04 Jul 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a feeling of care and compassion, a personal relationship with Almighty God, acknowledging our desire for greater intimacy with God, an intimate relationship with Christ, be convinced once and for all, But God commendeth his love toward us, but have everlasting life, by grace ye have been saved through faith, Christ the faithful witness, Christians, climate change, deepen my breath, even when we were dead in sins, extreme heat conditions, faith, for God so loved the world, God demonstrates His love for us, God engineered the process because He loved us, God got the ball rolling, God has done all he can to prove his love, God is LOVE, God sent His only begotten Son, God sent his only begotten Son into the world, God sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins, God truly loves and cares for us, God who is rich in mercy, Happy 4th of July, he gave his only begotten son, he that loveth not knoweth not God, heartfelt prayer, heat warning, herein is love, his great love wherewith He loved us, holy spirit, I marvel to think, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, if God so loved us, if you do this I'll do that, in all sincerity and truth, in his kindness towards us through Christ, in the ages to come, in this was manifested the love of God, increase my awareness of you today, it breaks God's heart when we refuse him, it is a gift of God, Jesus always knows what's best for us, Jesus Christ, keep on believing in Jesus, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let them sink deep into our hearts, lose anyone to eternal death, LOVE, made us alive with Christ, made us kings and priests unto God and the Father, man now needs to believe it, may know you all the more, mercy, morally dead in our sins, not of yourselves, not that we loved God but that he loved us, quickened us together with Christ, quiet my soul, raised us up together, relax my muscles, renews his faith, salvation, show the exceeding riches of his grace, sit in heavenly places, slow my thoughts, thank you for this tenderness, that we might live through Jesus, the best foundation, the BIBLE, the calming peace and love of God, the first begotten of the dead, the Lord gave us spiritual life, the prince of the kings of the earth, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, truth, turned us away from the old life to the new one, unto him that loved us, USA's 250 year of Independence, warms the cockles of God's heart, washed us from our sins in his own blood, we ought also to love one another, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, whosoever believeth in him should not perish, wisdom, wise to review the scriptures we talked about, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 July 2026 1 John 4:10.
1 John 4:10. Herein is LOVE, not that we LOVED God, but that he LOVED us, and sent his son to be the propitiation (atonement) for our sins.
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY U.S.A
And on this first lazy-day Saturday in July, where after some rain in the early morning hours, it’s cloudy and muggy, we want to wish a Happy 4th of July to all those south of the border. It’s the U.S.A’s 250 celebration of their Independence. Sadly though, it appears that the big parade held annually in the Washington DC. area has been cancelled because of extreme heat concerns.
Ah Lord eh, like the whole world is in a heat cocoon right now, with temperatures soaring to unknown heights in some places. And we won’t get into the why’s and wherefores of that unfortunate situation so affectionally termed climate change, (smile) but just remember to keep on believing in Jesus and do what He calls us to do, for He is our inestimable, priceless Lord, Saviour and Leader, who knows what is always best for us.
And before we truly get into lazy-day Saturday mode, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer in all sincerity and truth. As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And as always, if our prayer was sincere and heartfelt, then we’ll soon have the best foundation for a true lazy-day Saturday; that’s a renewal or rekindling of the calming peace and LOVE of our wonderful God, acknowledging our desire for greater intimacy with Him. Something that just warms the cockles of His heart and renews His faith in His decision to create man. Yes friends, that’s what a desire to have increased intimacy with Almighty God does for Him, because it’s one of the very reasons He created us in the first place; to have a close and personal relationship with His most important creation.
Likewise, when we refuse to have a close relationship with Him, it breaks His heart, He feels rejected by the very ones He LOVES the most. It’s like Jesus said to Nicodemus, the Jewish Leader who came to Him under cover of night for answers. ‘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)
Oh my fellow believers, that’s how much God LOVED and still LOVES His human creation! You must have a great feeling of care and compassion for someone or something to give up such a precious thing as your only Son’s life for it. And there are so many scriptures in the Bible that tell it, so I don’t understand why we have so much trouble acknowledging God’s great LOVE for us. So let’s look at a few scriptures that expound on that subject.
And the first, one of my favourite scriptures, tells it thus: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrates) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) Oh friends, why can’t we understand the importance of that scripture and see the amazing LOVE of God it shows?
Most other gods would have expected us to turn to them before doing anything worthwhile for us. And it’s like we do all the time; tell someone if you do this, then I’ll do that. But the wonderful news is that Jehovah God did not wait for us to turn back to Him. No! He went ahead and set the process rolling because He LOVED us so much He didn’t want to lose anyone to eternal death.
And this is how Bruh Paul puts it to the Ephesians: ‘But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great LOVE wherewith he LOVED us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us (made us alive) together with Christ, (by grace ye are (have been) saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through (in) Christ Jesus.’ (Eph. 2:4-7)
Yes friends, when we were morally dead in our sins, the Lord gave us spiritual life, turned us away from our old life to the new one and demonstrated it by having us sit in heavenly places, or as the scholars say: ‘brought us into His presence and into an intimate relationship with Himself.’ Now why would He do something like that if He didn’t care for us a whole lot eh?
And it’s all done through God’s goodness, through His grace, or His unmerited divine favour. As Bruh Paul continues: ‘For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.’ (Eph. 2:8-9) That says it in a nutshell my people; forgiveness of sins and eternal life is a gift of God. We can never earn it through our own efforts. There again it shows how much God truly cares for us.
Then John breaks it down in his first epistle: ‘He that LOVETH not knoweth not God; for God is LOVE. In this was manifested the LOVE of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him. Herein is LOVE, not that we LOVED God, but that he LOVED us, and sent his son to be the propitiation (atonement) for our sins. Beloved, if God so LOVED us, we ought also to LOVE one another.’ (1 John 4:8-11)
Oh mih bredrin, what more do we have to say to make you believe that God truly LOVES us eh? But hopefully what John says in Revelation will help to convince you. ‘And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten (first born) of the dead, and the prince (ruler) of the kings of the earth. Unto him that LOVED us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (Rev. 1:5-6)
Ah mih people, there’s no more to say. But on this first lazy-day Saturday in July, it would be wise to review those scriptures we talked about and let them sink deep into our hearts, so that we can be convinced, once and for all,that God truly LOVES and cares for us! Much LOVE!
…God has done all He can to prove His LOVE for mankind…we now need to believe it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a beautiful sunshiny summer's day, a faithful minister of Christ, a heartfelt prayer, according to his glorious power, affection for others, an accurate perception, an assurance of salvation leads to confidence in petition, be filled with knowledge of God's will, bearing with the offences of others, becoming spiritually stronger, being fruitful in every good work, being strong and steadfast, believe on the name of the Son of God, bringeth fort fruit, bringing forth worthwhile fruit on Christ's behalf, by the will of God, christianity, Christians, Christians are plagued by, Colosse, confidence in the promises of God, deepen my breath, delivered us from the power of darkness, effectual prayer is according to God's will, eternal life, ever coming to know the Lord better, faith, faithful brethren in Christ, faithful to the truth of the gospel, for this cause, give thanks to god, giving thanks and praise to God despite our troubles, giving thanks unto the Father, God loves to answer prayers that deal with intimacy with him, grace be unto you, he heareth us, heard of your faith in Jesus Christ, holy spirit, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, if we ask anything according to His will, if we know that he hear us, in all sincerity and truth, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, in whom we have redemption through his blood, increase my awareness of you today, increasing in the knowledge of God, into the true nature of all things, Jesus Christ, joyfulness, knew the grace of God in truth, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, learned of Epaphras, longsuffering, LOVE, made us meet, marvel to think, mercy, on an early bus, on your behalf, peace and calm we did not know, peace from God the Father, persevering in tribulation, prayers based on the basics of our christian lives, praying always for you, productive in Christian service, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, review our faith walk in Christ, salvation, slow my thoughts, strengthened with all might, thank you for this tenderness, the BIBLE, the Colossians, the forgiveness of sins, the gospel produces godly character and noble conduct, the hope laid up for you in heaven, the love you have to all saints, the petitions we desired of him, the skillful application of wisdom in practical situations, the vast difference between their talk and their walk, the word of the truth of the gospel, this is the confidence that we have in Him, to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, translated us into the kingdom of his Son, trials and tribulations, truth, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness, unto all pleasing, walk with Christ, walk worthy of the Lord, we do not cease to pray for you, we know that we have, whatsoever we ask, wisdom, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your love in the spirit, your peace and love are present
Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 June 2026 1 John 5:14.
