The Overwhelming Importance of Clinging to God’s Promise of Faithfulness even in Conflicting Situations of Life!

13 May 2025 Leave a comment

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

Romans 8:29.         For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the first born among many brethren.

And then it was Tuesday, before which we had a lovely Monday, with temps in the twenties, and in the evening I got to sit on my porch in my shirt sleeves, enjoy a cool summer breeze and watch the people go by. Unfortunately though, I saw several dogs being walked, but no children. And you know that’s one of my pet peeves. The society seems more interested in dogs, rather than children. But who am I to judge them eh? Jesus said ‘judge not, that ye be not judged,’ (Mat. 7:1) and I’m trying, but sometimes it’s difficult to overlook certain things. 

Anyway, today seems like it’s going to be another beautiful day, so let’s enjoy it without any more unnecessary contention, we already have enough in our world. Instead, let’s focus on an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. And this one is emphatically titled ‘O God … My God.’ And if you don’t need it, then I’m glad for you, because I certainly need it. as I’m going through a season of inexplicable stuff that I can’t make heads or tails of, but as we are led to believe, there is a reason for it all. I just can’t figure it out with my puny understanding. (smile) 

So please read with me: ‘O God…My God Though You now seem totally hidden I am clinging to You hopefully Even confidently. Someday, some way, You will make All You are now permitting Blessedly clear. With fixed purpose, dear God I am determined to wait, to trust To rely upon Your faithfulness. Despite the drain and strain I anticipate new perspectives And fresh depths of insight Into all that is now so mysterious. O God, in ways unanticipated You are teaching me the great truth Of Samuel Rutherford’s words: ‘I see that grace grows best in the winter.’ Thank You, dear God Thank You for that!’  

Ah mih friends, it’s definitely not easy when the Lord puts you through your paces without any reasoning or understanding…and in the real winter time too, which makes it even harder. But you just have to grin and bear it, and as the poem says, wait, trust, and rely on his faithfulness. And I’m certainly doing that, but sometimes the conflicting things get a bit much to bear, and all you can do is cry out for help and some sense of understanding, though ofttimes you won’t get an answer, but you are still expected to hang in there and trust in His timing and faithfulness. I guess it’s one of the ways in which we grow in spiritual maturity. 

And of course, the promise for today’s poem comes from Peter’s tough but wise statement. ‘But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you.’ (1 Pet. 5:10) I guess that explains it all. The Lord is simply doing His intended work by bringing us into line with His wonderful Son, as Bruh Paul writes in Romans. ‘For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the first born among many brethren.’ (Rom. 8:29) 

And believe me, there are no easy steps in that task, especially when we’re saturated with all the lustful and carnal things and thoughts of the world. And this commentary explains it quite clearly and  succinctly. ‘The Lord’s intention is to conform His people to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ, making them His sons and brothers, as stated in Romans 8:29. 

This process of transformation, known as being “conformed to the image of His Son,” involves a spiritual growth where believers’ lives reflect Christ’s character and LOVE. God’s redemptive plan includes choosing, calling, and glorifying those He foreknew and predestined. In other words, God’s desire, His intention, was to have many sons who are just like Christ. He wanted a mass-reproduction of Christ in humanity.’ 

But sadly, He doesn’t seem to be getting that right now, with all the turning away and questioning of His existence and sovereignty. However, as Bruh Paul says to the Corinthians. ‘But we all, with open (unveiled) face beholding as in a glass (mirror) the glory of the Lord, are changed (being transformed) into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.’ (2 Cor. 3:18) 

And the scholars offer this explanation. ‘Beholding as in a glass: The term beholding can have the sense of “reflecting.” The believer himself “reflects” the glory of the Lord just as the face of Moses reflected the glory of the Lord (vs.13). For Moses the glory eventually faded away, but under the New Covenant the believer is changed into the same image. This transformation takes place by the abiding presence of God.’ 

Oh my fellow believers, having read that, the question we must now ask is whether the glory of God is being truly reflected in our faces? Obviously our faces won’t shine as brightly as Moses did when he came down from Mt. Sinai bearing the two tablets of stone that had the Ten Commandments inscribed on them. Being in God’s presence caused the radiant light to reflect on his face. This bright countenance caused fear in Aaron and the Israelites, who initially didn’t recognize Moses because of the light, and he had to wear a veil to speak to them. (Ex. 34:29-35) 

We won’t need a veil, but surely the unbeliever will see the glory of God shining in our faces, if we are a true reflection of Jesus Christ. And I do hope we’ll all hunker down and bear whatever inexplicable things that come against us, knowing as Bruh Paul so confidently proclaims: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) Remember faith means believing in what you cannot see. 

