improve our witness for Christ

The Great, Unrepayable Debt We Owe to Jesus Christ and God the Father!

07 Sep 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a sound bite, all our gratitude, amazing pity, At the cross, bare our sins in his own body, bathed in its own blood, become extinct, by whose stripes ye were healed, Christ suffered for us, Christ the mighty maker died, Christians, committed himself, devote that sacred head, did my Saviour bleed, did my sovereign die, dissolve my heart in thankfulness, drops of grief can ne'er repay, eternal life, faith, faithful obedience of Christ, for crimes that i had done, for man the creature's sin, for sinners such as I, gave himself a ransom for all, God so loved the world, grace unknown, grateful to the Father, happy all the day, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, he groaned upon the tree, he threatened not, hellfire and damnation, hereunto were ye called, hide my blushing face, his soul in anguish stood, holy spirit, horrendous sacrifice, I give myself away, I received my sight, if ye love me keep my commandments, improve our witness for Christ, in the sight of God and our Saviour, invading their private spaces, isaac watts, it was there by faith, Jesus Christ, Jesus work on the cross, leaving us an example, like a dodo bird, live unto righteousness, LOVE, love beyond degree, melt my eyes to tears, mercy, neither was guile found in his mouth, now I'm happy all the day, now returned unto the shepherd, on the tree, one mediator between God and men, praise and worship, put our hearts, reviled not again, salvation, selfless sacrifice, shut his glories in, sweet jesus, sweet sacrifices of praise, that magnificent avenue for sinners, that we being dead to sins, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the bishop of your souls, the burden of my heart rolled away, the debt of love I owe, the everlasting option of salvation, the firm mark of wrath divine, the great love of God, the happiest people on the planet, the help of the Holy Spirit, the horrendous brutality of the cross, the last bell is ringing, the miserable lives of believers, the sin defeating power of the cross, the sun in darkness hide, there is one God, this is good and acceptable, thy body slain, tis all that I can do, to be testified in due time, to come unto the knowledge of the truth, to follow his steps, to him that judges righteously, too much noise, truth, unchristian-like attitudes, when he suffered, when he was reviled, where I first saw the light, who did no sin, who his own self, who will have all men to be saved, wisdom, worship Christ faithfully, you were as sheep going astray

1 Peter 2:24. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes (wounds) ye were healed.

Oh friends, Sunday has opened somewhat chilly and cloudy, but listen well, the last bell is ringing from church! That means if it stops and we’re not there, we’re late. And we don’t want to miss even one minute of praise and worship to our great God, so please, let’s get a move on!

Ah, those were the days when the bells would toll, inviting believers to come to the Lord’s sanctuary for spiritual renewal. But like many, old, but oh so good things, the ringing of church bells has become extinct like the dodo bird. People today would complain of too much noise, of invading their private spaces, but there’s more noise in the world today than there’s ever been, and a few church bells on a Sunday morning would not only remind us that it’s time for church, but would also add a good sound bite to the early morning air. (smile)

And on this first Sunday in September, we will open our service with a most wonderful and appropriate hymn, aptly titled ‘At the Cross.’ This is one of the many hymns written by Isaac Watts (1674 – 1748) and was published in the year 1707. It is an extremely popular hymn, even being used by many evangelists during their crusades. And it basically tells us about the horrendous sacrifice Jesus bore so that we could have the everlasting option of salvation.

But enough talk, let’s get to offering up sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, scintillating, mid-tempo version of the song. And as we sing, let’s remember that it was the only the great LOVE of God and the faithful, unswerving obedience of Christ that wrought that magnificent avenue for sinners, called salvation. A debt we can never repay, so let’s put our hearts and all the gratitude we have into it. And we’ll begin with the rocking refrain. (smile)

Singing: (Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day!) ‘Alas! and did my Savior bleed And did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head For sinners such as I? (Refrain) Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine— And bathed in its own blood— While the firm mark of wrath divine, His Soul in anguish stood. (Refrain)

