The Wisdom of Reverencing Almighty God if One wants to enjoy a Blessed Life!

16 Oct 2025 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 128:1.          Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways.

And we’ve rolled into Thursday, the second to last day of this short work week, with more sunshine, lollipops and rainbows! I even felt the heat of the sun on my face when I went outside a short while ago. The sun is still releasing heat in the northern climes in the middle of October? Oh how blessed we are! Let’s hope and pray that when the weather turns negative, as it must at some time, it doesn’t go to the other extreme. But not to worry, we faithful believers in Christ can handle anything that comes against us with the help of our loyal and LOVING Savior who strengthens us in all we need to do! Give Him some thanks and praise for His awesome goodness to the children of men! 

That brings us to this short but ever so important and encouraging Psalm 128, so aptly titled ‘Fear the Lord.’ And what wonderful advice that is! Reverencing the Lord God Almighty, Sovereign of the Universe, is always in our best interests. And from the opening verse the psalm gives us wonderful news. ‘Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways.’ (Ps. 128:1) Wow! That ought to immediately capture our attention, and have us asking, why is that eh? 

But before we get to the answer, here is some more scripture that offers the same wonderful advice, but breaks it down into more practical activity. ‘Blessed are the undefiled (blameless) in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.’ (Ps. 119: 1-3) 

Now here is the awesome answer to why we should continually reverence the Lord our God. ‘For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands (fruit of thy labour): happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.’ (Ps. 128:2) What more can a man ask eh, than enjoying the fruit of his labour? It’s like Cousin Sol says in Ecclesiastes: ‘There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good (his soul should enjoy good) in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.’ (Eccl. 2:24) 

It’s also like the Lord said to Isaiah. ‘Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him (done to him).’ (Is. 3:10-11) Yes friends, in every utterance of the Bible, righteousness pays, while evil does not! And the writer of Psalm 128 gives us even more good news when he continues: ‘Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of (in the heart of) thine house: thy children like olive plants  round about thy table.’ (Ps. 128:3) 

Mama Mia! It gets better with each line my people! A fruitful wife with plenty children. And how is that good? Psalm 127 explains: ‘Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man (warrior); so are the children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.’ (Ps. 127: 3-5) No wonder the inability to have children was such a big deal in the olden times! It was accredited as righteousness and viewed as a reward from God, much more than it is today. 

Then the author of the psalm throws in a li’l langniappe or broughta, to sweeten the pot. ‘Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.’ (Ps. 128:4) And in conclusion, he offers a prayer for blessing. ‘The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion: thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel.’ (Ps. 128:5-6) How can it get any better than that eh my brethren? Living to see not only your numerous children grow and prosper, but also your grandchildren and peace in Israel! That last one though might mean you will need to live a very, very long time to see it. (smile) 

However, the psalm is so simple and straightforward that I can’t understand how many more of us are not following what it says. It’s like the scholars explain: ‘The message of this psalm is that one is never truly happy until he is truly holy.’ And there are so many scriptures that resonate with that same sentiment. But I guess the sinful pleasures of the world hold more glamour and glitter than the supposed boring and holier than thou righteousness of God. But please, let’s remember that all that glitters is not gold, and furthermore, all of the devil’s enticements are worthless and filled with many negative consequences. Or as Cousin Sol says in Ecclesiastes: ‘This also is vanity (futility) and vexation of spirit (a grasping for the wind).’ (Eccl. 2:26) 

And to further improve on what the psalm says, the Lord has also bestowed on us several undeserved blessings to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! 

I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’ 

And having made such a declaration (steups!!!) it now behooves us to go out and use those underserved blessings to help others, just a generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…submission to the Lord and His revelation…the Bible…leads to a healthy, holy and blessed life…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   8 April 2024 Psalm 128:4.

08 Apr 2024 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 128:4.       Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.

