Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 February 2019 Matthew 6:34.

10 Feb 2019 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 6:34.   Take therefore no thought for the morrow (don’t worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for (worry about) the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.

 

Awright friends, it’s Sunday, that great first day of the week that we all know and LOVE! Some of us just like it because we can laze around in it, conveniently using the biblical contention that it’s supposed to be a day of rest. (smile) Meanwhile, to others, it is also a day to get together with fellow believers and celebrate God’s goodness, give Him praise and thanks and exalt His holy name in return for all that’s He done for us! 

And that’s what I’d suggest we all do on this cold Sunday in February; hie thee hither to the Lord’s sanctuary and worship and sing praises to our omnipotent and magnanimous God, hear His awesome Word, and receive His healing power and confidence to face the upcoming week! Now that’s what a Sunday should be all about! 

And as always, we open the proceedings with a song of praise and thanksgiving. Today’s song will be a popular gospel tune written I believe somewhere in the 1970’s by Marijohn Wilkins and Kris Kristofferson; a heartfelt plea to be granted mercy and grace, forgiveness and all that’s necessary to live a righteous life ‘One Day at a Time Sweet Jesus!’ 

So let’s raise the roof of the sanctuary- if there is one – (smile) as we raise our voices to heaven, humbly imploring our heavenly Father to grant our heart’s desire. As one body in Christ now:  (Chorus: One day at a time, sweet Jesus That’s all I’m asking of You Just give me the strength to do every day What I have to do Yesterday’s gone, sweet Jesus And tomorrow may never be mine Lord, help me today Show me the way One day at a time) 

I’m only human, I’m just a woman (man) Help me believe in what I could be And all that I am Show me the stairway That I have to climb Lord, for my sake, teach me to take One day at a time. (Chorus) Oh, do you remember When You walked among men Well, Jesus, You know If You’re looking below It’s worse now, than then, Cheating and stealing, violence and crime So for my sake, teach me to take One day at a time 

(Chorus: One day at a time, sweet Jesus That’s all I’m asking of You Just give me the strength to do every day What I have to do Oh, yesterday’s gone, sweet Jesus And tomorrow may never be mine Lord, help me today Show me the way One day at a time Lord, help me today Show me the way One day at a time One day at a time.’ 

Yeh friends, fortunately or unfortunately, one day at a time is the only way we can live this earthly life and we do need God’s provision to do so successfully. And He is only too eager to provide them for us every day! Remember what Jeremiah says in his Lamentations? ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam.3:22-23) 

 That’s a crucial bit of scripture friends, something we should all pay serious attention to, for just consider what our state would be if the Lord didn’t provide us with new mercies and compassion and LOVE each and every day nuh? Putting it simple and straightforward; crapaud smoke we pipe! That’s for sure! 

But even more important than God’s mercies being available new every morning, is the inescapable fact that we have to do our part to get, to receive them. They just don’t fall in our laps like manna from heaven. Each day that we draw the breath of life, we need to be actively engaged in God’s work and try to live right, to let His will be our top priority. 

And Jesus, who knows best, because that’s exactly what He did in His earthly life – draw inspiration and strength from the Father each and every day through prayer and thanksgiving – gives us this serious and wise advice during His famous Sermon on the Mount. 

‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow (don’t worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for (worry about) the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt.6:33-34) 

 And if we’d only follow those words of wisdom from our High Priest, our Lord and Saviour, our lives would be so much better. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t make some plans for the future, but today should bear most of our concentration, for we don’t know what will happen tomorrow, we might not even be around, and most likely it will have its own troubles. 

I like how the scholars put it: ‘When our priority is spiritual, God will take care of the material, for where God guides, He provides. We need not even worry about tomorrow, for sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof. This means that each day has its own troubles and challenges to be responsibly handled, without worrying about the hypothetical problems that could arise tomorrow.’ 

