The Overwhelming Importance of Believers Acknowledging God’s Faithfulness in His Promises!

22 May 2025 Leave a comment

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

Joshua 21:45.       ‘There failed not ought (not a word failed) of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.’

Oh, it’s positively a rainy, rainy, dark and cloudy Thursday. The rain’s been falling since yesterday evening; a steady drizzle, and looks like it will continue for some time yet. But just like we need the sunshine, we need the rain, though not in too much quantity, for that could cause situations that we’d prefer not to experience. (smile) However, since we’ve put our total trust in the Lord God Almighty, we have nothing to worry about. There might be concerns, but definitely no worries. For God has promised in His Holy Word, several times, never to leave nor forsake us, and He keeps ALL His promises, as said in the Book of Joshua. 

‘There failed not ought (not a word failed) of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.’ (Josh. 21:45) And the prophet Isaiah reiterates that sentiment by declaring: ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’ (Is. 41:10) Then the prophet Jeremiah agrees with those sentiments, when he declares: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity) to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11) 

And there are many more scriptures relating to God’s faithfulness, but we will not experience it until we too grow in faith, believing that He is truly faithful. And unfortunately, that comes only by going through uncomfortable situations and depending on God to see you through. And each time you do that, and He proves His faithfulness, your faith grows stronger and you believe some more. That’s the only way to truly grow in God; by experience, by trial and error, by learning His Word and putting it into practice, by laying our proverbial lives on the line for him, and seeing Him fulfill each and every promise. 

But yuh know what mih bredrin, it seems the ole fella has lost his way yes. For I originally planned to ruminate through some scriptures where the Lord promised to never leave nor forsake us, but then I apparently got sidetracked in looking at scriptures that spoke of His faithfulness to His promises. (smile) But that’s okay, because they are all enmeshed together as the Word of the Lord. So, let’s turn now to some scriptures that validate God’s promise to never leave or forsake us. And we’ll begin with a practical experience of God’s promised care for His people, through the way He led the Israelites when they left Egypt. 

The Bible tells us: ‘And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.’ (Ex. 13:21-22) Now, there’s nothing that can fulfill words of promise better than the actual experiencing of them. And to further show our God’s faithfulness, when the Egyptian army trundled down after the Israelites to take them back to Egypt, the Lord literally blocked the Israelites from the sight of the Egyptians. 

The Bible says: ‘And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud of darkness to them, but it gave light by the night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.’ ((Ex. 14:19-20) Oh my people, what a wonderful God we serve! Now who would have thought of such a marvellous manoeuvre but Him eh? Nobody! And since He is omnipotent and has power to do anything, that should come as no surprise. 

So with all of that practical experience behind them, Moses was thus able to truthfully tell the young generation that would eventually enter the Promised Land: ‘And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be ye dismayed.’ (Deut. 31:8) And yuh know what friends? That message has never been rescinded. For today, the Lord our God still is the One who goes before us, to make our paths straight, and as the psalmist says, who gives us His Word to be a lamp unto our feet, and a light to our path. (Ps, 119:105) 

How can we ever doubt or dispute the Word of our God eh my people, when we’ve seen it played out in the Bible, as well as in our own lives? It would be pure foolishness; stupidity at it’s highest to discount the Word of God! And if you still need more scriptures on God’s promise never to leave nor forsake His people. Then check out Joshua 1:5-9, where the Lord promises him: ‘There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Josh. 1:5) Then the Lord goes on to encourage him to be strong of a good courage, the same things we need to be, if we intend to live for Christ. 

Finally, in the New Testament, the author of Hebrews wisely advises: ‘Let your conversation (conduct) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall (can) do unto me.’ (Heb. 13:5-6) Yes my faithful brethren, this verse emphasizes God’s consistent presence and provision for believers throughout their lives. And our God is so wonderful that He’s also bestowed on us blessings we don’t deserve, but need to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings, so let’s declare and 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, it now behooves us to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…The most faithful and encouraging Being in the universe…is obviously…the Lord God Jehovah…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   19 March 2023 Hebrews 13:5.

19 Mar 2023 Leave a comment

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

Hebrews 13:5.           Let your conversation (conduct) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 

Well, a good mildly snowy Sunday morning to you, my fellow believers in Christ Jesus! It’s oh so wonderful that we could gather in the Lord’s sanctuary to praise, worship and give thanks to our magnificent and ever-LOVING Creator! We are indeed blessed to have such a marvellous God in whom we can put our utmost trust and faith, knowing that He LOVES us unconditionally and will never leave us, nor let us down. He’s said that several times in His word. 

