05 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a wind that passeth away, a winter storm, all God's children, another good summer's day, as the heavens are higher than the earth, as the rain cometh down, as the rain waters the earth, behaving like the Israelites, Bless His Holy Name, bread to the eater, Christ who strengthens us, christianity, cometh not again, cross that bridge when we come to it, destroyed them not, did not stir up all his wrath, downhill to the cold months, endure to the end with Christ, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, flatter him with their tongues, fool each other with external looks and talk, For I am the Lord I change not, forgave their iniquity, forgotten what the Lord did for us, give seed to the sower, God being full of compassion, God is our Creator, God knows everything about us, God's been good to us, God's compassion to his sinful creation, great is thy faithfulness, grieve him in the desert, handle any situation, hands on the plough, he remembered that they were but flesh, hearts rampaging after the things of Satan, his compassions fail not, holy spirit, how oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, I have refused him, I'm halfway home, in these comfortable and wealthy times, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, it shall accomplish that which I please, it shall not return unto me void, Jesus Christ, lessons that we need to learn, look not on his countenance, LOVE, maketh it bring forth and bud, man looketh on the outward appearance, many a time turned he his anger away, many supposed believers are not ture to God, mercy, Mother Nature, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my thoughts than your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, neither were they steadfast in his covenant, not turning back, only remember God in times of trouble, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, pay lip service to God, Praise the Lord, prosper in the thing whereto I sent it, reason to destroy us, remembered not his hand, returned and enquired early after God, salvation, so are my ways higher than your ways, so glad to be alive, so shall my word be that goeth out of my mouth, sought diligently after God, take God for granted, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the day when he delivered them from the enemy, the grace and mercy of Christ, the height of his stature, the high god their redeemer, the Lord looketh on the heart, the Lord seeth not as man seeth, the snow from heaven, the truth in spades, the undeserving children of men, their heart was not right with him, therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed, they are new every morning, they remembered that God was their rock, this is the day the Lord has made, this odious world, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, turned back and tempted the Holy One of Israel, we cannot fool God, we will rejoice and be glad in it, Wednesday Wail, wisdom
Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 August 2026 Psalm 78:37.
Psalm 78:37. For their heart was not right (steadfast) with him, neither were they steadfast (faithful) in his covenant.
Oh boy! Another bright, sunshiny, cool summer’s day in my neighbourhood! August so far has just been marvellous, except for the one rainy day on Sunday. Let’s hope and pray that it stays this nice for all of the month, because you know after this, it’s all downhill to the cold months. But as children of the Most High God Jehovah, those minor things like cold months and winter weather don’t bother us, for we can handle any situation that comes against us, through the outstanding grace and mercy of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who strengthens and directs us! Therefore, like the psalmist, we will say every day: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps;118:24)
And I’m chuckling here, as I think how bold and brave we’ll be until Mother nature blasts us with a winter storm and we get caught in the middle of it, struggling to get home or to work. But we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, until then let’s be brave and bold and confident in our wonderful God. And all God’s children said a loud and grateful, ‘Praise the Lord! Bless His Holy Name, for He has certainly been good to us, the undeserving children of men!’
And that’s for sure my faithful brethren, Almighty God has been good to us when all He had was reason to destroy us, and we should be ever so thankful for His grace and mercy, His compassions to us His sinful creation, which like 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) And Jeremiah’s statement is corroborated by the prophet Malachi, when he declares on the Lord’s behalf. ‘For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.’ (Mal. 3:6)
And that faithful compassion of our God is seen even more in this passage from Psalm 78, where the psalmist Asaph describes his people’s sinful behaviour in the wilderness and God’s response. He says: ‘But he (God), being full of compassion forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again. How oft did they provoke (rebel against) him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert! Yea, they turned back and tempted the Holy One of Israel. They remembered not his hand (his delivering power), nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.’ (Ps. 78:38-42)
And yuh know what my people, sadly, in these comfortable and wealthy times, we are behaving the same way the Israelites did back in the wilderness. We’ve either forgotten what the Lord did for us, or simply take Him for granted, and only seem to remember Him when troubles come against us, then we’re quick to cry: ‘O God, help me!’ But other than that we only pay lip service to Him. We again behave like the Israelites did.
‘When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early (sought diligently) after God. And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer. Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. For their heart was not right (steadfast) with him, neither were they steadfast (faithful) in his covenant.’ (Ps. 78:34-37) And when we look around today’s world that is exactly what we’re seeing too much of; supposed believers not being faithful and true to Almighty God, only paying lip service, while their hearts are rampaging after the things of Satan and this odious world.
And foolishly, many of us think that the Lord doesn’t know what we’re truly about when we come to Him with insincere pleas and requests, forgetting what he said to Samuel so long ago, when He sent him to anoint Bruh David to be the future king of Israel. Samuel saw the eldest of Jesse’s son, Eliab, looking strong and handsome and thought that he must be the one. ‘But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused (rejected) him; for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.’ (1 Sam. 16:7)
Yes my people, the Lord looks at the state of our hearts before He does anything else, so although we can fool each other with our external looks and talk, we cannot fool Almighty God. And the sooner some of us recognize that colossal fact, the better off we will all be. That reminds us of this other difference between us and the Lord, as He says through Isaiah. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void (empty, without fruit), but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.’ (Is. 55:8-11)
That’s the truth in spades my fellow believers: the Lord’s thoughts and ways are so much higher than ours, and His word will never return to him fruitless, but will do whatever He desires it to. Those are a couple more lessons that we either need to learn or remember in these lawless and deceitful times. 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 if we endure to the end with Christ, then it’s been promised that the future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So let’s be wise and endure to the very end, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…we cannot fool the Lord…for He is our Creator…thus He knows everything about us…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 Jul 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a special relationship between God and his people, attempts to live a godly life, be in good health, be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, bringeth forth his fruit in season, can't take anything for granted, christianity, climate change, day and night, draw them close to you, encouraging, endure to the end with Christ, entrusting their lives to God, even as thy soul prospereth, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, for those who don't know you, God blesses us so that we can bless others, grace be unto you, halfway home, hands on the plough, harbinger of heavenly blessings, helping wherever I can, his delight is in the law of the Lord, his leaf also shall not wither, holy spirit, I trust them to, I wish you above all things, I'm so glad to be alive, in his law doth he meditate, Jesus Christ, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, look on you with favour, LOVE, loving, make me a blessing to each one, mercy, not turning back, one who has been saved, open their eyes to salvation, our second wind day, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, peace from God our Father, please bless my family and friends, Praise the Lord, praying for friends and families, provide for their needs and protect them, rain in the offing, salvation, seek forgiveness, show me where I need to purify my heart, sitteth in the seat of the scornful, smoke from wildfires, speak blessings over our families and ourselves every day, speak unto Aaron and his sons, spiritual characteristics, standeth in the way of sinners, thank God, thank you for all the ways you tenderly care for us, the Aaronic blessing, the Beatitudes of Jesus, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the Lord be gracious unto thee, The Lord bless thee and keep thee, the Lord give thee peace, The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, the Lord make his face to shine upon thee, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the priestly blessings, the undeserving children of men, thou mayest prosper, through your Son Jesus, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, viewed the blessing as a reflection of the Trinity, Wednesday Wail, whatsoever he doeth shall prosper, wisdom, your infinite wisdom and love
Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 July 2026 Numbers 6:24.