Was it for crimes that I had done He groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity! grace unknown! And LOVE beyond degree! (Refrain) Well might the sun in darkness hide And shut his glories in, When Christ, the mighty Maker died, For man the creature’s sin. (Refrain) Thus might I hide my blushing face While His dear cross appears, Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, And melt my eyes to tears. (Refrain)

But drops of grief can ne’er repay The debt of LOVE I owe: Here, Lord, I give my self away ’Tis all that I can do. (Refrain) At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day! Now I am happy all the day…happy all the day…happy all the day…’

Now that was a truly heartfelt version, and so sincere, that it even had heaven singing along with us. (smile) And yuh know what friends, with all the selfless sacrifice that the Father and Jesus offered for us to achieve salvation and eternal life, we ought to be happy every single day! Yes, ALL believers ought to be happy that they’re no longer headed straight for hell fire and damnation because of Jesus’ work on the cross.

But one would never believe that we’re on our way to heaven, or wherever Jesus and the Father are, to spend eternity with them, judging by the sour, miserable and fearful lives so many of us supposed believers are living! Christians are supposed to be the happiest people on the planet. However, a stranger visiting planet earth would never believe that by the unhappy, unchristian-like attitudes we display.

And the first thing we need to remember about the cross and its sin defeating power is that it all stemmed from the Father’s great LOVE for His sinful, disobedient creation. As Jesus proclaimed to Nicodemus: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16)

That’s why we should always be so grateful to the Father, and worship Christ so faithfully and steadfastly, because He was the one who bore the horrendous brutality of dying on the cross, being buried, then being resurrected so that our abominable sins could be paid for.

And this scripture that Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy concerning prayers for all men, throws some light on our subject. He says: ‘For this (praying for all in authority) is good and acceptable in the sight of God and our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.’ (1 Tim. 2:3-6)

Yes friends, Jesus gave His life for us. There’s no doubt about that, and it’s a debt we can never repay, but neither Him nor the Father expect repayment, all they are looking for is to LOVE them and keep their commandments. As Jesus said: ‘If ye LOVE me, my commandments.’ (John 14:15) It’s as simple as that!

Then there’s the scripture, where Peter, in talking about submission to rulers and bearing our tribulations patiently, writes: ‘For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile (deceit) found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again (in return); when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes (wounds) ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop (Overseer) of your souls.’ (1 Pet. 2:21-25)

And all of God’s children gave a loud and grateful shout of ‘Thank You Lord! Thank You for Jesus and Your Unconditional LOVE for us poor ungrateful sinners! We LOVE You and praise Your Holy Name! Amen!’

Now my fellow believers, having seen all that Christ has selflessly done on our behalf, lets’ go out and improve our witness for Him nuh, it’s not too much to ask, especially since we all have improvements we can make! Much LOVE!

…in this evil world…it’s not easy to live righteously…but the help of the Holy Spirit makes it possible…

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

The Overwhelming Importance of Christians Seeking God’s Wisdom before Making Their Plans!

29 Aug 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, a parable of covetousness and greed, all such rejoicing is evil, amidst all the anxiety and confusion, boast in your arrogance, boast not thyself of tomorrow, buy and sell and make profit, concentrate on the problems of today, contingency plans for tomorrow, continue there a year, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, discontent, dissatisfaction, divine aid, doeth it not, eat drink and be merry, enquire about the wisdom of our intentions, faith, for that ye ought to say, Friday chant, give first thought to God, go to now ye say, greed, holy spirit, honour worker's contribution to the labour scene, humdrum work life, hunger for power, if the Lord will, improve our witness for Christ, inhumane times, intorduce a new flock of believers, is not rich toward God, it is even a vapour, Jesus Christ, labour day weekend, labour unrest and violence, legalization of unions, LOVE, mercy, omnipotent help, our sinful world, rejoicing in boastings is evil, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, say to my soul, show them the error of their ways, so is he that layeth up treasure for himself, Soul thou hast much goods laid up for any years, stand strong and steadfast, stand up strong and fight for what we have, strife-filled times, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, take therefore no thought for tomorrow, take thine ease, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that appeareth for a little time then vanisheth away, the horrific labour scenes, the living truth, the morrow shall take thought for itself, the throne of grace, these ungodly times, this night thy soul shall be required of thee, thou fool, thou knowest not what a day may bring forth, times of lawlessness and uncertainty, to him it is sin, to him that knoweth to do good, today or tomorrow, truth, unexpected storms, wake up and smell the coffee, we shall live and do this or that, we will go into such a city, what is your life, whcih thou hast provided, when anything goes, whose shall those things be, wisdom, wise guidance, workers have little say in working conditions, working conditions, ye know not what shall be on the morrow, ye rejoice in your boastings

