The Overwhelming Importance of Keeping God’s Commandments if We desire to Live a Long and Fruitful Life!

08 Jan 2025 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 3:1.       My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:

Well friends, it’s Wednesday, the day we catch our second wind! Hope you are catching yours. And as usual, we’re a tad late on Wednesdays, because that’s when I go to my church group. But would you believe I was late this morning for that, because both the clock in my bedroom and the one in my bathroom were wrong. And there I was dilly-dallying figuring it was early, but by the time I finally got dressed and came downstairs, it was almost ten o’clock, the time for the prayer session to begin. 

Thankfully though, I don’t live too far away from the church and the Lord was definitely with me, because I went through all the traffic lights without stopping for any, where, usually, I would stop for a few, and sometimes all four of them, so I made it safely there, shortly after they began. Thanks be to God! 

So what shall we talk about today eh? Let’s see what the Good Library has to say. Soon Come. (smile) And after a few minutes of perusing the Lord’s Word, I came upon this passage from Proverbs which plainly said, speak of me today. (smile)  And seeing that I’m an obedient soul, let’s speak of these things that the Bible commands us. Most of us know them, but not enough of us actually put them into practice in our lives, otherwise so many of us would not be having anxious, trouble filled lives. And it’s all about keeping God’s commandments. 

Cousin Sol wisely advises: ‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add unto thee.’ (Prov. 3:1-2) Wow! What a basic and simple exhortation! Keep the Lord’s commandments and you shall have peace, long life and all that they bring. So why aren’t we following those simple but oh so important rules eh? Who knows? But for sure, we supposed Christians are not following God’s word as we ought to, otherwise our world would not be in such a chaotic and disastrous state! 

And what Cousin Sol writes is nothing new, for Moses told the Israelites, the young ones who would go into the Promised Land, the very same thing. Listen to him. ‘All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply (increase in number), and go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers.’ (Deut. 8:1) And we all know that the Israelites wandered the wilderness for forty years because of their disobedience and hard-heartedness, until all those who came out of Egypt died, and the young generation were then given the chance to go and claim the heritage the Lord had promised to their forefathers. 

And you can also find the same exhortations in Deut. 4:1, and 6:24. So, like us, it’s not they didn’t know God’s commands, but like us, they just never put them into action properly. Thus, they suffered many disastrous and chaotic times, just like we are currently doing. And as per long life, Cousin Sol tells us later on: ‘Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.’ (Prov. 4:10) Meanwhile Psalm 119 shines this light on the promise of peace. ‘Great peace have they which LOVE thy law: and nothing shall offend them (cause them to stumble).’ (Ps. 119:165) Likewise, the prophet Isaiah told us in no uncertain terms: ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on (sustained by) thee: because he trusteth in thee.’ (Is. 26:3) 

So you see what obeying God’s commandments can do! But that’s not the end of the story, for then Cousin Sol further exhorts us. ‘Let not mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS) and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: so shalt thou find favour and good understanding (high esteem) in the sight of God and man.’ (Prov. 3:3-4) Oh my people, how wonderful and true are those exhortations! And if we would only follow them, we would find favour, grace, good esteem and all those wonderful things with both God and man! 

Now isn’t that something to be truly desired and worked towards? Of course! But to do that, you see how closely we should have the Lord’s law about us; as a necklace or chain around our necks, something that’s always in contact with our body. And instead of writing them on tablets like the Lord did with Moses when He gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments, in this new covenant with Jesus, we’re supposed to write the commandments on our hearts, so that we always have them right there with us. 

