The Incredible and Infallible Wisdom of Seeking God and His Goodness, rather than Satan and his Evil Doings!

20 Aug 2025 Leave a comment

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

Isaiah 55:6.         Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.

And the rains fell; from early evening through the night, until the morning hours, finally satisfying the parched and thirsty earth! Thankfully though, it was not an onslaught of powerful showers but mostly a constant drizzle, which greatly reduced the risk of flooding. Understandably then, Wednesday, our second wind day has opened damp, cloudy and cool, and we possibly ought to brace ourselves for more rain because that warning just showed up on the computer. But let’s remember that whatever comes against us, we can certainly handle it with Jesus’ awesome help! And all God’s children said a loud and grateful: ‘Thank You Jesus! You’re the Best!’ 

And that’s the awesome truth! For there’s none like Jesus! He’s the Son of God, and is thus godly, gracious, forgiving, merciful, the atoning lamb of God, the Way Maker, the Lion of Judah, the Way, the Life and the Truth, the Light of the World, the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the Lily of the Valley, the Resurrection and the Life, and a host of other names which it would take the whole day to list. (smile) But seriously though, Jesus is the embodiment of all that we can ever ask for or imagine…and even then some that we cannot even comprehend with our finite minds. 

As the prophet Isaiah writes: ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’  (Is. 55:8-9) That’s why we cannot understand a lot of what the Lord does, or is doing, both in our own lives and in the world. We know that He still sits as Sovereign of the world, but some of the stuff that He allows to happen when He can either prevent them or stop them just boggles our imagination. 

However, the Lord has His own plans for the world He created and still rules, while giving us free will to make independent choices. He did not make robots, but human beings with minds that they could use to do what’s right or wrong, but must be prepared to suffer the consequences of each decision. And that’s exactly where we’re falling down. We rush to live like the world, like Satan desires, but when the negative consequences of those unwise decisions come rushing up against us, we hold our heads and bawl, saying, ‘if only, if only I’d thought about it before doing it.’ 

But then it’s usually too late my people, and unfortunately our decisions end up hurting not only ourselves but a lot of others around us. And that’s the really sad part about us making unwise decisions; it never hurts us alone, but other innocent ones in our proximity. That’s why Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) always admonished us to obey God and leave all the consequences to Him. For when we do as God desires, the consequences are usually good, and if not, then he will certainly help us to handle them. 

But Satan doesn’t help us to handle the bad consequences we suffer when we follow him. Not at all. He just sits back and laughs at us and considers us stupid to be following him, when all that ever comes from his machinations are negative consequences. And that’s why the prophet Isaiah, when informing Israel of God’s abundant pardons, declared: ‘Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’ (Is. 55:6-7) 

Yes friends, that’s an international call to all people, to both Jews and Gentiles, to come to the Lord for salvation, for forgiveness and the good life throughout eternity. And He certainly made it all possible by the unselfish but heartbreaking offering of His only begotten Son Jesus as a sacrifice, the Lamb of God, on the cross at Calvary. I don’t know why we keep forgetting that God is generous and merciful, forgiving and compassionate, while Satan is all about deceit, greed, and taking whatever you have and getting you into trouble with God. 

It’s as Jesus so eloquently and truthfully puts it: ‘The thief (Satan) cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10) And I don’t understand why we cannot believe that and make it a part of our lives because it’s the absolute truth. All Satan wants to do is to destroy, to break down, to bring people down to damnation and hellfire with him, while Jesus wants to build, to give life, eternal life to all who are wise enough to embrace Him and what He stands for. 

So, again, I don’t know why we’re so adamant at following Satan, killing ourselves to get the material things of the world, and then we don’t even have time to enjoy them. Remember the same material things Satan tempts us with, are the same material things we can get from God if we do as Jesus says: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) And believe me, if you get these things from God, rather than through Satan’s evil machinations, you will enjoy them more and they will last longer. 

But it’s all about wisdom and where your hearts truly lie. For as Jesus wisely say in the Sermon on the Mount: ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt. 6:19-21) And that’s the gospel truth friends! So please, let’s stop concentrating on storing up earthly treasures and wisely decide to store up heavenly ones instead nuh! For that’s wisdom to the nth degree! 

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!’ 

Now there’s an addendum to that declaration which states, whoever endures to the very end with Jesus will enjoy an even more glorious future than we can ever comprehend or imagine. So let’s plan to meet at the very end and enjoy that more than glorious future together nuh! Much LOVE!

…why is the human being more enamoured with evil…than with good…when he was created by God…for good…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 August 2019 John 1:5.