Proverbs 27:1. Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

And then it was Friday, a sunny but somewhat chilly day for August. It’s only about 15 degrees Celsius. But that did not stop the many shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ from going up to high heaven. There’s just something about Friday, whether it be hot or cold, that gets the populace in shouting mode. And it’s all because of the upcoming weekend, and the relaxing break from the humdrum work life that it promises.

And this weekend promises to be a big one, as it’s the last long weekend of the summer season, as well as the celebration of Labour Day on Monday. It’s a holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September, dedicated to honour the contribution of workers to the current Labour scene, to remember all the labour unrest and violence that happened in the 19th century, when workers were brutally illtreated by management and had very little, if any legal rights. Those demonstrations, that met with extremely violent reactions by the owners, thankfully led to the eventual legalization of unions in 1894.

Most of us take the current situation for granted, but it certainly wasn’t so in the beginning, and many workers suffered and died at the hands of owners to enshrine the work system we now have. But even today, you can see the owners fighting to get it back to where the workers have very little or no rights or say in their working conditions. Unfortunately, the excessive greed and hunger for power still lives within the ownership class. But let’s hope that today’s workers won’t allow the situation to deteriorate to what it was like a couple of centuries ago, although that would please the owners no end.

So, although this is a weekend for celebration, it’s also one for remembering the horrific labour scenes that took place not that long ago, and pledging to stand up strong and fight for what we now have, and not let those inhumane times ever happen again. End of Sermon. (smile)

And today, our scripture lesson is also very applicable to these greedy, selfish, and strife filled times. The words come from the wise writings of Cousin Sol in Proverbs. He admonishes us thus: ‘Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.’ (Prov. 27:1) And believe me people, those are indeed very wise words, especially in these times of lawlessness and uncertainty.

Remember Jesus warned us to ‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (troubles) thereof.’ (Matt. 6:34) So, although some contingency plans can be made for tomorrow, we should not worry about it, and instead concentrate on the problems and challenges of today, for tomorrow will bring it’s own problems and challenges. And we might not even make it to tomorrow if we don’t handle today’s problems properly.

And Jesus also gave a wonderful parable that spoke to covetousness and greed, but also highlighted the problems of placing too much interest and trust in tomorrow. He spoke of the rich man whose land produced so much fruit, that he did not have enough room to store it all. But after a moment’s contemplation, he hit upon this wonderful plan.

‘And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow (store) all my fruits (crops) and goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat drink, and be merry. But the Lord said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.’ (Luke 12:18-21)

Yes friends, whatever we do, we must first give thought to God, and enquire about the wisdom of our decisions or intentions, for He might have completely different plans and ideas for us, like He did for that greedy, rich man. And that’s why James also warns us that rejoicing in boastings is evil. He puts it thus: ‘Go to now (come now), ye say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain (profit): Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.’ (James 4:13-14)

And that’s the living truth my fellow believers! Our earthly lives are very short and can be taken away from us at any time by Almighty God, our Creator and Life-giver. So, instead of boasting about what we will do tomorrow or in the distant future, James wisely advises: ‘For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings (boast in your arrogance): all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.’ (James 4:15-17)

Oh my fellow believers, I could not put it any better than that, and it’s something we ought to seriously consider in our daily walk, especially in this season when anything goes. Are there good things we know we ought to do, and are not doing them? If so, we are only building up our sin account, which is not a wise move. So, let’s go right now to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant seeking divine aid in these tough and turbulent times.

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!’

