30 Oct 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abominable transgressions, alive and kicking, all the gods of the nations are idols, and on my worst, as far as the east is from the west, as the heaven is high above the earth, believers also need to wake up and smell the coffee, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, divine aid, every hour you watch over me, eyes have they but they see not, faith, Father You see me on my best days, Friday chant, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship rest and relaxation, give our leaders wise guidance, God commendeth his love toward us, God demonstrated his LOVE for us.', God gives us new grace and mercy every morning, God is LOVE, God so loved the world, God's generous help, God's heartfelt love and compassion for humanity, great is thy faithfulness, have ears but hear not, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, he hath not dealt with us after our sins, he the loveth not knoweth not God, help us to be responsible, his compassions fail not, holy spirit, human flaw, I want my life to show others the great love you shown me, in Jesus' name, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, neither is there any breath in their mouths, our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffe, plenteous in mercy, real love and compassion, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, rewarded us according to our iniquities, salvation, scriptures that proclaim God's undying love for man, serious problems are escalating, slow to anger, smell it sweet and strong, so far hath he removed our transgressions, so great is his mercy to them that fear him, stand strong and steadfast, take time from our busy schedules to communicate with God, teach me to reflect your faithfulness, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the beginning of the weekend, the breath of life only comes from God, the gifts of salvation and eternal life, the gospel truth, the idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the joyful shout, the judgemental hand of God, the Lord is merciful and gracious, the Lord made the heavens, the prayer from the October In Touch Devotional, the supreme sacrifice of both Father and Son, the throne of grace, the weekend is here at last, the work of men's hands, therefore have I hope, they are new every morning, they have mouths but speak not, this I recall to mind, to handle these unexpected storms properly, trusting faith, truth, two dyas to do what we want, unconditional LOVE, went up to heaven, what a wonderful God we serve, when I stumble you don't condemn me, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, whosoever believeth in him should not perish, wisdom, with your omnipotent help, worthwhile ambassadors for Christ, you love me the same through it all, you reach out your hand and lift me up, you see my victories and my failures
Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 October 2026 John 3:16.
John 3:16. ‘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.’
‘It’s Friday, it’s Friday! TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at last!’ Yes mih bredrin, that was the joyful shout that went up to heaven from numerous workers this last Friday morning in October 2026. And why not eh? We’re alive and kicking, it’s a warm, sunshiny, autumn day, and much to our surprise, the cold weather has not seriously weighed in on us as yet. And above all, it’s the beginning of the weekend, when we get two whole days to do whatever we want to do, not what some fuddy-duddy old boss tells us to do! No wonder we’re so excited that it’s Friday! (smile)
Anyhow, despite all the happiness we’re currently experiencing, we still need to take some time from our busy schedules to communicate with Almighty God, our Creator and Controller. And today we’ll do that through the prayer from the October In Touch Devotional. So please pray with me: ‘Father, You see me on my best days – and on my worst. And You LOVE me the same through it all. Every hour You watch over me. You see my victories and my failures. When I stumble, You don’t condemn me. You reach out Your hand and lift me up. Teach me to reflect Your faithfulness. I want my life to show others the great LOVE You’ve shown me. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
What a wonderful God we serve my fellow believers! He’s constantly watching over us, so He knows all about us; both the good and the bad, but yet He still LOVES us with a fiery, undeniable, unalterable LOVE! And there are so many scriptures that proclaim God’s undying LOVE for us, that we can spend the whole day looking at them, and still not cover them all. (smile) But let’s cover a few of the more well known ones, to stir up our own LOVE. And I have to put my favourite here first, as stated in the words of Bruh Paul. ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Now if that doesn’t show real LOVE and compassion, I don’t know what does. As one overviews explains: ‘It highlights unconditional LOVE given even before human flaw was removed.’ And that’s the gospel truth, because the Lord didn’t wait for us to become as sin free as possible under our own strength, He went right ahead and gave us the opportunity to do so through His awesome LOVE and power. That brings us to this next awesome scripture that emphasizes God’s great LOVE for His human creation.
Words from the mouth of Jesus Himself, the one who put the Father’s amazing LOVE into action. He said to Nicodemus the Jewish leader who came to him by night seeking answers. ‘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) Ah friends, that shows the supreme sacrifice of both the Father and the Son, who were willing to forego their own pleasure to enable us to have the gifts of salvation and eternal life.
Now it could be nothing else but LOVE that caused them to make such an amazing, very much needed sacrifice. For as John says in his first epistle: ‘He that LOVETH not knoweth not God; for God is LOVE.’ (1 John 4:8) And that’s the glorious truth! If you don’t know LOVE, you cannot know God, because that’s His major attribute! Now listen to these verses which show that although we are not perfect and make mistakes, ofttimes too many unnecessary ones, the Lord doesn’t denigrate or belittle us for them, but instead helps us to get up and do better the next time around.
The prophet Jeremiah, remembering the tough times he faced under the judgemental hand of God, (Jer. 3:1-20) solemnly declares in his Lamentations. ‘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) Yes friends, if the Lord so desired, He could wipe us out every day for our abominable transgressions, but because of His compassion and overwhelming faithfulness, we’re still around. Instead, He gives us new grace, and mercy ever morning that we are alive.
As Bruh David says in Psalm 103: ‘The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous (abounding) in mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS)… He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy (LOVING-KIDNESS) toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.’ (Ps. 103:8, 10-12) Wow! What other God have you ever heard about that’s so generous to his subjects like ours eh?
There’s none! For as the psalmist says in Psalm 96 – God’s Greatness: ‘For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens.’ (Ps. 96:5) That’s for sure! And as it so rightly says in Psalm 135 -Praise the Lord. ‘The idols (gods) of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not; They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths.’ (Ps. 135: 15-17) And how could they ever have breath eh, when they are made by human hands, and the breath of life ONLY comes from Jehovah God?
And although many of us desire to show or reflect that amazing faithfulness of God in our lives, it’s not an easy task, but we can certainly do better than we’re currently doing, by going to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, for divine aid to do it. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. 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.
So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good 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, please note that it’s not only the heathen, but also we believers, who need to wake up and smell the coffee, if we want to be worthwhile witnesses and ambassadors for Christ! Much LOVE!
