The Importance of living up to Life’s Challenges by placing Our Trusting Faith in Almighty God!

18 Sep 2024 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 6:33.       But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

And is it ever wonderful to be alive on another new day on God’s glorious earth; one filled with all His new mercies and compassions! Wow! You can’t ever beat that feeling friends, especially when it’s a bright and sunshiny Wednesday in the middle of the work week, where we get our second wind to keep on fighting the good fight of faith! Glory to God! 

And by the way, your Wednesday Bit will be somewhat late now, since we’ve started back having a small prayer group meeting on Wednesday mornings. It’s nothing big or spectacular, just discussing a few topics of personal interest, reading some scripture, praying for people in need of divine aid, and having communion. And, to me, sometimes you get more out of the small, personal  groups than in the large non-personal gatherings. But that’s neither here nor there, the important thing is that we gather to worship God and celebrate our faith. 

However, having said all of that, here’s an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, that many of us will find amazingly appropriate to our personal situations. It’s simply titled ‘The Challenge.’ And by the way, I don’t know if I’ve ever shared this one before, but if I have, too bad, because they all are worth sharing again and again! (smile) 

So please read with me: ‘It may be true, dear God That my husband and I had more to live on A year ago than we have today But it is equally true That we have just as much to live for. The real values of our lives remain Solid, stable, unshifting. Our financial loss has in no way Diminished the value of a single friendship. We have lost nothing of human dignity 

And we are discovering spiritual realities Full of wonder and sheer delight. Our faith in Your LOVING-kindness Adds growing serenity to our guided lives. You are making us increasingly aware That what we are is vastly more vital Than our fondest possessions. Above all, you are teaching us That a limited salary is our shining challenge To trust and exalt our limitless God.’ 

Oh my people, isn’t that the gospel truth! It certainly is! When we lose some of our purchasing power or earthly possessions, that’s the time the Lord usually steps in and tries to teach us the overwhelmingly important lesson that money and material possessions don’t dictate who we are, but instead it’s who we are in Christ Jesus that dictates our importance. And believe me, that’s a difficult lesson to learn, especially when you are short on finances, for then you are worried about how you’re going to pay the rent or the mortgage, buy food, pay the numerous bills we have in this modern society and keep your children properly dressed to go to school. 

It is indeed a challenge to handle both that and the need for God at the same time. I can tell you that from personal experience. But it’s all a matter of faith; of making up your mind to trust God come what may. And ofttimes that’s God’s challenge to us, to see if we truly believe, and for us to grow in spiritual maturity, because it’s only in adversity that we really grow. When life’s good, there’s nothing to worry about, and therefore no need to grow. But if we intend to be true believers in Christ, then we do have to grow, we just can’t stay like Bruh Paul told the Corinthians, only drinking milk, because then our faith stays small and weak. 

As he writes: ‘And I brethren, could not speak unto you as spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat (solid food): for hitherto (until now) ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions (dissensions), are ye not carnal (fleshly), and walk as men (according to man).’ (1 Cor. 3:1-3) 

And that’s exactly what’s happening to many supposed believers today; we’re not growing in our faith because we have the things of the world, the fleshly and carnal things too deeply engrained in our consciousness.  Yes friends, while on our Christian journey, like babies grow and eat solid food, we too need to reach the stage where we eat solid food, meat and spuds; get deeper into the word, understand it more fully and them live it more explicitly. 

It’s like the author of Hebrews also writes on the subject. ‘For when for the time (though by this time) ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles (sayings) of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat (solid food). For every one that useth (partakes of) milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat (solid food) belongeth to them that are of full age (mature), even those by reason of use (practice) have their senses exercised (trained) to discern both good and evil. (Heb. 5:12-14) 

That says it all my fellow believers, too many of us are still babies drinking milk, not knowing the word and living it out in practice, that’s why our world is in such an ungodly, evil and disastrous state! But to grow in spiritual awareness means taking risks, and trusting God, especially in the tough times. That’s why our Bible Promise for today’s poem are these encouraging words of faith from Jesus. 

‘Therefore take no thought (do not worry), saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:31-33) 

Now that’s the crux of the matter right there my brethren! Are we willing to trust God to deliver our needs as He promises, or are we going to continue killing ourselves to acquire the corruptible and stealable wealth of the world. It doesn’t mean not working diligently and excellently, but not letting the things of the world be our priority. As a true believer God must be our top priority, and that’s what He is usually trying to teach us when we undergo challenges. Let’s hope we learn before it’s too late. 

Now let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus! As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And, if we endure with Jesus right to the end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So, hoping to see you there, so that we can enjoy it together! Much LOVE!

…hurting people overcome tough times…when they turn to God…make Him their Number One Priority…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 February 2020 Joshua 1:8.