1 John 5:14. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
Oh friends, what a beautiful sunshiny summer’s day this lazy-day Saturday is turning out to be! And although the ole fella did laze around some in the bed earlier on, he’s still up relatively early, and is catching a much earlier bus than usual. (smile) So before we enshrine the laziness in the day, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with all sincerity and truth!
As one strong voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And I can’t help reiterating that if our prayer was sincere and heartfelt, that soon, we’d be experiencing a level of peace and calm that we did not previously have, because our wonderful God just LOVES to answers our prayers that deal with intimacy towards Him. For as John so wisely says in his first epistle:
‘These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired (asked) of him.’ (1 John 5:13-15)
Yes mih people, we have so much confidence in the promises of our God, that if we ask anything that’s in His will, then we know that He hears our plea and grants our petition, because that’s His promise. As the scholars add: ‘Assurance of salvation (vs. 13) leads to confidence in petition. Effectual prayer is according to his will.’
And talking about effective prayer, here is possibly one of the most effective in all the Bible, and is most assuredly one that we can base prayer for ourselves and others on. It come from Bruh Paul’s opening remarks to the church at Colossae. Let’s read together: ‘Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother, To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, Since we heard of your faith In Jesus Christ, and of the LOVE which ye have to all saints,
For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; Which is come unto you, as it is in the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth: As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you (on your behalf) a faithful minister of Christ; who also declared unto us your LOVE in the spirit (an affection for others). For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father which made us meet (qualified us) to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in (the) light: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated (transferred) us into the kingdom of his dear Son (the Son of His LOVE): In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.’ (Col. 1:1-14)
Wow! That was a whole sermon there from Bruh Paul, interspersed with words of fitting prayer for all and sundry. (smile) So let’s see what we can gain from it nuh. To begin with, Bruh Paul apparently did not know the Colossians personally, and it was his fellow servant in Christ, Epaphras, who began the church in the small town of Colossae, while Bruh Paul was in Ephesus attending to the larger church there. However, he was very pleased to hear that they had found Christ and were being faithful to the truth of the gospel preached to them, which gospel was also bringing forth fruit in them, which it ought to, if anyone faithfully believes.
As the scholars say, ‘the gospel produces godly character and noble conduct in its converts.’ Now that’s something many of us ought to look at in our own lives. Do we show forth a sincere godly character and noble conduct, thus bringing forth worthwhile fruit on behalf of Christ? Many of us Christians don’t. And we need to know how very important those aspects of our lives are, for though we might preach the word, it’s our personal behaviour by which we’re mostly judged; to see if it aligns with what we preach. And unfortunately, many of us are like the hypocrite Pharisees; we talk the word but don’t practice it.
Anyway, Bruh Paul was glad to hear that they were progressing faithfully in their walk with Christ, and continually prayed that they might know God’s will for their lives ‘in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.’ And that, according to the scholars, is ‘an accurate perception into the true nature of all things, and the skillful application of this wisdom in practical situations.’
Again, Bruh Paul desires that they walk worthy of the Lord, bringing forth good fruit in all their endeavours, being productive in Christian service, continually coming to know the Lord better, while becoming spiritually stronger and stronger, and being strong and steadfast, persevering in their trials and tribulations, as well as longsuffering; bearing with the offences of others, but nonetheless still giving thanks and praise to God despite their troubles.
Now, that’s a simple rendition of what our Christian lives ought to be about, and therefore our prayers should be based on those basics, both for ourselves and others, so that we can walk worthy of our wonderful God and Saviour Jesus Christ. And I pray that we’d all review our faith walk in Christ and pray that it will become better. This lazy-day Saturday, the last in June, is ideal for doing that! (smile) Much LOVE!
…too many Christians are plagued by…the vast difference between their talk and their walk…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a shift in focus, according to the custom of Moses, aligning oneself with God's will, allow laziness to take over, as revealed through God's word, authentic devotion to God, belief that circumcision was necessary for salvation, beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision, Christ is our pathway to God, Christians, circumcision of the body, deep down in our hearts, deepen my breath, earthly privileges, empty traditions, faith, from where people worship, God is a Spirit, God's incomparable peace, going through the motions, have no confidence in the flesh, holy spirit, honesty, human attainments, I am the way the truth and the life, I marvel to think, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you, in all sincerity and truth, increase my awareness of you today, integrity, Jesus Christ, Jesus new covenant, Jewish Christians, Judaizers, laze around the house, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, lie in bed, LOVE, mercy, missing the mark, must worship him in spirit and in truth, neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will ye worship God, new believers to be physically circumcised, no longer had spiritual value and significance, no man cometh to the Father but by me, not being honest with god, outward rituals, park on the comfortable couch, quiet my soul, rejoice in Christ Jesus, relax my muscles, religious accomplishments, rely on Christ to obtain favour with God, salvation, salvation is of the Jews, skin-deep, slow my thoughts, thank you for this tenderness, the BIBLE, the exclusive path tot God, the Father seeketh such to worship Him, the heart needed to be circumcised for salvation, the Holy Spirit enables believers to worship, the hour cometh, The Samaritan woman at the well, the source of eternal life, the strong wind is still blowing, the ultimate reality of truth, the very heart of the message, they that worship Him, to how and why people worship, true believers boast on Christ not themselves, true believers place all their pride and joy in christ, true circumcision meant the turning around of the heart, true worshippers, truth, watch soccer all day, we are the circumcision, wisdom, worshi, worship God in Spirit, worship the Father in spirit and in truth, worshipping God for who He truly is, ye worship what ye know not, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me
Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 June 2026 John 4:24.
John 4:24. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
And then it was Saturday, our lazy-day Saturday, where many of us have the wonderful opportunity to just lie in bed, or get up and laze around the house, or simply park on the comfortable couch and watch soccer all day long. (smile) Now that’s what you call a lazy-day Saturday! And by the way, the wind is still blowing out there; possibly not as strong as it was the past two days, but certainly blowing stronger than normal. Yesterday afternoon I went to collect the mail, and if I had not held on tightly to the bag filled with mail, the wind would have blown it out of my hands, that’s to show how strong it was. But if you don’t have to go out, then there’s no need to worry about the wind.