Numbers 6:24. The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:
So we’ve come to Wednesday, our second wind day, and it’s a completely different day to yesterday; not as hot and very cloudy, as though rain’s in the offing. And wouldn’t that be a wonderful blessing for the parched earth. Unfortunately though, with climate change supposedly in action, you can’t take anything for granted; the day might look one way and then turn out to be entirely different.
Oh, the duchess just informed me that the cloudiness outside was not a harbinger of heavenly blessings, but of smoke from wildfires burning in the province. Hn, Hn! And there I was ever so wisely forecasting rain. (smile) But regardless of what kind of day it turns out to be, let’s make sure and catch our second wind so that we can continue doing good work for Christ! And all God’s children said, ‘Praise the Lord! Amen!’
And today we’re going to look at an interesting topic, that of praying for Family and LOVED Ones, as set out in a prayer card from the In Touch Organization. So please pray with me: ‘God, please bless my family and friends. I trust them to Your infinite wisdom and LOVE. Provide for their needs and protect them. Draw them close to You. For those who don’t know You, Please open their eyes to salvation through Your Son, Jesus. Show me where I need to purify my heart or seek forgiveness. Make me a blessing to each one – LOVING, encouraging,, and helping wherever I can. Thank You for all the ways You tenderly care for us. Amen.’
Yes my brethren, praying for friends and families is one of our most important duties, entrusting their lives to God to look after them, like He looks after us. We’re also supposed to bless them. We ought to speak a blessing over ourselves, our families and our friends every day when and where possible. Please don’t allow any of your resident family to go out each day without praying a blessing over them.
And the scriptural basis for this prayer all began way back when the Lord instructed Moses about speaking blessings over the children of Israel. ‘And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee (look on you with favour), and give thee peace.’ (Num. 6:22-26)
Wow! Only a wonderful and LOVING God would ever detail that kind of directive to His people. And that’s the amazing kind of God we serve my people! Give Him thanks and praise for being so wonderful to us the undeserving children of men!
And the scholars offer an interesting explanation of that blessing. They say: ‘The special blessing of the Lord upon His people was pronounced by Aaron, the high priest, and by subsequent priests of the Lord. Known as the “priestly blessings” or “Aaronic blessing”, it was pronounced with hands lifted up (Lev. 9:22). In later Jewish tradition, the blessing was pronounced at the conclusion of the morning and evening sacrifice. The form of the blessing consists of three sentences of two parts each. The Lord bless you, and keep you. The Lord make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you (look on you with favour), and give you peace.
Illustration: The early church fathers viewed the blessing as a reflection of the Trinity. The first part the work of the Father, the second part the work of the Son, and the third part the work of the Holy Spirit. Application: The significance of the blessing indicates the special relationship between God and His people which is mediated by the one pronouncing the blessing, as can be seen in Jesus’ Beatitudes of blessing (Matt, 5:3-12; cf. Deut. 9:1).’
And we certainly see the blessedness of Jesus in the 8 blessings of the Beatitudes, describing the spiritual characteristics of one who has been saved and attempts to live a godly life. And blessings were also important to Bruh Paul, who in every letter he wrote in the Bible, except in Romans, early on, he introduces a form of blessing like this: ‘Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.’ Then He gave thanks for them being a part of the church and believers in Christ Jesus.
And there are many other blessings to be found in the scriptures, so let’s look at a couple of them, as space and time permit. And we all know this famous one from Bruh Paul to the Philippians: ‘And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:7) Then in John’s third epistle, writing to his friend Gaius, he declares: Beloved, I wish above all things (I pray that in all things) that thou mayest prosper and be in good health, even as thy soul prospereth.’ (3 John 1:2)
Meanwhile Psalm 1 tells us: ‘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 he doth meditate (ponder) day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (streams) 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)
Yes my people, those who live and work for the Lord are indeed blessed, and we must also remember to pour out our blessings on God, on ourselves, our families and LOVED ones, and even those we don’t really know, for we never know what difference a simple blessing can make to a hurting or discouraged soul. Now, let’s declare 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 an even more than glorious future awaits those who endure to the very end with Jesus. I plead with us to be wise and do just that, so we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…God blesses us…so that we can bless others…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Jul 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a missing piece of the puzzle, a secret compartment, a wise and understanding heart, acknowledge your sovereignty, an understanding heart, angry, as thy father David did walk, bitter rebellion, bring unexplainable mystery, build up a pretense, catch our second wind, christianity, commandments, conditional promises, conscience-stricken, crowd you out, delights, deliver me according to thy word, discern between good and bad, disheartened, done according to thy words, eventually exposed, everlasting, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fame, feel such bitter rebellion, filled with the Spirit of God, fools despise wisdom, get wisdom, getting wisdom is easy, give me understanding according to thy word, God is too mysterious for our liking, God's timing is different to ours, halfway home, hands on the plough, heartsick, hide my emotions, holy spirit, human nature rebels against authority, I am desolate, in every area of my bewildered life, Jesus Christ, keep my statutes and commandments, lengthen thy days, let my cry come near before thee O Lord, long life, LOVE, mercy, my soul cleaveth unto the dust, my unpredictable life, mysterious God, none like thee before thee, not turning back, One Year Book of Bible promises, our second wind day, power, precepts, prolong your life, promised me so much, puzzled, quicken thou me according to thy word, regardless of circumstances, rejecting you, reverential awe of God, riches, righteousness, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, slowly but surely, so glad to be alive, stick with Christ to the very end, surrender to God, taken hold of me, talk of thy wondrous works, teach me thy statutes, testimonies, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the depth of despair, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, the gospel truth, the great perplexities, the life of thine enemies, the righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting, thy commandments are my delights, to a glorious future with Jesus, to offer myself to you, to toe the line, trouble and anguish, trouble and anguish have taken hold of me, truth, turn away from God, uncertain and troubled times, understand the way of thy precepts, Unexplainable Mystery, up in the air without answers, wait so long, walk in my ways, wealth, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, wisdom is the principal thing, with all thy getting get understanding
Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 July 2026 Psalm 119:169.
Psalm 119:169. Let my cry come near before thee O Lord: give me understanding according to thy word.
Now, would you believe the week just started and it’s already Wednesday, our second wind day. Best catch our second wind if we want to continue doing good work for Jesus and making worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks. (smile) And it looks like it’s going to be another hot summer’s day, and that’s what we’ve been clamouring for all winter, so let’s enjoy it, because it’s not going to last much longer.
Today we’ll look at an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This one’s titled ‘Unexplainable Mystery,’ and as usual I don’t know if I’ve ever shared it, but it’s certainly worth sharing in these uncertain and troubled times. So please read with me: ‘Mysterious God Today I am desolate I am puzzled I am heartsick That I must wait so long When you have promised so much. At the same time I am conscience-stricken That I should feel such bitter rebellion.
Yet, to try to hide my emotions Would only build up a pretense That would be eventually exposed. I suppose, O God In the great perplexities Of my unpredictable life One of two things will always happen: Either I will crowd You out (Slowly but surely) Or I will acknowledge Your sovereignty In every area of my bewildered life. To offer myself to You Regardless of circumstances May always bring unexplainable mystery. But rejecting You totally brings the depth of despair.’
