11 Oct 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all I want to do is thank you, all that you mean to me, all the days of my life, always give thanks to you, auspicious occasion, be careful for nothing, Bebe Winans, become the chief cornerstone, been better to me than I've been to myself, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, can't live without your love, can't live without your touch, cast into the lake of fire, Christ is our emotional stalwart, Christ is the anchor and transformer of human emotions, Christ is the answer to it all, Christ keeps us strong, comforts us when we're in trouble, crushed by grief, dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, even the youths shall faint and be weary, faith, fellowship, from the bottom of my heart, gathering in the Lord's sanctuary, get serious about living for Christ, give our heavy burdens to Christ, given among men, giving thanks from a thankful heart, grateful for our many blessings, He giveth power to the faint, heartfelt sincerity, holy spirit, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I could never repay, I will fear no evil, in everything, in the presence of mine enemies, Jesus Christ, Jesus' great invitation, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, let your requests be made known unto God, LOVE, mercy, mount up with wings like eagles, my cup runneth over, my heart's proclamation, my salvation, neither is there salvation in any other, no doubt about it, no lack of comfort in God's domain, no place I'd rather be, none other name under heaven', offer up our sacrifices of praise, over and over again, overcome through the awesome strength of Jesus, providing inner peace, run and not be weary, salvation, saveth such as be of a contrite spirit, set my feet to dancing, standing here beside you, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, taking good care of me, thank you, thank you for being a friend, thanks for being a friend, Thanksgiving celebrations, Thanksgiving Sunday, the best act of thanksgiving, the Father of mercies, the forgiveness of sins, the God of All Comfort, the key to my emotions, the Lord is nigh unto them of a broken heart, the love you're sending my way, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the source of my solution, the stone which was set at nought by your builders, the young men shall utterly fall, they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, think of all you've done for me, this good land of Canada, thou anointest my head with oil, thou art with me, thou preparest a table before me, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, to them that have no might he increaseth strength, truth, walk and not faint, when my life's uncertain, when things are going wrong, whereby we must be saved, wisdom, you are awesome and true, you keep me going strong, you're everything
Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 October 2026 Philippians 4:19.
Philippians 4:19. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
It’s Thanksgiving Sunday in this good land of Canada my fellow believers! And that calls for gathering in the Lord’s sanctuary to celebrate it with lots of thanks and praise for the wonderful life we live here through His goodness and mercy. Unfortunately though, the weather isn’t cooperating for this auspicious occasion. The day opened decently enough, but when we need the sun shining ever so brightly, the rain has chosen to fall instead, and give us a wet and cloudy Thanksgiving afternoon. But don’t worry, we’ll overcome it, just like we overcome everything else through the awesome strength of Jesus. (smile)
And for our song of worship, we have one aptly titled ‘Thank You’ written by the team of Bebe Winans, Rhett Lawrence, and Travon M. Potts, taken from the 1997 Bebe Winans album ‘In Harm’s Way.’ It says it all in a rocking up-tempo, rhythm and blues song, so let’s offer up our sacrifices of praise in the same up-tempo rocking riddim, with heartfelt sincerity as we open our Thanksgiving celebration. And please remember the background voices. (smile) So, let’s sing it like we truly mean it.
Singing: ‘Yeh, Yeh, Yeh! Say it again, say – Thank You, thank You! All I want to do is, Thank You, thank You! What I need to say is, Thank You, thank You! Thank You Thank You, thank You! The key to my emotions You keep me going strong The source of my solution When things are going wrong When my life’s uncertain There’s no place I’d rather be Than standing here beside You ‘Cause Your LOVE always comforts me.
(Chorus: So, thank You, thank You! Thanks for being a friend, yeah Thank You, thank You! Over and over again. Thank You, thank You. I could never repay The LOVE you’re sending my way. My way, yeah Thank You, thank You.) Something else I want to tell You, You are my salvation, yes, You are! Don’t you know You’re everything? Set my feet to dancing When I think of all You’ve done for me, yeah. (Chorus:) Here and now My heart’s proclamation… You are awesome and true! You’ve been better to me, Than I’ve been to myself. I’ll Always give thanks to You, to You. Yeah, yeah Yes, I will, yes, I will.
Heavenly Father Say, sing Right now I want to thank You For all that You’ve done for me. Right now, I want to thank You For taking good care of me. Right now, I want to thank You For all that You mean to me Right now, right now, I can’t live without Your LOVE! Yeah, said right now, say No d-d-doubt about it. I can’t live without Your LOVE No d-d-doubt about it! Hey, said, I can’t live without Your LOVE… Said, I can’t live without Your touch… Thank You, Thank You from the bottom of my heart… Thank You Thank You, for being a friend…over and over again… Thank You…Thank You…Lord, Thank You…’
Oh friends, that was a rocking good rendition of the song, and all who heard it had no doubt that we were grateful for the Lord’s many blessings upon us and upon our land. And for all the Lord’s done for us we can never give Him enough thanks and praise, but we ought to do the best we can. (smile)
And I do like the sentiments of the song, like ‘The key to my emotions.’ Yes, the Lord is the key to our emotions. As one overview puts it: ‘Christ is the anchor and transformer of human emotions, providing inner peace, renewal, and a model for processing feelings with grace.’ And we see that in scriptures like Bruh Paul writes to the Philippians: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7)
That shows we can overcome worry with God’s surpassing peace through prayer. And we have this other verse from Psalm 34, where Bruh David writes: ‘The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite (crushed) spirit.’ (Ps. 34:18) That reassures us of God’s closeness when we are crushed by grief. And there are many other scriptures that portray Christ’s as our emotional stalwart.
And what about the rest of that first verse eh? ‘You keep me going strong The source of my solution When things are going wrong When my life’s uncertain There’s no place I’d rather be Than standing here beside You ‘Cause Your LOVE always comforts me.’ And there’s no doubt about all of that, for Christ does keep us strong, as we know through this most pivotal verse from Philippians: ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil 4:19)
And how about this other well-known scripture from the prophet Isaiah? ‘He giveth power to the faint (weak); and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is. 40:29-31)
And Jesus is indeed the source of our solution. For only through Him can our major problem, the forgiveness of sins, be attained. As Peter so rightly and confidently pointed out to the Jewish Council after they arrested John and himself for preaching Christ crucified. ‘This is the stone which was set at nought of (rejected by) you builders, which is become the head of the corner (chief cornerstone). Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.’ (Acts 4:11-12) And that’s as it surely is!
Now, as per when things are going wrong in our lives and we’re uncertain, beside Jesus is indeed the best place to stand because He’s the most wonderful source of comfort. Firstly, Jesus offers us His Great Invitation to come to Him and drop our heavy burdens and get comfort rest and relaxation from bearing His easy yoke. (Matt. 11:28-30) Then Bruh Paul describes God as the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us when we’re in trouble, so that we can comfort others with that same comfort we received from Him. (1 Cor. 1:3-4)
So there’s no lack of comfort in God’s domain. But I believe, in Psalm 23, Bruh David gives the best description of the overall scenario. ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps. 23:4-6)
So what else are we waiting for to turn to Almighty God eh? Satan certainly cannot offer those things, and even if he does, we know it’s all a lie, because he will eventually be cast into the lake of fire with all of his other evil cronies. So, let’s wake up this Thanksgiving Sunday and get really serious about Christ and living sincerely for Him nuh! For He is the answer to it all! Much LOVE!
