The Indisputable Necessity For Believers to Continually Seek Closeness and Intimacy with Almighty God!

06 Sep 2025 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 63:1.        ‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

Then it was Saturday, our lazy-day Saturday! And we do not mind in the least that it’s cool, because it’s mostly sunny, for we plan on doing very little of anything but lazing around in this first part of the day. And I did laze around in the bed this morning, enjoying the peace and quiet that surrounded me, without all the hustle and bustle that goes on during the work week. 

Now, to further our efforts of peace and calm, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, in all sincerity and truth. As one strong voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’ 

And we know that if our prayer was sincere and heartfelt, the overwhelming peace and joy of the Lord will soon be filling our hearts, minds, souls and bodies! Why? Because a prayer to get closer to God, for greater intimacy with Him, is one He simply cannot refuse, since that’s what He’s all about; LOVE and togetherness. Oh, how the Lord’s face lights up, and His heart dances a tango, when we come to Him just seeking true closeness, nothing else but being near to Him and enjoying His marvellous company!

That reminds us of Psalm 63 – A Thirsting Soul – written when Bruh David was running from the murderous clutches of King Saul and hiding in the wilderness of Judah. He didn’t ask for deliverance or revenge on His enemies or any such thing, but he simply sought the Lord’s presence and remembered His goodness and mercy. 

Thus, he writes: ‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen (looked for) thee in the sanctuary. Because thy LOVING-KINDNESS is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.’ (Ps. 63:1-4)  

Oh my fellow believers, isn’t that just wonderful! Instead of crying out for divine help in such a crucial time, Bruh David offers up praise and thanksgiving. Now that’s an example many more of us ought to follow. Instead of always asking God for help when we come to Him, sometimes we just need to go to Him for His awesome refreshing presence and company, offering Him praise and thanksgiving for all that He’s done, and still intends to do for us. 

It’s like the scholars explain: ‘Unlike many of the psalms written in these dire situations, however, this psalm is overflowing with thanksgiving rather than lament and petition. David declares his longing for spiritual renewal (vs. 1-2), he expresses his thankful mood (vs. 3-6), he gives voice to his trust in God (vs. 7-8), and he announces his hope for the future (vs. 9-11). Enemies are mentioned only in passing (vs. 9-10).’ 

Oh friends, could we ever do something so wonderful when we are being bombarded by the wiles of the enemy and the numerous temptations that this world offers? I certainly hope so, because that’s when we will know that we’ve attained a decent level of spiritual maturity. And that we can do like Bruh David, as he continues with praise and meditation. 

‘My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow (the best) and fatness (abundance); and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips. When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.’ (Ps. 63:5-8) 

Ah mih people, as I read those words I wonder about certain things Bruh David mentions. The first is, are we ever satisfied? In this age of greed and lust for plenty, even when the Lord blesses us, are we truly ever satisfied, and give Him thanks for it? Not very often…if ever. Then, where is our supposed trust in God, and our praise for His goodness to us? Much, if not all of it has disappeared, because we have become so taken up with the material things of this world, that we’ve lost the humanity and the spirituality we once had. We’ve allowed the world to devour our sense of godliness. 

It’s as John writes in his first epistle. ‘LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh (physical desires), and the lust of the eyes (personal desires), and the pride of life (self-interests), is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.’ (1 John 2:15-17) 

Now, hopefully, that scripture passage will awaken us from the comfortable slumber that we’ve fallen into, and cause us to improve our disobedient and lustful ways. (smile) And Bruh David, in his unshakeable confidence in the Lord, concludes the psalm thus: ‘But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth. They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion (a prey) for foxes (jackals). But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.’ (Ps. 63: 8-11) 

And that’s the gospel truth my people! The Lord has promised throughout His Word that the wicked will eventually be destroyed, while the righteous shall be glorified! So please, let’s take a few moments to consider our ways this lazy-day Saturday, and see where we’re out of sync with the Lord, and ask for His help to get back into sync with Him. That’s wisdom for the ages! Much LOVE!

…sincere closeness to God…ought to be our most sought after goal…

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 May 2014 Luke 4:16

25 May 2014 Leave a comment

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

Luke  4:16.     And he came to Nazareth. Where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.

And then it was Sunday – the first day of the week! Yes Friends, the day that we believers use to get up close, comfortable and personal with our omnipotent, but ever so magnanimous and generous God, by extending much praise and worship to His divine majesty!

Wow! What an awesome privilege! But please note that I said the first day of the WEEK, not the work-week, for they are two different things.

