The Overwhelming Importance of Understanding that the Lord Searches All Hearts for Right Motives before Answering Prayers!

24 Oct 2026 Leave a comment

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   24 October 2026   Jeremiah 17:10.

Jeremiah 17:10.       I the Lord search the heart, I try (test) the reins (mind, most secret parts), even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings (deeds).

Oh, what a beautiful lazy-day Saturday it is in my neighbourhood! Another one of those blessed days we’ve been recently having. And after lazing around some in bed, I went out on my front porch and raised my head to heaven and allowed the sun to bathe me in its heat and light! And does it ever feel good to be enjoying not only the sun’s light, but also its heat at this time in late October. So, for that wonderful blessing, let’s raise our eyes and hearts to heaven and 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!’

Now, after offering up that prayer, the Lord will search our hearts to see if our motives are right, or if we’re just offering lip service. And if He finds them to be sincerely seeking greater intimacy with Him, then He will release the peace and calm that only He possesses into our souls and spirits, so that we can get closer to Him and thus enjoy better communion and greater intimacy together, which is His heart’s greatest desire!

And if you don’t believe that the Lord searches our heart motives when we come to Him, there are several scriptures which say just that. Like this famous instance when the Lord sent Samuel to anoint one of Jesse’s sons to be the next king of Israel. Now when Samuel saw the eldest son, Eliab, he thought for sure that he would be the Lord’s anointed. However, the Bible tells us: ‘But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused (rejected) him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.’ (1 Sam. 16:7)

So although Eliab looked perfect on the outside, the Lord did not like the motives of his heart, for they were definitely not with Him as Bruh David’s were. Then later on, after the Lord chooses Cousin Sol to build His temple, Bruh David warns him thus: ‘And thou Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations (intents) of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever. Take heed now; for the Lord hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary: be strong and do it.’ (1 Chr. 28:9-10)

And although we might wonder how the Lord still dealt well with Bruh David despite his many shortcomings, it’s simply because of his right heart motives. The Lord saw from early on that Bruh David indeed had a heart for him, but he made him suffer in other ways for his atrocious unthinking, ungodly behaviour; first by allowing the child he conceived with Bathsheba to die, then have him run for years from king Saul’s murderous jealousy, also by plaguing his family with strife and dissension, even to his son Absalom rebelling against his rule, thus creating civil war in Israel, and finally not allowing him to build the temple. So the important thing in all we do is the motive of our hearts.

That brings us to these powerful words of the Lord through the prophet Jeremiah, where He declares: ‘The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked (incurably sick): who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try (test) the reins (mind, most secret parts), even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings (deeds).’ (Jer. 17:9-10)

And when talking about the hand of God, as the preacher in Ecclesiastes, Cousin Sol adds his two cents worth by saying: ‘This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.’ (Eccl. 9:3) And friends, right now, when we look at the terrible things that are happening in our world, there is absolutely no doubt that the hearts of men are filled with evil and madness, and the sooner that most of them go to the grave, the better off the world would be.

Then there’s this interesting story on the subject of sincere hearts between Jesus and the Pharisees, who accused Jesus’ disciples of breaking ceremonial traditions by not washing their hands before eating. But Jesus responds very testily: ‘Well hath Esaias (Isaiah) prophesied of you hypocrites (pretenders), as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for (as) doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots (pitchers) and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. For Moses said honour thy father and mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death (be put to death): But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say a gift (dedicated to the temple), by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. And ye suffer (allow) him to no more do ought (anything) for his father or his mother; Making the word of God of none (no) effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered (handed down): and many such like things ye do.’ (Mark 7:6-13)

And according to the scholars: ‘Jews could evade responsibility to parents by declaring their substance Corban, “devoted to God.” Religious leaders evidently condoned this clear circumvention of both the letter and intent of the Old Testament.’ And so it is with us today, we invoke many traditions of men to get away from doing the commandments of God. But let’s remember that there will come a judgment day, when we shall answer to a just and righteous judge for all our actions. And this lazy-day Saturday is a good day to ponder our actions! Much LOVE!