So friends, it’s not like we don’t know what we’re supposed to do, but we either don’t believe it, are afraid to do it, or our faith just isn’t strong enough. But whatever the reason why we aren’t making God and today our primary focuses, let’s promise ourselves to change it nuh. 

Let’s go to the source of ALL help, our heavenly Father Himself and pour out our hearts, just like we did in the song above. Remember, He will NEVER turn away anyone who sincerely and humbly comes to Him for help! Much LOVE!

…Lord help me today…show me the way…one day at a time…only one day at a time…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 April 2018 Matthew 5:16.

07 Apr 2018 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 5:16.    Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Well a good morning to all my couch potato Scrip-Bit friends! (smile) Oh I know many of us cannot afford that luxury because there are oodles of things to be done around the house; stuff that we couldn’t or can’t do during the workweek. 

But please find some time to just laze around and do absolutely nothing but laze around, it does help to replenish the soul. We cannot be busy every second of every day. For even God rested after every day when He was creating the world. He could have done it all in one fell swoop, but He chose to take His time and do it right, and so should we. 

And since it’s Saturday, we ought also to consider some of the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And here is the first one: ‘When it rains, look for rainbows. When it’s dark, look for stars.’ 

I guess that makes sense since oftimes rainbows and stars are used by God to communicate with us, and even if there is no serious communication involved, they still lift our spirits by their natural beauty. 

And then there is: ‘Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.’ And that’s basically true, because regardless of how good or bad your situation or circumstances are, ONLY you can make yourself happy. If you don’t want to be happy, no one can do so, and likewise, if you truly want to be happy, no one or nothing can stop you. 

Now hear this next quote: ‘Surround yourself with people who get you.’ And I take it that he means people who understand you and what you plan to do. Yes friends, it’s of the utmost importance that we surround ourselves with people who think like us and are willing to go the extra mile to help us get where we want to be. 

We can’t afford traitors or naysayers, else our projects won’t flourish. And please, don’t forget when you are reaping the rewards to share them with those who’ve stood by you through thick and thin. A lot of us tend to take all the glory for ourselves and forget those who helped us get to the top. 

And the last quote says: ‘If you want to give light to others, you have to glow yourself.’ And that’s gospel truth my brethren! You can’t give away something that you don’t have. So if you want to show someone the way, you must have a light yourself to lead them, otherwise it will be just the blind leading the blind. 

That brings us to our Bit; the awesome proclamation of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ 

Oh glory to God my people! That is what we were created to do; glorify God, and we can only do that by being true to our Christian way of life. And Jesus based that on two basic tenets, namely: being the salt of the earth and the light of the world. And what does He mean by that? 

Well, salt is possibly the most useful item in all of our society. It gives food flavour, acts as a preservative, melts coldness and heals wounds. Thus it is a good description of a Christian’s relationship to the world around him. And when you are born again, receive Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, all those elements are expected to play a major part in your life. 

However as Jesus says earlier on: ‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour (flavour), wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.’ (Matt.5:13) 

Yeh friends, if we are supposedly born again and are not behaving like salt, then we are of no use to the kingdom of heaven; more of a hindrance than a help. And sadly, that’s how a lot of us believers are looking and living today; salt less. That’s why so many others are turning away from Christianity. Our brand of Christianity has lost its flavour and purpose. 

The same goes for being the light of the world. Jesus proudly declared of His believers and followers: ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket, but on a candlestick (lampstand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.’ (Matt.5:7) 

Ah my fellow believers, sadly, today our faith seems to have lost it’s light, or we are hiding it under a bushel, because too many people are holding, viewing Christianity in a rather hypocritical manner. Our lives are not reflecting the light and LOVE of Jesus as they should. Our heavenly Father is certainly not being glorified the way He ought to be. 

And it’s all our fault. God has given us all the tools to do the job, but we, for whatever reason, simply aren’t doing it properly. There’s no rush of people flocking to Jesus, while many are walking away. We’ve got to stop that out flow and begin having the unbelievers knocking down the door of Jesus to get in close to Him, just dying to have what we have. 

