The Great Compassion Of God to Those Who LOVE And Reverence Him!

21 Mar 2025 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 103:13.       Like as a father pitieth (has compassion on) his children, so the Lord pitieth (has compassion on) them that fear (reverence) him.

And isn’t it good to wake up to a nice, sunny, fairly warm morning, two thirds into the month of March? Of course it is! Especially when you have the added pleasure of declaring (chuhhh!!!) ‘Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is finally here!’ But yuh know what, I’m immediately going to burst that bubble, because I just saw the computer forecasting 2 cm. of snow for Monday. What a bam bam that would be if it really happened. After such warm weather in the middle of March to come and get snow close to the end. 

But that’s the fluctuating and unpredictable way the weather stakes are being played in these days of climate change. However, whatever happens, there’s no need for us to worry because we have the ONE and ONLY Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, to help us successfully navigate whatever comes against us. Please, let’s always keep that first and foremost in our minds, bodies and souls. 

Now, here’s a short but interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, simply titled ‘A Better Way.’ And I obviously can’t say whether I’ve shared it before, because I don’t keep track of them. When I’m moved to write on something from the Book, I just go there and flip through it until I find something that speaks to me. The good thing though is that ALL of them are worthwhile hearing again and again! (smile) 

So please read with me: ‘A thousand times, dear Lord In moments of fierce temptation I have asked You to help me. But at last I have learned a better way: I no longer ask merely for help I look up into Your gentle face and ask You to do it all.’ Now isn’t that an interesting proposition? Instead of just asking for help, we ask the Lord to do it all. 

And you know what, sometimes I’m sure He’ll comply, but at other times, when it’s important for us to be involved in the solution of our problem, He might only offer help. But it’s a good idea to try, especially if you simply cannot get a handle on the situation. (smile) But then again, some of us won’t ever try hard enough if we knew that we can just turn it all over to our heavenly Father. 

Anyway, let’s look at the Bible verse that’s used as the Promise for that poem. It comes from that marvellous Psalm 103, where Bruh David extols the Lord’s Holy Character. After telling us that the Lord has cast out our sins ‘as far as the east is from the west,’ he continues: ‘Like as a father pitieth (has compassion on) his children, so the Lord pitieth (has compassion on) them that fear (reverence) him. For he knoweth our frame (understands our constitution, knows how we were formed); he remembereth that we are dust.’ (Ps. 103:13-14) 

Oh friends, it’s wonderful to have such a compassionate God, who understands everything about us. And so He should, since He created us in His own image with His own hands! But we also need to remember that although the Lord is omnipotent and all those other great things, we are in a partnership with Him, and thus have a part to play, so we can’t always be sloughing off our part on to Him. In the first place, He won’t always take it, and in the second we’d be seriously shunning our responsibility. 

For, as Peter so rightly says: ‘But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people (God’s own special people); that ye should shew forth (proclaim) the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.’ (1 Pet. 2:9) And that’s exactly how we supposed Christians are supposed to be behaving! 

But unfortunately too many of us are not, we apparently prefer to stay in the darkness of the world rather than the light of Christ, that’s why our world is in such a chaotic and disastrous state. We have obviously forgotten Isaiah’s promise of the Messiah coming to shed light in the darkness. ‘The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.’ (Is. 9:2) And Matthew quotes that in his gospel as Jesus begins His ministry. (Matt. 4:12-17) 

Let’s also remember one of Christ’s claims here on earth: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12) Right there He signifies His role as a source of spiritual illumination and guidance. Therefore, if we want to be spiritually illuminated, then we have to follow Jesus, since there is no one else who signifies, or is qualified to be the beacon of light that He is. So please, let’s remember who and whose we are, where we came from and to what we will return, and be therefore wise to appreciate all that we have and keep proclaiming the mighty name of God as we live our earthly lives. 

Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, to find help in these times of dire need. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough…  because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. 

Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. 

Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example that we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

Oh my people, we all know that we’re not good enough witnesses for Christ, and regardless of how much we pray, until we improve that, divine aid will not be forthcoming. The ball is therefore in our court! Much LOVE!

