The Overwhelming Importance of Christians Reflecting the Steadfast Devotion and Commitment to His Father’s Will!

03 Nov 2025 Leave a comment

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

John 4:34.       ‘My meat (food) is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.’

Awright my people, Monday and a new work week has come back to haunt us one more time. But let’s remember that we have the wherewithal through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to handle them both with great aplomb, that’s amazing poise and self-confidence. Reflecting the way Jesus handled His earthly life with the assurance and certainty of His heavenly Father’s guidance and protection. All the trials and tribulations, the abuse and denial of His holy person, did not make Him turn back or waiver from His purpose. 

And there are several scriptures that point out, as this commentary puts it: ‘The unwavering commitment to His earthly purpose and the will of the Father, highlighting His obedience, focus, and determination, even in the face of immense suffering.’ And was Jesus ever a marvellous example of self-control in the face of numerous difficulties. And why is that you ask? Listen to Him explain it to the disciples after speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well and refusing the food they offered. ‘My meat (food) is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.’ (John 4:34) 

And the commentary tells us: ‘This verse clearly demonstrates that fulfilling God’s will was Jesus’ primary sustenance and focus in life.’ Oh, how I wish that many more of us would adopt that selfless and obedient attitude, and do the work that Jesus expects of us as His disciples and ambassadors. (smile) 

Then there’s this other time, after accusing the multitude of only following Him because they ate of the bread He provided, and telling them that He is the bread of life, (John 6:26-35), Jesus then informs them: ‘For I came down from heaven not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.’ (John 6:38) And according to the commentary: ‘Jesus explicitly states that His mission was defined entirely by the Father’s will, not His own desires.’ So should our lives be entirely governed by the will of Jesus. 

And when we talk about Jesus being the perfect example for us to follow, Hebrews tells us loud and clear: ‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds (become discouraged in your souls).’ (Heb. 12:2-3) 

And per the commentary; ‘These verses point to Jesus’ ability to endure extreme suffering and shame by maintaining a forward-looking perspective on the ultimate joy of accomplishing His redemptive purpose.’ And don’t we have a purpose that ought to also bring us joy? Yes, that of spreading the good news of Christ and living like He desires of us. And what’s the joy we should look forward to? That’s salvation and eternal life with Jesus, being greeted with the words ‘Welcome thou good and faithful servant,’ (Matt. 25:21) and ‘the crown of righteousness that the righteous judge, (the Lord) will give to all who LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim. 4:8) 

Now, isn’t that a big enough reward to encourage us to do Jesus’ will? I believe it is. And let’s remember that our earthly lives and all the material things we covet and the sinful pleasures we so avidly desire down here only last for a short while. But life with Christ will be for eternity…that’s forever…without end. So, it’s certainly not wise to expend so much energy and use up what little time we have here on earth running down its corrupt and rust-driven treasures, but ought to be laying up treasures in heaven that don’t rust or spoil. 

But getting back to Jesus’ serious focus on His God-given purpose, listen to what He tells the disciples after the argument that erupted when John and James asked for one of them to sit on His right and the other on the left hand in His glory. (Mark 10:35-41) ‘For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto (be served), but to minister (to serve), and to give his life as a ransom for many.’ (Mark 10:45) And the commentary explains that verse thus: ‘This highlights the sacrificial nature of His purpose, to which He remained committed.’ 

And we see that commitment further displayed in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus in His human form was terribly weighed down by the whole situation and pleaded: ‘Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine be done.’ (Luke 22:39) The commentary tells us: ‘This shows His human struggle and distress, but ultimately, His resolute obedience to the Father’s plan, which included the cross.’ Yes friends, though Jesus was undergoing a lot of ‘sufferation’ and sought a reprieve from His heavenly Father, deep down He knew that it could not happen if the Father’s overall plan for our salvation was to be successful. 

And we’ll close with a final word from the commentary. They say: ‘These scriptures collectively demonstrate Jesus’ singular and steadfast devotion to fulfilling God’s redemptive purpose on earth, despite the personal cost and suffering involved.’ And though we all know it’s not easy to do, that is the same singular and steadfast devotion that we need to show in fulfilling Jesus’ purpose for us here on earth. Now, let’s use one more benefit we acquired through the travails of Jesus, that’s the ability to go directly to the throne of grace and ask for divine aid in times of need. Let’s do that right now, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. 

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 what’s the answer we received? ‘Begin by turning from your evil ways, humbling yourselves, and sincerely seeking my face.’ So, if we truly desire divine aid, then it’s up to us to put those demands into action! Much LOVE!