…He who has ears to hear…let him hear. (Matt. 11:15)

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

The Overwhelming Importance of Christians having a Right Heart for and with God

12 Sep 2026 Leave a comment

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   12 September 2026   Matthew 15:8.

Matthew 15:8.        ‘This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.’

Oh boy, it’s our lazy-day Saturday! Another bright and sunshiny summer’s day; the perfect day for lazing around and taking things easy after a hectic week. I’m a tad unhappy though because I just had to get up from a nice lazy-day snooze and come downstairs to write the Bit. But dem’s the breaks; you got to do what you got to do. (smile) So, let’s get going by offering 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 all it takes is a sincere, heartfelt plea for more intimacy with Almighty God for Him to flush our souls and spirits with His all embracing calm and peace, because greater intimacy with His human creation is what He so desperately desires. Of course He wants other things like obedience, but the problem is you can do those things and don’t have a true heart for Him.

And there are so many verses of scripture that talk about having a true heart for God, that we can only talk about a few today, beginning with these words of Jesus, where He calls the Pharisees and the religious leaders hypocrites, quoting Isaiah 29:13, and saying: ‘This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.’ (Matt. 15:8)

That states the problem very clearly my people; we can pay lip service to God, saying the right prayers and gushing forth about God, while our hearts and true desires are elsewhere; our inner attitude and real motives being selfish and distant from Him.  And that’s why when the Lord sent Samuel to anoint the next king of Israel, Bruh David, He warns him thus about Eliab, Jesse’s eldest son. ‘Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused (rejected) him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.’ (1 Sam. 16:7)

Yes friends, that tells us very directly that when we approach God for anything, the first thing He does is look at the motives of our heart, and if they aren’t right, He won’t even consider our requests. And nobody knew that better than Bruh David. Listen as he imparts these words of wisdom to Cousin Sol. ‘And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever. Take heed now; for the Lord hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary; be strong, and do it.’ (1 Chr. 28:9-10)

Ah mih people, how I wish that many more of us today would impart those wise words to our children, so that they can grow up in the true presence of God! And we all know that the Lord referred to Bruh David as a man after his own heart, (1 Sam. 13:14) now why is that when Bruh David made several serious mistakes (adultery and murder)? The answer is simple. Unlike Saul who did his own thing then made excuses, Bruh David had a desire to obey God. he was deeply committed to doing God’s will, and when he failed turned to God and repented.

He was only human, like all of us, and obviously made mistakes, but His heart was always stayed upon the Lord. and we see that very clearly when he declares in Psalm 139: ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my (anxious) thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.’ (Ps. 139:23-24) Oh friends, how many of us are brave and true enough to make that request of Jehovah God eh? Not too many; because many of us have a hidden agenda in our hearts that doesn’t vibe with God’s will.

And just look at Bruh David’s response in Psalm 51, to God’s sending the prophet Nathan to accuse him of his sinful behaviour. He immediately repents and plaintively cries out: ‘Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy LOVING-KINDNESS: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

Against thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified (be found just) when thou speakest, and clear (blameless) when thou judgest… Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right (steadfast) spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free (generous) spirit.’ (Ps. 51: 1-4; 10-12)

And yuh know what? The Lord forgave him, because He knew that His heart was right and sincere. However, Bruh David had committed some real grave sins and set a very bad example as the king, so although he was forgiven, he didn’t get away scotch free. War continually came against him, even his son Absalom tried to overthrow him. Then one son raped his half-sister, and another brother killed him. His household was forever plagued with problems and the Lord refused to allow him to build the temple, choosing Cousin Sol instead.

So although we confess, repent and are forgiven, it doesn’t always mean that the slate is completely washed cleaned. No. Sometimes we need to pay a price for our sinful behaviour, and it can often be a steep price, that’s why it’s so much better to do as the late Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) says: ‘Obey God, and leave all the consequences to Him.’ That’s wisdom of the highest order! May we take it to heart this lazy-day Saturday and sincerely and successfully put it into action in our lives. Much LOVE!

..a man after God’s heart…turns back to Him in humility…every time he falls…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   8 June 2024 Jeremiah 29:13.

