in his law doth he meditate

The Overwhelming Importance of Righteous Living in the Pursuit of Heavenly Blessings!

18 Sep 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a comapssionate heart, a positive outlook on life, abundance, acquiring money, avoids evil influences deeds and attitudes, blessed is the man that walketh not in the way of the ungodly, blessings bestowed on the righteous, bringeth forth fruit in his season, Christians, climate change, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, do according to all that's written therein, doth he meditate day and night, faith, followers of Christ, god, God causes him to prosper, God's supernatural wisdom, godly behaviour, got a zeppo, have good success, his delight is in the law of the Lord, his leaf also shall not wither, holy spirit, in his law doth he meditate, in league with the wicked, in the name of Jesus, Jesus Christ, like a tree planted by the rivers of water, like chaff, like night follows day, like the chaff which the wind driveth away, live in a godly and righteous manner, live righteously and be blessed, live unrighteously and persih, LOVE, make thy way prosperous, material possessions, mercy, negative word, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful, nor stands in the seat of sinners, only a matter of time, our guidebook for godly living, personal power, promotion, put the Lord's word into action, receive clear direction for my life, salvation, share our blessings, sit in hallowed halls, social status, spiritual growth, supernatural strength, talent, the Bible is our guidebook for living, the blessed man is the righteous man, the cold weather is inevitable, the righteous, the ungodly, the ungodly are not so, their destiny is judgement, truth, whatsoever he does shall prosper, whatsoever he doeth shall prosper, wisdom

Psalm 1:1. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the seat of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

Oh friends, one more beautiful summer day! In all my years in Canada, I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a beautiful, summery month of September! But we’re definitely not complaining, just saying thank the Lord and climate change for making it possible, because the real summer months were too hot and filled with the smoke from the many wildfires that were then happening. Now, it’s temps in the low to mid-twenties, with a cool breeze ruffling through the trees to keep things at a modest heat. So let’s pray that it will last a while longer, as the cold weather is inevitable, like night follows day, it’s only a matter of when it will show up. (smile)

So what’s on the agenda for today? Well, I was just searching through the scriptures for something to talk on, but nothing caught my interest, then I got this sudden zeppo to go to Psalm 1. So here we are. And according to the scholars, ‘It’s an appropriate introduction to the Psalter (Book of Psalms) since it sets before the readers the three characters who will figure mostly in the psalms: the righteous, the ungodly, and God.’ And so it does, but also more importantly, it begins by telling us about the blessings which are bestowed on the godly.

So please read with me. ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the seat of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.’ (Ps. 1:1) Right away friends we are told what a blessed or righteous man ought not do. That’s basically not get in league with the wicked, the scornful, the blasphemer etc. etc. And how should that man who desires to be blessed behave? ‘But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder by talking to oneself) day and night.” (Ps. 1:2)

That means we now have the basic idea of how the righteous man ought to behave. And what happens when he behaves in that prescribed manner? Then he’s blessed! ‘And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” (Ps. 1.3) Wow mih bredrin! What wonderful news! Prosperity will be ours if we read,, understand and put the Lord’s Word into action!

And that’s something the Lord also drilled into Joshua’s head when He made him the leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. He told him in no uncertain terms. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8)

Now what’s so difficult to understand in all of that eh? Nothing whatsoever! So why aren’t many more of us doing that eh? Don’t we like prosperity? Of course we do, but the problem is that we consider propserity to be simply acquiring money, the material possessions of the world, social status and personal power within the society, with no regard to the acquiring of godly behaviour and spiritual growth.

But let’s remember what Psalm 1 says on that matter. ‘The ungodly are not so (shall not prosper); but are the 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.’ (Ps. 1:4-5) Yuh see that friends; the ungodly are not worth anything; they are like the useless chaff that the wind blows away. And they certainly won’t be allowed to sit in the hallowed halls with the righteous, but their destiny is judgement.

Ah my people, it’s time we wake up and learn that propserity does not only relate to things like money and material possessions, but also to our quality of godly life. As the scholars tell us: ‘The key word in the psalm is the word blessed. It serves here as a pronouncement upon a man – a certain kind of man. 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.’

And who’s going to decide and evaluate the righteous and the ungodly? God Himself. As the psalm concludes: ‘For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.’ (Ps. 1:6) In other words, God knows the ways of the both righteous and the ungodly, and the former will be blessed, but the latter will perish.

Now, let’s remember that God does not make idle promises. So whatever He promises in His Word, the Bible, our Guidebook for Godly Living, He will fulfill in His own time. In the meantime though, if we want to call ourselves Christians, followers of Christ, then we are required to live the way He desires us to live, and that’s in a godly and righteous manner. That’s all there is to it.

But our God, being a righteous, just and generous Deity, has also chosen to bestow on us undeserved blessings to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!

I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’

And having made that declaration, (awright!!!) it now behooves us to go out and use those blessings on behalf of others, just as generously as the Lord did with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…life is simple…with only two options…live righteously and be blessed…or live unrighteously and perish…

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

The Faithful Promises of God to the Righteous!

13 Jun 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: amidst all the anxiety and confusion, be as a tree planted by the waters, be fat and flourishing, be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, be responisble, blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, blessed is the man that walketh not in the way of the ungodly, bring forth fruit in their old age, brings forth his fruit in his season, by the example your faithful believers set, cease from bearing fruit, crying out for your help, day and night, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, depart from evil, discontent, dissatisfaction, do good, doesn't take your fancy, dwell for evermore, dwell therein for ever, faith, flourish in the courts of God, Friday chant, God's promises for the righteous, gospel truth, grow in spirituality, grow like a cedar in Lebanon, he delights in his way, he is always merciful and lendeth, he shall exalt thee to inherit the land, he shall not be utterly cast down, heavenly Father, her leaf shall be green, his delight is in the law of the Lord, his leaf shall not wither, his seed begging bread, hit the ball out of the park, holy spirit, I have been young and now am old, I have not seen the righteous forsaken, in his law doth he meditate, insufficient Christian witness, introduce a new flock of believers, Jesus Christ, keep his way, lean on God's everlasting arms, LOVE, mercy, nor sits in the seat of the scornful, nor stands in the way of sinners, not afraid of whatever comes against him, obedience, omnipotent help, our sinful world, positive chages, problems escalating, Psalm 23, restoring faith in you, return backsliders to your fold, righteousness, salvation, shall not be careful in the year of drought, shall not fear when heat comes, show them the error of their ways, spreading our slat and light, spreads out her roots by the river, stand strong and steadfast, stay safe, step up to the plate, strong faith in God, strong roots planted in God, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the Lord forsakes not his saints, The Lord is my rock, The Lord is my shepherd, the Lord loves justice, the Lord upholds him with his hand, the necessities of life, the righteous shall flourish like the palm tree, the righteous shall inherit the land, the seed of the wicked shall be cut off, the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, there is no unrighteousness, these ungodly times, they are preserved for ever, though he fall, to enjoy the good life one must live the good life, to shew that the Lord is upright, to show that the Lord is upright, too much a part of the world, trust God's every word, trusting faith, truth, unbelievers could be attracted to jesus, unexpected storms, wait on the Lord, wake up and smell the coffee, whatsoever he does shall prosper, when the wicked are cut off, whose hope the Lord is, wisdom, wise guidance

