The Overwhelming Importance of Clinging to God’s Promise of Faithfulness even in Conflicting Situations of Life!

13 May 2025 Leave a comment

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

Romans 8:29.         For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the first born among many brethren.

And then it was Tuesday, before which we had a lovely Monday, with temps in the twenties, and in the evening I got to sit on my porch in my shirt sleeves, enjoy a cool summer breeze and watch the people go by. Unfortunately though, I saw several dogs being walked, but no children. And you know that’s one of my pet peeves. The society seems more interested in dogs, rather than children. But who am I to judge them eh? Jesus said ‘judge not, that ye be not judged,’ (Mat. 7:1) and I’m trying, but sometimes it’s difficult to overlook certain things. 

Anyway, today seems like it’s going to be another beautiful day, so let’s enjoy it without any more unnecessary contention, we already have enough in our world. Instead, let’s focus on an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. And this one is emphatically titled ‘O God … My God.’ And if you don’t need it, then I’m glad for you, because I certainly need it. as I’m going through a season of inexplicable stuff that I can’t make heads or tails of, but as we are led to believe, there is a reason for it all. I just can’t figure it out with my puny understanding. (smile) 

So please read with me: ‘O God…My God Though You now seem totally hidden I am clinging to You hopefully Even confidently. Someday, some way, You will make All You are now permitting Blessedly clear. With fixed purpose, dear God I am determined to wait, to trust To rely upon Your faithfulness. Despite the drain and strain I anticipate new perspectives And fresh depths of insight Into all that is now so mysterious. O God, in ways unanticipated You are teaching me the great truth Of Samuel Rutherford’s words: ‘I see that grace grows best in the winter.’ Thank You, dear God Thank You for that!’  

Ah mih friends, it’s definitely not easy when the Lord puts you through your paces without any reasoning or understanding…and in the real winter time too, which makes it even harder. But you just have to grin and bear it, and as the poem says, wait, trust, and rely on his faithfulness. And I’m certainly doing that, but sometimes the conflicting things get a bit much to bear, and all you can do is cry out for help and some sense of understanding, though ofttimes you won’t get an answer, but you are still expected to hang in there and trust in His timing and faithfulness. I guess it’s one of the ways in which we grow in spiritual maturity. 

And of course, the promise for today’s poem comes from Peter’s tough but wise statement. ‘But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you.’ (1 Pet. 5:10) I guess that explains it all. The Lord is simply doing His intended work by bringing us into line with His wonderful Son, as Bruh Paul writes in Romans. ‘For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the first born among many brethren.’ (Rom. 8:29) 

And believe me, there are no easy steps in that task, especially when we’re saturated with all the lustful and carnal things and thoughts of the world. And this commentary explains it quite clearly and  succinctly. ‘The Lord’s intention is to conform His people to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ, making them His sons and brothers, as stated in Romans 8:29. 

This process of transformation, known as being “conformed to the image of His Son,” involves a spiritual growth where believers’ lives reflect Christ’s character and LOVE. God’s redemptive plan includes choosing, calling, and glorifying those He foreknew and predestined. In other words, God’s desire, His intention, was to have many sons who are just like Christ. He wanted a mass-reproduction of Christ in humanity.’ 

But sadly, He doesn’t seem to be getting that right now, with all the turning away and questioning of His existence and sovereignty. However, as Bruh Paul says to the Corinthians. ‘But we all, with open (unveiled) face beholding as in a glass (mirror) the glory of the Lord, are changed (being transformed) into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.’ (2 Cor. 3:18) 

And the scholars offer this explanation. ‘Beholding as in a glass: The term beholding can have the sense of “reflecting.” The believer himself “reflects” the glory of the Lord just as the face of Moses reflected the glory of the Lord (vs.13). For Moses the glory eventually faded away, but under the New Covenant the believer is changed into the same image. This transformation takes place by the abiding presence of God.’ 

Oh my fellow believers, having read that, the question we must now ask is whether the glory of God is being truly reflected in our faces? Obviously our faces won’t shine as brightly as Moses did when he came down from Mt. Sinai bearing the two tablets of stone that had the Ten Commandments inscribed on them. Being in God’s presence caused the radiant light to reflect on his face. This bright countenance caused fear in Aaron and the Israelites, who initially didn’t recognize Moses because of the light, and he had to wear a veil to speak to them. (Ex. 34:29-35) 

We won’t need a veil, but surely the unbeliever will see the glory of God shining in our faces, if we are a true reflection of Jesus Christ. And I do hope we’ll all hunker down and bear whatever inexplicable things that come against us, knowing as Bruh Paul so confidently proclaims: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) Remember faith means believing in what you cannot see. 

