The Indisputable Necessity For Believers to Continually Seek Closeness and Intimacy with Almighty God!

06 Sep 2025 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 63:1.        ‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

Then it was Saturday, our lazy-day Saturday! And we do not mind in the least that it’s cool, because it’s mostly sunny, for we plan on doing very little of anything but lazing around in this first part of the day. And I did laze around in the bed this morning, enjoying the peace and quiet that surrounded me, without all the hustle and bustle that goes on during the work week. 

Now, to further our efforts of peace and calm, 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 we know that if our prayer was sincere and heartfelt, the overwhelming peace and joy of the Lord will soon be filling our hearts, minds, souls and bodies! Why? Because a prayer to get closer to God, for greater intimacy with Him, is one He simply cannot refuse, since that’s what He’s all about; LOVE and togetherness. Oh, how the Lord’s face lights up, and His heart dances a tango, when we come to Him just seeking true closeness, nothing else but being near to Him and enjoying His marvellous company!

That reminds us of Psalm 63 – A Thirsting Soul – written when Bruh David was running from the murderous clutches of King Saul and hiding in the wilderness of Judah. He didn’t ask for deliverance or revenge on His enemies or any such thing, but he simply sought the Lord’s presence and remembered His goodness and mercy. 

Thus, he writes: ‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen (looked for) thee in the sanctuary. Because thy LOVING-KINDNESS is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.’ (Ps. 63:1-4)  

Oh my fellow believers, isn’t that just wonderful! Instead of crying out for divine help in such a crucial time, Bruh David offers up praise and thanksgiving. Now that’s an example many more of us ought to follow. Instead of always asking God for help when we come to Him, sometimes we just need to go to Him for His awesome refreshing presence and company, offering Him praise and thanksgiving for all that He’s done, and still intends to do for us. 

It’s like the scholars explain: ‘Unlike many of the psalms written in these dire situations, however, this psalm is overflowing with thanksgiving rather than lament and petition. David declares his longing for spiritual renewal (vs. 1-2), he expresses his thankful mood (vs. 3-6), he gives voice to his trust in God (vs. 7-8), and he announces his hope for the future (vs. 9-11). Enemies are mentioned only in passing (vs. 9-10).’ 

Oh friends, could we ever do something so wonderful when we are being bombarded by the wiles of the enemy and the numerous temptations that this world offers? I certainly hope so, because that’s when we will know that we’ve attained a decent level of spiritual maturity. And that we can do like Bruh David, as he continues with praise and meditation. 

‘My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow (the best) and fatness (abundance); and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips. When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.’ (Ps. 63:5-8) 

Ah mih people, as I read those words I wonder about certain things Bruh David mentions. The first is, are we ever satisfied? In this age of greed and lust for plenty, even when the Lord blesses us, are we truly ever satisfied, and give Him thanks for it? Not very often…if ever. Then, where is our supposed trust in God, and our praise for His goodness to us? Much, if not all of it has disappeared, because we have become so taken up with the material things of this world, that we’ve lost the humanity and the spirituality we once had. We’ve allowed the world to devour our sense of godliness. 

It’s as John writes in his first epistle. ‘LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh (physical desires), and the lust of the eyes (personal desires), and the pride of life (self-interests), is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.’ (1 John 2:15-17) 

Now, hopefully, that scripture passage will awaken us from the comfortable slumber that we’ve fallen into, and cause us to improve our disobedient and lustful ways. (smile) And Bruh David, in his unshakeable confidence in the Lord, concludes the psalm thus: ‘But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth. They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion (a prey) for foxes (jackals). But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.’ (Ps. 63: 8-11) 

And that’s the gospel truth my people! The Lord has promised throughout His Word that the wicked will eventually be destroyed, while the righteous shall be glorified! So please, let’s take a few moments to consider our ways this lazy-day Saturday, and see where we’re out of sync with the Lord, and ask for His help to get back into sync with Him. That’s wisdom for the ages! Much LOVE!

…sincere closeness to God…ought to be our most sought after goal…

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 July 2013 Psalm 104:35

25 Jul 2013 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 104:34.   Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord.
 
Oh Friends, more tragedy again! This time a Spanish train derailment yesterday evening, that has taken seventy something lives so far. Ah Lord eh!
 
Now that disaster, plus the plane crash at La Guardia Airport in New York City, earlier on in the week, they’re certainly spreading more doubt in my mind about planes and trains. They’ve been touted as being safer than cars, with fewer accidents per capita, (smile) but when they do happen, the life toll is much heavier. And they’re happening a little too often for my liking.
 
