07 Nov 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a shot of God's amazing peace, all that are in the utmost corners, all these nations are uncircumcised, automatic reaction, be not wise in thine own eyes, behold the days come, bring forth thy righteousness as the light., cease from anger, circumcision of the heart, commit thy way unto the Lord, deepen my breath, delight thyself also in the Lord, do my duty, dress for the weather, dwell in the land, dwell in the wilderness, evildoers shall be cut off, evildoers shall be destroyed, exercise loving-kindness judgement and righteousness, faith, fear the Lord and depart from evil, feed on his faithfulness, forsake wrath, fret not thyself because of evildoers, fret not thyself because of him who prospers, fret not thyself in any wise to do evil, give thee the desires of thine heart, God's greatest attribute is love, grin and bear it, he shall bring it to pass, he shall direct thy paths, health to thy body, health to thy navel, holy spirit, I am the Lord, I marvel to think you can't be contained, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, in all sincerity and truth, in all thy ways acknowledge him, in these evil and ungodly times, in these things I delight, increase my awareness of you today, it only causes harm, Jesus Christ, know you all the more, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, lean not unto thine own understanding, let him that glorieth glory in this, let not the rich man glory in his riches, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, LOVE, loving God like there was no tomorrow, many people have no use for God, marrow to thy bones, mercy, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, neither let the mighty man glory in his strength, Oh God help me, pay serious attention to the Bible, peace and comfort for the righteous, peace that mankind cannot comprehed, physicial circumcision, problems we can't handle in our own strength, punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised, punishment for evildoers, quiet my soul, raises its unwelcome head, relax my muscles, rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him, salvation, seeking more intimacy with God, slow my thoughts, soon be cut down like the grass, strength to thy bones, take time to ponder our situation with God, thank you for this tenderness, that he understandeth and knoweth me, the house of Israel, the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass, the man who brings wicked schemes to pass, those that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth, thou shalt be fed, thy judgement as the noonday, thy justice as the noonday, trouble falls on their plate, trust also in him, trust in the Lord and do good, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, truth, uncircumcised in the heart, wisdom, wisdom of the highest order, wither as the green herb, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 November 2026 Jeremiah 9:24a.
Jeremiah 9:24a. But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord…
It’s a somewhat cloudy and chilly lazy-day Saturday my people, but that doesn’t matter if you are staying home. However, if you’re going out, it would be wise to dress for the weather. (smile) And I was able to enjoy some lazy-day time lolling around in bed earlier on, but it never lasts as long I would like, for the inevitable always raises it’s unwelcome head; I have to get up and come down to write the Bit. But that’s what I signed up for, so I just have to grin and bear it, get up and do my duty.
And on this first Saturday in November – can you imagine, we’re already a week into the month – let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, with all sincerity and truth, seeking to get more intimate with our wonderful God. 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 if we were sincere and serious, the Lord will gladly answer our prayer with a shot of His amazing peace, a peace that mankind cannot comprehend, but we can certainly feel and appreciate. For remember that the Lord created us to LOVE, honour, glorify and be intimate with Him! And since His greatest attribute is LOVE, then any sincere seeking of intimacy with Him would obviously be greatly welcomed and appreciated. And that’s especially so in these evil and ungodly times, where numerous people have no use whatsoever for God until trouble falls on their plate, and then their automatic reaction is, ’Oh God, help me!’