…there is nothing greater in this world…than God’s heartfelt LOVE and compassion for humanity…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Oct 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a future and a hope, a man lay down his life for his friends, a mere mortal, against that day, am persuaded that he is able, are freely - inseparably mine, be not faithless but believing, behold who hath created these things, bringeth out their host by number, But God commendeth his love toward us, by the greatness of his might, calleth them all by names, catch our second wind, created by our majestic God, didn't want be on another late bus, divine Love, endure to the end with Christ, expanse of heaven, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, flithily clothed with sin, forever linked to divine destiny, God demonstrated his LOVE for us.', God has chosen me, God has inscribed me in the palms of His hands, God's deep and abiding love, God's thoughts toward me are of kindness and mercy, greater love hath no man than this, halfway home, hands on the plough, he is strong in power, holy spirit, I am not ashamed, I belong to the God of the universe, I do know, I know the thoughts I think toward you, I know whom I have believed, I want to sing and shout, if ye do whatsoever I command you, inscribed in the palms of his hands, insignificant beings, it touched my soul, Jesus Christ, Jesus was willing to sacrifice His sinless life, know with confident certainty, lift up your eyes on high, LOVE, mercy, mere mortals, much I cannot begin to fathom, much I will never comprehend, my life has purpose and dignity, not looking back, not one is missing, not thoughts of calamity, now and throughout all eternity, on an early bus, our minds are too small to comprehend the vastness of the universe, overjoyed to share it, puts our knowledge of God in a different perspective, reach hither thy finger and behold my hnads, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, share the love of the Holy Trinity, so glad to be alive, so utterly overwhelmed I am with the magnitude of God, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the constant certainty, the Creator of all that exists, the firmament sheweth his handiwork, the heavens declare the glory of god, the life of the Son, the love of the Father, the object of His lavish love, the One Year Book of Bible Promises, the power of the Holy spirit, the vast indescribable universe, the work of his hands, this I do know, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to a glorious future with Jesus, to give you an expected end, to keep that which I have committed to him, truth, until that day, waiting for words of wisdom, we belong to the God of the universe, we're not insignificant to God, Wednesday Wail, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, wisdom, ye are my friends
Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 October 2026 2 Timothy 1:12b.
2 Timothy 1:12b. for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until) that day.
Oh my people, please don’t get anxious or traumatized because I’m here with you so early on this cloudy, catch our second wind Wednesday morning! There’s a simple reason for this early bus. (smile) I have to take the duchess to a medical appointment in the early afternoon hours, that means I don’t know when I’ll be back here, and I didn’t want that interruption to cause us to be on another late bus, to have you waiting for the words of wisdom that come from my puny mind with God’s help. (smile)
And today we’ll look at the wonderful poem for October 28, from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s simply titled ‘I Do Know!’ Now, I don’t know whether I’ve ever shared it before, and when I read it just now it didn’t seem familiar, but it certainly touched my soul and I’m overjoyed to share it, and once you read it, you’ll see why. So please pray with me. ‘There is much I cannot begin to fathom concerning the vast, indescribable universe created by our majestic God. There is much I will never comprehend. I want to sing and shout, so utterly overwhelmed I am with the magnitude of God.
But I do know with confident certainty that I belong to the God of the universe – the Creator of all that exists. I know that I, a mere mortal, am forever linked to divine destiny. I know that my life has purpose and dignity. I know that God has chosen me as the object of His lavish LOVE; that His thoughts toward me are thoughts of kindness and mercy; that He has inscribed me in the palms of his hands. I know that all the LOVE of the Father, and the life of the Son, and the power of the Holy Spirit are freely, inseparably mine – now and throughout all eternity. This I do know!’
And now you understand why it touched me. It just puts what we know in a somewhat different perspective. And by the way, it wasn’t written in poem form, but in ordinary prose with proper paragraph indentations. (smile) And that might be one of the reasons it’s so effective, because it just flows freely on. And are the sentiments ever so wonderful, beginning with the idea that our minds are too small to comprehend the vastness of the ‘indescribable universe created by our majestic God.’
Now we all know that to be true, as stated in so many scriptures like: ‘The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament (expanse of heaven) sheweth his handywork (the work of his hands).’ (Ps.19:1) Then Isiah declares: ‘Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth (is missing).’ (Is. 40:26) Yes friends, the universe is all God’s creation!
And what about that ‘constant certainty’ that we belong to the God of the universe – the Creator of all that exists? Unfortunately, that’s something a lot of us believers still don’t understand or can’t even imagine, how this great God, Creator of the universe can acknowledge mere mortals like us seemingly insignificant beings. But we’re not insignificant. Certainly not to the God who created us. And because He created us from a deep and abiding LOVE, we are ‘forever linked to divine destiny.’
Wow! And because of that our lives have purpose and dignity, and He has chosen us as objects of His lavish LOVE. What could be more important that that eh? And it’s borne out by one of my favourite scriptures, that from Romans 5:8, where Bruh Paul confidently declares: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrates) his LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ What a wonderful God! He didn’t wait for us to clean up ourselves to show His awesome LOVE for us. No! He did it while we were yet filthily clothed with sin!
No wonder ‘His thoughts toward me are of kindness and mercy,’ as He says in His Word. ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity) to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11) That clearly shows God’s heart for us. But my fellow believers, what can show greater LOVE than ‘inscribing us in the palms of His hands?’ Nothing really! As Jesus says in the gospel of John: ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.’ (John 15:13-4)
Yes, Jesus was so into us, that He was willing to sacrifice His sinless life for those who believe in and willingly follow Him. As He said to Thomas when he doubted. ‘Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless (unbelieving), but believing.’ (John 20:27) And the scripture verse on which the poem was based is a most reassuring one from Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until) that day.’ (2 Tim. 1:12)
So should we also be trusting of Christ for the assurance of salvation on that day when we stand before Him at the judgement seat. And all of the above can only draw us to one conclusion: ‘that all the LOVE of the Father, and the life of the Son, and the power of the Holy Spirit are freely, inseparably mine – now and throughout all eternity.’ Now there could be no better feeling, nothing more uplifting and reassuring than knowing that we belong to the Creator of the universe and will share the wonderful LOVE of the Holy Trinity, now and forever!
So with that wonderful feeling of divine LOVE and assurance flowing through our souls, spirts and bodies, let’s go home declaring 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 please remember that to all who endure with Jesus to the very end, an even more glorious future than we can ask or imagine has been promised. So let’s be wise and endure right to the end with our wonderful Lord and Saviour, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…God’s amazing LOVE for mankind…has been shown both in His Word and His actions toward us…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a desire to know God better, a groundbreaking action, a mirculous situation, a more intimate relationship with God, accept Christ as Lord and Saviour, Adam and Eve, all we have to do is believe in Jesus, be able to separate us from the love of God, children of God, christianity, come to earth to suffer on our behalf, compassion, consider how good we have it, deepen my breath, disobedience of our forefathers, doing good to followers despite their disobedience, don't expect to suffer any hardship, entitled children, eternally sealed by the Holy Spirit, faith, gave his only begotten Son, glorify the Father through Jesus, God commendeth his own love toward us, God never stopped loving us despite our disobedience, God sent Jesus to die on the cross, God sent not his son into thte world to condemn the world, God so loved the world, God's initial goal for creating man, God's nature is one of love, grace, hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God, have everlasting life, he that believeth not is condemned already, he that believeth on him is not condemned, hell bound, holy spirit, I am persuaded, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, in all sincerity and truth, in Christ Jesus our Lord, increase my awareness of you today, instead of complaining, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus endured without batting an eyelash, King of Kings, know you all the more, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, leave the glory of heaven, looking forward to our glorious future with Jesus, LOVE, marvel to think, mercy, moaning and groaning, moaning and groaning about god doesn't love us, neither death nor life, nor any other creature, nor things present nor things to come, nothing whatsoever can separate us from god's love, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, salvation, sealed until the day of redemption, seeking greater intimacy with God, slow my thoughts, stand a few hard times for Jesus, suffer a little here on earth for Jesus, sufferation, thank you for this tenderness, that neither death nor life nor angels, the annals of history, the BIBLE, the bondage of Satan, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the One True God, the relationship soured, the rough times, the whining of spoiled children, the world through him might be saved, to give us a better option for life, to pay our sin debt in full, truth, we see the glory of heaven, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, whosoever believeth in him should not perish, wisdom, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 August 2026 Romans 5:8.