…giving thanks from a thankful heart…is the best act of thanksgiving…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
13 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a timeless invitation, a week of stressful work, a wonderful Saturday morning present, according to his riches in glory, actively savour god's presence and goodness, align your desires with God's, all the days of my life, all these things shall be added unto you, asleep at the wheel, christianity, Christians, concentrate on God's will, crucial times, deepen my breath, delight thyself also in the Lord, don't view faith as a list of strict rules, dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, faith, find contentment in God rather than in the world, for His name's sake, give thee the desires of thine heart, God is not a genie, granting every fleeting wish, growing intimacy with god, have a personal testimony, he leadeth me beside still waters, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he restoreth my soul, holy spirit, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I shall not want, I want to be with you now, I will fear no evil, improve our intimacy with God, in the presence of mine enemies, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, laze around the house, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, leadeth me in paths of righteousness, LOVE, make God the absolute delight of your life, marvel to think, may know you all the more, mercy, my cup runneth over, my god shall supply all your need, on the early bus, peace and calm, Praise the Lord, puts us through our paces, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, rewards for intimacy with God, salvation, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, sincerity and truth, slow my thoughts, spend time with God, strong relationships take time, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, thank you for this tenderness, the BIBLE, the gospel truth, the heartfelt desire of every believer, The Lord is my shepherd, the peace of God which passes all understanding, the responsibilities of a shepherd, thou anointest my head with oil, thou art with me, thou preparest a table before me, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, to ease our weary souls, to guard our hearts and minds, trust God and let go, truth, wake up, wisdom, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present, your ultimate joy
Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 June 2026 Psalm 37:4.
Psalm 37:4. ‘Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.’
And so we come to Saturday; our lazy-day Saturday. And would you believe the ole fella did not laze around today…well not much. But I’ve been up and about fairly early, although I went to bed pretty late. I’ve even been out the street to fix my glasses. And despite all of that, we’re on an early bus today! Praise the Lord! (smile) So let’s get the ball rolling by offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, with all sincerity and truth.
As one strong and earnest 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 if our prayer was sincere and heartfelt, then the Lord will soon be responding with a big slice of the peace of God, which passes all understanding, to guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:7) Now isn’t that a wonderful Saturday morning present, as you laze around the house doing little if anything, basically resting after a hard week of stressful work?
Of course! We could not want for anything better than a big slice of God’s peace and calm to ease our weary souls and renew, or better yet, improve our intimacy with Him. Oh my people, truly getting close to our great and wonderful God is the most important and delightful thing we’ll ever do, because there are so many wonderful rewards to that, as Bruh David says so well in Psalm 37. ‘Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.’ (Ps. 37:4)
And I like how this overview explains it: ‘”Delight yourself in the Lord” is a timeless invitation from Psalm 37:4 to find your ultimate joy, peace, and contentment in Him rather than in worldly circumstances.’ And that’s the gospel truth my brethren! When we concentrate on God’s will and purpose for our lives, we’re filled with a sense of wonder and astonishment at some of the things He will do for us.
And the overview breaks it down thus: ‘This beautiful phrase from King David carries a deep, two-fold meaning for your daily life: Finding Ultimate Joy: It means to make God the absolute delight and pleasure of your life. Instead of viewing faith as a list of strict rules, it’s about actively savoring God’s presence, goodness, and LOVE. Aligning Your Desires: The second half of the verse promises, “and he will give you the desires of your heart”. This doesn’t mean He acts like a genie granting every fleeting wish. Rather, as you grow closer to Him, your heart becomes so aligned with His will that your desires naturally transform to match what He wants for you.’
That’s why we keep urging and imploring us re finding greater intimacy with God. For that’s when we truly come alive, when our Christian faith truly becomes what it ought to be. And how do we do that in actual practice? Hear what the overview advises. ‘Spend Time with Him: Just like any relationship, delighting in God takes time. You can draw near to Him through prayer, reflecting on scripture, or simply being still in His presence. Trust and Let Go: The passage begins by urging believers not to fret over the wicked or worry about things outside their control. Delighting in God means trusting that He knows what is best for you and will provide for your needs.’
And yuh know that’s really all the Bible is about: having sufficient faith to put our sincere and total trust in Almighty God because we know, are convinced that He knows what’s best for us, and if we sincerely accept His will, then He will ensure we’re well taken care of. Look at the many scriptures that tell us that nuh. Jesus said it thus: ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) Then Bruh Paul says to the Philippians: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory.’ (Phil. 4:19)
And no one puts it more beautifully than Bruh David in Psalm 23: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Amen!’ (Ps. 23:1-6)
Wow! No wonder that psalm is the most beloved in the Bible, because it lays out what the Lord can do for us in the likeness of a shepherd. And no one could do that better than Bruh David, because remember he began life as a lowly shepherd boy, before the Lord thrust him into greatness. So he knows perfectly what it’s like being a shepherd and the responsibilities it brings. That’s why the saying, you can’t write about what you don’t know about is oh so true. And also why the Lord puts us through our paces, so we can have personal testimony of what we talk about.
And in closing, all I can ask is that we wake up, because so many of us supposed believers are still asleep at the wheel, and in these crucial times, we desperately need to wake up and get wise and do as Bruh David so urgently beseeches: ‘Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.’ Ps. (37:4) Much LOVE!
…getting closer to God…growing intimacy with Him…ought to be the heartfelt desire of every believer…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, amidst all the anxiety and confusion, as sheep going astray, bare our sins in his own body, be responsible, being dead to sins, bring us back to his fold, by the example we faithful believers set, by whose stripes ye were healed, carry them in his bosom, cast into hell fire, discontent, dissatisfaction, distorted concept, divine aid, even my servant David, faith, feed his flock like a shepherd, find pasture, for His name's sake, Friday chant, gather the lambs with his arm, gently lead those that are with young, go in and out, God is good all the time, God's loving kindness, have it more abundantly, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he restores my soul, his arm shall rule for him, his reward is with him, his work before him, holy spirit, how foolish it is, I am come that they might have life, I am the door of the sheep, I am the good shepherd, I the Lord will be their God, I will fear no evil, I would not be searching for you, if any man enter in he shall be saved, if you were not first wanting me, improved Christian witness, introduce a new flock of believers, Jesus Christ, Jesus walked his talk, keep us safe from harm, leadeth me beside the still waters, leads me in the paths of righteousness, let me remember always, live unto righteousness, lost sheep, Lost Shepherd, lost souls, LOVE, major deterrent, marvellous reassurance, mercy, my servant David a prince among them, now returned unto the shepherd, on the late bus, One Year Book of Bible promises, our sinful world can wake up, problems escalating, prone to forget, rebellion against God, rebellious and disobedient sheep, return backsliders to your fold, reversed the parable of the Shepherd and the sheep, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, searching for you, set up one shepherd over them, show them the error of their ways, smell the coffee, stay safe, surrender to your search for me, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the bishop of your souls, the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep, the Lord God will come with strong hand, the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, the shepherd has been lost, the thief cometh not but to steal, the weekend, these ungodly times, thieves and robbers, thou art with me, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, to stumble through darkness, trudged down dangerous mountain cliffs, truth, unexpected storms, who his own self, wisdom, wise guidance
John 10::11. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
Oh my people, it’s Friday, a damp and cloudy one, with showers promised for the weekend. But I know that we’ve all offered up our ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ jubilation, because the weekend is here. And unfortunately, today we’re on the late, late bus because I had to go out early this morning and do some stuff, and by the time I returned, a li’l rest was needed, but unfortunately that li’l rest turned into a much longer one than expected. (smile) And thus we’ll get right into it, with an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. Most likely I’ve shared it before, but in these lost and scary times, it’s certainly worth sharing again.