But that’s not what our heavenly Father desires. No! He desires to have people seeking Him sincerely ALL THE TIME! Not only when they encounter problems they apparently can’t handle in their own strength. That’s why Cousin Sol wisely advises us in Proverbs: ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct, (make smooth or straight) thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones.’ (Prov. 3:5-8)
Yes friends, that’s what we get for sincerely seeking the Lord at all times, for keeping His commandments and LOVING Him like there was no tomorrow. And Cousin Sol is not the only one who thus exhorts us to trust and LOVE the Lord. Listen to the prophet Jeremiah, as he talks about the glory in knowing the Lord. ‘Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise LOVING-KINDNESS, judgement (justice), and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised; Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that are in the utmost corners, that dwell in the wilderness: for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart.’ (Jer. 9:23-26)
Ah mih people, yuh see what’s of the utmost importance to our God, not physical circumcision like Israel had, or even uncircumcision like the Gentiles had, but circumcision of our hearts. That’s where it’s at today! Our hearts need to be cut and cleansed and reshaped into LOVE and adoration for Almighty God! For that’s what He desires of His human creation. Do you think He sent Jesus to earth just for the fun of it? Absolutely not! This is all serious business my people. Do you think the Lord also had the Bible written for fun? No! He’s a serious God and whatever He says is what He’ll do.
Many of us think about heaven and hell and eternity as a joke, but why would the Lord keep harping on it, throughout the Bible, if it wasn’t a serious reality of the time to come? And all throughout the Bible He talks about punishment for the evil doers and peace and comfort for the righteous, do you think the Lord just likes to talk? I very much doubt it. So it would be wisdom of the highest order to pay serious attention to what the Bible says, especially if you consider yourself a Christian.
And we’ll close with these wise and wonderful words of Bruh David from Psalm 37, that give us the same advice, but in a gentler way. (smile) ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (it only causes harm). For evil doers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps. 37:1-9)
Oh my fellow believers, it could not be put any simpler or more straightforward than that! So please, on this first lazy-day Saturday in November, it’s essential that we take some time to ponder how we’re each shaping up as per the wise advice we’ve heard today, and then ask the Lord to help us improve our situation, because we’re all not as good as we can be! Much LOVE!
…the Lord God Jehovah is a serious God…so whatever He says…is for real…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
06 Oct 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a faithful Creator, a red pencil in my hand, able to guard, according to the will of God, against that day, am persuaded that he is able, as for me, Atacama Desert in Chile, black and bold, blessed with an abundance of rainfall, blocking my peace, blooming with numerous types of beautiful flora, brick barrier, bring forth thy righteousness as the light., cease from anger, climate change, come to know and love him like we do, commit the keeping of their souls to him, commit thy way unto the Lord, don't care whom they trample upon, don't get jealous of prospering evildoers, duty bound, El Nino, envious at the boastful, envious at the foolish, evildoers shall be destroyed, faith, fighting to get material wealth and power, for which cause I also suffer these things, forsake wrath, fret not thyself, fret not thyself in any wise to do evil, give all your cares and fears to God, God's goodness and mercy, gospel truth, haunting anxiety, he shall bring it to pass, holy spirit, hurry, I am not ashamed, I give it to you now, I had almost stumbled, I know in whom I trust, I know whom I have believed, I sit here at my desk, if any man suffer as a Christian, in god's eyes, in well doing, it only causes harm, it's very important to stay close to God, Jesus Christ, joy, keep, laughter, let him glorify God on this matter, let him not be ashamed, let them that suffer, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, mercy, my feet were almost gone, my steps had well nigh slipped, not what people say about me, one strong and sincere voice, only seen the occasional drizzle, palms down, promises of rain, put everything into God's hands for safekeeping, release, release our burdens to God, relief, rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, sinister intrusion, suddenly, suffering here in prison, the beloved of God, the Great Invitation of Jesus, the heavy load we're bearing, the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass, the One Year Book of Bible Promises, the powers that be, the prosperity of the wicked, the psalmist Asaph, the weight of it is breaking me, the word keep looms from the page, then understood I their end, those that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth, thy judgement as the noonday, to keep that which I have committed to him, to whom we belong, trust also in him, trust in the Lord,, trust my friend Jesús, truth, Tuesday Mantra, unburden ourselves on Jesus, until I went into the sanctuary of God, until that day, what I have entrusted to him, who prospers in his way, wisdom, with your word before me, worry,
Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 October 2026 2 Timothy 1:12b.