Sunday is the day we prepare ourselves with joyful worship to start a new week on the right foot, in a relaxed atmosphere with other believers, so that when the alarm goes off on Monday morning, the first day of the WORK-WEEK, we’re not tired, miserable and disjointed. We rise with a preparedness, with a high energetic level, which sets the standard for the rest of that day, and also for the rest of the week.

Oh my people, to be ready for whatever Monday brings, we have to start preparing from Sunday. And the best place to begin that preparation is in God’s house, listening to His Word, and bringing down, or rather raising the roof with songs of praise, thanksgiving and worship!

In other words, the best way to greet Monday, is by going to church on Sunday! (smile)  And this behaviour of going to God’s house on the Sabbath day is best exemplified by none other than our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Listen up as our Bit informs us. ‘And he came to Nazareth. Where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.’

Now the overriding words in that sentence my brethren, are, ‘and, as his custom was.’ That tells us that wherever Jesus found Himself on the Sabbath day, He made sure and attended the synagogue to praise and worship with others of His faith.

And remember what the scholars told us recently: ’12:3-4. Though chapter 11 (of Hebrews) provides many champions for believers to emulate, the supreme example of endurance (and all else) is Jesus Himself.’

Consequently, using that undeniable logic, (smile) if Jesus could make sure that He was in His Father’s house on the Sabbath day, then why should we, His ardent and true followers be any different eh mih bredden, when He is our guide and esteemed leader? No reason at all my people!

Our God did not establish His house, His sanctuary, for no good reason. There’s always a legitimate purpose and reason behind anything our heavenly father does. And His house was established as a meeting place for His followers, so that they could glorify Him as one big family.

And as Jesus so rightly declared when He threw out the moneychangers and other business people from the temple: ‘It is written, My house shall be called the House of Prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.’ (Matt.21:13)

Mark also tells us about Jesus’ habitual presence in the synagogue on the Sabbath. ‘And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the Sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.’ (Mark 1:21)

But Friends, Jesus wasn’t the only man of faith to make it a regular habit to visit God’s house on the Sabbath. Listen as Acts describes Bruh Paul and Barnabas’ actions at Antioch. ‘But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sat down.’ (Acts 13:14)

Now hear of Bruh Paul in Thessalonica: ‘Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: And Paul, as his manner (custom) was, went in unto them, and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures.’ (Acts 17:1-2)

Note Friends, the Good Book specifies, ‘as his manner (custom) was.’ And he spent three Sabbaths there reasoning with them on the scriptures.

And though we’ve been talking about the House of God for worship and prayer, a building or a tent, or some physical structure isn’t necessary for prayer and worship, the true criteria is basically wherever God’s people choose to congregate. As Jesus said: ‘For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.’ (Matt.18:20)

And a good example of that is also found in Acts, where Bruh Paul is in Philippi. ‘And on the Sabbath we went out of the city by a riverside, where prayer was won’t to be (customarily) made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither (met there).’ (Acts 16:13)

And the scholars offer this info: ’16:13. Jews often gathered by a riverside on the Sabbath when their community lacked enough Jewish males to establish a synagogue. Since the institution of the synagogue is usually dated with the Exile (as in Ezek.11:16), this practice may also have arisen from Ezekiel (1:1; 3:15).’

So Friends, it’s obvious that gathering to celebrate and worship our God is essential for our wellbeing on at least one day in seven. Now that isn’t too much to ask, is it? If God could rest from His labour of creation on one day to admire His handiwork, then so can we rest on one day to give Him praise and thanks.

So the obvious inference from all of that my people, is that we should get up and go to church today, and if possible, every Sabbath day. For in that rests heavenly wisdom. It’s so good for both the body and the soul! Much LOVE!

…one day…only one day the Lord asks for…to rest and pay special attention to Him…and only Him…therefore…remember the Sabbath day…to keep it holy… (Ex.20:8)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 January 2014 Psalm 5:3

18 Jan 2014 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 5:3.    My voice shalt thou hear in the morning , O Lord; In the morning I will direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

Well Friends, the good news is that we’re somewhat earlier than we were yesterday, but we’re still not as early as I would like. Hopefully though, we’ll get better every day, and though I’m not making any promises because I’m on vacation – va-ca-tion – as the old pop song said, (smile) which I believe was sung by Connie Francis.

 
Anyway, at long last, on my third day in Paradise, I finally got the salt water that I’ve been so avidly desiring. I never rushed into it, partly because of the internet problems I was having, and also because I’ve learned my lesson from the time I went to California a few years ago.
 
That time I was real hot to trot, and though the sea was some distance away, and everybody else was too busy to accompany me, I jumped in the car and headed for the beach. Disappointingly, I ended up on a dismal patch of sand on the Pacific side, with cold, rough water, lost my wedding ring of thirty something years, then also lost my way back home.
 