Romans 5:8. ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’
And then it was our lazy-day Saturday, where some of us have the option and/or opportunity to laze around and do nothing much, or nothing at all! And that’s always nice, especially after a hard week’s work, fighting through the traffic and all the other stuff that comes with a job; a lot of it unpleasant and negative. But thankfully we’re children of God; followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, the great Lord of Lords and King of Kings, who has most generously imbued us with His Holy Spirit that leads and guides us through all the rough times of this earthly life…that is if we listen to His guidance. (smile)
Now, before we get too far into that lazy-day Saturday mode, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer in all sincerity and truth. As one strong 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!’
And what does that prayer mean? Basically that we’re seeking greater intimacy with our heavenly Father. We desire to get closer to Him, to know Him better, and thus arrive at a more intimate relationship than we currently have. And believe me, that’s also the Lord’s greatest desire. Yes, having a close, intimate relationship with us was His initial goal for creating human beings. However, through the disobedience of our forefathers, Adam and Eve, the relationship soured and we were set adrift on our own. And we all know the great mess we’ve made of our lives without the proper guidance and direction of our Creator.
But although He allowed us to do our own thing, doesn’t mean that He forgot about us, or stopped LOVING us, No way! His LOVE continued as strong as ever, and it hurt His heart to see the awful problems we were facing on our own and the bondage that Satan had us tied up in. Thus, when the time was right, when He could not take the ‘sufferation’ we were experiencing through the guidance of Satan, making us automatically hell bound, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross of Calvary to pay for our sins, thereby giving us another and better option for life, both this one and the next.
And if you don’t believe that it was indeed God’s great LOVE for mankind that fuelled His actions, then please listen to this seminal, highly influential verse of scripture, as penned by Bruh Paul in his letter to the church at Rome. ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) Now, has any other supposed god throughout the annals of history ever down such a groundbreaking action; doing good for their followers, while they were still intent on being disobedient ?
Absolutely not! That’s because the other supposed gods have no real LOVE for those who worship them; they’re just greedy and selfish and want more than they ever deign to offer. But the Creator of the universe; the One True God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has an entirely different perspective on the subject; that’s because His very nature is one of LOVE, compassion, mercy and grace, and not one of greed and hate, bondage and cruelty like the other supposed gods that have filled history.
And if you don’t believe Bruh Paul, then listen to Jesus as He explains the situation to the Jewish Leader Nicodemus. ‘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. For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.’ (John 3:16-18)
Look at that miraculous situation nuh mih bredrin! Jesus came to save the world, and all we have to do is believe in Him! What could be simpler than that eh? Believe and you’re saved! That’s why it’s ever so wise to turn to Christ and accept Him as Lord and Saviour! And once you do that, according to Bruh Paul, you become sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption. (Eph. 4:30b) Meaning that when you believe in Jesus, you are sealed as His forever by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Consequently, Bruh Paul could further write to the church at Rome: ‘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. 8:38-39)
Wow! What an awesome statement! Nothing in this world can separate us from God’s LOVE! What could be more important than that eh? Nothing! Once we pledge our allegiance to Christ nothing can ever separate us from the LOVE of the Father! Now that should make some of us sit up and take notice, and stop complaining about all the stuff we have to go through in this sinful world, moaning and groaning about God doesn’t LOVE us, otherwise He wouldn’t allow us to go through them! That’s just the whining of spoiled and entitled children, who don’t expect to suffer any hardship at all.
And if Jesus endured the ‘sufferation’ He did for us, without batting an eyelash, the least we can do is stand a few hard times, while looking forward to the glorious future we will eventually have with Him, when He comes into His glory. And I believe this glorious, summer, lazy-day Saturday is the right time to consider how good we have it, and instead of complaining, glorify the Father through Jesus Christ! Much LOVE!
…if Jesus could leave the glory of heaven and come to earth to suffer on our behalf…why can’t we suffer a little here on earth for Him…until we see the glory of heaven…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
04 Jul 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a feeling of care and compassion, a personal relationship with Almighty God, acknowledging our desire for greater intimacy with God, an intimate relationship with Christ, be convinced once and for all, But God commendeth his love toward us, but have everlasting life, by grace ye have been saved through faith, Christ the faithful witness, Christians, climate change, deepen my breath, even when we were dead in sins, extreme heat conditions, faith, for God so loved the world, God demonstrates His love for us, God engineered the process because He loved us, God got the ball rolling, God has done all he can to prove his love, God is LOVE, God sent His only begotten Son, God sent his only begotten Son into the world, God sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins, God truly loves and cares for us, God who is rich in mercy, Happy 4th of July, he gave his only begotten son, he that loveth not knoweth not God, heartfelt prayer, heat warning, herein is love, his great love wherewith He loved us, holy spirit, I marvel to think, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, if God so loved us, if you do this I'll do that, in all sincerity and truth, in his kindness towards us through Christ, in the ages to come, in this was manifested the love of God, increase my awareness of you today, it breaks God's heart when we refuse him, it is a gift of God, Jesus always knows what's best for us, Jesus Christ, keep on believing in Jesus, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let them sink deep into our hearts, lose anyone to eternal death, LOVE, made us alive with Christ, made us kings and priests unto God and the Father, man now needs to believe it, may know you all the more, mercy, morally dead in our sins, not of yourselves, not that we loved God but that he loved us, quickened us together with Christ, quiet my soul, raised us up together, relax my muscles, renews his faith, salvation, show the exceeding riches of his grace, sit in heavenly places, slow my thoughts, thank you for this tenderness, that we might live through Jesus, the best foundation, the BIBLE, the calming peace and love of God, the first begotten of the dead, the Lord gave us spiritual life, the prince of the kings of the earth, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, truth, turned us away from the old life to the new one, unto him that loved us, USA's 250 year of Independence, warms the cockles of God's heart, washed us from our sins in his own blood, we ought also to love one another, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, whosoever believeth in him should not perish, wisdom, wise to review the scriptures we talked about, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 July 2026 1 John 4:10.
