Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 May 2019 Daniel 6:16b.

28 May 2019 Leave a comment

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

Daniel 6:16b.   ​Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.

 

And yes, it’s a wet and wooly Tuesday morning in my area, with the wind leading the trees in a merry springtime dance! But they seem to be handling it quite well with their new green leaves and strong springtime branches! Likewise, we saints of Christ ought to be handling the evil and ungodly circumstances of this world with the same kind of fervour, because we have a great, good and wonderful God looking out for us! 

Glory be my people! He’s so concerned about us that He’s even numbered the hairs of our heads, and NOTHING happens to us that He doesn’t know about, so this Tuesday morning, let’s rise up and greet the day with the awe and splendour it deserves nuh, as we boldly proclaim: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ It’s the only way to go my faithful brethren, if we want to enjoy heaven down here on earth, like Christ died for us to do. 

And let me remind us once again of this awesome bit of truth from a Daily Bread Devotional: ‘In the darkest hours of life, only through the eyes of faith, can we see the LOVING hand of God!’ And yuh better believe that yes friends! For when those dark and dreadful times come, when you feel like you’re walking through the valley of the shadow of death, it’s only if your faith is real strong that you can even think about God, much less believe that He’s in the midst of it with you, and will work everything out for your good! 

We just have to look at the example of those three Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who refused to worship the idol of King Nebuchadnezzar, and were thrown into the fiery furnace. Neb was so angered by their refusal that he commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than normal, and the mightiest men to bind them up and throw them in the fiery furnace. 

And what happened eh? The fire was so hot that it killed the men who threw them in, but those boys came out scot free, not even smelling of smoke. Mama Yo! And what’s interesting is that Neb in his fury saw four men loose walking about in the furnace, when only three were thrown in. ‘And the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.’ he recounted. (Dan.3:25b) Neb obviously had no knowledge of Christ, but he realized that someone greater than Him was in there with the boys. 

And Daniel in the lion’s den proved the same point my faithful believers in Christ! The king, Darius, didn’t want to put Daniel in the lion’s den, but the law forced him to do so. But hear the awesome words he spoke to him before doing so. ‘Thy God, whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.’ 

Wow people! If an idol-worshipping king could sense God in Daniel’s life, and be so assured of His goodness and power, why can’t we sense Him in ours eh, and be thus assured, when we have greater knowledge of the Almighty, than those long ago faithful had? I truly don’t know why. Yuh know, sometimes the more information you have, the more confused you get. 

It’s like having too many options, you don’t really know which one to choose. And do we ever have a bunch of options in this current world, options that are trying to drag us in all different directions at the same time. But friends, we only really need ONE, and that’s the ONE offering Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour! Mama Mia! There’s nothing better than that! 

And it’s not like we don’t know it? Because there’s no other option offering us, forgiveness of sins, mercy, grace, salvation and eternal life in heaven for simply believing! But we’re so blinded by our sin and the false and fickle goodies that the world throws our way, that we dither, sit on the fence, hoping that somehow it will all work out. But it won’t friends, unless we make the determined and conscious effort to follow Jesus Christ! 

And it’s interesting what the Lord made King Darius write to all the people under his rule after He rescued Daniel from the lion’s den. ‘Peace be multiplied unto you (shades of Bruh Paul). I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men (must) tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and steadfast forever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end. He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in the earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power (paws, hands) of the lions.’ (Dan.6:25-27) 

Oh friends, that realization was made long, long before Jesus came, and it has stood the test of time! So why can’t we accept and believe it eh? Why do we have so much trouble living the life Jesus wants us to live eh? But turning back to Daniel’s life, I believe its most important aspect is the mighty effect his righteous and godly living had on those around him. It turned a pagan king into a believer, or at least one who recognized that there was a power mightier than him. 

And yuh know friends, that’s all that Jesus is asking of us today; to live our lives in such a manner that others will see our truth, to walk our walk, so that they too will want to have what we have; the LOVE of Jesus Christ in our hearts, souls, bodies and minds! We are the tools He wants to use to change the world. So let’s live up to that holy billing nuh! (smile) 

Now let’s go home loudly and proudly declaring (yes!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting this evil and ungodly world know who and whose we are! As one now: ‘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 the world.  Amen!’ 

And the next step is to go out and sincerely share that awesome LOVE and friendship of Christ! Much LOVE!…

Christians need to do much more doing…and far less talking…if they want to make a real difference…

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 May 2019 Psalm 136:1.

21 May 2019 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 136:1.   ​O Give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy (LOVING-kindness) endureth for ever.

 

Well it’s a beautiful morning – a tad chilly though, but one designed to energize us to get up and go to work after such a wonderful long weekend! And the weather actually behaved! Except for some gusty winds there wasn’t much precipitation at all! 

Let’s hope that we will get some more sunshine and less rain for the next little while, so that the flooded, satiated land will get a chance to dry out and be ready for planting the crops we so badly depend on to keep our comfortable lives in that comfortable condition. (smile) 

And just to show us how blessed and LOVED we are, please check out this most appropriate poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. And NO, I don’t go looking for them, they come and find me! (smile) And this one is simply titled ‘ALL!’ 

Please pray with me: ‘O God Thank You, thank You For your reiterated ALL…You have promised: ALL my needs shall be supplied. ALL grace shall abound toward me. ALL the promises are mine. ALL things asked I shall receive. ALL sufficiency for ALL things. You are with me always ALL the days… And today!’ 

Oh precious people of God, ALL of that is gospel truth! So how can we ever truly clam to be not blessed, not LOVED, not cared for, etc. etc! NEVER! For the Lord God Jehovah, our Creator, and great Provider has provided for us in all things, instances and cases! 

