24 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bunch of ungrateful sinners, action the promises of God, be not dismayed, break your own heart, come boldly to the throne of grace, communion with god, deepen my breath, delivers them out of all their troubles, enjoy the abundant life, enjoy the fruits of your labour, faith, fear thou not for I am with thee, find grace to help in time of need, for evermore, from this time forth, from whence cometh my help, fulfill our God-given destiny, God commendeth his love toward us, God neither slumbers nor sleeps, God shields us from danger both day and night, God so loved the world, God's love does not fluctuate on human performance, God's love is eternal, God's love is rooted in his faithful character, God's proximity to those in pain, great is thy faithfulness, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, he that keepeth thee will not slumber, help from above, his compassions fail not, hold fast our profession, holy spirit, I am thy God, I will help thee, I will strengthen thee, in all these things we are more than conquerors, increase my awareness of you today, intimacy with god, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, it never fails, Jesus Christ, Jesus has firsthand experience of this evil world, Jesus the Son of God, know you all the more, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, lift up mine eyes unto the hills, LOVE, many are the afflictions of the righteous, mercy, my help cometh from the Lord, nigh unto those of a broken heart, nor the moon by night, nothing can separate us from the Love of God, obtain mercy, passed into the heavens, preserve thee from all evil, preserve thy going out and coming in, preserve thy soul, relax my muscles, salvation, saves those of a contrite spirit, slow my thoughts, suffer thy foot to be moved, sympathize with our weaknesses, thank you for this tenderness, the emotional connection of Jesus to human suffering, the Lord delivers him out of them all, the Lord is thy keeper, the promise of ultimate relief from distress, the righteous cry and the Lord heareth, The sun shall not smite thee by day, the ultimate proof of God's love is Jesus death on the cross, therefore have I hope, they are new every morning, thy shade upon thy right hand, truth, unceasing nearness, undying LOVE, unfailing sympathy, uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness, was in all points tempted like as we are, we have a great high priest, which made heaven and earth, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, whosoever believeth in him should not perish, wisdom, yet without sin, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Psalm 121:2. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
Here we are friends, on this lazy-day Saturday, betwixt and between bright sunshine and dark cloudiness. Let’s hope the sunshine wins the day. (smile) And as it’s still pretty cold, snowy and dangerous out there, if you don’t have to go out, then don’t. Just stay inside and enjoy the fruits of your labour with rest and friendly communion with God. And we’ll begin the latter half of that equation by offering up our ‘Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer.’
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
Now, if our hearts were sincere and true, then the Lord will flood them with peace and goodwill, for there’s nothing He LOVES more than His children seeking greater intimacy with Him. And having accomplished that, let’s turn to our unfinished business with the poem, ‘Promises and Non-Promises of God’ where we still have to check out scriptures dealing with the promises for ‘help from above, unfailing sympathy, and undying LOVE.’
So, let’s get right into scriptures dealing with ‘help from above.’ And as expected, God’s promises in any area are numerous, but we’ll begin with these most reassuring words from Psalm 121, titled, ‘God Neither Slumbers Nor Sleeps.’ Please read with me: ‘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. 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 nor 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 for evermore.’ (Ps. 121:1-8) There you have it friends, a golden promise that help comes directly from the Creator, who shields us from danger both day and night.
And we’ll highlight one more scripture on help from above, one that many of us know but don’t action in our everyday lives. The prophet Isaiah declares on the Lord’s behalf: ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee: yea, I will help thee: yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’ (Is. 41:10) Now how much more assurance can the Lord give than that eh? None really.
So let’s move on to ‘unfailing sympathy.’ And I like how this commentary explains it. ‘Scriptures regarding unfailing sympathy, compassion, and comfort emphasize God’s proximity to those in pain, the emotional connection of Jesus to human suffering, and the promise of ultimate relief from distress.’ But again, there are so many verses of promise to choose from that it just boggles the imagination.
Anyway, these most reassuring words from Bruh David in that magnificent Psalm 34, surely capture the idea of God’s sympathy and compassion for His children. ‘The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite (crushed) spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.’ (Ps. 34:19-19)
Oh my people how much more sympathy can we ask for eh? Meanwhile, in Jeremiah’s Lamentations, he highlights the very essence of God’s sympathy, when remembering God’s faithfulness, he writes: ‘This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:21-23)
But here is one of the greatest promises of heavenly empathy, as the author of Hebrews declares to us. ‘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 (confession of faith). For we have not an 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. 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.’ (Heb. 4:14-16)
Ah my fellow believers, there’s nobody who can sympathize, empathize and show more compassion than Jesus, because He knows firsthand what we experience in this evil and ungodly world! And that finally brings us to the last of the promises; ‘undying LOVE.’ And I won’t even bother to tell you that there are oodles of scriptures that talk about that, because it’s the most important attribute of God, and why He made us in the first place.
And possibly the greatest showing of God’s undying LOVE, is this verse from the lips of Jesus to Nicodemus the Jewish teacher. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16) Then there’s one of my favourite scriptures, from the pen of Bruh Paul to the Romans. ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his own LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Yes mih bredrin, God didn’t wait for us to change our ways, His LOVE was so great that He went ahead and did His part, trusting that we would eventually do ours. What greater LOVE can be shown eh, than breaking your own heart by giving up your only Son to save a bunch of ungrateful sinners and doing it before they were even fully aware of it? And just for good measure, or lagniappe, we’ll throw in these wonderful assurances of Bruh Paul to the Roman church.
‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, though 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. 8:37-39) That says it all my people!
Now let’s close with what this commentary calls the ‘Core Themes of God’s Undying LOVE: (1) His Unchanging Character: God’s LOVE does not fluctuate based on human performance, but is rooted in His faithful character. (2) His Sacrificial Action: The ultimate proof of this LOVE is Jesus Christ laying down His life. (3) God’s Eternal Presence: His LOVE is described as “everlasting” and “never fails,” offering comfort through trials.’
And this cold, snowy, lazy-day Saturday is an excellent day to understand, appreciate and accept God’s great promises, so that we can have the good and abundant life that Christ promised and died for us to have! Much LOVE!
…only as we understand, accept and action the promises of God…will we fulfill our God-given destiny…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
14 Sep 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, a song of praise and encouragement, abject misery, after the rain comes the sunshine, all things work together for good, bad times don't last forever, be not dismayed, behind each cloud there's a silver lining, better must come one day, Christians must get tough, clouds all over the land, delivered of a child when she was past age, disobedient children, don't give up, encourage each other, faith, fear thou not, fear thou not for I am with thee, forgotten them, from the very core of our beings, George Banton, giving God thanks and praise, go to the Lord's sanctuary, God is not a man that he should lie, hath he said and shall he not do it, Hold On Better must come, hold on for dear life, hold on until the end, holy spirit, I am thy God I will strenthen thee, I thanked the Lord for another day, I woke up this morning, I've been there, in each life a little rain must fall, Jesus Christ, Jesus will fix it for you, joy comes in the morning, judged him faithful who had promised, keep on keeping on, know that the sun will shine again, like the clouds give way to the sun, looked through my window, LOVE, mercy, no relief in sight, praising and worshipping God, refresh our spirits, remember this song, right from our hearts, salvation, sometimes I get a little weak, strong faith, sweet sacrifices of praise, tell your friend, tell your mother and father, telling you to be strong, the darkest night is just before the dawn, the gospel truth, the Hall of Fame, the Lord does not lie, the sun will shine, there was sunshine everywhere, they acknowledged him faithful who promised, though times and things look bad, through faith also Sarah received strength to conceive seed, to see these tough times through, toiling in the boiling sun, tough times don't last but tough people do, truth, uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness, weeping may endure for a night, when I opened my eyes, when you're down and out, who are called according to His purpose, wisdom, with no one around, with sunshine on my mind, with the soul of our forefathers, without faith it is impossible to please God, your change is going to come
Psalm 30:5b. …weeping may endure for a night, but joy (a shout of joy) comes in the morning.
Another Sunday has rolled around warm and fairly sunny friends, and thus it behooves us to go the Lord’s sanctuary and have our souls, bodies and minds renewed and refreshed, through hearing His Word and giving Him thanks and praise for His goodness to His wayward and disobedient children whom He still LOVES so dearly. And is it ever to our great benefit that we experience His unconditional LOVE! That’s for sure!
So, today, in appreciation for God’s great compassion, we will open with a song of praise and genuine encouragement for all of us who are finding it difficult to keep our faith strong in these terrible strife-filled times. And the title of the song is ‘Hold On, Hold on (Better Must Come One Day).’ It’s a song done by Jamaican Canadian Gospel Artist, George Banton from His 2002 Album, ‘Jesus will fix it for You.’
Now, there’s also a ska version of the song, but for our purposes today we need to get really soulful, to allow the music and the words to come up right from our hearts, from the very core of our beings, with the soul that our forefathers felt when they were toiling in the boiling sun, but praising and worshipping a God who seemed to have forgotten them in their abject misery. But their faith was strong, they acknowledged Him faithful who had promised, and so they stood strong and held on, just like we’re doing today, because we know that better must come. The Lord promised it, and He doesn’t lie.
So, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a truly soulful and sincere version of the song. Singing: ‘You know in each life, a little rain must fall, and sometimes the darkest night is just before dawn. I’m here to tell you, hold on, hold on, better must come one day. Oh let me tell you children, hold on, hold on, better must come one day. I woke up this morning, with sunshine on my mind, but as I looked through my window, there were clouds all over the land. Then I thanked the Lord for giving me another day.
And when I opened my eyes, there was sunshine everywhere, telling me to hold on, hold on, better must come someday. The clouds were all rolled away, yes they did, And I’m here to tell you, Oh I just can’t keep it to myself now, I’ve gotta tell somebody else, to hold on, hold on, better must come one day. Hold on till the end, and don’t give up now, I know your change is going to come, like the clouds give way to the sun.
Whenever you’re down and out, and you have no one around, remember this song, telling you to be strong. Let me tell you children, hold on, hold on, better must come one day. The sun will shine, yes it will! So, go tell your friend, go tell your mama, tell your sister about it, tell your daddy, to hold on, hold on, better must come one day.
And sometimes when you feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders, and happiness is nowhere in sight. But I’m here to tell you that trouble don’t last always, behind each dark cloud there’s a silver lining. Yeh, let me tell you children, hold on, hold on, better must come one day, better will come, I know, Oh I know it will, Hey, hey, you’d better hold on, hold on, for better must come one day.