And with that in mind, let’s faithfully declare (steups!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’ 

And that means we’re now expected to share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…being changed from glory to glory…is never an easy transformation…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   6 February 2024 Psalm 150:6.

06 Feb 2024 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 150:6.       Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.

And there’s an awesome outpouring of bright sunshine in my area, this first Tuesday in February! Exactly like it ended up being yesterday! And who says that light isn’t greater than darkness eh? That the sun won’t find a way to dissipate the dark clouds? No way Jose! Not if Jesus has anything to say about it. And He does have something to say about it. In fact He has something to say about EVERYTHING, for the universe belongs to Him, and He rules it as he sees fit! Glory to God, our Creator and Controller; our Saviour and our Heavenly Father!  Give Him some thanks and praise my fellow believers, for all the wonderful things He’s done, is doing, and has promised to do for us underserving children of men! 

And all God’s children offered up this loud and grateful thanks: ‘Praise ye the Lord, (shout Hallelujah!) Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power (His mighty expanse of power). Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet (cornet): praise him with the psaltery (lute or lyre) and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah to the glory of His holy and precious name!)’ (Ps. 150. 1-6) 

Oh friends, if you didn’t realize it, we were just praying, giving praise to our great God from Psalm 150, the last one in the Psalter, that advises us to praise God for His mighty acts. And as you can see the last verse so rightly and wisely admonishes: ‘Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord.’ (Ps. 150:6) That means all of God’s creatures, creations, whatever you choose to call them, ought to give much praise and thanks to their most wonderful Creator. Unfortunately though, that’s a command that too many of us either disobey completely or do in a half-hearted manner, with little, if any sincerity. 

But, on the other hand, when we cry out to God for help, we expect Him to rush to our rescue, although when life’s good with us, we don’t have any time for Him, don’t even remember that He exists. However friends, let’s get one thing straight; God isn’t there for our selfish and personal benefit, neither is He a doting grandfather who will succumb to our every selfish desire. No! He’s the Creator of the universe and all therein! That means we are His to do with as He pleases. We are the ones to be doing His will, rather than He doing ours. So, in blatant layman’s terms; the Lord is the Boss and we are the workers, and if we don’t do what He says, there will be serious consequences to our disobedience and rebellion. 

And we all talk a big talk, but like the whiney ingrates that we really are, when those consequences arise, we’re quick to hold our heads and bawl, forgetting the pride and arrogance we displayed when the Lord tried to direct our steps in a godly manner. And we’re quick to beg for forgiveness and make all sorts of promises that we don’t intend to keep, but in the heat of the moment all sorts of stuff quickly flows from our vile and evil hearts through our lying lips, and we unwisely tell the Lord that we’ll pull up our bootstraps if He helps us. 

But please note these words of wisdom from Cousin Sol as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes. ‘When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer (delay) not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.’ (Eccl. 5:4-5) Yes friends, let’s not go about making hasty and rash promises to God nor man, for there are always consequences, sometimes dire ones, to unkept promises. 

And sadly, in these evil  and ungodly times, unkept promises litter our world like never before. It seems the adage of ‘promises are made to be broken,’ has taken on a whole new meaning in these last days. We all desire that others keep their promises to us, but cannot stand the sacrifice needed to keep ours to others. What a selfish and unchristian-like thing to do. Remember what Christ said in the Sermon on the Mount: ‘Judge (condemn) not, that ye might not be judged (condemned). For with what judgement (condemnation) ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete (use) it shall be measured to you again.’ (Matt. 7:1-2) 

Now all that means basically is what you sow you’ll reap. Whatever you say or do to or about someone else, the same will come back to you. And as Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) would say: ‘You reap what you sow, more than you sow, and later than you sow.’ And that’s the gospel truth my people! Whatever you do, either for good or bad, like a boomerang, tends to accumulate back to you, sooner or later. Thus the wisdom in closely watching what we say and do. 

As Jesus simply puts it: ‘Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.’ (Matt. 7:12) In other words, my fellow saints, our Lord and Saviour, our Leader, is simply telling us to follow the Golden Rule:  ‘Do unto others as you would have them do to you.’ And there’s no better way to live, even if you’re not a believer in Christ Jesus. But if you are, then that’s the ONLY way to live! End of Sermon! (smile) 

Now let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’ 

And, having made that serious proclamation, it’s our duty now to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with all we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE him like we do! Much LOVE!

…praise God without ceasing…for that is the wise and comely thing to do…

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