And for the umpteenth time, I ask, how come in this age of such high technology and computer designed and built stuff, so many accidents are happening eh? Is it mechanical problems or human error, or a combination of both? Is the overwhelming concern with the bottom line, and thus cutting costs and corners playing a greater part than we know?
 
I believe so. Just look at how the airlines are ramping up the price of a flight to anywhere. You have to pay for everything, even a blanket on a cold plane. Very little, if any food is provided, and that simple-minded snacks or other tasteless stuff.
 
Then one Canadian airline has gotten the foolish government to lower the help on planes from one (1) stewardess to every 40 passengers, to one (1) for every 50. Now tell me, how does that help with my safety or convenience on the plane eh? It simply doesn’t! For there are ten more people for the one stewardess to look after in flight, as well as in times of disaster. 
 
But it all boils down to costs and the bottom line. Just like the recent train derailment in Quebec, where you had one engineer for a train with over seventy cars. There too, the foolish business oriented government allowed the train company to operate with only one engineer for so many rail cars. Steups! 
 
Have you ever heard any of them talking about increased productivity or safety? Not on your life! But every day they find some new way to increase the cost of travel, while giving even less for the traveller’s money. It’s a good thing I’m not big on travelling, and all of those new fees, plus the nonsense you have to go through in the airports now, are turning me off even more.
 
Anyway Friends, please remember to offer prayers for those unfortunates involved in the recent disasters. Oftimes, that’s the best we can do for them.
 
That brings us to our Bit: ‘Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord.’
 
Yes Friends, sometimes it would be so much better if the Lord would just remove the sinners – well the terrible ones – from the world, because they are just spoiling things down here in their wickedness. All like some of those selfish, greedy, couldn’t care less people running the companies that are gouging and deceiving the ordinary man.
 
And don’t forget too, plenty, if not most of our leaders and politicians who are in league with the powers of evil and are causing such catastrophe and unnecessary suffering in the world. 
 
No matter how you shake it my brethren, there ought not to be so much suffering in our world. The poverty, hunger, sickness, both physical and mental, the homelessness, the oppression and such should never be as bad as they are because there’s more than enough to go around.
 
But unfortunately, those who have the most, are the least inclined to share, while those who are inclined to share, don’t have that much to do it with. But isn’t that the way it always is, you ask? True, because sadly, that’s the nature of man.
 
Anyway, let’s hear some reassuring scripture on the subject. And from Psalm 37, ‘The true state of the wicked,’ come these words of wisdom from Bruh David. ‘For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord upholdeth the righteous. The Lord knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.
 
They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of rams (splendour of the meadows): they shall consume (vanish); into smoke shall they consume (vanish) away.
 
The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again (does not repay): but the righteous showeth mercy, and giveth. For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth (land); and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off (destroyed).’ (Ps.37:17-22) 
 
Yes Friends, that’s how the wicked operate, but the Lord will deal with them in His own way and time. So please don’t get discouraged when you see the wicked prospering and carrying on in their sinful and prideful ways. Their end will soon come. 
 
And instead, let’s do what Bruh David says later in Psalm 37: ‘Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. For the Lord LOVETH judgement (justice), and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off (destroyed). The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.’ (Ps.37:27-29)
 
Yes my people, the Lord’s justice will eventually befall the wicked. But yuh know there’s an even better way to get rid of the wicked… And what’s that you ask, wrinkling your forehead in thought? ‘Elementary my dear Watson!’ as Sherlock would say.
 
The best way to deal with the wicked of this world is to bring them to Jesus. Have them get down on their knees and beg for forgiveness and then change their evil ways. Oh, I know that’s easier said than done, and it will also mean upgrading our Christian talk and walk, which so many of us are not prepared to do.
 
We still prefer to straddle the fence, with one foot in the world and one on the path to heaven. But Friends, that’s a fool’s wisdom! This is one instance where we can’t play both ends against the middle, because our God is omniscient, He sees all, and knows all, and He definitely won’t stand for it. Remember James’ talk about the double-minded, wavering man. (James 1:5-8)
 
To end though, I’m going to implore us to improve our Christian efforts, so that instead of imploring God to remove the wicked, we can instead bring them to Jesus through the testimony of our lives. And you know the Lord would much prefer that, since it would mean losing fewer souls to Lucifer.
 
So please think on that today, talk it over with the Lord, then let’s make the necessary improvements to put it into action. That’s truly wisdom in the making! Much LOVE!
 
…the best way to handle the wicked…is to bring them into the fold of Jesus…Long live His LOVE Revolution!