Psalm 92:12. The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon (strong and tall).

And then, at long last, it was our favourite workday, Friday. And although the sun’s not as hot and shining as we might like it, with a few clouds overhead, it doesn’t stop those shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ from rising on high. I guess it would take a really terrible Friday to stop those shouts from rising up. (smile) Anyway, since God has spared our lives to see another day on His beautiful planet earth, that’s sadly beset by all kinds of disasters, both natural and man-made, let’s keep our promise of yesterday to check out God’s promises for the righteous, having seen how He intends to utterly destroy the wicked.

And one of the best scriptures on God’s blessing on the righteous is found in Psalm 1, aptly titled – Blessings on the Godly. The psalmist opens with this awesome proclamation: ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, 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 (ponder on) 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. 1:1-3)

Wow! What a wonderful blessing the Lord proclaims for the righteous! And if that scripture doesn’t take your fancy, then try this one from Psalm 92, titled – Give Thaks to God. The psalmist confidently declares: ‘The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon (strong and tall). Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall bring forth fruit in their old age; they shall be fat and flourishing (plump and green); To shew that the Lord is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.’ (Ps. 92:12-15)

Now, that’s the indisputable truth! There is no unrighteousness whatsoever in the Lord God Almighty! That’s why we can trust His every word and lean on His everlasting arms without fear! And even in their old age, the righteous will still be flourishing bringing forth good fruit, because the Lord is with them. But if you still don’t believe, then try this word from the prophet Jeremiah. ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see (fear) when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful (anxious) in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.’ (Jer. 17:8)

Another wonderful verse of the Lord’s blessing upon the righteous! And you might be wondering why all these metaphors about trees planted by water. That’s because in the old time agrarian society, where farming was a major part of life, it was much easier for them to understand that kind of comparison. And furthermore, when you receive Christ as Lord and Saviour, afterwards you don’t just sit around and do nothing, No, you’re expected to grow in spirituality and obedience, in faith and righteousness.

And what better way to explain that than by talking about trees planted by a plentiful supply of water with long, strong roots that go deep into the ground, and bear good fruit even in a season of drought. That’s how the righteous Christian ought to be; with strong roots planted in God and His Word, not afraid of whatever comes against him because of his strong faith in His Creator and Giver of Life, who blesses Him with all the necessities of life.

And Psalm 37 further tells us: ‘The steps of a good man are ordered (established) by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. I have been young, and am now old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed (descendants) begging bread. He is ever (always) merciful, and lendeth; and his seed (descendants) is blessed. Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. For the Lord LOVETH judgement (justice), and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.’ (Ps. 37:23-29)

Now, you cannot want better testimony than that! Straight from the personal experience of Bruh David. He was a man just like us, with all our faults and foibles, but He trusted the Lord with all of his heart, and though his life was not easy, he still ended up victorious because of the Lord’s faithfulness. And he perfectly describes the Lord’s faithfulness and blessings on the righteous in his famous and heartfelt Psalm 23 – the Lord is My shepherd. Perhaps you should take a minute afterwards and check it out and see how rich and wonderful it is in godly faithfulness and blessings. (smile)

In the meanwhile please follow these most reassuring words of Bruh David from Psalm 37. ‘Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.’ (Ps. 37:34) And that’s the gospel truth my people! Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine help in these tough and turbulent times.

Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.

We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’

And truthfully, one of the major reasons for the chaotic state of our world is insufficient Christian witness. We have been too much a part of the world, rather than being apart from it and spreading our marvellous salt and light so that the unbelievers could be attracted to Jesus. And if we want to see productive and positive changes in our world, then we have to step up to the plate and hit the ball out of the park. And do it right now! It’s as simple as that my faithful brethren! Much LOVE!

…to enjoy the good life…one must live the good life…

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

The Lord’s Never Promised That Life would Be Easy, But He’s Given Us Enough Guarantees that We Can Be Successful!

19 Feb 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a light unto my path, avoids evil influences, be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, Bible, blessed are the undefiled, blessed are they that keep His testimonies, blessed is the man, brings forth his fruit in his season, called to do His work, christianity, daily light our paths, day and night, declared righteous, delights in God's Word, do no iniquity, drag us down to the depths of Hades, even to the end of the world, everlasting hope, evil attitudes, evil deeds, faith, goodness, halfway home, hands on the plough, his delight is in the law of the Lord, his leaf also shall not wither, holy spirit, I am with you always, if any man will come after me, in his law doth he meditate, it is not a free pass to sin, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the everlasting hope, Jesus took our punishment, joy, justified, let him deny himself, living for Christ is not easy, lo, LOVE, mercy, more joy that sorrow in our hearts, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, nor sits in the seat of the scornful, nor stands in the way of sinners, not because we fear punishment, not looking back, our human sin nature, promised to make all things right, prosper and have good success, right to the very end, salvation, second wind day, seek him with their whole heart, short -lived pleasures, show us the way, stay the course with Jesus, take up his cross daily and follow me, thank God, that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, the blessed man is the righteous man, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the paths of righteousness, there are always consequences to sin, there is therefore now no condemnation, this is the day the Lord has made, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, to a glorious future with Jesus, to them which are in Christ Jesus, to those who love him, truth, turn away from sin, walk in his ways, walk in the law of the Lord, walk not after the flesh but after the spirit, we understand God's love and sacrifice, we will rejoice and be glad in it, Wednesday Wail, whatsoever he does shall prosper, wisdom

Psalm 118:24. This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

So, Wednesday, our second wind day has rolled in, but most of us don’t really need to catch any second wind, because so far, we’ve only worked one day for the week. Or maybe I’m wrong, all the partying over the long Family Day weekend, or the shovelling of all that snow still has a hold on us. (smile) But however we are, today is a new day, and we can expect new things to happen from our great God. That’s why we can joyfully declare: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24)

And there’s no better way to greet a new day my faithful brethren, because we never know what joy and goodness it may contain, and we’re always expecting something good from our God; that’s the everlasting hope we have in Him! He’s promised to make all things right eventually, for those who LOVE Him and are called to do His work, (Rom. 8:28) so if we are His children and believe His Word, then we ought to always have more joy than sorrow in our hearts.