However, before we allow the laziness to take over, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer in all sincerity and truth. As one strong voice. ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And friends, if our prayer was indeed filled with sincerity and truth, then our souls will soon be enjoying a bit of incomparable peace and calm from our heavenly Father. That reminds us of what Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob, when she referred to her ancestors worshipping on that mountain where they were seated, while the Jews said that worship ought to be done in Jerusalem. (John 4:19-20)
But Jesus turned everything upside down, when he informed her: ‘Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain (Mt. Gerizim), nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.’ (John 4:21-24)
Yes friends, Jesus turned things around with His new covenant. And what we need to notice is that Jesus said not only the hour would come, but it had actually come with His presence here on earth. It’s as this overview tells us: ‘That beautiful realization gets to the very heart of the message Jesus shared with the Samaritan woman at the well. It marks a shift from focusing on where people worship (like a specific mountain or a building) to how and why people worship. The Father is actively seeking those whose adoration is genuine and rooted in His nature.
This call involves two primary elements: In Spirit: This means worship that originates from the deepest parts of your inner self—the heart. It is about offering sincere, authentic devotion that goes far beyond outward rituals, empty traditions, or simply going through the motions. In Truth: This involves worshipping God for who He truly is, as revealed through His Word. It requires honesty, integrity, and aligning your life with His reality, rather than a man-made or customized version of who you want Him to be.’
Ah mih people, that’s where the problem arises; too many of us supposed Christians are not truly sincere in our adoration and worship of God, for our adoration is not authentic, merely skin deep, not heart deep; thus we’re simply going through the motions when we claim to worship Almighty God. And we also have too many outward rituals and empty traditions that detract from the sincerity of our worship. Remember in spirit and in truth means from deep down in our hearts, and if our hearts are not completely involved then we’re missing the mark. That also means we’re not being honest with God or ourselves, and therefore not aligning ourselves with His will, but with our own.
It’s like Bruh Paul wrote to the Philippians. ‘Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision (mutilation). For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.’ (Phil. 3:2-3)
And what does all of that mean? Bruh Paul was talking about that group of Jewish Christians, (Judaizers), who preached that it was necessary for new believers to be physically circumcised, according to the custom of Moses. Bruh Paul called them dogs because real dogs were despised and considered useless scavenging animals, and these Judaizers were causing a lot of problems in the early church, with their persuasive belief that circumcision was necessary for salvation.
However, true circumcision was no longer the cutting or mutilating of flesh, but the turning around of the heart. It was now the heart that needed to be circumcised for salvation to be received. And according to the scholars: ‘But the true “circumcision” consists of those circumcised of heart, not of body, recognizing the ritual to have been abrogated (abolished, repealed) by Christ. Circumcision of the body no longer had spiritual value and significance.’
That’s why Bruh Paul claims that those of the true circumcision now worship God in the spirit. And per the scholars: ‘Their worship of God is prompted, directed, and enabled by the Holy Spirit.’ And those who are true believers also rejoice in Christ. that is we don’t boast on ourselves but in Christ Jesus, placing all our pride and joy in Him. And as per have no confidence in the flesh. The scholars tell us that “Flesh” here means one’s earthly privileges, human attainments, and religious accomplishments. God’s people refuse to depend on such things for their salvation; instead, they rely upon Christ to obtain favour with God.’
And that’s the way it ought to be my fellow believers. Christ is our pathway to Almighty God. Remember when Jesus told the disciples that He was going away, and they knew how and where. (John 14:4) And ‘Thomas saith unto him, ‘Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.’ (John 14:5-6)
That says it all my faithful brethren: ‘Jesus is the exclusive path to God, the ultimate reality of truth, and the source of eternal life.’ Let’s remember that as we do whatever we do, or don’t do, on this lazy-day Saturday, because it’s probably the most important thing we need to remember in this earthly life. Much LOVE!
…unless the Spirit of God is working in all you do…you’re not sincerely working with God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a friend of the world is the enemy of God, all that is in the world, and the lust thereof, apologize for my mistake, before it's too late, being reconciled to God, carnal lusts and pleasures of the enemy, cavorting with Satan, Christ the hope of glory, christianity, Christians, deepen my breath, do exactly as our hearts desire, do what needs to be done, drowsy and lethargic, enemies in your mind, eternal life, eternal separation from God, faith, flow into our hearts and souls, God suffered from unrequited love, God's enemy, he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever, hob nob wih the world, holy spirit, I marvel to think, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, I will do a new thing, I will even make a way in the wilderness, I'm only human, if any man love the world, if wishes were horses all beggars would ride, in all sincerity and truth, in his sight, in the body of his flesh, increase my awareness of you today, is not of the Father but of the world, Jesus Christ, Jesus death, know ye not, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, live for God and not Satan, logical reason, looking over your shoulder, LOVE, love not the world, lust of the eyes, make a way to turn from enemies to friends, mercy, neither the things that are in the world, no bosses telling you what to do, not subject to the law of God, now hath he reconciled, now it shall spring forth, our omnipotent God, personal desires, physical desires, please forgive me, present you holy and unblameable, quiet my soul, reconciliation stems from God's great love for man, relax my muscles, rivers in the desert, salvation, Satan's ultimate end is total destruction, self-interests, shall ye not know it, sincere and heartfelt prayer, sinuses acting up, slow my thoughts, sometime alienated, thank you for this tenderness, the BIBLE, the carnal mind is enmity against God, the divine means of achieving reconciliation with God, the evil and ungodliness of the world, the friendship of the world is enmity with God, the last day of May, the Lord never refuses a call for intimacy, the love of the Father is not in him, the lust of the flesh, the option of forgiveness and salvation, the pangs of unrequited love, the peace of God, the pride of life, the world is going nuts, the world passeth away, they that are in the flesh cannot please God, through death, to be carnally minded is death, to be spiritually minded is life and peace, true wisdom, truth, wasting time, wicked works, wisdom, ye adulterers and adulteresses, you can't be contained, you can't ride the fence, you're either in God's or Satan's camp, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 May 2026 James 4:4a.
James 4:4a. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of (with) the world is enmity with God?
And then it was Saturday, sunny and warm; our lazy-day Saturday, where we can do exactly as our li’l ole hearts desire, with no one to say us nay! (smile) And doesn’t it feel good! No bosses telling you what to do, as well as constantly looking over your shoulder to see if you’re actually working or simply wasting time. I wish every day could be like this one. That’s why they say that if wishes were horses, all beggars would ride. (smile) And would you believe that it’s already the last day of May, a month that just recently began? (smile) The year is surely slipping by quickly, so we had better perk up and do what needs to be done, before it’s too late.
And before I forget, let me apologize for my mistake in yesterday’s Bit, where I talked about declaring our Thursday Blessings, when it was Friday, and then rightly declared our Friday Chant instead. And was I ever annoyed when I discovered it, and though I fixed it in the Blog and the Podcast, it was too late to fix it in the original Bit I sent out.
And the only logical reason I can find for that contradiction is my having taken a tablet for my sinuses, which were acting up, and it making me feel somewhat drowsy and lethargic, and thus the ole mind not functioning properly. And what amazes me is that I read it over at least three times before I sent it out, and still never saw the mistake. Anyhow, please forgive me for that error, and I hope it never happens again. But since I’m only human, who knows? (smile)
Now, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, in all sincerity and truth. As one strong voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And if our prayer was sincere and heartfelt, then the warmth and peace of God will soon flow into our hearts and souls and calm them so that we can handle the evil and ungodly world that surrounds us. Yes! The Lord God, never refuses a call for intimacy from His human creations. In fact, that’s one of the reasons He created us in the first place. Why do you think He sent His only Son Jesus to earth to die and thus give us the option of forgiveness and salvation, of being reconciled to Him, and thus returning to His wonderful fold?