2 Timothy 1:12b. for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until) that day.
And amazingly it’s another sunshiny but cool autumn Tuesday. Brother! We’ve seen the sun so much recently that we possibly won’t know rain when we next see it. (smile) With all the promises of rain in the past week, we’ve only seen the occasional drizzle in my area. Meanwhile the Atacama Desert in Southern Chile has been blessed with an abundance of rainfall, so much so that’s blooming with numerous types of beautiful flora. All of this supposedly under the auspices of a hot El Nino wind system that’s changing up the weather patterns on this side of the world.
And yet so many of us still deny the phenomenon of climate change. Unfortunately there’s not much most of us can do about that problem when many of the powers that be refuse to acknowledge it, but here’s something we can surely do something about. It’s the October 6th, poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, simply titled ‘Keep.’
So please read with me: ‘I sit here at my desk, With Your Word before me – A red pencil in my hand. Suddenly the word keep Looms from the page Black and bold: He will keep Keep Keep That which I have committed…” Really, Lord? This haunting anxiety? This brick barrier which is Blocking my peace? This sinister intrusion? It’s so heavy, Lord The weight of it is breaking me. But You said You’d keep So I give it to You now Palms down. Release! Relief! Laughter! Joy!’
Yes my brethren, that’s exactly what happens when we give all our cares and fears to God, when we unburden ourselves from what ever heavy load we’re bearing! When we release it all, we get relief, laughter and joy! And that’s just as it ought to be; letting go of burdens should bring some kind of relief, otherwise what’s the point? And when we release our burdens to God, like Jesus invites us to do in his Great Invitation, we certainly get joy, peace, rest and the many other benefits that flow from his goodness and mercy.
And the Bible verse for today’s poem comes from Bruh Paul’s second letter to Timothy. It says: ‘For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until) that day.’ (2 Tim. 1:12) Meanwhile, the New Living Translation which is used in the book puts it thus: ‘And that is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return.’ (2 Tim. 1:12)
Oh friends, our omnipotent and ever-faithful God is most surely able to guard whatever we entrust to His safe keeping! In fact there is no safer place to entrust anything at all than to the Lord’s keep! And Peter, when talking about Christians being partakers of Christ’s sufferings, corroborates it when he declares: ‘Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf (matter)… Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.’ (1 Pet. 4:16 & 19)
And there’s no greater wisdom that that my fellow believers! To whom else should we surrender our souls but to the One who created them in the first place, and who also has the best security system to protect them? Now that’s exactly why Bruh David in Psalm 37, titled ‘Trust in the Lord,’ encourages us to ‘Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devises (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (it only causes harm). For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps. 37:5-9)
And all of that is the gospel truth my people! If we commit ourselves and all that we have to Almighty God then He will take care of us. But we need to wait patiently on Him, and not get jealous of the prospering evildoers, for the Lord’s promised to destroy them in the end. We cannot afford to be like Asaph says in Psalm 73, titled ‘The Prosperity of the Wicked.’ ‘But as for me, my feet were almost gone (I had almost stumbled); my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish (boastful), when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.’ (Ps. 73:2-3)
Yes friends, we need to be careful of whom we look at nowadays, when so many are fighting to get material wealth and power and don’t care whom they trample upon, or what they do to get it! And thankfully for Asaph, he finally understood what the future held in store for the wicked and those prospering from evildoing. But please note when and where he saw the writing on the wall: ‘Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.’ (Ps. 73:17) Yuh see mih bredrin, it’s only when Asaph went into God’s house and contemplated the situation, he discovered the answer. That just goes to show how important it is for us to stay close to God!
Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel! As one strong and sincere voice: ‘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!’