Life will never be totally easy, especially with our human sin nature, but if we’re sincerely walking with God, then we know that He is guiding and leading us along the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. As these opening words of Psalm 119 indicate: ‘Blessed are the undefiled (blameless) in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.’ (Ps. 119:1-3) Yes friends, that’s what expected of us, as believers in Christ Jesus: to walk in His ways, now and forever.

And if you don’t believe those words from Psalm 119, then try these from Psalm 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. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder) 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. 1:1-3)

Oh my people, that is the kind of believers we’re called to be. And I like how the scholars explain it. ‘The key word in the psalm is the word blessed. It serves here as a pronouncement upon a man – but a certain kind of man. 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.’

Now the big question is why aren’t so many of us supposed believers prospering? Is it that we are allowing the evil deeds, attitudes and influences of the world to overly influence our daily lives? That could surely be a part of the answer, especially when we see the great hold that evil and all its attendant vices currently have on the world and are constantly bombarding us with the cheap and short-lived pleasures of iniquity.

However friends, we cannot use that as an excuse, because we have the Lord’s Word and His everlasting promise that if we meditate on it day and night and put it into action in our lives, then we will prosper and have good success. (Josh. 1:8) That means, if we’re not prospering, then some, if not all of the fault lies in our not taking God’s Word seriously and doing as He says. Remember what the author of Psalm 119 also says; ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105)

Now, are we making that the truth in our lives? Are we allowing the word of God to show us the way, and daily light our paths? That’s another question we ought to ask. And please don’t take this as condemnation, for remember Bruh Paul’s words to the church at Rome: ‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.’ (Rom. 8:1)

And that, as this commentary explains, basically means ‘those who have faith in Jesus are no longer under judgment for their sins, because those who believe in Jesus are justified, or declared righteous before God. This is because Jesus took on the punishment that people deserve for their sins, dying in their place. However, we turn away from sin, not because we fear punishment, but because we understand the LOVE and sacrifice that God has bestowed upon us. In conclusion, Romans 8:1, when properly understood, is a powerful declaration of God’s LOVE and mercy towards us. However, it is not a free pass to sin.’

Definitely not! For there are always consequences to sin. But we have to fight, to truly know, to meditate on God’s Word and put it into action so that our sinfulness will not drag us down to the depths of Hades. Oh my fellow saints, we all know that living for Christ is not as easy as it sometimes sounds, because we have taken solemn vows to be His ambassadors and agents in the world. Remember what Jesus desires of all who choose to become His disciple. ‘If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23)

Yes friends, that’s what we signed up for, to DAILY take up our cross and follow Jesus. But let’s remember too, that He’s always with us, helping us out in each and every situation, per His promise; ‘and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b) And when we remember that, it gives us the wherewithal to keep on keeping on in His glorious name! Now, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.

As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’

And yuh know what, it’s been promised that that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine, if we stay the course with Jesus right to the very end. So, let’s be wise and do that nuh, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!

…the best way to success in this evil world…meditating on God’s Word…then putting it into action…

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

The Amazing Blessings that are bestowed on the Godly!

27 Nov 2024 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, Bible, blessed is the man that walketh not in the way of the ungodly, Blessings on the Godly, brings forth fruit in season, call a spade a spade, cause some to fall, change it from the bottom up, chaos, christianity, day and night, deviated from God's law, do all that's written therein, do not travel on it, don't walk the path of the wicked, drink the wine of violence, eat the bread of wickedness, endure to the very end, evildoers will be destroyed, faith, fireworks, followers of Christ, from the top down, glad to be alive, go not in the way of evil men, halfway home, hands on the plough, have good success, his delight is in the law of the Lord, his leaf shall not wither, holy spirit, hurt God's heart, in his law doth he meditate, Jesus Christ, LOVE, make thy way prosperous, meditate therein day and night, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not turning back, robbed of their sleep, running rampant, salvation, set a good example, shall not depart out of thy mouth, sits not in the seat of the scornful, stands in the way of sinners, sure fire option, thank God, the breath of life, the kind of character, the Lord's chosen people, the One True God, the righteous will inherit the earth, this book of the law, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, turf God from our society, turned back to God, U.S Thanksgiving, unfortunate consequences, whatsoever he does shall prosper, wickedness, wisdom, woke up

Psalm 1:2. ‘But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.’

So it’s Wednesday, our mid-week second wind day. Let’s hope that we all catch that second wind, especially as one of, if not the biggest and busiest time of the year in the U.S, their Thanksgiving Celebrations are currently underway and will explode tomorrow with great fireworks, both literally and figuratively. (smile) And as I was just looking through the Palms for inspiration, I came upon Psalm 1 – Blessings on the Godly – and it struck me that it is a psalm that’s very appropriate to these wicked times, and it’s one we don’t pay sufficient attention to.

So let’s look at it today nuh. It reads: ‘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.’ (Ps. 1:1) Now what does that tell us in no uncertain terms eh? That the wicked, or those who hob nob with them will not be blessed.

And Cousin Sol reiterates that warning in Proverbs 4, titled ‘Instructions of a Father.’ when he writes: ‘Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it (do not travel on it), turn from it, and pass away. For they sleep not, except (unless) they have done mischief (evil), and their sleep is taken away (they are robbed of their sleep), unless they cause some to fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.’ (Prov. 4:14-17)

Yes friends, that’s the kind of character we develop when we choose to do evil, or follow the evil doer. And, unfortunately, it’s the predominant character of our current world. Wish that it were different, but we have to call a spade a spade, and wickedness is simply running rampant, in every level and every direction of our society. That must hurt God’s heart tremendously, because He’s had such high hopes for His most important creation. Here’s what the Lord expected from us, instead of the evil doing in which we’re currently engaged. ‘But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.’ (Ps. 1:2)

Oh my people, that’s the action that the wise and righteous man will pursue; pondering on the Lord’s word day and night. Why? ‘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. 1:3) Oh my faithful brethren, that’s what should be predominating in our world right now instead of the current wickedness.

