17 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a chance to prove my faith in a big God, a compassionate heart, a daily source of irritation, a great family, a man's goals will always make the man, a possibility of failure, a value system that will please God, accomplish whatever we need to, an important question, as generously as God bestowed them on us, at odds with Jesus' practice, be servant of all, bring the best out in me, Chrisitanity, Christ's Spirit lives within you, come to know and love christ like we do, Conside the Values You Live By, courage, creativity, cursenegative word, dem's the breaks, divine protection, do as I have done to you, Dr. Robert H Schuller, duty bound, enamoured of problems, especially for those of the Christian faith, evil and ungodly times, exercise authority them over, faith, favour, followers of Christ must follow His example, for He is good, fringe benefits, give his life for a ransom for many, gives Jesus a bad name, good friends, good health, help hurting people, his mercy endureth for ever, holy spirit, I have given you an example, if I then your Master and Lord have washed your feet, inspired to plot an ubelievable holdup, instead of worrying about our problems, Jesus Christ, Jesus washed the disciples feet, know ye what I have done to you, let's enjoy this day, live by the Service Value system, lord it over them, LOVE, make me a more beautiful person, man may not always make his goals, mercy, money and material objects as your chief value, Possibility Thinking, Praise the Lord, problems, promotion, prosper and succeed, salvation, security as your chief value, small problems are usually the most irritating, so shall it not be among you, success, supenatural strength, talent, the BIBLE, the gospel truth, the Hour of Power Devotional, the Lord's strenght and patience feeding our souls and spirits, the son of man came not be ministered unto, the stretch of good weather will end, the value system you choose to live by, the wrong kind of possibilties, to minister (serve), truth, undeserved blessings, unselfishly serving your fellow man, use those blessings to help others, value systems are important in setting goals, want to be served and not to serve, whosoever will be chief among you, whosoever will be great among you let him be your minister, wisdom, ye also ought to wash one another's feet, you call me Master and Lord
Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 September 2026 Mark 10:45.
Mark 10:45. For even so the Son of man came not to be ministered unto (to be served), but to minister (serve), and to give his life a ransom for many.
‘Problems, problems oh la la!’ Yes friends, problems are a daily source of irritation. And yuh know what, the small problems are usually the most irritating ones, especially when they ought to be easily fixed, but aren’t. And the reason I’m so enamoured of problems today (smile) is that I had a couple of the small, irritating ones earlier this morning, that took up more time than I expected and thus had me getting to the Bit later than I wanted. But as we say, ‘dem’s the breaks,’ and with the Lord’s strength and patience feeding our souls and spirits, we will accomplish whatever we need to accomplish.
And all the Lord’s people gave a loud and grateful shout of’ Praise the Lord, for He is good and His mercy endureth forever!’ And that’s the gospel truth! So instead of worrying about our problems, let’s enjoy this Thursday, that’s fairly warm and sunny, for we know not when this stretch of good weather will end. And today we’ll consider a most interesting and important subject from the Hour of Power Devotional by the late Dr. Robert H. Schuller the founder of the Hour of Power Ministry. And the topic he deals with today is ‘Consider the Values You Live By.’
Now, in these very evil and ungodly times that is surely an important question for all people, especially those of the Christian faith. Dr Schuller begins by saying: ‘I was shocked to learn that an ex-convict read my book on Possibility Thinking and was inspired to plot an unbelievable holdup! He was thinking possibilities, but the wrong kind. What is all important in setting goals is to consider the value system you choose to live by.’
But let’s pause there for a moment and ponder the value system that we live by. Are we living by a value system that will please God, or one that will please the world.? If we claim to be Christians, then our value system must be one that pleases God, or else we’ll not be true believers and thus spoil our witness for Christ.
Anyway, getting back to Dr. Schuller, he then describes some of the available value systems. He writes: ‘If money or material objects are your highest values, the questions you ask before you set your goals will be: How much will it cost? How much money will I make? What are the fringe benefits? If security is your chief value, you’ll ask these questions before you set your goals: Can I be sure of success? Is it risky? Is there a possibility of failure?’ Let’s hope that those none of those are the value systems that we’re currently living by.
However, as Dr. Schuller continues: ‘If Christ’s Spirit lives within you, then you’ll live be the Service Value System, which is placing enormous values on unselfishly serving your fellow man, and the first questions you’ll raise in your goal setting will be: Will this help people who are hurting? Will this make me into a more beautiful person? Will this bring the best out of me – or the worst? Will this be a chance to prove my faith in a big God? Man may not always make his goals, but his goals will always make the man.’ And that’s the awesome truth! You might not decide what you want to do, but whatever you do will have a great impact on you!
And since we’re supposed to be filled with Christ’s Spirit, it’s safe to assume that our goals are based more on helping others than helping ourselves, because that’s what Jesus Himself preached and did. Jesus said it loud and clear after James and John’s mother came to Him and asked that they sit on His right and left hand in his glory. (Mark 10:35-38)
And after the other ten heard about the situation and became displeased, Jesus called them all to Him and said: ‘ Ye know that they which are accounted to rule (considered rulers) over the Gentiles exercise lordship (Lord it) over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great (desires to be great) among you, shall be your minister (servant): And whosoever of you will be the chiefest (desires to be first), shall be servant of all. For even so the Son of man came not to be ministered unto (to be served), but to minister (serve), and to give his life a ransom for many.’ (Mark 10:42-45)
And that’s exactly what He did. And perhaps the best example of Jesus’ servanthood was in His washing of the disciples feet on the night of the Passover. He said to them: ‘Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master (Teacher) and Lord: and ye say well: for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master (Teacher), have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.’ (John 13:12-15)
You cannot beat that friends! As followers of Jesus, we ought to follow His example. Unfortunately though, too many of us are not doing so; we only want to be served and not to serve. But that’s at odds with Jesus’ practice and gives Him a bad name when we only clamour for service and refuse to serve. So let’s try and change that attitude nuh. And we can begin doing that today by declaring our Thursday Blessings; undeserved blessings generously bestowed on us by the Lord to do His earthly work.
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 made that declaration, we’re now duty bound to go out use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…you cannot be a true Christian…and not live by the values Jesus displayed…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: christianity, Christians, confidence in God's faithfulness, do serious work for Jesus, establish you and keep you from evil, faith, filled with wonder, for thou art with me, from Genesis to Revelation, God comes through in amazing ways, God will never leave nor forsake us, god's ever-faithful promise, great is thy faithfulness, he abideth faithful, he cannot deny himself, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, He is faithful that promised, his compassions fail notthey are new every morning, hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, holy spirit, I praise God's name, I remember all God's done in the past, I will fear no evil, I will sing of the mercies of the Lord, if we be dead with him we shall also live with him, if we believe not, if we confess our sins, in god's eyes, In Touch Prayer Card on God's Faithfulness, it is a faithful saying, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jeremiah's lament, Jesus Christ, keep his commandments, keepeth covenant with them that love him, lift up my heart to you in trust, lock stock and barrel, look forward with joy, LOVE, mercy, mount up with wings as eagles, nothing is too hard for God, our bounden duty, our faith grows when we remember God's faithfulness, our trust in God deepens, refresh our hearts minds and souls, run and not be weary, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, summer time freedom over, take stock of our spiritual maturity, thank you for your perfect works, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the faithful God, the gospel truth, the Lord is faithful, the Lord thy God He is God, the Lord will take care of me, the lord will take me up, they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they too can come to know and love Christ like do, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thy faithfulness reaches unto the clouds, thy faithfulness shalt thou esteblish in the very heavens, thy mercy O Lord is in the heavens, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, to a thousand genearations, to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, to seeing your plans fulfilled, to whom we belong, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, walk and not faint, when I don't understand an outcome, when my father and mother forsake me, when things look impossible, wisdom, with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness, with the whole wide world, you are faithful, your ways never fail
Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 September 2026 Psalm 36:5.