The title is simply ‘Lost Shepherd.’ Please read with me. ‘Sometimes, Lord In my groping effort to find You I have reversed the parable Of the Shepherd and the sheep. In my distorted concept The Shepherd has been lost And the sheep have trudged down Dangerous mountain cliffs to find him. How sadly prone I am to forget That I would not be searching for You If You were not first wanting me. Let me remember always, Lord How foolish it is To stumble through darkness Searching for You When I need only to surrender To Your search for me.’
And all God’s children said a loud and grateful shout of ‘Amen! God is good all of the time!’ And that He is my fellow believers! There’s absolutely no doubt about it, otherwise we would have all been cast in to hell fire long ago for our disobedience and proud, arrogant rebellion against His Sovereign Majesty! But in His awesome LOVING-KINDNESS, He set out to find us, like lost sheep, so that He could bring us back to his fold and keep us safe from harm. Now the Bible tells us that we should seek Him with all that we have, but it’s also worthy to note, as our poem above says, we would not be seeking Him, unless He was first wanting us.
And isn’t it so good, so encouraging and reassuring that our Creator LOVES us so much that He would send out someone special to look for us and bring us back home. It’s like Isaiah said so long ago: ‘Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand (in strength), and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work (wage) before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is. 40:10-11)
Yes friends, that’s the picture of a God that’s been painted throughout the Bible; that of a Good Shepherd. Ezekiel also said it of the Lord. ‘And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it.’ (Ezek. 34:23-24)
Therefore, it’s no surprise that Bruh David could write in that most popular Psalm 23: ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters, he restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps. 23:1-4) Oh yes my brethren! For that’s what a good shepherd does; provides food, safety, warmth and comfort for his sheep!
And no one has done that more for us lost souls than our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He said it Himself, then went and proved it on the cross of Calvary. Listen to this last part of his discourse on the sheep and shepherd. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief 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. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:7-11)
Wow! What marvellous reassurance! And that last verse is the Bible Promise for our poem today. And as we said earlier, Jesus did walk His talk; He went out and died for us lost, unworthy, sinful, disobedient sheep! He certainly did all he could to salvage the situation for us. Now the onus lies in our hands, on our shoulders. There’s no Lost Shepherd, but plenty lost sheep! And hopefully, we can end up as Peter says: ‘Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes (wounds) ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but now are returned unto the Shepherd and the Bishop (Overseer) of your souls.’ (1 Pet. 2:24-25)
Yes my people, that’s where we belong, and hopefully that’s where we’re all headed, but it’s not an easy row to hoe, therefore, we need to go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, to get divine help. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And having said all of that my fellow believers, we need to follow it up with improved Christian witness, for it’s the major deterrent to us not receiving more divine aid! Much LOVE!
…Jesus first came looking for us…we now need to go looking for Him…and if we are sincere…He isn’t hard to find…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
07 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a leisurely day, anger, at the forefront of our minds, away from have to things, be of good cheer, behooves us, burn out, coddling a pent-up rebellion, come to know and love him like we do, didn't want to go to church, do what we feel like, doing a brisk business, faith, fear, followers of Christ Jesus, foolishness, for His name's sake, get away from the alarm clocks, get away from work family friends, God is a refuge for us, greed, handle our problems properly, hate, he leads me beside the still waters, he leads me in the paths of righteousness, he makes me lie down in green pastures, he restores my soul, holy spirit, hurry, i have overcome the world, I shall not want, I will fear no evil, In God is my salvation and my glory, in god's eyes, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, insecurity, Jesus Christ, learned a profound lesson, let not your heart be troubled, life is good, lock stock and barrel, lose our focus, lose the capacity for personal enjoyment, LOVE, mental illness, mercy, my hope is from him, my peace I give unto you, my refuge is in God, my soul wait thou only upon God, neither let it be afraid, not as the world gives, of whom shall I be afraid, Once in a while we can, once in a while we can do what we want to, once in awhile we need to walk think meditate, One Year Book of Bible promises, only God can satisfy our deepest longings, our competitive society, Peace i leave with you, personal enjoyment, pour out your hearts before him, pressing commitments, propaganda, rely upon God, reminiscent of our current society, retain our sanity in this crazy world, salvation, Selah, sense of purpose, share His love with my neighbours, share our private secrets with God, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, the beloved of God, the Lord is my light and my salvation, The Lord is my shepherd, the Lord is the strength of my life, the mind doctors, the negatives running rampant in our society, the rock of my strength, the shattering pressures, these things I have spoken unto you, thou art with me, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, to whom we belong, trust in him at all times, trust my friend Jesus, truth, trying to keep up with the world system, unfair systems of the world, whom shall I fear, wisdom, without hurting someone, worry
Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
And finally the bright sunshiny days have come to an end! Yes, rain is in the offing for today. We’ve already had a small drizzle, but with all the cloudiness around, we’ll probably have some bigger showers later in the day. And we really can’t complain because we’ve had such beautiful unseasonable weather recently, and though rain might fall, the temperature is still almost summer-like. (smile) So let’s give thanks, for life is good; we’re alive, and the weather is fine!
Now, here’s a very interesting and rather appropriate writing from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. And though I’m sure I’ve shared this one before, it’s worthwhile hearing again, because it’s highly reminiscent of our current society. It’s aptly titled, ‘Once in a While We Can.’
So please read with me: ‘One bright Sunday when I was twelve, I didn’t want to go to church. I wasn’t coddling a pent-up rebellion. I simply pictured a leisurely day away from “have to” things. How to explain and be understood! Finally I just blurted it out as Mother prepared breakfast. She listened attentively. “Honey,” she said calmly, we can’t always do what we feel like doing without hurting someone.” That settled it, I thought. I was sorry I had asked. Suddenly I heard, “But once in a while we can do what we want to – just because we want to. You may stay home this Sunday.”
The memory of that day is still vivid. Not because I stayed home from church, but because I learned a profound lesson: Once in a while we can! Once in a while we can get away from the alarm clocks, peanut butter jars, milk cartons…away from the shattering pressures of our competitive society. Once in a while we need to get away from work, family, friends, and pressing commitments. Often we lose the capacity for personal enjoyment. Once in a while we need to walk, think, and meditate. Only God can satisfy our deepest longings. He longs for us to share our private secrets with Him. Once in a while we can.’
And that my friends is ever so true! In fact, it’s not only we need to do it, but we must do it, if we’re to retain our sanity in this crazy world in which we now live! Everything is fast and quick, busy and now for now, that if every so often we don’t get away from it all, we’ll simply burn out, lose our focus and sense of purpose. And that’s not a very nice picture to contemplate, much less experience.