08 Jun 2024 Leave a comment

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

Jeremiah 29:13.       And ye shall seek me, and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

And it’s another lazy-day Saturday friends, but a rather windy one in my area. Well what’s new about that eh? Nothing! For this will be the third straight windy day we’ve had this week. And according to my theory, it’s blown away most of the rain we were supposed to have. (smile) So we’ve had a miniscule amount of heavenly blessings, compared to what the weather forecasters had predicted. Yesterday was also pretty chilly, as far as I was concerned. But who knows what’s going on in this crazy times of climate change and inconsistent weather patterns? Only the Good Lord…and He’s not telling. So we just have to grin and bear whatever comes against us, of course with His compassionate help! 

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

Now, I just LOVE that prayer, because it’s one the Father cannot refuse to answer if our motives are sincere, since it’s one where we are actively seeking His person, His presence, offering up praise and thanksgiving, asking Him to come more deeply into our lives, our souls, bodies and minds. How could He ever refuse our sincere pleas to know and LOVE Him more eh? Never! Otherwise He’d be denying His own word. Remember what He says in Jeremiah. ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope). Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:11-13) 

Yes friends, when we seek the Lord with all of our hearts, we will find Him, and He will listen to our pleas. But the operative words there are ‘with all of our hearts,’ or in true sincerity. That’s the number one requirement for activating heaven’s help – a true and sincere heart. For as Cousin Sol so wisely tells us in Proverbs: ‘Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth (weighs) the hearts. To do justice and judgement (righteousness and justice) is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.’ (Prov. 21: 2-3) 

So though we may think that everything we do is right, remember the Lord judges us by the motives of our hearts, by what is in our hearts, by our earnest and sincere efforts; rather than by what we can accomplish through our actions. And a long time ago, the Lord pointed out this very salient fact to Samuel when he sent him to choose the new king of Israel from amongst the sons of Jesse. When Samuel saw the fine physical attributes of the eldest son, Eliab, he at once thought that he would be the new king. But the Lord immediately stopped him by saying:  ‘Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused  (rejected) him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.’ (1 Sam. 17:7) It could not get any clearer than that my brethren. 

And later on when Bruh David became king, ‘a man after God’s own heart’ (1 Sam. 13:14) on handing over the building of God’s temple to Cousin Sol, he tells him. ‘And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever. Take heed now; for the Lord hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it.’ (1 Chr. 28:9-10) Oh my people wiser words were never spoken from a father to a son. And those are the kind of words we ought to be speaking to our children in these ungodly and lawless days. 

Now, Jesus also mentions God judging our hearts when He says to the Pharisees: ‘Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.’ (Luke 16:15) And we all know that some things considered acceptable to men are disliked by God to such an extent, that they become abominations to Him; obscene, totally revolting, and hated. 

Then, there are Bruh Paul’s words on the subject of God trying our hearts. In recalling his conduct to the Thessalonians, he says: ‘For our exhortation was not of deceit (error), nor of uncleanness, nor in guile (deceit): But as we were allowed of  (approved by) God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth (tests) our hearts.’ (1 Thess. 2:3-4) 

And I like how the scholars explain that verse. They say: “Allowed” means that God had carefully examined Paul and found him to be fit for the ministry, thus entrusting the apostle with this responsibility. “Trieth” means that the Lord examines him daily to see whether he remains fit and can continue in the ministry. This habitual divine scrutiny is the reason Paul seeks to please God rather than men. God, then, is the ultimate cause and motive of Paul’s ministry, not impurity (vs.3), or of covetousness (vs.5).’ 

And there is no better note to end on today than on that my people; the utmost importance of pleasing God and not man, if we expect our witness to be worth anything! Much LOVE!

…the outward appearance of man is deceitful…for it’s in the heart of man…that his true motives lie…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 June 2018 1 Chronicles 28:9a,b.

17 Jun 2018 Leave a comment

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

1 Chronicles 28:9a,b.   And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind…

                                      HAPPY  FATHER’S  DAY!

