The Overwhelming Importance of Believers Standing Strong in Faith and Crying out to God for Help in Troubled times!

Today’s Scrip-Bit   11 September 2026   Psalm 31:1.

Psalm 31:1.         In thee, O lord, do I put my trust (I take refuge); let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness.

And if you didn’t know it was Friday, the loud shout of our Friday Mantra would certainly have informed you. Yes, it went up to heaven on a wing and a prayer: (smile) ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at long last!’ Both the children and parents will be glad for a break from school and work, while trying to acclimatize themselves once more to the common task and daily grind. And it’s another beautiful sunshiny summer’s day! Oh how I just LOVE to wake up and see the sun shining brightly and also feel it’s warmth on my skin, because I know it won’t be long now before I might see it shining, but it’s warmth would have disappeared with the incoming cold weather. So let’s make hay while the warm sun still shines! (smile)

And today, we’ll contemplate some interesting words of Bruh David from Psalm 31, titled My Rock and My Fortress. So please pray with me: ‘In thee, O lord, do I put my trust (I take refuge); let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness. Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock (rock of refuge), for an house of defence (fortress) to save me. For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me. Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily (secretly) for me: for thou art my strength. Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth. I have hated them that regard lying vanities (vain idols): but I trust in the Lord.’ (Ps. 31:1-6)

Oh my people, can we make those same claims that Bruh David makes about trusting in God, of Him being our rock and refuge, our fortress and strong tower? I certainly hope so, because if you read verses 9-13, you’ll see that Bruh David was going through a very rough time, but he still had the faith, courage and fortitude to turn to the God of his forefathers, as he says: ‘I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities (troubles); and hast not shut me up into (given me over to) the hand of the enemy: thou hast set my feet in a large room (a wide place).’ (Ps. 31:7-8)

And after acknowledging God’s goodness, then he explains his cry for help and entreats the Lord to do so. ‘Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed (wastes away) with grief, yea, my soul and my belly (body). For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed (waste away). I was a reproach (a despised thing) among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours, and a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see me without (outside) fled from me. I am forgotten as a dead (perishing) man out of my mind: I am like a broken vessel. For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised (schemed) to take away my life.’ (Ps. 31:9-13)

Life was indeed not easy for Bruh David at that particular time, but then again, his faith rose to the forefront. ‘But I trusted in thee, O Lord: I said, thou art my God. My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies sake. Let me not be ashamed, O Lord; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave. Let the lying lips be put to silence which speak grievous (insolent) things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.’  (Ps. 31:14-18)

Yes friends, through all his laments, Bruh David is still finding time and place to praise the Lord and give thanks for His help. And this last section is no different, when he declares: ‘Oh how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear (reverence) thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence (secret place) from the pride (plots) of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion (shelter) from the strife of tongues.

Blessed be the Lord: for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city. For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee. O LOVE the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth (fully repays) the proud doer. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.’ (Ps. 31:19-24)

Yes my faithful brethren, we will certainly go through many trials and troubles in this evil and ungodly world, but if we stand strong in faith and cry out sincerely to our God foe help, He will help us, not always in the ways we desire, but in much better ways than we can help ourselves. And we can do that right now by going to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid in these perilous times.

Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. 

And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

Now, let’s note that we supposed believers also need to wake up and smell the coffee sweet and strong, because our current witness for Christ is certainly not good enough or else our world would not be in total disarray! Much LOVE!

…when troubles drive us crazy…a sincere cry to Almighty God for help…is always the best solution…

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

The Overwhelming Importance of Knowing, Understanding and Appreciating the Wonderful Goodness of God!

Today’s Scrip-Bit   30 August 2026   Mark 10:18.

Mark 10:18.        ‘And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God.’

And that blessed day of Sunday is here once again, with the standing invitation to join other believers in Christ Jesus in His sanctuary, to praise and worship Him, while getting our souls refreshed with His word and the joy that comes from giving Him thanks and praise. And today’s song of worship is one that does just that; gives God much thanks and praise for His wonderful goodness to the undeserving children of men.  And it’s appropriately titled, ‘The Goodness of God.’

This is one of those great songs that are born in unique, unexpected circumstances. The story goes that in 2018, the author Jenn Johnson, a member of the worship team of the Bethel church in Reading, was driving on a long country road in northern California, freshly home from adopting her fourth child, a son, when she felt the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, picked up her phone and began singing into it. What came out was ‘a raw, grateful, overflowing declaration of God’s faithfulness in her life’ which eventually became the foundation of “The Goodness of God.”  And after being refined with the assistance of other members of the Bethel worship team, it was released in 2019 and immediately became a popular worship song. 