And all around us, we see the danger in living at the crazy pace our society dictates with the high amount of mental illness and burn out that now exists. Pharmaceuticals for tiredness and mental illness have reached a sky high level, and the mind doctors are doing a brisk business because of the amount of fear, insecurity, greed, anger, hate, and all the other negatives that currently are running rampant throughout our world. And please note that this downward trend is not filled with only unbelievers, but also many believers, who are trying to keep up with the world system, but unfortunately are not doing so well at it.
Why? Because we have forgotten where our hope, health and strength come from. And just to remind us where it comes from, please listen as Bruh David passionately declares: ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Ps. 27:1) Yes my fellow believers, as a follower of Christ Jesus, that’s where our health, hope and strength are supposed to come from! Not from the insecure, unfair and uncompromising systems of the world, that so many of us are trying to get them from.
That’s why Bruh David also penned these words in Psalm 62: ‘My soul, (silently) wait thou only upon God; for my expectation (hope) is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved (shaken). In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your hearts before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.’ (Ps. 62:5-8) Now that’s something we ought never to forget, especially when the trials and tribulations of the world come upon us.
And we also need to vividly remember these two poignant and very reassuring verses from Jesus. The first says: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) And the second verse strengthens the first. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) Now, if those two verses from our Lord and Saviour don’t resonate strongly within us, then I don’t know what will.
But hopefully, may be these verses will. (smile) They are the ones listed as the Bible Promise for our reading today. So, please read with me: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps. 23:1-4)
And if we keep those scriptures at the forefront of our minds, then we won’t allow the world to drive us crazy with all the foolishness and the propaganda that it purports to be progress and wisdom. Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all the world know to whom we belong lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said all of that, it now behooves us to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…only as we rely upon God…will we be able to handle our problems properly…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
21 Sep 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: awakened from a troubled sleep, be able to comfort them which are in trouble, blessed be God, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God, declare all thy works, destroyed all them who go a whoring from thee, don't lose faith, entrepreneurial crisis, envious of the wicked's prosperity, facing bankruptcy, faith, fellowship, God has us in the palm of his hand, God is the strength of my heart, God on the Mountain, God took them through the valley, God will make them right, holy spirit, I will fear no evil, in the presence of mine enemies, it is good for me to draw near to God, it's down in the vallesy, Jesus Christ, know it deep down in our hearts, life is easy when you're on the mountain, LOVE, mercy, my cup runneth over, my flesh and my heart faileth, my portion for ever, of whom shall I be afraid, peace of mind like you've never known, prayers of praise and thanksgiving, put it into action, put my trust in the Lord God, reward of God's goodness and grace, salvation, still God in the bad times, still God in the night, still God in the valley, stood strong in faith, swimming pool business, talk comes easy, talk of faith, the day of the Lord, the Father of mercies, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of All Comfort, The God of the day, the God of the good times, the God on the mountain, the gospel truth, the indisputable truth, the Lord is my light and my salvation, the Lord is the strength of my life, the trials and tribulations of life, their world seemed to be falling apart, they that are far from thee shall perish, thou anointest my head with oil, thou art with me, thou preparest a table before me, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, Tracy Dartt, trials and temptations, truth, ungodly times, up on the mountain, we ourselves are comforted by God, when life's at its best, when things change, when things go wrong, when you're down in the valley, who comforteth us in all our tribulation, whom shall I fear, wisdom, you're never alone, your faith is put to the test
Psalm 23:4. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Sunday has come around again my fellow believers! That wonderful day of our God, where we endeavour to visit His house, and with other believers offer up prayers of praise and thanksgiving and worship Him with a true and sincere heart. In return, we receive His strength and wisdom to face another week of work in these tough and ungodly times. And on our worship schedule for today is a song that’s very appropriate for these times and offers encouragement to those of us who are having a hard time managing the trials and tribulations of our lives.
The song’s aptly titled ‘God on the Mountain.’ It was written by Tracy Dartt in the mid 1970’s when his wife Sharon and himself were going through an entrepreneurial crisis, where there swimming pool business in California was facing bankruptcy, and to make matters worse, their partner became discouraged, threw in the towel, and signed everything over to them. That obviously caused them even more anxiety and stress for they had several swimming pools to build, but no money to build them with.
It so happened though that the Dartt’s were also country gospel music singers and per Mr. Dartt: ‘In the midst of the turmoil, I awakened from a troubled sleep one night. It was two o’clock in the morning. A tune was echoing in my troubled brain. I picked up a tablet and a pencil and began to write, “Life is easy when you’re up on the mountain, and you’ve got peace of mind like you’ve never known. But, when things change and you’re down in the valley, don’t lose faith, for you’re never alone.”
“Thank You, Lord,” I prayed, “for being God in my valley.” The chorus came, “The God on the mountain is still God in the valley. When things go wrong, He’ll make them right…” In all, it took about thirty minutes. I again prayed, “Thank You, Lord,” and then settled back down to sleep.’
And wouldn’t you know it, the next day he went off to work and through God’s goodness and mercy, he got a call for a new swimming pool. Then a few days later he got another call. And so it went, until as he writes: ‘Through the off-season, we ended up selling and building 12 pools in all, at a time when no one else was building pools. The building season came, and suddenly we were able to finish all of our construction and eliminate our debts. We were free and clear, without having to bankrupt the business. God had taken us through the valley.’
And believe me friends, that is not an exception but has happened to many believers down through the ages, who stood strong in their faith even when their world seemed to be falling apart around them. So now that we know some the song’s background, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a mid-tempo, soulful version of the song, a la the American Gospel Artiste, Lynda Randle.
Singing: ‘Life is easy, when you’re up on the mountain And you’ve got peace of mind, like you’ve never known But things change, when you’re down in the valley Don’t lose faith, for you are never alone For the God on the mountain, is still God in the valley When things go wrong, He’ll make them right And the God of the good times, is still God in the bad times The God of the day, is still God in the night We talk of faith way up on the mountain
But talk comes easy, when life’s at its best Now it’s down in the valleys, trials and temptations That’s where your faith is really put to the test For the God on the mountain, is still God in the valley, When things go wrong, He’ll make them right And the God of the good times, is still God in the bad times The God of the day, is still God in the night The God of the day, is still God in the night.’
And that’s the indisputable truth my people! Our God is the God of both the day and night, as well as of the valley and the mountain top. But we must know that deep down in our hearts and put it into action, like the Dartt’s did, if we want to experience the same kind of reward of God’s goodness and grace that they received.
And we all know that one of the most famous scriptures on being down in the valley is this one from Psalm 23, where Bruh David confidently affirms: ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil: my cup runneth over.’ (Ps. 23:3-4)
Yes my brethren, the Lord has faithfully promised that He will never leave nor forsake us, (Heb. 13:5) that means wherever we are, He is there with us, leading and guiding us. However though, valley life is not easy. For as the song so rightfully points out. ‘We talk of faith way up on the mountain But talk comes easy, when life’s at its best Now it’s down in the valleys, trials and temptations That’s where your faith is really put to the test.’