We just have to get ourselves together and do whatever it takes to realize them because they are not going to simply fall in our laps without any effort from us. We need to understand that we’re in a covenant, a partnership with God and there are certain things we have to do to keep our half of the bargain! 

The problem is though that we just like to talk our half and don’t get up off of our fat, lazy and comfortable fannies to do our Bit! But friends, we’re just shortchanging ourselves when we adopt that unwise attitude, for the Lord has so much in store for us, more than we can ever ask or imagine, but we won’t get it until we begin seriously asking, knocking, seeking for and doing it! 

And I’m laughing here because all of that was just one straight piece of diatribe (bitter criticism, denunciation), flowing without a break! I guess I feel strongly that we complain about stuff that we would not have to complain about if we did what we ought to do! 

And don’t get me wrong; I’m a part of the problem too. It’s just that Christ died so horribly, so that we could have so many good things, and then we don’t do what we need to do to have them, that it seems to make His death and suffering a wasted effort. I know He’ll NEVER say that, but the way we abuse and not use the provisions that He’s made available to us is a sin in itself! 

And don’t ask me where ALL of that is coming from, because I don’t know. It’s definitely not something I planned to write. So I guess whomever, or whatever is leading and guiding me, hopefully the Holy Spirit of God, must want those things to be aired. So in fact, I’m just a channel for God’s grievances; negative things He wants us to address a.s.a.p! (smile) 

And yes friends, our wonderful God does have grievances against us…and we ALL know what they are! And we’re so full of ourselves, of foolish pride and narcissism, that instead of attending to the grievances of God in our lives, we simply go on about our merry way and expect it ALL to work out, because our God is so good! 

Steups! Oh my people, our God is good yes, but we can never bear the full force of His wrath… and that’s what we will bear if we don’t smarten up soon and attend to the matters that He’s unhappy with! End of Sermon! (smile) 

And the scripture verse assigned to our poem is taken form Psalm 136, that psalm of wonderful praise to our great God, and it’s also our Bit: ‘O Give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy (LOVING-kindness) endureth for ever.’ And yes my faithful saints of Christ, that is ALL ever so true! 

However, there is also another side to the coin, and Bruh David captures it well in Psalm 6, his prayer for mercy. ‘O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.’ Ah mih people, our God’s patience is endless, but there comes a time when even He, gets fed up with our pussyfooting and running around like a foolish dog chasing its tail. And at those times His wrath, His chastening is ever so evident in our lives, and we cry out for mercy! 

But the long and short of the matter is if we had done as He asked, we would not have had to cry out for mercy! End of story! Yes friends, I do hope it ALL makes sense. But then I also know that the Lord has given us ALL the power to pick sense from nonsense! (smile) 

So let’s go home declaring (steups…wrong again!) our Tuesday Mantra, telling the world, who and whose we are! All together now: ‘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 the world.  Amen!’ 

And if we sincerely believe it, then we need to go out and share that LOVE and friendship with others who don’t have it, for that’s what He expects of us! Much LOVE!

…we ALL have ALL that we need to live this life for Jesus…we just have to put our minds, souls and bodies to it…  

P.S. Today certainly seems like a day for ALL! (smile)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 May 2019 Ephesians 6:11.

14 May 2019 Leave a comment

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

Ephesians 6:11.    ​Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (devious schemes) of the devil.
 

Welcome, welcome, one and all to rainy day Tuesday! Yes the rain has not really eased up nuh. It drizzled most of the night. Good thing it’s mostly drizzles and not big downpours. I guess we can be thankful for small mercies there. But chuh! I’m tired talking about the rain yes! (smile) 

If it’s going to fall, just let it fall and ignore it. It’s got to stop at some time since the Lord promised that He wouldn’t ever destroy the earth by flooding again…but please note He didn’t say anything about no warnings by flooding! (smile) 

Anyway, remember last week when we heard from Gramps Schuller (Dr, Robert H. Schuller) from his Hour of Power Devotional on allowing trouble to lift you up, to let it be a golden opportunity to rise higher? Well today we’re going to continue in that vein, where he says: ‘Let Your Problems Lead You to God!’ And isn’t that the wise and sensible thing to do! 

Now listen as Gramps Schuller elucidates: ‘No problem leaves you where it found you. Read this affirmation out loud: “I will be a different person when this problem is past. I will be a wiser, stronger, more patient person; or I will be sour, cynical, bitter, disillusioned, and angry. It all depends on what I do with this problem. 

Each problem can make me a better person or a worse person. It can bring me closer to God, or it can drive me away from God. It can build my faith or it can shatter my faith. It all depends on my attitude. I intend to be a better person when this problem leaves me than I was when it met me.’ 

Glory be my precious people! That’s the ONLY wise way to go! Too many of us though go the wrong way, and then allow the problems to leave us BITTER and not BETTER! That’s a fool’s wisdom my faithful brethren! As true believers in Christ we are supposed to come up over the problem, and the first step in doing that is taking it to the Almighty, to whom we ascribe that nothing is impossible, and who promises to faithfully help us solve all our problems. 

So if we have someone to whom nothing is impossible, and whose help is assured, why don’t we run to Him with every problem eh? I’d guess that foolish pride or disbelief, or a combination of both keeps us from running to God first with our problems. Only when we discover we can’t handle them by ourselves, do we go cap in hand, miserably seeking the Father’s help. 

And one of the many ways He helps us is by providing protective armour for us in our earthly battle with the forces of evil and ungodliness. As we saw yesterday, Bruh Paul said that it was ever so important we: ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (devious schemes) of the devil.’ 