And with that in mind, let’s faithfully declare (steups!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’ 

And that means we’re now expected to share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…being changed from glory to glory…is never an easy transformation…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   24 February 2023 Philippians 1:6.

24 Feb 2023 Leave a comment

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

Philippians 1:6.       Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Oh boy, it’s Friday! Cold but sunny! That calls for a ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here!’ Yes, it’s all well and good to thank God that it’s Friday and the start of the weekend, but please remember we’re in the Lenten season now, and we’re not supposed to get into all the partying and the other things of the flesh that we usually lust after. It’s a time for serious introspection, seeing where we’re falling down, or falling short in our Christian walk, then turning to God and asking for His divine help to correct our mistakes, forgive our sins, and lead us once more on the right path in a more intense and mature manner. 

Oh my people, Lent is a great time to grow up in Christ, to attain a more mature spirituality, as we read, study and contemplate God’s word and get into closer, more affectionate contact, greater intimacy with Him. Remember His basic goal is for all of us to become more Christ-like, as Bruh Paul wrote to the Roman church. ‘For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.’ (Rom. 8:29) 

Now isn’t that wonderful? It surely is! The Lord wants a family of brothers and sisters like Christ, who will be the elder brother, the first-born sibling. And you can only become like Christ if you study about Him and try to do what He says, do as He did and still does. God’s purpose, from the fall of Adam, has always been to bring us back to Him, back to Him in the likeness of Christ. He preordained that. And this scripture from Philippians ensures it. Bruh Paul writes: ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:6) 

Wow! What an awesome reassurance! Once God has embarked on changing us to Christlikeness, that is slowly, from glory to glory, He will NEVER stop until Christ returns. We can bet our bottom dollar on that! Then there is this associated scripture: ‘But we all with open (unveiled) face beholding as in a glass (mirror) the glory of the Lord, are changed (being transformed) into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.’ (2 Cor. 3:18) 

Ah friends, the Spirit of the Lord is the enabler in our changing into the likeness of Christ. Yes, the Holy Spirit is the workhorse, so to speak, of our Holy Trinity. He does all the work now that Jesus has done His part; dying for us and having us being reconciled to God, justified, sanctified, made righteous and all the other good stuff we receive through His sacrificial death. The Holy Spirit is now in charge of leading, guiding and changing us. 

The only problem though in this whole scenario is that we have to be willing to follow the dictates and leading of the Holy Spirit, to go the distance, the extra mile, to endure the difficulties and whatsoever stumbling blocks that crop up along the way. And yuh better believe they will. Jesus said it quite plainly: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) 

There again is reassurance from Jesus. Although we will certainly endure problems and trials, we can always find the peace and fortitude to bear them through His grace and mercy. But we have to believe all of that. And it’s ofttimes a problem for many of us when the world seems to be falling down around us, but please remember that Jesus died so that we could live, that we could live the abundant life, and it will not always be wine, roses and song, because that’s not the face of the real world. 

And above all, Christianity is not for cowards. If we want to follow Christ, then we must stand tall and courageous like He did. Remember the cost of discipleship is high. Jesus said it thus: ‘If any man, will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) Yes my people, that’s what it takes to truly follow Jesus; sacrificing one’s own will for His, and doing it on a daily basis too. Nothing less will do. 

But we should not allow that to scare us from becoming true disciples of Jesus, for it’s not every day we are actually called on to sacrifice something big, neither do we have trials and tribulations every day. It’s just that when the occasion calls for us to come up higher, we must be prepared and willing to do so. 

And remember too that Jesus never asks us to do stuff and doesn’t give us the wherewithal, or the anointing to do it. So although life can be very difficult at times when we sincerely want to follow Christ, overall, it’s not a bad as it sounds, and very interesting and rewarding, for with Jesus, you’ll go places and do things that other humans will never go or do. And besides, if we follow the leading of the Holy Ghost, we won’t find ourselves in as many tough spots as if we don’t. (smile) 

Now here is this other verse that falls in well with our transformation to Christ-likeness. John says in his first epistle. ‘Beloved, now are we the sons (children) of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.’ (1 John 3:2) Yes my fellow saints, we know we are changing, becoming more like Christ in discipleship, but until He shows up the next time, our transformation will not be complete, and then we’ll see who He really is, see Him face to face, and truly become like Him! All glory be to God my people! 

Now, let’s go home with a word of prayer, our Friday Chant, placing our entire life and world in God’s capable hands. As one voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the confusion and anxiety caused by the pandemic and our many other serious problems. We can’t fix them on our own Lord, so we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. 

So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, without further serious setbacks. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to return backsliders to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. 