Now that’s the gospel truth! When things are going well, we can always boast about our faith, but it’s down in the trenches of the valleys, when the darkness seems overwhelming, that our faith is really tested. And it’s where so many of us fail the test, because we cannot walk our talk of faith. But when we put our trust in God during those dark and dismal times, He helps us to get through them. It’s like the psalmist Asaph who found himself in the valley, being envious of the wicked, then went into the sanctuary of God and finally understood the wicked’s end. (Ps. 73:17).
Later, he declares: ‘My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (rock) of my heart, and my portion for ever. For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee. But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’ (Ps. 73:26-28)
And we’ll close with possibly the most comforting scripture verses in the Bible. The words of Bruh Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians. ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:3-4)
Yes friends, our great God not only comforts us, but in such a manner that we can comfort others. Isn’t He wonderful? Of course He is! So, let’s remember, that though times are tough and seem to be getting tougher daily, our God Jehovah has us in the palm of his hand, but we need keep our faith strong, to even build it up, so that we can make it through the many death-like valleys that are appearing nowadays. Much LOVE!
…the Lord is my light and my salvation…whom shall I fear…the Lord is the strength of my life…of whom shall I be afraid…NO ONE… (Ps. 27:1)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
18 Aug 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundant provision, according to his riches in glory, all the days of my life, all these things shall be added unto you, an honoured guest, another work week, be eternally grateful, by Christ Jesus, Christians, divine intervention, do our part, dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, ease the pain, eternal celebration of God's goodness, faith, faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers, for His name's sake, he leads me beside the still waters, he makes me lie down in green pastures, he restoreth my soul, holy spirit, humble servants, I am the good shepherd, I will fear no evil, improve our Christian witness, in the presence of mine enemies, independent, it's all for our benefit, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, lack any good thing, leads me in the paths of righteousness, live a life befitting the name of Christ, live the life God desires of us, LOVE, mass confusion in our world, mercy, mighty lions, my cup runneth over, my God shall supply all your needs, Praise the Lord, pray, prosper us, protector and provider, rebellious and disobedient sheep, salvation, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, self-sufficient, sincere repentance in our hearts, sincerely seek your face, sinned and disobeyed your Word, strong faith in Christ, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, the BIBLE, the God who heals, the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep, the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, the many suffering from negative situations, the role of God, the throne of grace, the utopian dream of sheep, the valley of the shadow of death, the very essence of God, things are on the upswing, thou anointest my head with oil, thou art with me, thou preparest a table before me, though I walk through, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, to alleviate our problems, truth, turn from our evil ways, vindication before one's enemies, wisdom, wise guidance
Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (lack any good thing).
Well, well, well! If it isn’t another Monday, meaning the start of another work week. And it’s a different one too, not as hot as the last few, and it might just get up above the twenty degree mark, with a cool breeze to keep things in order. (smile) Even yesterday wasn’t that hot, and we did have some more rain in the afternoon. So hopefully, things are on the upswing now, with fewer very hot days. I even got to sit comfortably on my porch yesterday afternoon and watch the people passing by. Praise the Lord!
And since the sun is shining brightly, and the birds are singing sweetly, why don’t we give the Lord some sincere praise and thanks for allowing us to see another beautiful day on His marvellous earth? And what better way to do that than through the most beautiful and most appropriate words of Bruh David from Psalm 23. So please declare with me: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (lack any good thing). He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still (calm) waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps. 23:1-6)
Wow! What beautiful sentiments…and they are all true too! And I like how the scholars put it: ‘The psalm has been a favourite of God’s people through the ages and with due reason: it expresses as simply and clearly as any the role of God as our protector and provider in life. The charm of the psalm rests on two figures of speech: the Lord is compared to a shepherd and the believer to his sheep (vs. 1-4); then the Lord is likened to a host with the believer as the guest (vs. 5-6).’
And the image of the Lord as being a shepherd is not a new one, you can find it all through the Bible. In the Old Testament for instance in Ps. 78:52; 80:1; Is. 40:11; Jer. 31:10; and Ezek. 34:11. Then in the New Testament in Heb. 13:20; 1 Pet. 2:25; Rev. 7:16-17. And this one in John, which comes from the mouth of the shepherd Himself, where Jesus informs us: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep.’ (John 10:11) And that is exactly what He did; selflessly give His sinless life as atonement for our horrible sins against Almighty God!
Oh friends, Bruh David catches the very essence of God in those few verses, like no one else has ever done. So let’s look at some of the sentiments nuh. For instance, ‘I shall not want.’ That means the Lord his shepherd will provide all he needs. Jesus also said it loud and clear: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.’ (Matt. 6:33) And Bruh Paul corroborated that in his letter to the Philippians, when he writes: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in Glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19)
And what more can we ask for, when he makes us to lie down in pastures of green grass beside quiet and calm waters eh? Nothing! Because that is the utopian dream of sheep! (smile) Then He restores our souls, and leads us in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. The Lord is surely powerful and merciful, if He can and is willing to do those things. And Bruh David certainly believed that, as he confidently declared in Psalm 31: ‘For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.’ (Ps. 31:3) And please note that it’s all in God’s name, all for His glory, not for ours.
And do I ever like the next verse, about walking through the valley of the shadow of death and not fearing. But why should we fear, when it’s only a shadow of death, and a shadow can do us no harm. But nonetheless, the Lord will not allow us to go through terrible times without being present at our side and helping us through them. For that’s what a good shepherd does!
Now here’s this interesting affirmation from the scholars. ‘Believers are never pictured in Scripture as mighty lions, independent and self-sufficient; rather, they are sheep who are dependent on their Shepherd for His provision and protection. But the Believer is more than a dependent sheep, however, he is also like an honoured guest, since the Lord prepares a table for him. Connected with this honoured position is abundant provision, vindication before one’s enemies, and eternal celebration of God’s goodness.’
No wonder that despite all of my failures, the Lord will still treat me as an honoured guest, preparing a table of lavish provision right in the presence of mine enemies; so much so that my cup overflows with His goodness and mercy, which will lead to a wonderful life with Him through all eternity. What more can one ask for eh my brethren! Absolutely nothing else! Christians are the ONLY ONES who have a gracious, merciful and forgiving God, who is not afraid to extend Himself to meet the needs of His people! For that we ought to be eternally grateful and live a life that’s befitting the name of Christ.
Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking grace and mercy in these desperate times. ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
Now, going to God in prayer is fine, but we won’t see divine intervention until we do our part and live the life God desires of us. And we all know where we’re faltering, so let’s be wise and improve our Christian witness nuh! Remember, it’s all for our benefit! Much LOVE!