And that can only be done if we believers pull up our socks, get serious about our faith, renew the saltiness of our spirits and remove the basket that’s hiding our wonderful light, the light of Jesus from the world. And with the help of Almighty God, we can certainly do it. 

So today, I’m imploring us to get with the programme, and get on the good foot, so that we can do our bounden duty; glorify our great God. Much LOVE!

…true believers ought to be like lighthouses…standing sentinel in the dark…to lead weary travellers to the light that’s Jesus…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 September 2017 Proverbs 3:5-6.

30 Sep 2017 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 3:5.   Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths.

Welcome to a fairly bright Saturday friends! It’s a day some of us like because we can just laze around and do nothing of any consequence, while others abhor it, because they have to do house work and run errands outside. 

And who knows what’s going to happen today eh? Just to give you an example of the vagaries of our current climate. Yesterday morning after the little rain fell, at least in my area, because others complained of a good downpour, it was bright and sunny, then by mid afternoon a wicked windstorm blew up and continued for most of the night. 

Right now though, it’s so peaceful and calm, you’d never believe the crazy way the trees were dancing yesterday. And if that wasn’t enough, last night I went to bed at an early hour, around 11 – that’s real early by my standards – feeling fine, but a couple of hours later I woke up freezing. 

I wasn’t sure whether I was just hungry, or the house was indeed cold, but to cover all bases, I came downstairs, had something to eat and turned on the heat. And now I’m thinking that it must have been both, because at minutes to eight in the morning the temperature is only 6 degrees Celsius in my area. 

But that’s our Canadian weather! A few days ago I was blasting chilly wind through the house, today it’s the hot stuff! (smile) Anyway as the song says, ‘That’s life!’ And since it’s Saturday, let’s look at what words of wisdom our friend Anselm graced us with this past week, as he endeavoured to inspire us for a better tomorrow. 

And it was even a shorter set of one-liners than last week. So let’s see if I can arrange them in some sort of sequence that makes sense. First off is ‘What is your “Why?” I guess that means what is your purpose for living? What is the plan God has for your life? And He does have a plan for each and every life He creates. But do you know yours? 

And then with that gift in mind, you should ‘Have a vision.’ Have a vision of how you are going to put God’s plan into action. And one of the most important aspects of it all is to ‘Work on your gift.’ Yeh friends, we can only get better at anything if we work consistently and diligently at it. 

So whatever gift God has given us we have to just buckle down and work on it. With that comes the option to ‘Succeed as bad as you want to breathe.’ That means we must have this awesome desire to do God’s work. Consequently, we’ll ‘Fail our way to success.’ 

Just keep on doing and doing and doing…until we succeed. For failure is never final, until we stop trying. And we all know that the words ‘giving up’ don’t exist in the vocabulary of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 

But the most important part of all that stuff above is to include our heavenly Father in EACH and EVERY aspect of our lives, for He IS interested in ALL THAT WE DO! And furthermore, we won’t be able to do all that we have or want to do without His help. So it only makes sense to involve Him in our everyday lives. 

This brings us to our Bit, and some of the best advice in the Good Book, that invaluable manual for earthly living. Listen to Cousin Sol as he declares: ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths.’ 

Oh my brethren, truer words were never spoken! And Cousin Sol just goes on to lay it down with grace and truth. ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones. 

Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the first fruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine. 

My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary (detest) his correction: for whom the Lord LOVETH he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. 

Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise (gain) of it is better than the merchandise (profit) of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.’ (Prov.37:14) 

Oh friends, that’s the condensed version of right living right there in those few verses! If we have to read anything at all in the Good Book, those verses should be a priority, because they teach us everything we need to know to live a godly life. 

Trust in God and not in our finite, fallible and small minds. Have intimate fellowship with Him. Honour Him in all we do and share what He allows us to have with Him and with others. And don’t get upset when He corrects or punishes us, because He’s only doing so because of His great and awesome LOVE for us. 