Because He desired greater intimacy with us, and His heart ached badly, when He saw so many of us had turned away from Him, and embraced Satan and his foolish worldly pleasures. Yes friends, our God was suffering from the heartfelt pangs of unrequited LOVE! And many of us know, either from personal experience or the experience of someone close to us, how devastating unrequited LOVE can be to the human psyche. Ofttimes making one desire death instead of life. And so, we have some idea of how God felt when so many of His wonderful human creation had moved into the enemy’s camp, intent on enjoying the carnal lusts and pleasures that he advertised and revelled in.
But remember what Bruh Paul wrote to the Romans: ‘For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.’ (Rom. 8:6-8) That means if you’re cavorting with Satan, then you’re God’s enemy. And James tells it like it is, when he declares: ‘Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of (with) the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be (wants to be) a friend of the world is the enemy of God.’ (James 4:4)
It could not get any clearer than that my brethren! If we desire to hob nob with the world, then we become God’s enemy, and is set down for eternal separation from Him. And He could not take the heartache of so many of us being eternally separated from Him, so he made a way for us to turn around and come back to Him. Remember, He is the one who can make a way where there seems to be no way. As He promises in Isaiah. ‘Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.’ (Is. 43:19)
Ah mih people, only our omnipotent God could have designed a way for us to turn from enemies to friends, to sons and daughters. As Bruh Paul wrote to the Colossians, when talking about Christ, the Hope of Glory. ‘And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled; In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight:’ (Col. 1:21-22) And the scholars explain: ‘Reconciliation is the act whereby God through Christ’s atonement, brings men who are at odds with Him back into a peaceful, proper relationship with Himself. Jesus’ death is the divine means of achieving reconciliation to God.’
So you see friends, this whole reconciliation business stems from God’s great LOVE for us, and His desire not to lose any of us to the evil enemy. And it only makes sense, that true wisdom dictates living for God rather than for Satan, for Satan’s ultimate end is total destruction or eternal death, while God’s is eternal life.
And as John so rightly warns us in his first epistle. ‘LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh (physical desires), and the lust of the eyes (personal desires), and the pride of life (self-interests), is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.’ (1 John 2:15-17)
Oh my people, what a most appropriate scripture for us to ponder on this lazy-day Saturday, the last day of May, where our world is going nuts with all the evil and ungodliness that it’s currently filled with. Much LOVE!
make up your mind…you’re either in God’s camp or Satan’s…you can’t ride the fence…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
16 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man lay down his life for his friends, a test of your faith, all should come to repentance, be reconciled to God, be wise and go to God, Christ died for us, christianity, come back to God's fold, comfort, compassion, crapaud smoke yuh pipe, deepen my breath, die for a bunch of sinners, don't turn away from God, doubting God's love, dying for someone else, eternal life, everything will work out for our good, faith, follow Christ's example, God commendeth his own love toward us, God is omnipotent omniscient and omni-present, God so loved the world, God's great love for mankind, greater love hath no man than this, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, he laid down his life for us, hereby perceive we the Love of God, holy spirit, I am the good shepherd, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his, if ye do whatsoever I command you, in all sincerity and truth, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, keep failing the tests, lay down our lives for the brethren, laze around, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, LOVE, Lucifer, man's greatest folly, mercy, Nicodemus, quiet my soul, reciprocal love, relax my muscles, salvation, seeking intimacy with God, sin and satan got in the way, slow my thoughts, thank you for this tenderness, that's the way life is, the archangel of light, the BIBLE, the death and resurrection of Christ, the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep, truth, ups and downs, walk the path, whatever catches our fancy, while we were yet sinners, whosoever believeth in him should not perish, wisdom, ye are my friends, you can't be contained, you cannot blame God for everything, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 May 2026 Romans 5:8.
Romans 5:8. ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’
And our lazy-day Saturday is here friends, warm but somewhat cloudy with the possibility of rain. But who cares? That’s the exact kind of weather we need to stay inside, to loiter and laze around, doing whatever catches our fancy, or perhaps doesn’t catch it! (smile) But before we allow that attitude to take hold, let’s offer up our ‘Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer’ in all sincerity and truth.
As one strong voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And there’s nothing better in this life than seeking greater intimacy with our heavenly Father, for that’s the main reason He created us; to pass LOVE back and forth between us, so that life would be peaceful, calm and wonderful. Unfortunately though, sin and Satan got in the way, thus making things much more difficult than they ought to be. But nonetheless, we can still be wise and choose to go to God for all the LOVE, comfort, compassion and help that He has waiting, has stored up for each of His human creations.
And it’s sad to see that so many of God’s greatest creation doubts His LOVE and compassion for them, and consequently turn away from Him, much to their own chagrin and demise. And if there’s one verse in the Bible that clearly demonstrates God’s total and undying LOVE for us is this one from Bruh Paul’s letter to the church at Rome, where he unequivocally declares: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Wow! Now why would omnipotent, omniscient, omni-present God send His only Son to die for a bunch of sinners eh, without even having them first turn from their sin? Obviously because of His great LOVE for mankind. Yes friends, while we were still enemies of God, He decided to set in motion the actions that would allow us to come back to His fold, to be reconciled to Him, through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ, which would make salvation and eternal life possible to all.
So I really can’t see how we can ever doubt God’s great LOVE for us. We might not make use of the benefits He provided, but doubting His LOVE is certainly irreconcilable with the facts. Even Satan, being once the archangel of Light, Lucifer, knows that fact, although he would never admit to is, because it would spoil or break his treasured hold on those sinners committed to him. And Jesus Himself made several clear and unambiguous statements that pertain to God’s LOVE for us; including this most prominent one to Nicodemus a Jewish church leader, who through fearing the ire of his fellow leaders, came to Jesus under cover of night to ask questions and hopefully get good answers.
And he surely did, when Jesus declared: ‘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) What could be more assertive and reassuring than that eh? It’s only God’s LOVE that saved all mankind from hellfire and damnation. As the Bible says, it hurts God’s heart to lose even one of His human souls to sin and eternal death, showing that He clearly desires that all of them should come to repentance. (2 Pet. 3:9)
Now, listen to this other statement from Jesus that proves God’s unconditional and undying LOVE for humanity. He says to the disciples: ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ (John 15:13) And there’s no disputing that statement, for the greatest show of LOVE is dying for someone else, and we will only die for someone we seriously LOVE. And then, Jesus went out and died for us. But there was a corollary to Jesus’ statement: ‘Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.’ (John 15:14)
Yes mih bredrin, friends usually do as their friends desire. And if we don’t do as Jesus desires, then we’re not His friend. But to be His friend, also means to have His Holy Spirit dwelling within us, leading and guiding our lives. For as Bruh Paul says in Romans: ‘Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.’ (Rom. 8:9b) Direct and to the point. And to further solidify the point that Jesus died for us because He LOVED us, listen to this statement, where He declares: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:11) And that’s exactly what a good shepherd does; fight for his sheep, and if necessary die for them.
Then there’s this verse from John’s first epistle that again confirms God’s and Jesus’ LOVE for mankind. ‘Hereby perceive we the LOVE of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down ours for the brethren.’ (1 John 3:16) Now that’s a powerful scripture my people, not only reiterating that Christ died for us because He LOVED us, but also that we should follow His example, and if necessary, die for the brethren. And yes, it is indeed a tough scripture to contemplate, but thankfully, few of us will ever be called to walk that path of dying for someone else.