Aye mih people, the ole fella is way behind the eight ball this beautiful Father’s Day Sunday morning! Hn, hn! Although I went to bed very early, by my standards (smile) I found it very difficult to get up this morning. Don’t know why. But I managed to crawl out of bed and make it to the early church service as usual, and now am back, and don’t know what to write. 

But the Lord is faithful, and I know that He will show me what to write. However, in the Good Book, there are only a few references to Fathers the way I want them, and I’ve used them all up already. I want something new and fresh. But yuh know what? The Lord is the Boss, and it’s His will that’s going to eventually prevail. 

So if He says write the same old thing again, probably because we didn’t get it the first few times, (smile) then that’s what I’m going to write. I have enough disobedience on my record already. Now let’s turn to some praise and worship, some singing, to loosen up our hearts and make them more receptive to God’s word. 

And today we’re going to belt out an ole favorite written by Maltbie Babcock, (1858-1901) a Syracuse born Presbyterian Minister, and it’s titled ‘This is my Father’s world.’ So let’s raise our voices to heaven, loud and sincere, in sacrificial praise my people. 

‘This is my Father’s world, And to my listening ears All nature sings, and round me rings The music of the spheres. This is my Father’s world: I rest me in the thought Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas– His hand the wonders wrought. This is my Father’s world: The birds their carols raise, The morning light, the lily white, Declare their Maker’s praise. 

This is my Father’s world: He shines in all that’s fair; In the rustling grass I hear Him pass, He speaks to me everywhere. This is my Father’s world: O let me ne’er forget That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the Ruler yet. This is my Father’s world: Why should my heart be sad? The Lord is King: let the heavens ring! God reigns; let earth be glad!’ 

Ah friends, this indeed our Father God’s world, so why should our hearts be sad eh? No reason whatsoever, but many hearts, especially young ones are sad, because they have no earthly father to cuddle and comfort and lead and guide them. Fathers are supposed to be an important part of a family but unfortunately in our society too many families lack fathers, and of those that have them living in, too many have not risen up to the standards expected of them. 

But enough of my preaching, remember I did not want to regurgitate the ole same ole. (smile) So while searching for a suitable Father’s Day Hymn, the Lord in His great faithfulness and amazing wisdom showed me two articles that dealt with the subject of Father’s Day, and I want to reproduce them both here for us. 

The first comes amazingly from a Facebook site, and it says: ‘Father’s Day is a joyous occasion when children express thanks to their father for always being there. This occasion is one of the most eagerly awaited in all parts of the world. 

On this day, children give greeting cards and gifts to their father and spend the entire day with him. People take the opportunity to recognize what all their father has done for them and appreciate his genuine care and concern. One of the ways to express your true feelings for your father is through meaningful hymns. Read on to find some popular hymns for Father’s Day.’ 

I read on and came up with ‘This my father’s world.’ (smile) Yeh friends, Father’s Day is supposed to be a joyous day, but the part of the above article that hurts is that in so many homes, the father is not always there, so the children can’t celebrate with him and appreciate his genuine care and concern. 

And the next article comes from the Christian Media Magazine. And that says: ‘Father’s Day is more than just a day to honor the men that helped bring us into the world, but it is a day to celebrate the men that made us who we are today. This very important day is designed to acknowledge and offer praise, appreciation as well as gratitude to men we call fathers, whether it be by blood relation or mentorship. 

Most people believe that Father’s Day is only about giving gifts, but seem to ignore the fact that this holiday is meant to strengthen the distinct bond of a relationship between a father and his children. Being a father is a blessing directly from God and is God’s gift to us.’ 

I couldn’t put it any better than that friends. And we’ll end with one of the best pieces of advice ever given by a father to a son, that of Bruh David to Cousin Sol. ‘And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.’ (1 Chr.28:9) 

Now Bruh David was by no means perfect, and most fathers are not, but their advice can be worth much more than children can ask for or imagine. It upholds the ole saying; ‘do as I say, but not as I do.’ I know that can sometimes be seen as hypocritical, but the important thing there is to guide the children aright, even though our personal examples leave something to be desired. 