1 John 4:10. Herein is LOVE, not that we LOVED God, but that he LOVED us, and sent his son to be the propitiation (atonement) for our sins.
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY U.S.A
And on this first lazy-day Saturday in July, where after some rain in the early morning hours, it’s cloudy and muggy, we want to wish a Happy 4th of July to all those south of the border. It’s the U.S.A’s 250 celebration of their Independence. Sadly though, it appears that the big parade held annually in the Washington DC. area has been cancelled because of extreme heat concerns.
Ah Lord eh, like the whole world is in a heat cocoon right now, with temperatures soaring to unknown heights in some places. And we won’t get into the why’s and wherefores of that unfortunate situation so affectionally termed climate change, (smile) but just remember to keep on believing in Jesus and do what He calls us to do, for He is our inestimable, priceless Lord, Saviour and Leader, who knows what is always best for us.
And before we truly get into lazy-day Saturday mode, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer in all sincerity and truth. As one 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!’
And as always, if our prayer was sincere and heartfelt, then we’ll soon have the best foundation for a true lazy-day Saturday; that’s a renewal or rekindling of the calming peace and LOVE of our wonderful God, acknowledging our desire for greater intimacy with Him. Something that just warms the cockles of His heart and renews His faith in His decision to create man. Yes friends, that’s what a desire to have increased intimacy with Almighty God does for Him, because it’s one of the very reasons He created us in the first place; to have a close and personal relationship with His most important creation.
Likewise, when we refuse to have a close relationship with Him, it breaks His heart, He feels rejected by the very ones He LOVES the most. It’s like Jesus said to Nicodemus, the Jewish Leader who came to Him under cover of night for answers. ‘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)
Oh my fellow believers, that’s how much God LOVED and still LOVES His human creation! You must have a great feeling of care and compassion for someone or something to give up such a precious thing as your only Son’s life for it. And there are so many scriptures in the Bible that tell it, so I don’t understand why we have so much trouble acknowledging God’s great LOVE for us. So let’s look at a few scriptures that expound on that subject.
And the first, one of my favourite scriptures, tells it thus: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrates) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) Oh friends, why can’t we understand the importance of that scripture and see the amazing LOVE of God it shows?
Most other gods would have expected us to turn to them before doing anything worthwhile for us. And it’s like we do all the time; tell someone if you do this, then I’ll do that. But the wonderful news is that Jehovah God did not wait for us to turn back to Him. No! He went ahead and set the process rolling because He LOVED us so much He didn’t want to lose anyone to eternal death.
And this is how Bruh Paul puts it to the Ephesians: ‘But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great LOVE wherewith he LOVED us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us (made us alive) together with Christ, (by grace ye are (have been) saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through (in) Christ Jesus.’ (Eph. 2:4-7)
Yes friends, when we were morally dead in our sins, the Lord gave us spiritual life, turned us away from our old life to the new one and demonstrated it by having us sit in heavenly places, or as the scholars say: ‘brought us into His presence and into an intimate relationship with Himself.’ Now why would He do something like that if He didn’t care for us a whole lot eh?
And it’s all done through God’s goodness, through His grace, or His unmerited divine favour. As Bruh Paul continues: ‘For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.’ (Eph. 2:8-9) That says it in a nutshell my people; forgiveness of sins and eternal life is a gift of God. We can never earn it through our own efforts. There again it shows how much God truly cares for us.
Then John breaks it down in his first epistle: ‘He that LOVETH not knoweth not God; for God is LOVE. In this was manifested the LOVE of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him. Herein is LOVE, not that we LOVED God, but that he LOVED us, and sent his son to be the propitiation (atonement) for our sins. Beloved, if God so LOVED us, we ought also to LOVE one another.’ (1 John 4:8-11)
Oh mih bredrin, what more do we have to say to make you believe that God truly LOVES us eh? But hopefully what John says in Revelation will help to convince you. ‘And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten (first born) of the dead, and the prince (ruler) of the kings of the earth. Unto him that LOVED us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (Rev. 1:5-6)
Ah mih people, there’s no more to say. But on this first lazy-day Saturday in July, it would be wise to review those scriptures we talked about and let them sink deep into our hearts, so that we can be convinced, once and for all,that God truly LOVES and cares for us! Much LOVE!
…God has done all He can to prove His LOVE for mankind…we now need to believe it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
18 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all God asks of us is obedience, all should come to repentance, beelivers must now do their part, birds singing, buds on the trees, carry them in his bosom, Christ has already done his part, christianity, Christians, climate change, deepen my breath, do the work we pledged to do for Christ, Easter celebration, eternal life, eternal separation from God, faith, feed his flock like a shepherd, gather the lambs with his arm, gently lead those that are with young, get up off our fat and lazy fannies, God commendeth his own love toward us, God is longsuffering towards us, God is not willing that any should perish, God reconciled us back to Himself, God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, God so loved the world, God will bring us closer to His heart, God will come in strength, God's great love for mankind, have everlasting life, have greater intimacy with mankind, he gave his only begotten son, his arm shall rule for him, his reward is with him, his work before him, holy spirit, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, keeping Christ's victory alive, keeping God first place in our lives, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, like a shepherd treats his sheep, LOVE, majesty of this time, mercy, motivated by love, number one priority, our sins could be paid for, our turn to reciprocate God's love, prayer and supplication, proclaiming victory over sin and death, promises of spring, quiet my soul, rebirth of nature, relax my muscles, rose from the grave on the third day, salvation, sending Jesus to die on the cross, sinking into the mire of evil and ungodliness, slow my thoughts, souls lost forever, spend eternity in God's presence, spring has sprung, thank you for this tenderness, thanskgiving rises to the heavens, the BIBLE, the blazing new colour, the first blossoms of spring, the Lord God will come with strong hand, the world through him might be saved, treat us in a loving manner, truth, warmer days, we all have room for improvement, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, whosoever believeth in him should not perish, wisdom, with all sincerity and truth, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Romans 5:8. ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’
Oh friends, it’s our lazy-day Saturday, and I’ve seen the first blossoms, the first true blooming of the marvellous season of spring! Yes, in the beautiful yellow flowers of a tree in my backyard! And please don’t ask me what kind of tree it is, because I don’t have a clue. (smile) But after all the promises of spring that’s been recently taunting us; with buds on the trees, birds singing and the days getting warmer, we can now definitely say that spring’s been sprung! Yes my fellow believers, that marvelous and miraculous rebirth of nature is truly on it’s way after a somewhat tough winter.
And truthfully, the winter was not as tough as some we use to have before climate change disrupted everything, and made us soft, after experiencing a period of easy winters. But that’s all behind us now, for spring is here and thanksgiving rises to the heavens for all the blazing new colour and majesty of this time. And in honour of all that, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, with all sincerity and truth!
As one 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!’
Yes mih bredrin, if our prayer was sincere, then we know that the wonderful God we serve will soon bring us closer to His heart, and bestow His wonderful peace and calm in our spirits, because His Number One priority is to have greater intimacy with His most wonderful creation, mankind! And He’s shown that in so many ways, in so many promises that if we don’t know and understand that by now, we’ll never do so.