And isn’t that the gospel truth my people! Yes, it’s difficult sometimes to wait on God, for His timing is very often not ours, but believe me, rejecting Him totally would be the biggest mistake we can ever make, for He is the Creator and Provider and if we don’t acknowledge Him, then our lives will become even more miserable than they already are. We need someone strong and wise to help us fight the evil and ungodliness of the world, and the Lord God Almighty is the ONLY ONE who can do that on our behalf!
And yes, God’s made many promises, but many of them are conditional, tied into our reaction to Him, but since our human nature is to naturally rebel against authority, especially God, it’s often hard for us to toe the line that He draws in our hearts, or to wait until He is ready to keep a particular promise. Thus, when He leaves us up in the air without any cognitive answers, then we get angry and disheartened and want to turn away from Him. He is too mysterious for our liking. We don’t understand much of what He does, but that is exactly why He is God!
If we understood everything God does, and there was no air of mystery surrounding Him, then we’d have no use for Him, we’d be able to do our own thing. But let’s remember that the Lord in His superb wisdom and understanding made a secret compartment in each of us that keeps us from being truly happy until we surrender to Him. So regardless of all the wealth, power and fame we might have, without God in our spirit and soul, there’ll always be a missing piece of the puzzle. And we see it all around our world today; lots of people have wealth, power and fame, but they are still not happy or contented; that’s because that secret place in their soul has not been truly filled with the Spirit of God.
And the Bible promise for today’s poem is also an interesting one. It comes from Psalm 119, and says: ‘Let my cry come near before thee O Lord: give me understanding according to thy word. Let my (prayer of) supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy word (promise).’ (Ps. 119:169-170) And that’s a familiar cry all throughout the Bible. And right there in Psalm 119, the psalmist makes that cry a couple of times. Just before today’s promise He pleads: ‘Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: yet thy commandments are my delights. The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live.’ (Ps. 119:143-144)
And at the beginning of the psalm, he declares: ‘My soul cleaveth unto (clings to) the dust: Quicken (revive) thou me according to thy word. I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes. Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.’ (Ps. 119:25-27) And remember what Cousin Sol says in Proverbs: ‘The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the (principal) beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.’ (Prov. 1:7) And that’s no lie as we can see from all the foolishness that’s currently going on in our ungodly world!
And Cousin Sol spells it out later on: ‘Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.’ (Prov. 4:7) And we see Him doing exactly that when the Lord asked him what he wanted. And he replied: ‘Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great people?’ (1 Kin. 3:9)
Oh mih people, Cousin Sol’s answer pleased the Lord so much that He showered him with blessings, saying to Him: ‘Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked for riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgement (justice); Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any (anyone) among the kings like unto thee all thy days. And if thou wilt walk in my ways to keep my statutes and my commandants, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen (prolong) thy days.’ (1 Kin. 3: 11-14)
Yes friends, that’s how our great God moves: seek His word and honour Him, and He will exalt you. So, let’s seriously start seeking God’s Word and honouring Him nuh, so that He can exalt us. Now let’s declare 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 if we stick with Christ to the very end, then we’re promised an even more glorious future than we can ask or imagine. So let’s be wise and stick to the very end, so that we can enjoy that mor than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…getting wisdom is easy…just ask it of God…without doubting… (James 1:5)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a learned behaviour, all these things shall be added unto you, allergies, Chrisitanity, complaining is a part of human nature, contentment is a learned behaviour, contentment isn't learned in classroom, contentment isn't learned overnight, drown men in destruction and perdition, endure to the end with Christ, erred from the faith, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fall into temptation, follow after righteousness, for one man who can stand prosperity, fraught with pitfalls, godliness, godliness with contentment is great gain, halfway home, hands on the plough, having food and raiment, holy spirit, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I have learned, I know both how to be abased, I know how to abound, in regard of need, in whatsoever state I am, into many foolish and hurtful lusts, Jesus Christ, keep God first place in our lives, let us be content, live humbly, live in prosperity, lose your soul, LOVE, make Jesus our number one priority, material possessions, meekness, mercy, Not that I speak in respect of want, not turning back, O man of God flee these things, our second wind day, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, patience, pierced themselves through with many sorrows, practical everyday life experiences, relatively insignificant, ruin and destruction, salvation, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, Sermon on the Mount, so glad to be alive, some in their greediness, strayed from the faith, thank God, the basic necessities of life, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the constant noise of lawn mowers, the Lord hates pride and boasting, the LOVE of money, the root of all kinds of evil, the skill required for successful living, therewith to be content, they that desire to be rich, Thomas Carlyle, tighten the belt in lean times, to a glorious future with Jesus, to abound, to be full, to be hungry, to discipline oneself, to suffer need, truth, we brought nothing into this world, we can carry nothing out, wealthy Chrisitans don't boast about their wealth, Wednesday Wail, which some coveted after, wisdom, with the help of Jesus
Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 June 2026 Philippians 4:11.
Philippians 4:11. ‘Not that I speak in respect of want (in regard to need): for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.’
Ah friends, it’s Wednesday, our second wind day, and I surely wish that I could catch my second wind because my allergies are giving me some problems. We all long for the summer, but when it comes, we complain about allergies, the constant noise of lawn mowers and many other things. But I guess complaining is just a part of our human nature. (smile) And this current version of our society is exceptionally good at complaining, because very little seems to satisfy us.
We obviously have not taken Bruh Paul’s statement on the subject to heart. He wrote to the Philippians thus: ‘Not that I speak in respect of want (in regard to need): for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.’ (Phil. 4:11) Now that’s something this version of our society needs to learn, and we can only do that by following Bruh Paul’s example, as he continues: ‘I know both how to be abased (live humbly), and I know how to abound (live in prosperity): every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and suffer need.’ (Phil. 4:12)
And the scholars offer some very valuable thoughts on Bruh Paul’s statements. The most important being, that being contented is a learned behaviour. ‘I have learned … to be content: The Greek here suggests that contentment is a lesson learned neither in a classroom nor overnight, but through many practical experiences in life.’ And that’s the gospel truth! We cannot learn contentment over night or in a classroom, but only from practical everyday life experiences.
And per verse 12, the scholars declare: ‘By listing some specific examples, this verse elaborates upon the very general and broad “in whatsoever state I am” of verse 11. Be abased means literally to discipline oneself, that is, to tighten the belt in lean times. To abound means to live in prosperity. Everywhere and in all things I am instructed (or, “in all circumstances I have learned the secret of how”) to be full, that is “well-fed..” To abound means to have plenty. To suffer need means to go without. Paul has acquired the skill required for successful living with little and with much, the latter probably being harder. ’
And they end the explanation with an appropriate quote from the 19th century Sottish philosopher Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881). ‘For one man who can stand prosperity, there a hundred that will stand adversity.’ And most of us know that prosperity is fairly easy to live with, but adversity is a completely different kettle of tea. However to live a successful life, we need to be able to live in both camps without too many problems or complaints. But let’s note Bruh Paul’s next words in that passage, possibly the most important. ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil. 4:13)
Now that’s the secret of the whole exercise. We learn to live successfully, either in prosperity or need, with the help of Jesus Christ, for He is the one that strengthens us, as we live in His will and do His work. So, if we don’t have that foundation of Christ in our souls, then most likely we’ll have trouble living a truly successful life.