Now friends, despite our prayer, we still need to do our part; that’s improve our witness for Christ, because it’s our lack of good, strong and constant witness that’s caused the enemy to become so powerful in our world. And until we improve, divine aid will not be forthcoming. It’s as simple as that! Much LOVE!

…believers know what to do…but for one reason or another…we are not doing it…

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

Recognizing and Believing the Sure, Steadfast and Eternal LOVE of God for Mankind!

08 Aug 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a new flock of believers, all of a sudden, brought sin into the world, brought you a daisy bouquet, by the example your faithful believers set, can wake up and smell the coffee, Christ died for the ungodly, Christ died for us, crying out for God's help, defeat the enemy, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, divine help, eternal destiny, faith, for no discernible reason, Friday chant, God commendeth his own love toward us, God created us to have constant communion with Him, God is longing for our affection, God wanted a people to love, herein is love, holy spirit, hugged me, I long to hug you more often, I love you, I was puzzled, improve our witness for Christ, in due time, Jesus Christ, Jesus offered His sinless blood, LOVE, mercy, not living up to our part of the bargain, not that we loved God but that he loved us, omnipotent help, One year Book of Bible Promise, pay the Piper, positive evidence of God's love, practiced my lessons, problems escalating, put a damper on the enthusiasm, reconciliation, return backsliders to your fold, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, sinful ingrates, stand strong and steadfast for Christ, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the error of their ways, the materialism the cares of this world, the propitiation of our sins, the sinful world, the throne of grace, the very reason for our existence, today you picked me up, too busy hugging yourself, trusting faith, truth, underperforming believers, unexpected storms, unwise actions, we love him because he first loved us, when the time was right, when we were without strength, while we were yet sinners, Who Me, wise guidance

1 John 4:19. We LOVE Him, because he first LOVED us.

And did the ‘TGIF’s! Thank God it’s Friday!’ ever go up this morning, but in a rather tired and halfhearted manner, as last weekend’s celebrations and this week’s work put a damper on the usual enthusiasm for the weekend. The great hope and expectation for this one is not to party, but to rest. (smile) Yes friends, if you want to call the tune, then you have to be able to pay the piper. And if you can’t, then you’ll simply have to suffer the consequences. Sermon done! (smile)

And today we’re going to check out a rather interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, simply titled ‘Who, Me?’ Yes, You! (smile) I don’t know if I’ve shared this poem before, but we know that they are all worth sharing over and over.

So please read with me: ‘Lord All of a sudden today you picked me up And hugged me And hugged me For no discernible reason. I was puzzled. After all – I hadn’t picked up my toys Or practiced my lessons Or brought You a daisy bouquet – Hesitantly, I asked why. You smiled and said I LOVE you, that’s all. Then You added: I long to hug you more often. Why don’t You, Lord? You are too busy. Too busy, Lord? Too busy hugging yourself.’

Ah my fellow believers, can that admonishment apply to us? Are we too busy hugging ourselves, too taken up with our own cares and worries to pay any attention to our wonderful and ever-LOVING God? Somehow, I think that many of us are guilty of just such unwise actions. The cares and the materialism of this crazy world occupy too much of our time. We all feel so busy. But busy doing what?

Most of the time it’s not any earth moving circumstance, but simply something we feel we ought to do. On the other hand, how often do we feel like we should be hugging our great God eh? Certainly not enough! Meanwhile, He’s there starving, longing for our affection. Remember He created us so that we could have good and constant communion with Him. But unfortunately, we’re not living up to our part of the bargain.

And the Bible verse for the poem is a simple but very telling one: The Book uses this translation: ‘We LOVE because He first LOVED us.’ But we like our good ole King James version which says: ‘We LOVE Him, because he first LOVED us.’ (1 John 4:19) Now that is such a very poignant and important statement; one that we should know and keep uppermost in our hearts, souls, bodies and minds at all times!

Why? Because it’s the very reason for our existence, our salvation and our eternal destiny! Remember we said that God created us because he wanted a people to LOVE and have constant communication with. And then, when we disobeyed His commands and thus brought sin into the world, He was heartbroken and therefore sought a way to return us to His flock. And that way was to Have His Son, Jesus Christ come to earth and selflessly offer His sinless blood as propitiation for our sins.