Listen to this promise from the prophet Isaiah: ‘Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand (in strength), and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work (wage) before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is. 40:10-11)
Now why would God make such a promise if He didn’t desire to be in close intimacy with His creation eh? His desire is to treat us in a LOVING manner like a shepherd treats his sheep. And what can be more convincing of the Lord’s great LOVE for us than His sending His son Jesus to earth to die on the cross of calvary so that our sins could be paid for, then raising Him up from the grave on the third day, at Easter, which we’re still celebrating, so that we can have the wonderful options of salvation and eternal life? That’s reconciling us back to Himself; bringing us back to his fold, and causing us to spend eternity in His awesome presence.
Yes friends, all of that was motivated by that one majestic word: LOVE! And I can’t help quoting one of my favourite scripture verses here. (smile) This one from Bruh Paul’s letter to the church at Rome, where he exposes the true and wonderful heart of God to us, when he writes: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) Why would He do such a thing unless His LOVE and compassion were overwhelming for us eh?
Because, as Peter says, He ‘is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but all should come to repentance.’ (2 Pet. 3:9b) Of course, the Lord doesn’t want to lose any of His magnificent creation to hellfire and damnation. Just like we don’t want to lose any of our children or descendants to it. And we do that because we have much LOVE and compassion for them, and don’t want their souls to be lost forever in eternal separation from their Creator.
And Jesus Himself explained it better than anyone else, when He said to Nicodemus, the Jewish leader who secretly came to Him under cover of night seeking answers. ‘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. For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world though him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17)
There again we see it my people, it’s all about God’s great LOVE for mankind. And you can’t have real and true LOVE unless you have a fair amount of intimacy. That’s why it’s ever so important for us to get close to our heavenly Father so that we can experience all the LOVE and compassion He has for us. He has already played and shown His hand by sending Jesus to die for us, it’s now our turn to reciprocate that LOVE by keeping Him first place in our lives and sincerely living this earthly life the way He desires. That’s all He asks of us; obedience to Him and His Word!
And though that’s sometimes difficult to do in this ungodly world with Satan and all his evil cronies on our case, the Lord has already given us all we need to fight the good fight: His Word with His many promises, the Holy Spirit that indwells us to lead, guide and comfort us, and easy access to Him though prayer and supplication. What else do we need eh? Nothing, but to get up off our fat and lazy fannies and do the work we’ve pledged to do for Christ!
And this lazy-day Saturday in the spring of 2026, is as good a day as any for us to truly contemplate how we’re living for Christ, and how we can and need to improve it, for we all have room for improvement. And my fellow believers, we all also know that our world desperately needs to see plenty improvement right now, if we’re to prevent it from further sinking into the mire of evil and ungodliness that it’s currently doing! Much LOVE!
…Christ has already done His part…proclaiming victory over sin and death…now we must do our part…keeping His victory alive…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a big Glory Hallelujah, a more than glorious future, Always there, be diligent and efficient for Jesus, be like a well-watered garden, be your best, blessed is the man maketh the Lord his trust, bring us to our knees, casting all your care upon him, catch our second wind, challenging changes, christianity, despite our innate strength, distressful and hurting times, do your best, don't know what to do, don't know which way to turn, down to nothing, Dr. Charles Stanley, dry places, endure to the end, established my goings, established my steps, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, feel totally impoverished, from the depths of despair, get ourselves together for Jesus, god, God commendeth his own love toward us, God's timing is perfect, halfway home, hands on the plough, he brought me up also out of an horrible pit, he cares for you, he hath put a new song in my mouth, he heard my cry, he inclined unto me, he may exalt you in due time, holy spirit, humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, humility, I call your name, I reach the bottom of the abyss, I waited patiently for the lord, I want to vanish into nowhere, it is there exactly there, Jesus Christ, like a spring of water whose waters fail not, loneliness, look your best, LOVE, make fat thy bones, many are feeling lost and lonely, many shall see it and fear, mercy, my own helplessness, never run from God, not looking back at the past, not turning back, obedience, of all self-sufficency, One Year Book of Bible promises, our second wind day, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, out of the miry clay, perilous and hazardous times, Praise for God's Deliverance, praise unto our God, present circumstances looking dire and hopeless, respecteth not the proud, Ruth Harms Calkin, s promised to work everything out for our good, salvation, satisfy thy soul in drought, set my feet upon a rock, shall trust in the Lord, sincerity, sinking deep into a miry pit, so glad to be alive, so often Lord, strengthen your frame, such as turn aside to lies, sun-scorched lands, taste the dre, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the gospel truth, the joyful Easter celebrations, the Lord shall guide thee continually, the succour that God alone can provide, the true healing and loving that only come from Him, the ups and downs of life, the vicissitudes of life, time to cry out to God for help, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, turn immediately to God, ungodly and ungrateful sinners, wallowing in the mires of despair, Wednesday Wail, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, wisdom, worthlessness, you are always there for me, you come to my immediate rescue
Psalm 40:2. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings (steps).
So we’ve come to Wednesday, our second wind day. But we shouldn’t need to catch any second wind, for most of us have only worked one day so far this week. What we might need to catch our second wind from is the joyful Easter celebrations that are still weighing us down. We’d be lucky if we can get any serious work done this week.
But we need to get ourselves together for Jesus’ sake, for although celebrating His Easter resurrection is a big deal and a must, we also need to abide by His wishes that we give the best of ourselves to our work, doing so with diligence and efficiency, behaving as though we were working directly for Him. As Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) liked to say: ‘Always look your best, do your best and be your best.’ And that is exactly what our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ expects from His followers.
Now today, we’re going to check out an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin simply titled ‘Always There,’ and I’m sure it will strike a note in many of our hearts because it’s so appropriate in these distressful and hurting times. And as always, I don’t know if I’ve shared it before, but it’s certainly worthwhile sharing again. (smile)
So please read with me: ‘So often, Lord I reach to the bottom of the abyss. So often I taste the dregs Of my own helplessness. Yet it is there, exactly there That You come to my immediate rescue. When I feel totally impoverished Of all self-sufficiency When I want to vanish into nowhere From the depths of despair I call Your name And You are always there for me!’
And that calls for a big ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ my people, because that is the gospel truth! Whenever we are down to nothing, wallowing in the mires of despair, loneliness and worthlessness, that is the time to desperately cry out to God for help, for the succour that He alone can provide, for the true healing and LOVING that only come from Him!
And I know that in these perilous and very hazardous times a lot of us are feeling like we’re lost, lonely and don’t know which way to turn. However, the best advice you can ever get in such a situation is to turn immediately to the God of Abraham, Isacc and Jacob for He cares very much for you. As Peter so wisely puts it in his second epistle: ‘Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (2 Pet. 5:6-7)
And He certainly does, else why would He send his only begotten Son to earth to die for you eh? Simply because He cares a whole lot for His finest creation. As Bruh Paul says in one of my favourite scripture verses: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) Now, if that isn’t showing amazing and abundant LOVE for a bunch of ungodly and ungrateful sinners, then I don’t know what is!
