The Overwhelming Importance of Christians Understanding the Major Role that Faith Plays in Their Lives!

14 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   14 October 2026   Hebrews 11:1.

Hebrews 11:1.         Faith is the substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen.

Ah mih people, we’re on a bit of a late bus today, because I was up early, then went out to my Wednesday church group and ran a couple of errands afterwards, so by the time I got back home, I was tired and had to rest a spell to catch my second wind. (smile) Let’s hope we all do that today, so we can keep on doing good work for Jesus.

And today we’ll look at an interesting prayer from the Hour of Power 50th Anniversary Book of Daily Motivation and Inspiration, with writings by the late Dr. Robert H. Schuller. It’s a short prayer simply titled, ‘Faith.’ Please pray with me: ‘Lord, I believe in the sun, even when it’s behind the clouds; in the seed, even when it lies unsprouted under the ground; in faith, even when I have been betrayed; in LOVE, even when I have been rejected; in hope, even when I have been hurt; in God, even when you do not answer my prayers. Amen.’

And to be a true Christian you must believe in al those things, even when you don’t see them, or when you feel them, or when God’s says no. That’s because we have faith; faith in Almighty God and the truth of His word and His promises. And why do we have faith? We have faith because we simply need to believe that what God says is true, since we don’t see everything He says or does in our time frame. Remember His thoughts and ways are both higher and different than ours, (Is. 55:8-9) therefore not everything He does or doesn’t do we’ll understand, so something is necessary for us to believe Him and His doings. We call that thing faith.

And what is faith? Hebrews tells us that ‘Faith is the substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen.’ (Heb. 11:1) Now all that basically means is believing for things that you don’t see, but expect them to happen, because God promised them. The world says ‘seeing is believing,’ but God says, ‘believing is seeing,’ or you see it when you believe it. That’s why we can believe in the sun, even when we don’t see it on cloudy days, because we know it’s still there, just not visible because of the clouds.

God promised the Israelites, through the prophet Jeremiah: ‘Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light, which divideth (disturbs) the sea when (and) the waves thereof roar; The Lord of hosts is his name: If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.’  (Jer. 31:35-36) Yes friends, the Lord promised that if the sun, moon and stars ever disappear, then so will the nation of Israel. And it takes faith to believe in the faithfulness of God!

It’s the same thing with the seed that remains unsprouted in the ground. Jesus tells it thus: ‘So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast his seed into (upon) the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear (grain in the head). But when the fruit is brought forth (ripens), immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.’ (Mark 4:26-29)

Yes friends, we sow the seeds, and they eventually sprout, how, we don’t know, but we believe by faith that they will sprout and produce a harvest, because God’s promised that when we sow good seeds in good soil they will grow. It’s also like James remind us about the value of patience and prayer. ‘Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman (farmer) waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and later rain. Be ye also patient; stablish (establish) your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh (comes nearer every day).’ (James 5:7-8)

Ah mih bredrin, patience plays a large part in faith, for we oftentimes have to wait for things we desire, just like the farmer waits long months for the seed to grow and produce a harvest. In other words, faith is impossible without a large dose of patience. (smile) And as Christians, even when we’re betrayed, rejected or hurt, we’re still expected to stand strong in faith, hope and LOVE, for the Lord has promised that He will repay, comfort and restore us in times of trouble.

Remember Bruh Paul’s words from Romans. ‘Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire (shame) on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:19-21) That means we’re not to take personal revenge against those who do us wrong, but leave it all in God’s hand. And the ‘it was written,’ pertains to Deut. 32:35, when Moses first told that to the Israelites.

Remember also, the Lord’s promise in Isaiah: ‘To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, (console them) to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.’ (Is. 61:3)

And I like how this overview breaks down that promise. ‘Beauty for Ashes: Replaces dust and ashes—ancient symbols of grief, mourning, and repentance—with a crown, garland, or diadem of beauty. Oil of Joy for Mourning: Replaces sorrow and weeping with gladness and comfort. Garment of Praise for Heaviness: Replaces a spirit of despair, heaviness, or faintness with festive praise and thanksgiving. Trees of Righteousness: Describes those who receive this restoration as strong “oaks of righteousness” planted by the Lord for His glory.’

And friends, we’ve left the best for last; that’s LOVE; God’s greatest attribute. And Bruh Paul rightfully testifies to the values and worth of LOVE in 1 Cor. 13:, then finally makes this declaration: ‘And now abideth faith, hope, charity (LOVE), but the greatest of these three is charity (LOVE).’ (1 Cor, 13:13) Peter then puts it all together by saying: ‘And above all things have fervent charity (LOVE) among yourselves: for charity (LOVE) shall cover the multitude of sins.’ (1 Pet. 4:8) And that’s why LOVING God and LOVING ourselves and our neighbours are the greatest commandments! (Matt. 22:36-40)

Now, let’s go home declaring 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 those who endure to the very end with Jesus, will experience such a glorious future that it will boggle our finite minds. So let’s be wise and endure to the very end nuh, so that we can enjoy that glorious future together! Much LOVE!