I’d like to share this with every man, every woman, with every boy and every girl. Let me tell you, you’d better hold on. I don’t know about you nuh, but sometimes I get a little weak, yes, I’ve been there, and know that the sun will shine again, so I’m holding on, and you’d better hold on too, hold on, for better must come one day, Yes hold on, hold on, for better must come one day…better must come one day…’
Oh friends, the Lord promised it, and He doesn’t lie. It’s as the prophet Balaam said to King Balak who wanted him to curse Israel, but the Lord would not allow it. ‘God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?’ (Num. 23:19)
Of course! If He said it, He will indeed do it! That’s why in the Hall of Fame chapter 11 of Hebrews; the author could write: ‘Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of (bore) a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who hath promised.’ (Heb. 11:11) And that’s one of the necessities of faith. As the author of Hebrews earlier wrote: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb. 11:6)
Consequently as believers in Almighty God, we need to hold on faithfully to the promises He’s given us in His Word, as well as those given to us individually, or we’ll never see them come true. That’s why we need to steadfastly hold on, though things and times look bad, for bad times don’t last forever. For as Bruh David says in Psalm 30: ‘weeping may endure for a night, but joy (a shout of joy) comes in the morning.’ (Ps. 30:5b)
And that’s the gospel truth friends. The nighttime might bring fears and worries, but when the daylight appears, our fears and worries don’t ever seem half as bad. And we know that after the rain comes the sunshine which makes everything look so much brighter. As the song says: ‘trouble don’t last always, behind each dark cloud there’s a silver lining.’ And that means better must come, so we cannot afford to give up, especially since there’s no giving up in Jesus’ vocabulary.
No! We need to keep on keeping on in faith, for as this magnificent promise of God tells us: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) Yes friends, that says it all! Life is not all comfort and good times; that’s just the way of the world. However, when times get rough and there seems to be no relief in sight, if we hang in there in faith, the Lord will eventually see us through them all, because that’s His promise and as Sarah found out, he who promised is faithful.
So, in these tough and uncertain times, let’s hold on, hold on for dear life, and also encourage each other, for as the Lord God Jehovah said so long ago: ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’ (Is. 41:10) Now that ought to keep us strong and steadfast in our earthly work for Christ! Much LOVE!
…in the words of Dr. Robert H. Schuller…tough times don’t last…but tough people do…therefore, Christians must get tough…if they want to see these tough times through…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
18 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new commandment I give unto you, as I have loved you that ye also love one another, assurance that we're not alone, be not dismayed, be responsible and stay safe, bring every evil tongue to judgement, by this shall all men know that ye are my disiciples, christianity, concerns, confusion of these ungodly times, crises, crying out for help, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, discontent and dissatisfaction, dissension, distill fears, divine promises, do not fear, fade away over the weekend, faith, fear thou not for I am with thee, Friday chant, frustrations of the work week, God is active in our everyday lives, God's unwavering support, hang all the law and prophets, holy spirit, I am thy God, I will help thee, I will strengthen thee, if ye have love one to another, if ye love me keep my commandments, improve our Christian witness, it breaks Christ's heart, Jesus Christ, joy, like they never existed, LOVE, love is missing from our world, Love thy neighbour as thyself, mercy, no love no peace, no weapon formed against us shall prosper, omnipotent help, on these two commandments, our chaotic world, peace, persoanl struggles, petty differences, problems are escalating, salvation, stand strong and steadfast, strife within Christianity, take comfort in God's presence, Thank God it's Friday, that ye love one another, the BIBLE, the first and great commandment, the main attraction in our lives, the straight and narrow road of Jesus, the throne of grace, the wide and winding road of Satan, thou shalt love the Lord thy God, trusting faith, truth, under divine protection, unexpected storms, up in arms, uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness, wake up and smell the coffee, wisdom, wise guidance, with all thy heart soul and mind
John 13:35. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.
And then it’s Friday! Thank God for that! Although the day is going to be sunny, but much cooler than the last few, we’re still excited to welcome the weekend! For the concerns and frustrations of this past work week will fade away over the weekend like they never existed, and we’ll begin afresh next Monday. How true that is my people. There are always concerns and frustrations to deal with in this crazy and ever more chaotic world.
But with Jesus as the main attraction in our lives, we don’t have to be overly concerned with them, or be concerned to the point of worry, for He has promised that no weapon formed against us will prosper, and that we will bring every evil and lying tongue to judgement. (Is. 54:17) That means we are under divine protection., for as the prophet Isaiah also writes on God’s behalf: ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’ (Is. 41:10)
Yes friends, we’re commanded not to be afraid, because our great God is active in our everyday lives. There’s assurance that we are not alone. We have divine assistance, which provides comfort, strength and unwavering support. That means in any personal struggles or crises, we must remember that we’re not alone, that God is fighting alongside us, for us, and we can therefore take comfort in His awesome presence. And let’s hope those faithful, divine promises distill any fears or worries that me might currently have, because that’s what they were given for.