And therein lies wisdom and understanding, which are more precious and valuable than silver, gold and other precious jewels! And that my brethren, is the lesson for today. 

Please, please, let’s learn it and write it deep in our hearts, minds and souls, so that we can observe it each and every day. Much LOVE!

…Scripture 101…look to the Lord for EVERYTHING…in EVERY circumstance…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 September 2015 Matthew 24:35

28 Sep 2015 Leave a comment

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

 Matthew 24:35.     Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Greetings my wonderful Friends and neighbours on this most auspicious Monday morning! (smile) And I guess you’re wondering why it’s so auspicious eh? Well first of all we’re alive and kicking…sorry, not all of us are kicking, (smile) but God’s breath of life is certainly flowing through our mortal bodies. 

And you better believe that’s a rather important and auspicious occasion. And I say that because just last Sunday at the early morning service in church, one fellow who usually comes with his wife, was there alone, and when I inquired of her, he said that she recently had knee surgery and was still recuperating. 

Imagine my consternation when at the early morning service yesterday, the pastor announced that the fellow, Don, had unexpectedly and suddenly died of a massive heart attack this week. Ah Lord eh! Now the poor wife not only has to put up with her medical problems, but the sudden and unexpected departure of her spouse too. And we complain because we have to get up and go to work. Steups! 

Look Friends, instead of being miserable and complaining, let’s just get up thankfully and get ourselves off to our jobs and do the best we can in Jesus’ name eh! For that’s what He has called us to do, not to laze around, pussyfoot and complain.  And to help us get ourselves together this last Monday in September, which looks like it’s going to be another nice day in my area – oh glory to God – let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with much joy, enthusiasm and appreciation. 

As one trilling and harmonious choir now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. 

We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. 

But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. 

Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ 

Now that wasn’t bad at all my people. I guess the news of my fellow parishioners’ sudden passing woke some of you up to the reality that one moment we could be here on earth, and the next floating away to heaven or Hades. I don’t know if Don had any prevailing heart problems but it just highlights the predicament we’re all in, of being ready to meet the Lord anytime He chooses to call. 

That brings us to our Bit, where Jesus, having explained some of the signs that would indicate His Second Coming in glory to the disciples, He declares: ‘Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall never pass away.’  And isn’t that the gospel truth my fellow believers! It certainly is! 

And there’s a whole lot of scripture to prove it. Let’s look at some, beginning with the words of the psalmist from Psalm 102 –A cry in distress. ‘I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations. Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. 

They shall perish, but thou shalt endure (continue): yea, all of them shall wax (grow) old like a garment; as a vesture (cloak) shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed. But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.’ (Ps.102:24-27) More truth of an indisputable nature my brethren! 

Now listen to Isaiah as he solemnly declares: ‘The voice said, Cry (out), And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness (loveliness) thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit (breath) of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.’ (Is.40:6-8) 

Now listen as Peter adds his two cents worth. ‘’The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief (robber) in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.’ (2 Pet.3:9-10) 

Yes Friends, our God is long-suffering and desires that all who trust Him will receive salvation. But He’s not going to wait forever, and the day of judgement is already set. So if you’re not amongst those who sincerely believe and trust in Jesus at the time of the Rapture, then crapaud smoke yuh pipe when the day of judgement comes. 

That’s it in a nutshell my people. So please listen to the voice of wisdom that’s crying out to us get ourselves together, NOW, while we still have a chance, for that day could come like a thief in the night and take us unawares.  Much LOVE!

…wisdom dictates that we should be ever ready…either for when the Lord returns…or if He calls us home first…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 November 2013 Genesis 15:1.

15 Nov 2013 Leave a comment

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

Genesis 15:1.   After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
 
Once more it’s Friday Friends, and we’re all singing, ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ gearing up for a joyous weekend. But let’s all be careful that we don’t get too carried away with the joyfulness and cross the border line, where it turns to sin, for that’s very easy to do when we don’t have a good handle on our thoughts and our behaviour.
 