And I thought I’d be regurgitating the same ole, same ole! Hn! Glory to out great God and His awesome faithfulness on this Father’s Day! Please enjoy it with a modicum of circumspection, having Granny’s warning in mind. ‘Sonny boy, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business.’ Wiser words were never spoken my people! Much LOVE!

…The Lord is King…let the heavens ring…God reigns… let earth be glad…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 31 March 2016 Deuteronomy 31:8‏‏

31 Mar 2016 Leave a comment

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

Deuteronomy 31:8.   And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.

Oh friends, what a difference a difference in a day can make in the lives of mortal men eh! Yes sir, the ole fella is waxing philosophical this morning! (smile) 

But all that means is that yesterday was bright and sunny with warm blue clouds floating on high, and it automatically invoked emotions of joy and frivolity, of feelings that all is right with the world, even if that is far from true. But overall a sunny day brings a sense of well being. 

Today however, it’s raining, the streets are wet and slippery, the skies are dark and the soul of man tends towards that same attitude; a dark and dreary feeling, one of nothing’s right, even though everything might be right. 

It just goes to show how our physical circumstances tend to have a strong effect on us. Now yesterday I was out and about with a carefree attitude, today though, I wake up and see the rain and I’m steupsing and somewhat annoyed because I have to go out in such uncomfortable weather. 

But you know what my precious people, in God’s realm though, those things ought not to affect us so strongly, because where our God is concerned everyday is a beautiful day, loaded with all kinds of new blessings and mercies to uplift and improve our physical, emotional and mental circumstances. 

Christians are supposed to be people who run on an even keel, not ones who are ruled by the vagaries of their current situations. That’s why I want to share something from my One More Day – Daily Meditations for People with Chronic Illness. I believe I’ve shared it some time ago, but it’s till useful today. 

The quote is attributed to one Ed Howe, which one I’m not sure, because they are so many of them. (smile) However it says: ‘If you don’t learn to laugh at trouble, you won’t have anything to laugh at when you grow old.’ 

I guess he’s trying to say that when you get old, trouble is what you have more than anything else, so you might as well learn to laugh at it, otherwise you won’t be laughing much. 

And the text says: ‘Laughing with others is important. Learning to laugh at our own problems is even more important. Since we will continue to live with situations that cause us all types of problems, we may as well learn to laugh at ourselves.’ 

And believe you me friends, laughter is the best free remedy available for all kinds of illnesses and problems. When we laugh, it brings on a more positive attitude in our spirits and we don’t seem to feel as dreary and forlorn as we were before, although there may be cause to feel that way. 

And as the text continues: ‘Laughter is a gift we give ourselves. We can carry it with us wherever we go, and it will always be ours.’ 

And all of God’s people declared a loud and lusty ‘Praise the Lord!’ then burst out laughing. 

Ah mih people, laughter is indeed a good remedy for whatever is wrong with our souls. And when that attitude is combined with the strong and faithful promise of our Bit, mankind will surely be able to move mountains. (smile) ‘And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’ 

Now why are we still so fearful in our daily lives eh, even with such a promise from our ever-faithful and omnipotent God? 

It just means that we have not fully surrendered our lives to Him; our trust and faith are not to the level they ought to be. But friends, what’s the point of having promises if we don’t sincerely and fully believe them? None whatsoever! 

Now listen to Bruh David as he counselled Israel and Cousin Sol. ‘Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel the congregation of the Lord, and in the audience of our God, keep and seek for all the commandments of the Lord your God: that ye may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance for your children after you for ever. 

And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off forever. Take heed now; for the Lord hath chosen thee to build a house for the sanctuary: be strong and do it.’ (1 Chr.28:8-10) 

Oh my fellow believers, that is the exact attitude we need to adopt and follow today! We must continually seek God and keep His commandments and be strong and do whatever it is He has called us to do. That is the only way we can win this war against darkness and evil and further the LOVE Revolution of Jesus! 

So, please, let’s show ourselves to be true believers and get started on that righteous journey, right now nuh! Much LOVE!