And remember one of Jesus’ most spoken phrases was ‘Do not fear.’ So, if we’re true believers in Jesus, then we ought to abide by His commands. As He says in John’s gospel: ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments.’ (John 14:15) And one of His most important commands was this: ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:34-35)
Oh my people, I’m sure it breaks Christ’s heart when He sees how terribly we follow that commandment! For we certainly do not treat each other with the LOVE that’s expected of us. There’s so much dissension and petty differences in the lives of individual believers, as well as the church as a whole, that we definitely could not say we’re LOVING each other the way Christ LOVED us. Not even close!
No wonder there’s so much strife within Christianity, as well as the world, because that most godly attribute, LOVE, is sadly missing. And where there’s no LOVE, there can be no peace, joy or comfort. And the sad fact is that we all claim to be searching for peace and joy, but how can we find those when we refuse to have LOVE, for God, ourselves, and for each other.
Remember the great commandments? Jesus stated them thus to the arrogant lawyer who tried to tie Him up with foolish questions. ‘Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and prophets.’ (Matt. 22:37-40)
So you see my fellow believers, everything in this world hangs on one thing, that’s LOVE! LOVE for God, ourselves and our neighbours. Without that divine attribute first and foremost in our individual lives, the Church, and the world in general, there’s no hope whatsoever of us ever attaining joy, peace and minds free from worry. That means all the foolishness that’s being tried and proposed in the world for joy and peace are simply talk, or rather a waste of time, for there’s NO LOVE between those of us trying to make peace. Everybody’s up in arms over some real or imagined slight or ill treatment, but no one’s willing to forgive and forget those real or imagined affronts.
So, we’ll apparently continue going down the wide and winding road that Satan has laid out for us, rather than the straight and narrow one that Jesus has initiated. But one thing’s for sure; we won’t lose hope! No sir! So, with that most miraculous and provocative thought in heart, mind, body and soul, let’s go to the throne of grace through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid for whatever ails us.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now, let’s not fool ourselves by thinking that because we’ve prayed sincerely, that divine aid will be quickly showered down upon us. Not at all! And why is that, you ask? Because our witness for Christ is not good enough, and until we make some serious improvements to it, no divine aid will be forthcoming. We need to do our part before the Lord does His. Much LOVE!
…it’s impossible to understand…why so many hearts and souls…made from, and for LOVE…refuse to LOVE…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a shout of joy comes in the morning, a silver lining, abject misery, Abraham, anchor, barren deserts, be strong, behind each dark cloud, being fully persuaded, believe on him that raised Jesus, better must come one day, Bible, bread of life, christianity, Christians, clouds were all over the land, dark and uncertain times, delivered for our offences, don't give up now, faith, falling down on God's job, fear thou not for I with thee, for our justification, fully convinced, George Banfon, giving glory to God, go tell your freind, God could perform His promise, God is not a man that he should lie, God will do whatever He says, he wavered not at the promise of God, held on, His anger endures but a moment, Hold On Better must come, hold on till the end, holy spirit, I am thy God, I thanked the Lord for another day, I will help you, I will strengthen you, I woke up this morning, I've been there, I've been weak, imputed to him for righteousness, in each life a little rain must fall, in his favour is life, Jesus Christ, Jesus is our answer for everything, joy cometh in the morning, like the clouds give way to the sun, like we're doing today, living water, long and short of the story, looking through the window, LOVE, mercy, neither the son of man that he should repent, on safari in South Africa, pilot, praising and worshipping God, raised again, remember to hold on, salvation, share it with every man woman boy and girl, stood strong, storms of life, strong in faith, tell your brother and sister, telling me to hold on, the better must come one day, the core of our beings, the darkest night is just before the dawn, the Father of righteousness, the gospel truth, the Lord promised it in His word, the Lord's Day, the only sure thing is Jesus, the soul of our forefathers, the sun will shine again, the sweetest gospel music is West Indian gospel, their faith was strong, there was sunshine everywhere, they acknowledged him faithful who promised, they toiled in the burning sun, through unbelief, trouble doesn't last for always, truth, unexpected things happen unexpectedly, uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness, weeping may endure for a night, West Indian Gospel Music, when I opened my eyes, when you're down and out, wisdom, with no one around, wo seems to have forgotten them, woke up with sunshine on my mind, work for Jesus, written as an example for us
Psalm 30:5. For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy (a shout of joy) cometh in the morning.
Ah mih people, this life isn’t easy nuh, and what makes it even harder is when unexpected things happen unexpectedly. That happened to me yesterday. The hospital called and said they needed to see me for more tests. So there I was at ten in the morning, unable to enjoy my lazy-day Saturday, waiting for a test that could have been done on Thursday when I was there. But nobody thought to do it then. Now that first test didn’t take too long, but then I had to wait for the results, and there were other tests to follow up on those results.
The long and short of the story is that I didn’t get out of the hospital until four o’clock in the afternoon, only an hour earlier than the first day. And by the time I got home I was in no fit shape to write a sensible bit. (smile) That makes one more time I must apologize for missing a day. But yuh know what, before this, I believe I’ve only missed about four days in the eighteen years I’ve been doing it. And two of those days were when I was in South Africa some years ago on safari (smile) and the internet went down. Even when I’ve had surgeries or was laid up in the hospital for one reason or the other, I’ve always managed to put out something.
