The Overwhelming Importance of Keeping God’s Commandments if We desire to Live a Long and Fruitful Life!

08 Jan 2025 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 3:1.       My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:

Well friends, it’s Wednesday, the day we catch our second wind! Hope you are catching yours. And as usual, we’re a tad late on Wednesdays, because that’s when I go to my church group. But would you believe I was late this morning for that, because both the clock in my bedroom and the one in my bathroom were wrong. And there I was dilly-dallying figuring it was early, but by the time I finally got dressed and came downstairs, it was almost ten o’clock, the time for the prayer session to begin. 

Thankfully though, I don’t live too far away from the church and the Lord was definitely with me, because I went through all the traffic lights without stopping for any, where, usually, I would stop for a few, and sometimes all four of them, so I made it safely there, shortly after they began. Thanks be to God! 

So what shall we talk about today eh? Let’s see what the Good Library has to say. Soon Come. (smile) And after a few minutes of perusing the Lord’s Word, I came upon this passage from Proverbs which plainly said, speak of me today. (smile)  And seeing that I’m an obedient soul, let’s speak of these things that the Bible commands us. Most of us know them, but not enough of us actually put them into practice in our lives, otherwise so many of us would not be having anxious, trouble filled lives. And it’s all about keeping God’s commandments. 

Cousin Sol wisely advises: ‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add unto thee.’ (Prov. 3:1-2) Wow! What a basic and simple exhortation! Keep the Lord’s commandments and you shall have peace, long life and all that they bring. So why aren’t we following those simple but oh so important rules eh? Who knows? But for sure, we supposed Christians are not following God’s word as we ought to, otherwise our world would not be in such a chaotic and disastrous state! 

And what Cousin Sol writes is nothing new, for Moses told the Israelites, the young ones who would go into the Promised Land, the very same thing. Listen to him. ‘All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply (increase in number), and go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers.’ (Deut. 8:1) And we all know that the Israelites wandered the wilderness for forty years because of their disobedience and hard-heartedness, until all those who came out of Egypt died, and the young generation were then given the chance to go and claim the heritage the Lord had promised to their forefathers. 

And you can also find the same exhortations in Deut. 4:1, and 6:24. So, like us, it’s not they didn’t know God’s commands, but like us, they just never put them into action properly. Thus, they suffered many disastrous and chaotic times, just like we are currently doing. And as per long life, Cousin Sol tells us later on: ‘Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.’ (Prov. 4:10) Meanwhile Psalm 119 shines this light on the promise of peace. ‘Great peace have they which LOVE thy law: and nothing shall offend them (cause them to stumble).’ (Ps. 119:165) Likewise, the prophet Isaiah told us in no uncertain terms: ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on (sustained by) thee: because he trusteth in thee.’ (Is. 26:3) 

So you see what obeying God’s commandments can do! But that’s not the end of the story, for then Cousin Sol further exhorts us. ‘Let not mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS) and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: so shalt thou find favour and good understanding (high esteem) in the sight of God and man.’ (Prov. 3:3-4) Oh my people, how wonderful and true are those exhortations! And if we would only follow them, we would find favour, grace, good esteem and all those wonderful things with both God and man! 

Now isn’t that something to be truly desired and worked towards? Of course! But to do that, you see how closely we should have the Lord’s law about us; as a necklace or chain around our necks, something that’s always in contact with our body. And instead of writing them on tablets like the Lord did with Moses when He gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments, in this new covenant with Jesus, we’re supposed to write the commandments on our hearts, so that we always have them right there with us. 

And once again, that is all old stuff, for Moses said it to the people of Israel: ‘Hear O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.’ (Deut. 6:4-9) 

Yes friends, that’s how important the Lord’s commandments are to us. They should be spoken of continuously, both in our house and wherever we go. And let’s not forget these poignant and true words of the prophet Ezekiel on the subject. He speaks for the Lord to the stubborn, hardhearted, disobedient Israelites: ‘Then I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgements, and do them.’ (Ezek. 36:25-27) 

Yes my fellow saints, that’s what the Lord has done, given us a new heart and His Holy Spirit to indwell us, but unfortunately, He’s also given us free will to make our own choices and decisions, and it’s obvious we’re not making the right one, those based upon His Word. So, what can we expect but chaos and tough times eh? But as followers of Jesus, we’re never supposed to give up, no matter how dark and gloomy our situations and circumstances might seem, for with Jesus’ help, we can always overcome the negativity that surrounds us. And we can begin by declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. 