Why do you think the Lord did that eh? Why did He go to such great lengths to obtain a just and righteous reconciliation eh? Because He LOVED us! Else why would He break His own heart by sacrificing His only Son for a bunch of sinful ingrates eh? There’s only one logical answer; overwhelming LOVE for His sinful creation! And John explains that earlier on in the epistle, when he writes: ‘Herein is LOVE, not that we LOVED God, but that he LOVED us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.’ (1 John 4:10)

Oh my fellow believers, that’s the greatest showing of LOVE there’s ever been, and will ever be! And I don’t understand why we don’t appreciate it so much more than we do. But that’s why the Lord gave us free will, so we could make our own choices, even though they may turn out to be the wrong ones. And how can we not appreciate and reverence these amazing words of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome eh?

‘For when we were yet without strength, in due time (at the right time) Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure (perhaps) for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth (demonstrated) his LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:6-8)

Oh my people, what else will it take for us to recognize and truly appreciate God’s great, undying LOVE for us eh? All through the Bible it’s said, written and actioned! So why do we still refuse to believe it and live like it mattered? Only each disbelieving individual and our all- knowing God know. Nuff said. Now it’s time to go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine help for our numerous problems.

Unfortunately though friends, it’s not only the sinful world that needs to wake up and smell the coffee, but also we underperforming supposed believers. And until we improve our witness for Christ, we won’t see much, if any divine help! Much LOVE!

…with all the positive evidence available…if you can’t believe God’s great LOVE for mankind…how can you believe anything else…

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

A Gentle Reminder of the Importance of Putting God FIRST in Our Lives!

04 Apr 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a demonstration of God's power, a sign of God's miraculous provision, according to his riches in glory, after all these things do the Gentiles seek, all these things shall be added unto you, amidst all the anxiety, an understanding heart, an ungodly world, be responsible, believers, by Christ Jesus, by the example your faithful believers set, Christ died for us to have, christianity, Christians, climate change, confusion, crying out for your help, discern between good and bad, discontent, dissatisfaction, divine aid, do not worry, embrace your love and compassion, enjoy the abundant life, faith, fall outs, fervently pray, figments of our imaginations, Friday chant, God's unwavering support, guide us through, holy spirit, I am the good shepherd, I know my sheep and are known of mine, improve our witness for Christ, in the big desert of an ungodly world, in the face of hardship, introduce a new flock of believers, Jesus Christ, Jesus is our caretaker, led you forty years in the wilderness, long life, LOVE, make Jesus our light and life, manna form heaven, mercy, mirages, my God shall supply all your needs, oasis in the desert, our sinful world, our won oasis, problems are escalating, put God first He will put you first, restoring faith in you, return backsliders to your fold, revere the Lord, right down here on earth, salvation, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, show trust towards our Triune Godhead, smell it sweet and strong, Solomon's humility, stay safe, stroms, take no thought, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the arduous journey, the BIBLE, the error of their ways, the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, the throne of grace, the turbulent desert, the weekend, the wisest and richest man ever, these ungodly times, this chaotic world, thy shoe is not waxen old, to judge thy people, truth, unexpected storms, wake up and smell the coffee, wealth, what clothes shall we wear, what shall we drink, what shall we eat, wherewithal shall we be clothed, wisdom, wise guidance, your clothes are not waxen old, your heavenly Father knows you need all these things

John 10:14. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of them.

And then it was Friday, and the climate change games continue. Yesterday the temperature was in the high teens, but with a big wind, today there’s not much wind, but although it’s sunny, the temp has dropped back into single digits, with a promise of them falling even further. So, who knows what to expect? But for sure, it doesn’t stop the loud shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ from rising up to heaven.