Yes friends, the devil is always out there like a roaring, but toothless lion, looking for someone to trip up and deceive, and if we’re not wearing our protective spiritual armour, then we’re easy pickings for him. 

Now let’s refresh our memories about what exactly is this spiritual armour we’re talking about. Listen to Bruh Paul to the Ephesians: ‘Stand therefore, having your loins girt about (girded your waist) with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked (one). And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.’ (Eph.6:14-17) 

Oh my brethren when we have those necessary pieces of protection, helmet, sword, shoes, shield and breastplate, then and only then are we ready to engage the enemy in battle. 

Now let’s see what the scholars have to say about those individual pieces of spiritual armour. ‘6:14-17. The whole armour of God consists of six pieces. (1) Truth (v.14a) is a knowledge of the truth of God’s Word. The ancient soldier’s loins (waist) were girt about with a leather belt which held most of the other pieces of his armour in place. Similarly, the other pieces of the Christian’s armour depend on, and are held in place, by his spiritual “belt” or his knowledge of the truth of scripture. 

(2). The breastplate of righteousness (v14b) may be read “the breastplate which is righteousness.” It represents a holy character and moral conduct. Obedience to the “truth” known produces a godly life (righteousness) (3) Preparation of the gospel of peace (v15) means “eagerness that comes from the gospel of peace.” 

That is, as the Roman soldier wore special shoes called ‘caligae’ on his feet, enabling him to advance against the enemy, so the Christian must have on his feet (possess) a sense of “eagerness” or “willingness” to advance against the devil and take the fight to him. Such “eagerness” to contend with Satan “comes from the gospel of peace.” The gospel gives peace to the believer, freeing him from anxiety though he advances against such a powerful opponent. 

(4) The shield of (which is) faith (v.16) means taking God at His word by believing His promises. Such trust will protect one from doubts induced by Satan. (5) The helmet of salvation (v.17a): Since the readers are already Christians (2:8) they are not here urged to be saved. First Thessalonians 5:8 describes this helmet as “the hope of salvation” that is, the certainty (assurance) of salvation. (6) The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God(v.17b): The Greek term rendered “word” is not ‘logos,’ referring to the whole word of God, but ‘rhema,’ referring to certain portions or selected verses of Scripture.’ 

Oh my people, I know it all sounds very complicated, but if we sincerely and regularly read, study and meditate on God’s Word, most of those things will come naturally to us. We’ll know the truth of His Word, as well as have a good knowledge of Scripture, that will lead us to a moral and godly life, and the peace that we find in the Word will just make us eager to go out and fight God’s battles, protected by the assurance of salvation and the strong and sturdy shield of our faith, with Bible verses just saturating in our hearts with which to rebuke the devil! 

Remember though friends that the Word is sharp like a two edged sword that cuts right down to the bone! It’s a dangerous weapon my people, so we have to be very careful how we wield it. (smile) Anyway, enough on the spiritual armour topic, it’s turned out to be longer than I planned, but it’s all for our benefit. 

And having absorbed all the above, (smile) let’s go home fully clothed in our spiritual armour sincerely and vociferously declaring (bingo!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the world know who and whose we are! All together now: ‘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 the world.  Amen!’ 

Isn’t that just a wonderful situation my faithful saints of Christ! Now let’s go out and share His awesome LOVE and amazing friendship, as He so greatly desires of us. Much LOVE!

…only when faced with adversity…can we know the true strength and maturity…of our Christian faith…

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 May 2019 Hebrews 4:16

07 May 2019 Leave a comment

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

Hebrews 4:16.   ​Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

 

Oh my people, my people, it’s certainly true that wonders never cease in this God-given and God controlled universe, but daily they increase! Wow! Would you believe that we finally had two, note TWO sun filled days without rain? Glory be! 

And would you also believe that the ole fella took advantage of that wonderful and unexpected situation by sitting, for the first time this year on my front porch in just my old bathrobe and soaking up the warm and healing rays of the early afternoon sun as it came cascading down from a bright blue heaven? 

Oh, was it ever marvellous to feel some warm sunshine after having been incapacitated for the last couple of weeks by an unrelenting cold and cough! I sat down out there for over half an hour, while God’s healing LOVE just shone down on me, as well as enjoying the wonderful sight of God’s amazing springtime handiwork with the dry branches of the much deflated and weather conflicted trees, as they finally push forth some green buds. 

It was also nice and encouraging to see people driving by in shirtsleeves with their windows down and their arms propped thereon to catch some long missed energizing rays! The only thing that spoiled my excitement was a moment when a neighbour decided to come out with his lawn mower to cut the li’l piece of grass that he calls his. 

Chuh! Does it ever annoy and irritate me when these lawn mowers get going exactly when I’m trying to rest! It began since Saturday…and yes, my li’l patch of grass needs cutting too, and no doubt my groundskeeper will show up sometime this week in the afternoon hours to disturb my afternoon rest. But I guess that’s the price one has to pay for living in the suburbia. 

Overall though the li’l stint in the hot sun was quite enjoyable…so much so that when I came back inside I felt drunk, yeh, intoxicated, inebriated, black up from the unaccustomed rays of a warm sun! Now that’s my yesterday story and I’m sticking to it! 

And what’s my today story, you ask? Well that’s simply I care about you my faithful readers so much that I am up at five in the morning to write the Bit because I have to go into the concrete jungle named Toronto for an early morning medical appointment! Wouldn’t want you to be receiving it too late now! (smile) 

Now here’s an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s titled ‘This Too Is Faith!’ Please pray with me: ‘Lord, I am desperately afraid Of tempestuous waves. Had I been on the ship The day you stilled the storm (Matt.8:23-27) I would have been the first To scream for help – This I shamelessly admit. But, Lord, this too is faith: Boldly expecting You To do something about it.’ 