And the sad part is that it’s not new advice but is as old as the scriptures, for it’s the exact same thing that the Lord told Joshua when He made him the leader of Isreal after the death of Moses. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall be constantly) in thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh, 1:8)

It couldn’t be any clearer than that my people! And the examples abound in the Bible re the children of Israel. When they obeyed the law of God, they were successful and prosperous, but when they didn’t, reverted into evildoing and worshipping other gods, they suffered terribly, through wars and captivity and whatever the Lord chose to bring upon them. They were the Lord’s chosen people, and if they, knowingly and stubbornly disobedient, did not set a good example, then they had to be chastised, for no other nations would want to come to the One True God under those circumstances.

And it’s a source of wonder to me, that every time the Israelites deviated from God’s law and suffered the unfortunate consequences, they soon woke up and turned back to Him, and He forgave them. However, this generation is certainly not that wise. Our world is in chaos, because amongst other things we’ve deviated from God’s law, to the point of wanting to turf Him from our society, and we have tried every man made way to conquer the strife and disaster, but nothing’s working. Instead, it’s getting worse.

The ONLY thing we have not yet tried is a return to Almighty God and His righteous and just ways. And it seems like we’re adamantly not going to choose the one sure fire option we have to dissolve all the chaos and destruction in our world. But as children of God, as followers of Christ, we cannot give up, we have to keep on keeping on, in His name, and do our best to at least reduce the strife and suffering in our little part of the world. It’s the most many of us can do, because we don’t have the power to change it from the top down, so we’ll have to use our power to change it from the bottom up.

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

And if we endure with Jesus right down to the very end, then it’s been promised that that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! So hoping to see you there! Much LOVE!

…the evildoers will eventually be destroyed…while the righteous will inherit the earth…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 October 2023 Proverbs 24:1.

23 Oct 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a God of surprises, a man of knowledge increaseth strength, a wise man is strong, be not thou envious against evil men, blessed is the man, by knowledge, by understanding it is established, commit thy way unto the Lord, enormous favour, faith, fret not thyself because of evildoers, his delight is in the law of the Lord, hope of unending possibilities, humble servants, in his law doth he meditate, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my feet were almost gone, my steps had well nigh slipped, neither desire to be with them, of unexpected affecction, possibilities filled with God's amazing grace, Rest in the Lord, sitteth in the seat of the scornful, soon be cut down like grass, standeth in the way of sinners, that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, the chambers be filled with precious and pleasant riches, the God who heals, their lips talk of mischief, then thou shalt have good success, then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, then understood I their end, through wisdom is a house built, to such as are of a clean heart, trust in the Lord and do good, turn from our evil ways, until I went into the sanctuary of God, wisdom, wither as the green herb

Proverbs 24:1. Be not thou envious against (of) evil men, neither desire to be with them.

And a big, bright welcome to Monday! Yes friends, that’s how we ought to greet the first day of our work week, with enthusiasm and great expectations. For, as believers in Christ Jesus, every new Monday that dawns, means we’re alive, we’ve lived through another weekend, and the upcoming week brings with it a stellar hope of unending possibilities, possibilities filled with God’s amazing grace, mercy and bountiful goodness! And we all know that if are walking obediently in God’s plan for our lives, anything is possible at any time, because that’s the kind of God we serve; a God of surprises, of unexpected affection and enormous favour.

And having said all of that, what shall we talk about today? Well the Good Library opened at an interesting place in Proverbs, where Cousin Sol talks about the wise man’s strength. So let’s investigate that passage and see what we can glean from it nuh. Cousin Sol opens that chapter by advising: ‘Be not thou envious against (of) evil men, neither desire to be with them. For their heart studieth destruction (devises violence), and their lips talk of mischief (trouble). Through wisdom is a house builded; and by understanding it is established. And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.’ (Prov. 24:1-4)

Now doesn’t all that sound very familiar? It should, because throughout the Bible we’re warned against evil doing and evil doers, and encouraged to take up wisdom and understanding instead. No wonder, in the very first psalm we’re poignantly warned: ‘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 (ponder on) day and night. (Ps. 1:1-2)

And that was the very same message the Lord God gave to Joshua when He made him leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh:1:8) Straight from the horse’s mouth my people, no hearsay or telltale gossip! That means it must be true.

It’s the same warning that the psalmist Asaph talked about in his own life. Thus he writes in Psalm 73: ‘Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean (pure) heart. But as for me, my feet were almost gone (I had almost stumbled); my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish (boastful), when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.’ (Ps. 73:1-3) And that’s exactly what’s happening to so many of us in these troubled times! Too many of us are being jealous of the prosperity of the wicked. That’s why Bruh David tells us in Psalm 37: ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb.’ (Ps. 37:1-2)

And luckily for the psalmist Asaph, he didn’t completely stumble spiritually, lose his faith and fall in his envy of the prosperous wicked. But as he says later on after experiencing the chastening of the righteous. ‘Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain (kept my heart pure in vain), and washed my hands in innocency. For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning. If I say I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against (would have been untrue to) the children of thy generation. When I thought to know (understand) this, it was too painful for me (too troublesome in my eyes). Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.’ (Ps. 73:13-17)

Yes my fellow believers, as the scholars explain: ‘Not until the psalmist entered God’s sanctuary and received a divine perspective on the wicked’s prosperity did he find his answer to the problem (vs. 17-28). He saw the destiny of the wicked (vs. 17-20); therefore he repented of his foolishness (vs. 21-22) and found his happiness solely in a warm and growing relationship with God (vs. 23-28) The point of the psalm is driven home even more dramatically when remembering that Asaph, the author, was a spiritual man who grew up with deeply religious training (1 Chr. 15:16-19; 16:4-7; 2 Chr. 5:12; 29:30).’