Apparently, nothing stops that as the weekend is our own li’l oasis in the big desert of an ungodly world. And thankfully, we have Jesus, our omnipotent Lord and Saviour, our ever-LOVING Shepherd to guide us through the turbulent desert called our world, filled with all sorts of storms, fall outs, figments of our imaginations and mirages. That’s why this scripture is ever so important. Jesus declares in no uncertain terms: ‘I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of them.’ (John 10:14)

Yes friends, that scripture should constantly be at the forefront of our minds, reminding us that Jesus is our caretaker, or as Bruh David so nicely puts it in psalm 23; ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1) Oh my brethren, when we make Jesus our light and life, then He takes care of us and all of our needs. As Bruh Paul so confidently says in Philippians: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19)

And if you don’t believe that God can do that, then you need to remember how He fed the Israelites in the wilderness with manna for forty long years, while He said through Moses: ‘And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot.’ (Deut. 29:5) So you see, our God can indeed look after us.

And this commentary breaks down that verse thus, calling it ‘A Miraculous Preservation: The passage emphasizes that despite the arduous journey, the Israelites’ clothes and sandals remained intact, which is presented as a sign of God’s miraculous provision and care.’ And per it’s Significance: ‘This event is often interpreted as a demonstration of God’s power and unwavering support for his people, even in the face of hardship.’ That should certainly lessen our fears and assure us of the provision that God can provide.

But there’s one important proviso in that assurance my fellow believers. And Jesus in His teachings on worry from the Sermon on the Mount, put’s it like this: ‘Therefore take no thought (do not worry), saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:31-33)

Yes, as we said earlier, our Triune Godhead must continually be at the forefront of our thinking if we expect to enjoy the miraculous and abundant life that Jeus died for us to have, not waiting till we get to heaven, but starting right down here on earth. And we see from Biblical History how that can be miraculously portrayed in a believer’s life by the wonderful story of Cousin Sol’s humility and acknowledgement of Almighty God. It began when he became king after Bruh David, and the Lord in a dream, asked him what he wanted.

But instead of asking for wealth, long life, or the life of his enemies, he said: ‘And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or to come in. And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great people.’ (1 Kin. 3:7-9)

Tell me nuh, how many of us would have asked for that simple but very important attribute eh? Not too many! Most of us would have asked for wealth, long life and all the many baubles and bangles that the world continually jingles in our faces. But Cousin Sol’s unusual request thrilled the Lord so much, that He not only gave him the wisdom and understanding he asked for, but also made him the wisest and richest man ever! (1 Kin. 3:10-14)

Oh my people, that shows what’s possible when we sincerely revere the Lord and do our best to observe His law. Unfortunately though, in this current world, that isn’t happening as much as it ought to, but we can surely seek help to improve by going to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant. So, 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.

And our prayer says it all; if we need divine aid, then we desperately need to improve our witness for Christ. It’s as simple as that friends. So, let’s get to doing that nuh…if we genuinely want divine help in this chaotic world! Much LOVE!

…put God first…and He will also put you first…

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

The Overwhelming Importance of Surrendering Our Lives to God and Having Absolute Trust in His Faithfulness!

14 Mar 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, all the days of your life, anxiety, as I was with Moses, backsliders, be not dismayed, be of good cheer I have overcome the world, be strong and of good courage, Bible, bring down trouble on me, cast thy burden upon the Lord, cause them to inheit it, christianity, confusion, crying out for help, dire need, discontent, dissatisfaction, divine aid, do not give up, experience builds our faith, faith, fear thou not, for I am with thee, Friday chant, get on the good foot, give ear to my prayer, he shall sustain thee, he will not fail thee, holy spirit, I am thy God, i have overcome the world, I will not fail thee nor forsake thee, I will strengthen you, I will trust in thee, I will uphold you, improve our witness for Christ, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, Jesus Christ, lawless times, learning God's word, LOVE, meditating on god's word, mercy, moan noisly, neither forsake thee, never permit the righteous to be moved, no man, omnipotent help, problems escalating, prosperity, putting God's word into action, reassuring scripture, salvation, simmering unrest, so will I be with thee, stand strong in the Lord, strong trust in God, success, surrender, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the error of their ways, the example we faithful believers set, the Lord doth go before thee, the Lord thy God, the Lord thy God with thee whithersoever thou goest, the oppression of the wicked, the plea of the fearful, the right hand of my righteousness, the throne of grace, the troubles of life, the voice of the enemy, the weekend, these things I have spoken unto you, they cast iniquity upon me, times of trouble, trust in God, trusting faith, truth, uncertain times, unexpected storms, ungodly times, wisdom