Ah friends, on this cloudy and somewhat apocalyptic Monday morning when we have to go out to labour, though we’d much prefer to look at the eclipse of the sun, let me first apologize for the Bit’s lateness yesterday. This time it was not my fault, but that of a persnickety computer. I had everything ready, but do you think I could access my contact information to send it. No way. Eventually, just as I was about to mash up the computer, (smile) I contacted my more computer literate young daughter, and she showed me a very simple way to do it. But in my annoyed state, that solution never occurred to me. 

Ah Lord, this computer directed age eh! The damage one small problem can cause is phenomenal. And problems always seem to occur at the most inopportune times. But that’s the way of this new world, and if you can’t beat them, then you might as well join them!  And that’s my gripe for today. (smile) Now, on a more serious note, we’ll look at a psalm that’s short and seems to be rather simple, but holds a lot of interesting and important weight. It’s Psalm 128 – titled ‘Fear the Lord.’ 

Please read with me: ‘Blessed is everyone that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways.’ (Ps. 128:1) Now, doesn’t that resonate within us, and remind us of the beginning of at least two other psalms? The first one is that great psalm 119, which begins thus: ‘Blessed are the undefiled (blameless) in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with their whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.’ (Ps. 119:1-3) 

And the other psalm we remember is obviously the first one in the Psalter: ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ (Ps. 1:1-3) 

Oh friends, it just seems that the man who sincerely reverences the Lord, keeps himself reasonably free from sin and from evil doers, and also meditates regularly on the Lord’s word is very blessed, much rewarded. Now that should not really surprise us because that’s exactly what the Lord told Joshua long ago, when He made him the ruler over the Israelites after the death of Moses. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall continually be in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8) 

No wonder so many of us supposed believers are not having prosperity and success, because we are not meditating regularly on the law of the Lord. So many of us don’t even read the Bible, much less spend time studying it. But from the very beginning that’s been the formula for prosperity and success. And I most definitely like how Psalm 128 states its case. When we reverence the Lord and walk in His law we are clothed in happiness. Read with me again: ‘For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands (the fruit of thy labour): happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.’ (Ps. 128:2) 

Now who doesn’t want that kind of life eh? We all do! But we’re obviously not doing what it requires for us to enjoy such a life, so we’re not experiencing it. And this next verse is surely enticing and to die for: (smile) ‘Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides (in the heart) of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table.’ (Ps. 128:3) Wow! What wouldn’t we give to have that kind of prosperous and successful life eh! 

Well, all we have to do is what the psalmist then says: ‘Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord. The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel.’ (Ps. 128:4-6) Now isn’t that a nice, short and compact but rather interesting and blessed psalm? Of course! It’s telling us that we can never be truly happy until we are totally serving the Lord. And if we do that, we’ll be blessed before, behind, and seven ways till Sunday! (smile) 

And we all want such a life. So please let’s get serious about the Lord and do what He says we should nuh…that is, if we truly want a blessed, successful and prosperous life. And to help us turn things around, let’s go to the throne of grace, seeking divine help for these times of desperate need. 

As one voice: ‘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 let’s remember that prosperity begins with humility, sincere prayer and turning from our evil ways. Much LOVE!

…the formula for success…begins and ends…with the Bible…

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ

Today’s Scrip-Bit   12 May 2023 Psalm 128:1.

12 May 2023 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 128:1.        Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways.

Oh friends, this Friday morning, as we declare (yesss!!!) ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ we also have to consider having five straight days of wonderful sunshine, because that seems like a distinct possibility! Wow! My trusty computer tells me it’s 23 and sunny. In that case, we might just need to think about praying for a li’l rain to cool things down if the weather keeps being so wonderful in my neck of the woods. (smile) As we would say, it’s either feast or famine. 

But here’s an interesting angle on it all. I just opened the Good Library and it opened unto the Book of Psalms, and my eyes were led to this particular psalm, Psalm 128, one that I’ve never paid much attention to, but it does contribute a wise and wonderful message in its title which simply says: ‘Fear the Lord.’  Now that’s certainly a tidbit of wisdom if there ever was one! 