But as always Friends, the Lord sent a couple of good Samaritans to help me out, and I returned home safely, having given my family some anxious moments. So now, with that lesson in mind, a rather expensive one, I’m trying my best not to fight against His will. Hn! Hn! I even ended up on two obscure beaches today since I didn’t feel like handling the crowds on the popular beaches.
 
The first, Arnos Vale beach, was a little too rocky and unpredictable underfoot for my liking. So after having a dip there, we hit Grange beach, which had better footing. And though they were both less than calm, I enjoyed Grange more because of the more sandy and predictable footing.
 
But brother, this area I’m in always seems to have a strong breeze blowing. Around 3 a.m. this morning, I was outside on the balcony and the wind was blowing so powerfully, that you would have thought a storm was blowing. It reminded be of the winds back in the North Country – only this wind was warm! (smile)
 
And as I was telling the Duchess earlier on, I feel somewhat guilty, because since I’m down here I don’t even remember the cold up in Canada. But as she so wisely said, I’d better forget the guilt and enjoy it, because we’ll soon be back in the cold. So I’m going to listen the duchess – as I always do anyway. (smile)
 
However my people, let’s cut to the chase and get into the Bit. I’m expecting some friends to come by and visit later, and today I intend to take my own advice; drunk or sober mind your business. Unfortunately I didn’t do that yesterday, so the Bit didn’t get done till very late, and I’m not going to allow it to happen again today.
 
So here goes: ‘My voice shalt thou hear in the morning , O Lord; In the morning I will direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.’
 
Yes my brethren, prayer is our lifeline, our umbilical cord, our connection to our heavenly Father! And the good thing about it is that we don’t need any man-made devices to call on Him, just a right heart and a clean spirit.
 
So what scriptures pertaining to the importance of prayer in a believer’s life are we going to look at today? Let’s start with Psalm 63, where Bruh David talks about God satisfying  the thirsty soul. That’s something he wrote while hiding out in the wilderness of Judah from his enemies.
 
And he begins it with this powerful verse: ‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where there is no water.’ (Ps.63:1) 
 
Then not satisfied to stop just there, he continues to pour out his heart to his God. ‘To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary (so have I looked for thee out here). Because thy LOVING-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow (the best) and fatness (abundance); and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips.’ (Ps.63:2-5)
 
Oh my fellow believers, is that the way we feel about our God? Is that the way we hunger and thirst for Him and His righteousness? And are our souls contented with His grace and mercy, so that we can praise Him with joyful lips? That is how it ought to be my brethren! And if we aren’t doing and feeling those things, then we’re foolishly missing out on a lot of God’s good blessings.
 
As the scholars say: ‘Psalm 63. The location of the writing of the psalm is described generally as in the wilderness of Judah. Unlike many of the psalms written in these dire situations, however, this psalm is overflowing with thanksgiving rather than lament and petition. David declares his longing for spiritual renewal (vv.1-2), he expresses his thankful mood (vv.3-6), he gives voice to his trust in God (vv.7-8), and he announces his hope for the future (vv.9-11). Enemies are mentioned only in passing (vv.9-10).’
 
Oh mih people, would we have been able to show such trust, desire and LOVE for God under such dire circumstances? I truly doubt it. We find it difficult to praise and thank Him when things are going well, much less when they are rough. But Friends that’s the attitude true believers ought to be able to display. In rough times we ought to have enough confidence in our omnipotent and magnanimous God not to whimper and turn turncoat.
 
And that’s the biggest problem with Christians today; we talk the good talk, but  when the rough times crop up, we don’t run to the one place and person who can truly provide refuge and sustenance; our wonderful God. Instead we quickly turn to the cheap, perishable man-made devices and seek help from powerless, fallible men like ourselves. That’s not wisdom Friends.
 
So I’m saying to us today, that the first place we must turn in ANY kind of situation, is to Almighty God, our Creator, Provider and Protector!
 
That’s what He is there for. He prides Himself on being able to help His children, and if we don’t turn to Him FIRST, He feels very disappointed and offended. If He wants us to turn to other men for help, then He will direct us to them, after we talk to Him.
 
And that my people is one of the reasons why we and our resultant world are in such bad shape, we simply don’t talk seriously and enough to Father God. I’m therefore asking us today to try and change that unwise attitude by turning to Him for help and guidance in every situation, through constant, genuine, heartfelt prayer, for that is wisdom at its finest. Much LOVE!
 
…only sincere prayer to our heavenly Father…can set the captive’s soul free…