Yes friends, as I read that yesterday, it occurred to me that that was quite true. Not because you are afraid and cry out for help means you don’t have faith; perhaps not enough, but merely crying out to God and expecting Him to do something to ease your situation is also a measure of faith! 

Nowhere does it say in the Good Book that we won’t ever be accosted by the enemy’s attempts to have us succumb to the negative emotion of fear, but it does say that when those times come, we must have sufficient faith to cry out to God; cry out with confidence that He can and will do something about it! 

And the Scripture Promise for that poem is also our Bit for today; these glorious and ever so encouraging words. ‘Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.’ 

Oh my faithful followers of Christ, that is such a heart-warming and encouraging scripture! Why? Because it lets us know in no uncertain terms that whatever is our problem we can always come confidently, but humbly and reverently, before God’s throne and receive His ever-available grace and mercy! 

We are Sons of God now, and that means we can go to our heavenly Father, just like we do to our earthly ones, for help and succour in our times of need! And the reason for all of that goodness and mercy is simply the work of Jesus Christ. 

Listen to these two preceding verses: ‘Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into (through) the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (our weaknesses); but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.’ (Heb.4:14-15) 

Yes my brethren, Jesus suffered temptation, just like we’re doing, so He can therefore understand our problems with the enemy. The only difference is that He did not sin. Unfortunately though, we’re not that blessed, so we have to resort to Him and the Father to gain the strength to withstand the enemy’s attacks. 

And I like how the scholars explain our Bit. ‘4:16. Only Christianity provides such boldness for sinful men before a holy God, and that boldness is possible only because of our High Priest; Jesus Christ. The figure of a throne suggests a place of authority and provision. It is the place to obtain God’s grace when it is especially needed.’ And isn’t that the awesome truth my fellow saints in Christ! Glory to our great God! 

Now let’s be assured of all that we’ve spoken about today and go home sincerely declaring (right ho!) our Tuesday Mantra, loudly telling the world who and whose we are. As one now: ‘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 the world.  Amen!’ 

And if we really mean it, then let’s go out and action it nuh, as Jesus so greatly desires of us. Much LOVE!

…in Jesus Christ…we have ALL that we’ll ever need…give Him much thanks and praise…  

P.S. Would you believe that outside is wet? Ah Lord eh! We couldn’t make three days straight of sunshine! (smile)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 April 2019 Psalm 143:10.

30 Apr 2019 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 143: 10.   ​Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
 

Awright friends, we got through Monday with God’s help and we’re now focused on Tuesday, which we will also get through successfully with our heavenly Father’s help. Praise his holy name my people for His undeserving goodness and mercy to the sinful and rebellious children of men! 

And all God’s children declared (right ho!) a loud, proud and sincere: ‘Thank You Lord for being so good and kind to us, even though we don’t deserve it! We praise Your holy name and bless You and will try to live obedient to Your Will! Please remember though Lord, we still need Your awesome help and generosity to do it successfully. We give you thanks and glory! Amen!’ 

Yeh friends, despite our talents and education and what not, whatever we need to do, to do it successfully, we NEED God’s amazing help and generous nature, otherwise our efforts won’t be as successful as they can be. And to reinforce that statement, here is something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, titled ‘Three Discoveries.’ 

Please read with me: ‘I have made three overwhelming discoveries regarding God’s reliable faithfulness: The first: God will never let us go – NEVER! We may fall flat on our faces. We may resist until we feel exhausted, but NOTHING can separate us from His matchless LOVE. 

The second: God will never let us down – NEVER! He is forever faithful, even when we are faithless. He cannot deny Himself. He will NEVER leave us nor forsake us. 

The third: He will never let us off – NEVER! Whenever we give in to temptation, when we determine to have our own way – He says with all the LOVE of His Father’s heart, “I LOVE you too much to excuse disobedience.” Whom He LOVES, He chastens. 

God is determined to bless us. He is eager to show us His kindness. He is glad to teach us the proper paths; but He MUST have access to our hearts. He will allow our guilt to become a burden until conviction comes, then confession, and finally renewed commitment! May David’s prayer be our prayer.’ 

Yes my faithful brethren, ALL the above is true! The Lord expects a lot from His children, and He knows exactly how much we’re capable of without His generous help, that’s why we need to pray as Bruh David did in Psalm 143: ‘Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.’ 

O friends, O friends, we can’t do God’s will unless and until we know it, and we can’t know it until we ask Him what it is! He is our Creator and our God and has made us to do His bidding, so to fulfill that mandate, discernment must be at the top of our to do, or to seek out list. 

In my personal life, discernment is something I’m continually asking the Lord for, because once I know His will, doing His bidding isn’t so difficult, but knowing what He wants me to do, causes some problems. Oftimes I think I know His will, but when I do it, it turns out all wrong. 

So it’s necessary to come back like Bruh David did in Psalm 25 and beseech Him: ‘Show me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.’ (Ps.25:4-5) 

Ah friends, it has to be a constant and continual conversation between us and our heavenly Father if we truly want to stay on the right path, know His will and do it obediently. And we definitely can’t doubt the goodness of His Spirit, since Nehemiah spells it out for us in spades, re the Israelites of old in the wilderness. 

‘Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and witheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst. Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old (did not wear out), and their feet swelled not.’ (Neh.9:20-21) 

Oh my people, we definitely can’t doubt the Lord’s goodness after reading that! What other supposed deity would have kept such a disobedient, sinful and rebellious people well supplied with all the necessities of life for forty years eh? NONE but the Lord God Jehovah! That’s why we ought to be so grateful for all His tender mercies and worship and praise and exalt His holy name before all the earth! 