Psalm 36:5. ‘Thy mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS), O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.’
So the Labour Day partying is over and done with now. That means the summer time freedom and frolicking is also done, and it’s time to get down to some serious work for Jesus; contemplating, who He is, what He’s done and is doing, and how we are reciprocating His awesome LOVE and compassion. It’s time to take stock of our spiritual maturity; see whether we’re growing, regressing, or just standing still, marking time, for who knows what. And to help us do that, today we’ll take a look at God’s faithfulness, starting with the information on the In Touch Prayer Card on the subject.
Please pray with me: ‘I’m filled with wonder, God, when I think of Your great faithfulness. When things look impossible, You come through in amazing ways. Truly nothing is too hard for You. I remember all You’ve done in the past and praise Your name! When I don’t understand an outcome, I will lift up my heart to You in trust. You are faithful, and Your ways never fail. I look forward with joy to seeing Your plans fulfilled. Thank You for your perfect works.’
Ah friends, those are perfect sentiments for us to consider in our own lives. Do we feel and also remember God’s faithfulness in our own lives? If we are true believers then we certainly ought to! And that’s one of the great things about our faith. When we remember God’s faithfulness, all the times that He’s shown up when things seemed impossible, but He came to our rescue just in time, then our faith grows, our trust in Him deepens, because we know that we can depend on Him in the tough times. He will never leave, forsake nor fail us, it’s is ever-faithful promise, and He keeps repeating it in His Word from Genesis right through to Revelation.
So let’s see if we can find some scriptures that reflect God’s faithfulness to refresh our hearts, minds and souls. And we’ll begin with this one where Moses reminds the Israelites of God’s faithfulness, as they are about to enter the Promised Land. ‘Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that LOVE him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations.’ (Deut. 7:9) And I believe that scripture will do some of us a world of good if we sit and ponder it for a moment or two; the important thing there being the keeping of God’s commandments.
Then we have this verse from Psalm 36, that the In Touch Prayer Card uses as its resource. Bruh David writes: ‘Thy mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS), O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.’ (Ps. 36:5) Meanwhile in Psalm 89, which speaks of the Mercies of God, Ethan the Ezrahite contemplates God’s faithfulness and writes: ‘I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations. For I have said, Mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS) shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.’ (Ps. 89:1-2)
And we all know Jeremiah’s famous lament on the subject: ‘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. 3:22-23) What more can we ask eh? Now here’s another magnificent verse re God’s faithfulness, one we all spout, but don’t truly pay much attention to. It’s from Bruh David’s famous Psalm 23, where he declares in no uncertain terms: ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps. 23:4) What assuredness in God’s faithfulness! Do we have that confidence in God’s faithfulness? Let’s hope so.
Then in 2 Thessalonians, Bruh Paul tells them: ‘But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil (the evil one).’ (2 Thess. 3:3) And to Timothy, Bruh Paul writes: ‘It is a faithful saying: for if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer (endure), we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he will also deny us: If we believe not (are faithless), yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.’ (2 Tim. 2:11-13) And that’s the gospel truth friends! God cannot deny His attributes.
Then we come to this scripture from Hebrews that strongly and wisely advocates: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is fateful that promised;) (Heb. 10:23) And that’s great advice for us to follow, especially in these deceitful and untrustworthy times. And what about this amazing verse from John’s first epistle, where he states with all certainty: ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ (1 John 1:9) Now that’s a wonderful scripture for us to know and keep at the forefront of our minds!
And here’s another awesome verse displaying God’s faithfulness, another one we know but don’t truly action in our lives. The prophet Isaiah shouts it from the mountaintop: ‘But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is. 40:31) Yes friends, waiting on God is never in vain, for He will always be faithful to those who are faithful to Him. And we’ll close with this very reassuring verse from Psalm 27, when Bruh David declares: ‘When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up (take care of me).’ (Ps. 27:10)
Now isn’t that wonderful assurance of God’s faithfulness! It certainly is! And there are plenty more scriptures that address God’s faithfulness, but unfortunately time and space prevent us from quoting anymore. So let’s go home now 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!’
Now, it’s become our bounden duty 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!
…take time to remember God’s faithfulness in your life…then let it lift your trust and faith in Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a standing invitation, abundance, abundant in goodness and truth, according to his divine power, all my days, all my life you have been faithful, always sing of your goodness Lord, an overflowing declaration of God's goodness, an uprightness of heart and life, assurance in knowing that God is always good, be fruitful in the knowledge of Christ, be partakers of the divine nature, before the sons of men, christianity, close like no other, connects us with God's nature, declare His works with rejoicing, ever faithful, faith, fellowship, for his wonderful works to the children of men, for the sake of being virtuous, from the moment that I wake up, getting our souls refreshed with god's word, give good things to them that ask him, given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, God is good, God's goodness can never be matched, God's goodness is present during challenges and harships, God's goodness to the children of men, God's promises are a pipeline, God's promises are exceedingly great and precious, goodness in action, grow in spiritual maturity, guidance, guidance., hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, having escaped the corruption in the world through lust, healing, held in your hands, his mercy endureth for ever, holy spirit, hope, how do we experience God's goodness, how great is thy goodness, how much more shall your father in heaven, I give you everything, I had fainted, I have lived in the goodness of God, I love you Lord, i love your voice, I surrender now, I will sing of the goodness of God, if ye then being evil, in my darkest night, in our best interests, Jenn Johnson, Jesus Christ, joyful singing, know how to give good gifts to your children, known you as a father, known you as a friend, laid up for them that fear thee, led me through the fire, let God's goodness reflect in our lives, longsuffering, LOVE, mercy, my anchor in the wind and waves, my joy every day, my provider, offer comfort, Oh give thanks unto the Lord for he is good, oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, peace, prociding us with strength, profound meaning for many people, protection, recognizing God's love, sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, salvation, shepherd of my soul, so wonderful in all your ways, songs born in unique circumstances, strive to be good, that is God, the BIBLE, the blessed day of Sunday, the blessings God provides every day, the goodness of God, the gospel truth, the joy of knowing you God, the joy that comes from giving God thanks and praise, the knowledge of him that called us to glory and virtue, the Lord God merciful and gracious, the promises of God's word, the Sermon on the Mount, the spiritual meaning of the goodness of God, the Ten Commandments, there is none good but one, through faith we can find peace, to join other believers in Christ's sanctuary, to praise and worship Christ, to see the goodness of God in the land of the living, truth, understanding God's goodness, unless I had believed, until I lay my head down, victory, we partake of God's nature, what a joy to know you, why callest thou me good, wisdom, with every breath that I am able, with my life laid down, wrought for them that trust thee, you are my joy, you have been so so good, you lead me in glory, you lead me in glory by your Spirit, you're everything to me, your goodness is running after me, your mercy never fails me
Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 August 2026 Mark 10:18.
Mark 10:18. ‘And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God.’
And that blessed day of Sunday is here once again, with the standing invitation to join other believers in Christ Jesus in His sanctuary, to praise and worship Him, while getting our souls refreshed with His word and the joy that comes from giving Him thanks and praise. And today’s song of worship is one that does just that; gives God much thanks and praise for His wonderful goodness to the undeserving children of men. And it’s appropriately titled, ‘The Goodness of God.’
This is one of those great songs that are born in unique, unexpected circumstances. The story goes that in 2018, the author Jenn Johnson, a member of the worship team of the Bethel church in Reading, was driving on a long country road in northern California, freshly home from adopting her fourth child, a son, when she felt the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, picked up her phone and began singing into it. What came out was ‘a raw, grateful, overflowing declaration of God’s faithfulness in her life’ which eventually became the foundation of “The Goodness of God.” And after being refined with the assistance of other members of the Bethel worship team, it was released in 2019 and immediately became a popular worship song.