Let’s hope this is the end of missing days, because we can’t keep on falling down on the Lord’s job; we have to keep on keeping on. And with that in mind, this Sunday morning, as we gather in the Lord’s sanctuary to celebrate His day, we’ll open our celebration with this wonderful piece of West Indian Soul Music, performed by Jamaican Canadian Gospel Artist, George Banton from his 2002 Album, ‘Jesus Will Fix It’, a song most appropriately titled ‘Hold On, Hold On (Better Must Come One Day.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth? It certainly is, if you are a believer in Jesus Christ.
And today we’re going to get real soulful, allowing the words and the music to rise up from the very bottom of our hearts, from the very core of our beings, with the soul that our forefathers felt when they were toiling in the boiling sun, but praising and worshipping a God who seemed to have forgotten them in their abject misery. But their faith was strong, they acknowledged Him faithful who had promised, and so they stood strong and held on, just like we’re doing today, because we know that better must come. The Lord promised it, and He doesn’t lie. So, let’s sing, show them why West Indian Gospel is the sweetest gospel music ever! And there’s no bias in that, because it’s the indisputable truth. (smile)
So, singing: ‘You know in each life, a little rain must fall, and sometimes the darkest night is just before dawn. I’m here to tell you, hold on, hold on, better must come one day. Oh let me tell you children, hold on, hold on, better must come one day. I woke up this morning, with sunshine on my mind, but as I looked through my window, there were clouds all over the land. Then I thanked the Lord for giving me another day. And when I opened my eyes, there was sunshine everywhere, telling me to hold on, hold on, better must come some day.
The clouds were all rolled away, yes they did, And I’m here to tell you, Oh I just can’t keep it to myself now, (I’ve gotta tell somebody else, to hold on, hold on, better must come one day. Hold on till the end, and don’t give up now,) I know your change is going to come, like the clouds give way to the sun. Whenever you’re down and out, and you have no one around, remember this song, telling you to be strong. Let me tell you children, hold on, hold on, better must come one day. The sun will shine, yes it will! So, go tell your friend, go tell your mama, tell your sister about it, tell your daddy, to hold on, hold on, better must come one day.
And sometimes when you feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders, and happiness is nowhere in sight. But I’m here to tell you that trouble don’t last always, behind each dark cloud there’s a silver lining. Yeh, let me tell you children, hold on, hold on, better must come one day, better will come, I know, Oh I know it will, Hey, hey, you’d better hold on, hold on, for better must come one day. I’d like to share this with every man, every woman, with every boy and every girl.
Let me tell you, you’d better hold on. I don’t know about you nuh, but sometimes I get a little weak, yes, I’ve been there, and know that the sun will shine again, so I’m holding on, and you’d better hold on too, hold on, for better must come one day, Yes hold on, hold on, for better must come one day…better must come one day…’
The Lord promised it, and He doesn’t lie. As renegade prophet Balaam said to the Moab Prince Balak on the Lord’s behalf: ‘God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?’ (Num. 23: 19) So anything God says, we can believe. And He’s solemnly and faithfully promised that all things will work together for good to those who LOVE Him, to those who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28)
Now that means that everything will not be always hunky dory, and there will be problems, but in the end the Lord will make it alright. As Bruh David so rightly says in Psalm 30: ‘For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy (a shout of joy) cometh in the morning.’ (Ps. 30: 5) As the song tells us: ‘trouble don’t last always; behind each dark cloud there’s a silver lining.’ And you need to believe that if you want to work for Jesus.
And the Lord’s promised His grace and favour and faithfulness all through His Word like this example from Isaiah, when He declares (chuh man!!!): ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’ (Is. 41:10) Now that’s why Abraham is called the Father of righteousness; because he fully believed God without knowing Him, or anything about Him. Especially when the Lord promised him a son, and it took twenty-five years to happen; when he was a hundred years old, and his wife Sara was ninety.
The Bible tells it thus: ‘He staggered (wavered) not at the promises of God through unbelief; but was strong (strengthened) in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded (convinced) that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed unto him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead. Who was delivered for (because of ) our offences, and was raised again for our justification.’ (Rom. 4:20-25)
Yes friends, it’s all been put there as an example for us. If we sincerely believe in Jesus and are obedient to His will like Abraham believed God and was obedient to His will, then we also will be called righteous. And we all know that life is filled with numerous ups and down, many rainy days, dark nights, and unknown paths to tread, but if we do like the song says, and hold on, hold on tightly to Jesus, our Lord and Saviour in the this world of sin, our Anchor and Pilot in the storms of life, our bread of life and source of living water in the barren deserts, then we will come through it alright in the end, because that’s His awesome and faithful promise, and He does not lie.
So please, whatever we’re going through right now, let’s hold on tightly to our Answer for Everything – JESUS! And yuh better believe that’s exactly what I’m doing in these dark and uncertain times…holding on…holding for dear life to Jesus! Much LOVE!
