Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 July 2015 Psalm 139:1

28 Jul 2015 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 139:12.    O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.

Aye Friends, believe it or not, it’s Tuesday! And it’s supposed to be another scorcher, making this old B.B King cover tune rather appropriate: ‘Hot town, summer in the city. Back of my neck feeling dirty and gritty. Cool cat, looking for a kitty. Gonna look in every corner of the city.’

 

Yeh my people, it’s summertime, summertime, summertime! (smile) The time when the great outdoors calls to man; man who lives in the northern climes. That means the hot rods, the motorbikes, the close to naked people in the streets, the parks, the playgrounds and around the filled pools, the endless barbecues, tanning and beach gatherings are all in full swing.

Beer is being swilled by the gallon, and all the unhealthy foods are being consumed with pleasure. Why not? It’s summer! Cottage country is hopping with all the city slickers spending time and money in the more rural areas of the land. 

But please remember Friends, Almighty God is still on His throne, in full control and His eyes are on us wherever we go. So He’s till showering us with His blessings of mercy and grace and forgiveness, but also keeping a close eye on our obedience to His will.

So though you are somewhere in the backwoods of the country, the Lord’s watchful presence is ALWAYS with you. Wherever you are, He’s always close by. Never forget that!

And to go along with that all-world truth, here is this gem from my P.S. I LOVE YOU Poster. ‘No one is guaranteed happiness. Life just gives us time and space. It’s up to us to fill it with joy and meaning.’

And yuh better believe that’s the living truth my brethren! Life doesn’t guarantee us anything, not even life itself, for the breath of life can be withdrawn at any time, without even a moment’s notice. So it is essential that we pay close attention to all that we do and say.

But the beautiful part of life for Christians is that we have a wonderful Father God, a knowing and understanding Lord and Saviour in Jesus Christ, and a blessed guiding and helping Holy Spirit to help us find that joy and meaning. Glory to God! Hallelujah!

What a bam bam this life would have been without the Holy Trinity to keep us focused and well grounded! That’s why Bruh David could excitedly declare in our Bit from Psalm 139, one of my favourites – The everlasting presence and power of God. ‘O Lord, thou hast searched me and known me.’

More words of eternal truth my people! The Lord made us and knows us to a ‘T.’ As Bruh David continues: ‘Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising; thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compasseth (comprehendeth) my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it all together. Thou hast beset (enclosed or hedged) me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.’(Ps.139:2-6)

Ah mih people, I don’t know why some of us still foolishly try to hide from God nuh, when He knows everything there is to know about us. He even knows stuff about us that we don’t know. That’s because He is the Creator and Controller of all things and people on Planet Earth.

Hear how Bruh David puts it. ‘Whither shall (can) I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall (can) I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

If I say, surely the darkness shall cover (fall on me); even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee (darkness is not darkness to you); but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

For thou hast possessed my reins (formed my inward parts): thou hast covered (weaved) me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right (very) well.’ (Ps.139:7-14)

Oh Friends, what beautiful imagery woven into that indisputable truth! I can still remember, and will to the end of my days, when the Psalm first caught my attention. It was one Sunday, several years ago, on the Hour of Power, when I heard Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) read it from the pulpit of the Crystal Cathedral!

Oh Friends, it was one of the most expressive and passionate pieces of scripture that I’ve ever heard read! And those of you who knew him, know how passionate he was about life in general, but his passion especially soared when he read the scriptures, he acted it our like I’ve never seen anybody else do.

So my people, what do we have to say to Bruh David’s treatise on the everlasting presence and power of Jehovah God eh? Do we agree on it all? We should, because it’s all gospel truth.

And we’ll close today with this summary from the scholars. ‘Psalm 139. Certainly one of the grandest psalms in all of the Psalter, it is also one of the richest theologically. It combines an exposition of the greatness of God’s character with the reality of human experience.

From verses 19-22 we find that David wrote the psalm during a time of opposition. It therefore contains truths that were meaningful to him during these troublesome times. They may be summarized under four key thoughts as David addresses the Lord: You know me (vv. 1-6), You are with me (vv. 7-12), You created me (vv.13-18), and Your cause is my cause (vv.19-24).’

Ah mih breddren, how awesome is the God we serve and worship, and how heartrending and soul searching are Bruh David’s words to describe Him!