So now, having some background on the song’s history, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a scintillating, heartfelt, up-tempo version, evoking the very sentiments that we sing. Singing: ‘I LOVE You, Lord, for Your mercy never fails me All my days, I’ve been held in Your hands From the moment that I wake up until I lay my head down Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God. (Chorus: All my life You have been faithful. All my life You have been so, so good. With every breath that I am able Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God.)
I LOVE Your voice, You have led me through the fire In my darkest night, You are close like no other I’ve known You as a Father, I’ve known You as a Friend Oh I have lived in the goodness of God (Chorus: All my life…) Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me With my life laid down, I surrender now I give You everything, cause Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me Your goodness is running after, it keeps running after me.
(Chorus: And all my life You have been faithful All my life You have been so, so good. With every breath that I am able Oh, I will sing; yes, I will sing of the goodness of God. For all my life you have been faithful, all my life you have been so good. Oh you lead me in glory … ever faithful, you are my anchor in the wind and the waves…you are my provider…Oh yeah, and you lead me in glory by your Spirit…you are my joy…my joy…every day…Oh shepherd of my soul…what a joy to know you…Oh the joy of knowing you God…you’re everything to me…so wonderful…so wonderful in all your ways…in all your ways. That’s why I will always sing of your goodness Lord…always sing of your goodness Lord.’
Oh friends, that was wonderful! And if we sang it, then we should mean it and consequently let it reflect in our lives! Now, before we go further, let’s ascertain a couple of definitions. The first one is what’s the spiritual meaning of the goodness of God? One article defines it as: ‘Goodness in action; it’s not something we do only for the sake of being virtuous. When we strive to be “good” only for our own benefit, it is not truly goodness that we possess. In Greek, the word goodness, means “an uprightness of heart and life.’
And second question is how do we experience the goodness of God? And the same commentary as above, claims ‘It’s through the promises of God’s Word that we partake of His nature – a nature that is peace, abundance, healing, victory, guidance and protection. His promises are a pipeline that connects us with His nature. And His promises are exceedingly great and precious.’ And they reference these two verses from Peter’s second epistle, where he is urging his readers to be fruitful in the knowledge of Christ, to grow in spiritual maturity.
‘According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to (by) glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.’ (2 Pet. 1:3-4)
Ah friends, there’s so much I’d like to say about this song, but time and space don’t allow it, so we’ll have to content ourselves with a few scripture verses on God’s goodness. Beginning with this one from Exodus: ‘And the Lord passed by before him (Moses), and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.’ (Ex. 34:6) That’s when Moses went back up Mt. Sinai the second time to get the Ten Commandments.
Then in Psalm 27, Bruh David made this very poignant but true statement: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.’ (Ps. 27:13) And in Psalm 31, Bruh David again talks about the Lord’s goodness. ‘Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust thee before the sons of men!’ (Ps. 31:19) Meanwhile in Psalm 107, the psalmist strongly advises: ‘Oh that men would praise (give thanks to) the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-KINDNESS), and for his wonderful works to the children of men. And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing (joyful singing).’ (Ps. 107:21-22)
And all through the Bible we hear this verse: ‘O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.’ (1 Chr. 6:34) Then Jesus, when talking about asking and receiving in the Sermon on the Mount, says to the multitude: ‘If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?’ (Matt. 7:11) And last but least, this verse from the story of the rich young man who is seeking direction for eternal life, and calls Jesus ‘Good Master.’ ‘And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God.’ (Mark 10:18) And friends, if Jesus says it’s so, then it’s so! No doubt about it. (smile)
Now, let’s go home with some interesting comments about God’s goodness, from an article on the website globaldisciples.ca, that declares: ‘God is good. This simple statement holds profound meaning for many people around the world. Understanding God’s goodness can offer comfort, guidance, and hope. It’s about recognizing His LOVE and the blessings He provides every day. God’s goodness isn’t just evident during happy times. It’s also present during challenges and hardships, providing us with strength. Even when things don’t go as planned, His LOVE and support can often be felt if we look closely. Through faith, we can find peace and assurance in knowing that God is always good.’
And that’s the gospel truth! So, it’s in our best interest to concentrate on God’s goodness today, and every day, as we step out to do His work! Much LOVE!
…God’s goodness…can never be matched by any other being…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man's heart deviseth his way, abundance, against his anointed, an act of homage and submission, be instructed ye judges of the earth, be wise now O ye kings, blessed are all they who put their trust in Him, break their bands asunder, cast away their cords from us, clear direction for my life, come to know and love christ like we do, concentrate on the challenges of today, courage, creativity, curse, deviate from God's plan, distress them in his deep displeasure, divine protection, do our own thing, don't get carried away, duty bound, each day brings its own problems, end up losing out on something good God had in store for us, experience God's love, experience God's wrath, faith, favour, free will, good friends, good health, great family, he commanded and it stood fast, he spake and it was done, he that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh, holy spirit, if you can't beat them join them, in sync with the Lord's will, it's foolish to fight the Lord, Jesus Christ, jumping from one place to the other, kiss the son, lest he be angry, let all the earth fear the Lord, let everybody stand in awe of God, life is a steady continuum, LOVE, make fools of ourselves, make your life miserable, maketh the devices of the people to none effect, man plans but God laughs, many devices in a man's heart, mercy, Messiah, negative word, O ye kings be instrcted, our plans can come to nought, personal experience, purpose for your life, rejoice with trembling, salvation, self-control, serve the Lord with fear, speak unto them in his wrath, success, supernatural wisdom, talent, the answer of the tongue is from the Lord, the counsel of the Lord shall stand, the counsel of the Lord standeth forever, the gospel truth, the kings of the earth set themselves, the Lord bringenth the counsel of the heathen to nought, the Lord directeth his steps, the Lord is in absolute control, the Lord is sovereign over man's planning and scheming, the Lord is sovereign over man's scheming and planning, the Lord shall have them in derision, the penultimate day of our work week, the people imagine a vain thing, the people plot a worthless thing, the preparations of the heart in man, the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, the thoughts of his heart, the wisest thing you can ever do is join Christ's army, to all generations, truth, vex them in his sore displeasure, when his wrath is kindled but a little, why do the heathen rage, wisdom, ye perish from the way
Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 August 2026 Proverbs 19:21.
Proverbs 19:21. ‘There are many devices (plans) in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.’
Then it was Thursday, the penultimate day of our work week, and many of us can only think about tomorrow, Friday, when it will all be over. But let’s not get carried away, for we still have to live through today, Thursday, before we can get to tomorrow Friday, and if you don’t handle the problems and challenges of today, you’ll have many more when you add tomorrow’s, for each day brings challenges and problems of its own.
Yes, I know we all want to get to Friday and the weekend as soon as possible, but trying to rush the situation will only bring more heartache than is necessary, for life is made to be played out in a steady continuum, not jumping from one place to the other. And if you’re in sync with the Lord’s will and purpose for your life, then it’s even more important to take your time and follow His lead. For whenever we deviate from His plan and do our own thing, we always end up losing out on something good He had in store for us.
Remember what Cousin Sol says in Proverbs? ‘There are many devices (plans) in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.’ (Prov. 19:21) Yes friends, all our plans can come to nought if the Lord so desires, because He is in absolute control of all we do or don’t do. That’s why there’s the saying, ‘man plans but God laughs.’ And it’s attested to several times in the Bible.
Cousin Sol alone says it twice more in Proverbs: ‘The preparations (plans) of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord.’ (Prov. 16:1) Then later in that same chapter he declares: ‘A man’s heart deviseth (plans) his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.’ (Prov. 16:9) The verses show that that Lord is sovereign over a man’s normal thoughts and words, as well as his scheming and planning.
