Today’s Scrip-Bit   1 August 2023   2 Corinthians 3:5.

01 Aug 2023 Leave a comment

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

2 Corinthians 3:5.       Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God.

Now, whether you believe it or not, it is indeed the first day of August, a beautiful Tuesday; cool, sunshiny and without a trace of a cloud in the bright blue sky. Ah Lord eh, the good days just fly by so quickly while the cold and ugly-looking ones take their own sweet time to move along. But that’s life, and like all the other aspects of our earthly days, we just have to learn to accept and handle them, obviously with the help of the Holy Spirit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, our guide and comfort. 

And I know that talk is cheap, while actions cost a lot more, but worrying and agonizing over the things of life we cannot control won’t make them improve or go away. However, with Jesus in your life, you have the assurance that He will help you handle whatever comes against you. Not that He won’t give you more than you can handle, as so many people mistakeably dispense. For all throughout the Bible you can find passages where the Lord gave His servants more than they could humanly handle. 

Take for instance when Elijah fought and slew all the 450 prophets of Baal, then faced the wrath of Queen Jezebel, who threatened to kill him, he ran for his life a day’s journey into the wilderness and sat down under a juniper tree, and requested of the Lord that he would die. But as it says in 1 Kings 19:1-8, the Lord fed him through ravens and allowed him to rest. 

‘And the angel of the Lord came again a second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for thee. And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat (food) forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.’ (1 Kin. 19:7-8) It’s obvious then that Elijah reached a stage where he just couldn’t handle it anymore, but the Lord looked after him. And that’s what He’s promised to do, for all who sincerely worship Him. 

And I like the examples this commentary by Ron Edmonson gives. ‘David, the great war hero and man after God’s own heart, told the Lord that “troubles without number surround me” and “I cannot see”. He couldn’t see clearly, because he was overwhelmed with the storms of life! Another time David said, “Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck.” (Oh how I identify with David there!) Jehoshaphat prayed, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” (2 Chr. 20:12) It sounds like he was facing more than he could handle on his own.’ 

So it’s not that God won’t give us more than we can handle but what the scripture says is: ‘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 with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13) 

What that verse says is that God won’t allow Satan to bring  more temptation or enticement to sin than we can handle, and when we are tempted or enticed to sin, He will make a way for us to resist it, because He doesn’t want us to fall into Satan’s clutches, but to live the holy life that Christ desires of us. But He will allow stuff to come on us greater than we handle in our own right, because He wants us to come to the end of our rope and realize that He’s our ONLY HOPE! 

And in Bruh Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth, he tells them of his deliverance from suffering and death in Asia. ‘For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble (tribulation) which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure (burdened), above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life. But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us.’ (2 Cor. 1:8-10) 

Wow! That time of trouble certainly caused Bruh Paul to keep His focus on Almighty God and not himself. And anytime we get into problems we cannot handle, it should also cause us to do the same! Yes friends, our hope lies only in Christ Jesus! For as Bruh Paul later writes: ‘And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God.’ (2 Cor. 3:4-5) 

And until we truly believe and action those sentiments my brethren, we’ll always have problems that cause us unnecessary worry and overwhelming anxiety, instead of the quieting peace of Christ. It’s like Christ 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 there’s never been a truer word ever spoken my fellow saints! 

So please let’s take it to heart and place all of our trust in the sinless ONE, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, so that we can handle all the vicissitudes of this interesting but eccentric life. (smile) Now let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong lock, stock and barrel. In sincere harmony: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’ 

Now, it behooves us to go out and share that amazing friendship and LOVE of Christ with those we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…trust not in fragile and deceitful man… but in the awesome faithfulness and power of Jehovah God…

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 April 2017 Philippians 4:13.

15 Apr 2017 Leave a comment

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

Philippians 4:13.   I can do ALL THINGS through Christ which strengtheneth me!

Well friends, it’s Easter Saturday; another season of Lent is over with the passing of Good Friday and Jesus is resting quietly in His tomb. Glory to God! We’re only waiting for the big day now; Resurrection Sunday, possibly the greatest day in the history of the Christian faith. 

I know many people prefer Christmas to Easter, but without Easter there could be no death, thus no payment for sins, no Resurrection and consequently no reconciliation with the Father, salvation and eternal life. We’d be left forever wallowing in the deep and deadly mire of sin. 

So Easter is indeed a most important time in our faith, that’s why we ought to celebrate it with joy and gladness, offering up songs of thanks and praise to our heavenly Father who made it all possible through His awesome, amazing, undaunted, unconditional LOVE for us. 

But please remember, that though Lent is over and the celebrations will begin today, we must not overdo it, and give occasion to Lucifer to penetrate our spiritual battle armour.  So let’s take Granny’s advice to heart, one more time; ‘Sonny boy, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business!’ (smile) And that truly is some of the best advice we can ever receive my brethren. 

Now since today is Saturday, I guess we ought to take a look at some other advice, this from our friend Anselm, who aspires to inspire us in our daily living. He had some interesting advice this week. Listen to this one. ‘Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.’ 

And that’s certainly an option that’s open to us all. It’s like the verse from Psalm 118 that we often declare: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ It’s our choice how we view and then spend the day; it can either be in a positive or negative manner. 

That brings us to this next quote: ‘Optimism is the most important human trait, because it allows us to evolve our ideas, to improve our situation, and to hope for a better tomorrow.’ 

Now I don’t know if optimism is indeed the most important human trait, but it surely is a very important one, because it allows us to look on the bright side of every situation and gives us hope that things can get better, thereby lifting our troubled and worried spirits.. 

And this last quote reinforces all the others. ‘Beliefs have the power to create and the power to destroy. Human beings have the awesome ability to take any experience of their lives and create a meaning that disempowers them or one that can literally save their lives.’ 

And nobody knows that better than we Christian believers! Our faith in Jesus Christ can cause us to move mountains, as we believe that with our great God ALL THINGS are possible! 

And that brings us to our Bit: ‘I can do ALL THINGS through Christ which strengtheneth me!’ Glory Hallelujah my believing brethren! 

Like in Bruh Paul’s life, when he made that statement to the Philippians, our God places us in certain situations, and then gives us the enabling power to handle them. Whether we be rich or poor, abounding or abased, weak or strong, God gives us the strength, the power to be content in them all, regardless of their complexity and/or painfulness. 

And we see this attitude and belief in all of Bruh Paul’s teachings, though how else could it be eh, seeing the rough, dangerous, nomadic life he led once he began preaching Christ crucified? 

Listen to him in the first epistle to the Corinthians. ‘ For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet (worthy) to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.’ (1 Cor.15:9-10) 

Yeh friends, it’s only through God’s saving grace that Bruh Paul could have survived all the dangers and rough times he encountered during his missionary journeys. And the same thing goes for us; only through God’s grace are we able to bear the trials and tribulations of this earthly life. 

Now hear him in the second epistle to the Corinthians, as he talks about ministers in the New Testament. ‘And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God:’ (2 Cor,3:4-5) Yes friends, we are indeed nothing without God! 

Now let’s end with the immortal and authoritative words on the subject, from the mouth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Himself. ‘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. 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 15:4-5) 

And if there ever was real gospel truth, that’s it! Without an association with Christ we are powerless to do anything, much less to bear much good fruit in this life. So the moral of the story is to get in good with Christ, and stay attuned to Him all the days of our lives. And there’s no better time to do so than right now at Easter; the time of His awesome, world changing Resurrection! Much LOVE!

…only in and through Christ…do our lives live up to their true potential…