Oh my fellow saints, if Asaph, one of the highly spiritual and religious men who made music with Bruh David could be tempted to fall into the camp of the wicked through their prosperity, it’s obvious that the same thing could easily happen to many of us who are not so spiritually mature. That’s why we have to be ever so careful and do as the Lord told Joshua, meditate on His word day and night, because that’s the only way we will ever be truly prosperous and successful.

And Bruh David gave us some more practical tips in Psalm 37: ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm). For the evil doers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps; 37:3-9)

Yes my faithful brethren, you couldn’t find more practical advice on how to live this earthly life. That means we need to adopt those principles in our own everyday lives so we can reflect the wisdom that Cousin Sol talks about in Proverbs. ‘A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.’ (Prov. 24:5) And with those words, let’s go to the fountain of wisdom, Almighty God, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine help for the many problems that currently beset our world.

Altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.

So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’

And we’ll do well if we take God’s advice and turn from our evil ways. Much LOVE!

…don’t look at what the world offers…but at what God’s kingdom provides…

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 May 2022 Psalm 119:60.

18 May 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: as a burning fire, bounden duty, catch our second wind, delayed not to keep thy commandments, disobedience -not doing what the Lord says when He says, endure to the end, his delight is in the law of the Lord, his word was in mine heart, I am a companion of all them that fear thee, I am halfway home, I know that my Redeemer lives, I made haste, I thought on my ways, I was weary with forbearing, in his law doth he meditate, LOVE, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are fixed securely on the plough, not turning back, obey God and leave all the consequences to him, shut up in my bones, standeth in the way of sinners, stubborn goats running around wild, teach me thy statutes oh Lord, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, them that keep thy precepts, thou artmy portion oh Lord, to a glorious future with Jesus, turned my feet unto thy testimonies, walketh not in the council of the ungodly, Wednesday Wail, without a purpose, yet in my flesh shall I see God

Psalm 119:60. I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.

And the days surely are moving briskly along; we’ve already reached Wednesday, the middle of the work week. Time to stop for a moment and catch our second wind, so that we can finish the race of the week almost as strong as we began it. Unfortunately though, we can’t do that without the Lord’s help, without meditating on His Holy Word and obeying what the Word puts in our hearts and souls.

Yes friends, only our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has the awesome power to rejuvenate our souls and spirits, anytime and anywhere, and without Him, we’re just lost and stubborn goats running around wild, without a purpose, in the arid land that’s Satan’s world. Remember He clearly stated; ‘without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5)

That’s why the wise author of Psalm 119, could declare with confidence. ‘Thou art my portion, O Lord: I have said that I would keep thy words. I entreated thy favour with my whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy word. I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies. I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments. The bands (cords) of the wicked have robbed (bound) me: but I have not forgotten thy law. At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgements. I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts. The earth, O Lord, is full of thy mercy (LOVING-kindness): teach me thy statutes.’ (Ps. 119:57-64)

Now my fellow saints, that just corroborates what I’d said earlier. It is through meditating on and obeying the Lord’s Word that we get relief from the pressures of this earthly life. Many of us have indeed promised the Lord to keep His Word, but sadly have not done so, yet we’ve sought for His mercy. That’s not wise or logical my brethren. We can’t make a promise to God, but break it, then be boldfaced to seek His mercy. Promises, to God or anyone else, ought to be kept. I like how the psalmist puts it: ‘I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.’ (Ps. 119:59)

Now that’s what many of us need to do in these tough and terrible times; consider our sinful ways and then turn to the Lord God of our forefathers in repentance. And these are possibly the most important words of the whole passage of scripture: ‘I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.’ (Ps. 119:60) Oh my people, our keeping of the Lord’s Word is so important that as Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) likes to say: ‘Do it when He says it, and how He says it. Any thing less is disobedience.’ We can’t procrastinate to do the Lord’s bidding until we feel good and ready, or do it how we feel it should be done. Otherwise, we’re not obeying His commandment.

And it’s important too to note as the psalmist points out, that though the wicked had him bound in cords, he didn’t forget the Lord’s Word. That’s how it ought to be with us my brethren. It ought to be like Jeremiah says when he was being persecuted for speaking the Lord’s Word. ‘Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing (of holding back), and I could not stay (endure it). (Jer. 20:9)

Ah mih bredrin, once the Lord’s Word gets seated in our hearts and souls it’s real difficult, if not impossible, to get it out, because, like Jeremiah experienced, it just keeps burning like a fire in our bones, with its truth, grace, mercy and the amazing promises of salvation and eternal life! Glory be!

That’s the power that true faith in God brings. We need to be like Job, who despite his many trials and tribulations could still stand up and confidently declare: ‘For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day (the last day) upon the earth. And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.’ (Job. 19:25) Oh my people, how many of us are so thoroughly convinced of that eh, even though we have seen the Redeemer, Christ Jesus come to earth and save us? Unfortunately, not enough of us to make a real difference in our world.

It is also imperative that we spend quiet time with the Lord, as the psalmist proclaims: ‘At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgements.’ (Ps; 119:62) Yes friends, we cannot learn and keep God ‘s Word without His help, without talking to Him about our problems and giving Him thanks for the many undeserved blessings He’s showered upon us.

And fellowship with other believers is also another important aspect of our faith, like the psalmist acknowledges: ‘I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.’ (Ps. 119:63) We need to hang out with others like us, others who believe in Christ Jesus and are committed to keeping His commandments. We ought to be like Psalm 1 says: ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the council 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 (ponder) day and night.’ (Ps. 1:1-2)

That says it loud and clear friends! Too much association with the workers of iniquity does not become a child of God, because their iniquity is liable to rub off on us. Anyway, by now we ought to get the right picture. (smile) And for those of us who have gotten it, and are doing our best to practice it, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus!

As one loud and proud 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 please believe me my faithful brethren, those of us who endure right down to the end, will discover that the future is even brighter than we can think or imagine. So please, let’s endure right to the end nuh, for that’s our bounden duty. Much LOVE!

…living for God is quite simple…obey His Word…then leave all the consequences to Him…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 April 2022 Psalm 1:1.