Meanwhile in Psalm 33 – Praise for God’s Goodness – the psalmist puts it thus: ‘Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices (plans) of the people of none effect. The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.’ (Ps. 33:8-11)
Oh my people, it could not be said any plainer than that! Whatever the Lord desires, it will be accomplished, and there’s nothing we can really do about it. He might allow us the free will to make fools of ourselves, but if and when He desires to pull us up, then we’ll be unable to stop Him, for the Lord has many ways of getting us to do His will. And I can tell you that from personal experience. (smile) When I tried to fight Him about writing the Bit, He made my life so miserable that in the end I had no choice but to say ‘yes Lord.’
So when we successfully go against the Lord’s will, let’s not pat ourselves on the back too quickly, because it’s the Lord who is allowing us to do our own will, for whatever purpose He has in mind. And Psalm 2, titled ‘God’s Son Shall Reign,’ gives us an interesting example of the Lord’s power over all. It says; ‘Why do the heathen rage (throng tumultuously or restlessly), and the people imagine (plot) a vain (worthless) thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed (Messiah, Christ), saying, Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex (distress) them in his sore (deep) displeasure).’ (Ps. 2:1-5)
Yes my brethren, the heathen will not be able to conquer the Lord’s Son, His Messiah, try as they might. That’s why the psalmist warns later on: ‘Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son (an act of homage and submission) lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.’ (Ps. 2:10-12) And that’s the gospel truth my fellow believers! It makes no sense whatsoever trying to fight Almighty God, the Creator and Controller of the universe and all therein. As the ole saying goes, if you can’t beat them, join them.
And joining the army of the Lord’s Son, Jesus Christ is the wisest thing we can ever do. And when we do that, through the Lord’s amazing generosity, numerous undeserved blessings are bestowed upon us to help us do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings, so let’s declare them right now, so they can be activated, because 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 made that declaration, we’re now duty bound to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do1 Much LOVE!
…why experience God’s terrible wrath…when you can experience His wonderful LOVE…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a deep awareness of suffering, a strong wish to help others, absorbed only in our own affairs, abundancecurse, allowing evil to seep into our consciousness, another beautiful summer's day, burnt oofferings and sacrifices, children of the Most High God Jehovah, christianity, clear direction for my life, come to know and love christ like we do, compassion, courage, creativity, died in the wilderness, divine protection, every tempestuous storm, faith, faith that will not die, favour, forward to God's compassionate ways, go out of our way to help, goes beyond simple sympathy, greed, holy spirit, I stake my life, I will be your God, if not dear God, integrity is sadly lacking in our world, Jesus Christ, lack of Christlikeness, lead us astray, leave the big concerns to God, LOVE, may the Lord have mercy and compassion on us, mercy, my part is to trust and obey, negative word, nor inclined their ear, nothing in my life makes any sense, obey my voice, One Year Book of Bible promises, our audacity to question the integrity of Jesus, our world is headed back towards Satan, ours is not to question why, pass by on the other side, pay the price for disobedience, promotion, rebellion against Almighty God, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, see me through every fiery furnace, self-control, self-discipline, selfishness, stake my life totally completely permanently, staring in the face, supernatural wisdom, take action to ease pain, talent, that it may be well unto you, the BIBLE, the disobedience of the Israelites in the wilderness, the epitome of the word, the Good Samaritan Parable, the gospel truth, the imagination of their evil heart, the integrity of Jesus, the priest and Levite, the Promised Land, the unpredictable month of September, they hearkened not, this one thing I commanded them, to perform what you promised, trust and obey, truth, trying and uncertain times, undeserved blessings, use those blessings to help others, variable types of weather, walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, walked in the counsels, wandered forty years in the wilderness, went backward and not forward, wisdom, ye shall be my people, you will do all you promised, your part is
Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 August 2026 Jeremiah 7:23.
Jeremiah 7:23. Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.
And it’s another beautiful summer’s day, thus we cry out: ‘Thank You Lord!’ For we’re almost staring into the face of that unpredictable month of September, which can unexpectedly bring very variable types of weather. And though we can handle anything that comes against us because we’re children of the Most High God Jehovah, it’s desirable to have good weather as much as possible. (smile)
But instead of worrying about the weather, here’s something more important for us to be concerned about. It’s this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. Just for the fun of it, I checked out the August 20 poem and found it ever so true and worthwhile for sharing today. (smile) And it’s the first time I can remember doing a poem on the day on which it was listed. So it must be a good sign. (smile)
Anyway, the poem’s titled, ‘I Stake My Life.’ So please read with me: ‘I stake my life totally Completely Permanently On the Integrity of Jesus. Lord, Your integrity means You will do all You promised. You will see me through Every fiery furnace Every tempestuous storm. If not, dear God Then nothing in life Makes any sense whatever. Your part is to perform What You promised. My part is to trust and obey.’
And isn’t that the gospel truth! We’re to leave all the big concerns to God and simply trust and obey His will and commands. But what has me chuckling in the poem is our audacity to question the integrity of Jesus, to tell Him what it means, as though He isn’t the person who had, has, and will always have the most integrity in this universe. Instead of being concerned with Christ’s integrity we should be more concerned with our own, for integrity is not something that’s cherished by this evil and ungodly world.
In fact, the lack of integrity seems to find more favour today than the possession of it, because we’ve become such a lying, fraudulent and deceitful society that anyone who possesses any integrity is frowned upon, even laughed at as an oddity or even a fool. But there should never be any question of Jesus’ integrity, for He is the epitome of the word. and He will see us through the fiery furnace and tempestuous storm as He’s promised. Our concern ought to be believing and trusting Him, that means listening to and following this command that serves as the Bible verse for today’s poem.
Talking about the disobedience and rebellion of the Israelites in their journey through the wilderness towards the Promised Land, through the prophet Jeremiah, the Lord says, He didn’t tell them anything about burnt offerings and sacrifices. ‘But this one thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.’ (Jer. 7:23)
Yes my fellow believers, that’s what we ought to be about in these trying and uncertain times; obeying the Lord’s commands so that life will be good with us! But are we doing it? Unfortunately not as much as we ought to, because we’re allowing the evil and ungodly world to seep into our consciousness and lead us astray. We’re doing exactly like the Lord said of the Israelites back then. ‘But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and the imagination (stubbornness) of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.’ (Jer. 7:24)
Now anyone with an iota of sense can see that our world is headed backward towards Satan and his evil doings, rather than forward, towards God and His good and compassionate ways. Unsurprisingly then, that word ‘compassion’ is not one that’s bandied about much in today’s society, much less having its attributes displayed on a large scale.
And what does compassion mean? This overview explains it thus: ‘Compassion is a deep awareness of the suffering of others combined with a strong wish to help them. It goes beyond simple sympathy by moving a person to take action to ease pain.’ But sadly, how many of us today, even when we see someone suffering, will go out of our way to help them? Not very many. We behave like the priest and the Levite in the parable of the Good Samaritan; we pass by on the other side, too busy and selfish, completely absorbed only in our own affairs.
And we all know the great number of people that are currently suffering in our wealthy but evil and ungodly world, badly needing compassion, but because of the selfishness, greed and lack of Christlikeness in so many of us, they continue to suffer when they should not. And do you think the Lord will look down on us kindly if we hold those selfish and ungodly attitudes? Obviously not! Just like those Israelites who came out of Egypt, saw all the wonders God did on their behalf and yet rebelled against Him, never made it to the Promised Land, but wandered for forty years in the wilderness and then died there, likewise we will pay the price for disobedience and rebellion against Almighty God.
