Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 February 2015 Psalm 62:7‏

28 Feb 2015 1 Comment

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

Psalm 62:7. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.

Well my people, it’s a brand new day, filled with brand new blessings, brand new mercies and a lot of other good stuff from our heavenly Father, including the breath of life, which allows us to enjoy the things He bestows on us each and every day. For that we ought to say ‘Thank You Father!’ with a grateful heart, and show our appreciation by living the way He desires us to.

Unfortunately though, too many of us take the things given to us by Almighty God for granted, and just go about our worldly business without even a thought for Him. But when the heifer dust hits the fan, and the bucket bottom drops out, we’re quick to cry out: ‘Oh God, help me!’ However Friends, life doesn’t work that way. We need to acknowledge the One who created us and keeps us going in this evil and dangerous world.

So please, when we awaken every morning, let’s give Him some thanks and praise for allowing us to see another beautiful day on earth, and also ask Him to lead and guide us safely through any trials and tribulations that may come against us as we continue our pilgrim’s journey. Starting out the day with God gives us a splendid boost, renews our commitment to Him and allows us to face the world in confidence, without the fear, worry and anxiety that currently permeates it. It is the best remedy for whatever ails us.

And I got this interesting quote from my Friend Anselm a couple of days ago, which I decided to share with you, because it will give us some food for thought. (smile) The quote is attributed to William Faulkner (1897-1962) the famous American writer and Nobel Prize winner. The quote says: ‘It’s a shame that the only thing a man can do for eight hours a day is work. He can’t eat for eight hours; he can’t drink for eight hours; he can’t make love for eight hours. The only thing a man can do for eight hours is work.’

And if you really consider the statement, there is a lot of truth to it. Most of us have just never considered it in such terms before. Many of us even work for longer periods of time than eight hours. Now why did our Creator make us like that eh; only able to do those good things for short periods of time, but be able to perform the anathema of our society, work, for such long periods? Yes Friends, most of dislike work, abhor it even, but we can do it for longer than any other enjoyable task.

I can’t tell you why the Lord designed us like that, possible because He wants us to work more than we indulge ourselves in self-gratification and worldly lusts. But I do know that if we don’t consciously seek Him, we’ll be missing the best protection and guidance available in this crazy and cruel world. And that’s simply not wisdom at all my brethren! Why do you think Bruh David proclaimed so assuredly in our Bit? ‘In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.’  

Bruh David could afford to make such a staunch and confident pronouncement because the Lord had been his keeper and provider from the days of his youth. The Lord had never let him down in his times of need, but had even given him much more than he deserved. He paid the price for his wrongdoings, a steep one too, but the Lord knew that his heart was right towards Him, and thus had mercy on Him.

And Bruh David is not the only psalmist to sing out God’s praises like that. Listen to these praiseworthy words of Psalm 121 – God’s sustaining power. ‘I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills (mountains) from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord which made heaven and earth.  He will not suffer thy foot to be moved (slip): he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is thy keeper (protector)the Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.’ (Ps.121:1-8)

Ah my people, what encouraging words! I didn’t intend to quote the whole psalm, but once I read it, I had no choice because it was so all-encompassing, so true and encouraging, beautifully and loudly singing the praises of our mighty Creator, Protector and Provider.

And just think for a moment Friends, that that same wonderful God whom the Israelites served way back then, is the same God that we serve today. So why would He stop doing those things He did for them long ago, and not do the same for us, if we sincerely serve and worship Him? No reason whatsoever my people!

He stated quite clearly to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, I change not: therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.’ (Mal.3:6) And yuh know what my brethren? I think that’s the same reason why we have not been consumed – as yet. But we will be eventually if we keep on being so blatantly ungodly and evil. So we had better say thanks or two to the Lord’s ‘unchangeability!’(smile)

And we’ll end with this wonderful verse of encouragement from Isaiah. ‘Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.’ (Is.49:13)

Oh Friends, it doesn’t get any better than that, especially since we have seen the fulfillment of that promise by Jesus’ coming to earth, dying to atone for our sins, being resurrected and ascending back to heaven, where He’s now our Chief Priest and Advocate before the Father! Wow!