…the only sure thing in this crazy world…is JESUS…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a correct picture, a faithful saying, a paatern, an abomination to the human soul, anger, be not dismayed, bear thee up in their hands, Bible, bitterness, christianity, Christmas, concentrate my thoughts on you, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, disastrous times, don't understand your ways, dwell in the land of the shadow of death, early in the morning I cry to you, enable me to live now, faith, fear not, feeble in heart, give his angels charge over thee, hatred, have the light of life, he is my refuge and my fortress, he that follows me, he;lp me to pray, help in you, holy spirit, hurry, I am lonely, I am the light of the world, I am thy God, I cannot do this alone, I will say of the Lord, I will strengthen you, in god's eyes, in him will I trust, In me there's darkness, Jesus Christ, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, last minute preparations, let not your heart be troubled, life everlasting, light emanates from God, lock stock and barrel, longsuffering, LOVE, mercy, my god, my peace I give unto you, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my thoughts higher than your thoughts, my ways are not your ways, my ways higher than your ways, negative emotions, neither let it be afraid, never enough time, no evil shall befall thee, no need of the sun or moon, no plague shall come nigh thy dwelling, not as the world gives, pateince, patience, peace, persih, restless, salvation, seen a great light, shall not walk in darkness, share His love with my neighbours, strife-filled world, strive with thee, suprasses all understanding, Thank You Lord, the beloved of God, the glory of God illuminated it, the gospel truth, the grace of God, the heavens are higher than the earth, the Lamb, the light thereof, the peace of God, the people that walked in darkness, to keep thee in all thy ways, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness, upon them hath the light shined, wisdom, with you there's light, without me ye can do nothing, worry, worthy of all acceptance, you never leave me
John 8:12. I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Well a Happy Christmas Eve to all you my Scrip-Bits friends and families. I sincerely hope that today meets you in good health and that you are busy making your last minute preparations for the big day tomorrow! (smile) Oh, it amuses me when I see people running around like chickens with their heads cut off to get all their Christmas activities together. I just smile and say, ‘Thank You Lord!’ Why? Because I’ve learned over the last few years to do whatever little I intend to do, as early as possible so as not to get involved in all the last minute rushing and pushing.
It just seems that at Christmas time, there’s always so much we want to do, but there’s never enough time to do it, either because we’ve left too much for too late, or we’re simply trying to do much. But who am I to question the overflowing attitudes of others eh? (smile) And to help us get through all the ‘confufflations’ of the day, let’s sincerely offer up this prayer from the Prayers Through The Ages Pamphlet – Prayers for Spiritual Renewal – recently put out by the Anglican Diocese of Toronto. This prayer is attributed to Dietrich Bonhoffer, a martyred German theologian, (1904-1945).
Please pray with me. ‘Oh God, early in the morning I cry to you. Help me to pray and to concentrate my thoughts on you: I cannot do this alone, In me there is darkness, but with you there is light, I am lonely, but you do not leave me; I am feeble in heart, but in you there is help; I am restless, but with you there is peace. In me there is bitterness, but with you there is patience; I do not understand your ways, but you know the way for me… Restore me to liberty, and enable me to live now That I may answer before you and before me. Lord, whatever this day may bring, your name be praised.’
And is that ever a correct picture of the human soul in these disastrous times! And do we ever need the Lord’s help, because we cannot do anything on our own. For as Jesus so rightly said; ‘for without me, ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) And I like the contrasts that the prayer makes: There is darkness in the human soul, but only light emanates from the Godhead. How did Jesus put it? ‘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)
Now that’s the gospel truth, it also fulfills the prophecy of the prophet Isaiah: ‘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 that’s how it is for all those who walk with Jesus; we walk in the light, because He is the light of the world. It will be also as John says in Revelation: ‘And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten (illuminate) it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.’ (Rev. 21:23)
That brings us to where the prayer says we’re lonely, which is oh so true in these days of deceit and strife, and though we may be amongst a crowd of people, our hearts can still be lonely. But the good news is that our God is always with us, He never leaves us. Though He may seem to be far away, the truth is that He is always around us, present and ready for action on our behalf, through His Holy Spirit that indwells us. And Psalm 91 – The Secret Place of the Most High – gives us that assurance:
‘I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust… Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation (dwelling place); There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear (lift) thee up in their hands, lest thou dash (strike) thy foot against a stone.’ (Ps. 91:2,9-12)
Oh friends, we cannot ask for any more assurance of our safety and closeness to Almighty God! And though we are also feeble in heart, when we place our trust in the Most High God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, there’s much help to be had. As the prophet Isaiah promised in His name: ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded (disgraced): they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.’ (Is. 41:10-11)
Oh my people, there’s no greater assurance than the faithful help of our Creator and Provider! None whatsoever! And though there’s a restless spirit within us, when we turn to Him, we find peace, the peace that’s not like what the world offers. As Jesus says: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) Yes friends the peace of Christ far surpasses any other peace we might know. It’s that ‘peace of God which passeth all understanding, and which shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:7)
And sadly with our strife-filled world, bitterness, anger, hatred and all the negative emotions are ever so prevalent, but thankfully in God, there’s patience. And did Bruh Paul ever know and experience God’s patience! Here’s what he told Timothy: ‘And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and LOVE which in in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering (patience), for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.’ (1 Tim. 1:14-16)
Yes friends, our God showed much patience with Bruh Paul while he was persecuting the early Christian church, until He was ready to reform him and turn him into the most zealous of the apostles. So there is no need to fear, for He will do the same with us, when He’s ready. And because we are only a creation of God, with only finite understanding, we cannot understand how He operates.