So now, having some background on the song’s history, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a scintillating, heartfelt, up-tempo version, evoking the very sentiments that we sing. Singing: ‘I LOVE You, Lord, for Your mercy never fails me All my days, I’ve been held in Your hands From the moment that I wake up until I lay my head down Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God. (Chorus: All my life You have been faithful. All my life You have been so, so good. With every breath that I am able Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God.)

I LOVE Your voice, You have led me through the fire In my darkest night, You are close like no other I’ve known You as a Father, I’ve known You as a Friend Oh I have lived in the goodness of God (Chorus: All my life…) Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me With my life laid down, I surrender now I give You everything, cause Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me Your goodness is running after, it keeps running after me.

(Chorus: And all my life You have been faithful All my life You have been so, so good. With every breath that I am able Oh, I will sing; yes, I will sing of the goodness of God. For all my life you have been faithful, all my life you have been so good. Oh you lead me in glory … ever faithful, you are my anchor in the wind and the waves…you are my provider…Oh yeah, and you lead me in glory by your Spirit…you are my joy…my joy…every day…Oh shepherd of my soul…what a joy to know you…Oh the joy of knowing you God…you’re everything to me…so wonderful…so wonderful in all your ways…in all your ways. That’s why I will always sing of your goodness Lord…always sing of your goodness Lord.’  

Oh friends, that was wonderful! And if we sang it, then we should mean it and consequently let it reflect in our lives! Now, before we go further, let’s ascertain a couple of definitions. The first one is what’s the spiritual meaning of the goodness of God? One article defines it as: ‘Goodness in action; it’s not something we do only for the sake of being virtuous. When we strive to be “good” only for our own benefit, it is not truly goodness that we possess. In Greek, the word goodness, means “an uprightness of heart and life.’

And second question is how do we experience the goodness of God? And the same commentary as above, claims ‘It’s through the promises of God’s Word that we partake of His nature – a nature that is peace, abundance, healing, victory, guidance and protection. His promises are a pipeline that connects us with His nature. And His promises are exceedingly great and precious.’ And they reference these two verses from Peter’s second epistle, where he is urging his readers to be fruitful in the knowledge of Christ, to grow in spiritual maturity.

‘According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to (by) glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.’ (2 Pet. 1:3-4)

Ah friends, there’s so much I’d like to say about this song, but time and space don’t allow it, so we’ll have to content ourselves with a few scripture verses on God’s goodness. Beginning with this one from Exodus: ‘And the Lord passed by before him (Moses), and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.’ (Ex. 34:6) That’s when Moses went back up Mt. Sinai the second time to get the Ten Commandments.  

Then in Psalm 27, Bruh David made this very poignant but true statement: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.’ (Ps. 27:13) And in Psalm 31, Bruh David again talks about the Lord’s goodness. ‘Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust thee before the sons of men!’ (Ps. 31:19) Meanwhile in Psalm 107, the psalmist strongly advises: ‘Oh that men would praise (give thanks to) the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-KINDNESS), and for his wonderful works to the children of men. And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing (joyful singing).’ (Ps. 107:21-22)

And all through the Bible we hear this verse: ‘O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.’ (1 Chr. 6:34) Then Jesus, when talking about asking and receiving in the Sermon on the Mount, says to the multitude: ‘If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?’ (Matt. 7:11) And last but least, this verse from the story of the rich young man who is seeking direction for eternal life, and calls Jesus ‘Good Master.’ ‘And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God.’ (Mark 10:18) And friends, if Jesus says it’s so, then it’s so! No doubt about it. (smile)

Now, let’s go home with some interesting comments about God’s goodness, from an article on the website globaldisciples.ca, that declares: ‘God is good. This simple statement holds profound meaning for many people around the world. Understanding God’s goodness can offer comfort, guidance, and hope. It’s about recognizing His LOVE and the blessings He provides every day. God’s goodness isn’t just evident during happy times. It’s also present during challenges and hardships, providing us with strength. Even when things don’t go as planned, His LOVE and support can often be felt if we look closely. Through faith, we can find peace and assurance in knowing that God is always good.’

And that’s the gospel truth! So, it’s in our best interest to concentrate on God’s goodness today, and every day, as we step out to do His work! Much LOVE!

…God’s goodness…can never be matched by any other being…

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