And having said that, we are now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…true wisdom dictates that…we put everything we have…and all that we are…into God’s hands for safekeeping…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
16 Jul 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook on life, abundance, because they trust him, blame others for our shortcomings, bring forth thy righteousness as the light., cease from anger, clear direction for my life, come to know and love christ like we do, commit thy way unto the Lord, creativity, curse, delight thyself also in the Lord, deliver them from the wicked, divine protection, dreams that are deep down in my heart, duty bound, faith, feed on his faithfulness, feel aggrieved, forsake wrath, fret not thyself because of him who prospers, fret not thyself in any wise to do evil, give thee the desires of thine heaert, he shall bring it to pass, he shall exalt thee to inherit the land, holy spirit, interesting diversions, it only causes harm, Jesus Christ, laziness and the devil is diverting me, like a mother weans a babe, LOVE, mercy, my days are numbered, negative word, not an easy road to tread, nothing but me, nothing is holding me back, our shortcomings, rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him, salvation, self-control, so shalt thou dwell in the land, sourage, stole my good intentions, supernatural wisdom, talent, the devil is diverting me, the Lord has me on a tight rein, the Lord shall help them and deliver them, the man who brings wicked schemes to pass, the mocking reply, the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord, their strength in time of trouble, thou shalt be fed, thy judgement as the noonday, to satisfy my hungry soul, trust also in him, trust in the Lord and do good, truth, wait on the Lord and keep his way, when the wicked are cut off thou shalt see it, wisdom
Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 July 2026 Psalm 37:3.
Psalm 37:3. Trust in the Lord and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness).
And then it was Thursday… Already, I asked? Yes. But I haven’t done anything worthwhile for the week, I claimed. Too bad, came the mocking reply. I’m glad that we have just one more day to go before the weekend. Ah friends, sometimes I sincerely believe the days are running away from me. And it isn’t that I’m doing nothing. I am doing stuff, but not the stuff I truly want to do; the stuff that’s deep down in my heart, the writing and the music, the dreams I believe the Lord put there.
But somehow or the other, either through laziness and procrastination, or because the devil is diverting me with other things, or because the Lord has me on a tight rein, (smile) I just can’t seem to get around to fulfilling those dreams. Oh friends, I’ve tried doing like Bruh David says in Psalm 37 titled Trust in the Lord. ‘Trust in the Lord and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (it only causes harm).’ (Ps. 37:3-8)
Now, I’ve tried my best to do most of that, but I still feel somewhat aggrieved. (smile) Technically though, I don’t have much reason to be aggrieved, because the Lord has indeed been good to me down through the years, although it hasn’t always been an easy road to tread. And to be truthful, He has given me the knowledge and experience in the areas that I like, but not enough to satisfy my hungry soul. The thing is, after exposing me to those experiences, He took them away, weaned me off of them, like a mother weans a babe, and wrapped me up in His work, His Word and His business, namely writing the Bit.
And since I didn’t know much when I began, it necessitated my taking time to learn about it all. And don’t get me wrong, I fully believe and expect the Lord to fulfill the rest of my desires, but just in His own time. The problem though is that I’m not getting any younger, my days are numbered and I feel like time might run out on me before I get to put things to right. And I’m here chuckling, because I’m wondering where all this is coming from. I guess it stems from me asking myself earlier this morning, why I’m not doing the things I truly want to do?
And after considering the matter, I decided that there was nothing really holding be back from doing some of the things I desired; nothing but me. I guess the Lord is waiting for me to cut out the easy to come by, interesting diversions, and instead take up the heavier tasks that are involved in my heart’s desires. So I guess the challenge rests in my hands. Am I going to accept it and do the stuff I want to do, or continue the way I’m going right now, then complain about not doing what I want to do.
Granted, there has been some recent illness that stole all my good intentions and energy, but that’s over now. So I can’t blame my lackadaisical attitude on that any longer. But isn’t that exactly what we do; try to put the blame on other people and other things for our shortcomings; especially in these days of entitlement? That’s for sure! We’ve become so adept at placing blame everywhere else but where it rightly belongs, on ourselves.