…the Lord’s a good shepherd…but it doesn’t matter if the sheep are rebellious and disobedient…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a cloud received him out of their sight, a testament to God's goodness, baptized with the Holy ghost, be able to comfort those in trouble, blessed be God, by the same comfort we received from God, comforts us in all our tribulation, destroyed all them that go a whoring, destroyed all who are unfaithful to you, don't lose faith, down in the valley, faith, fellowship, fight the good fight of faith, file for bankruptcy, give God the reverence He deserves, God in the valley, God is a faithful God, God is the strength of my heart, God on the Mountain, God will make things right when they go wrong, holy spirit, I have put my trust in the Lord, I may declare all his works, I will fear no evil, in the midst of the turmoil, in the presence of mine enemies, it is good for me to draw near to God, Jesus Christ, life is easy when you're on the mountain, LOVE, mercy, my cup runneth over, my flesh and my heart faileth, none on earth I desire but you, salvation, Seventh Sunday of Easter, shall come again in like manner, sweet sacrifices of praise, swimming pools, taken up from you to heaven, talk of faith, the Ascension of Christ, the Father of mercies, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of All Comfort, the God of the bad times, The God of the day, the God of the good times, the god of the night, the gospel truth, the Great Commission, the Mount of Olives, the second coming of Christ, they that are far from thee shall perish, things change, this same Jesus, thou anointest my head with oil, thou art with me, thou preparest a table before me, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, Tracy Dartt, trials and temptations, truth, use our innate wisdom, walking the talk, whom have I heaven but thee, wisdom, you have peace of mind, you're never alone, your faith is put to the test
Psalm 23:4. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me: thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
And it’s another Sunday, this one the first day of June, the Seventh Sunday of Easter, when many churches celebrate the Ascension of Christ which happened this past week Thursday. The Lord spent forty days on earth after He rose from the grave, and on that day, while He gathered with the disciples on Mount Olivet (the Mount of Olives), He gave them the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20), also telling them to remain in Jerusalem until they were baptized with the Holy Ghost (Acts 1:4).
‘And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld (looked on), he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.’ (Acts 1:9:11) Yes friends, Jesus went away, but He will come again, when He comes to judge the earth.
Now, the scholars offer these explanations of those verses. ‘While they beheld suggests several things that are not apparent. Unlike the appearances and disappearances of the former 40 days in which Jesus instantly appeared and vanished, this was a gradual and visible departure. This was different and final. He would no longer appear to them. His next appearance on earth will be at the Second Coming when he visibly (Rev. 1:7) and bodily sets His feet on Mount Olivet (Zech. 14:4).’
And since Jesus left from the mountain, and will return to the mountain, it’s appropriate that we begin our worship today with the song, ‘God On the Mountain.’ (smile) The story of the song is a wonderful testament to God’s goodness and faithfulness. In a nutshell, Tracy Dartt, the author, was in California building swimming pools with a partner in 1974, and though on the outside things looked rosy, in reality they were not. They discovered they had more pools to build than they could afford, and nothing they did could alleviate the problems.
The partner wanted to file for bankruptcy, but Dartt felt that was right. So, in frustration, the partner turned everything over to him, including the massive debt. And all they could do was pray. And did they ever pray! However, while things were going good, Dart and his wife Sharon had founded a country gospel group with another couple, called ‘Country Congregation, for which he wrote all the music, and they were functioning fairly well with a recording contract in hand.
And as the Lord would have it, in the midst of the turmoil, he awoke from a troubled sleep at two o’clock one night with a tune echoing in his mind. He picked up pen and paper and began to write. The first verse came, and as he thanked the Lord for being his God in the valley, the chorus came. And in roughly thirty minutes the song was completed. He thanked the Lord and went back to sleep. The next morning things were still up in the air and they prayed for the Lord to show them His will.
Shortly after he got to his office, someone called and requested a pool for an injured athlete. A few days later another call came for another pool. And so it went on, until they built some 12 pools in the off season, when no one else was building any. And they were able to save their business. And yet, people still say that the Lord is not a good and faithful God and is always with you, wherever you are! Nonsense!
So, finally, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, heartfelt, mid tempo version of this testimonial song to our great God. Singing: ‘Life is easy, when you’re up on the mountain And you’ve got peace of mind, like you’ve never known. But things change, when you’re down in the valley. Don’t lose faith, for you’re never alone. (Chorus: For the God on the mountain, is the God in the valley. When things go wrong, He’ll make them right. And the God of the good times is still God in the bad times. The God of the day is still God in the night.)
You talk of faith when you’re up on the mountain. But talk comes so easy when life’s at its best. But its down in the valley, of trials and temptations That’s where your faith, is really put to the test. (Chorus: For the God on the mountain is the God in the valley. When things go wrong, He’ll make them right. And the God of the good times is still God in the bad times. The God of the day, is still God in the night. (2)’
And isn’t that gospel truth my faithful brethren! Our God, when we’re celebrating on the mountain top, is the very same God who walks with us when we’re in despair in the valley. That’s why Bruh David could famously proclaim from Psalm 23: ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me: thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.’’ (Ps. 23:4-5)
Yes friends, that how good our God can be to us when things look ever so bleak, with no apparent way out of our unfortunate situations. And that’s why the psalmist Asaph in Psalm 73 – Prosperity of the Wicked – could also write these marvellous words of assurance. ‘Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none on earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (rock) of my heart, and my portion for ever. For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee (who are unfaithful to thee). But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’ (Ps. 73:25-28)
Now that’s how Christians ought to be talking…while also walking the talk! For our God is undoubtedly a good God, who has promised to never leave not forsake us (Heb. 13:5), and He never breaks any of His promises, so we can stake our lives on any promises He’s made. And furthermore, as Bruh Paul writes of Him to the Corinthians: ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them, which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:3-4)
Now what more can we ask for my fellow believers? We have a God who is always with us, whether we’re on the mountaintop or in the depths of the valley, one who comforts us in times of trouble, even to the extent that we can comfort others with the comfort we receive from Him! Wow! What a magnificent God we serve! If only we would use our innate wisdom to give Him the right gratitude and reverence He deserves, our lives would be so much better! Much LOVE!
…whether we’re on the mountaintop…or in the valley…Christians must always be fighting…the good fight of faith…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
12 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a grain of mustard seed, accept calamity, all the days of my life, an encouragement to many people, bankrupt the business, Bible, blessed be God, bnelievers in Christ Jesus, burn out, Christian, christianity, comforts us in all tribulation, curse God and die, don't lose faith, eliminate debts, faith, fellowship, for being god in my valley, God on the Mountain, God will come through for you, have faith in God, He'll make them right, holy spirit, I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, I will fear no evil, in God's name, in the presence of mine enemies, is still god in the bad times, is still god in the night, is the God in the valley, it's down in the valley, Jesus Christ, life is easy when you're on the mountain, loaded with debt, LOVE, make serious inroads into, mercy, mired in negative situations, my cup runneth over, not receive evil, O ye of little faith, our God is a good God, receive good at God's hand, retain your integrity, retake the world, reverence God, salvation, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, sweet sacrifices of praise, swimming pools, talk a good talk of faith, talk comes easy, thank you locrd, the evil world system, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the gifts we're given to share with others, the God of Comfort, The God of the day, the God of the good times, the God on the mountain, the grace to comfort others, the valley of the sahdow of death, therapy, things change, thou anointest my head with oil, thou art with me, thou preparest a table before me, though I walk through, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, Tracy Dartt, trials and temptations, truer words were never spoken, truth, up on the mountain, up our ante, wake up from slumber, we are comforted by God, we can comfort those in trouble, when life's at its best, when things go wrong, when you're down in the valley, where your faith is really tested, why are ye fearful, wisdom, worship, you have peace of mind, you're never alone
Psalm 23:4. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Now, the year 2025, and the month of January seem to be making a headlong dash for some unknown winner’s wire, because both of them started out so quickly. We just celebrated New Years, and the month is already half done. That means we believers in Christ Jesus have to up our ante right away, if we intend to make any serious inroads into the evil world system. And this Sunday, the second of the year gives us the opportunity to do just that, as we gather in the Lord’s sanctuary to fellowship, worship, give thanks and receive encouragement in our faith.