And there are several other scriptures throughout the Bible which warn about contentment. Like this one from Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment (clothing) let us be therewith content. But they that will (desire to) be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful (harmful) lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition (in ruin and destruction). For the LOVE of money is the root of all (kinds of) evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, (for which some in their greediness have strayed from the faith), and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.’ (1 Tim. 6:6-10)
Oh friends, nobody really wants to live in poverty, but desperately trying to get rich is fraught with all sorts of pitfalls, all sorts of evil possibilities, wherewith you can lose your soul and cause yourself even more sorrows than if you were living in poverty. And once we have food and raiment or all the basic necessities of life, we ought to be content. Now let’s note that it’s not money that causes the problem, but the LOVE of it; the helpless desire to go after it, forsaking everything and everyone else to get it.
Thus Bruh Paul warns Timothy: ‘But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, LOVE, patience, meekness.’ (1 Tim. 6:11) Yes my fellow believers those are the things that should be uppermost in our minds and lives. Now please don’t think that material possessions have no place in the Christian’s life, but as we can carry nothing out at death, that makes them relatively insignificant in comparison to the things of verse 11 above.
And it’s like Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount when teaching about worry. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) That tells us that if we sincerely keep God first place in our lives, He will satisfy all our basic needs. And He might also make us very wealthy in material terms; just like he made Cousin Sol wealthy, although he did not ask for it.
And believe me, there are lot of wealthy Christians out there in today’s world, and you’ll never know that just by seeing or listening to them, for they don’t boast on their earthly wealth, like so many non-believers do. They know on which side their bread is buttered, who gave them their wealth and how He hates pride and boasting, so they just go about quietly doing His work. And that’s how we all ought to be!
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 for those who endure to the very end with Jesus, there’s an even more glorious future promised, that we cannot comprehend or imagine. So, let’s be wise and endure to the end with Jeus nuh, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…true contentment… can only be acquired…if Jesus is our number one priority…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a froward man soweth strife, a tinderbox, a whisperer separates chief of friends, above all things have fervent charity among yourselves, an ungodly man diggeth up evil, and have not charity I am nothing, and now abideth faith hope love, be ye therefore sober, beareth all things, become as sounding brass, bestow all my goods to feed the poor, charity envieth not, charity is not puffed up, charity suffereth long and is kind, charity vaunteth not itself, christianity, Christians, discretion over gossip, do today's work today, don't put aside for tomorrow what can be done today, doth not behave itself unseemly, endures to the end, endureth all things, enjoy a more than glorious future together, err from the truth, exercises restraint, extends forgiveness, faith, from the error of his way, give my body to be burned, halfway home, hands on the plough, hate seems to be making the world go round, hatred is causing chaos and disaster in our world, hatred is running amok, hatred stirreth up strifes, have faith to remove a mountain, have not charity, he that covereth a transgression seeketh love, he that repeats a matter separates friends, he which converteth a sinner, hide a multitude of sins, holy spirit, in his lips there is as a burning fire, infinite God rules both heaven and earth, is not easily provoked, it profiteth me nothing, Jesus Christ, keeps no account of evil, knowledge shall vanish away, life is moving at a fast pace, LOVE, love covereth all sins, love covers a lot of wrong doing, love does not broadcast flaws and mistakes of others, love is God's favourite tool, love is God's greatest attribute, love let's go of minor slights and annoyances, Love never fails, love shall cover a multitude of sins, love the ooposite of hatred, mercy, more strife-filled situations are happening every day, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, no time for pussy footing, not looking back at the past, not turning back, our second wind day, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, overlooking minor offences, prophecies shall cease, protects the dignity of others, rejoiceth in truth, rejoiceth not in iniquity, salvation, save a soul from death, seeketh not her own, set the world afire, so glad to be alive, speak with the tongues, strife-filled days, sweep things under the rug in the name of love, sweeping serious wrongdoing under the rug, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the end of all things is at hand, the gift of prophecy, the greatest of these is charity (love), the ultimate forgiveness shown by God, the wheel of life, tinkling cymbal, to a glorious future with Jesus, tongues shall cease, truth, understand all mysteries, waiting to be set alight, watch unto prayer, Wednesday Wail, wisdom
Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 June 2026 Proverbs 10:12.
Proverbs 10:12. Hatred stirreth up strifes: but LOVE covereth all sins.
Oh dear me, is it really Wednesday, our second wind day already? How quickly we’ve gotten there! (smile) And we had better catch that second wind, because at the fast pace that the days and life in general are moving, we don’t have much time for pussy footing and leaving things that should be done today, for tomorrow. The proverbial wheel of life that’s supposed to turn slowly, has certainly sped up in the last little while. As least, so it seems to me. But what do I know eh? Not much. For I am a mere mortal with a finite understanding, while the great infinite God in heaven, is the sovereign who controls things down here.
And He’s given me this scripture for us to look at today. Wise and oh so truthful words from the Proverbs of Cousin Sol: ‘Hatred stirreth up strifes: but LOVE covereth all sins.’ (Prov. 10:12) And even if we didn’t know it from personal experience, there’s no doubting it in these strife-filled days, where hatred is running amok in our world and causing all kind of chaos and disaster. And the hatred doesn’t seem to be abating either; in fact it seems to be escalating because none of the strife-filled situations are being peacefully resolved.
We might not hear of some of them, but that’s not because they’ve been peacefully resolved, but because more newsworthy ones have come upon the scene. And right now, all we need is one flash of craziness from one person imbued with hatred to set the world afire. Our world is currently like a tinder box just waiting to be set alight. But then there’s LOVE, the opposite of hatred, which according to Cousin Sol, covers all sins. How true is that eh. According to the scriptures it’s very true.
Listen to Peter tell it: ‘But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity (LOVE) among yourselves: for charity (LOVE) shall cover a multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging (grumbling).’ (1 Per. 4:7-9) Meanwhile James puts it thus: ‘Brethren, if any of you do err (turn) from the truth, and one convert (cover) him; Let him know, that he which converteth (covers) a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide (cover) a multitude of sins.’ (James 5:19-20)
Yes friends, LOVE does cover a lot of wrongdoing. And this commentary gives us a rough break down of what that means. ‘Overlooking Minor Offenses: True LOVE is patient and chooses to let go of minor slights, annoyances, and daily frictions rather than keeping score. Discretion over Gossip: Instead of broadcasting the flaws and mistakes of others, a LOVING person exercises restraint and protects the dignity of the person. Extending Forgiveness: Drawing on the ultimate forgiveness shown by God, LOVE forgives wrongs rather than allowing them to breed resentment and divide a community. What it doesn’t mean: It does not mean sweeping serious harm, abuse, or illegal actions under the rug. LOVE protects by addressing destructive behaviour appropriately.’
Now that last explanation needs to be more forcefully administered, because many of us sweep things like abuse and serious harm under the rug in the name of LOVE. But that’s not always right, for oftentimes it only encourages and increases the bad behaviour. It’s as Cousin Sol further says in Proverbs. ‘An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire. A forward (perverse) man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief (the best of) friends.’ (Prov. 16:27-28) And in the next chapter Cousin Sol declares: ‘He that covereth a transgression seeketh LOVE; but he that repeateth a matter separateth friends.’ (Prov. 17:9)
So LOVE is a powerful tool, motivator or attribute. And so it should be, since it’s God’s greatest attribute and His favourite tool, the one that caused Him to send His Son Jesus to earth to die for our sins and causes Him to reach out to us in times of need. And with all we’ve said about LOVE, here’s the best treatise on it from the pen of Bruh Paul to the Corinthians.