As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And if we endure with Jesus right to the very end, then it’s been promised that the future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! So let’s plan to meet a the very end nuh! Much LOVE!

…one can only walk successfully with God…if we write His word in our hearts…and contemplate on them continuously…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

The Enormous Importance of Keeping God FIRST PLACE in Our Lives!

25 Oct 2024 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 3:1.       My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:

Well, it looks like another day filled with mostly sunshine, but not balmy temps; just seasonal ones! (smile) But we’ll take the sunshine anytime over the gloom, and thus we can joyfully shout: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at long last! 

And I do hope that all of us gave much thanks to the Lord for allowing us to wake up and see another day on this amazing, though too sinful and ungodly earth, because it’s only through His goodness and mercies, His amazing compassions, which are new every morning, that we are not destroyed! (Lam. 3:22-23) And all God’s children gave a grateful shout of, ‘Thank You Lord for Your goodness and mercy to us undeserving children of men! We LOVE You and praise Your Holy Name! Amen.’ 

Now, if those words truly came from our hearts, if we were sincere in our prayer, then, let’s try and live up to it nuh, as we go about our lives today. And how do we do that? Basically by keeping God first place in our lives, and there are lots of scriptures that remind us of that, especially this one from Jesus, that we sometimes get tired of hearing, (smile) but which is oh so necessary for us to remember each and every day. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) 

Yes, it can be somewhat tiring to hear it, but we need to constantly remember it, so that we can practice it daily. God cannot get to be and stay first place in our lives unless and until we put Him there, and keep Him there! And that can only be done by having the Holy Spirit constantly reminding us of it. 

And we have that marvellous example of doing just that in Cousin Sol’s early days, when he asked the Lord for wisdom and understanding to rule His people Israel, and the Lord was so pleased, that he didn’t ask for wealth and long life and the lives of his enemies, that He gave him those very things; wealth and honour, power and wisdom like no other man before or after him. (1 Kin. 3:6-13) But there was also this most important proviso. ‘And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen (prolong) thy days.’ (1 Kin. 3:14) 

Yes friends, Cousin Sol needed to walk in God’s will for all those blessings to continue and come to pass. But sadly, in his old age, he forgot about God and turned to the many gods of his concubines. And that’s why the Lord LOVED Bruh David and elevated him and his name so much; despite all of his wrong doings, he never turned away from the God of his forefathers, always had a place in his heart for Him, always turned to Him for guidance and wisdom. 

And it’s rather sad and unfortunate that Cousin Sol lost his way with God, especially after writing all the wonderful things in Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon. Now, let’s check out this one passage from Proverbs that covers it all; that marvellous scripture in chapter 3, so aptly titled – Keep My Commandments. 

Please read and inwardly digest with me (smile). ‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace shall they add to thee.’  (Prov. 3:1-2) It’s the very same things the Lord had told Cousin Sol in the passage above from Kings. Then he continues: ‘Let not mercy (LOVING-kindness) and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding (high esteem) in the sight of God and man.’ (Prov. 3:3-4) 

More absolute truth my fellow believers. But here are the most practical guidelines ever, in keeping God first place in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, all from the pen of Cousin Sol. ‘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, refreshment) to thy bones. 

Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the first fruits of 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 thou weary of 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 basically how we keep God first place in our lives! It’s not always easy, but that’s why we were given the Holy Spirit to help and guide us in doing so. Now, with all of that wonderful scripture under our belts, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant to get divine aid to help with our earthly problems. 

Altogether: ‘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!’ 

But you know what friends, in the long run it all boils down to us being improved and better examples of Christian living. Unless that happens, we will not see any divine aid. Please, let’s remember that and act accordingly, Much LOVE!

…with God first place in us…there’s no need to worry…about anything…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 April 2021 Proverbs 3:1.

30 Apr 2021 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 3:1.     ‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:

Well friends, it’s Friday, the day that used to be the harbinger of the weekend with parties and social gatherings galore, but is now just another day to stay cooped up at home and away from others, except your household members. Not only that, but if you do venture outside, you now need to wear a mask and keep a safe physical distance away from others. It’s still incomprehensible to see how life has drastically changed worldwide with the appearance of one li’l virus. (smile) 

But them’s the breaks! It’s the only way to keep the virus at bay until everybody has been vaccinated…at least we hope so, for we still don’t know a lot about the Corona virus and its several variants. And I really don’t know how else to encourage us but to remind us that as believers in Christ Jesus, we need to stay in close touch with Him and live the way He desires, especially in these times of many adversarial storms. 