28 Apr 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: archangel Lucifer, be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, be strong and courageous, blessed are the righteous, blessed is the man, bounden duty, bow down to the prince of darkness, curse, divine protection, faith, favour, flourish in the courts of God, God will not cede His power to anyone, grow like a cedar in Lebanon, her leaf shall be green, his delight is in the law of the Lord, in his law doth he meditate, live by the word of the Lord, LOVE, negative word, options for living life, promotion, sitteth in the seat of the scornful, standeth in the way of sinners, that bringeth forth fruit in her season, that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, the happy man avoids evil influences, the smart money, the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe, then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, thou shalt have good success, Thursday Blessings

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.

It looks like another beautiful day is in the offing, although it’s still a tad chilly for this time of year, but we certainly won’t refuse the sunshine, especially after the recent inclement and topsy-turvy weather in our area. And today friends, we are going to look at the type of person who warms the cockles of God’s heart as it is written in Psalm 1 – titled ‘Blessed are the Righteous.’

And with no mincing of words, right at the very beginning the psalm tells us that, ‘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 (ponder) day and night.’ (Ps. 1:1-2)

Those two simple verses say it all my people. The man who will find God’s favour doesn’t cavort with the wicked, but ponders on God’s word continually, and tries to live by what it says. Remember God’s warning to Joshua when He made him leader of the Israelites after Moses’ death? ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth (shall constantly be in thy mouth); but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8)

That tells us one thing; that a successful life depends on knowing God’s word intimately and putting it into action! And you can see that God was quite serious in His warning to Joshua, because He tells him the same basic thing in verses 6-9; be strong and courageous, read my word and live it, then you will have success. And that’s why the psalmist could confidently write those first verses of our psalm, and it’s perhaps why so many of us supposed believers are not having much success in our lives today. We are possibly hanging out with the wrong crowd, and thus are not knowledgeable enough in God’s word, so we cannot put it into proper action.

For as the psalmist continues about the blessed man: ‘And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in season; his leaf shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ (Ps. 1:3). Glory be my brethren! Can you imagine that? A person who does the will of God will never suffer want. Whatever the circumstance, they will be successful.

And Jeremiah reinforces that picture with these marvellous words of promise. ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is, for he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see (fear) when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green and shall not be careful (anxious) in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.’ (Jer. 17:7-8) It couldn’t be put any better or simpler than that friends. The Lord favours those who walk in the wisdom of His word and power!

And the scholars offer this interesting explanation of Psalm 1. They say, ‘The key word in the psalm is the word blessed. It serves as a pronouncement upon a man – but a certain kind of man. 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).’

That makes total sense. If you do what God desires, lives the way He wants you to live, then He will make your way prosperous. It’s just simple common sense, especially when we consider that the Lord is our Creator, the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe and has ultimate control over our lives and everything that happens therein! But these days, we seem to be forgetting those basic facts and rebelling against His rule, even trying to remove Him from our society. It’s utter foolishness my people, because God has made it so clear that He will not allow anybody to overthrow him or usurp His awesome power.

Just consider what happened when the proud and foolish archangel Lucifer tried to overthrow the Lord. Him and his foolish cohorts were unceremoniously kicked out of heaven and the good life they lived, to walk the earth in sorrow and pain, till the Lord is ready to finally destroy them. And that’s what will happen to those of us who refuse to accept the risen Christ as Lord and Saviour, and instead bow down to the prince of darkness and this evil and ungodly world.

The psalmist puts it thus: ‘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) Very simply and precisely spoken my fellow saints.

But, as the scholars explain: ‘On the other hand, the ungodly is worth no more than chaff (vs.4), and his destiny is judgement (vs. 5). Finally, the evaluation by the Lord Himself is described (vs.6). For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous (and it will be blessed), but (He also knows) the way of the ungodly (and it) shall perish. The psalm forms an appropriate introduction to the Psalter since it sets before the readers the three characters who will figure mostly in the psalms: the righteous, the ungodly, and God.’

And just for good measure (smile) we are going to add these precious words of another psalmist to the mix. ‘The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. they shall bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat (plump) and flourishing (green).’ (Ps. 92:12-14) Yuh see that friends, even in old age the righteous shall be fat and flourishing because they live by the word of the Lord.

So let’s remember that nuh as we go home today declaring (steups!!!) our Thursday Blessings that our wonderful God has bestowed on us to do His earthly work. Altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!

I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’

And now, having invoked those blessings, it’s our bounden duty to go out and activate them in the service of the Lord, in the lives of others, just as generously as the Lord has shared them with us. Much LOVE!

…the prevailing options for living life…are in righteousness and in evil…but the smart money will always be on the former…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 May 2021 Jeremiah 17:7.

27 May 2021 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a compassionate heart, a scripture of amazing promise, a tree planted by the rivers of waters, bless others, blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, blessings shall overtake thee, bringeth forth his fruit in season, curse, divine protection, faith, favour, his delight is in the law of the Lord, his leaf shall not wither, in his law doth he meditate, Isaac reaped a hundredfold, Isaac sowed in the land, like the chaff which the wind driveth away, LOVE, negative word, obey the voice of the Lord, our hearts are in the right place, prosper, rejoice and be glad in it, sitteth in the seat of the scornful, standeth in the way of sinners, succeed, the breath of life, Thursday Blessings, until thy cup overflows, walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, whatsoever he does shall prosper, whose hope the Lord is

Jeremiah 17:7. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.

One more day friends, we have been divinely gifted one more day, this one called Thursday! Wow! What a wonderful God we serve and worship! So let’s rejoice and be glad in it nuh, like our Lord God intended when He allowed the breath of life to continue flowing through our mortal bodies this bright and sunshiny day!

Ah, what blessed lives we live my faithful brethren! The psalmist said it 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 (ponder on) day and night.’ (Ps. 1:1-2)

What a beautiful scripture my people, one filled with such amazing promise! If we don’t let the enemy, or the ways of the world tie up our lives in knots like they want to do, but instead focus on the Lord and His word and will for our lives, we will be eternally blessed, down here on earth and also later on in heaven!

Now hear how the psalmist says that blessing will flow out. ‘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. 1:3)

Mama oh Mama! We are so blessed my people! But are we grateful for those blessings, and do we show it in our lives? Do we give thanks and praise to the Lord for His goodness and mercy to us? Do we bless others with the blessings that the Lord so generously bestows on us? I do hope so, otherwise we’re simply living a lie!

And unfortunately, that can truthfully be said about too many of us supposed believers. That’s why the heathen don’t pay as much attention to us as they ought to. Why they don’t rush to embrace Christ as their Lord and Saviour. And you can’t give them wrong when they see the ungodly lives too many so-called believers are living.