That’s why we never have to run from God. We might not like everything He does or desires of us, but we know in the long run He’s promised to work everything out for our good, (Rom. 8:28) and we definitely know that He is a God who keeps all of His promises, never reneges on any of them. And yes, the ravages and vicissitudes of life, those unpredictable, often uncontrollable, and frequently challenging changes, the ups and downs that we all experience at some time or other, tend to bring us to our knees, despite our innate strength.
And that’s exactly when we need to turn to Almighty God, to cry out for His help, and yuh better believe that His timing will be perfect; He will lift you up out of the mire and bring you to safety. It’s like Bruh David says in Psalm 40 – Praise for God’s Deliverance. ‘I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings (steps). And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.’ (Ps. 40:1-3)
Oh my people, that’s exactly what the Lord will do for those of us who feel lost and sinking deep into a pit of miry clay. But the most important part is that we have to call out to Him, call out to Him in all sincerity and truth for His help! And when you do that, have no fear, He will be there to help you. It’s like the Bible Promise for our poem today from the prophet Isaiah says: ‘And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought (dry places, sun scorched lands), and make fat thy bones (strengthen your frame): and thou shalt be like a well-watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not (never fail).’ (Is. 58:11)
Oh my fellow believers, that’s a promise our God will always keep if we come to Him in humility, sincerity and obedience. And Bruh David said that in spades in Psalm 40. ‘Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.’ (Ps, 40:4) So, on this Easter Wednesday, please, let’s make up our minds to seek God sincerely, especially if our present circumstances are looking dire and hopeless. For that’s what He’s there for.
Now, let’s declare our Wednesday Wail, letting all the 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 here’s an even greater promise: all who endure to the end with Christ, will enjoy a more than glorious future with Him. One that we cannot even imagine or comprehend. So, wisdom dictates that we endure to the very end, that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…the ONLY ONE…truly able to pull you out of the mire of life…is Jesus Christ…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
11 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a call to contentment and courage, a cheerful hearth fire, a glorious future with Jesus, all should come to repentance, alone in a huge computer universe, as some men count slackness, be content with such things as ye have, bet your bottom dollar, But God commendeth his love toward us, called thee by thy name, cast down, christianity, Christians, claim God's unlimited resources, die such a horrible death, does it really matter to God about me, endure to the very end with Christ, even to the end of the world, eyes straight ahead, faith, fear not, fear not neither be dismayed, get the feeling, glad to be alive, God doesn't seem personal, God has passed me by, God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, God will never pass us by, God's guidance, governed by our Father, halfway home, hands on the plough, Has God Passed Me By, He will not fail thee neither forsake thee, heartbreaking measures, holy spirit, I am the Lord thy God, I am with thee, I don't really matter, I gave Egypt for thy ransom, i have loved thee, I have redeemed thee, I will be with thee, I will give men for thee, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee, I will not fear what man shall do unto me, Jesus Christ, learn to trust, let your conversation be without covetousness, listening to the wind beat against the house, lo I am with you always, looked pensive, LOVE, mercy, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee, not a guessing game, not goverened by chance but God's choice, not governed by fate, not looking back, not willing that any should perish, One Year Book of Bible promises, our second wind day, our sinful souls could be saved, people for thy life, prone to ask questions. why life's tragedies, regardless of circumstances, relevant to our times, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, save us from sin, sitting in our living room, sound morbid, tested, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the doubts of a seventeen-year old, the gospel truth, the Holy One of Israel, the intensity of the promise, the Lord he it is that doth go before thee, the Lord is longsuffering to us-ward, The Lord is my helper, the Lord is not slack concerning His promise, the Lord will never pass us by, the universe in in God's control, the world through him might be saved, thou art mine, thou hast been honoured, thou shalt not be burned, thou wast precious in my sight, thy Saviour, truth, we may boldly say, Wednesday Wail, what better evidence than the cross, what better evidence than the Lord's promise, when thou passest through the waters, when thou walkest through the fire, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, why disease pain and heartache, why life's tragedies, why the sense of futility, wisdom, wisdom to the nth degree
Romans 5:8. ‘But God commendeth his LOVE (demonstrated his own LOVE) toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’
Then it was Wednesday, our second wind day, but it’s wet, cloudy and chilly! The recent sunshine and spring-like warmth have faded away. However, we do know that it will come again, for that’s how the Lord decreed it. So, a li’l more winter won’t hurt, for spring will soon be back, you can bet your bottom dollar on that! (smile)
And today we’re going to look at a very interesting and rather appropriate poem for many of us, from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s titled ‘Has God Passed Me By?’ And as always, I don’t know if I’ve shared it before because I don’t keep a check on them. The beauty of these poems though is that they are very relevant to our times, and thus can be shared over and over.
So please read with me: ‘We were sitting in our living room before a cheerful hearth fire, listening to the low March wind beat against our house. My pretty seventeen-year old friend looked pensive. She said finally, “You’ll probably think I sound morbid, but sometimes I just get the feeling that God has passed me by. He just doesn’t seem personal. It’s like being all alone in a huge computer universe where I don’t really matter.” The doubts of a seventeen-year old? If we’re honest we’ll all confess that we’re prone to ask questions: Why life’s tragedies? Why disease and pain and heartache? Why the sense of futility so often? Does it really matter to God about me?
What better evidence than the cross? What better evidence than the Lord’s promise, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Our vast universe is in God’s control. We are not governed by fate, but by our Father. Not chance, but His choice. Not a guessing game, but His guidance. He chose us to be the object of His lavish LOVE. Cast down, perhaps – that we might learn to trust, regardless of circumstances. Tested, that we might claim God’s unlimited resources. Passed by? Never!’
Now that my friends is the gospel truth! Our God has never and will never pass us by? Why would He do that eh, after all the trouble He’s been through to first create us, then save us from the sin we so foolishly embraced? As the poem asks: ‘What better evidence than the cross?’ And that’s another most important fact. If the Lord didn’t care very much about His human creation, do you think He‘d send His only Son to earth to die such a horrible death so that our sinful souls could be saved?
