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: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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