‘Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity (LOVE), I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling (clanging) cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge: and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity (LOVE), I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity (LOVE), it profitheth me nothing.
Charity (LOVE) suffereth long, and is kind; charity (LOVE) envieth not; charity (LOVE) vaunteth not itself (does not brag on itself), is not puffed up (arrogant), Doth not behave itself unseemly (rudely), seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil (keeps no account of evil); Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity (LOVE) never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail (cease); whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away (cease)… And now abideth faith, hope, charity (LOVE), these three; but the greatest of these is charity (LOVE).’ (1 Cor. 13:1-8; 13)
And that’s why LOVE is so great, and so necessary in our too evil world! And hopefully with all that talk on LOVE, some more of it will seep into our souls, bodies and minds and help us turn our world around, as we so badly need to do. Now let’s declare 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 it’s been promised that whoever endures to the end with Christ will enjoy an even more glorious future than we can ever imagine. So let’s endure right to the very end nuh, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…LOVE is supposed to make the world go round…but right now…hate seems to be doing it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a deep consuming conviction, a long and arduous journey, a more than glorious future, a proof of spiritual rebirth, a world class facility, an expected attitude of a believer, attain the threshold that God is enough, blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, but not enough, christianity, deep down in our souls, desires to reach out to God, endure to the end with Jesus, enhances our earthly lives, every cluttered chamber, experience a deep desire for personal rightousness, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, free me from every shallow substitute, from every hidden pretense, hands on the plough, hang all the law and the prophets, holy spirit, how i hunger and thirst for you, how I love you my Lord, hunger for that which only God can give, I am halfway home, I rejoice in your inimitable goodness, into every vacant hollow, Jesus Christ, LOVE, love the Lord with all thy heart soul and mind, love thy neightbour as thyself, Loving God is our number one duty, mercy, MY Glorious Enough, negative circumstances, not looking back, not turning back, of my longing heart, on these two commandments, One Year Book of Bible promises, our puny minds can't comprehend, our second wind day, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, pour yourself lavishly, recognize the depth of their need, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, seeking God with our whole heart, seeking the righteousness of God, so glad to be alive, spiritual maturity, spiritual poverty, strong longings for God, thank God, the Beatitudes, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the characteristics of a saved person, the greatest commandment, the local hospital is now a world class facility, the pinnacle of the abundant life, the second is like unto it, the Sermon on the Mount, these tense and fearful times, they shall be filled, thwarted in our search for God, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, until I shall know, various stages of our spiritual growth, Wednesday Wail, when ye shall search for me with all your heart, wisdom, with deep consuming conviction, ye shall seek me and find me, yearning for God, You are My Glorious Enough
Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 June 2026 Matthew 5:6.
Matthew 5:6. ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’
Ah mih people, like we’re on the late bus again this hot, sunny Wednesday morning, our second wind day. But this time it’s not my fault, for after my church group, I went directly to the local hospital for some tests. And is it ever big and busy now, and you have to walk so far to get wherever you’re going. I remember the days when it was first built, and it looked like a li’l two by four on the side of the hill. I really shouldn’t be complaining though, because whenever I go there, they treat me well. It’s just that recently I’ve been going there a little too often for my liking. (smile) And I’m certainly amazed at how over the years it’s turned into a world class facility.
But enough of my jawing, let’s see if we can’t write a short and sweet Bit today. No promises…because we’re not known for short…but we’ll certainly try. And for brevity’s sake, we’ll check out this short but most appropriate poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. The poem is uniquely titled, ‘My Glorious Enough.’
So please read with me. ‘Oh how I LOVE You, my Lord But not enough. How I hunger and thirst for You But not enough. How I rejoice in Your inimitable (matchless) goodness But not enough. Pour Yourself lavishly, dear God Into every vacant hollow Into every cluttered chamber Of my longing heart. Free me from every shallow substitute From every hidden pretense Until I shall know With deep, consuming conviction That You are my Glorious Enough.’
Wow! I like that! And I don’t think I’ve ever shared it before, because it seems new to me. but who knows there are 365 poems in the Book, and I can’t remember them all. Anyway, it is a most interesting and appropriate poem for many of us, especially in these tense and fearful times. We all are at various stages of our spiritual growth or spiritual maturity, and many of us have strong longings for and desires to reach out for God, but somehow are thwarted in our search for Him.
However we can’t ever stop reaching and searching, for as God said through the prophet Jermiah: ‘And ye shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:13) And that’s what the person in the poem seems to doing; seeking God with their whole heart. And that’s the only way to truly seek Him. Remember how Jesus answered the Pharisee lawyer that tried to draw Him into an argument by asking which was the greatest commandment in the law?
‘Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt LOVE the Lord with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thy self. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ (Matt. 22:37-40) So we see from Jesus, that LOVING the Lord is our Number One duty. But that’s not always easy to do, especially when our lives are filled with many negative circumstances. However, we’ve got to begin somewhere, and yearning for Him deep down in our souls is a wonderful start.
As the poem says we continue seeking Him ‘until we know, with deep, consuming conviction that He is our Glorious Enough.’ Yes friends, we cannot be satisfied until we reach, or attain the threshold that God is truly enough for us, is all that we will ever need. Unfortunately though, it is often a long and arduous journey to get to that point. But it is one we must never stop reaching for, because it’s ever so worthwhile. We never really know how great our God is until He fills ‘every vacant hollow and every cluttered chamber of our longing hearts.’
And nothing can be more soul stirring and uplifting than that, for it’s like the Bible Verse for the poem states: ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’ (Matt. 5:6) Now that’s one of the statements Jesus made in the Sermon on the Mount in that group we call the Beatitudes; Jesus’ way of describing the attitude and characteristics of a person who has been saved.
And according to the scholars, ‘those who hunger and thirst after righteousness are those who experience a deep desire for personal righteousness, which in itself is proof of their spiritual rebirth. Those who are poor and empty in their own spiritual poverty recognize the depth of their need, and they hunger and thirst for that which only God can give them. Thou shall be filled refers to a complete satisfaction. The psalmist proclaimed: “He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.” (Ps. 107:9)’
Yes my fellow believers, a big part of our duty as followers of Christ is to hunger and thirst for the righteousness that only God can provide, for it enhances our earthly lives and leads to the pinnacle of the abundant life that Christ died for us to have. And with that boost to our faith, (smile) let’s declare 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 it’s been promised that those who endure to the end with Jesus, will receive an even more glorious future, one that our puny minds cannot comprehend. so, let’s be wise and endure right to the very end with Jesus nuh, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Now that’s as short as we can get today! (smile) Much LOVE!