No! That doesn’t make any sense. Remember what Bruh Paul says in Romans – one of my favourite scriptures: ‘But God commendeth his LOVE (demonstrated his own LOVE) toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) Now why would He take such drastic, heartbreaking measures if He didn’t care deeply for us eh? It’s very obvious that He did, and does care for His most remarkable creation. Remember what Peter says: ‘The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’ (2 Pet. 3:9)
Yes friends, that’s possibly one of the reasons Christ hasn’t returned as yet; the Lord’s patiently giving as many of us time to accept Christ as Lord and Saviour and thus receive salvation and eternal life, because He doesn’t want to lose anybody to hellfire and damnation. And there are several verses in the Bible where God has promised to never leave nor forsake us. As the one that’s the Bible Promise for the poem. ‘’Let your conversation (conduct) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Heb. 13:5) And consequently, when we add the next verse, we get a call to contentment and courage. ‘So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.’ (Heb. 13:6)
And right from the very beginning the Lord, through Moses, also made that promise to the Israelites who were about to enter the Promised Land. ‘And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’ (Deut. 31:8) What more can I say eh friends? How much more encouragement do we need eh? But if you need more, then listen to these words of the Lord though the prophet Isaiah. ‘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 thy 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. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee (in thy place). Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable (honoured), and I have LOVED thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. Fear not: for I am with thee:’ (Is. 43:1-5a)
What more can our God say or do to make us understand our importance to Him eh? He redeemed Israel in olden times, gave men for them, and He’s done the same for us under the New Covenant; He gave the life of Jesus to redeem us. As Jesus stated so clearly to Nicodemus and also to us: ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world though him might be saved.’ (John 3:16) Now what’s there not to understand eh?
And I like how this commentary describes God’s promise never to leave nor forsake us. ‘The Intensity of the Promise: In the original Greek, this phrase uses multiple negatives, translating to an emphatic “I will never, ever, under any circumstances, desert you, nor give you up nor leave you without support”. That’s how strong God’s promise of never deserting us is! And Jesus gave us His final assurance when He said: ‘and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b)
Now that’s certainly good enough for me! Let’s hope it’s good enough for many more people out there who still have doubts and fears about the Lord by passing us. And to help with that, let’s declare 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!’
Now, that leads to an even greater promise: those who endure to the very end with Christ, will enjoy an even more glorious future than the one mentioned above; one we cannot comprehend. So, why don’t we all endure to the very end, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together eh? That seems to be wisdom to the nth degree! Much LOVE!
…The Lord might refuse our requests…but He’ll NEVER pass us by…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
14 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sacrifice for sin, a sense of peace and calm, adoration for God, an ingenious plan, and now abideth faith hope love, Christ died for the ungodly, christianity, Christians, Christians are not doing their duty, deepen my breath, doing a better job of living for Christ, enamoured of hate more than love, faith, God commendeth his love toward us, God demonstrated his LOVE for us.', God so loved the world, hang all the law and the prophets, Happy Valentine's Day, harbingers of love, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, holy spirit, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, in due time, increase my awareness of you today, jehovah god, Jesus Christ, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, Lord I want to be with you now, LOVE, love can only bring change when it's actioned, love is an action word, Love makes the world go round, Love the Lord thy God, Love thy neighbour as thyself, mercy, on these two commandments, one we cannot understand but desperately need, perhaps for a good man, quiet my soul, relax my mucsles, salvation, scarcely for a righteous man will one die, show love more regularly, show love on a daily basis, sincere hearts, slow my thoughts, some would even dare to die, thank you for this tenderness, the BIBLE, the first step to victory, the greatest of these three is love, the straight and narrow path, the undeniable truth, truth, unity, when we were yet without strength, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, whosoever believeth in him should not perish, wisdom, with all thy heart soul and mind, without batting and eyeslash, you are here with me, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
1 Corinthians 13:13. And now abideth faith, hope, charity (LOVE), these three; but the greatest of these three is charity (LOVE).
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!
And then it was Saturday; our lazy-day Saturday, but unfortunately we don’t get to do too much lazing around today, because it’s also Valentine’s Day, that day we shower so much LOVE and adoration on those around us, with gifts of flowers, chocolates, etc. etc. And nothing’s wrong with that, although we ought to show LOVE more regularly, like on a daily basis, for LOVE is what truly makes the world go round!
The other, more important question though, is are we showing enough LOVE to our wonderful God? And I very much doubt it, otherwise our world would not be so angry and filled with so much strife, neither would be living like leggo-beasts in a jungle-styled society. So let’s address that last question to some small extent by offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, with all sincerity and truth.
As one strong 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, although many of us have been guilty of not showing enough LOVE and adoration to God, if our hearts were sincere in what we just prayed, then the Lord will soon fill us with that sense of peace and calm, one we cannot truly understand, but which we so desperately need in these anxious and confused times, to keep us on the straight and narrow path.
And since today is a day for showing LOVE, I guess we ought to consider some famous scriptures on that wonderful emotion. (smile) And I believe this one should always be first, because it’s what started the whole ball of salvation rolling. As Bruh Paul writes to the church at Rome: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Yes friends, after creating us in and for LOVE, and we spoiled it all by rebelling in sin, the Lord nonetheless LOVED us so much, that without batting an eyelash, (smile) He initiated a plan to bring us back to Him. A plan that had nothing to do with us, but all with His great LOVE and affection for us. And as I keep asking, which supposed god is great enough and confident enough in themselves to do such a thing eh? And the undeniable truth is that none can, except Jehovah God, who has the will, the power and confidence to put such an ingenious plan into action!
And the next scripture is an obvious one; Jesus Himself talking about God’s LOVE, as He says with all certainty to Nicodemus: ‘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) Now let’s stop here for a moment and consider that scripture. God’s LOVE for His sinful and rebellious creation was so great, that He gave His only Son to be a sacrifice for them!
Wow! What a powerful LOVE that must have been…and still is! How many of us though have that kind of LOVE for anyone that we would die for them? Not too many! How did Bruh Paul put it before the quote about God demonstrated His Love? ‘For when we were yet without strength (sinful), in due time (at the right time) Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure (perhaps) for a good man some would even dare to die.’ (Rom. 5:6-7) So, for all intents and purposes, what God, through Christ did, was, and is still highly unlikely to be done by many others.
Then there’s this most important scripture passage on LOVE, again from Jesus, when the Jewish lawyer trying to draw Him into an argument, asked? ‘Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, 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 the prophets.’ (Matt. 22:36-40)
There again, we se that LOVE is the fulcrum upon which everything ought to turn: LOVING God, then LOVING our neighbours as we LOVE ourselves. Unfortunately though, many of us hate ourselves, so it doesn’t look so good for some of our neighbours. (smile) And there is no scripture that points out the fact of LOVE being the turning point, like this marvellous one from Bruh Paul to the Corinthians, where he waxes poetic and philosophical (smile). ‘And now abideth faith, hope, charity (LOVE), these three; but the greatest of these three is charity (LOVE).’ (1 Cor. 13:13)
Yes my faithful brethren, LOVE is indeed the most important of all attributes, because it’s the ONLY one that truly brings us together, and thus encourages peace more than strife! And if our world only had more LOVE than the current state of hate with which it’s now overrun, we would live much better lives than what’s currently available to so many. And we come back to the question, why is our world so strife-filled and enamoured of hate rather than LOVE?