So to help us have some moderation and keep our eyes on Jesus, let’s chant our Friday Chant. As one harmonious voice now: ‘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.
 
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
 
Yeh mih people, in this evil, ungodly world, we need to be on our p’s and q’s at all times. And interestingly enough, I came across a rather appropriate quote this morning, attributed to one Daniel W. Josselyn, which says: ‘Rest is not a matter of doing absolutely nothing. Rest is repair.’
 
And that’s a fact Friends! Rest doesn’t just, or always, mean doing nothing, but sometimes simply doing other things that will repair and rejuvenate our spirits and bodies. What’s the saying? ‘A change is as good as a rest,’ or something to that effect. So when we hear the word rest, let’s not always jump to the conclusion that it’s time to laze around and do nothing. (smile)
 
Now let’s look at our Bit. ‘After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.’
 
Some of the things the Good Book’s talking about here are: Abram being driven down to Egypt because of famine in Canaan. Of deceiving Pharaoh by saying that Sarai was his sister, and the Lord opening Pharaoh’s eyes to the truth, before he could touch her. Pharaoh sending Abram away, back to Canaan, where he and Lot separate. Lot goes to live in Sodom, and as we saw yesterday, the Lord promises Abram the land as far as he could see. (Gen.13:14-18)
 
Then certain kings come to fight against Sodom and Gomorrah, and Lot and his people are carried away captive. When Abram hears of this, he and 318 of his fighting men pursue the captors, rescue Lot and return all the spoil to Sodom and Gomorrah.
 
Then he comes upon Melchizedek, king of Salem, ‘the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.’ (Gen.14:18b-20)
 
Abram later refused the offerings, rewards of the ungodly king of Sodom, just food for his men. ‘I will not take anything that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich.’ (Gen.14:23b) That’s a good attitude for us to adopt my brethren, when we are approached by evildoers to participate in their evil doings, or the spoils of their evil doings.
 
So we can see that Abram lived a very full and interesting later period of life. A time when most of us figure we should just retire from active life and do nothing. But the fact is when we completely retire from life, we die, both literally and figuratively.
 
Anyway, let’s hear these words from the scholars re our Bit, before we move on to some scriptures. ’15:1. Thy shield and thy exceeding great reward: This chapter introduces the Abrahamic covenant by which God promises him an heir and eventual descendants who will one day possess the land of Canaan. The word ‘shield’ is translated in other passages as “believed.”
 
Thus God is the object of Abram’s faith and thereby the source of his confidence. The promise of reward is especially significant in view of the fact that Abram had just refused a reward from the king of Sodom. God himself would be Abram’s true reward. (c.f. Ps.127:3)’
 
Oh Friends, I don’t know if I’m spoiling you, (smile) but here’s what that scripture says: ‘Lo, children are a heritage of the Lord: the fruit of the womb is his reward.’ (Ps. 127:3)
 
It shows the value of relying on God, especially for children, which Abram did, as these passages of scripture show, after God spoke to him in our Bit. ‘And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward (heir) of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
 
And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one (a servant) born in my house is mine heir. And behold the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. 
 
And he brought him forth abroad (outside), and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell (count) the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.’ (Gen. 15:2-6) 
 
Yes my brethren, it’s all a matter of belief! And belief leads to obedience, and obedience to righteousness and rewards. And as the scholars so rightly point out: ‘This was not his (Abram’s) original act of faith, but a further evidence of his confidence in God.’
 
So please, my fellow believers, let’s listen closely to what God is saying to us today, what He’s promising us, if we believe and obey Him, for that’s wisdom at its highest height. Much LOVE!
 
…behold…to obey is better than sacrifice…and to hearken (listen) than the fat of rams… (1 Sam.15:22b)