And once again, that is all old stuff, for Moses said it to the people of Israel: ‘Hear O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.’ (Deut. 6:4-9) 

Yes friends, that’s how important the Lord’s commandments are to us. They should be spoken of continuously, both in our house and wherever we go. And let’s not forget these poignant and true words of the prophet Ezekiel on the subject. He speaks for the Lord to the stubborn, hardhearted, disobedient Israelites: ‘Then I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgements, and do them.’ (Ezek. 36:25-27) 

Yes my fellow saints, that’s what the Lord has done, given us a new heart and His Holy Spirit to indwell us, but unfortunately, He’s also given us free will to make our own choices and decisions, and it’s obvious we’re not making the right one, those based upon His Word. So, what can we expect but chaos and tough times eh? But as followers of Jesus, we’re never supposed to give up, no matter how dark and gloomy our situations and circumstances might seem, for with Jesus’ help, we can always overcome the negativity that surrounds us. And we can begin by declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world 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 very end, then it’s been promised that the future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! So let’s plan to meet a the very end nuh! Much LOVE!

…one can only walk successfully with God…if we write His word in our hearts…and contemplate on them continuously…

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 November 2014 Psalm 145:4

16 Nov 2014 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 145:4.   One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.

So my fellow believers, it’s Sunday; the Lord’s Special Day! And I do hope that you are seriously considering going to His sanctuary to fellowship, worship, praise and give sincere thanks with other believers in acknowledgement of God’s never-ending mercy, forgiveness and LOVING-kindness!

But if for some genuine reason you can’t go to the sanctuary – simple laziness doesn’t count – (smile) then let the sanctuary come to you, through worship on the radio or the television. But please, do get in some heartfelt praise and thanksgiving today, keep the Lord’s Day holy, as He desires.

And after reading the poem ‘I Praise You’ from the One Year Book of Bible Promises, I was greatly enthused, because it fit the Lord’s Sabbath perfectly. Please say it with me in a sincere and worshipful manner.

‘I praise You, my Lord! I praise You for all things: For this very moment  For future days  For the past  Often so reckless On my part So filled with Foolish Fantasies. But so gracious On your part  So LOVING  And so totally forgiving. I praise you.’

Wow Friends, what a most appropriate prayer for today…and any day!

And the biblical promise for that comes from Psalm 145, Bruh David’s exaltation –The Lord is gracious. ‘I will extol (praise) thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day I will bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable (beyond our understanding).’ (Ps.145:1-3)

And that, my people, segues very nicely into the next verse, our Bit. ‘One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.’

Oh Friends, that recounting of God’s great works and His wonderful attributes are of immense importance, totally essential in the lives of all believers and Christ’s church, for that’s the only way God will be remembered and recalled and worshipped and glorified down through the ages!

And that is one of the things Moses tried to drill into the heads of the stubborn and recalcitrant Israelites during their journey through the wilderness, en route to the Promised Land.

In reminding them of the Ten Commandments, he warns: ‘And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.’ (Deut.6:6-9)

Yes Friends, that’s how important the Word of the Lord is!

Then in Isaiah, re King Hezekiah’s sickness and healing, the king cries out to God. ‘For the grave cannot praise thee, death cannot celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth. The Lord was ready to save me: therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the Lord.’ (Is.38:18-20)

Yes my fellow believers, worshipping and serving Jehovah God is a most important matter, or rather THE most important matter in our earthly lives! And as Hezekiah reasons with the Lord, re saving him from death, it is only while God’s breath of life is flowing through our mortal bodies that we can praise Him and make known His mighty works to our offspring.

Unfortunately though, our generation has made a mess, a mockery of that commandment! We haven’t followed it as purposefully and diligently as we should have. That is why today we have a young generation that knows precious little about the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and consequently has little time or place in their lives for Him. Instead, the lustful and evil world is their oyster.

But let’s remember that while there is life, there is ALWAYS hope. So let’s try and inculcate some sense and semblance of God into our children, starting right now nuh. It’s not too late. And in any case, it behoves us to try and rectify our serious wrong; the fact that we did not teach them properly about Jehovah God.

And the wonderful thing about it all is that God, even at this late stage, will help us do it. He will direct us; give us the wherewithal, as we sincerely try to teach our children about Him. He will never discourage those who try to spread His Word. Much LOVE!

…what better day to teach our offspring about God…than on the  Sabbath…the Lord’s special day…