And I’m chuckling again, trying to figure out why the Lord made me go down this road today. I can only guess that it’s a lesson for some of you, my readers, an example of how to, and how not to go about the Lord’s business in our lives. Hopefully someone can learn something from my experiences. The important thing here though is to do exactly as Bruh David says in the Psalm; trust in the Lord, fret not, be not envious, do good, delight thyself in the Lord, commit thy way to Him, cease from anger and forsake wrath.
As the scholars say: ‘All of these exhortations urge the believer to confidently trust the Lord with all of life’s problems.’ Now that won’t always be easy, and you’ll find reasons to complain some, (smile) but if you’re serious and sincere, the Lord will lead you aright, through both the tough times and the good ones. As Bruh David says later on in the psalm. “Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it…. But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him’ (Ps. 37:34, 39-40)
Yes my people, it all boils down to how much we truly trust the Lord. And why shouldn’t we trust Him totally, after He’s been so good to us. Take for example these Thursday Blessings, undeserved blessings He’s so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. So, let’s declare and thus activate them nuh, for a blessing is not a blessing until it’s spoken. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having activated those blessings, we’re now duty bound to go out and use them to help others, use them just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE him like we do! Much LOVE!
…one can only develop true trust in God…by going through the tough times with Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all things work together for good, another scorcher, as a father the son in whom he delighteth, be as a tree planted by the waters, be not weary of his correction, be not wise in thine own eyes, blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, bring forth thy righteousness as the light., called according to His purpose, casting all your care upon him, cease from anger, christianity, come to know and love him like we do, commit thy way unto the Lord, delight thyself also in the Lord, depart from evil, despise not the chastening of the Lord, direct thy paths, faith, fear the Lord, feed on God's faithfulness, forsake wrath, fret not thyself because of him who prospers, fret not thyself in any wise to do evil, give thee the desires of thine heart, god, God will cause us to succeed even in tough times, he cares for you, he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him, he that comes to God, health to thy body, heat warnings, her leaf shall be green, holy spirit, honour the Lord with thy substance, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, hurry, I will not fear what flesh can do to me, in all thy ways acknowledge him, In god I have put my trust, In God will I praise his word, in god's eyes, in the year of drought, it only causes harm, Jesus Christ, lean not unto thine own understanding, let not your heart be troubled, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, marrow to thy bones, mercy, mut believe that He is, neither shall cease from yielding fruit, rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him, run from your kin to your enemies, s promised never to leave nor forsake us, salvation, shall not be anxious, shall not see when heat comes, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, so shalt thou dwell in the land, spreads out her roots by the river, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the fear of man bringeth a snare, the man who brings wicked schemes to pass, thy barns be filled with plenty, thy judgement as the noonday, thy vats burst out with new wine, to them that love God, trust in the Lord, trust in the Lord and do good, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, trust my friend Jesús, truth, Tuesday Mantra, what time I am afraid I will trust in thee, whom the Lord loves he chastens, whoso puts their trust in the Lord shall be safe God, wisdom, with the firstfruits of all thine increase, without faith it is impossible to please God, worry, you believe in God believe also in me
Proverbs 29:25. The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe (secure, lit. set on high).
It’s Tuesday friends, and another scorcher, with heat warnings. But we’ve gotten through the last two fiery days with God’s help, so why won’t we get through this one too? No reason whatsoever! For He’s promised numerous times in His word to never leave nor forsake us, if we put our total and sincere trust in Him. And I guess today is a day for reminding ourselves of scriptures that advise us to trust in the Lord God of our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But there are so many that I don’t know which ones to choose, so for ease of understanding, we’ll choose some of them with which we’re already acquainted. (smile)
And we’ll begin with this one that shows Bruh David’s awesome trust in God, when he ran from King Saul to his deadly enemies, the Philistines in Gath, and they took him in. He writes in Psalm 56 – Times of Distress: ‘What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God will I praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can to me.’ (Ps. 56:3-4) Now, if you can run to your enemies from your own kin, then that’s showing amazing trust in the God you worship.