So let’s get to some worship right away, by singing that soulful, but oh so true song, written by Tracy Dart, in the mid 1970’s, so aptly titled ‘God On the Mountain.’ Yes, let’s offer up sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, heartfelt version, sincerely meaning all we say. Singing: ‘Life is easy, when you’re up on the mountain And you’ve got peace of mind, like you’ve never known. But things change, when you’re down in the valley. Don’t lose faith, for you’re never alone. For the God on the mountain, is the God in the valley. When things go wrong, He’ll make them right. And the God of the good times is still God in the bad times. The God of the day is still God in the night.
You talk of faith when you’re up on the mountain. But talk comes so easy when life’s at its best. But it’s down in the valley, of trials and temptations That’s where your faith, is really put to the test. For the God on the mountain is the God in the valley. When things go wrong, He’ll make them right. And the God of the good times is still God in the bad times. The God of the day, is still God in the night. The God of the day, is still God in the night.’
And isn’t that the living truth my fellow believers! Our God is the One and Only True God; meaning He’s there in the day and the night, in the tough times and the good ones, as well as up on the mountain top or down in the valley. He is omnipresent, all-pervasive, as no other supposed God is! That’s why we worship and LOVE and give Him the thanks and praise that we do!
And the story behind the birth of that song is really interesting. Apparently in 1974, Dartt and his wife were building swimming pools in the California desert, in partnership with a friend. Things were going well, and they even founded a country gospel group called the ‘Country Congregation’ that sounded pretty good, with Dart writing most of their music. However, as life unfurled, their business began to fail, and eventually his partner, who had suffered a severe case of burn out while trying to right the business, gave the business to him loaded with debt and no money to build the swimming pools they had on order.
But our God is a good God, and if you believe and have faith, even as much as grain of mustard seed, He will come through for you. Mr. Dart writes: ‘In the midst of the turmoil, I awakened from a troubled sleep one night. It was two o’clock in the morning. A tune was echoing in my troubled brain. I picked up a tablet and a pencil and began to write, “Life is easy when you’re up on the mountain, and you’ve got peace of mind like you’ve never known. But, when things change and you’re down in the valley, don’t lose faith, for you’re never alone.”
“Thank You, Lord,” I prayed, “for being God in my valley.” The chorus came, “The God on the mountain is still God in the valley. When things go wrong, He’ll make them right…” In all, it took about thirty minutes. I again prayed, “Thank You, Lord,” and then settled back down to sleep. Morning came, breakfast and prayer time. “Lord, show us Your will.” I went off to work.
Shortly after arriving at the office, the phone rang, “Mr. Dartt, could you please help us?” I grabbed my brief case and went to see the people who had called. Their son was a gifted athlete, but had been in a motorcycle accident and was paralyzed from the waist down. His doctor had recommended a swimming pool for the therapy the young man needed in order to walk again. I began the process of designing and building a pool for them.
A few days later, another call came, “Mr. Dartt could you come talk to me about a pool?” So, through the off-season, we ended up selling and building 12 pools in all, at a time when no one else was building pools. The building season came, and all of a sudden, we were able to finish all of our construction and eliminate our debts. We were free and clear, without having to bankrupt the business. God had taken us through the valley.’
What more can you say eh? And that’s precisely why we praise and worship and glorify the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! Now,the song has been recorded by numerous artists and translated into several languages. And as Dartt says: ‘This simple little song, comprised of 72 words and 4 chords, has been an encouragement to thousands of people. “Thank you, Lord, for the mountains and the valleys, and the gifts we are given to share with others.” And that’s exactly how our great God works; giving us gifts in times of need to share with others.
And what better scripture to reflect that, than these famous words of Bruh David from Psalm 23: ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil: my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps. 23:4-6) Truer words were never spoken my people!
And another famous scripture on faith during adversity is this one from Job, when the Lord allowed Satan to bring him low. While Job was scraping the boils from his body in the ashes, his wife said to him: ‘Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive (accept) good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil (accept calamity)? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.’ (Job 2:9-10) I wonder how many of us could have lost all of our many material possessions and children through no fault of our own, and still retain our integrity like Job did? Not many.
And we’ll close with this all embracing and true scripture passage, titled the Comfort of God. Bruh Paul writes to the Corinthians: ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:3-4)
Yes friends, our God can comfort us in any situation, and that also gives us the grace to comfort others who are mired in negative situations. What a great and merciful God we serve! And if we truly reverence Him, then, please, let’s wake up from our slumber and retake the world in His awesome name nuh! Much LOVE!
…why are ye fearful…oh ye of little faith… (Matt. 8:26)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, abundant provision, all the days of my life, alleviate our problems, divine aid, faith, flying wingman for you, for His name's sake, God's goodness, grin and bear it, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he restores my soul, holy spirit, honoured position, humble servants, I am the good shepherd, I bless you and praise your holy name, I know my sheep and are known of mine, I shall not want, I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, I will fear no evil, in the presence of mine enemies, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus riding shotgun, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, leads me beside still waters, leads me in the paths of righteousness, let not your heart be troubled, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, my cup runneth over, my peace I give to you, neither be afraid, not as the world giveth, pain, pray, repentance, salvation, separation from Almighty God, shame, sincerely seek your face, sinned and disobeyed your Word, strong faith in Christ, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, the God who heals, the King of Kings, The Lord is my shepherd, the Lord of lords, the peace of Christ, the peace of God which passeth all understading, thou anointest my head with oil, thou art with me, thou preparest a table before me, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, truth, turn from our evil ways, winter's finally arrived, wisdom, wise guidance, without faith it is impossible to please God
Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Well friends, it’s seems like winter has finally arrived, with minus temperatures and flurries of the white stuff happening in my area. However, cottage country, just north of the Greater Toronto Area, was bombarded with oodles of snow early in the weekend, so badly that roads were closed and thousands out of power. I guess it’s only a matter of time before we get our fair share down here. But one can only grin and bear it, especially when you have the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, Jesus Christ, flying wingman for you. (smile)
Oh my people, Jesus is all we ever need, for with Him running our lives through the power of His indwelling Holy Spirit, we will not want for anything. Like Bruh David declares with such assuredness in his most famous psalm: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1) The question now is do we believe that statement as strongly as Bruh David did when he wrote it? We better had, otherwise we’ll lose out on so much of God’s goodness and mercy by being unsure and insecure.
Remember what Hebrews says: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb. 11:6) Yes friends, it’s of the utmost importance that we believe God is who He says He is, and can do what He says He can do, if we want to enjoy benefits like what Bruh David continues to write about in Psalm 23. ‘He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.’ (Ps. 23:2)
How wonderful is that peace which God provides to those who believe and diligently seek Him! It cannot be beaten by anything or anyone the world has to offer. As Jesus so rightly characterized His peace: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) And why don’t we need to be troubled or afraid when we have the peace of Jesus? Because, as Bruh Paul explains to the Philippians: ‘And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:7)
Yes my fellow believers, the peace that Jesus gives is one that far surpasses anything that can be found on earth, because it is the peace of Almighty God Himself! And with the peace of Jesus riding shotgun by his side, Bruh David could afford to write: ‘He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.’ (Ps. 23:3) Of course, when you are filled with the Holy Spirit of Jesus, He restores your soul and helps you to walk a path of righteous behaviour. That’s why the Holy Spirit indwells us; to help with those tough endeavours!