What’s wrong with us eh? He’s said it numerous times in His word, and we’ve seen it happen numerous times to those who disobey, but somehow or other we think it won’t happen to us, so we keep on being rebellious and disobedient. For our sakes, may the Lord have mercy and compassion on us yes! But for those of us who sincerely believe and are trying to be obedient, let’s go home declaring our Thursday Blessings, undeserved blessings generously bestowed on us by the Lord to do His earthly work.
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 made that declaration, we’re now duty bound to go out and use those blessings 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!
…ours is not question why…but to trust and obey…to have faith that will not die…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: a common denominator, a fine summer's day, a real late bus, appear beautiful outward, at the least convenient time, being honest, beleivers also need to wake up and smell the coffee, better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, by the good example we your faithful believers set, Christ demands integrity from His followers, christianity, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, derogatory remarks, diligence, divine help, do our best to make our actions match our words, doing the right thing, doing the right thing even when no one's watching, don't get too self-righteous, enjoying the weekend, faith, for Christ's sake, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, full of dead men's bones, full of hypocrisy and iniquity, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship and relaxation, God's omnipotent help, God's generous help, he that is perverse in his lips and is a fool, he that is perverse in his ways, help us to be responsible, holy spirit, hypocrites, iin soul body and mind, incorruptible, integrity, Jesus Christ, Jesus was a perfect example of integrity, like unto whited sepulchres, LOVE, mercy, never too late to share God's word, no internet connection, of all uncleanness, our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffe, people who don't do what they say, perverse in his ways though he is rich, renewed and refreshed, salvation, serious problems are escalating, sincerity, smell it sweet and strong, stand strong and steadfast, strong mral prinicples, technology can nake and break you, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the gospel truth, the weekend is here at last, to handle unexpected storms properly, trusting faith, truth, ungodly times, wisdom, wise guidance, woe unto you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites, ye outwardly appear righteous unto men
Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 August 2026 Proverbs 19:1.
Proverbs 19:1. ‘Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.’
Ah friends, we’re on a real late bus today. At one stage I wondered if it would even come. But it did come eventually, and it’s not too late to write a short sweet Friday Bit, because I hate missing any days, unless I’m too sick to do so. (smile) And this lateness stems from the fact that I have had no internet connection for the last 24 hours. Technology, technology, technology! It can make you, but it can also break you, and at a time when it’s least convenient.
I won’t even bother to explain what I’ve been going through for the last two days with my internet service provider. Trying to fix one problem caused a whole black out of internet and TV service, and it was only late this afternoon that a technician came and fixed it. The problem though is that all of them have problems, and getting them fixed in a timely and unstressed manner seems to be a common denominator, so moving from to another doesn’t make much sense, for you’ll be only faced with a different kind of problem and go through the same stress to have it fixed. End of my complaining! (smile)
Oh, by now, everybody will have already shouted up their Friday mantra: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at last!’ gone to work on a fine summer’s day and be enjoying the weekend activities, after a long and tiring five days of consecutive work. But it’s never too late to share the Word of God. So let’s delve in and come up with a short, sweet Friday Bit! (smile)
And here is the perfect scripture to titillate us today. It comes from the Proverbs of Cousin Sol, and warns: ‘Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.’ (Prov. 19:1) And isn’t that the gospel truth my faithful brethren, for if it’s one thing Christ desires from His followers is integrity. And what’s integrity eh?
Basically, it’s like this overview describes. ‘Integrity means being honest. It means having strong moral principles. A person with integrity does the right thing. They do this even when no one is watching. The word also means being whole, complete, or undivided, as well as incorruptible. Small examples are like returning extra change given to you by a cashier by mistake, or keeping a promise even when it is hard to do.’
And our Lord and Saviour Jesus was the perfect example of integrity! Now, following Him is not always easy for us, but we must always do the best we can, especially in respect of things like integrity, sincerity and diligence. That’s because those around us might not hear what we say about the gospel, but they will certainly see it from our lifestyle. And remember examples speak for forcibly than words. So although others may not remember what you say, they’ll certainly remember what you do, how you behave in certain situations.
Now that’s one of the big problems in Christ’s church today. Too many of us supposed Christians say one thing and then do something entirely different, something that does not jive with our words. It’s why Jesus made these derogatory remarks about the Jewish leaders of His day. ‘Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres (whitewashed tombs), which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity (lawlessness).’ (Matt. 23:27-28)
And that my friends is one of the reasons why the unbeliever doesn’t pay much attention to supposed Christians; because many of us are simply a bunch of hypocrites! And why would you knowingly want to mix with a bunch of people who don’t do what they say, keep promises, or show true integrity eh? And integrity was so important that Cousin Sol wrote about it twice: ‘Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness (integrity), than he that is perverse in his ways, though he is rich.’ (Prov. 28:6) That just goes to show that neither wealth, power or any other earthly trapping ought to make us lose or lack integrity!
So, to get divine help in that most important aspect of our Christian lives, lets’ go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. 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. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good 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 remember, let’s not get too self-righteous, because we too need to wake up and smell the coffee, so that we can do a better job for Jesus Christ! Much LOVE!
for Christ’s sake…let’s do our best…to make our actions match our words…and vice versa…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a renewal of faith and confidence, a song about finding strength, a soulful ballad, a spiritual source, a unique song, and lo I am with you always, beats so imperfectly, believest thou this, bondage to Satan, Christians, come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, during difficult times, each restless heart, emotional weariness, empowers others to overome adversity, even unto the end of the world, faith, find rest unto your souls, finding inner strength and hope, for praise worship and thanksgiving, gentle and humble in heart, give you rest, have the light of life, he that believeth on me shall never thirst, he that cometh to me shall never hunger, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, holy spirit, hope, I am filled with wonder, I am still, I am strong, I am the bread of life, I am the good shepherd, I am the resurrection and the life, I am the way the truth and the life, I can stand on mountains, I glimpse eternity, I know my sheep and are known of mine, in the face of worldly challenges, Jesus Christ, Jesus is a Superstar, Jesus is there for us in any area we need help, Jesus will take good care of us, Jesus' yoke is filled with mercy and grace, join other believers in the Lord's sancturary, Josh Groban, learn of me, long holiday weekend, LOVE, meek and lowly in heart, mercy, most important action, my heart burdened be, my soul so weary, no life without its hunger, no man cometh unto the Father but by me, numerous festivities taking place, perseverance, reach your full potential, salvation, Secret Garden, sinful darkness, sweet sacrifices of praise, take my yoke upon you, that action under our belt, the BIBLE, the first Sunday in August, the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep, the gospel truth, the great invitation, the light of the world, the love and guidance of God, the presence of a loving you, the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit, the sacrifice of Jesus, the support of another person, though he were dead yet shall he live, to be more than I can be, to walk on stormy seas, truth, until you come and sit awhile with me, wait here in silence, when I am down, when I am on your shoulders, when troubles come, when you come, whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die, wisdom, You Raise Me Up
Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 August 2026 Matthew 28:20b.
Matthew 28:20b. …and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
Oh my people, on this first Sunday in August, although the rain is trying to create some unnecessary havoc, with the long holiday weekend in progress, and the numerous festivities taking place, let’s not forget the most important action we need to take; that’s joining other believers in the Lord’s sanctuary for praise, worship and thanksgiving. For without that action under our belt, the upcoming week will not be as easy to handle, for our faith and confidence would not have received its weekly renewal. (smile)
And to help us do that this week, we have a wonderful song to sing; one that all of us know and LOVE; one simply titled, ‘You Raise Me up.’ It’s a song originally recorded in 2001 by the duo Secret Garden with singer Brian Kennedy, but was made famous worldwide by Josh Groban in 2003. And it’s one of those unique songs that speak to all of us in one way or another, so let’s not delay any longer, and offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful ballad, a scintillating, heartfelt version.