So please, on this lazy-day Saturday, let’s not even contemplate the question of whether God LOVES us or not, because there’s lots of proof to show that He does. You might not think so because your life is somewhat topsy turvy and not going the way you desire, but you can’t blame God for everything. He’s promised that if you live sincerely for Him, then everything will work out for good in the end, but in the middle, there will certainly be ups and downs that we don’t appreciate. However, that’s just the way life is, and please, don’t foolishly turn away from God because you don’t like what’s happening in your life right now, for sometimes it’s just a test of your faith, and if you keep failing the tests, then crapaud smoke yuh pipe! Much LOVE!
…doubting God’s LOVE…is mankind’s greatest folly…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
13 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a damp cloudy morning, a most welcome invitation, a rainy night, an offer of salvation to all who will receive it, bless the LOrd o my soul, buy wine and milk withour money, call ye upon him while he is near, carries me so swiftly, catch your second wind, Christians, come buy and eat, come ye to the waters, compass me about with songs of deliverance, continue to do good work for Jesus, crowns thy life with loving kindness, delight in abundance, down to the basement again, eat what is good, endure to the end with Christ, even the sure mercies of David, every one that is godly, every one that thirsteth, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fists are blue from pounding, forget not all his benefits, forgives thine iniquities, from the basement of despair, get me off this emotional elevator, got to remain in God's arms, halfway home, hands on the plough, heals all thy diseases, hear and your soul shall live, hearken diligently unto me, hoarse from shouting, holy spirit, in a time when thou may be found, in all sincerity and truth, incline your ear and come unto me, Jesus Christ, keep you waiting, listen to me, LOVE, make an everlasting covenant with you, mercy, not turning back, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, pray unto thee, preserve me from trouble, quick relief, quick to complain, redeems thy life from destruction, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, satisfies thy mouth with good things, seek ye the Lord while he may be found, seeking god is the wisest thing a living soul can do, so glad to be alive, Stay There, suffocating, suffocating in this dark windowless box, tender mercies, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the door is wide open, the good shepherd, the Lord promises an everlasting covenant to the Gentiles, the Lord's door is always open, the Lord's invitation is to all men, the One Year Book of Bible Promises, the spiritually hungry and thirsty can eat and drink for free, the tenth floor of exhilaration, thou art my hiding place, thy youth is renewed like the eagle's, till thy kingdom come, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, turn and look dear child, wake up from our slumber, walk straight into my waiting arms, Wednesday Wail, why spend money on what is not bread, wisdom, without a price, you who have no money, your labour on what does not satisfy, your soul will delight with the richest of fare
Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 May 2026 Isaiah 55:6.
Isaiah 55:6. ‘Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:’
And after a rainy night, we end up with a damp, cloudy morning, with a bit of drizzle still happening every so often. It’s a tough day to catch your second wind, but catch it you must, if you’re to continue your good work for Jesus. And to make matters even more difficult, we’re on a real late bus this morning. I just came from my church group but also have to go out shortly for some tests. And you know how it is with these medical places, they don’t value your time. They tell you to come at a particular time, even earlier than that, then they still keep you waiting till thy kingdom come.
Without further ado then, let’s get into our topic for today, which is an interesting and rather appropriate poem for these times, from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, simply titled ‘Stay There.’ So please read with me: ‘Lord Please get me off This emotional elevator Which carries me so swiftly From the basement of despair To the tenth floor of exhilaration And down to the basement again. I’m hoarse from shouting My fists are blue from pounding I’m suffocating in this Dark, windowless box.’ And the Lord’s answer to that pitiful pleading was? ‘Turn and look, dear child. The door is wide open. Walk straight into My waiting arms. And stay there.’
Ah friends, we’re so quick to complain, before we even consider the situation properly. But as the Lord says, His door is always open, and all we have to do is walk straight into His open, waiting arms. But most importantly, we’ve got to remain in those arms, for it’s there that we find succour and help for all our troubles. And deep down we know that, but we simply refuse to take the time to consider the situation, we just desire quick relief. And you’d be surprised to discover the Bible quote for today’s poem. It’s one of those interesting statements from the prophet Isaiah on the Lord’s behalf.
The Book quotes it from the NIV (New International Version): ‘Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money, without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and you labour on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight with the richest of fare.’ (Is. 55:1-2) What a most welcome invitation my people! But let’s hear the elegant words of the King James Version, (smile) before we talk about what those verses mean.
‘Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness (abundance). Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.’ (Is. 55:1-3)
Now, we’ve put an extra verse in there, which makes it a little clearer. In essence, God is offering His free gift of salvation to all who are willing to receive it. And as the scholars say: ‘Those who are spiritually hungry and thirsty may come to eat and drink without money (or freely). The Lord promises an everlasting covenant to the Gentiles like the one He established with Israel.’ Please note that specific call in that last verse: ‘Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live…’ The Lord is calling, pleading with us to come to Him, but we have to listen, to hear, then draw near to Him.
And later on, the prophet again calls for our attention. ‘Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.’ (Is. 55:6) Yes friends, that’s the Lord’s invitation, His appeal to all men. If you are interested, His invitation is wide open to all… but you must seek Him, if you want to find Him. It’s as Bruh David says in Psalm 32: ‘For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about (surround me) with songs of deliverance. Selah.’ (Ps. 32:6-7)
Oh my brethren, that’s exactly what the Lord wants to do for every one of us, surround us with good things, a good and safe life, but we have to go to Him, reach out to Him in all sincerity and truth. He’s there waiting, waiting for us to wake up from our slumber and recognize the many benefits of being in His wonderful fold. Remember, He’s the good shepherd, who looks after His sheep like no other, or rather better than any other shepherd. And if you don’t get into His fold as soon as possible, then you’ll be missing out on many wonderful benefits.
Benefits like Bruh David declares in Psalm 103. ‘Bless the Lord , O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thy life with LOVING-KINDNESS and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps. 103:2-5) Now why would anybody with a mite of sense want to miss those wonderful benefits eh? No way! So, to show how smart and sensible we are, (smile) let’s all turn to the Lord God Almighty and diligently seek Him, for He is always to be found.
Now it’s time to 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 all who endure with Jesus to the very end, it is promised they will receive an even more glorious future than they can even ask or imagine. So, again, let’s show our good sense and endure to the very end so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…seeking God…that is the wisest thing a living soul can do…
Visit the Scrip-Bit Blog at https://randyobrien50.com
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a false Jewish nationalism, a pass free from jail, according to the word of the Lord, always seek the Lord again, be productive or unproductive, between a rock and a hard place, confess our sins, cry out in repentance, deepen my breath, do as we please, enjoy our freedom day, even to the soul, fellowship, God responds in a positive manner, God seldom let's out of our original tasks, God will always find us wherever we are, God will never turn us away if we're sincere, hatred of all non-Jews, holy spirit, I am cast out of thy sight, I cried by reason of my affliction unto the Lord, I knew thou art a gracious God, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, I went down to the bottoms of the mountains, I will look again toward thy holy temple, I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving, in all sincerity and truth, in the midst of the seas, increase my awareness of you today, is it right to be angry, it displeased Jonah exceedingly, it is better for me to die than to live, it's futile to try and escape God, Jesus Christ, Jonah arose and went unto Nineveh, Jonah learned his lesson, Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God, Jonah was in the belly of the fish, laze around, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, LOVE, merciful, mercy, my prayer came into thine holy temple, never stop seeking God despite our wrongdoing, Nineveh repented and the Lord showed them mercy, of great kindness, out of the belly of hell cried I, out of the fish's belly, pay that that I have vowed, preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, relents from doing harm, resting, revitalizing our souls bodies and spirits, salvation, salvation is of the Lord, seeking greater intimacy with God, slow my thoughts, slow to anger, take my life from me, thank you for this tenderness, the beauty of going to God in sincerity, the depth closed me round about, the earth with her bars was about me for ever, the fish vomited Jonah upon the dry land, the floods compassed me about, the Lord prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah, the Lord spake unto the fish, the waters compassed me about, the weeds were wrapped about my head, the word of the Lord came unto Jonah a second time, then said I, they that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy, thou hadst cast me into the deep, thou hast brought up my life from corruption, thou heardest my voice, three days and three nights, true godliness, truth, wake up from our foolish disobedience, when my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord, wisdom, worship worthless idols, you can't be contained, you cannot escape from God, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Jonah 2:1. Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly.