And that’s what’s expected of us, when Isaiah awesomely declares: ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed (sustained by) thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah (Yahweh) is everlasting strength (the rock of ages).’ (Is. 26:3-4) And if you don’t believe that, then read the rest of that passage, where Isaiah details God’s amazing strength. (Is. 26:5-11)
Now here is another dandy scripture, this time from the pen of the prophet Jeremiah. ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see (fear) when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful (anxious) in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.’ (Jer. 17:7-8) Wow mih bredrin! That’s a scripture that’s just right for today, with all the heat and drought that’s currently assaulting us. Yes, with total trust in our great God, we have no reason to fear, because He will cause us to succeed even in tough times!
Meanwhile, Peter puts it this way: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-7) And remember, you can only truly trust when you are submissive to whomever, or whatever you claim to trust in. That’s why the author of Hebrews tells us: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb. 11:6)
Ah mih people, faith is born of trust, you cannot have faith in someone or something unless you have invested trust in the situation or the person. Then there are these verses from Psalm 37, aptly titled, Trust in the Lord, verses we continually quote but never quite live up to them. See if you remember them. (smile)
‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on God’s faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm).’ (Ps. 37:3-8)
So what else can we say about having trust in the Lord eh? Plenty! Just listen to these marvellous verses from the pen of the wisest one, Cousin Sol, also ones we know, but don’t put into full use. In Proverbs, he exhorts and admonishes us thus! ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make straight or smooth) thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength, refreshment) to thy bones.
Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine. My son despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of (detest) his correction: For whom the Lord LOVETH he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.’ (Prov. 3:5-12)
And that’s wisdom to the nth degree! So why don’t we put those verses to better use eh? Who knows? But because we don’t, we cannot utilize the fullness of God’s promises and provisions. There’s also this one from Cousin Sol that might not be so familiar. ‘The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe (secure, lit. set on high).’ (Prov. 29:25) Another bit of wise advice.
Then there’s this famous verse from Bruh Paul to the Romans. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) Now that calls for great trust to believe that in spite of all our problems, everything will eventually work out for the best. But that’s what our faith is about; trust in Almighty God. It’s like Jesus said: ‘Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.’ (John 14:1) And that’s exactly what we need to do.
And for those of us who are sincerely trying to do that, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong voice: ‘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, we are required to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…sincere trust can only come from…strong hope, belief and faith…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Jan 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: cease from anger, compassionate, delight thyself also in the Lord, doesn't play favourites, doesn't spare the rod to spoil the child, drink of the river of thy pleasures, evildoers shall be cut off, faith, faithful, for the salvation of the Lord, God never gives up on us, great is thy faithfulness, holy, how excellent is thy lovingkindness, I may know you all the more, increase my awareness of you, it is good that a man, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jesus Christ, just, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, LOVE, loving, mercy, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, remembering mine affliction, rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him, righteous, salvation, should both hope and quietly wait, slow my thoughts, the Lord is good unto them that wait for him, the wormwood and the gall, therefore I have hope, those that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth, thy faithfulness reaches unto the clouds, truth, we serve an intimate God, wisdom, your unceasing nearness
Lamentations 3:26. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.
Well, I guess it’s what we will now refer to as a anormal day; cold and cloudy. And although there is a li’l daylight showing through the cloudiness, I won’t hold out much hope for bright sunshine. (smile) But, as we like to say, regardless of the weather and all our other disturbing circumstances, we will do very well, because we have the Lord Jesus Christ on our side! And all God’s people gave a grateful shout of ‘Praise the Lord!’