However, hear this explanation from the scholars. ‘Psalm 1. The key word in the psalm is the word blessed. It serves here as a pronouncement upon a man – but a certain kind of man. 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 (v.1); he delights in God’s Word (v.2); therefore, God causes him to prosper (v.3).’ Yes friends, when we serve the Lord God Jehovah with a willing and faithful heart, He blesses us so much that our cup overflows, and others see it and want to come to him to receive blessings like us.

And hear how the prophet Jeremiah puts it, when he talks about the blessedness of trusting the Lord. ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see (fear) when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful (anxious) in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.’ (Jer. 17:7-8) Wow! Imagine that nuh people! When we stay righteous, even in the times of drought and famine, hardship and trouble, we will still prosper because of the Lord’s blessings upon our lives!

And we have a good example of that in Genesis 26, where during a time of famine, the Lord instructed Isaac not to go down to Egypt but to stay in the land of the Philistines and He would provide for Him. And even though Isaac got himself in trouble with the Philistines, the Good Book tells us: ‘Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received (reaped) in the same year a hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him. And the man waxed (grew) great, and went forward (continued), and grew until he became very great.’ (Gen. 26:12-13)

Yes friends, that’s what the Lord can, and will do in our lives, although we are not the best we can be, but He sees that our hearts are in the right place. Who else could cause Isaac to reap a hundredfold in a time of drought and famine eh? Only the Lord God Almighty, the God of his forefathers. And that’s why it is ever so important for us to read and meditate on God’s word and live the kind of life He expects of us, because hear what happens to those who don’t.

‘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) Now that’s putting it mildly, because perishing will not be an easy matter for the ungodly, but more like going through hell fire and damnation!

Anyway, listen to this continuing explanation of the scholars. ‘On the other hand, the ungodly is worth no more than chaff (the dry, protective, worthless outer casing of cereal grains) (v.4), and his destiny is judgement (v.5). Finally, the evaluation by the Lord Himself is described (v.6). There is an ellipsis (omission) which is understood with both clauses in verse 6. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous [and it will be blessed], but [He also knows] the way of the ungodly [and it] shall perish. The psalm forms an appropriate introduction to the Psalter since it sets before the readers the three characters who will figure mostly in the psalms: the righteous, the ungodly, and God.’

And I’m chuckling here friends, because I can see the mysterious moving of the Lord in Today’s Bit. I did not have any particular topic in mind, and He led me to Psalm 1, which teaches about the blessings of the Lord on the righteous, and what better day to do it than on a Thursday when we declare the bountiful blessings of our great God! So let’s do that right now nuh! As one strong and sincere voice, let’s shout out our Thursday Blessings to the world!

‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection!

I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’

And the divine purpose for bestowing those blessings on us, is for us to share them just as generously with others as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!

…obey the voice of the Lord…and blessings shall come upon thee…and overtake thee…until thy cup overflows…

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 August 2020 Psalm 1:2.

24 Aug 2020 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a word to the wise is sufficent, be not afraid, be strong and of a good courage, blessed is the man, courage, day and night, evil forces, evil influences, grace, his delight is in the law of the Lord, humble servants, in his law doth he meditate, indelibly written, LOVE, make thy way prosperous, meditate therein day and night, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, negative consequences, neither be thou dismayed, not depart out of thy mouth, our Father who art in heaven, pandemic, ponder, sincerely seek your face, sinned, sitteth in the seat of the scornful, standeth in the way of sinners, standing in faith, strife, strong faith, the Lord thy God is with thee, the rich man and Lazarus, this book of the law, too big for our britches, walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly

Psalm 1:2. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder by talking to oneself) day and night.

And moving along in strong faith this Monday morning, we prime ourselves to do whatever the Lord has called us to do; be it work from home, or get out there and face the unknown, lurking evil forces, or just do nothing at all. (smile) The important thing is that we don’t worry, for we are assured that He will give us, the grace, courage and mercy to do His will. But they don’t occur automatically, we have to let His promises that are indelibly written deep in our hearts, souls and minds from much study and meditation, rise to the forefront and propel us forward.

And that puts me in mind of one of the most powerful passages of scripture in the Good Book; the Lord’s instructions to Joshua when he took over from Moses as the leader of the Israelites. Our God was quite clear and very explicit in His instructions. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8)

What’s in that to misunderstand eh my people? Absolutely nothing! It spells it out loud and clear: if you want to be prosperous and successful, then you need to learn my Word and then live it. But you can only learn it if you keep feasting on it. Unfortunately though, in these modern times, we have not done that, no wonder our society is in deep distress. Instead of learning the Word, we have chosen to disregard it, throw it on the junk heap, make it of no account in our lives.

So what can we expect from that ungodly and unwise behaviour eh? Serious negative consequences, for our God doesn’t make idle promises. If He says to do something or else something negative will happen, then that’s exactly what He means. But we’ve become so big for our britches with our advanced technological society that we think we don’t need Him any longer. What foolish wisdom! And the necessity for delving deeply and constantly into the Word and living by it is again highlighted right at the beginning of the Psalms.

Psalm 1 – Blessed are the righteous tells us in no uncertain terms. ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, not sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder by talking to oneself) day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ (Ps. 1:1-3) I think that’s self-explanatory.

And the scholars explain: ‘Psalm 1. The key word in the psalm is the word blessed. It serves here as a pronouncement upon a man – but a certain kind of 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).’ Yes friends, when we walk seriously and sincerely with the Lord our lives will be enriched, not necessarily with material possessions, although that is very possible, but with a spiritual experience that trumps everything else.

Obviously, the ungodly, the wicked are not so. And don’t ask why so many ungodly are so wealthy and so many godly people so poor? The answer is simple; ‘the way of the ungodly shall perish.’ (Ps. 1:6b) Oh they might wax rich and fat and powerful here on earth, but in the next life they will be on the outside looking in, like in Jesus’ parable about the rich man and Lazarus, where the rich man is being tormented in hell, but the earthly poor Lazarus is living it up in heaven. (Luke 16:19-31) Please read it, it will give you a good idea of how ungodly earthly living is a very dangerous and foolish thing.

So let’s come before our wonderful God now nuh, and lay our earthly concerns confidently, but humbly before Him, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. All together now. ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world.