I strongly suggest that we all sit down today and read the psalm in its entirety and let it refill, let it renew our thoughts about God and increase our LOVE for, and joy in Him! Hn! If that isn’t heavenly wisdom, then I don’t know what is. Much LOVE!

…how can we not LOVE and revere God eh…especially when we read those beautiful descriptions of Him in scripture…it just touches the longing soul…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 May 2015 James 4:8

28 May 2015 Leave a comment

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

James 4:8.    Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye dobleminded. 
 
Aye Friends, welcome to another terrific Thursday! Glory to God! We are alive and kicking strongly and diligently in God’s name, so let’s maintain that positive aspect by saying, ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’
 
What a wonderful God we serve and worship my people! All thanks be to Him and His grace, mercy, forgiveness and unconditional LOVE!
 
And you know that somewhere in Willie Shakespeare’s vast repertoire of works, he says something to the effect that to go to bed late is to be up early…. Well my people, you can say that the ole fella was up rather early this morning, after three, so if I’m not all that coherent you will understand why. (smile)
 
And believe me, the early morning commune outside with nature was beautiful. Some of you might laugh, but when I sit out on my porch in the late hours of the night or early morning, just enjoying the peace and quiet of the time, whatever stress and tension I’ve built up during the day seems to evaporate as I feel the cool breezes wash over me, while they sigh in the rustling of the leaves, and the night insects sing their songs of thanksgiving to their Creator.
 
After a short while, I am relaxed and at peace with the world and all therein, and can go to bed calm and contented, regardless of whatever problems might exist. It certainly works therapeutic miracles for me. (smile)
 
And it’s sad that so many of us can’t, or don’t want to embrace the healing aspects of nature. Friends, God made it so beautiful so that we can appreciate, enjoy and use it to our benefit.
 
Anyway, I won’t try to convince you of the beauty and usefulness of nature, for like the same way you came to Jesus, you will have to come to that conclusion…on your own. (smile)
 
Now hear is a little prayer from The One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, that I believe we all can, or need to say. It’s titled ‘Intimate Closeness.’
 
Please pray with me: ‘You promise, dear God That when I draw close to You You will draw close to me. Lord, I give myself to You unreservedly. Teach me more and more Of intimate closeness And fill my heart with You alone. To walk arm-in-arm with You Down every winding path. Seems to me The dearest of all delights.’
 
And isn’t that the gospel truth my brethren? Walking arm-in arm with Jesus, any and everywhere is certainly the greatest delight we can enjoy on this earth!
 
And if you don’t believe that, I’m sorry for you, because you don’t know what you’re missing. That’s because with Him beside, inside and around you, there’s no power on earth, in hell or in heaven can touch you! Glory Hallelujah!
 
And the scripture verse for that prayer was the first part of James 4:8; ‘Draw nigh (near) to God, and He will draw near to you.’ However we will use the entire verse as our Bit for today. ‘Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded.’
 
Ah Friends, so many of us in this ungodly world desperately need to do those acts of contrition, that it borders on a worldwide tragedy. No, it doesn’t border nuh, it is a worldwide tragedy! That’s why there’s so much hate and evil in our world. But when we turn to Jesus we preach peace and LOVE, which is the right foundation for us to build our lives upon.
 
And I like how James continues after our Bit, in the same cleansing and reaching out to God manner. ‘Be afflicted (lament), and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness (gloom). Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:9-10)
 
Oh my people that’s shades of our last Bit. One of the things this generation certainly needs to do is to give up their foolish pride and arrogance, and humble themselves before Almighty God, if they want to ever receive a positive association with Him. That’s an ultimate necessity before we can even consider coming into the Lord’s presence, before His throne.
 
And one of the scriptures associated with our Bit, is one we just recently looked at, but it’s worthwhile looking at again. It’s the warning of the prophet Azariah.
 
‘And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded: And he went out to meet (before) Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.’ (2 Chr,15:1-2)
 
Yes Friends, that’s no lie! If you sincerely seek the Lord, then you will find Him. But if you forsake Him, then He will do the same to you. Please remember that the Lord doesn’t really need anything from us, but we do need His saving grace and mercy, so the onus is on us to seek His face, not the other way around.
 
And with that thought foremost in our minds, I think we’ll end for today, because the rest of stuff I have to add will make it much too long for our short attention spans. (smile)
 
So please, as we go about today, let’s seriously ponder the state of our relationship with Christ, and let wisdom enter our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, and thus enable us to make the wonderful decision to seek God and revere and worship Him for the rest of our lives, and down through all eternity. Now that is certainly the wisdom of heaven! Much LOVE!
 
