14 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a cross that raiseth me, a ladder set upon the earth, a standard bearer, age after age, all my song shall be, all that thou sendest me, angels beckon me nearer my god to thee, ascending and descending on it, at rest, Baal Worship, Bethel, Bethel I'll rise, bright with praise, by my woes to be, call upon God's name every day, called the name of that place Bethel, came to a certain place, cleaving the sky, constantly near to God, darkness be over me, descendants, during life's darkest trials, e'en though it be a cross that raiseth me, e'en though it be, faith, fellowship, fighting the good fight, finding God's presence and comfort, for our own well being, give thanks and praise to Almighty god, God's goodness to the children of men, gospel truth, he dreamed, health issues, hearing loss, holy spirit, how awesome is this place, how dreadful is this place, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, I am with thee, I knew it not, I will not leave thee, I'd be nearer my God to thee, in mercy given, in my father's home, in my Saviour's love, in thee and thy seed, Jacob awaked out of his sleep, Jacob went out from Beersheba, Jacob's dream of the ladder to heaven, Jesus Christ, let the way appear, like the wanderer, living the abundant life, LOVE, Luz, mercy, my rest a stone, my waking thoughts, nearer my God to thee, nearer to thee, on joyful wing, out of my stony griefs, perfectly blest, poured oil on the top of it, put them for his pillow, receive God's mercy and grace, safe, salvation, Sarah flowers Adams, search for me with all your heart, set it up for a pillar, shall all the families of the earth be blessed, steps unto heaven, sweet sacrifices of praise, tarried there all night, the angels of God, the foundation of the Jewish nation, the gate to heaven, the house of God, the land whereon thou liest to thee will I give it, the last song played on the Titanic, the Lord is in this place, the Lord never leaves our side, the Lord stood above it, the perfect call to the Lord, the sun gone down, the sun was set, the top of it reached to heaven, the twelve tribes of Israel, thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, to thy seed, took of the stones of that place, truth, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of, upward I'll fly, used stones for his pillow, will bring thee again into this land, will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, wisdom, ye shall seek me and find me
Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 June 2026 Genesis 28:16.
Genesis 28:16. And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.
And on this somewhat damp and cloudy Sunday summer Sunday in mid-June, we join the millions of other believers around the world gathering in the Lord’s sanctuaries to give thanks and praise to Almighty God for His wonderful goodness to the children of men and to receive His awesome mercy and grace to enable us to keep on living the abundant life and fighting the good fight in His glorious name!
And today’s song of worship is a beautiful 19th century Chrisitan hymn written by Sarah Flower Adams in 1841, that’s ever so appropriate for today’s chaotic times. It’s titled ‘Nearer My God to Thee.’ Apparently, the song was commissioned by a London Unitarian minister, Reverend William Johnson Fox, who desired a song to accompany his upcoming sermon on Genesis 28:10-22—the story of Jacob climbing the ladder to heaven in his dream. And they say Sarah Flower Adams wrote the lyrics within a week, despite suffering from severe health issues and hearing loss.
And did she ever craft a beautiful message about finding God’s presence and comfort during life’s darkest trials. Her sister Eliza composed the tune for it. The song also became famous when it was alleged to be the final one played by the band aboard the sinking Titanic ocean liner. So, having some background info on the song, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise, in a soulful, heartfelt, mid-tempo version.
Singing: ‘Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee! E’en though it be a cross that raiseth me, Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee. (Refrain: Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!) Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down, Darkness be over me, my rest a stone; Yet in my dreams I’d be nearer, my God, to Thee. (Refrain) There let the way appear, steps unto Heav’n; All that Thou sendest me, in mercy giv’n; Angels to beckon me nearer, my God, to Thee. (Refrain)
Then, with my waking thoughts bright with Thy praise, Out of my stony griefs Bethel I’ll raise; So by my woes to be nearer, my God, to Thee. (Refrain) Or, if on joyful wing cleaving the sky, Sun, moon, and stars forgot, upward I’ll fly, Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee. (Refrain) There in my Father’s home, safe and at rest, There in my Savior’s LOVE, perfectly blest; Age after age to be nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!’
That was beautiful friends! And do we ever need to be constantly near to God for our own well-being, finding joy and comfort in being close to Him. And what about the scripture upon which the hymn is based. The story stems from Isaac sending his son Jacob back to his mother’s country to find a wife, because he did not want him marrying a Canaanite woman.
The Bible tells us: ‘And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon (came to) a certain place, and tarried (stayed) there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillow (used stones for his pillow), and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set upon the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed (descendants); and thy seed (descendants) shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.’ (Gen. 28:10-15)
What a powerful dream my fellow believers! But that’s how our great and wonderful God moves. It’s the same way He spoke to Cousin Sol in a dream and kept His word. (1 Kin. 3:5-15) It also shows how the Lord uses those whom we would not usually choose to do great works, or be a standard bearer, for Jacob was a trickster, most of his adult life, but God chose Him nonetheless to be the patriarch of the twelve tribes of Israel. Remember, Abraham only had one legitimate son, Isaac, and Isaac had only two, Esau and Jacob. It was left to Jacob to provide the foundation of the Jewish nation.
But getting back to our story. The Bible then tells us: ‘And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful (awesome) is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. And Jacob rose up early in the morning and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Beth-el (house of God): but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.’ (Gen. 28:16-19)
What a story! And only our ingenious God could create it. (smile) Now, here are a couple of interesting explanations from the scholars They say, ‘Jacob’s response to this vision suggests that he may have become a true believer on this occasion. Meanwhile pillar and oil are the symbols normally used for a memorial and consecration. The pillars that were later forbidden were related to Baal worship and objects of that worship.’