He is a ONE OF A KIND! And on top of all that, He LOVES and cares for us with an unmatched fierceness, and won’t allow anyone to hurt us. And if all of the above doesn’t convince you of God’s goodness and LOVE for human kind, then I truly don’t know what will! 

But for those of us who are thoroughly convinced and believe with all our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, let’s go home declaring (chuh! wrong again!) our Tuesday Mantra, in loud voice and strong and sincere sense of purpose, letting the world know who and whose we are. 

In unison now: ‘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 the world.  Amen!’ And if you truly believe it, then let’s go out and action it as Jesus desires of us! Much LOVE!

…sharing the LOVE and friendship of Jesus…is what we were created to do…

 

 

 

 
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Today​’s Scrip-Bit 27 April 2019 John 3:17.

27 Apr 2019 Leave a comment

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

John 3:17.   ​For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
 
Ah friends, thankfully my area did not get as much rain as expected yesterday, but we did get a lot of wind! Chuh! The wind howled most of the afternoon straight through the night, and at 7.30 this cloudy Saturday morning it is still carrying on out there. At one stage I wanted to go out the street and run some errands, but after hearing the wind on a particularly loud pass with stuff rattling all around, I decided to leave them for another day. (smile) 

Let’s hope that no serious damage was done to any properties around here. Unfortunately though, several places around the country have been flooded due to excessive rain. The least we can do is pray for them, but if we can also help in any other way, please let’s do so. 

Ah mih people, when it’s not one thing, it’s another yes! But that’s life, and fortunately, as true believers in Jesus Christ we have the wherewithal to withstand all the stuff that comes against us in this crazy world. Give Him some much deserved thanks and praise my brethren! 

And since it’s Saturday, let’s have a look at the quotes that our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And this first one is awesome truth: ‘Take responsibility for your own happiness, never put it in other people’s hands.’ 

Oh friends, that’s one of the first things we ought to learn in this life: we are responsible for our own happiness! We can’t depend on others to make us happy, because too often they will take advantage of our situations and instead cause us unhappiness. It’s just a part of man’s selfish nature! 

And then there’s this: ‘Instead of worrying about what you cannot control, shift your energy to what you can create.’ More awesome truth my people! Why worry about something you have no control over eh? Remember our Tuesday Mantra, where we don’t hurry or worry, just go about our business basking in Jesus’ awesome friendship and sharing His amazing LOVE with the world? 

Worrying just brings wasted energy. As Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) likes to say, ‘Worry is like a rocking chair, you can do it all day, but it will get you nowhere.’ Instead, we need to use that energy we waste in worry on stuff that’s productive and moves our lives along. 

Now hear this: ‘Do what is right, not what is easy nor what is popular.’ That’s nothing new, because we’ve been taught that all our lives. However, the problem is that the right thing is usually not easy or popular! It’s often very difficult and very unpopular, especially if you’re trying to live a righteous life with Jesus as your bright and shining example. 

But please note, Jesus didn’t do what was easy or popular. He went against the religious hypocrites of His day, and suffered horrific torture and crucifixion for His beliefs and earthly agenda. Now most of us won’t have to make such a critical and crucial sacrifice, but we will be required to make lesser ones, all in His name, because that’s what He was and is all about; sacrificing for others! 

And He gave us that awesome reassuring scripture to hold on to when things get difficult. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) 

What a mighty and magnificent scripture that is my brethren! It gives us something to hold on to, to take courage from, knowing that Christ has already won the victory over the evil world, and we just have to hang in there and put our best foot forward. 

And all of that just segues nicely into the last quote: ‘Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd.’ Glory to God my people! That’s what Jesus is asking of every believer: help somebody! That’s why He came to earth, to help us! As He said so plainly: ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ 

Mama Mia! Therefore, if we want to be true believers and followers of His, our earthly days should also be spent helping others, like He helped us. Remember, the Father doesn’t want to lose even one of His most precious creation to the enemy, that’s why Jesus called us out to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. (Matt.5:13-14) 

Salt adds flavour to stuff and also helps it last, while light shines through the darkness and shows the way. That’s what Jesus did for us: He came to earth as the LIGHT of the world, shining His awesome light into this dark and evil world and illuminating it, showing those who believe in Him a straight and narrow path to walk safely along, leading to salvation and eternal life! 

And right now, because He can’t be several places at once, He’s imbued us with His Holy Spirit to lead and guide us, so that we can truly become His hands, ears, eyes and feet down here on earth, and take responsibility for showing others the way out of their darkness into His brilliant and life-saving light. And to do that effectively, we need to do as he asked: ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt.5:16) 

Oh my faithful saints in Christ, it’s obvious that we’re not doing such a good job on that request, otherwise our world wouldn’t be in such a topsy-turvy, evil, ungodly, strife-filled mess. So please, let’s pledge today to do better nuh, for Christ is depending on us. And if we get real serious about it, with God’s help, we can certainly make our world a better place to live, both for our descendants and ourselves. Much LOVE!

…I am the good shepherd…the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep… (John 10:11)

P.S. Let me apologize for the confusing dates on yesterday’s Bit. The first one said the 26th, which was right, but the second said the 27th. Friends, the ole fella is only human, so as Jesus taught us, please forgive him. (smile) Much LOVE!

Visit the Scrip-Bit Blog at https://randyopbrien50.com

 

 

 

 

Today​’s Scrip-Bit 23 April 2019 1 John 2:1.