And Bruh David takes it up several notches when he adamantly proclaims: ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps. 23:4) Wow! What an awesome declaration! (chuh!!!) Can you imagine walking through the valley of the shadow of death without fear? Only if Jesus is the your Guide and Protector! And please notice that Bruh David specifies ‘walking through’ not stopping in ‘the valley of the shadow of death.’ He’s assured that he will make it safely through because Jesus is the Number ONE person in his heart!
And he gets even bolder and more courageous on the Lord’s strength as he continues: ‘Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.’ (Ps. 23:5) Now that’s certainly something to think about! We must be very important to the Lord for him to do all those extraordinary things for us. And so we are, as Bruh David concludes: ‘Surely goodness and mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS) shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps. 23:6)
And why not, for that is the eventual reward for belief, obedience, trust and faithfulness in Almighty God; He of Abraham, Issacc and Jacob! Ah my fellow saints, the psalm is simple but powerful, as it depicts God as our shepherd, who guides, protects, and provides us with a good life. We are the sheep of His pasture who follow Him closely. As Jesus says: ‘I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of them.’ (John 10:14)
And I like how the scholars characterize our relationship to God. ‘The believer is more than a dependent sheep, however; he is also like an honoured guest, since the Lord prepares a table for him. Connected with this honoured position is abundant provision, vindication before one’s enemies, an eternal celebration of God’s goodness.’ Now it doesn’t get any better than that, so why do we still hobnob with the old devil Satan who can do absolutely nothing good for us, just cause us pain and shame and eternal separation from God?
It’s therefore high time to remove him from our lives, and to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid in these times of dire need. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And it should be obvious that we won’t receive any divine aid until we do like our prayer indicates; that’s humble ourselves, turn from our evil ways and sincerely seek God! Much LOVE!
…with Jesus as our Good shepherd…who needs anyone else…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Mar 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a momentous occasion, a perfect recipe for disaster, all the days of my life, anointest my head with oil, blessings run you down, divine help, dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, eternal life, faith, free will, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he restoreth my soul, heal our Lnad, humble servants, I am the good shepherd, I will fear no evil, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the only way to go, joy, leadeth me beside the still waters, live for Christ, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, monumental news, my cup runneth over, one truth from the Bible, promised to hear and answer our prayers, salvation, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, sincere repentance, still fresh through all the ages, the Bible is God's word to us, the fly in the ointment, the God who heals, the good shepherd gives his life for his sheep, the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, the valley of the shadow of death, thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, to demonstrate commitment, truth, unwise in an unwise world, victory, wisdom, wisdom at our finger tips, worth more than all man's wisdom
Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Oh friends, on this sunny but chilly Monday morning, we want to open with some monumental news! Yes, it is a momentous occasion! One where we hear and understand that The Bible is God’s Word to us. That it is still fresh through all the ages, and if we read it, we will find God’s exceptional wisdom on its pages! Wow! What magnificent news that is my people! Because it means that all of us who are sincerely seeking wisdom just have to read the Bible, God’s Word to find it.
Yes friends, wisdom is right at our finger tips, no further than the Bible that sits looking pretty on your desk or table, but is truly gathering dust, since you don’t read it. And by the way, here’s this other piece of monumental information: One truth from the Bible is worth more than all the wisdom of man! That’s worth another Wow! Yes mih bredrin! Imagine that nuh. One li’l truth from God’s Word is worth more than all of man’s wisdom! Meaning to say that man’s wisdom is not worth very much, especially when compared to God’s.
So why then do we all insist on learning and spouting the wisdom of man and not God’s eh? If man’s wisdom is worth so little, we should all be hungry and thirsting for the wisdom found in God’s Word. But to get that means reading God’s Word, the Bible, which so many of us claim to be too busy to do. That’s why so many of us are unwise in an unwise world, because the world doesn’t value God’s Word and His immortal and infinite wisdom.
And it’s the basic answer to all of the earth’s problems. If you ignore the Word of the Creator of the universe and all therein, and the amazing truths it contains, how can you ever live a successful life, either individually or communally? No way Jose! The fly in the ointment here is that in addition to His Word, God also gave us free will to do as we please, sincerely hoping though that we’d be wise enough to read His Word and then follow His plan for our lives. But unfortunately, too many of us are trying to do it our own way without God’s help, and that is a sure and perfect recipe for disaster.
Jesus Christ. God’s Son, whom He sent to earth to help us see the light said it quite simply and clearly. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) Now that’s one of the essential truths of God’s Word. If we seek His kingdom and His righteousness before anything else, then we will have all our needs fulfilled. How did Bruh David put it in that marvellous psalm that we all know and revere with our mouths but not our hearts: ‘The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1)
And what does a shepherd do for his sheep eh? ‘A shepherd is committed to a flock and the one responsible for guiding the sheep, protecting them, and attending to their needs. So, to serve as a shepherd means to demonstrate commitment to the well-being of other people. It involves watching out for them, helping them, and teaching them.’ Therefore, that means if the Lord God Almighty is our shepherd, then He is thoroughly committed to our well-being. And His Son Jesus Christ said it in so many words. ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:11)
And that’s exactly what He did; gave His sinless life on the cross of Calvary so that we, His sheep could be saved, could have victory, salvation and eternal life. So why is it so difficult to follow him eh? So hard to read God’s Word, believe it and then live it, despite all the marvellous examples of great men of God laid out in that Good Library, we call the Bible? I truly don’t know. Instead, we’re all going crazy for the things of the world and its evil doings, which don’t truly satisfy, and therefore we have to continually run them down, regardless of how much we have already accumulated.
But friends, here is another word of wisdom for us. When you live for Christ, you don’t have to run down anything because God’s favour, grace and blessings run you down! But I guess we all have to find out the uselessness in running down the things of the world for ourselves before we believe. Meanwhile, here are the words of Bruh David, who as we all know personally lived them, and consequently experienced the joy of God’s favour. Hopefully, hearing them again will light a spark in our own souls and lives and wake us up to the reality that God, through Jesus Christ is the ONLY WAY to go.
Please read with me: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me: thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil: my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.’ (Ps. 23: 1-6)
Oh friends, if we look at all the things Bruh David wrote there, we will see that he experienced it all. His life wasn’t easy, but God never promised us an easy life. He promised us a full, abundant and interesting one. And that’s a big part of our problem as believers. We think that because we’re following Jesus, life should be easy. But that’s the furthest thing from the truth, because Jesus said it quite clearly. ‘If any man will come after (follow) me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) That doesn’t mean easy living my brethren, but rather a sacrificial sense of purpose, because Christianity was not made for cowards.
So now that we’ve acquired some godly wisdom, (smile) let’s go to God, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn and place all our problems before Him, as He’s said in His Word that we ought to do. Altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And having said all of that, it now behooves us to turn our words into sincere action, so that the Lord can do His part. Much LOVE!
…if you’re seeking wisdom…why go anywhere else than to the fountainhead…Almighty God…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
Previous Older Entries