…as disciples of Jesus…our lives ought to reflect His steadfast devotion and commitment…as much as is humanly possible… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 July 2013 Matthew 25:35-36

09 Jul 2013 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 25:35-36.  For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
 
Oh Friends, I don’t think I like my prediction nuh, re that this will be the year of the flood, especially when it seems to be coming through, and quite close to home too. Unfortunately, Toronto and some surrounding areas were flooded out yesterday.
 
Rain fell for most of the day; 106 ml. at the airport alone, with the record for all of July being 119 ml. But I never realized it was that bad until in the evening when I saw pictures of the flooded streets of Toronto on the newscast.
 
The most disheartening picture was one of the Go Train, the provincial train service that runs between Toronto and some outlying communities. This particular train, emblazoned in its familiar green and white colours, seemed stuck by, or in a river bed. But in reality it was the floodwaters surrounding and engulfing the train tracks.
 
It appears too that some passengers were breaking the windows, jumping out and trying to swim to safety. You also saw interior pictures where commuters were trying to get away from the rising floodwaters in the train itself, by climbing up on the seats. Apparently those poor people had been trapped there for some three to four hours.
 
And if the flooding wasn’t bad enough, some three hundred thousand people were without light and power for most of the evening. Luckily I wasn’t one of those, although the power outage seems to have come fairly close to my area.
 
The sad part is that though it’s stopped raining now, rain is again forecasted for parts of today, and I have to go to the hospital to remove the stitches form my trigger finger surgery. I can just imagine what the rush hour traffic will be like this morning.
 
As usual, let’s do whatever we can to help those unfortunate souls in this misfortune, especially praying for them, because we know that prayer is the most powerful force in the universe, and our wonderful God answers the prayers of the righteous.
 
Anyway let’s turn to our Bit. ‘For I was an hungered (hungry), and ye gave me meat (food): I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.’
 
As promised my people, it’s the same Bit as the last few days, because I believe it’s very important, one of the foundation blocks of our faith; to help, to serve, to take care of those in need, because that’s what Jesus did during His earthly sojourn.
 
The Good Book puts it this way: ‘How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.’ (Acts 10:38)
 
And the same thing goes for us my fellow believers! God has anointed us with the Holy Spirit and with power, so that we too can go out and do good, just like Jesus, because that means truly following Him, truly walking in His footsteps, thus maturing, becoming more like Him in character, which is one of our basic purposes here on earth.
 
Now let’s get into these last scriptures that corroborate our Bit, beginning with Job, speaking of his integrity, performing his small part to help the less fortunate. ‘The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveller.’ (Job 30:32)
 
Oh my brethren are we also fulfilling that requirement, opening our doors to friends and strangers in need? We should be, because the Good Book clearly reminds us to: ‘Let brotherly LOVE continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
 
Remember them that are in bonds (prison), as bound (chained) with them; and them which suffer adversity (are mistreated), as being yourselves also in this body.’ (Heb.13:1-3)
 
It can’t be put any clearer than that my people! Meanwhile Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy about his time in prison. ‘Thus thou knowest that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus: for he oft (often) refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain:
 
But when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me. The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how many things (ways) he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well.’ (2 Tim.1:15-18)
 
And I won’t even comment, because I know most of us turn away from even our family and best friends when they get caught up in stuff that gets them imprisoned. The talk about paying our debt to society and all that is just talk, because the stigma of doing time never really leaves us in this hypocritical society.
 
But strangely enough, if you study the lives of many of the world’s greatest and most renowned leaders, you’ll find that prison time was part of their résumé. 
 
And we’ll close with some timely words from John’s 3rd epistle: ‘Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to (for) the brethren, and to (for) strangers; Which have borne witness of thy charity (LOVE) before the church: whom if thou bring (send) forward on their journey after a godly sort (in a manner worthy of God), thou shalt do well:
 
Because that for his name’s sake they went forth, taking nothing of (from) the Gentiles. We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellow helpers to (for) the truth.’ (3 John 5-8)
 
Oh my people, please let’s write these scriptures indelibly in our hearts and minds nuh, so that they can help us successfully do the work of Christ here on earth!
 
When we read, mark, meditate and inwardly digest them, then they’ll raise our energy level, our passion, gumption and self-sacrifice need to do the servant-like work of Jesus, which we’re called to do! Much, much LOVE, my fellow believers!
 
…Jesus said He came to serve…not to be served…thus His followers ought to concentrate on serving too…rather than being served…