And the easy answer is that we Christians, who are supposed to be harbingers of LOVE, are not doing our duty as we ought to. We won’t ever get rid of hate and anger until Jesus returns and sets up His kingdom here on earth, but our world would certainly not be as ungodly and evil, if we were doing a better job of living for Jesus. Just look at all the many divisions in the church, and the several directions in which they are going. How then can we ever achieve unity, which is Jesus’ desire, and which is the first step towards victory?
And I’ll leave us to ponder that all-important question on this Valentine’s Lazy-Day Saturday, my people. Much LOVE!
…LOVE is an action word…and it can only bring change if and when…it’s put into action…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a certificate of debt, a selfless sacrifice, all praise honour thanks and glory to God, an IOU, being dead in your sins, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances, bow our kness, but for the cross, But God commendeth his love toward us, by grace are you saved through faith, Christians should venerate the cross, come unto me all ye that labour, eternal life, faith, fellowship, forgiven you of all trespasses, from the depths of our hearts, gather in the Lord's sanctuary, give everlasting thanks to Christ, giving thanks, God's judgement, God's undeserved blessing, grace to strengthen us, heavy laden, holy spirit, humbly I come, I come to the cross, I will give you rest, indebted to God, into your strength, it is the gift of God, Jesus Christ, Jesus paid for our sins, Jesus paid our sin debt in full, joy, lest any man should boast, LOVE, made alive, man's inability to fulfil his obligation, mercy, my grace is sufficient for you, my guilt and shame, my strength is made perfect in weakness, not of yourselves, our journey begins and ends at the cross of Calvary, out of my weakness, quickened together with him, repentance, salvation, salvation is not of works, saving grace, seeking mercy and grace, shed innocent blood, singing God's praises, sweet sacrifices of praise, the BIBLE, the cross of Christ, the emblem of our faith, the essence of our lives, the Great Invitation of Jesus, the Lord's Day, the uncircumcision of your flesh, the words we sang, through Christ our debt was graciously blotted out, truth, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, wisdom, you call me by name, you died in my place, you paid the price, you welcome this child that was lost, your arms are open
Ephesians 2:8. For by grace are ye saved (you have been saved) through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
It’s that day again friends; Sunday, the Lord’s Day, bright, sunshiny and cold, (smile) which means we need to gather in the Lord’s sanctuary, or wherever, so we can fellowship with joy, giving thanks and singing praises to His holy name, while receiving His grace and mercy to strengthen us for another week. And our song of worship today is this time a fairly new one, only written in 2003 by Bob Somma and Bill Batstone, and is most appropriately titled for a time such as this: ‘I come to the Cross.’
It’s all about repentance, salvation, grace and mercy, four of the most wonderful and most important things in this rather ungodly world of ours. So, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, sincere, heartfelt mid-tempo version, pouring all we have and are into it.
Singing: ‘I come to the cross seeking mercy and grace, I come to the cross where You died in my place. Out of my weakness and into Your strength, Humbly, I come to the cross. I come to the cross seeking mercy and grace, I come to the cross where You died in my place. Out of my weakness and into Your strength, Jesus, I come to the cross. Your arms are open, You call me by name, You welcome this child that was lost. You paid the price for my guilt and my shame, Jesus, I come, Jesus I come, Jesus, I come to the cross.
I come to the cross seeking mercy and grace, I come to the cross where You died in my place. Out of my weakness and into Your strength, Jesus, I come to the cross. Jesus, I come, Jesus I come, Jesus, I come to the cross Your arms are open, You call me by name, You welcome this child that was lost. You paid the price for my guilt and my shame, Jesus, I come, Jesus I come, Jesus, I come to the cross Jesus, I come to the cross…Jesus, I come to the cross….’
Oh my people, that was wonderful! Anyone hearing it would know that we were truly sincere, and the words we sang came directly from the depths of our hearts. And they ought to, since Jesus made Himself to be such a selfless sacrifice on our behalf, on the cross at Calvary. It’s on that dreadful cross that Jesus paid for our sins, through His shed innocent blood. That’s why the cross is such an important aspect of our faith, and Christians ought to venerate it much more than they do since it was through it that we received the wonderful options of salvation and eternal life.
If Jesus had not died there, and paid our sin debt in full, we would never be able to talk about those things, much less stuff like mercy and grace. Note the opening line of the song: ‘I come to the cross seeking mercy and grace, I come to the cross where You died in my place.’ And that’s the place where every believer ought to bow their knees and give everlasting thanks to Christ. That’s where our journey ought to begin and end…at the cross of Calvary! For everything else pales in comparison to it.
We have salvation, forgiveness of sins and eternal life with the Father because of the cross. We also have grace, which is God’s undeserved divine favour because of the cross. For as Bruh Paul writes to the Ephesians: ‘For by grace are ye saved (you have been saved) through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.’ (Eph. 2:8-9) In other words, only through faith in Jesus Christ’s completed work on the cross can we acquire that saving grace. God gives it freely when we believe in His Son Jesus Christ. No works of ours can save us.
Bruh Paul explains it to the Colossians, as being dead to the world yet alive. ‘And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh (spiritual not physical circumcision), hath he quickened (made alive) together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us (certificate of debt with its decrees), which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way nailing it to his cross.’
And what does all of that mean? Simply that God through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, gave us new spiritual life. And the handwriting of ordinances refers to the Mosaic Law, which the Jews had contracted to obey, and to which the Gentiles by conscience were obligated. But owing to man’s inability to fulfill this obligation of obedience, he was therefore indebted to God. However, through Christ this debt was graciously blotted out.’
All praise, honour, thanks and glory to God for doing that! He must have LOVED us a whole lot, for the Bible tells us: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his own LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) Yes, although we deserved God’s judgement for our sinfulness, Christ died in our place. What a great God we serve my people!
And I like how the song talks about:’ Out of my weakness and into Your strength, Jesus, I come to the cross.’ That reminds us of the Lord’s words to Bruh Paul when he asked three times to have a thorn removed from his flesh. ‘And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness.’ (2 Cor. 12:9a)
And as this commentary explains: ‘It means that when human strength fails and weakness is acknowledged, God’s grace and power are most fully displayed and effective. It shifts focus from self-reliance to dependence on divine strength, allowing, as Paul did, for boasting in limitations so that Christ’s power may rest upon the believer.’ Now, let’s not forget these most meaningful words of the song. ‘Your arms are open, You call me by name, You welcome this child that was lost. You paid the price for my guilt and my shame,’
Yes friends, Jesus surely did it all, and His arms are open wide, as we can see from the Great invitation He extends to all the lost, and weary: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ (Matt. 11:29) Who else offers such an invitation eh? No one but Jesus! So, on this first day of February in this new year of 2026, it behooves all who call themselves Christians to pay serious attention to the emblem of our faith; the cross of Christ, to bow before it and cherish it with heartfelt respect and LOVE, for it’s the essence of our very lives, both physical and spiritual. Much LOVE!
…oh the cross…the cross…but for the cross…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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
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