Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 April 2018 Psalm 1:1.

09 Apr 2018 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 1:1.    Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

Awright mih people, one more time around the track, remember is a marathon we running here, and the race is not for the swift, but for the sure of foot…and the wise ones who depend on Almighty God! 

Yeh, I guess we all realize it’s Monday, and the work merry- go-round begins again. But wisdom dictates that we look at it this way; we at least get a two day break every five days, so there is something to look forward to in the short run, and eventually heaven and eternal life with Jesus in the long run. 

Mama Yo! Now just that promise alone, ought to keep us motoring along each day with no thoughts of worry or pressure or pain since we’re only focused on the bright lights of heaven. (smile) Well we all know it looks good on paper, but it’s not that easy to do in reality, that’s why we have our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to lively us up, so that we can go out to labour with a good attitude, the peace of Jesus in our souls and His joy in our hearts. 

So let’s sing up a storm this morning nuh. ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. 

We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. 

But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. 

Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ 

Now hopefully that kicked in the adrenaline and we’re feeling the feeling; the feeling of Jesus working a substantial change in our attitude toward the work day. Remember, if we don’t work, we won’t get pay, and then we can’t maintain our families and ourselves in the standard to which we’ve become accustomed. 

That alone should strike a note of caution in our hearts, especially with decent jobs so hard to find nowadays, and the economy lurching unsteadily back and forth, like a drunken man. So although we may not like our jobs, we ought not to trivialize them, we have to take them seriously, because they are what cause us to survive in this dog eat dog world. 

And the best way to accomplish all that is by living the kind of life put forth in our Bit. ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.’ 

It’s obvious friends, that if we take the broad way to wherever we’re going, we’ll end up in destruction, because the broad way is the foolish way and only leads to negative circumstances.  So what’s the alternative, you ask? 

But that should also be obvious: living for Jesus, following the straight and narrow path, not usually the easiest way. This is how the psalmist describes it. ‘But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder, think on) day and night.’ (Ps.1:2) 

Now that isn’t always easy to do either, but if we are true and sincere believers, we will wisely go to the Lord for help. And He will help us, since He NEVER turns away anyone who comes with a sincere heart seeking His assistance. 

And the awesome result of pondering on God’s word and trying to live it, is this: ‘And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ (Ps.1:3) 

Yes friends, remember we serve the Creator of this universe, and He is not only omnipotent, but also magnanimous. Thus when we live for His glory our lives will become prosperous. And that’s not so much in terms of money alone, but also in family, friend and work relationships. 

Our lives will be basically stress and worry free, and though we will encounter problems, we’ll be able to handle them in an efficient manner, again with God’s ever-present attention and help. 

So what think you this Monday morning eh? Are we seriously going to live for Jesus; pondering His word and following His most excellent example? I do hope so, for all of our sakes, otherwise we will definitely pay a serious price for our disobedience. 

As the psalmist ends: ‘For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.’ (Ps.1:6) And that’s the living truth my people! So please, let’s be wise, rather than foolish nuh, and follow God’s law. Much LOVE!

…enter not into the path of the wicked…and go not in the way of evil men… (Prov.4:14)

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 December 2015 Proverbs 4:12

12 Dec 2015 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 4:12.   When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened (hindered); and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. 

And then it was Saturday; a day for sleeping in for some, but for others, a day for household chores and shopping, and the myriad of things that could not be done during the workweek. Ah chuh! 

Yes friends, I know it’s a never ending cycle, but it’s important that we find time for ourselves, to rest and renew our spirits and physical energy during the weekend, otherwise we’ll drop down from the wear and tear, and all the stuff that seemed so important will still be there for someone else to do. So please play it smart, do your best, but please don’t kill yourself in the process.  

Now here are some wise words from our Friend Anselm, who never misses an opportunity to inspire us towards a better tomorrow. It’s a two for one play. And the first play says: ‘The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential… these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.’ 

And all of that is quite true my brethren, but by the same token, like we said above, we can’t let those desires take over our lives to the detriment of other things. Regardless of what we do, we need to live balanced lives. So, seeking personal excellence doesn’t mean neglecting everything else but that driving force within you. And yes, it’s true that Christ desires excellence amongst His followers, but not at the expense of their health. 

And note too, we have to keep that desire to win, and to succeed according to the world’s demands on a tight leash, otherwise we’ll just drive ourselves and those around us crazy, because the world today is success driven, at any and all costs. Achieving material wealth, economic prominence and political power are what the world determines success by. But thank God, as followers of Jesus Christ, we don’t have to kill ourselves proving to the world that we can be successful by its unwise and unhealthy standards. 

That brings part two of Anselm’s wisdom into play. ‘A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others.’  And therein lies the crux of the matter; not the desire to achieve, but the desire to beat others. Yes my brethren, when we introduce that aspect of competition and comparison, as the world likes to do, then we get ourselves in serious trouble. 

For as Bruh Paul says to the Corinthians, re comparisons. ‘For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves are not wise.’ (2 Cor.10:12) 

The sad fact is that such comparisons lead to things like jealousy, resentment, anger and broken relationships, which effectively defeats the cause of excellence that you’re trying to achieve. So friends, please don’t compare yourselves to others, because it will just contaminate your souls. 

The Lord didn’t make us to be comparisons, but to be unique individuals, standing in our own perfect space. Please remember that the next time you feel like comparing yourself to someone else. 

And finally it’s time for our Bit. But to get some idea of the context, let’s go back a couple verses. In this section Cousin Sol is talking about avoiding wickedness. ‘Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many. I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. 