Oh friends, we’ve finally reached the day we truly desire; that’s our lazy-day Saturday when we can do exactly as we choose, with no bosses or other restraints holding us in check. When we can get up and be productive or just laze around, rest, and be unproductive. Sorry, resting is not being unproductive; it’s a form of revitalizing our souls, bodies and spirits that the Lord deemed necessary when He created us. (smile) So let’s enjoy our freedom day.
But first, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, in all sincerity and truth. ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And if we were truly sincere in seeking greater intimacy with our heavenly Father, then He will soon accept our plea and wrap us deeper and more tenderly in His LOVING arms. That’s the beauty of going to God with a sincere heartfelt plea; He usually responds in a positive manner. Anyway, since God was gracious enough to grant us breath this morning, let’s continue with the story of Jonah.
Now, yesterday we stopped when they threw Jonah out of the boat so the sea could be calm. At that point, the Bible tells us: ‘Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.’ (Jon. 2:1) Oh mih people, even in the depths of the sea, Jonah could not escape from God. and it’s the same way with us, whenever we try to escape His attention. He will always find us wherever we are.
So, again, it’s futile to try to escape God. Hopefully though, when the Lord finally has us betwixt a rock and a hard place, that we’re wise enough to cry out in repentance like Jonah, as the Bible continues: ‘Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly. And said, I cried by reason of (because of) my affliction unto the Lord, and he heard (answered) me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.’ (Jon. 2:1-2)
Yuh see friends, even in the depths of hell, which it must have been in the fish’s belly, the Lord heard Jonah’s cry, because then it was sincere and heartfelt. And the Lord will be the same with us, when we wake up from our foolish disobedience and confess our sins. Listen to Jonah do just that, in poetic form, no less. ‘For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst (heart) of the seas; and the floods compassed me about (surrounded me): all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet will I look again toward thy holy temple.’ (Jon. 2:3-4)
That’s how we ought to be; whatever our wrongdoing, and however fearful we might be, we should always seek the Lord again, because despite our obstinacy and disobedience, He will NEVER turn us away when we sincerely turn back to Him. Thus Jonah expounds: (smile) ‘The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth (deep) closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms (foundations, bases) of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me (closed behind me) for ever: yet thou hast brought up my life from corruption (from the pit),
O Lord my God. When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came unto (went up to) thee, into thine holy temple. They that observe lying vanities (worthless idols) forsake their own mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS). But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.’ (Jon. 2:5-9)
Yes friends, Jonah could certainly wax poetic, but he should have thought about all those things before trying to run from God. Disobeying God is one thing, but trying to run from Him is something entirely different, most foolish, since it’s an impossible task. But our God is such a great and forgiving God, that after hearing Jonah’s plea, the Bible says: ‘And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.’ (Jon. 2:10)
Now, although the Lord showed Jonah mercy, He wasn’t finished with him, for the Bible goes on to say: ‘And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching (message) that I bid (tell) thee.’ (Jon. 3:1-2) I have to chuckle here friends, for if Jonah thought He was getting a pass free from jail, he was sadly mistaken. For the Lord came back to him with the original request. And it’s the same way He does with us. He seldom let’s us out of the tasks that He’s originally given us. He’s usually on our case until we do His bidding.
And Jonah did learn His lesson, for after the second command, the Bible says: ‘So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord.’ (Jon. 3:3) But Jonah’s hatred of the Assyrians in Nineveh was so great, that even when he preached to them and they repented, and the Lord saved the city, he was still angry.
The Bible says: ‘But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying (what I said), when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before (previously) unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil (one who relents from doing harm). Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live. Then said the Lord, Doest thou well to be angry (is it right to be angry)?’ (Jon. 4:1-4)
Imagine that nuh, Jonah wishing death because the Lord pardoned the citizens of Nineveh who repented of their evil ways. As the scholars say: ‘Jonah still maintains a false Jewish nationalism and hatred of all non-Jews, especially Assyrians.’ Let’s hope that we don’t hold such foolish sentiments, but are glad to see the Lord forgive anyone who repents, despite their colour, creed or race, for that’s true godliness. And hopefully as we ponder Jonah’s story on this lazy-day Saturday, we’ll learn a few useful lessons from it. Much LOVE!
…getting angry because God does good to others…is a form of ungodliness…
Visit the Scrip-Bit Blog at https://randyobrien50.com
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all that thou settest thine hand to, ask anything according to his will, avoids evil influences deeds and attitudes, be afraid of thee, be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, beautiful green flora, becoming more intimate with God is surely His will, blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, blessed shall be thy basket and thy store, blessed shalt thou be in the city, blessed shalt thou be in the field, blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out, brings forth his fruit in his season, called by the name of the Lord, captivity, christianity, Christians, climate change, come against thee one way, command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, constnat war, continual state of strife, day and night, deepen my breath, delights in God's Word, drought, establish thee and holy people, faith, flee before thee seven ways, foolish pride, frost advisory, God causes him to propsper, he hears us, his delight is in the law of the Lord, his leaf also shall not wither, holy spirit, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, if we know that he hears us, in all sincerity and truth, in his law doth he meditate, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, LOVE, mercy, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful, nor standeth in the way of sinners, only a matter of time, plagues, quiet my soul, realize the truth of the situation, relax my muscles, right motives, salvation, sinners shall not stand in the congregation of the righteous, slow my thoughts, suffer the Lord's wrath, thank you for this tenderness, the amazing peace and calm of God, the Beatitudes, the BIBLE, the blessed man is the righteous man, the blessedness of a man whose priority is the Lord, the flocks of thy sheep, the fruit of thy cattle, the fruit of thy ground, the increase of thy kine, the Lord controls the universe, the Lord knows the way of the righteous, the Lord shall cause thine enemies to be smitten, the ungodly are like chaff which the wind drives away, the ungodly are not so, the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement, the way of the ungodly shall perish, this is the confidence that we have in Him, truth, walk in all his ways, we know we have the petitions we desire, whatsoever he doeth shall prosper, wilful disobedience, wisdom, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Psalm 1:1. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
And it’s a somewhat chilly and cloudy lazy-day Saturday on this second day of May 2026, but it’s a lazy-day Saturday nonetheless, and if you don’t have to go out, then the weather doesn’t really matter. (smile) And brother! Every day I keep seeing this frost advisory warning. What’s that about eh? Isn’t it supposed to be spring with the trees blossoming those loverly green leaves? Yes. And many of them have already done so. But I guess climate change might have something to say about that. (smile)
Anyway, we know that spring is here, and it’s only a matter of time before the whole northern clime is once again covered in beautiful green flora, because that’s the way the Lord designed it. And to help us chase away any doubts or worries we might have about anything, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, in all sincerity and truth.