08 Feb 2020 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 (be constantly in) your mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for them thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
 
Welcome to a bright and sunny Saturday morning friends! It’s somewhat on the chilly side though, and the banks are full of snow. But that’s to be expected since it’s winter in the northern climes. And I guess a lot of us are sleeping in this morning after a tiring week of labour…and some of us might say not of labour but of navigating the daily traffic problems, especially with the snowfall we’ve had this past week. 

Yes, there are just too many cars on the roads especially during the morning and afternoon commutes. But you wouldn’t like to see the amount of cars that are parked in the train station lots; several thousands. When I travel on the train and see them sitting in the parking lots, I can just imagine the chaos and traffic problems we’d have if they all hit the road morning and evening too. 

Phew! But today is Saturday, we don’t have to contend with work and traffic, so instead, let’s focus on the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week nuh, as he sincerely aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And I like this first one: ‘Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.’ And is that ever so true! Possibly because of our high level of intelligence, we seem to think that unless something is complicated it’s no good. Thus we introduce stuff into stuff that’s not necessary. 

Think about all the rules and regulations we have in life…I’m sure we could do without half of them if we were only better neighbours and friends, and could be depended upon to do the right thing at least 8 out of 10 times. But because we aren’t, provision has to be made for our ‘unneighbourly’ and unfriendly attitudes. (smile) So for each rule we introduce, there must be several provisos to explain and counteract it. Steups! 

This next quote is also of mucho importance: ‘What we really are matters more than what other people think of us.’  Now that’s gospel truth! But sadly too many of us don’t understand or believe it, and thus allow what others think of us to control and ofttimes spoil our lives. We give it names like social pressure or social stigma, doing what the supposedly higher ups, or our social betters want or expect us to do. Chuh! 

Oh friends, please have faith in yourselves and your God! He made you to be who you are, in His image, with His plan for your life, not for another human’s! And the usual corollary to situations like those is that the ones who are so critical of others, are worse than those they criticize, do worse than them in the same circumstances. In other words they are just a bunch of blooming hypocrites! 

Thank the Lord I learned that at a tender age from watching people criticize my mother, then discovering they were a whole lot worse than her! Friends, please don’t live your lives because of what others say or do. The Lord has a plan for you, find out what it is, and then live accordingly. 

Then there’s this interesting quote: ‘The topic of leadership is a touchy one. A lot of leaders fail because they don’t have the bravery to touch that nerve or strike that chord. Throughout my years, I haven’t had that fear.’ Good for our friend Anselm if he’s referring to himself! (smile) But that’s basically true because leaders are the ones who take us usually where we’ve never gone before, and to do that they must have a special something, call it bravery, common sense, wisdom, a dream, a vision, or all of them. 

Now it could even include stupidity or mental incompetence, which means leading their followers astray. Think about all the sects that have populated our world because of such leaders. But what makes a leader -good or bad –  is that belief in themselves, that feeling of infallibility, which causes others to even give their lives in their service. And this next quote doesn’t only pertain to leaders but to all of us. ‘If you’re afraid to fail, then you’re probably going to fail.’ 

Yes my people, the active ingredient in our mind and spirit is the one we usually bring forth. So if fear is the dominant attitude, then most likely we will bring forth failure. That’s not to say that we won’t or can’t fail if we think success. The difference though is the amount of energy and faith we put into our projects when we think positively and of success, as compared to the negative side of failure. 

And this last quote says it all: ‘Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.’ Glory be mih people! You won’t ever be successful unless you make the necessary preparations for it! That’s because success doesn’t come without certain preparations, like thinking positively about it and putting in the necessary hard work it calls for. And I guess the best advice I can give on the subject is found in the words of the Lord God Himself to his servant Joshua when He appointed him leader of the Israelites. 

‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (be constantly in) your mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for them thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ 

Oh my fellow believers it couldn’t get any more straightforward and plain than that! Meditating on the Lord’s Word and following it, is what brings true, real and lasting success. Supposed success gained by any other method is ephemeral and not lasting. And our God is such a wonderful Leader and encourager, I just LOVE His next words to Joshua. ‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.’ (Josh.1:9) 

Yes friends, those same words of the Lord echo down to us today as we face the difficulties and calamities of this troubled world. That was the third time in four verses that He was reminding Joshua to be strong and courageous because his omnipotent, merciful, LOVING and gracious God would go with him wherever he went. Let’s accept that most encouraging and reassuring message to day like Joshua did back then nuh my brethren, and go out and do the work the Lord’s prescribed for us, the same way Joshua went forward with bravery and courage and did his duty. Much LOVE!

…the Word of the Lord…it’s the guidebook to….successful earthly living…