Singing: ‘When I am down and oh, my soul so weary When troubles come and my heart burdened be Then I am still and wait here in the silence Until You come and sit awhile with me (Chorus: You raise me up so I can stand on mountains You raise me up to walk on stormy seas I am strong when I am on Your shoulders You raise me up to more than I can be: You raise me up so I can stand on mountains You raise me up to walk on stormy seas I am strong when I am on Your shoulders You raise me up to more than I can be.)
There is no life, no life without its hunger Each restless heart beats so imperfectly But when You come and I am filled with wonder Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity You raise me up so I can stand on mountains (You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains) You raise me up to walk on stormy seas (Walk on stormy seas) And I am strong when I am on Your shoulders Oh, you raise me up to more than I can be You raise me up to more than I can be.’
That was wonderful friends! And though the song is not a recognized hymn, it does have many of the qualities that most hymns have. It’s like this Overview explains. ‘”You Raise Me Up” is an inspiring ballad about finding strength, hope, and perseverance through the support of another person, often interpreted as God or a spiritual source, especially during difficult times. The lyrics describe a person’s emotional weariness and how the presence of a LOVING “you” empowers them to overcome adversity, “stand on mountains,” “walk on stormy seas,” and achieve more than they could alone.’
And isn’t that the gospel truth! We could not find our way in this life without the awesome LOVE and guidance of our wonderful God, through the sacrifice of His sinless Son, Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary, and then the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit within us to help lead and guide us along the straight and narrow path! And we discover that situation, right in the very first verse, where troubles burden us, and we sit in silence waiting until that special someone comes to sit with us.
Who’s that special someone eh? No one but Jesus, as He offers His Great Invitation to all who are burdened and weary. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30)
Yes friends, Jesus’ yoke is indeed light, for it’s not as heavy as the yoke that the Rabbis of old, placed on their followers, with the numerous laws that no sinful human could ever keep properly. Instead, Jesus’ yoke is light and unencumbered, because it’s filled with mercy and grace. That makes Him the best One to provide comfort and support and lift you up when you are hurting.
And if as they say, the song is about finding inner strength and hope in the face of worldly challenges, He is indeed the One most able to provide those things. And if you’re also looking for someone to support you, so that you can reach your full potential, and even greater, then Jesus is again the One you need. For lets’ look at all the things He is and does.
In the first place, He claims: ‘I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.’ (John 8:35) He is the bread that gives spiritual and eternal life. Then He claims: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12) That means Jesus won’t allow you to be pressured into or remain in the sinful darkness and bondage that Satan delights in keeping those who follow him.
Then again, as Jesus says to Martha, Lazarus’ sister: ‘I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead (may die), yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?’’ (John 11:25-26) Now that’s a good question for all of us to seriously ponder. Then there’s this claim, where Jesus says to the disciple Thomas, and consequently to all of us: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.’ (John 14:6) So nobody can get to Father God, but through belief in His Son Jesus Christ.
Then last, but by no means last, Jesus claims: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep… I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.’ (John 10:11&14) And we all know what a good shepherd does- take good care of the sheep in his flock. Therefore, if we put our trust in Jesus, He will take good care of us. In fact, all those ‘I am’ statements were to show us how unique and all-encompassing is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. In any area in which we need help, He is always there for us. As he says at the end of the Great Commission: ‘and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b)
Now how can you beat that eh? You simply cannot, for Jesus is a Superstar; the One and only One in the universe. That means we can rest assured in all areas of our lives, if we have Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. Let’s hope you do. Much LOVE!
…Jesus can raise us up from any state or trouble…in which we find ourselves…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
25 Jul 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a call for hope, a declaration of hope, a declaration of humility, a declaration of trust, A Humble Heart, abundant redemption, as a child that is weaned of his mother, associate with humble folks, Baruch, be a faithful minister, be not wise in thine own eyes, be not wise in your own conceits, be not wise in your own estimation, being like a little child before the Lord, Christians, cling to God with all our might, condescend to men of low estate, content with the Lord's appointment, deepen my breath, don't seek out your own greatness, don't set your mind on high things, eating grass like and ox, enjoying the good weather, faith, fear the Lord and depart from evil, give thee thy life as a prize, holy spirit, I have behaved, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, I will bring evil upon all flesh, in all places whither thou shalt go, in all sincerity and truth, in things too high for me, increase my awareness of you today, Jeremiah's secretary, Jesus Christ, know you all the more, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, lean not unto thine own understanding, let Israel hope in the Lord, lolling in the sunshine, LOVE, loving-kindness, mercy, mind not high things, my heart is not haughty, my soul is even as a weaned child, Nebuchadnezzar, neither do I exercise myself in great matters, nor mine eyes lofty, peace and calm, Pharaoh, quiet my soul, quieted myself, recognized the sovereignty of God, redeem Israel from all his iniquities, rejoicing, relax my muscles, salvation, seek them not, seekest thou great things for thyself, slow my thoughts, thank you for this tenderness, that which I have built I will break down, that which I have planted I will pluck up, the BIBLE, the breath of life, the breath of life is still flowing through one's body, the gospel truth, the Lord checks our hearts, the Lord delights in having intimacy with us, the Lord God of Abraham Isaac and jacob, the Lord silikes pride and haughtiness, the plagues of Egypt, thy life will I give unto thee for a prey, to our hungry souls, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, truth, well done thou good and faithful servant, wisdom, with the Lord there is mercy, woe is me now, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 July 2026 Jeremiah 45:5a.
Jeremiah 45:5a. And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not:
Wow! It’s our lazy-day Saturday! And I did enjoy some lazy-time in my bed this morning, but had to cut it short to come down and write the Bit. But them’s the breaks! (smile) And besides, it’s too beautiful a summer’s day to waste just lying in bed doing nothing. One should be up and about outside enjoying the good weather, lolling in the sunshine and rejoicing that the breath of life is still flowing through one’s body.
However, before we do any lazy stuff, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, in all sincerity and truth. As one strong voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And as always, when the Lord checks our hearts, if He finds them to be sincere, then He’ll soon be sending the peace and calm that we requested, to our hungry souls, for He just delights in having intimacy with His greatest creation; the human being. And today we’ll look at Psalm 131, titled ‘A Humble Heart,’ Bruh David’s declaration of humility. So please read with me: ‘Lord, my heart is not haughty (proud), nor mine eyes lofty (conceited): neither do I exercise (concern) myself in great matters, or in things too high (difficult, profound) for me. Surely I have behaved (calmed) and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child. Let Israel hope in the Lord from henceforth and for ever.’ (Ps. 131:1-3)
Yes friends, it’s short and simple but contains some profound sentiments. The first one is humility. Remember the Lord dislikes pride and haughtiness possibly more than anything else, because it shows that you have no need of or use for Him. Cousin Sol calls it one of the seven abominations that the Lord dislikes, (Prov. 6:16-19) and throughout the Bible those who have been overly proud have eventually been brought to task by the Lord. For example, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon who thought he was so great, and the Lord humbled him by seven years of madness, eating grass like the ox, until he recognized the sovereignty of the God of Daniel, the One True God. (Dan. 4)
And like Pharaoh, ruler of the greatest nation at the time, who refused to free the Israelites and faced a whole lot of plagues on Egypt, then drowned Pharaoh’s army in the Red Sea when trying to pursue the fleeing Israelites, breaking Egypt’s power, humbling her, through His great might. (Ex. 7-12)
Then there’s this interesting story of the biblical scribe, Baruch, the prophet Jeremiah’s secretary. It seems Baruch was of noble birth and was apparently aware that he could have risen to a high position, but under Jeremiah’s influence, he repressed his ambition, being contented to follow the prophet. Jeremiah dictated his prophecies to Baruch, who read them to the people. King Jehoiakim was a greatly angered at hearing them, and had Baruch arrested and the scroll burned. Baruch was eventually taken to Egypt, along with Jeremiah. (43:6)
Now, apparently at one stage Baruch had been depressed and or unhappy, and had written ‘Woe is me now! for the Lord hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.’ (Jer. 45: 3) Then the Lord instructed Jeremiah: ‘Thus shalt thou say unto him, The Lord saith thus; Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land. And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil (adversity) upon all flesh, saith the Lord: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey (as a prize) in all places whither thou goest.’ (Jer. 45: 4-5)
Yes my people, that’s the voice of the Lord warning one worker not to seek his own greatness, but to stick with the Lord’s work. As the scholars say: ‘Baruch’s lofty calling was simply to be a faithful minister, content with the Lord’s appointment. For faithfulness has its own reward.’ And that’s the living truth! For when we serve the Lord faithfully and don’t seek out our own greatness, He rewards us with lasting favour and mercy.