…the essence of a Christian’s belief system…is rooted and grounded in faith…in Almighty God…

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 July 2021 2 Corinthians 5:7.

25 Jul 2021 Leave a comment

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

2 Corinthians 5:7.       For we walk by faith and not by sight.

And another summer Sunday is upon us, my dear friends in Christ! And you know that calls for praise and worship and thanksgiving to Almighty God, our Creator and Provider; the One who LOVES us unconditionally, LOVED us so much that He sent His Son to die on our behalf, that our sins could be forgiven and we could be adjudged righteous in His holy and glorious name. That’s why we praise and give Him thanks every Sunday. 

And today we’ll open with a very popular traditional gospel song titled ‘Just a Closer Walk with Thee.’ The precise author of the song is unknown, but obviously there are various theories. One holds that it goes right back to the days of slavery, sung by slaves as they laboured in the fields of the plantations in the Southern States of the U.S. of A. 

Another angle claims that Kenneth Morris an American composer, on a trip from Kansas City to Chicago, heard a porter singing the song at one of the train stops where he got off to get some fresh air. At that time, he did not pay much attention to it, but as he continued his trip the song just flooded his mind, and at the next stop, he got off the train and took another one back to the earlier station. He had the porter sing the song for him, and he wrote down the words and music. Then in 1940, after adding some of his own lyrics to add more breadth, he published the song. 

Now it does seem that Morris did arrange and publish the song for the first time, but another theory says that happened only after a group of musicians heard a live version in Kansas City and then brought it to Morris’ attention. The long and short of the story though is that it soon became a gospel standard, a Jazz standard and a part of American folk music. However, it is agreed that the first recording was done by the Selah Jubilee singers on October 8, 1941, in New York city. 

And now that we have some idea of its history, (smile) let’s sing an up-tempo version, a la Anne Murray, not like the traditional dirge renditions in new Orleans jazz funerals. In full, sweet, harmonious voice, with the appropriate background vocals, let’s offer up our sacrifice of praise to heaven. ‘I am weak but Thou art strong; Jesus, keep me from all wrong; I’ll be satisfied as long As I walk, let me walk close to Thee. 

(Refrain: Just a closer walk with Thee, Grant it, Jesus, is my plea, Daily walking close to Thee, Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.) Thro’ this world of toil and snares, If I falter, Lord, who cares? Who with me my burden shares? None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee. [Refrain] When my feeble life is o’er, Time for me will be no more; Guide me gently, safely o’er To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore. [Refrain].’ 

That’s oh so refreshing my people! There’s nothing better in this life than a steady walk with Jesus. And that all started right at the very beginning when the Lord told the 99-year-old Abram: ‘I am the Almighty God (El Shaddai); walk before me, and be thou perfect (blameless).’ (Gen. 17:1) One translation says: ‘Walk before the Lord in a way that is pleasing to Him.’ And that’s the God awesome truth! We ought to walk before our God and Creator and heavenly Father in a manner that pleases Him, not the lewd, lustful and ungodly way that so many of us walk nowadays. 

And the scholars tell us that the title of the song and the lyrics allude to these two verses of scripture. The first one is this popular verse: ‘For we walk by faith and not by sight.’ (2 Cor. 5:7) And that’s a foundational scripture friends, since in the Lord’s economy seeing is not believing, walking by faith and trust in His promises and power is what He expects of us. That’s the realization of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 

And the second scripture verse is another popular one: ‘Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you.’ (James 4:8a) And I want to add this other verse that seems ever so appropriate. ‘Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ James 4:10) Yes friends, if we don’t humble ourselves before the Lord, He certainly won’t lift us up, neither down here on earth, nor to heaven. (smile) 

Now here is this interesting commentary from the website Hymnary.org. ‘In this song, we acknowledge our human inability to live righteously, but we also express awareness of the grace and strength that God gives us in our daily walk. Even such an esteemed saint as the apostle Paul acknowledged his need for this grace after he asked the Lord three times to remove the thorn from his flesh: “But he [God] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 

And Paul’s response to that was brilliant: ‘Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities (weaknesses), that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake, for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor. 12:9-10) 

Oh my people, regardless of how mature we are in Christ, it is impossible for us to walk righteously, properly, blamelessly or in a pleasing manner before the Lord without His anointing, His grace supporting us. Please, let’s always remember that. It’s His amazing grace that keeps us walking this earth, and without it, we are done like dinner! That means every day we must give God thanks and ask for His grace to do His will, to walk worthy of Him. Much LOVE!

…only as we walk in faith…will we be anointed with grace…                                                                                               

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