So, in keeping with that sentiment, let’s turn to our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer and declare it with all sincerity and truth. As one 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 as always, when we say those few words with heartfelt feeling, we experience the presence of the Lord moving in and around us, doing exactly what we asked for, calming our souls and refreshing our spirits, while increasing our intimacy with Him. What a LOVING and intimate God we serve my fellow believers! There’s none other like Him! He’s holy, righteous, just, faithful, LOVING, compassionate, doesn’t play favourites, and doesn’t spare the rod to spoil the child. (smile)
That means He is the perfect Father! And although many of us have become rebellious children, He NEVER gives up on us, always has His eye on our situation, so that when we finally reach rock bottom, and in all sincerity, cry out to Him for help, He’s right there to save us and bring us back into His fold. What a wonderful, marvellous, caring and compassionate God we serve! We can never say it too often.
Bruh David said it thus in Psalm 36: ‘Thy mercy (LOVING-kindness), O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains (of God); thy judgements are a great deep (ocean): O Lord, thou preservest man and beast. How excellent (precious) is thy LOVINGKINDNESS, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness (fulness) of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.’ (Ps. 36:5-9)
Oh my people, what a beautiful and true discourse on the wonderfulness of our great God! That’s why, despite the tough times Jeremiah went through doing the Lord’s work, he could still so rightly describe it in his Lamentations. ‘Remembering (I remember) mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall (bitterness). My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled within me (bowed down). This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. 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. 3:19-23)
And those words of truth we cannot ever doubt, for without God’s compassion and mercy, we would have been long ago consumed in our sin and unrighteousness. But the Lord is ever so faithful that even in Jeremiah’s tough times in doing the Lord’s work, he doesn’t give up, because he knew that the Lord would eventually come through for him. And because of that he had hope in the rough times, and likewise, we who claim to believe in God and His faithfulness, ought to have hope and not give up during the stormy times.
Just like the Lord is faithful to us, we are expected to be faithful to Him. Consequently, Jeremiah continues: ‘The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore I will hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.’ (Lam. 3:24-25) Yes friends, when we sincerely seek the Lord, His blessings flow down on us even more than normal. As the Lord says in Jeremiah 29:13. ‘And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’
That says it all! If we don’t actively and sincerely seek the Lord, we won’t find him, and therefore He won’t hear us. Then Jeremiah gives us this wonderful verse of scripture: ‘It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam. 3:26) Truer words were never spoken my brethren!
And Bruh David acknowledges them in Psalm 37. ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on God’s faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm). For evil doers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps. 37:3-9)
Oh my fellow saints, there’s nothing in those heartfelt words to doubt, because Bruh David lived them. He wasn’t perfect, and like us made many mistakes, but all through the long and dangerous years when he was anointed to be the next king of Israel but spent them running for his life from the current King, Saul, he never took matters into his own hands or turned away from the Lord, but waited patiently and always sought Him for advice and comfort. And if we are going to be true believers in Christ Jesus, then that’s how we also ought to live in these trying and turbulent times. Much LOVE!
…godly wisdom says to…earnestly seek the Lord…and then faithfully wait on Him…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
15 Sep 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: approach our generous Father with confidence and humility, bow the knee, Consider This, essentials of godly living, Friday chant, gave him to wife, God doesn't provide begrudgingly, God doesn't scramble to find resources, God freely gives us what we need - and more, God is a giver, God provides with pleasure, God's omnipotent help, God's supply of resources is endless, God's timing and wisdom never fail, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt, introduce a new flock of believers, LOVE, omnipotent help, our sinful world, rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him, return backsliders to your fold, simmering unrest, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the error of their ways, the school of hard knocks, the school of the Holy Ghost, trusting faith, waiting on God's timing, wake up and smell the coffee, walking in God's wisdom, without your consent shall no man lift up his hand or foot
Genesis 41:41. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.
Oh friends, is it truly Friday already? I can’t believe it! But all the joyful shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at long last!’ must mean that it’s really Friday. (smile) Where did the week go eh? I don’t know that I’ve done anything of any consequence during this past week. And I guess that’s why it feels like it just sailed by. But although I’m somewhat miffed with myself, I’m not going to let it get me down. I’m just going to enjoy the life Christ died for me to have and suffer whatever consequences are forthcoming.