Yes Lord, please use this pandemic, the bubbling discontent and dissatisfaction in our land, as a means of restoring faith in You, 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, to achieve all we desire, it’s imperative that we keep our part of our covenant with God. And we all know what that entails; basic obedience to His holy will. Much LOVE!

…it takes two to tango…God has already done His part through Jesus…it’s now our time to get on the floor…..and show our stuff…  

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 November 2019 2 Corinthians 3:18.

22 Nov 2019 Leave a comment

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

2 Corinthians 3:18.    ​But we all, with open (unveiled) face beholding as in a glass (mirror) the glory of the Lord, are changed (being transformed) into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
 

Ah friends, you just don’t who or what to believe in these days of fake news nuh. I’m talking about the weather forecasters who promised a bright and sunshiny day yesterday, yet it drizzled with rain all day. And today, that was supposed to be rainy, seems like it might have some sunshine. Chuh! I guess that’s why weather forecasting is called an ‘in exact science.’ (smile) 

It’s a good thing though that we believers can sing confidently like Angie Stone: ‘My sunshine has come. There’s no more rain…’ Yes my believing brethren, our sunshine came two thousand years ago…and He ‘s still here, shining as bright as ever in our lives! Praise the Lord for Jesus Christ, who brightens up our lives, even when they seem to be in a terribly dark and cloudy place! 

And that’s the advantage we have over the ordinary workingman who’s complaining today. ‘Yes, I know I should declare ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday!’ But ah fed up with all the rainy weather, with the cold and damp and the consequent chill it causing in mih bones! Oh I know it coming on to winter and all that, but does it have to be so wet and dark and dreary so often? What happen to a li’l dryness and sunshine every so often nuh man? 

Brother! It just seems to suck the very life out of a body; going out and coming in in that constant dark, dismal and wet weather. And though it’s the weekend, and I’m glad to see it, the dirty weather just steals the real joy from it, because you still can’t go anywhere without getting wet from head to toe. Steups! So I guess I’ll just stay home then this weekend and watch the rain fall… But ah still thankful though for Fridays and weekends!’ 

No doubt many of us believers feel like the ordinary workingman, but thankfully we have Jesus Christ in our lives, and He mitigates the sad and downbeat effect dreary weather causes by His uplifting Word and Will for each and every one of His followers! Glory to God! That’s why we can chant our Friday Chant with such sincerity and sense of purpose: 

‘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. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen!’ 

Oh my precious people of God, I don’t know what we’d do without Jesus nuh! What a wonderful day it was when He came into our lives! Glory Hallelujah! Yes friends, when Jesus died on the cross He tore down the veil that guarded the Holy of Holies, where only the high priest could enter once a year, bur now each of us has the marvellous opportunity to come before the throne of grace personally when we accept Jesus. 

As Bruh Paul wrote to the Corinthians: ‘But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart. Nevertheless, when it (one) shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open (unveiled) face beholding as in a glass (mirror) the glory of the Lord, are changed (being transformed) into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.’ (2 Cor. 3:15-18) 

And what does all of that mean eh? Listen to the scholars. ‘3:15. Veil is upon their heart: Unfortunately, as far as the Jews are concerned, Christ is still a stumbling block they cannot see (cf. 1 Cor. 1:23). For the apostle this is no light matter and a concern that caused him great anxiety (cf. Rom. 9:1-4). But now the veil is not so much on the revelation of the glory as on their own hearts. (cf. Luke 24:25; Acts 13:27-29).’ The glory of Christ has eventually been revealed my people, we have been set free from the bondage of sin! But the onus of receiving that liberty is now on us; as individuals, as supposed believers, we now have to accept and keep Jesus treasured in our own hearts, minds, bodies and soul! 

And per 3:18, the scholars say: ‘Beholding as in a glass: The term ‘beholding’ can have the sense of “reflecting.” The believer himself ‘reflects” the glory of the Lord just as the face of Moses reflected the face of the Lord. For Moses the glory eventually faded away, but under the New Covenant the believer is changed into the same image. This transformation takes place by the abiding presence of the Spirit of God.’ 

What wonderful news my brethren! The Lord’s plan is to have ALL of His children transformed into the glorious image of His Son, Jesus Christ! And when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, His Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us and is responsible for transforming our lives, making us new creations! 

But please, let’s remember that this transformation doesn’t take place over night, it’s a lifelong process, and the onus is on us to follow the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit, for He will not force us to do anything. That means we have to continually read the Word and listen carefully, so we can understand what the Holy Spirit is saying to us, and be obedient to Him, if we truly want to come up higher…be changed from glory…to glory… to glory… Much LOVE!

…know the truth…the Word of God…and the truth…shall set you free…