…seeking the righteousness of God…is an expected attitude of the believer…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
13 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a damp cloudy morning, a most welcome invitation, a rainy night, an offer of salvation to all who will receive it, bless the LOrd o my soul, buy wine and milk withour money, call ye upon him while he is near, carries me so swiftly, catch your second wind, Christians, come buy and eat, come ye to the waters, compass me about with songs of deliverance, continue to do good work for Jesus, crowns thy life with loving kindness, delight in abundance, down to the basement again, eat what is good, endure to the end with Christ, even the sure mercies of David, every one that is godly, every one that thirsteth, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fists are blue from pounding, forget not all his benefits, forgives thine iniquities, from the basement of despair, get me off this emotional elevator, got to remain in God's arms, halfway home, hands on the plough, heals all thy diseases, hear and your soul shall live, hearken diligently unto me, hoarse from shouting, holy spirit, in a time when thou may be found, in all sincerity and truth, incline your ear and come unto me, Jesus Christ, keep you waiting, listen to me, LOVE, make an everlasting covenant with you, mercy, not turning back, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, pray unto thee, preserve me from trouble, quick relief, quick to complain, redeems thy life from destruction, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, satisfies thy mouth with good things, seek ye the Lord while he may be found, seeking god is the wisest thing a living soul can do, so glad to be alive, Stay There, suffocating, suffocating in this dark windowless box, tender mercies, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the door is wide open, the good shepherd, the Lord promises an everlasting covenant to the Gentiles, the Lord's door is always open, the Lord's invitation is to all men, the One Year Book of Bible Promises, the spiritually hungry and thirsty can eat and drink for free, the tenth floor of exhilaration, thou art my hiding place, thy youth is renewed like the eagle's, till thy kingdom come, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, turn and look dear child, wake up from our slumber, walk straight into my waiting arms, Wednesday Wail, why spend money on what is not bread, wisdom, without a price, you who have no money, your labour on what does not satisfy, your soul will delight with the richest of fare
Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 May 2026 Isaiah 55:6.
Isaiah 55:6. ‘Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:’
And after a rainy night, we end up with a damp, cloudy morning, with a bit of drizzle still happening every so often. It’s a tough day to catch your second wind, but catch it you must, if you’re to continue your good work for Jesus. And to make matters even more difficult, we’re on a real late bus this morning. I just came from my church group but also have to go out shortly for some tests. And you know how it is with these medical places, they don’t value your time. They tell you to come at a particular time, even earlier than that, then they still keep you waiting till thy kingdom come.
Without further ado then, let’s get into our topic for today, which is an interesting and rather appropriate poem for these times, from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, simply titled ‘Stay There.’ So please read with me: ‘Lord Please get me off This emotional elevator Which carries me so swiftly From the basement of despair To the tenth floor of exhilaration And down to the basement again. I’m hoarse from shouting My fists are blue from pounding I’m suffocating in this Dark, windowless box.’ And the Lord’s answer to that pitiful pleading was? ‘Turn and look, dear child. The door is wide open. Walk straight into My waiting arms. And stay there.’
Ah friends, we’re so quick to complain, before we even consider the situation properly. But as the Lord says, His door is always open, and all we have to do is walk straight into His open, waiting arms. But most importantly, we’ve got to remain in those arms, for it’s there that we find succour and help for all our troubles. And deep down we know that, but we simply refuse to take the time to consider the situation, we just desire quick relief. And you’d be surprised to discover the Bible quote for today’s poem. It’s one of those interesting statements from the prophet Isaiah on the Lord’s behalf.
The Book quotes it from the NIV (New International Version): ‘Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money, without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and you labour on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight with the richest of fare.’ (Is. 55:1-2) What a most welcome invitation my people! But let’s hear the elegant words of the King James Version, (smile) before we talk about what those verses mean.
‘Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness (abundance). Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.’ (Is. 55:1-3)
Now, we’ve put an extra verse in there, which makes it a little clearer. In essence, God is offering His free gift of salvation to all who are willing to receive it. And as the scholars say: ‘Those who are spiritually hungry and thirsty may come to eat and drink without money (or freely). The Lord promises an everlasting covenant to the Gentiles like the one He established with Israel.’ Please note that specific call in that last verse: ‘Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live…’ The Lord is calling, pleading with us to come to Him, but we have to listen, to hear, then draw near to Him.
And later on, the prophet again calls for our attention. ‘Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.’ (Is. 55:6) Yes friends, that’s the Lord’s invitation, His appeal to all men. If you are interested, His invitation is wide open to all… but you must seek Him, if you want to find Him. It’s as Bruh David says in Psalm 32: ‘For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about (surround me) with songs of deliverance. Selah.’ (Ps. 32:6-7)
Oh my brethren, that’s exactly what the Lord wants to do for every one of us, surround us with good things, a good and safe life, but we have to go to Him, reach out to Him in all sincerity and truth. He’s there waiting, waiting for us to wake up from our slumber and recognize the many benefits of being in His wonderful fold. Remember, He’s the good shepherd, who looks after His sheep like no other, or rather better than any other shepherd. And if you don’t get into His fold as soon as possible, then you’ll be missing out on many wonderful benefits.
Benefits like Bruh David declares in Psalm 103. ‘Bless the Lord , O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thy life with LOVING-KINDNESS and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps. 103:2-5) Now why would anybody with a mite of sense want to miss those wonderful benefits eh? No way! So, to show how smart and sensible we are, (smile) let’s all turn to the Lord God Almighty and diligently seek Him, for He is always to be found.
Now it’s time to 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 for all who endure with Jesus to the very end, it is promised they will receive an even more glorious future than they can even ask or imagine. So, again, let’s show our good sense and endure to the very end so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…seeking God…that is the wisest thing a living soul can do…
Visit the Scrip-Bit Blog at https://randyobrien50.com
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
06 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man's enemies are the men of his own house, a more glorious future than we can ask or imagine, all lie in wait for blood, artificial intelligence, be very careful in our interactions, blasphemers, blood is thicker than water, boasters, brutal, catch our second wind, christianity, Christians, corrupt and greedy bunch of leaders, covetous, deceit, denying the power thereof, despisers of those that are good, disobedient to parents, don't be afraid, endure to the end, everyone with his neighbour, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, false accusers, fierce, flattery, from her that lieth in thy bosom, from such turn away, godliness depends on an individual's personal decision, godly people are disappearing, halfway home, hands on the plough, haughty, having a form of godliness, heady, Help Lord, highminded, hit the nail right on the head, holy spirit, hunt every man his brother with a net, in the last days perilous times shall come, incontinent, irreconcilable, Jesus Christ, Jesus will make everything right in the end, keep the doors of thy mouth, lies, LOVE, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, may do evil with both hands earnestly, men shall be lovers of their own selves, merciful men are taken away, mercy, money lovers, no man layeth it to heart, no man takes it to heart, none upright among men, not turning back, our society is as vain as a preening peacock, proud, put ye not confidence in a guide, reckless, salvation, slanderers, slanting the truth, so they scheme together, so they wrap it up, social media, strong ties to Jesus, thank God, the ascendance of evil and ungodliness, the backbone of our society, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the daughter in law against her mother in law, the daughter rises up against her mother, the faithful disappear from amomg the children of men, the faithful fail, the godly man ceaseth, the good man is persihed out of the earth, the great man utter his evil desire, the judge asketh for a reward, the prince asketh for gifts, the righteous is taken away from the evil to come, the righteous perisheth, the son dishonours the father, the virus of greed is never satisfied, they speak vanity, to a glorious future with Jesus, traitors, true breakers, trust ye not in a friend, truth, unholy, unthankful, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, with a double heart do they speak, with flattering lips, without natural affection, without self control
Psalm 12:1. Help (save), Lord; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail (disappear) from among the children of men.
And it’s a wet, chilly and cloudy Wednesday morning in my neighbourhood, but nonetheless, it’s important that we catch our second wind so that we can keep on doing good work for God during the rest of the week. And we know that some days are more tiring and exhausting than others, but we need to try and keep a sense of balance throughout the week, not going overboard, or underboard. (smile)
With that in mind, let’s consider these two interesting verses from Psalm 12, here Bruh David cries out: ‘Help (save), Lord; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail (disappear) from among the children of men. They speak vanity (idly or falsely) every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart (an inconsistent mind) do they speak.’ (Ps. 12:1-2) Now, I would call that a very good description of what’s happening in our world today. Truly godly people are surely few and far between; they have nearly disappeared from the ranks of men.