Moses said it on the Lord’s behalf to the children of Israel. ‘And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’ (Deut.31:8) Then the Lord said it Himself to Joshua when He made him leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. ‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9) 

Now it couldn’t be any more explicit or reassuring than that, coming from the Lord Himself! It’s one of my favourite scriptures. I like how the Lord spoke to Joshua man to man, with no beating about the bush. (smile) And that’s how He usually speaks to all of His people.  And for good measure, the author of Hebrews wisely advises us: ‘Let your conversation (conduct) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Heb. 13:5) 

And if that doesn’t satisfy your fearful spirit, then I don’t know what will. (smile) But now we’re moving on to our song of worship for today, one that’s not so old, less than a century, written somewhere in the second half of the 20th century by two hit-making songwriters, Jimmy Duncan (1927-2011) and Johnny Lange (1905-2006). Amongst Duncan’s hits was the country and Western tune, ‘My Special Angel,’ sung by Bobby Helms. And Lange (actress Hope Lange’s father)  gave us that rollick song, ‘Mule Train,’ sung in that big voice of Frankie Lane. But only the old folks will remember those seminal tunes. 

And just for our background knowledge, it seems that the Mule Train was an important part of American History. ‘The Mule Train, a protest caravan as part of Martin Luther King and Ralph Abernathy’s Poor People’s Campaign, where protestors rode in covered wagons pulled by mules leaving Marks, Mississippi on 13 May 1968 to converge on Washington, D.C. It was part of Martin Luther King Jr.’s last major effort to mobilize impoverished Americans of different races and ethnic backgrounds.’ 

But enough background now. Let’s get to our today song, simply titled, ‘I asked the Lord.’  And likewise, the words are few and simple, but the sentiment is monumental. So let’s offer up today’s sacrificial praise in a soulful, mid-tempo, joyful version, for it is a song of joy. A lot of people sing it slow and dirge-like, but I like the Carroll Roberson version, which is more up-tempo, with some life in it. 

So, finally, let’s sing. ‘I asked the Lord to comfort me When things weren’t going my way; And He said to me, “I will comfort you And I’ll lift your cares away.” I asked the Lord to walk with me, when darkness was all that I knew; And He said to me “Never be afraid, and I will see you through.” 

I didn’t ask for riches, but he gave me wealth untold, The moon and the stars, the sun in the sky, and he gave me eyes to behold. I thank the Lord for everything, and I count all my blessings each day; For He came to me when I needed Him, I only had to pray. And He will come to you, if you ask Him to, For He’s only a prayer away. And He will come to you, if you ask Him to, For He’s only a prayer away. Yes, He’s only a prayer away.’ 

And isn’t that the living truth my fellow saints! Our God is only a prayer away! All we need to do to contact Him is pray. Wow! It’s instant communication! Not even the faster computer or internet service has instant response. They all take some time to deliver their message, but with our God, He receives it right away. Sometimes we don’t even have to speak it, just think it and away it goes to heaven! Ah friends, I don’t know how to truly bring home to us the great importance of prayer and trusting our wonderful God. But the song says it all. 

When He’s asked for comfort He provides it. Bruh Paul states it thus in his second letter to the church at Corinth. ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:3-4) Mama oh Mama! How wise and beautiful is that eh? Our God comforts us so that we can turn around and comfort others with that same comfort He proffered to us. 

And as per walking with us when we’re alone and or afraid, we’ve already seen at the beginning, scriptures where the Lord promised to be with His people, all the time, so they need not be afraid or fear to be forsaken. And I truly LOVE the awesome generosity of our God. The person in the song says that they didn’t ask for riches, but He gave them wealth untold. This time in the form of eyes to see the moon and stars and the sun in the sky. But remember what the Lord did for Cousin Sol when he became king after Bruh David? 

In 1 Kings 3, The Lord appeared to him and asked him what he wanted. With a wisdom far greater than his 12 years, Cousin Sol asked for wisdom and guidance, an understanding heart to rule the people. And it so pleased the Lord that Cousin Sol had asked for wisdom and understanding, rather than riches and long life and the life of his enemies, He gave Him what he’d asked for: ‘a wise and understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.’ (1 Kin. 3:12) 

He also gave him what he didn’t ask for; ‘riches and honour: so that there shall not be any (one) among the kings like unto thee all thy days. And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen (prolong) thy days.’ (1 Kin. 3:13-14) That’s why Cousin Sol is known as the wisest and richest man ever! And that’s how generous our God can be when we please Him, when we walk in His ways. 