And all God’s children gave a loud and joyful shout of ‘Glory Hallelujah! All praise be to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit! Long may they reign! Amen!’

Now my fellow believers, let’s go out into the world and do our do for Jesus nuh, with the pride, diligence, excellence and faith that He expects of us, for that’s nothing but heavenly wisdom. Much Love!…without a doubt…working for Jesus…is the best job we can ever get…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 September 2013 Psalm 135:15

28 Sep 2013 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 135:15.    The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.
 
Hear ye, hear ye my people, the Lord our God is ONE God, powerful and mighty, ruling His universe from the beginning of time, even unto eternity! And those who worship Him, must do so in righteousness and truth. And furthermore, He DOESN’T need man, but man NEEDS Him!
 
Please note that we are the only one of His creations that has a brain, that can think and reason – although sometimes I wonder about that – all else moves by instinct. That means the Lord made us for a higher purpose than the other living, breathing and moving organisms.
 
He made us to have a relationship with Him; both individually and collectively, in the early days as the children of Israel, His chosen people, and in the latter days, as the body of Christ’s church. So how then can we refuse to serve and worship Him, although in His awesome generosity He’s granted us the freedom of choice?
 
As we noted yesterday, ALL good things flow from Him. And even the not so good things only happen because He allows them, since they suit His higher plans and purposes.
 
Remember His words: ‘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.’ (Is.55:8-9)
 
How then Friends, can we be so rebellious and stupid to even consider other supposed gods, much less bow down and worship them eh? Our Bit states it quite plainly: ‘The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.’
 
And isn’t it interesting that Psalm 115, Trust in God, not in idols, says the same thing. ‘Their idols (the heathen’s) are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not:
 
They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them. O Israel, trust thou in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.’ (Ps.115:4-9)
 
And that’s truth in spades my brethren! Those verses today from Psalm 115 are just a tad more expansive than the ones we read yesterday, 15-18 from Psalm 135. But they surely do contain the same important information; that the work of man’s hands can NEVER be gods to be worshipped!
 
Oh my people, from the very beginning, our God warned against worshipping other deities. His first commandments to the Israelites, His chosen people, were: ‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
 
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to (worship) them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting (punishing) the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that LOVE me, and keep my commandments.’ (Ex.20:3-6)
 
Oh Friends, what’s in those commandments not to understand eh? As always, our God speaks in plain, simple, straightforward language. Therefore, if we consider ourselves true believers in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, how can we in all conscience then justify placing the things of the world before and above Him, as we so obviously do?
 
Many of us treat God as a footnote, an afterthought, instead of the main frame, the first and most important consideration, which is His rightful place. But when disaster suddenly befalls us – that includes the unbelievers, the agnostics, the don’t care and every other group – the first words to come flying out of our mouths are always: ‘Oh God!’
 
Now why do we naturally cry out to a God who either doesn’t exist, and/or we don’t believe in eh? That’s because we’ve been programmed from creation, in the depths of our souls that THERE IS A GOD!
 
Ah Friends, it’s a very unwise and foolish life we live when we don’t put Almighty God and His concerns first and foremost in our lives! There are just no other terms for it. We just have to call a spade, what it is, a spade. No dancing around the subject will change or make it better.
 
The only way to improve the situation is to turn away from the things that we consider more important than God, and put Him in His rightful spot; NUMBER ONE on the Hit Parade!
 
 It reminds me of back in the heydays of the Beatles. Every week they would have at least four or five songs in the Top Ten. Now our God is much greater than them, that’s why He deserves ALL TEN SPOTS on our Hit Parade, featuring His Ten Commandments! Anything les than that is idolatry, in other words pure foolishness! Nuff said, mih breddren!
 
Today, I’m therefore asking us all to please consider, seriously ponder our idolatrous ways, and ask the merciful and forgiving God we worship to help us bring them into line with His thinking. That’s heavenly wisdom, my people! Much LOVE!
 
…simple logic dictates that the Creator of the universe and all therein…is the undisputed Head Honcho of the universe and all things therein…NO ONE can usurp His rightful place…Elementary, my dear Watson…  (smile)