As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And if our heart motives were right, then as John say in his first epistle: ‘And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us:’ (1 John 5:14) And asking to become more intimate with God is surely in the Lord’s will. Then, according to John: ‘And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired (asked) of him.’ (1 John 5:15) So if we were sincere in our prayer then we know for sure that the amazing peace and calm of the Lord will soon be flowing through us on this lazy-day Saturday.
And what could be better than that eh? Only the further knowledge of being blessed when we are obedient to Him. And yesterday we stopped looking at scripture blessings at the end of the Beatitudes, but there are a couple more scriptures on ‘Blessedness’ that I would like to share. Beginning with Psalm 1, which testifies thus: ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ (Ps. 1:1-4)
Yes friends, that’s the blessedness of a man whose priority is the Lord. And he could not put it any clearer than that. Or as the scholars say: ‘In essence, the psalm is teaching that the blessed or happy man is the righteous man. The happy man avoids evil influences, deeds, and attitudes (vs. 1); he delights in God’s Word (vs.2); therefore God causes him to prosper (vs.3).’ But as the psalm continues: ‘The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.’ (Ps. 1:4-6)
Yuh see that mih bredrin; ‘the ungodly is worth no more than chaff, (vs. 4) and his destiny is judgment (vs.5). And the Lord knows the difference between the two. As the scholars say: ‘The psalm forms an appropriate introduction to the Psalter (Book of Psalms) since it sets before the reader the three characters who will figure mostly in the psalms: the righteous, the ungodly, and God.’
And finally we come to the blessings that the Lord proposed to bestow on Israel, if they hearkened diligently to the voice of the Lord and obeyed all His commandments. Then He would set them high above all nations of the earth. All these blessings would come upon them and overtake them: ‘Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body (offspring), and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine (cattle), and the flocks of thy sheep. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store (kneading bowl).
Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out. The Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten (defeated) before thy face: they shall come against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways. The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. The Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto himself , as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in all his ways. And the people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee.’ (Deut. 28:3-10)
Oh my fellow believers that’s what the Lord promised to do for the Israelites if they obeyed His commandments and lived the way He desired. And the same applies to us today. If we live the way the Lord desires, He will bless us in all aspects of our lives. But what really amazes me is that all the talk about blessings, only takes fourteen verses, but then, those for the curses that follow if they become disobedient, run from verse fifteen to verse sixty-eight. That’s surely a lot of curses. All the blessings would disappear and they would suffer things like captivity, plagues, drought, be scattered to different places and be in constant war.
And just like the Israelites foolishly disobeyed the Lord and suffered all those negative things, likewise we are doing the same thing, thus the continual state of strife and hardship in our time. When will we wake up and realize that the Lord controls His universe, and does as He has said from time immemorial? Is it only when He completely destroys us for foolish pride and willful disobedience? I hope not, because if we continue the evil and ungodly way we’re going, that day won’t be far away. Much LOVE!
…how often must we suffer the Lord’s wrath…for being disobediently and ungodly…before we wake up and realize the truth of the situation…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
11 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a call to faith, a state of continual rejoicing, and again I say rejoice, anything praiseworthy, at peace with his fellow Christian, be careful for nothing, be caught napping when Jesus returns, be prepared, become passionate, Christ is coming as a judge, christianity, Christians, deepen my breath, divine tranquility, don't worry about anything, easier said than done, eternal separation from Almighty God, exceeds one's ability to understand, experience all God has in store for us, faith, frees the believer from fear and worry, get lost, God is always working to accomplish good, greater intimacy with God, grow closer to god, holy spirit, human understanding dictates fear, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, if there be any virtue, in all sincerity and truth, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, Jesus' return is near, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let your moderation be known unto all men, let your requests be made known unto God, like a thief in the night, LOVE, mercy, of good report, peace divinely bestowed in times of anxiety, put them into action, quiet my soul, receiving Christ as Lord and Saviour, Rejoice in the Lord always, relax my muscles, room for improvement, salvation, shielding hearts and minds from anxiety, slow my thoughts, spring time lazy-day Saturday, thank you for this tenderness, the best accoutrement for a lazy-day Saturday, the BIBLE, the God of peace shall be with you, the last days, the Lord is near spiritually, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the solution to undue anxiety is prayer in everything, the tranquility of mind, think on these things, times of extreme challenges, transcends human logic, truth, we need intimacy with God every day, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are true, wisdom, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Philippians 4:4. Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
And yes, on this fairly warm, spring time lazy-day Saturday, we have already reached double figures in the days of April! But didn’t we just celebrate Easter last week at the beginning of April? Yes, but that should remind us how quickly the days are moving, and we have to get with them, especially in receiving Jesus as Lord and Saviour, unless we want to get lost in eternal separation from Almighty God.
Many people are calling these the last days, and who knows if they are right, but just in case they are, we don’t want to be caught napping when Jesus returns. Remember He said He could return at any time, like a thief in the night, so we have to be prepared at all times for such an occasion. So let’s begin today by offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with all sincerity and truth.
As one strong voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And that’s a prayer the Lord will always cherish and answer, because it means we want to get into greater intimacy with Him, and there’s nothing His heart desires more than intimacy with His greatest though very disobedient creation. (smile) So, if our words were sincere and heartfelt, then that peace, that calm and understanding that surpasses all human understanding will soon be flowing through us, bringing the best accoutrement or trimming for a fine lazy-day Saturday. (smile)
The only problem though is that we need to get intimate with our heavenly Father every day, not only on one day. And that’s why Bruh Paul, then resident in a Roman jail, wrote thus to the Philippians: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation (graciousness or gentleness) be known unto all men. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 44-7)
Now Bruh Paul says a lot in those 4 verses. First of all we need to be in a state of continual rejoicing. And as the scholars explain: ‘This command to rejoice at all times and in all circumstances is nothing less than a call to faith. For if the Christian believes that his life and all its circumstances are in the hands of a sovereign, wise, and LOVING God who is always working to accomplish good for him, then he can indeed ‘rejoice always.’ Wow! What a call to faith indeed!
And as per moderation, the scholars tell us that ‘The believer who is at peace with his fellow Christian (vs.2) and who rejoices always (vs.4) is indeed a gracious, reasonable person.’ You can’t help but be gracious under those circumstances! Then ‘The Lord is at hand means two things. First, His return to earth is near. His imminent coming as judge encourages the Christian to be “gracious” unto all men, for He will judge the believer for all his actions toward all people, and will avenge all wrongs committed by others against him.
Second, the Lord is at hand spiritually. The Lord’s being presently near should free the Christian from fear and anxiety. Hence the command of verse 6.’ And that says, be careful for nothing, meaning don’t worry about anything. And per the scholars. ‘The Lord’s nearness (vs.5b) leads Paul to forbid his readers from worrying. This is no summons to irresponsibility or an invitation to dismiss legitimate concern. The solution to undue anxiety is prayer in every thing, “in any matter of life.”
The way to be free of anxiety is to be prayerful about everything. However, while God is eager to hear our requests, they are to be accompanied with thanksgiving.’ Meanwhile, The peace of God is that tranquility of mind that frees the believer from fear and worry. And the peace which passeth all understanding means (1) peace divinely bestowed in times of anxiety, so wonderful that it exceeds one’s ability to understand it; and (2) God’s peace far surpassing one’s own understanding of the problem, and His ability to cope with and solve it.’