…Jesus has triumphantly risen from the dead…and sits at the right hand of God the Father interceding for us…so what’s there to be afraid of eh…absolutely NOTHING…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 May 2015 2 Chronicles 7:14‏‏‏‏

22 May 2015 Leave a comment

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

2 Chronicles 7:14. If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn away from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Well a fine Friday morning to you my brethren, my fellow believers in Christ! And the workers declare: ‘It is indeed a fine Friday! The weekend is here! Thank God for that yes! We going to wail down the place!’

And the ones shouting the loudest are those in the U.S. where they celebrate their Memorial Day weekend with joyous gatherings and memorials for those fallen in combat and struggle over the years. But as we keep reminding Friends, don’t leave home without Granny’s advice: ‘drunk or sober, please mind yuh business.’

Yes my people, especially in these times of great celebration, it’s very easy to lose sight of our purpose and get involved in things we shouldn’t, and thus give Lucifer an opening to our soul. Remember he’s always prowling around like a hungry lion, just waiting to pounce on someone who’s gone even slightly astray. (1 Pet. 5:8)

Please let that not be us this Memorial Day weekend. And as always, to help us stay on the right track, let’s chant our Friday Chant with sincerity and purpose. As one now: ‘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.

Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’

Yeh Friends, let’s not forget our earthly purpose; that of spreading the gospel of Jesus to all and sundry, to the entire earth. And it’s indeed a most worthy purpose, though I don’t believe we are doing it as seriously and diligently as we ought to.

Our world is definitely too negative and warlike, and greedy and full of fleshly lusts and abominations for us to be doing a great job. If we were, our world would never be as disgusting and ungodly. But that’s where our Bit comes in.

‘If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn away from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.’

What a great joy that would be my people! But unfortunately it doesn’t seem as though it’s going to happen anytime soon, for sadly we appear to be losing more people to Beelzebub than we’re bringing to Christ. That means we obviously have to step up our efforts to win souls for Christ.

And we can’t do that unless we are living a Christ-like life, which will draw unbelievers to Jesus. Right now, too many supposed Christians are living too much of a worldly life, not practicing what we preach, thus the heathen are not paying any attention to us. And that my Friends, will continue to be our Achilles heel until we come to terms with our Bit.

Anyway, let’s continue disecting our Bit, finding scriptures that pertain to each of the four things we need to do for God to hear from heaven, forgive our sin and heal our land. And oh Friends, does our land ever need healing, in a bad, bad way! Today we’ll deal with ‘and seek my face.’

Oh my people, there are so many instances of that admonition in the Bible that I spent the last half an hour researching them. Conseqeuntly we can only get in a few in the time and space allotted. And we’ll start with Moses warning the Israelites about being taken in the throes of idolatry.

‘But if from then thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. When thou art in tribulation (distress), and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto thy voice;

(For the Lord thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.’ (Deut.4:29-31)

Now Friends, that is exactly the position in which we find ourselves today; our world is in a serious time of tribulation and distress. But are we turning to God, to our merciful God to help right it? Not really. We seem to be more intent on following Beelzebub further down into the mire of sin and hellfire.

Then we have these beautful words of wisdom from Bruh David to Cousin Sol, re building God’s temple. ‘And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.’ (1 Chr.28:9)

And the scholars have an interesting take on the verse. ‘Although David’s charge to Solomon was directed primarily at his son, his point was doubtless not lost on the assembled congregation (cf. 29:9).’

That’s where the people rejoiced as they gave willingly, with a loyal heart, to the building of the temple. So Friends, I hope that Bruh David’s words will also resonate amongst us, so that we can seek God and give willingly to His cause.

And we’ll end with this famous discourse by Jeremiah. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity) to give you an expected end (a future and a hope). Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer.29:11-13)

Ah mih people, what more do we need to make us turn back to the God of our fathers eh? Do we need our world to be actually going up in smoke, when we’re on our last breath, before we run to Him for help, as so many of us do these days?

That’s not true wisdom Friends. We have the opportunity and the faithful promise of a wonderful Deity, so please, let’s take in front, before in front takes us nuh. Much LOVE!

…fools wait until the very last minute to seek succour…but as followers of Jesus…we should not embrace foolish ways…