23 Apr 2019 Leave a comment

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

1 John 2:1.   ​My little children, these things I write unto you, that ye sin not (may not sin). And if any man sin, we have an advocate (an intercessor) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
 
So it’s Easter Tuesday and everybody’s now at work…No! Some blessed people down in sweet Tobago where the fun and frolic of goat races and crab races will take place down in Buccoo today, definitely aren’t working! Ah friends, Tobago is the mecca of fun and partying come Easter time! What with boat races, jazz concerts and all sorts of other joyful activities! 

I tried to stay for the festivities but unfortunately wasn’t able to do so. Steups! I guess the Lord overruled me. He knew something that I didn’t know. But them’s the breaks! You win some and you lose some! And anyway the many good memories I made in Tobago will always remain in my heart, as well as the joy of Easter, where our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ rose triumphantly from the grave, victorious against His evil foe, Satan! 

Oh glory to God my people! What a blessed day that was, and will always be! Please never let the joy and assurance it provides to escape from our hearts, minds, bodies and souls! Yes, it’s that important that we have to reiterate it again today…and every day, since it’s the very foundation on which our wonderful faith is based! 

Without Jesus sacrificing His sinless life for us, there’d be no resurrection for us, or salvation or promise of eternal life! So we’ve got to keep the fire, the heightened passion of Easter burning in our hearts each and every day of our lives, not only at the particular time of year that we actually celebrate it! And just to show how important it all really was and is, here’s a li’l gem from a daily Bread Devotional: ‘The One who died as our substitute, now lives as our advocate!’ 

All praise and thanksgiving and glory to God my faithful brethren, for He’s made our Saviour our Advocate too, sitting at His right hand interceding on our behalf! As John says in his epistle: ‘My little children, these things I write unto you, that ye sin not (may not sin). And if any man sin, we have an advocate (an intercessor) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.’ 

Glory to God my people! Oh how wonderful is our God! How can we not LOVE and worship and exalt Him eh, after He’s done so much for us, none of which we even come close to deserving? 

And the scholars explain the Advocacy of Christ thus: ‘2:1. The term ‘advocate’ denotes a lawyer who represents his client before a court of law. When applied to the present ministry of Christ, it speaks of His work for sinning believers to restore them to fellowship. Christ’s work as an advocate is based on the sufficiency of His blood for all sin, past and present. 

Illustration: In the Old Testament, when David confessed his sin, he was forgiven and restored to a place of service. Application: Although the Christian has an Advocate with the Father, his goal in life ought to be overcoming sin (1 John 5:4), rather than merely confessing it. (First Ref.1 John 2:1; Primary Ref. 1 John 2:1; cf. Heb.7:25).’ 

And the scholars make a very good point there; not because we have an advocate are we going to sin willy-nilly. No! But because of our aversion to sin and its detrimental consequences we try our best to sin as little as possible! And John follows up our Bit with this reassuring statement: ‘And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.’ (1 John 2:2) 

Yes friends, Jesus Christ paid the price for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD! What an amazing sacrifice and accomplishment! Only the SINLESS Son of God had the ability to pull off such an amazing feat! 

Hear what the scholars say about that: ‘2:2. Propitiation is here an atoning sacrifice. Jesus bore in His body the punishment due us for our sin; in so doing He ‘propitiated’ God, satisfied God’s just demand that sin be punished. Thus Jesus is both the advocate for sinners (v.1) and the sacrifice for their sins.’ 

Mama Mia! There are no words to really describe the amazing scope of Christ’s work! And I guess that’s why some people don’t or can’t believe it? It’s just too much for our puny human minds to assimilate! That’s why we have to accept it be faith, and not by sight or understanding! And Christ is not only our Saviour and Advocate, but also our High Priest! 

Listen to how the author of Hebrews puts it when talking about priests. ‘But this man (Jesus), because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he liveth for ever to make intercession for them. 

For such a high priest became us (was fitting for us), who is holy, harmless (innocent), undefiled, separate from sinners, and made (has become) higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once when he offered up himself.’ (Heb.7:24-27) 

Oh friends, what an amazing personality is our Jesus! Saviour, Advocate, High Priest, God! He is everything wrapped up in ONE! That means we have no need for anything or anybody else but HIM! Please, please, let’s remember that as we go about our daily lives, walking out walk of faith! 

Now let’s go home declaring (right ho!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the world know who and whose we are! In strong voice with sincere hearts: ‘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 the world. Amen!’ 

Now let’s go out and do exactly that; share Christ’s amazing friendship and His awesome LOVE! Much LOVE!

…Christ’s intercession…is like unto…preventive medicine…

 

 

 

Today​’s Scrip-Bit 16 April 2019 Joshua 1:8.

16 Apr 2019 Leave a comment

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

Joshua 1:8.   ​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.
 

So it’s Tuesday and everybody is back into the work groove now! ‘Hn! What work groove eh?’ some of us snarl, as though anybody could ever get into the work groove! But we can all get into the party and good life groove though! 

Ah friends, what a lazy and feckless society we are, nobody wants to work, but everybody wants to enjoy the good times! How do they think we get the wherewithal to have good times eh? It’s by working! And those things are quickly used up…and again, they can only be replaced by the letting of blood, sweat and tears! So work is essential in this life! 

And along with reminding us of that fundamental fact, I also want to bring to mind two other very important life principles: The first is that the Bible is God’s Word to us and it remains fresh through all the ages. Thus, if we read it, we will certainly find God’s wisdom in its pages. That means if we need to acquire God’s wisdom and plans for our lives, then we need to read His Word. 

And secondly, I want to remind us that One Truth from the Bible is worth more than all the wisdom of man! Glory be my brethren! So if we want to acquire wisdom and truth, the reading, studying and meditating upon God’s Word is absolutely necessary! Yes friends, like everything else in this world, if you want to learn about God and His Word and Ways, you have to spend time with Him, reading and talking and listening to Him. 