…God desires to have a positive relationship with each and every human being…but He’s not going to force His will on us…we must wisely seek Him and His blessings to forge that relationship…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 June 2013 Psalm 66:16.

20 Jun 2013 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 66:16:    Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.
 
All hail mih people! What’s new with you this Thursday morning eh? Not much you say. Well it’s the same here with me. I have nothing spectacular to say, but by the time I’m finished, with the Lord’s help, I will have said stuff that will fill us with strength and good tidings and also boosted our faith and trust in the great God we worship, the One who created the universe and all therein.
 
And we’ll begin with these affirmations: ‘I CAN do all things through Christ! God has new opportunities for me! I’m not settling for where I am now! I’m stretching myself and pursuing what He has put in my heart! God’s plan for my life is greater than I could imagine, and I’m determined to be who He wants me to be! This is my declaration of what I CAN do through Christ!’
 
Yes mih Friends, those are certainly most excellent affirmations for us to start today or any day with! But I’m chuckling here because I don’t remember where I got them. I obviously cut out the two by three card from something and have it stuck on my desk. The important thing though is not so much where I got it from, but that I have strong affirmations to boost my faith and trust in Christ, each and every day!
 
And so we come to our Bit, which is taken from Psalm 66, superscripted, The great works of God. And He has indeed done many great works on the earth since the beginning of time, right up to the present time, and will continue to do so in the hereafter!
 
And His works are so life changing and impact us in such powerful ways, that’s why the psalmist invites us to ‘Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.’
 
Oh my brethren, the Lord God Jehovah has certainly done a lot of spectacular and miraculous works in the souls of all those who sincerely revere Him! That is a foregone conclusion! We cannot revere and worship Him without Him doing mighty and magnificent works in us.
 
As Bruh Paul so wisely puts it in 2 Corinthians: ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ (2 Cor.5:17)
 
Now that’s a must Friends! We cannot be in league with Christ and continue in our old sinful, worldly ways. We have to change and adopt Christ-like attitudes and behaviour.
 
As Bruh Paul again declares, this time to the Ephesians: ‘And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.’ (Eph.4:23-24)
 
Yes my brethren, we definitely need to change our old habits when we receive Christ, otherwise we won’t be truly in and of Him. And as per some of the changes we need to make, please read the rest of Ephesians 4, verses 25-32.
 
Now turning back to our Bit, let’s see what the Lord did for the psalmist that moved him so much, that raised his passion to such a level, that he just had to declare it in song.
 
‘I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled (praised) with my tongue. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: But verily God hath heard me, he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.’ (Ps.66:17-20)
 
Oh my fellow believers, after reading that, I can only say again, what a wonderful God we serve and worship! Why? Because He didn’t do that only for the psalmist, but does it for all those who sincerely believe in Him and come crying to Him for merciful succour! That’s the magnanimity of our omnipotent God!
 
And that means we all must have a testimony similar to that of the psalmist, which, like him, we ought to gladly share with, and proudly shout to the entire world!
 
And all God’s people then declared in a loud, sincere voice: ‘All praise and honour be to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! For He is indeed worthy to be praised and glorified in all the heaven and the earth!’ 
 
Yes Friends, our God is truly worthy of much adoration, praise, worship and thanksgiving!
 
And we’ll end with the opening verses of Psalm 116, which puts it all in a perfect nutshell. ‘I LOVE the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me (hath listened to me), therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.’ (Ps.116:1-2)
 
And to those wonderful sentiments, all God’s children shouted a heartfelt ‘Amen!’ 
 
Now my brethren, my fellow believers in Christ, let’s all go about our daily lives and testify to what God has done for us. Lets put all those sentiments we’ve just expressed into action in our walk of LOVE today, so we can both glorify our magnificent God and further His glorious kingdom, as He truly deserves and desires us to do. In Jesus’ holy name, I pray. Amen.
 
And yuh see Friends, with the Lord’s help, I fulfilled my promise to eventually have something worthwhile to say. (smile) That’s why I just have to LOVE, honour and obey Him as best I can, with my whole body and soul. Much LOVE!
 
…when a believer is walking in step with Jesus…a big bubble of LOVE enfolds his heart…and a special look of joy radiates from his countenance…