…God’s a great Father…but we have to be better children…

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

The Christian’s Duty to have the Spirit of Self-Control in All Matters of Their Lives!

02 Sep 2024 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 25:16.        Hast thou found honey? Eat so much (only as much) as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.

HAPPY LABOUR DAY!

Well, a fine good day to you Monday! It’s good to know that I don’t have to get up and rush around and face all the hassles of going to work this Labour Day morning! Thanks again for the holiday…only wish you could do it more often, then we would not have so many disagreements. 

Yes friends, it’s Labour Day Monday, which means most of the summer frolic is over; schools and such will now open and the cool fall breezes of September ought to blow. However, with the unpredictable weather patterns currently in vogue, (smile) courtesy of climate change, who knows what kind of weather we will receive. But thankfully, whatever happens, with Jesus on our side, we’ll be more than able to handle it, because with and through Him we can handle any and everything that the world throws our way! ‘Glory Hallelujah!’  

But please remember that although the day calls for celebrations, we don’t need to go overboard and over do it, we must mind our p’s and q’s, for overdoing most things is not good for us. And there are many verses in the scriptures that speak to that topic, for instance this one from the wisdom of Cousin Sol in Proverbs. ‘Hast thou found honey? Eat so much (only as much) as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.’ (Prov. 25.16) 

And that is a good measure for most things in this life. Especially in the matter of alcohol, as Bruh Paul warns in Ephesians. ‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit.’ (Eph. 5:18) And Cousin Sol corroborates that with this Proverb. ‘Wine is a mocker, strong (intoxicating) drink is raging (arouses brawling): and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.’ (Prov. 20:1)  

Yes mih bredrin, too much alcohol is certainly no good for us, because it causes us to lose our mental bearings, get into fights, arguments etc. and we end up doing things that are not in God’s will, or as the scholars say: ‘Drunkenness leads to moral intemperance, and we should instead be filled with the Spirit of God. For a person filled with wine is under its influence; similarly, a Christian filled with the Spirit is under the control of the Spirit, and can control his thoughts, attitudes and actions.’ 

And furthermore, we have this warning from Bruh Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. ‘All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient (helpful): all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any (anything).’ (1 Cor. 6:12) And that situation seems to have been very important to Bruh Paul, for he says the very same thing in 1 Cor. 10:23, except, there he changes the last phrase to ‘but all things edify not (do not build up).’ 

Oh my fellow believers, many things may be lawful for us to do, meaning, not proscribed or prohibited by the God’s will in the scriptures, but not all of them are helpful or beneficial in living God’s plan and purpose for our lives. That calls up the fruit of the Spirit of self-control, whereby we don’t let those supposedly lawful but not beneficial things control or have power over us. 

That brings us to two more interesting verses from the wisdom of Cousin Sol. He wisely maintains: ‘It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search (seek) their own glory is not glory. He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.’ (Prov. 25:27-28) There’s no disputing the wisdom in those verses friends, but sadly those things are rather prevalent in our current society. Everybody is seeking their own glory and aggrandizement, with very little if any self-control in the process. 

Meanwhile, we have these wise words from Bruh Paul to the Galatians that oversee the entire situation. ‘Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not (do not lose heart). As we therefore have opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.’ (Gal. 6:7-10) 

I guess that says it all my fellow saints. We must be careful of our thoughts and actions, for whatever we do, we will reap the necessary consequences. However, our duty is to live good, as much as humanly possible with all people, especially Christians. And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid. 

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!’ 

But unfortunately friends, things will never improve until we turn from our evil ways and begin sincerely seeking God with all of our hearts, souls, bodies and minds. Much LOVE!