15 Aug 2019 Leave a comment

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

John 1:5.    ​And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended (apprehended) it not.
 

And then it was Thursday… Wow! The week almost finish already! In one way that’s good because it means that the weekend and rest from work will soon be here. But on the other hand, the quicker August finishes, the quicker summer and the holiday season will also be over, and it seems like it’s just begun! 

Yes mih people, we can’t have it all our way, but through our strong and sincere faith in our wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we can bear anything that comes against us; yes, we’re able to handle any circumstance that comes our way, be it storm or calm! And when I asked the Lord what He wants me to write about today, He led me to this little card on my desk from the Anglican Diocese of Toronto that has a prayer printed on either side. 

I shared one sometime ago, which began with ‘Sustain us, O Lord, with Your Holy Spirit.’ Now here’s the next one. Please pray with me: ‘O God, by whom the meek are guided in judgement. And light riseth up in the darkness for the godly. Grant us, in all our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what thou wouldest have us to do, that the spirit of wisdom may save us from all false choices, and that in thy light we may see light, and in thy straight path may not stumble; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!’ 

Yes my fellow saints in Christ, every day, with our many doubts and fears, we need a recharge of wisdom and grace to save us from making wrong choices in this dark and evil world in which we’re currently living!  And it’s only through Christ, our Guiding Light that we can ever hope to counter that evil darkness with light and find the safe and straight path so that we won’t stumble and fall. 

And in these days of numerous colourful and addictive distractions, that’s often a hard task. But as John so wisely and truthfully tells us: ‘In him (Jesus) was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended (apprehended) it not.’ (John 1:4-5) 

Yes friends, darkness cannot comprehend or apprehend or be superior to light under any circumstance at all! For as Cousin Sol, as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes tells us, during his search for man’s purpose on earth he eventually saw the futility of it all. ‘Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.’ (Ecl.2:13) And that’s the gospel truth! 

Now here’s a note from the scholars. ‘1:4-5. Life…light: See also 8:12; 9:5; 11:25; 14:6. In John’s writings, life represents salvation and deliverance through Christ, and light denotes Jesus’ revelation of God which calls men to accountability.’ 

And friends I’m chuckling here because I had intended to take the rest of the Bit in an entirely different direction, but after checking out those verses that the scholars mentioned I realized that there was only one way to go, and that’s sharing those verses because they are all Jesus’ words, as pertains to Him being the LIGHT in our Darkness. 

So here goes. Jesus said it out loud and clear: ‘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) He made this immortal statement to the Pharisees who obviously doubted Him because they said He was witnessing to Himself. But Jesus knew who He was and didn’t need the approval of the Pharisees who were darkness personified, as He told them later on in the chapter. 

Then hear Him as He healed a blind man: ‘I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ (John 9:4-5) And yuh know what my people? Now that Jesus no longer walks this earth as a human being, it means that WE are now the light of the world, as He said in Matt.5:14. Let’s remember that, and shine forth accordingly nuh! 

Now hear the Lord to Martha after He tarried in coming to Lazarus’ sick bed and so he eventually died. ‘Jesus said unto her, 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) 

Oh friends, Jesus Christ is also asking that explosive and monumental question of us this morning? Do we believe that He’s the Giver of Life? Now that’s something we have to very seriously ask ourselves. And hopefully the answer will be a resounding YES! Because if it isn’t, then crapaud smoke yuh pipe! And the scholars tell us: ‘11:25. I am the resurrection is one of Jesus’ greatest “I am” statements, signifying His power to give eternal life.’ 

Now listen to this other immortal statement to Doubting Thomas, when he queried Jesus about the way to go. ‘Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.’ (John 14:6) Oh mih people, mih people, if you don’t believe that then there’s no light in you, only darkness! 

That means there’s no hope of salvation! For as the scholars note: ‘14:6. Jesus does not tell them about the way, nor does He show them the way. He does not even guide them along the way. He says He is the WAY!’ And so He is my faithful brethren! Please, please believe it, because your very existence through eternity depends on it! 

And now, having seen the LIGHT, (smile) let’s go home declaring our Thursday Blessings, that that very same LIGHT has so generously bestowed on us to enable us to do His earthly work. In strong voice and sincere belief: ‘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 everyday! Amen!’ 

And if you were sincere, then let’s go out and share those wonderful blessings with others, as Jesus so greatly desires. Much LOVE!

…hoarding of blessings…means you’re living in darkness…generously sharing blessings…means you’re living in the LIGHT…