But if we allow Him to lead us, these words of His ought to give us peace and not worry about the way we go. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9) That explains it all, my people.
Now, let’s go home declaring (steupsss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And now it behooves us to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…in Jesus Christ…the human being finds…all they need to live a good life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all scripture is given by inspiration of God, be not dismayed, be thou strong and of a good courage, believers are catalysts for Christ, Bible, biting the bullet, blaspheme Christ's name, but of power love and a sound mind, christianity, divisions, do not fear, don't walk the walk, eternal life, even unto the end of the world, faith, fear him which can destroy both soul and body, fear not them which kill the body, fear of man, fear thou not for I am with thee, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, god, have I not commanded thee, hurry, hypocrites, I am the beloved of god, I am thy God I will strenthen thee, I am with you always, I stand at the door and knock, I will come into him, if any man hear my voice and open the door, in god's eyes, instruction in righteousness, Jesus, Jesus Christ, LOVE, petty jealousies, poor witnesses for Christ, profitable for doctrine reproof correction, salvation, share His love with my neighbour, talk a good talk, teach all nations, teaching them to observe all things, the Bible authored by the Holy Spirit, the Bible is our guidebook for earthly living, the Great Commission, the Lord thy God is with thee wherever you go, the love of a comfortable life, to live for Christ, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness, will sup with him and he with me, wisdom, worry
Revelation 3:20. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup (dine) with him, and he with me.
And then it was Tuesday! Praise the Lord for His awesome goodness and mercy in allowing us to see this brand new day! But friends, let’s remember that God didn’t allow us to see another day just for the fun of it. No! He has things in mind for us to do; purposes for us to accomplish that will raise up, that will spread His kingdom all over the face of the earth.
That was the overall purpose of the Great Commission that Jesus gave to His followers. ‘Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:19-20)
And I believe that in these modern, technological and busy times, although we have many more avenues to do our duty, we’ve sadly neglected our basic purpose on God’s earth. It’s to live the way Christ desires of us, in a manner that others will see it and want to have what we have. In other words, our basic purpose is to bring souls to Christ, or at least open the way for Him to knock on their hearts and come into them. Let’s remember these poignant words of Christ to the church at Laodicea. ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup (dine) with him, and he with me.’ (Rev. 3:20)
Oh friends, that’s what Christ is doing each and every day; knocking at the doors of human hearts, waiting for an invitation to come into the hearts of unbelievers, and we believers are expected to be the catalyst for that circumstance. By our witness and example the hearts of unbelievers ought to be softened, so that when Christ knocks on the doors of their hearts they will be readily amenable and available to let him in, so that He can offer them the great benefits of salvation and eternal life that He has to offer!
And we all know that we’ve not been doing a good job of softening the hearts of unbelievers with our witness and lifestyles, otherwise so many people would not be rooting for Satan, and living the life that he desires them to live. And why is that eh? What has made us such poor witnesses for Christ eh? Why do people choose to blaspheme His name and laugh at us, call us hypocrites eh? Because that’s the witness we show them. We talk a good talk, but unfortunately don’t walk the walk.
Look at all the division, dissensions, petty jealousies, and evil doing that’s to be found in Christ’s church…and that’s not in the church buildings, but in the members who are supposed to represent and validate the body of Christ. And, as I’ve said before, but it’s certainly worth saying again. The two main things that keep us from representing Christ in a fulsome way is firstly fear, fear of man, and secondly the overwhelming LOVE of a comfortable life.
As per fear, we seem to be scared of what the world can and will say about us; the names they will call us, or what physical harm they will do to us if we break out in full bloom and voice about being believers in Jesus Christ. But let’s not forget this warning of Jesus and take it very seriously. ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt. 10:28)
In other words my fellow believers, fear of man should not be our overwhelming concern, but rather fear of God, who can destroy both our souls and bodies in hellfire and damnation! And, furthermore, one of the most repeated commands in the Bible is: ‘Do not fear!’ And God doesn’t mean we should never feel fear, because fear is one of the emotions He’s built into us. What He wants to see, is what will we do and where we will go when the power of fear overcomes us.
And the basic answer is to turn to Him in faith and let him help us deal with our fear. As the prophet Isaiah said to the Israelites on the Lord’s behalf. ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’ (Is. 41:10) Then Bruh Paul told Timothy this scripture, which we all quote but don’t put into action, else we would not be as fearful as we are. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7)
And if you don’t believe those two scriptures, then try this one on for size. (smile) It’s the Lord talking directly to Joshua, when He made him the leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. He said to Joshua, mano a mano! ‘Have not I commanded thee? be thou strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9) It couldn’t be said in any firmer words or tone than that my brethren!
And Joshua, though most likely afraid of the vast responsibilities suddenly placed on his shoulders, took the Lord’s words to heart and went out and did the job expected of him. Likewise, we are expected to take all the encouraging and reassuring words found in the scriptures and use them in our daily lives. What’s the purpose of knowing the scriptures if we don’t put them into action? None whatsoever!