And we have this other passage from Bruh Paul to the Romans where he warns about high-minded and haughty things. ‘Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not (do not set your mind on) high things, but condescend to men of low estate (associate with humble folks). Be not wise in your own conceits (estimation).’ (Rom. 12:16) Now that’s wonderful advice my brethren, for as Cousin Sol warns in Proverbs: ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding… Be not wise in tine own eyes: fear the Lord and depart from evil.’ (Prov. 3:5; 7)
Exactly what Bruh Paul said. For being haughty, wise and know it all, will only bring your down fall eventually, when the Lord gets tired of your foolish pride. But getting back to Psalm 131. The scholars say that the second verse where Bruh David claims to have weaned himself like a child is a declaration of his trust in the Lord, being like a little child before Him, and the third verse is a call for hope. It’s like what the palmist says in Psalm 130: ‘Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS), and with him is plenteous (abundant) redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.’ (Ps. 130:7-8)
Now that’s the gospel truth my brethren! For only with the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, is there much LOVING-KINDNESS and plenty redemption! Therefore wisdom dictates that we follow the Lord, cling to Him with all our might, so that we can receive His numerous, wonderful rewards at the end. Much LOVE!
…the words every believer desires to hear…well done…thou good and faithful servant…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
12 Jul 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a humble and grateful attitude, a stressful time, a very present help in trouble, an abundantly available in time of trouble help, approach life and God with a heart full of thankfulness, be thankful unto him, bless His name, blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul, born from the depths of such unimaginable sorrow, Christ has regarded my helpless estate, devout Christian, enter into his gates with thanksgiving, faith, faith shall be like sight, find words of God to reassure us, for thy coming we wait, God has the power to overcome even the darkest times, God is a refuge for us, God is our comfort and calm, God is our refuge and strength, God will see us through any storm, haste the day, he is my defence, He only is my rock and my salvation, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endureth to all generations, holy spirit, Horatio Spafford, I bear it no more, I shall not be moved, in death as in life, In God is my salvation and my glory, into his courts with praise, it is well, it is well with my soul, Jesus Christ, joyful celebration, let this blest assurance control, LOVE, mercy, much like Job, my expectation is from him, my refuge is in God, my sin, my soul, nailed to the cross, not in part but in whole, only in god can we ever find true refuge and solace, Philip Bliss, placed his trust in god both in prosperity and calamity, pour out your heart before him, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord O my soul, S.S Ville de Havre, salvation, scarlet fever, Selah, shall we not receive evil, shall we receive good at the hand of God, shed his own blood for my soul, silently wait thou only upon God, sorrows like sea billows roll, strong faith does not spare us from adversity, sweet sacrifices of praise, taught me to say, terrible upheaval, the bliss of this glorious thought, the clouds be rolled back as a scroll, the gospel truth, the Great Chicago Fire, The Lord is good, the Lord shall descend, the mountains shake with the swelling thereof, the only way to keep things together, the pinnacle of success, the rock of my strength, the sky not the grave is our goal, the trump shall resound, the waters thereof roar and be troubled, therefore will not we fear, though Satan should buffet, though the earth be removed, though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, tragedy, tragic loss, tragic times, trials should come, trump of the angel, trust in him at all times, truth, turmoil, turn to the scriptures, voice of the Lord, whatever my lot, when peace like a river attendeth my way, when tragedy strikes turn to God, whisper thy peace to my soul, wisdom
Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 July 2026 Psalm 46:1.
Psalm 46:1. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in trouble.
And after our lazy-day Saturday, where we do little or nothing, comes the Lord’s Day, Sunday, when we go to church, or as the psalmist says: ‘Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100:4-5) Yes, my fellow believers, that’s how we ought to enter the Lord’s sanctuary today, and every day we visit it.
As this overview puts it. ‘The scripture invites believers into God’ presence. It beautifully pairs a humble, grateful attitude with joyful celebration, serving as a reminder to approach life—and God—with a heart full of thankfulness.’ So please let that always be our attitude when we go to church, for that’s what the Lord expects of us. And today’s song of worship is a well-known and marvellous song, but one with a heartbreaking story. It’s titled, ‘It is well with my Soul.’
The story goes that Horatio Spafford (1828-1888) a Presbyterian layman, successful lawyer and real estate investor in Chicago, had four beautiful daughters and one son. One commentary describes him thus: ‘Much like Job, he placed his trust in God during his life’s prosperity, but also during its calamities.’ And just like Job, at his pinnacle of success, living a blessed life, he encountered numerous calamities. As the commentary says: ‘But faith, no matter how great does not spare us from adversity.’
To begin with, his four-year-old son died from scarlet fever. Then, when the Great Chicago Fire happened in 1871, Spafford lost most of his real estate fortune. Obviously, it was a very stressful time for Spafford and his family. Then in 1873, with his wife still overcome by grief, He decided to send her and their four daughters to England for a holiday aboard the S. S. Ville de Havre., intending to join them later after straightening out some business affairs.
While crossing the Atlantic Ocean on November 22, 1873, the ship became involved in a terrible collision and apparently sank within 12 minutes. Spafford’s four daughters and some 200 hundred other people died in that tragedy. It is said that when his wife Anna reached Cardiff, Wales, she sent her husband a telegram that began: “Saved alone. What shall I do?” After receiving the telegram Spafford immediately set sail for England, and during the voyage, the captain, who was aware that Spafford had lost his four daughters in the collision, requested Spafford to join him.
The captain pointed out the location where the collision occurred. A devout Christian, Spafford thought about his four daughters, and he was comforted by the hope he had. He rushed to his room, and penned the words to a poem, which was the beginning of this timeless hymn. A few years later, famous hymn composer, Philip Bliss (1838-1876) was apparently so moved by Spafford’s prose, that he composed a peaceful tune to accompany the words. The song was published by Bliss and Sankey, in 1876.
So now that we know the story behind the song, let’s finally offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise, in a soulful, heartfelt, mid-tempo rendition. Singing: ‘When peace like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say It is well, it is well, with my soul (Chorus: It is well (it is well) With my soul (with my soul) It is well, it is well with my soul.)
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, Let this blest assurance control, That Christ has regarded my helpless estate, And hath shed His own blood for my soul. (Chorus) My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought My sin, not in part but the whole, Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, o my soul (Chorus) For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live: If Jordan above me shall roll, No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul. (Chorus)
But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait, The sky, not the grave, is our goal; Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord! Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul! (Chorus) And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight, The clouds be rolled back as a scroll; The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, Even so, it is well with my soul. It is well (it is well) With my soul (with my soul) It is well, it is well with my soul.’