It’s like Isaiah said so long ago about his society. ‘The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth (takes) it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come (the presence of evil). (Is. 57:1) Yes friends, the godly are suffering more nowadays because of the ascendance of evil and ungodliness.
And Micah also had something to say on the subject. ‘The good (loyal or faithful) man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net. That they may do evil with both hands earnestly (successfully), the prince asketh (asks for gifts), and the judge asketh for a reward (bribe); and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous (evil) desire; so they wrap it up (scheme together).’ (Mic. 7:2-3)
Oh my people, are we sure that Micah is not alive today and prophesying about our world. For he’s hit the nail right on the head about our evil, scheming leaders. What a corrupt and greedy bunch they are. And the sad part is that many of them already have more than they can ever use in this life, but I guess the virus of greed is never satisfied. But our society is even more disgusting than that. We can talk about vanity, it’s true meaning, and discover that our society is as vain and narcissistic as we can get. We look like a brood of peacocks just preening for ourselves and each other.
And lies, slanting the truth, flattery and deceit have become the backbone of our society. You see it in the behaviour of our leaders, in the television broadcasts, and social media, where everyone has an opinion, but few actually know what they’re talking about. And that situation has only gotten worse, and will get even worse with the introduction and improvement of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Nowadays it’s a real task to decipher what is real or true from what’s not. And people are so wicked and greedy that they spin some evil, untrue stories and put them out in social media and have everybody believing them.
Unfortunately though, that’s the direction in which we’re currently headed, and until and unless AI is quickly regulated, it will become an even bigger problem that when the internet was first introduced, for mankind is by nature an evil, greedy being, and just like how the internet was, and still is used for evil doing, AI will make matters even more difficult and disillusioning.
So what’s the answer, you ask? There could only be one; that’s cling to Jesus as closely as possible, and be very careful about whom you have serious interactions. Or as Micah said back in his time. ‘Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide (companion): keep (guard) the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.’ (Mic. 7:5-6)
And that’s also a very good description of our current society, for there’s lots of infighting and dissension between families today. No wonder the family as the foundation of the society is falling apart. Once upon a time blood was considered thicker than water, but now, blood ties rarely seem to win out over personal satisfaction. And sadly, today we’re definitely seeing a situation like what Bruh Paul prophesied to Timothy.
‘This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous (money lovers), boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, truce breakers (irreconcilable), false accusers (slanderers), incontinent (without self-control), fierce (brutal), despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady (reckless), highminded (haughty), lovers of pleasure more than (rather than) lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.’ (2 Tim. 3:1-5)
Oh my brethren, we could not get better advice, or a better description of our society than that one from Bruh Paul. Possibly, these might just be the last days, for we are certainly seeing very perilous times, as well as the kind of people he described. But please, let’s not allow all those less than worthy things to scare or frighten us, for we have strong ties to the Number One Person in this world, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who has warned us several times not to be afraid of whatever comes against us, but to keep Him first place and everything will turn out good in the end.
So with that uppermost in our minds, let’s declare 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!’
That’s not all though, for it’s been promised that whoever endures with Jesus right to the very end, will experience an even greater and more glorious future, one that our minds cannot even imagine or comprehend. So let’s be wise and endure to the very end nuh, so that we can endure that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…in the end…true godliness depends on an individual’s personal decision…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
29 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sense of purpose, abide in me and I in you, all have room for improvement, backed up by strong faith, become better Christians, catch our second wind, Chrisitanity, come up higher, commit thy works unto the Lord, Easter celebrations, endure to the end with Jesus, except it abide in the vine, except you abide in me, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, finite minds, get left behind, getting closer to Christ, God always makes a way for us to endure our problems, God always pulled me through, God creating paths where it seems impossible, God is faithful, God will not suffer you to be tempted more than you can bear, good disciples of Christ, grown in faith and patience, halfway home, hands on the plough, he that abideth in me and I in him, holy spirit, how has our Christian witness improved, I am the vine ye are the branches, I will do a new thing, Jesus Christ, lose some of your enthusiasm when you're sick, LOVE, make a way in the wilderness, mercy, more beneficial to go through the problem, need to pay attention, never give up, New Year's resolution, no more can ye, no one to blame but ourselves, not go along lackadaisically, not that we are sufficient of ourselves, not turning back, now it shall spring forth, on His timetable not mine, our duty is to bear good fruit, our faith needs to rise up and be strong, our sufficiency is of God, physical inability to get around, rivers in the desert, salvation, shall ye not know it, sickness is not easy road to travel, sit up and take notice, so glad to be alive, stay attached to Christ, stick to Jesus like white on rice, such as is common to man, thank God, the BIBLE, the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the jet stream of quickly moving days, the living truth, the same bringeth forth much fruit, there hath no temptation taken you, thy thoughts shall be established, to a glorious future with Jesus, to follow Jesus more closely this year, to think any thing of ourselves, to truly live for Christ, truth, Wednesday Wail, will also make a way of escape, wisdom, with God's help, with the temptation, witha s sense of prupose, without me ye can do nothing, ye may be able to bear it
John 15:4. ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.’
So we’ve come to Wednesday…already? Yes, already, for the days are not waiting on us, and we’d better catch our second wind today before the week runs away with us. (smile) On a serious note though, that can easily happen if we’re not paying attention to what’s going on around us, and when it does happen, we have no one to blame but ourselves. So please, let’s sit up and take notice of what’s happening around us, if we don’t want to get left behind in the jet stream of these quickly moving days.
And talking about that, do you realize that tomorrow is the last day of April, a month which just recently began with the Easter celebrations. That means we’ve completed four months of the year already and it’s time to look at how our New Years resolution is going. Do you even remember that? Yes, we made a New Year’s resolution to follow Jesus more closely and become better Christians than we were last year. So how has that worked out so far? Have we indeed been getting closer to Christ, being like the branch that abides in Him, with Him abiding in us?
Remember what He said, ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.’ (John 15:4) And remember one of our duties as His follower is to bear good fruit, which we cannot do unless we abide in Jesus, stick close to him like white on rice. As he says: ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5)
And isn’t that the living truth! Without Jesus we cannot do a whole lot; certainly not bring forth good fruit like He and the Father desire. That’s why, if we want to be good disciples of Christ, we have to always stay close, stay attached to Him, so the sap from His vine can flow into our branches and cause us to bear much good fruit. And Bruh Paul also reminds us that without the Lord we are not able to do much, when he writes: ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;’ (2 C0r. 3:5)
So again, the question is, have we improved our Chrisitan witness in the last four months? I think I have made some improvement, but I’ve also slacked off some. The problem stems from my constantly being sick for so much of the year. The sickness wasn’t an easy road to travel, still isn’t, but I believe it has grown my faith and patience some. (smile) For at times I just had to rely on the Lord’s goodness and mercy to pull me through. And in all occasions, He eventually did, but on His timetable, not mine. (smile)
However, it’s also prevented me from doing some of the good things I wanted to do. For when you are in a state of poor health, you lose some of your enthusiasm as well as the physical ability to get around and make things happen. But the important things is that we haven’t given up, and we’re not going to either. We have to keep believing that whatever the Lord allows into our lives, is for a purpose that He considers necessary, even if we don’t, and He won’t give us more than we can bear, or if He does, He will make a way for us.