Yes friends, that peace which comes from our God is truly magnificent and is certainly above our level of understanding. And I like how this commentary explains it. ‘The “peace that passes all understanding” is a profound, divine tranquility that transcends human logic and emotional reasoning, shielding hearts and minds from anxiety, as described in Philippians 4:7. This inner calm is seen as a gift from God, often experienced during extreme challenges when human understanding would dictate fear.’
And isn’t that the awesome truth! When fear captures our souls, there’s nothing like the peace of God to drive it away! But as Bruh Paul assures us, that will not happen unless we cultivate that intimacy, that prayer with thanksgiving, the moderation with which we live our daily lives, and not being devastated by worry, especially in crucial and critical times like we’re now experiencing.
And from a practical standpoint, Bruh Paul then offers these recommendations. ‘Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest (noble), whatsoever things are just, whatsoever thigs are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise (anything praiseworthy), think (meditate) on these things. Those things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.’ (Phil. 4:8-9)
And yes my fellow believers, it’s all easier said than done, but the Lord has already granted us all the tools we need to do it, we just need to become passionate and put them into action. Now that’s something we ought to ponder, to seriously consider this lazy-day Saturday. How are we using the tools God gave us, and what benefit, if any, are we deriving from them? Then ask the Lord to help us do better, for we all have room for improvement! Much LOVE!
…only as we grow closer to God…can we experience all that He has in store for us…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
04 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: .answer to our prayer, behold thy mother, being more intimate with God, breathed his last, brutal and inhumane situation, Christ died to save us from the bondage of sin, Christ was accursed of God for us, Christ's Resurrection, christianity, come tomorrow, crucified as a common criminal, darkness was over all the land, deepen my breath, don't allow our agony to overcome our faith, drawing closer to God, Eli Eli lama sabachthani, eternal separation from Almighty God, faith, Father forgive them, Father into thy hands I commend my spirit, filled with compassion, free will, God's ultimate purpose of saving mankind, great joy, he gave up the ghost, holy spirit, I marvel to think, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, if thou be the Christ, in all sincerity and truth, in the throes of death, increase my awareness of you today, innocent of all crimes, Jesus Christ, Jesus cried with a loud voice, Jesus is our hero, Jesus sacrificed His sinless life, joy comes in the morning, know you all the more, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, LOVE, mercy, My God my God, one who had done no wrong, pay the consequences of unwise decisions, peace and contentment, pomp and passion, prayer is one of our greatest privileges, quench our sadness, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, sad and downcast, salvation, save thyself and us, slow my thoughts, thank you for this tenderness, the agony of spiritual death, the atonement of our sins, the BIBLE, the disciple took her into his own home, the fiery jaws of hell, the high cost to Christ, the horrific scene of Christ's crucifixion, the inequity of Jewish society, the joy of the Lord is our strength, they know not what they do, today thou shalt be with me in paradise, truth, why hast thou forsaken me, wisdom, Woman behold thy son, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me
Luke 23:46. And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost (breathed his last).
So we’ve come to our lazy-day Saturday of Holy Week, and many of us are feeling somewhat sad and downcast because of yesterday’s replaying of the horrific scene that took place two thousand years ago in the city of Jerusalem; that’s Christ’s crucifixion. And how can one not be affected by such a brutal and inhumane situation eh, especially to one who had done no wrong, was innocent of all the crimes He was accused of, but was nonetheless battered and bruised by His fellow countrymen, then crucified as a common criminal between two real criminals.
But thankfully Jesus knew exactly what He was doing and why He suffered the indignities and abuse as quietly as He did. It was all because His heavenly Father desired that He pay the price for mankind’s abominable sins by sacrificing His sinless life so that God’s greatest creation could have a chance of bypassing eternal separation from Him, because that’s where we were surely headed if we did not get atonement for our wrong doing. And it’s of the utmost importance that we remember that Christ died to save us from the bondage of sin and the fiery jaws of hell.
Therefore, we ought to regard Him as not only our Lord and Saviour, but also as our Hero. And you know how we honour our heroes with pomp and passion. So why don’t we do the same for Jesus eh? Why do some of us even go so far as to hold Him in contempt despite His life-saving sacrifice for us? Who knows my people? The Lord gave us free will to choose whom we adore and glorify, and if we choose not to adore and glorify Jesus, then we’ll just have to pay the consequences inherent in that unwise decision.
Enough theorizing though, (smile) let’s ease the sorrow in our hearts by the best method there is; that’s prayer, our greatest privilege. So let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, with all sincerity and truth. As one strong voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
Oh friends, there’s nothing better to quench our sadness than seeking to draw closer and more intimate with our heavenly Father! For when we get closer to Him, our sadness falls away and is replaced by a feeling of peace and contentment. It’s like the Bible says: ‘the joy of the Lord is our strength.’ (Neh. 8:10) So when we are sad, our joy is depleted, and when we get close to God, our joy is increased. And though we know that tomorrow we will indeed be joyful because of Christ’s resurrection, today we’re still in the doldrums, and it might just be a good time to sit and consider some of the things Jesus did even while he was being abused and crucified.
For instance while nailed to the cross He prayed thus: ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.’ (Luke 23:34a) How many of us would even consider forgiving those who abuse us in such an inhumane manner eh? Not many, if any. But Jesus was filled with compassion even in His throes of death. And besides, those who crucified Him did not really know what they were doing. they thought they were getting rid of a nuisance, a renegade prophet, not knowing that their evil deeds were serving God’s ultimate purpose of saving mankind.
Then look at how the Bible portrays this touching scene. It says: ‘And one of the malefactors (criminals ) which were hanged railed on him (blasphemed), saying, If thou be the Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss (wrong). And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.’ (Luke 23:39-43)
Yes my brethren, even in His suffering, Jesus was still compassionate and kind. And that’s how He would like us, His followers, His disciples, his ambassadors to also be. Unfortunately though, too many of us are exactly the opposite; we have no time for others when we are going through our own problems. Then look at this other even more touching scene from Jesus hanging from the cross.
The Bible tells us: ‘Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he LOVED (John), he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.’ (John 19:25-27) Now wasn’t that very thoughtful of Jesus to leave His mother in a safe and secure situation, for her husband Joseph had probably died already, and in those days widows had a tough time surviving the inequity and unkindness of Jewish society.
The worst part of the whole affair on Jesus’ part was possibly this one. The Bible says: ‘Now from the sixth hour (noon) there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour (3.pm). And about the ninth hour (3 p.m.) Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Matt. 27:45-46) Yes friends, Jesus hung on that cross from about 9 a.m. to 3.pm before any words of complaint echoed from His soul. And even then it wasn’t even so much a complaint, but more of a big disappointment.
For as the scholars explain: ‘Here we have the high cost to Christ of His atonement for our sins, who was accursed of God as our sin-bearer and suffered the agony of spiritual death for us.’ In other words Christ was painted with the brush of sin, and since the Lord could not countenance sin, He was separated from the Father for the first time ever. And as the scholars note: ‘Even in the midst of bearing God’s wrath for sin, Jesus still calls Him my God. His agony does not overcome His faith.’ Now that’s something we all should try to also achieve; don’t allow anyone or anything to destroy our faith in God.
And to cap it all, a short time later, ‘And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost (breathed his last). (Luke 23:46) So though the memories of Jesus crucifixion are heartrending, let’s remember that He did it willingly as the will of the Father, so we should not despair, for remember, joy comes in the morning, and indeed, there will be great joy…come tomorrow! Much LOVE!
…Jesus suffered greatly for our sins…but both Him and Father thought it worthwhile…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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