Now there are a couple of things I’d like us to note before we close. The person in the song states that he counts his blessings each and every day. And that’s a habit we should all acquire asap, because it pleases God to see that we’re thankful, and it also reminds us of God’s generosity while encouraging us to put our faith and trust in Him. The second point is that all it took to get those excellent results was prayer. Yes, God answers sincere prayer. And whatever your situation today, He’s only a prayer away. And if you don’t remember anything else, please remember that! It will serve you in very good stead. Much LOVE!

you want to move God…then open up your heart…and pray…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   2 May 2022 Hebrews 13:5b.

02 May 2022 Leave a comment

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

Hebrews 13:5b.       for he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.

Come Monday, everything will be all right… although it’s opened wet, foggy and cloudy! Yes friends, everything will be all right this first Monday in the month of May 2022, as we step out into this evil and ungodly world to begin another week of work! And why is that you ask? It’s simple: because the Lord God Almighty is still sitting on His throne in the high heavens and He’s promised to look after us like a good shepherd, like a caring and responsible Father. 

And what more can we ask eh, since He keeps all of His promises?  And this is one of the most important ones, as written by the author of Hebrews. ‘Let your conversation (conduct) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.’ (Heb. 13:5) 

Wow! What an awesome promise from the Most High God, Creator of the universe and all therein! And it’s a promise that’s been repeated several times in the Good Book, most noticeably by Moses to the children of Israel and the Lord to Joshua when He made him the leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. And I believe it will do us much good to have a closer look at those scriptures. (smile) 

As Moses’ wound down His life, he said to the Israelites about the enemies they would face in the Promised Land: ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: For the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee not forsake thee. And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the Lord hath sworn unto their fathers to give them: and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’ (Deut. 31:6-8) 

So, the promise of never failing nor forsaking His followers is one that’s been in existence from the time the Lord called people like Noah, Abraham and Moses to do His bidding. And then the Lord Himself told it to Joshua after anointing Him leader of the Israelites. ‘There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Josh. 1:5) 

And thus, that marvellous promise has come right down through the ages to all believers, including us at this very important and controversial time, for we were made for a time such as this. And like the author of Hebrews, that promise ought to cause us to feel so reassured of God’s preservation, ‘So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall (can) do unto me.’ (Heb. 13:6) 

What a great faith we have my people, when a simple promise can cause such tremendous reassurance! And we all know the magnificent words on the subject from the pen of Bruh David in Psalm 27. ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Ps. 27:1) 

Now those are very good questions, and because of the Lord’s promises, they led Bruh David to further claim: ‘When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up (devour) my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.’ (Ps. 27:2-3) And likewise friends, we should also feel the same way, be very confident in the promises of our God this day, and every day of our lives. 

Then Bruh David wisely continues: ‘One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty (delightfulness) of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me upon a rock.’ (Ps. 27:4-5) 

Ah mih people, you see that to feel secure in the Lord’s promise, one must also seek His face sincerely, spend time with Him, and get to truly know Him. Reassurance doesn’t just come from hearing the promise, because you can only believe it when you know why it’s so strong and faithful. 

And I just LOVE these reassuring words from this other psalmist: In psalm 118 – Thanksgiving for the Lord’s salvation – he boldly proclaims: ‘Let them now that fear the Lord say, that his mercy (LOVING-kindness) endureth forever. I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large (broad) place. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do to me?’ (Ps. 118:4-6) 

And my fellow saints, if we are of the same opinion as the psalmist there, then our only respite is to call upon the Lord in these times of distress that so many of us are undergoing. So, let’s do just that nuh, go to God in prayer, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, baring our hearts and souls to Him, because He has promised to fix our problems. 

Therefore, as one strong, confident but humble voice: ‘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. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that 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. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.  

And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. 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!’ 

And as always, if we expect to receive a positive answer from heaven, then what our mouths have said, must align sincerely with our hearts. That’s just the way it is! Much LOVE!

…it is better to put trust in the Lord…than to put confidence in man… (Ps. 118:8) 

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