You know sometimes storms come from behind you and drive you along quicker to your destination, meanwhile, others, like the ones we’re currently facing hit you directly in the face and try to destroy you. But with Jesus as your storm pilot, we are promised that they won’t ever destroy us. Yes, they might cause us some real difficult times, but they’ll never completely put us under. However, in the meantime, there are also some things we need to do to stay afloat, like these exhortations to obedience from Cousin Sol found in Proverbs. 

Listen to these words of awesome truth, wisdom and encouragement. ‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy (LOVING-kindness) and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart (mind): So shalt thou find favour and good understanding (high esteem) in the sight of God and man.’ (Prov. 3:1-4) 

Oh my fellow believers, how true and wise are those words eh! And even more truthful, is the fact that too many of us supposed believers have not sincerely adhered to the Lord’s commandments for a rather long time, that’s why our lives are so topsy-turvy and confused right now. Unfortunately, we have allowed the immoral dictates of the world to infiltrate our thinking and way of life, and thus have fallen from favour with both God and man. 

It’s no secret that the world has no room for God and is doing its best to get rid of Him completely. But that will NEVER happen, because the Lord won’t allow it, neither will we, His staunch and faithful believers allow such an abomination to come to pass. But even in these tremulous and uncertain times, the enemy is still trying to evict God from His sovereign status in His universe, and sadly, we Christians are assisting them by being fearful, lazy, wishy-washy, sitting on the fence and not being strong and bold enough to face them mano-a mano and let them know the real truth of the situation; that Jesus is Lord, and despite their best endeavours, always will be thus! 

And there are so many scripture verses that tell us we should not be afraid of man. Jesus puts it best though with this warning from Luke’s gospel. ‘And I say unto you my friends, Be ye not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto, Fear him.’ (Luke 12:4-5) Yes friends, the death of the body is not the end of our lives, we still have our spirit man to account for, and the One who decides where we will rest for eternity is Jehovah God Himself. Man won’t determine that. 

And I like how Fritz Chery opens his article on the Bible Verses about the fear of man, that can be found on the biblereasons.com website. He says: ‘There is only one person that a Christian should fear and that is God. When you are fearful of man that will lead to a fear of evangelizing to others, of doing God’s will, trusting God less, rebellion, being ashamed, compromising, and being a friend of the world. Fear the one that created man, the one who can throw you into Hell for eternity. Too many preachers today fear man so they preach messages that will tickle people’s ears. Scripture makes it clear that cowards will not enter into Heaven.’  

What awesome words of truth my brethren! And unfortunately, these days, we supposed believers are so cowardly and fearful, we’ve become more afraid of man than God. So what kind of life do we expect to have under those circumstances eh? Nothing but a confused, troubled and calamitous existence, like the one we’re currently experiencing. 

And Cousin Sol offers us a few more pearls of wisdom as he continues: ‘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 first fruits of all thy increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov. 3:5-10) 

Oh mih bredrin, nothing has changed nuh since Cousin Sol gave us those guidelines long ago. The Lord our God is still the same yesterday, today and forever, and neither has His word or ordinances changed. So what has changed eh? We have. And if we don’t change back to what He desires, then crapaud smoke we pipe! As simple as that. 

Now, for those of us who sincerely want to get back into the good graces of our most wonderful God, this is the best time to start. Therefore, let’s go to Him in sincere prayer nuh, what we call our Friday Chant, and lay bare our hearts to Him in sincere repentance, asking for His awesome forgiveness and mercy. 

As one voice now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. Yuh know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and the racial strife causing. We not accustomed to that kind of life Lord, and it really telling on us. And we know we can’t handle it on our own, that we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. 

So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the sure and wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, so that we can avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to also bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. 

It’s also a good opportunity to introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion because of the way we, your faithful believers, handle the situation. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

And as always my people, God’s response will depend on our subsequent behaviour and the motives of our hearts, which He will check out, before answering our prayer. Much LOVE!

fear not man…but fear Almighty God…who can destroy…both body and soul…

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8