It’s like the scripture says: ‘Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.’ (Is. 43:19) That’s one of God’s many promises to see us through our difficult times. Of God creating paths where there seems to be no way for Him to do so. But we need to be paying attention, we cannot just go along lackadaisically, but with a sense of purpose backed up by strong faith.
Meanwhile in Proverbs, Cousin Sol tells us: ‘Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.’ (Prov. 16:3) That means first talking to God about our plans before trying to institute them in our own strength. And if He agrees, then we know they will be successful. Then we have this verse from Bruh Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, that so many of us use to quell our worries in difficult situations. ‘There hath no temptation taken (overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13)
Yes friends, there are many times when we believe the Lord gives us more than we can bear, and sometimes He might, (smile) but He’s also promised that if that happens, He will always make a way for us to endure the problem. And that’s where our faith needs to rise up and be strong, for we always want to escape the problem, but sometimes it’s more beneficial for us to go through it with God’s help, because that’s where our faith and trust in Almighty God are truly increased. And today is a good day to sit and ponder how we’ve done so far in regards to our New Year’s resolution, and as always, with God’s help try to come up higher, for we all have room for improvement. (smile)
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 for those who stick with Jesus right to the very end, it’s been promised that they will enjoy a future so glorious that their finite minds cannot even imagine it. So let’s use that as ammunition to stick with Christ to the very end nuh, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…to truly live for Christ…Christ must be in you…and you in Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
22 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a direct admonishment about complaining, a terrible pain, a twisted knee, alive and functioning, all these things happened unto them for examples, among whom ye shine as lights of the world, another shot of pain coursing through the ole body through, as some of them also murmured, as some of them also tempted, brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness, Chrisitans, christianity, complaining is prevalent in our society, complaining is the devil's attirude, destroyed by serpents, destroyed of the destroyer, do all things without murmurings and disputings, endure right to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, Give God praise for He's a good God, grudge not one against another, halfway home, hands on the plough, heard of the patience of Job, heard the bone in my knee crack, holy spirit, if God spares life, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, Jesus Christ, lest ye be condemned, let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall, LOVE, mercy, Moses prayed for the people, Moses warned the Israelites about complaining, much people of Israel died, neither let us tempt Christ, neither murmur ye, not a happy camper, not turning back, our soul detests this manna, our soul loathed this light bread, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, pain has been my constant companion, pray unto the Lord that He take away the serpents, salvation, second wind day, seen the intended end by the Lord, so glad to be alive, spoken in the name of the Lord, take the prophets as examples of suffering affliction and patience, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the Israelites complained about lack of food and water in the wilderness, the judge stands at the door, the Lord heareth your murmurings, the Lord is very compassionate and of a tender mercy, the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, the people spake against God and Moses, the serpents bit the people, the sons of God, the soul of the people was much discouraged, there is no bread neither water, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, we count them happy which endure, we have sinned, we have spoken against God, Wednesday Wail, why do bad things happen to good people, wisdom, wise advice, with the help of God, without rebuke, written for our admonition, ye may be blameless and harmless, your murmurings are against the Lord
Philippians 2:14. Do all things without murmurings (grumbling) and disputings:
Aye friends, it’s a sunny and fairly warm Wednesday morning, the day we supposedly catch our second wind, but I don’t know anything about catching no second wind nuh, (smile) all I can say is that the ole fella is not a happy camper. I don’t know if the Lord took umbrage, was displeased or whatever, when I said yesterday that I would be glad to see the absence of pain from our lives because it’s been my constant companion over the last several years.
But whether that’s true or not, yesterday afternoon after writing the Bit, I went upstairs to the kitchen to fix something to eat. And, lo, and behold, during the preparation, I turned away from the kitchen counter to do something, I don’t even remember what it was, but all I know is that a terrible pain shot through my right knee. It seems like instead of turning my whole body, I simply turned my knee and twisted it. And to make matters even worse, later in the evening, I bent down to unplug an electronic device and unexpectedly heard the bone in my knee crack, with another shot of pain running through my ole body.
Obviously I doctored it with some of whatever the Duchess had, and although I can walk a bit, getting up and sitting down are not easy, but trying to lie down is the worst; I have to lift my leg with my hand and put it in the bed. Turning around in the bed is not particularly pain free either. And although the Duchess advised me not to come down to the basement to write the Bit, how could I not do what I’m called to do once I’m alive and functioning somewhat eh?
But you should have seen me coming down the basement stairs just now with a bottle of water in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other, trying to put one foot in front of the other in a way that would ease the pain, while trying to hold on to the handrail for balance. It was certainly a ‘jokified’ scene, but with the help of God, I made it down without any further negative incidents. Give God praise, for He’s indeed a good God! Now, that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it. (smile)
Anyway, as they say, who knows why bad things happen to good people, (smile) but we’ll take this unfortunate incident to consider what the Bible says about complaining. And we’ll begin with Bruh Paul’s direct admonishment about complaining in his missive to the Philippians. He says: ‘Do all things without murmurings (grumbling) and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless (innocent), the sons (children) of God, without rebuke (fault), in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation (generation), among whom ye shine as lights in the world.’ (Phil. 2:14-15)
Meanwhile James tells us: ‘Grudge not (don’t grumble) one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned (judged): behold, the judge standeth before the door. Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering, affliction, and of patience. Behold we count them happy (blessed) which endure. Ye have heard of the patience (perseverance) of Job, and have seen the end of (the intended end by) the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful (compassionate), and of tender mercy.’ (James 5:9-11)
And it could not get any clearer than that my brethren. However, from the very beginning the Israelites complained about lack of food and water in the wilderness, and Moses warned them about complaining. ‘And Moses said, This shall be when the Lord shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the Lord heareth your murmurings which ye murmur (grumble) against him; and what are we? Your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord.’ (Ex. 16:8)
Yes friends, when we murmur or grumble, it’s against the Lord we’re really murmuring because He’s the one who’s set the path for our lives. And that time, the Lord heard the Israelites pleas and sent them quail and manna, but that did not stop them from complaining, as Bruh Paul points out two occasions in his first letter to the Corinthians.
‘Neither let us tempt (test) Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples (examples): and they are written for our admonition (instruction), upon whom the ends of the world (ages) are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.’ (1 Cor. 10:9-12)
What wise advice my people; only wish the Israelites had taken it. And that first example Bruh Paul mentions comes from the Israelites complaining even after they had defeated the Canaanites with the Lord’s help. The Bible tells us: ‘And they journeyed from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged (impatient) because of the way. And the people spake against God, and against Moses,
Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water, and our soul loatheth (detests) this light bread (manna). And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people of Israel came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.’ (Num. 21:4-7)
Oh my people, please let that be an example to us, with all the grumbling and complaining that’s so prevalent in our current society. Now there’s more for us to talk about on the subject of complaining, but it will make the Bit too long and unwieldy, so we’ll leave that for tomorrow, if God spares life obviously. Therefore, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry 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 for those who endure with Christ right to the very end, an even more exciting and glorious future is earmarked for them. So let’s be wise and endure to the end nuh, so that we can enjoy it together! Much LOVE!
…complaining is not a Christian attitude or attribute…but comes from the devil himself…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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