the scholars offer some interesting insights into those verses. ‘There are five essential characteristics of faith. (1) Faith must have a valid content. Paul quotes Gen. 17:5 (the promise to be the father of many nations); the content of Abraham’s faith was valid because that content was the revelation of God. (2) Faith must have a valid object. The object of Abraham’s faith was God, the giver of the revelation.
(3) Faith is contrary to hope and yet rests upon hope. This is a hope in which there is no element of uncertainty (vs. 18a). (4) Faith has a purpose. The purpose of Abraham’s faith was that he might become the father of many nations, realizing the promises given him in the Abrahamic covenant (cf. Gen. 12:1-3; vs. 18b). (5) Faith produces works. Abraham’s faith conditioned the way he lived. He staggered not (did not doubt) God’s promises.’
And these next verses are also very important. Bruh Paul writes: ‘Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for (because of) our offences, and was raised again for (because of) our justification.’ (Rom. 4:23-25) Yes friends, Abraham’s testimony was also an example for us, to encourage us to believe in God, the Father who rescued us from the throes of sin and death by the sacrificing His Son Jesus Christ.
And here are some explanations from the scholars. ‘But for us also: The principle of justification valid for Abraham is valid for all believers. Raised again for our justification: Because Jesus was raised from the dead we know that His sacrifice on Calvary was accepted in God’s sight and Jesus’ righteousness is available to all.’
Now, there’s much more to say on the subject of waiting on and hoping in God, but it’s too much for this one session, so, as always, if God spares life, we’ll continue on this topic tomorrow. But here’s this classic scripture to end on: In the words of Bruh David: ‘Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:14) That’s wise advice my brethren, and with it under our belts, let’s go home now declaring (chuhhh!!!) our Tuesday mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And now it behooves us to go out and share the amazing friendship and LOVE of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him the way we do! Much LOVE!
…waiting on God is not easy…but it’s ever so wise…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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