You can’t become well acquainted with anything or anybody unless you spend oodles of time with it or them. The same applies to our Triune God. The problem these days though is that we all want to know about God, but we don’t want to take the time to get to know Him. We spend lots of time learning about our modern day toys and all the foolishness that’s currently in the world, but that apparently doesn’t apply to God too. We can’t find time to spend with Him, cause we’re too busy following the foolishness and ungodliness of the evil world! 

I guess we expect to learn about Him through osmosis nuh, where it just seeps naturally and unconsciously into our sinful souls. But that is just a pipe dream yes my people! The Lord expects conscious and purposeful attention on our part to His Word and Ways. There’s NO OTHER WAY by which we can get a sincere and useful insight and knowledge of His doings and thoughts!  

And talking about wisdom and truth being available from the Bible, the necessity for meditating on God’s Word is also greatly portrayed and recommended there. Let’s look at a few examples. And I guess the most important word on it might be from the Lord Himself, when He commanded Joshua after making him the Leader of the Israelites on 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.’ 

Oh friends, it couldn’t get any plainer than that! And it’s from the Lord Himself! To have true prosperity and good success, we need to meditate on God’s Word and keep it close to our hearts and mouths! Now meditation is not rocket science; it’s simply thinking about things, quietly pondering on stuff, trying to get deeper into it. 

And meditation was happening long before the Lord spoke to Joshua. In Genesis we are told: ‘And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the even-tide…’ (Gen.24:63a) That’s when He saw his father’s servant returning from his homeland with Rebekah his future wife. 

And we all know the wonderful words of Psalm1: ‘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 Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder, contemplate) day and night.’ (Ps.1:1-2) 

And we all know what happens to the man who does that! ‘And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ (Ps.1:3) Oh Mama Mia! Again we see that prosperity and success comes from meditating on the Lord’s Word and obeying it! What more do we need to understand, believe, and put that into action eh? 

Hear Bruh David nuh: ‘My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow (the best) and fatness (abundance); and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings I will rejoice.’ (Ps.63:5-7) And we all know Bruh David’s great intimacy and success, and prosperity with God being his Number ONE! So I don’t know why we’re so afraid or foolish not follow his example. 

And lastly, listen to Bruh Paul to Timothy: ‘Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine (teaching). Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery (council of elders). Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly (entirely) to them; that thy profiting (progress) may appear (be evident) to all.’ (1 Tim.4:13-15) 

And having read and inwardly digested all of that (smile) let’s go home declaring (right ho!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know who and whose we are! In strong voice and sincere hearts: ‘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 the world. Amen!’ 

And the corollary to that is we now go out and share that wonderful friendship and LOVE of Jesus with the unfortunates who don’t know Him! That’s our bounden duty! Much LOVE!

…read…meditate…think on…ponder…contemplate…obey God’s Word…the first step to success and prosperity…

Today​’s Scrip-Bit 9 April 2019 Romans 8:35.

09 Apr 2019 Leave a comment

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

Romans 8:35.   ​Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
 

Well a fine Tuesday morning to all you beloved saints of Christ Jesus! Hope the Lord is blessing you and keeping your paths straight as you walk in obedience to His holy edicts. And if we’re not doing so well in our faith walk, then let’s declare some stuff that will help us remember God’s goodness and help us stand strong in these difficult times. 

So let’s acclaim some acclamations nuh! (smile) And as always, the first one is ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps.118:24) Yeh friends, what’s the point of being alive eh, if we don’t enjoy the wonderful days and life that the Lord has so magnanimously granted us? None whatsoever! 

And on top of that we know without a doubt that ‘God will supply ALL our needs through His riches in glory through Christ our Lord and Saviour!’ (Phil.4:19) Oh glory to our great God, who knows what we need and supplies it to us. And with all of that we are imbued with such strength and power and contentment, that we can say with all surety and sincerity: ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!’ (Phil.4:13) 

Yes my faithful brethren, what ever we need to do, our great God, through His wonderful Son WILL give us the wherewithal to do it! Praise His holy name! And how can we forget this most wonderful acclamation? ‘If God be for me, who can be against me eh?’ (Rom.8:31) NOBODY friends! NOBODY can stand against us if God is on our side! Please remember that! 

And how about this one? ‘I am an overcomer through Christ!’ Oh friends, oh friends, that is such a strong foundation to stand and build our faith on that I have to quote these two relevant scriptures. John says it thus in his first epistle: ‘For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?’ (1 John 5:4-5) 

What powerful and encouraging scriptures my people! Through Christ we’re so empowered that it boggles the mortal mind! (smile) And here’s what the scholars have to says about those verses. ‘5:4. Whatsoever refers to every believer born of God.’ ‘5:5. There is conquering power through this confession because God is sovereign over the world, and only through His Son does man have access to and find favour with God.’ 

Now that’s telling it like it is! If you’ve been born again with the Spirit of Christ, then you have the power to overcome any and everything that’s in this evil world! Remember too what Christ said: ‘In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33b) So if you’re a believer you have very good grounds to expect victory in your faith walk because of Jesus’ victory. 

Therefore, Bruh Paul was able to write these immortal words to the church at Rome. ‘Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? …Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom.8:35, 37-39) 

And the scholars explain it thus: ‘8:38-39. We cannot be separated from God’s LOVE, because it is set forth in a person who is God Himself, Jesus Christ, our Saviour. God’s desire to redeem believers cannot be frustrated because He is infinitely greater than any potential enemy. His plan will be realized because it is His purpose (cf. v.28).’ 