…you reap what you sow…more than you sow…and later than you sow… Uncle Charles – Dr. Charles Stanley…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 April 2013 Isaiah 40:18

20 Apr 2013 Leave a comment

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

Isaiah 40:18.     To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
 
Ah Friends, this weather situation is really getting ridiculous yes! The last two days the temperature has been in the high teens, almost summer weather, with people running around half naked. But today and tomorrow it’s only supposed to reach a high of 4 and 5 degrees Celsius respectively, and then go back up to double digits on Monday and Tuesday. Steups! No wonder people get all sorts of ailments in the land of the four seasons. The weather used to be fairly predictable, season by season, but now, with all the climate changes, global warming and what have you, you’re never sure what one day or the next is going to bring. And just to prove that point, I happened to look outside just now, and what do you think I saw? Snowflakes raining down from the sky! Ah Lord eh! Most likely that won’t last long or cause much inconvenience, but just the very thought that you can go from warm sunshine to weather suitable for snow in only a few hours doesn’t warm the heart. And I understand that earlier on a tornado touched down north of Toronto, but I don’t know the extent of the damage. However, it’s certainly a good thing that we don’t have a wishy-washy, unpredictable God like the weather, one that spins back and forth like a yo-yo, but rather a strong, reliable, unchanging, same for all seasons Deity. So though we may be annoyed by the current unpredictable weather patterns, we don’t have to agonize or fret too much over them, since we can rely on the Most High God to get us through anything to which He brings us. The prophet Isaiah, in talking of our God’s majesty, rightly proclaims: ‘All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity (worthless)’ (Is.40:17) Oh my fellow believers, those are words of undeniable truth! There’s no one, or nothing on the face of the earth, or beneath the seas, in fact in this entire universe to compare to our omnipotent, omniscient, omni-present, all knowing God! No wonder the prophet asks then in our Bit, with a touch of scorn: ‘To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?’ And the correct answer my brethren is, NO ONE or NOTHING! For if He made the universe and all therein, how could any part or person of His creation be greater than Him eh? That’s what the fallen angel Lucifer and the other numbskulls that rebelled with him, failed to understand. And just for good measure, in case we don’t believe or understand, the prophet goes on to argue the situation in rhetorical question form. ‘The workman melteth (moulds) a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and (the silversmith) casteth (casts) silver chains. He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation (no such offering) chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning (skillful) workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved (totter and fall)’ (Is.40:19-20) Yes Friends, that’s how many mortal men operate. That’s how they initiate a god into their lives, for it seems that whoever, or wherever we are, we always seem to feel this deep need inside of us to worship something or other. That’s just the natural call of the living God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But unfortunately mankind doesn’t always understand or heed that call, and eventually ends up bowing to man made objects, which in the Lord’s eyes is the most contemptuous sacrilege possible, as He proclaims from the earliest times. ‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to (worship) them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting (punishing) the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generations of them that hate me; And showing mercy unto them that LOVE me, and keep my commandments.’ (Ex.20:3-6) Ah mih people, it couldn’t be put any clearer or simpler than that! That’s why Isaiah continues: ‘Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundation of the earth? It is he that sitteth upon (above) the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in. That bringeth (reduces) the princes to nothing: he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity (useless). Yea, they shall not (scarcely) be planted; yea, they shall not (scarcely) be sown; yea, their stock shall not (scarcely) take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.’ (Is.40:21-24) That’s the story in living colour Friends! The scholars point to ‘Genesis 1:26, where man is created in the image and likeness of God as a personal and moral being.’ So how can a graven image, a dead, lifeless, man made object ever be compared to our God eh? No way Jose! Ah mih people, I just don’t understand how supposedly intelligent humans can worship dead, lifeless objects nuh, many of them made with their own hands. As I asked earlier on, how can something you make be so powerful that you have to bow to it? It just doesn’t follow logically, especially when there’s a wonderful living God in existence who watches over all our comings and goings with LOVING-kindness. And having had time and plenty info to contemplate the question in our Bit, we’ll end by asking it in a slightly different form. ‘To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.’ (Is.40:25) Oh Friends, the answer remains the same: NOBODY! NOBODY OR NOTHING is greater than our God! Please remember that, and all will be well with you, for that is indeed wisdom of the very highest order. Much LOVE!…once you know Jehovah God…there’s only one thing you can do…that’s LOVE Him…with all your heart, mind, body and soul…