John 16:33. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’

So, at long last it’s Friday, and we can all shout, ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ And it’s another beautiful, sunshiny one to start the weekend, with reasonable temperatures too. And, as Cousin James, James Brown, would enthusiastically shout: ‘Let’s get on the good foot!’ Yes friends, we need to begin taking our faith and our duties to it more seriously, especially in these lawless and chaotic times, for it’s only our surrender to and strong trust in Jehovah God that will get us through them.

These are very scary and uncertain times that not many of us have ever faced, but because we’ve had some experience with God in previous times of trouble, we do know that He will see us through, if we abide by His will and put our fate in His wonderful, helping and strengthening hands. And the Bible gives us a whole lot of those reassuring scriptures, verses like this one from Isaiah: ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’ (Is. 41:10)

What a beautiful and reassuring verse of scripture my people! And even before that, Moses’ words when he turned over the leadership of Israel to Joshua is an inspiring scripture: “Moses said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the Lord hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’ (Deut. 31:7-8)

And we know how the Lord Himself later on reiterated and pounded Moses’ words into Joshua’s ears after Moses died and he actually took over. First though, He promised Joshua: ‘There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Josh. 1:5)

Now that’s a wonderful reassurance, but it also came with great responsibility, like we see in verses 7-9. Being strong and courageous and constantly meditating on God’s Word and putting it into practice was essential, because that is what would bring prosperity. And I just LOVE verse 9. ‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9)

Oh my people, it couldn’t get any better than that! God Himself is still promising to be with us wherever we go if we put Him first place in our lives. And Bruh David also knew this, that’s why in Psalm 55, The Plea of the Fearful, he cries out: ‘Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication. Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn (wander) in my complaint, and make a noise (moan noisily); because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity (bring down trouble) upon me, and in wrath they hate me.’ (Ps. 55:1-3)

And I know that many of us are feeling the same fearful way in these fearful times, and are calling out to God for help, and might not be receiving any. But I beg of you not to give up, for our God is faithful and if He promised it, He will do it. Instead, let’s do like Bruh David; after crying out his complaints to God, he says at the end of the psalm. ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken). But thou, O God, shall bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody (bloodthirsty) and deceitful men shall not live out half their days: but I will trust in thee.’ (Ps. 55:22-23)

And that last phrase there my brethren ‘but I will trust in thee,’ is probably the most important of all the psalm and of all the scriptures, for without total trust in Almighty God, nothing is going to work for us. Trust is the most important aspect of our walk with Him, because that’s what causes our faith and strength to rise up in times of trouble and uncertainty. We trust Him to look after us. So it’s obvious, that above all else, we need to build our trust in God if we hope to endure the trials and tribulations that will come against us.

However, that trust only comes from learning His Word and putting it in action, standing strong on it when the troubles of life hit, so we can gain the necessary experience that builds our faith. And there are many scriptures both in the Old and New Testaments that encourage us to stand strong in the Lord, but time will only permit us this last one. And it’s this marvellous one from Jesus Himself. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)

Now, that’s something all of us should be working towards, having peace in Jesus despite the chaos around us. And to help us do it, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid in these times of dire need. 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 having said all of that, it now behooves us to improve our witness for Christ because it’s definitely not as good as it ought to be, and no divine aid will be forthcoming until we do better. Much LOVE!

…true prosperity and success can only be attained…by knowing God’s Word…and then actioning it in our lives…

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

SCRIP-BITS

The Great, Unrepayable Debt We Owe to Jesus Christ and God the Father!

The Overwhelming Importance of Christians Seeking God’s Wisdom before Making Their Plans!

Recognizing and Believing the Sure, Steadfast and Eternal LOVE of God for Mankind!

A Gentle Reminder of the Importance of Putting God FIRST in Our Lives!

The Overwhelming Importance of Surrendering Our Lives to God and Having Absolute Trust in His Faithfulness!

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