And why is that you ask? Well, first off, the fear he’s referring to is not the emotion of fear or fright, but one of reverence, of respect, of worship, although we should also fear the Lord in the other respect, because the only thing as powerful as His LOVE is His wrath, and we certainly don’t want to feel the latter. Just look at what the Israelites suffered for their stubborn disobedience. And Jesus did say that we should fear the Lord and not man, because He is the only one who could destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matt. 10:28) 

However, let’s listen to the psalmist as he declares: (wow!!!) ‘Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands (the fruit of thy labour): happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of (in the heart of) thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table.’ (Ps. 128:1-3) 

Mama oh Mama! Yuh hear that mih people? If we fear the Lord then our house will indeed be blessed, enjoying the fruits of our labour, with a fruitful wife and wonderful children! Now what more can a man ask of this life eh? Nothing really! But the important thing is that only happens when we reverence the Lord and walk in His ways. And that’s something so many of us in these evil and unfortunate times can’t seem to understand, otherwise we’d be doing just that. 

But instead so many of us are turning away from the Lord to other insecure and worthless ventures, and many of us who claim to still believe are not truly walking in His fear and commandments, but have one foot in the world and one in the kingdom, trying to keep our chances alive by playing both sides against the middle. But friends, I ‘m here to tell you that doesn’t work. You must choose either one or the other and go after it wholeheartedly. And remember Jesus said it so plainly: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) 

And that’s no lie! When you seek God first and foremost, He will indeed give you all that you need. Why do you think Bruh David wrote: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want?’ Because he knew for a fact, from personal experience, that if he sincerely sought the Lord above all else, He would look after him, both physically and spiritually. And the Lord will do the same for anyone who sincerely seeks and reverences Him. He’s promised never to leave nor forsake us, and He is faithful to keep His promises. 

And if you still don’t believe me, then listen as the psalmist continues: ‘Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord. The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel.’ (Ps. 128:4-6) Oh my people, why are we so foolish and adamant about turning away from God eh, or not paying Him His proper respect and due, since in so many places of His Word it says that’s necessary to have a good life. 

Look at Psalm 1, which pointedly tells us: ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder by talking to himself) day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ (Ps. 1:1-3)  

Now that’s not rocket science my brethren, so why can’t we simply accept and live it eh? Where’s the faith in Jesus Christ we’re supposed to have? Obviously it’s sadly lacking, otherwise we wouldn’t be living the sub-standard and mediocre Christian lives we’re living. Now listen to these opening verses of Psalm 119: ‘Blessed are the undefiled (blameless) in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.’ (Ps. 119:1-3) 

There again friends, it says we will be blessed if we walk in the way of the Lord. Simple common sense my brethren! But sorry, I forgot that common sense no longer exists in our society, we just have a herd mentality, and foolishly run with the foolish crowd.  But there’s hope for us yet, because with the Lord, there’s always hope, so let’s go to Him now, through our Friday Chant and ask for His divine help with our problems. 

Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the confusion and anxiety caused by the pandemic and our many other serious problems. We can’t fix them on our own Lord, so we desperately need 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. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, without further serious setbacks. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe. 

And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to 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. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic, the bubbling discontent and dissatisfaction in our land, as a means of restoring faith in You, 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!’ 

Now let’s wake up nuh friends, and do what we know we’re supposed to do, if we expect the Lord’s help. Much LOVE!

…it takes two to tango…the Lord won’t help…unless we’re obedient… 

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ   

Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 June 2021 Psalm 128:1.

10 Jun 2021 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 128:1.     Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord, that walketh in his ways. 

Oh friends, another glorious day has blossomed with the breath of God still flowing through our bodies! Thank God for that awesome blessing! Yes, I know that our world is sick and evil and all those other negative things, but with the breath of Almighty God flowing through our mortal veins we have a most amazing and powerful antidote to all that’s wrong with our world; and that’s the cleansing blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ which was shed for us at Calvary! 