Yeh friends, God is the GREATEST! And we are children of the GREATEST, so nobody can mess with us and get away with it! How wonderful to know that eh! And I’ll be nice and spoon feed us here with something that we should all already know and believe. It’s God’s purpose for us! ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom.8:28) 

Most definitely my fellow believers, for all of us who are called to God’s divine purpose for our lives and respond obediently, He will, in the end, work out everything for our good. We might not see or appreciate His workings right now, but as true believers, we can be sure that it will be all right in the end! Glory to God my people! 

Now let’s go home sincerely declaring (right ho) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the world know who and whose we are. In strong voice and a true sense of purpose: ‘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 the world. Amen!’ 

And now it’s time to go out and share that friendship and LOVE of Jesus with the many who desperately need it today. Much LOVE!

…when we’re down…nothing lifts us up…like God’s Word…that’s filled with all His wonderful promises…

P.S. I’m here chuckling because this wasn’t the lesson I intended to teach this morning…in fact I didn’t have anything in mind. (smile) But this is where I was led. Thanks to our ever-faithful God! And I believe it is encouraging and uplifting. Let’s hope you find it so too. Much LOVE!

Today​’s Scrip-Bit 2 April 2019 Psalm 121:1-2.

02 Apr 2019 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 121:1-2.   ​I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills (mountains), from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
 

Oh hear the birds singing their sweets songs of gratitude for their daily bread; and admire the beautiful flora all dressed in red, orange, green and white as they exhibit their Creators masterful artistry; and listen to the gentle waves, at low tide, as they roll into the sleepy lagoon and lap against the rocky shore; and feel the cool, gentle breeze as it blows off the multi-hued sea and ruffles the leaves of the trees, causing them to dance a lively jig, under mostly blue skies with just a hint of cloud cover! 

Oh Eden, that first paradise, could not have been more beautiful… and if it was, then I wouldn’t have the words to justly describe it! 

Awright, awright, I know you all tired hear me describing the beautiful tropical scene I’m currently experiencing down here in paradise, aka, Tobago, but how can I ignore it eh? Yeh, I know it just raises up oodles of jealousy as you look out from your totally secured houses on to a scene of white snow and dry, stick like branches of the surrounding trees. (smile) 

But not to worry, your time will come, just like mine finally did, and then I will be the one trying my best not to feel envious of you as you loll on some distant exotic shore, admiring the beautiful scenery! (smile) 

Ah friends, I just can’t help it. On mornings, I get up and walk, in shorts and T-shirt, to the end of the patio, turn around and look at the sun coming up behind the house and thankfully declare, like the psalmist of old did: ‘I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills (mountains), from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.’ 

Yes my people, although I can’t see the mountains themselves, I know they are there and the sun is rising beautifully and powerfully up and over them because of the Lord’s grace, mercy, majesty and power, and I try to let it all seep into my spirit and make me strong! 

I don’t know if it worked yesterday though, because the duchess had me out in the hot afternoon sun, going to the beach, where the sand was so hot that it scorched my bare feet. However it was on my favourite beach, Store Bay, where the water was calm and a mind blowing aquamarine, and I enjoyed every moment I romped in the refreshing, regenerating and oh so therapeutic salt water! 

One unfortunate thing though, Store Bay now has a dangerous trench in the sand as you enter the water. You can’t see it, and unless you know of it, it can take you unawares and make you stumble, with possible bad repercussions. And getting out of the water, although you now know about it, you still encounter it unexpectedly. But once you get out into the less shallow parts of the water, Store Bay is still as wonderful as ever! And yes, I am biased and prejudiced, but I don’t care. (smile)

Chuh! I’m missing a gem of a quote to share with you all. After leaving the beach I turned into a gas station to top up my tank, and as I was going into the station to pay, it’s a pay before you pump place, I saw this wonderful daily quote on a board at the side of the door. I read it, but don’t ask me what it said now, because just as I got to the cashier she told me I had to move my car because the gas truck had just pulled in to fill up their tanks, and by the time I’d moved the car, I was then told that I had to wait until the gas truck was done with their job before I could do mine. 

Well being in no fit frame of mind to wait, I drove away without the gas, and thus never got the chance to see the sign and jot it down to share. But have no fear, I will be back down there soon, and this time I’ll make sure I get whatever quote is there. Promise! (smile) But then the duchess had me stop in the supermarket and walk around looking for stuff that we lacked and either needed, or thought we needed. So by the time we got home after five, the ole fella was tired like a dog, the duchess too, although she believes she is superwoman! (smile) 

When yuh hear we didn’t even put away the stuff we bought right away, like we’re accustomed doing, but just sat down in the cool of the patio and rested for a spell, you must know that we were well tired, what with the hot sun, the tiring sea, the hot sand and walking round the grocery! I guess we’re not as young and strong and accustomed to this weather as we used to be! (smile) 

And I was just bothering the duchess, as I am wont to, asking if she could handle the idyllic scenery on a long term basis…And she said: ‘Yes! Of course I can!’ So who knows what might happen in the future? But for the time been, I ‘ll just concentrate on my current situation, and believe like the psalmist did with his uncertainties on his pilgrimage journey. 

‘He will not suffer thy foot to be moved (slip): he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber not sleep. The Lord is thy keeper (protector): the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve (keep) thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve (keep) thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for ever-more.’ (Ps.121:2-8) 

Yeh friends, that’s for certain sure, since He promised it! Now let’s go home as we usually do on a Tuesday, declaring (right ho!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the world know who and whose we are! All together now in strong voice and sincere belief: ‘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 the world. Amen!’ 

Now let’s action those words by going out and sharing Jesus’ LOVE and friendship as He so greatly desires of us! Much LOVE!

…the sun can’t smite you…if you don’t go out in it… wise advice I think we’ll take today… (smile)

 

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