When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened (hindered); and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. Take fast (firm) hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.’ (Prov.4:10-13) 

Now that is undeniable truth my brethren! For when we harness wisdom – the wisdom of God that is – to our lives, then we can never go astray or fall by the wayside, for wisdom is the very essence of our godly and righteous lives. She is indeed our very life! That’s why we can’t afford to let her go or diverge from her paths.  

And we see the folly of forsaking wisdom as Cousin Sol wisely continues. ‘Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it (do not tread on it), turn from it, and pass away. For they sleep not, except (unless) they have done mischief (evil); and their sleep is taken away (they are robbed of sleep), unless they cause some to fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.’ (Prov.4:14-17)  

Words of divine wisdom Friends! But unfortunately, in our current world we’re eating way too much ‘bread of wickedness’ and drinking excessive amounts of ‘wine of violence.’ 

Now that could never be a good thing for the followers of Jesus. For ‘The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.’ (Prov.10:19) 

Ah my people, how are the wicked foolish and gone astray eh? ‘But the path of the just is as the shining (bright) light, that shineth more and more (ever brighter) unto the perfect day.’ (Prov.4:18) Now friends, that’s where followers of Jesus ought to be! 

And we’ll close with these words of gospel truth from Cousin Sol. ‘Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. She shall give to (place on) thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver thee.’ (Prov.4:7-9) 

Now there’s nothing better than that for us to achieve in this world my brethren. So let’s go and get it nuh. Much LOVE!

…get Jesus…and you’ll find wisdom and understanding…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 March 2015 Proverbs 24:1‏

07 Mar 2015 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 24:1.      Be not thou envious against (of) evil men, neither desire to be with them.

Well Friends, it’s Saturday morning and the ole fella has a headache. Not a terrible one, but it’s been bothering me for the last couple of days and I just can’t figure out why. The fact of the matter is that I very seldom have headaches, so when I do have one, especially one that lasts more than a day, I get somewhat antsy and jittery, especially when I can’t pin point the reason for it.

But as I keep preaching (smile) them’s the breaks! The show must go on! Only death or some terrible disaster must stop the Bit from going out. And in keeping with that statement, I’ll share my Friend ANSELM’S QUOTE FOR THE DAY- Inspiring You For A Better Tomorrow. This one was from yesterday, and it says: ‘You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.’

And that my Friends is a statement which contains a substantial amount of truth , for generally speaking we don’t treat those who can’t help us in some form and fashion, as good as those whom we believe can be of use to us. And we see this in all walks of life. Look at the rich man; look at how he treats those not in his social class or status.

Too many of them treat the poor, or less wealthy than them as unimportant, and look down their noses at them. But in God’s eyes, the only difference is that one has wealth and the other doesn’t. And your wealth doesn’t automatically make you better than someone else.

The same goes for the well-educated professional, lawyer or doctor. A lot of them seem to think that because of their title and supposed exalted position in society, that they are the cat’s pajamas, and consider themselves better and more important than the normal run of the mill person.

But Friends, the real test of a man’s character is that though he might be better off in terms of wealth, education, power or social status, he still treats every human being with whom he comes into contact, like an important person, without the usual airs and graces too many of us put on.

And look at whom our Saviour Jesus Christ hung out with nuh during His earthly sojourn; the tax collectors, the known sinners and prostitutes, the lowest of the low, which made the uppity social classes scorn him for his choice of friends. But the fact of the matter my people is that we are all human beings, made in the image of our Creator, and there’s no good reason to look down on others less fortunate than us.

In fact, Jesus would expect us to lift that person to our level, treat them with the dignity that we all deserve, rather than demean them and treat them with contempt. So if any of us happens to fall into that category, please let’s work diligently and sincerely on changing it, or else the Lord in His good time, will certainly make us eat humble pie, and we definitely won’t like it. (smile)

And another piece of wonderful advice comes from our Bit: ‘Be not thou envious against (of) evil men, neither desire to be with them.’ For they are only interested in devising violence and causing trouble.

Now hear these supporting words from Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked, which cautions us to avoid wickedness at all cost. ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. …

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devises (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps.37:1-2, 7-9)

Words of absolute truth my people! Not hear says sentiments, but hard earned wisdom that Bruh David learned from hard personal experience.

And now hear Cousin Sol’s words of wisdom from his earlier writings on the subject. ‘Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it (do not travel on it), turn from it, and pass away. For they sleep not, except (unless) they have done mischief (evil); and their sleep is taken away (they are robbed of it), unless they cause some to fall.

For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. But the path of the just is as the shining (bright) light, that shineth more and more (ever brighter) unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.’ (Prov.4:14-19)

Ah Friends, words of inordinate wisdom there from Cousin Sol! No wonder he was considered the wisest man of his time! And unfortunately my people, nothing has changed between now and then…except perhaps the wicked have become more perverse and flagrant in their wickedness.

And we’ll end with these words of Bruh David from Psalm 26 – Examine me, O Lord, and prove me. ‘I have not sat with vain (idolatrous) persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers (hypocrites). I have hated the congregation of evildoers: and will not sit with the wicked. I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass (go about) thine altar, O Lord: That I may publish (proclaim) with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.’ (Ps.26:4-7)

And that my brethren is how we ought to live this life; refuting wickedness and upholding righteousness, for that is indeed the zenith of wisdom and the only road to eternal life with Christ. Much LOVE!

…Christ does not condone sin, wickedness or evil…so if we want to spend eternity with Him…we can’t condone them either…