Wow! The shed blood of Jesus is the most powerful instrument on the earth! It must be, if it can wash away the sins of the whole world and make us white as snow! But please remember that once you’ve been washed in that precious blood, there will always be a scarlet like stain on you, notifying others that you have been saved by the blood of the Lord of Lords, and the King of Kings! 

And that’s a stain, or a marker, that we should be inordinately proud to wear, for it signifies that salvation is in our DNA, and that heaven is our eternal home, and most importantly that Satan and his minions have no power or authority over us, because we are children of the Most High God, the mighty conqueror of hell, death and the grave! 

That’s why we ought to cherish and adore and positively use the blood of Christ as we wend our way through this despicable and evil age, for it’s only through Christ and His selfless sacrifice that we even a stand a chance against the enemy, much the less the overwhelming victory that His spilled blood wrought as He died on Calvary’s Hill then rose triumphantly from the dead three days later! Oh give our great and wonderful Saviour much thanks and praise my fellow saints! 

Consequently my people, these words of Bruh David, this song of degrees, this psalm of praise for deliverance from our enemies ought to be amongst our continual prayer. Please pray with me: ‘If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may Israel say; If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us: Then they had swallowed us up quick (alive), when their wrath was kindled against us: 

Then the waters had (would have) overwhelmed us, the stream had gone (would have swept) over our soul: Then the proud waters had gone (would have swept) over our soul. Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth. Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers (bird trappers): the snare is broken, and we are escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.’ (Ps. 124:1-8) 

And you better believe that friends, our only sure help is from the Lord God Almighty, our Creator and Provider! So please, let’s realize that and hold on to Him tightly nuh, let’s not let go of His coattails, for if we do, we’ll surely fall prey to the enemy, and end up in Hades with him. And I like the scholars’ short explanation on the psalm. ‘Psalm 124: This psalm reflects on deliverance from danger. From a realization of the Lord’s help (vs. 1-5), the psalmist moves to the appropriate response to the Lord’s help (vs. 6-8).’ 

And so should we my people, as I said above, let’s hold on tightly to Him, that means be as faithful as we possibly can be. Why you ask? Well listen to Psalm 128 nuh – The rewards of faithfulness. ‘Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord, that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thy hands (the fruit of thy labour): happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. 

Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of (in the heart of) thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord. The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel.’ (Ps. 128:1-6) 

Oh friends, oh friends, now who doesn’t want a blessed life like that eh? I’m sure we all do, but it doesn’t come without a price, like all good things on this earth! And comparatively speaking, faithfulness to God is a rather cheap price to pay for all those wonderful things that will befall a faithful person! So what have we got lose eh? Not much, but we have a whole lot to gain by being faithful to our God! 

And the scholars explain it thus: ‘Psalm 128: The message of this psalm is that one is never truly happy until he is truly holy. It begins with a pronouncement of blessing (or happiness) on a certain kind of man – a man who fears the Lord (vs. 1-4). It concludes with a prayer for blessing (vs. 5-6).’ 

Oh my people, every day I ask the Lord for words to convey to us just how important it is for us to follow Him, and this morning I believe He has come through in spades. For if those two psalms and all the other good stuff that Jesus’ sacrifice have wrought aren’t enough to convince us, then I really don’t know what else will nuh. However, I do have some other goodies to throw in, (smile) some more specific blessings that we receive when we faithfully follow the Lord, we call them our Thursday Blessings, which He gives us to do His work down here on earth. 

So let’s declare them now nuh, in strong and sincere voice, fully and faithfully believing in His awesome promises! ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! 

I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’ 

Our duty now is to go out and share those blessings with others, just as generously as our wonderful God shared them with us! Much LOVE!

…to be truly blessed…one needs to be truly faithful…

P.S. My sincere apologies for the lateness of the Bit. As usual, it was caused by one of my rather late mornings to bed, and thus a late one to rise. (smile) Much LOVE!                                                                  

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8