And in light of all that, here’s some interesting advice from the September Issue of the In Touch Devotional, which is simply titled ‘Consider This.’ Please read with me: ‘God is a giver. Just as moms and dads enjoy delighting their children. He freely gives us what we need – and more. He doesn’t provide begrudgingly but with pleasure. He doesn’t scramble to find the resources – His supply is endless. But sometimes His provision doesn’t look the way we would expect – or happen when we think it should. So let us approach our generous Father with confidence but also with humility. His wisdom – timing – never fail.’
And that’s the God-awesome truth my brethren! Our God’s wisdom and timing are never wrong or late, but always of the best quality, and always right on time! And until we truly believe that, we’ll always be dissatisfied and unhappy. And a great example of accepting God’s wisdom and timing is found in the story of Bruh Joseph. He received God’s dreams, His promises as a teenager, but instead of them simply coming to pass, He had to go through a lot of trial and tribulation, which was necessary for him to reach the stage of maturity so that he could handle the realities of those promises.
He was sold into slavery by his brothers, unfairly accused of sexual assault and languished in jail until, in God’s opinion, the time was right. And despite all the unfair and unjust stuff, Bruh Joseph kept a good attitude, because he realized that God was always with him, since He gave him favour in all the unfortunate circumstances. And finally, the big day came when the Lord in all His wisdom and glorious timing rolled out the red carpet for a faithful Bruh Joseph. He stood before the mighty Pharaoh and expounded God’s plans, and Pharoah made him his number one adviser!
But friends, we must understand that that only happened because Bruh Joseph faithfully waited on God’s timing. And that’s where so many of us go wrong. Although we acknowledge God’s promises, we’re always in a hurry to have them come through. But sometimes, like Bruh Joseph, we’re not ready to handle the great responsibilities involved in the promises, and the Lord has to grow us, which always takes time. Or otherwise, the circumstances are not quite ready, and the Lord has to get them ready. That too takes time.
But when we do like Bruh David says in Psalm 37:7: ‘Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him:’ then He will eventually bring those dreams, those awesome promises to pass. And Bruh Joseph’s life was the perfect example of that. What better reward could he have had on earth than this. ‘And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.’ (Gen. 41:41) There could not have been a better reward or culmination to all of Bruh Joseph dreams and injustice! And that wasn’t all, the Bible tells us that Pharaoh sweetened the pot thus:
‘And Pharaoh took off his (signet) ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures (clothes) of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; and he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee (without your consent) shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnath–paaneah (probably Egyptian for God speaks and he lives); and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.’ (Gen. 41:42-45)
Oh my fellow saints, how good is our God to us when we are obedient to his bidding and patient in His holy timing! There was nothing more that Bruh Joseph could have had that day! The Lord rewarded him with it all in one fell swoop: Promotion to Pharoah’s number one steward, amazing power over the whole country, good clothes and jewelry, the honour of the people bowing before him, and last but not least, a most likely beautiful wife! What more can a man ask for all in one day eh? Nothing really. But Bruh Joseph fully deserved a good reward for all the injustice he had faithfully borne.
However, please, let’s not get carried away by the all the pomp and pageantry of the situation, because Bruh Joseph’s real work was just beginning. Hitherto he had been in the school of the Holy Ghost learning his trade, now he had finally graduated and great things were expected from him, like the Lord expects great things from us after we come through the school of hard knocks, ready to do His awesome work. (smile) But more on Bruh Joseph tomorrow, obviously if God’s willing. Now, it’s time to go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, and present our earthly problems for heavenly solutions.
As one voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And if we truly expect divine help, then we’ve got to clean up our acts and keep our promises, for without obedience and godliness, no man shall see God! Much LOVE!
…walking in God’s wisdom…and waiting on His perfect timing…are the two essentials of godly living…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