We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the natural disasters like storms, famine, drought, plagues, climate change, wildfires, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes that suddenly seem to be blossoming more and more as time goes by.

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control.

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

Now let’s go home reminding ourselves of this other powerful verse of the Lord to Joshua, and ultimately to all believers. ‘Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9) There’s no more to say my brethren, for a word to the wise is sufficient. Much LOVE!

…he who does not hear…will most certainly feel…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 December 2015 Psalm 1:1

08 Dec 2015 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a man after God's heart, agony, assorted sizes, assured that His times are in God's hands, be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, believe on Jesus, blessed is the man, bringeth forth his fruit in season, brothers and sisters in christ, chaff, confident trust, encouragement, evil influences, eye-opening, faith, favour, foundational aspect of our faith, glory to God, gospel truth, grace, heart-warming, his delight is in the law of the Lord, his leaf shall not wither, honour god, hope filled sentiments, I am the beloved of god, I can trust my friend Jesus, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, I'm not what I do, I'm not what I have, I'm not what people say about me, in his law doth he meditate, LOVE, makes God Jehovah god his priority, misunderstanding, new blessings and mercies, obedient to God's will, obey God's Word, One Year Book of Bible promises, pain, prayer, put God first, rests in the hands of God, Ruth Harms Calkin, share His love with the world, sinners, sitteth in the seat of the scornful, stand in judgement, standeth in the way of sinners, supernatural god, supernatural ways, the congregation of the righteous, the man God honours, the way of the righteous, times of turbulence, totally committed to God, travelling along God's pathway, Tuesday Mantra, uncertainty, walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, whatsoever he does shall prosper, will never suffer want, wisdom

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.

Welcome to a glorious Tuesday friends! Another in a mighty long line of glorious days provided by our heavenly Father, filled with new blessings and mercies! Wow! He must be truly something special if everyday He can pump out brand new favour and grace upon us.

We must be sincerely thankful for all that He’s done, is doing, and has faithfully promised to do for us when we believe on His Son Jesus and are obedient to His will. Oh glory to our great God my brothers and sisters in Christ!

And on that note, here is an appropriate poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. After reading it yesterday, I just knew I had to share it today. It’s suitably titled ‘The Man God Honours.’

And it says: ‘There are thousands of men in the world. Men come in assorted sizes – tall and short, wide and lean. There are bankers, salesmen, politicians, mechanics, lawyers, teachers. But the man God honours is marked by at least five characteristics.

FIRST: He is a man totally committed to God, and his concern is that he will obey God’s Word, whatever the cost. SECOND: He is a man whose faith can be defined as confident trust. His high priority is prayer, knowing that a supernatural God works in supernatural ways.

THIRD: He rests his past, present, and future in the hands of an all-LOVING God, even in times of turbulence, uncertainty, agony, misunderstanding, and pain, assured that his times are in God’s hands.

FOURTH: He believes with all his heart that, as he keeps steadily travelling along God’s pathway, God will honour him with every blessing. FIFTH: He has one consistent desire: “God make me a man after your own heart.”

Oh how true that all is my brethren! Oh, and by the way, that doesn’t refer to only men as opposed to women, but to all God’s creations, both male and female. So women please don’t get your egos all tied up in knots. (smile) And besides, it’s a woman who wrote it. Hn!

So, since it’s Tuesday, it’s time to confess our Tuesday Mantra. Let’s say it as though we truly believe and mean it. ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’

Oh friends, every time I confess that prayer, it just touches something in my heart, knowing that I am BELOVED of God, and a FRIEND of Jesus! Mama Mia! It couldn’t get much better than that nuh!

And I do hope that it touches the same responsive chord in all of you, my Scrip-Bit readers, because they are such eye-opening, heart-warming and hope-filled sentiments, giving us much needed encouragement and faith.

Now let’s turn to our Bit, which is the scripture passage that our poem above was based on. ‘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.’

Yes Friends, that is the gospel truth! The Lord will indeed bless the righteous person, who scorns the ways and deeds of the ungodly and wicked!

Oh I know we recently highlighted this scripture in a Bit, but it is one of the many scriptures that cannot be ever brought up to our conscience too often, because it is a seminal, foundational aspect of our faith. And you’ll also note that it’s the first Psalm in the Psalter, which must mean something.

So let’s continue with the palmist’s powerful and true contention. ‘But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder by talking to oneself) 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.1:2-3)

Oh my people, more words of indisputable truth! The man or woman who makes Jehovah God his priority will never suffer want! That is our God’s faithful promise!

Now here is the flip side to all of that. ‘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)

Yes my brethren, simple and to the point: you honour God and you succeed, you don’t honour Him and you perish. It couldn’t be any plainer than that.

Now here are some poignant explanations on the Psalm from the scholars. ‘Psalm1. The key word in the psalm is the word blessed. It serves here as a pronouncement upon a man – but a certain kind of man. 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 (v.1); he delights in God’s Word (v.2); therefore God cause him to prosper (v.3). On the other hand, the ungodly is worth no more than chaff (v.4), and his destiny is judgement (v.5).

Finally, the evaluation by the Lord Himself is described (v.6). There is an ellipsis (omission of words) which is understood with both clauses in verse 6. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous [and it will be blessed], but [He also knows] the way of the ungodly [and it] shall perish.

The psalm forms an appropriate introduction to the Psalter since it sets before the readers the three characters who will figure mostly in the psalms: the righteous, the ungodly, and God.’

Yes my fellow believers, that’s the wonderful type of life we have to look forward to when we sincerely believe in Jesus, when we surrender our all to Him and make His commandments our priority; our earthly lives are based on His truth.

It just couldn’t get any better than that my people, because that is indeed the wisdom of all the ages! Much LOVE!

…when you put God FIRST…He causes you to PROSPER…

P.S. What can I say eh friends? A late night begets a late morning. That’s just the way of God’s world! (smile) Much LOVE!

SCRIP-BITS

The Faithful Promises of God to the Righteous!

The Lord’s Never Promised That Life would Be Easy, But He’s Given Us Enough Guarantees that We Can Be Successful!

The Amazing Blessings that are bestowed on the Godly!

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 October 2023 Proverbs 24:1.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 May 2022 Psalm 119:60.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 April 2022 Psalm 1:1.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 May 2021 Jeremiah 17:7.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 August 2020 Psalm 1:2.

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