Now that was certainly beautiful and heartfelt, so much so, that all heaven sang along with us. And to be a believer with such awesome faith is certainly not easy, because that kind of tragic loss reaches right down into one’s soul, just desiring to eat away at it. But like Job, Spafford must have reasoned: ‘What? shall we receive (accept) good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive (accept) evil (calamity)?’ (Job 2:9a)
Yes, that would be the right thing to say, but very few of us under those circumstances would probably not be able to even think those words much less speak them. Neither the words, ‘It is well with my soul,’ for most of our souls would be in terrible upheaval and turmoil. And at such tragic times the only way to keep things somewhat together is by turning to the scriptures and finding words of God to reassure us.
Words like these from the Sons of Korah in Psalm 46: ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available) help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst (heart) of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.’ (Ps. 46:1-3)
And then we have words like these from Bruh David in Psalm 62, that we only recently spoke about. He writes: ‘My soul, (silently) wait thou only upon God; for my expectation (hope) is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved (shaken). In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.’ (Ps. 62: 5-8) Yes friends when tragedy strikes, God should be our strength and refuge, our comfort and calm, for no else can do it like Him.
And this commentary provides us with a very good ending. ‘It’s incredible to think such encouraging and uplifting words were born from the depths of such unimaginable sorrow. It’s an example of truly inspiring faith and trust in the Lord. And it goes to show the power our God has to overcome even the darkest times of our earthly life. We pray this brought you inspiration. Be sure to share this story with others who could use a reminder that our God will see us through any storm!’ And that’s the gospel truth! So please remember it! Much LOVE!
in tragic times…only in Jehovah God…can we ever find true refuge and solace…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Jul 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a missing piece of the puzzle, a secret compartment, a wise and understanding heart, acknowledge your sovereignty, an understanding heart, angry, as thy father David did walk, bitter rebellion, bring unexplainable mystery, build up a pretense, catch our second wind, christianity, commandments, conditional promises, conscience-stricken, crowd you out, delights, deliver me according to thy word, discern between good and bad, disheartened, done according to thy words, eventually exposed, everlasting, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fame, feel such bitter rebellion, filled with the Spirit of God, fools despise wisdom, get wisdom, getting wisdom is easy, give me understanding according to thy word, God is too mysterious for our liking, God's timing is different to ours, halfway home, hands on the plough, heartsick, hide my emotions, holy spirit, human nature rebels against authority, I am desolate, in every area of my bewildered life, Jesus Christ, keep my statutes and commandments, lengthen thy days, let my cry come near before thee O Lord, long life, LOVE, mercy, my soul cleaveth unto the dust, my unpredictable life, mysterious God, none like thee before thee, not turning back, One Year Book of Bible promises, our second wind day, power, precepts, prolong your life, promised me so much, puzzled, quicken thou me according to thy word, regardless of circumstances, rejecting you, reverential awe of God, riches, righteousness, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, slowly but surely, so glad to be alive, stick with Christ to the very end, surrender to God, taken hold of me, talk of thy wondrous works, teach me thy statutes, testimonies, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the depth of despair, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, the gospel truth, the great perplexities, the life of thine enemies, the righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting, thy commandments are my delights, to a glorious future with Jesus, to offer myself to you, to toe the line, trouble and anguish, trouble and anguish have taken hold of me, truth, turn away from God, uncertain and troubled times, understand the way of thy precepts, Unexplainable Mystery, up in the air without answers, wait so long, walk in my ways, wealth, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, wisdom is the principal thing, with all thy getting get understanding
Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 July 2026 Psalm 119:169.
Psalm 119:169. Let my cry come near before thee O Lord: give me understanding according to thy word.
Now, would you believe the week just started and it’s already Wednesday, our second wind day. Best catch our second wind if we want to continue doing good work for Jesus and making worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks. (smile) And it looks like it’s going to be another hot summer’s day, and that’s what we’ve been clamouring for all winter, so let’s enjoy it, because it’s not going to last much longer.
Today we’ll look at an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This one’s titled ‘Unexplainable Mystery,’ and as usual I don’t know if I’ve ever shared it, but it’s certainly worth sharing in these uncertain and troubled times. So please read with me: ‘Mysterious God Today I am desolate I am puzzled I am heartsick That I must wait so long When you have promised so much. At the same time I am conscience-stricken That I should feel such bitter rebellion.
Yet, to try to hide my emotions Would only build up a pretense That would be eventually exposed. I suppose, O God In the great perplexities Of my unpredictable life One of two things will always happen: Either I will crowd You out (Slowly but surely) Or I will acknowledge Your sovereignty In every area of my bewildered life. To offer myself to You Regardless of circumstances May always bring unexplainable mystery. But rejecting You totally brings the depth of despair.’
And isn’t that the gospel truth my people! Yes, it’s difficult sometimes to wait on God, for His timing is very often not ours, but believe me, rejecting Him totally would be the biggest mistake we can ever make, for He is the Creator and Provider and if we don’t acknowledge Him, then our lives will become even more miserable than they already are. We need someone strong and wise to help us fight the evil and ungodliness of the world, and the Lord God Almighty is the ONLY ONE who can do that on our behalf!
And yes, God’s made many promises, but many of them are conditional, tied into our reaction to Him, but since our human nature is to naturally rebel against authority, especially God, it’s often hard for us to toe the line that He draws in our hearts, or to wait until He is ready to keep a particular promise. Thus, when He leaves us up in the air without any cognitive answers, then we get angry and disheartened and want to turn away from Him. He is too mysterious for our liking. We don’t understand much of what He does, but that is exactly why He is God!
If we understood everything God does, and there was no air of mystery surrounding Him, then we’d have no use for Him, we’d be able to do our own thing. But let’s remember that the Lord in His superb wisdom and understanding made a secret compartment in each of us that keeps us from being truly happy until we surrender to Him. So regardless of all the wealth, power and fame we might have, without God in our spirit and soul, there’ll always be a missing piece of the puzzle. And we see it all around our world today; lots of people have wealth, power and fame, but they are still not happy or contented; that’s because that secret place in their soul has not been truly filled with the Spirit of God.
And the Bible promise for today’s poem is also an interesting one. It comes from Psalm 119, and says: ‘Let my cry come near before thee O Lord: give me understanding according to thy word. Let my (prayer of) supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy word (promise).’ (Ps. 119:169-170) And that’s a familiar cry all throughout the Bible. And right there in Psalm 119, the psalmist makes that cry a couple of times. Just before today’s promise He pleads: ‘Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: yet thy commandments are my delights. The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live.’ (Ps. 119:143-144)
And at the beginning of the psalm, he declares: ‘My soul cleaveth unto (clings to) the dust: Quicken (revive) thou me according to thy word. I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes. Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.’ (Ps. 119:25-27) And remember what Cousin Sol says in Proverbs: ‘The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the (principal) beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.’ (Prov. 1:7) And that’s no lie as we can see from all the foolishness that’s currently going on in our ungodly world!
And Cousin Sol spells it out later on: ‘Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.’ (Prov. 4:7) And we see Him doing exactly that when the Lord asked him what he wanted. And he replied: ‘Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great people?’ (1 Kin. 3:9)
Oh mih people, Cousin Sol’s answer pleased the Lord so much that He showered him with blessings, saying to Him: ‘Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked for riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgement (justice); Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any (anyone) among the kings like unto thee all thy days. And if thou wilt walk in my ways to keep my statutes and my commandants, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen (prolong) thy days.’ (1 Kin. 3: 11-14)
Yes friends, that’s how our great God moves: seek His word and honour Him, and He will exalt you. So, let’s seriously start seeking God’s Word and honouring Him nuh, so that He can exalt us. Now let’s declare our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know 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 stick with Christ to the very end, then we’re promised an even more glorious future than we can ask or imagine. So let’s be wise and stick to the very end, so that we can enjoy that mor than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…getting wisdom is easy…just ask it of God…without doubting… (James 1:5)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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