Please, let’s remember the awesome purpose of the scriptures as Bruh Paul told Timothy. ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works.’ (Tim. 3:16-17) Yes friends, the Bible is our Guidebook for Living, authored by the Holy Spirit of God. And if we want to live a good, full, interesting and eternal life, we ought to follow it much more closely than we’re currently doing. End of Sermon! (smile)
And if God decides to give us another wonderful and exhilarating day on planet Earth, then we will continue with today’s topic… the lack of good witness from believers. Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know of whom we belong to lock, stock and barrel! As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that sincere announcement, it now behooves us to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…to live for Christ means…biting the bullet whenever necessary…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Jun 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a strong will, abundance, be not dismayed, Bible, blessed are ye, christianity, conditional promises, courage, creativity, curse, discipleship, even to the end of the world, faith, fear not, fear thou not for I am with thee, for my sake, god, great is your reward in heaven, heavenly blessings, holy spirit, I am thy God, I am with you always, I have called the by name, I have redeemed thee, I will be with thee, I will strengthen thee, Jesus, Jesus Christ, like the Son of God, LOVE, meditating on the scriptures, negative outlook on life, neither shall the flame kindle thee, our response to God's promises, persecute you, rejoice and be exceeding glad, say all manner of evil against you falsely, show our mettle, stand strong in Faith, stepping up to the plate, supernatural wisdom, talent, Thank You Lord, the form of the fourth, the help of God, they shall not overflow thee, they that strive with thee shall perish, thou art mine, thou shalt not be burned, through the rivers, unconditional promises, uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness, when men shall revile you, when thou pass through the waters, when thou walkest through the fire, wisdom
Isaiah 43:1b. O Israel, Fear not; for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by name; thou art mine.
And then it was Thursday, the penultimate day of our work week, a somewhat cool and cloudy summer’s day. It’s definitely not as hot as those of the last week, and neither is the wind as strong as it’s recently been. The beleaguered trees must certainly have sent up a ‘Thank You Lord Prayer’ for this break in the cruel wind dance they’ve been forced to perform for way too long. (smile)
But you know what friends, in this crazy and cruel world, oftentimes we are also called on to perform deeds we don’t want to perform, for long periods of time, and it’s only with the help of God, through His Holy Spirit are we able to hang on until a period of rest comes. And it’s of the utmost importance for believers to note and to remember that we have the assurance of our great God that He will enable us to hang in there, though our world seems to be falling apart at our very feet.
Listen to these comforting and reassuring words of God from the Book of Isaiah, as he let’s the children of Israel, and also we believers today, know that we have been chosen by Almighty God. ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded (disgraced): they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.’ (Is. 41:10-11)
Yes my fellow believers, that’s a sure promise of our ever-faithful God for us to hold on to in these dark and very dangerous times. Now it won’t all happen automatically… No! We have to make our contribution to the situation by sincerely believing and having the faith that allows us to do what’s necessary while holding on the Lord’s promise. And those things are only attained by constantly meditating on the scriptures, putting them into action, praying and fellowshipping with other believers.
Remember, we are partners with God, and in almost every situation we have a partner’s part to play, for the Lord won’t do it all, every time. And, unfortunately, that’s why so many of us supposed believers don’t see the Lord’s hand at work in our lives; we don’t do our part, simply expecting the Lord to show up and make every thing right.
Oh, sometimes He will, but certainly not all the time, because He expects us to pull our weight. He’s given us the promises, some of which are unconditional, but many that are conditional, or depend on our coming up to scratch, stepping up to the plate. So, to avail ourselves of the Lord’s promises, it’s often necessary to show our faith, our mettle and stand up strong, do whatever it takes to make the promises come true in our lives.
Now here’s another interesting promise from the Lord through Isaiah, as He assures the children of Israel of their redemption. ‘But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not; for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon (scorch) thee.’ (Is, 43:1-2)
And my beleiving brethren, we’ve seen those promises literally come to pass, like when the Hebrew teenagers, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into the fire for not bowing down to the idol made by the Babylonian king, but they came out untouched, not even smelling of smoke. (Dan. 3) The king when looking into the furnace even said that he saw four people instead of three in there… ‘and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God (a son of the gods) (Dan. 3:25)
You see friends, Jesus Himself was in there with those faithful teenagers. And it’s the same way He’ll be with us when we suffer trials and tribulations for His sake. Remember His words from the Sermon on the Mount. ‘Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.’ (Matt. 5::11-12)
And no, it’s not always easy to put up with false accusations and unjust persecutions while doing Jesus’ work, but unfortunately it’s all part of our discipleship. And while giving us the wherewithal to handle it, He will also stand beside us during the whole time of trial. For He’s also promised: ‘and, lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b)
Yes my fellow saints, life on this earth never was easy, and never will be, until Jesus returns and sets up His kingdom, but in the meanwhile He’s assured us of His awesome help by coming to earth and dying on the cross of Calvary to pay our sin debt in full, redeeming us like promised in Isaiah. Then rising from the dead and assuring us of that same resurrection if we believe in Him, then sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in us, to lead, guide and comfort us in our times of trial, and finally to return and take us back with him, so that wherever He is, we might also be. We certainly cannot expect more from Him. No! The rest of it is up to us… providing we believe.
And God is so good to us that He’s also given us a bunch of undeserved heavenly blessings to do His earthly work. So let’s declare them so they can be activated in our lives. As one voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (yesss!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and use those blessings on behalf of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…God’s promised us a lot…but a lot depends on…our response to the promises…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
SCRIP-BITS 