And after a great song and a great story, the only thing left to do is to add this most worthwhile commentary. ‘Even when we cannot see or feel Him, the Lord never leaves our side. As we walk through each day, let us remember to call upon His name and give thanks. The beautiful lyrics of ‘Nearer My God to Thee’ are the perfect call to the Lord. And when you hear the story behind this amazing hymn, you will be reminded exactly why we need him every hour and second.’
And that’s the gospel truth my people! We need God every second, every minute, every hour, and every day of our lives. So, let’s be wise, get serious, and constantly seek Him! It’s all for our benefit! Much LOVE!
…and ye shall seek me and find me…when ye shall search for me with all your heart… (Jer, 29:13)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a deep consuming conviction, a long and arduous journey, a more than glorious future, a proof of spiritual rebirth, a world class facility, an expected attitude of a believer, attain the threshold that God is enough, blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, but not enough, christianity, deep down in our souls, desires to reach out to God, endure to the end with Jesus, enhances our earthly lives, every cluttered chamber, experience a deep desire for personal rightousness, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, free me from every shallow substitute, from every hidden pretense, hands on the plough, hang all the law and the prophets, holy spirit, how i hunger and thirst for you, how I love you my Lord, hunger for that which only God can give, I am halfway home, I rejoice in your inimitable goodness, into every vacant hollow, Jesus Christ, LOVE, love the Lord with all thy heart soul and mind, love thy neightbour as thyself, Loving God is our number one duty, mercy, MY Glorious Enough, negative circumstances, not looking back, not turning back, of my longing heart, on these two commandments, One Year Book of Bible promises, our puny minds can't comprehend, our second wind day, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, pour yourself lavishly, recognize the depth of their need, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, seeking God with our whole heart, seeking the righteousness of God, so glad to be alive, spiritual maturity, spiritual poverty, strong longings for God, thank God, the Beatitudes, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the characteristics of a saved person, the greatest commandment, the local hospital is now a world class facility, the pinnacle of the abundant life, the second is like unto it, the Sermon on the Mount, these tense and fearful times, they shall be filled, thwarted in our search for God, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, until I shall know, various stages of our spiritual growth, Wednesday Wail, when ye shall search for me with all your heart, wisdom, with deep consuming conviction, ye shall seek me and find me, yearning for God, You are My Glorious Enough
Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 June 2026 Matthew 5:6.
Matthew 5:6. ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’
Ah mih people, like we’re on the late bus again this hot, sunny Wednesday morning, our second wind day. But this time it’s not my fault, for after my church group, I went directly to the local hospital for some tests. And is it ever big and busy now, and you have to walk so far to get wherever you’re going. I remember the days when it was first built, and it looked like a li’l two by four on the side of the hill. I really shouldn’t be complaining though, because whenever I go there, they treat me well. It’s just that recently I’ve been going there a little too often for my liking. (smile) And I’m certainly amazed at how over the years it’s turned into a world class facility.
But enough of my jawing, let’s see if we can’t write a short and sweet Bit today. No promises…because we’re not known for short…but we’ll certainly try. And for brevity’s sake, we’ll check out this short but most appropriate poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. The poem is uniquely titled, ‘My Glorious Enough.’
So please read with me. ‘Oh how I LOVE You, my Lord But not enough. How I hunger and thirst for You But not enough. How I rejoice in Your inimitable (matchless) goodness But not enough. Pour Yourself lavishly, dear God Into every vacant hollow Into every cluttered chamber Of my longing heart. Free me from every shallow substitute From every hidden pretense Until I shall know With deep, consuming conviction That You are my Glorious Enough.’
Wow! I like that! And I don’t think I’ve ever shared it before, because it seems new to me. but who knows there are 365 poems in the Book, and I can’t remember them all. Anyway, it is a most interesting and appropriate poem for many of us, especially in these tense and fearful times. We all are at various stages of our spiritual growth or spiritual maturity, and many of us have strong longings for and desires to reach out for God, but somehow are thwarted in our search for Him.
However we can’t ever stop reaching and searching, for as God said through the prophet Jermiah: ‘And ye shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:13) And that’s what the person in the poem seems to doing; seeking God with their whole heart. And that’s the only way to truly seek Him. Remember how Jesus answered the Pharisee lawyer that tried to draw Him into an argument by asking which was the greatest commandment in the law?
‘Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt LOVE the Lord 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 thy self. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ (Matt. 22:37-40) So we see from Jesus, that LOVING the Lord is our Number One duty. But that’s not always easy to do, especially when our lives are filled with many negative circumstances. However, we’ve got to begin somewhere, and yearning for Him deep down in our souls is a wonderful start.
As the poem says we continue seeking Him ‘until we know, with deep, consuming conviction that He is our Glorious Enough.’ Yes friends, we cannot be satisfied until we reach, or attain the threshold that God is truly enough for us, is all that we will ever need. Unfortunately though, it is often a long and arduous journey to get to that point. But it is one we must never stop reaching for, because it’s ever so worthwhile. We never really know how great our God is until He fills ‘every vacant hollow and every cluttered chamber of our longing hearts.’
And nothing can be more soul stirring and uplifting than that, for it’s like the Bible Verse for the poem states: ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’ (Matt. 5:6) Now that’s one of the statements Jesus made in the Sermon on the Mount in that group we call the Beatitudes; Jesus’ way of describing the attitude and characteristics of a person who has been saved.
And according to the scholars, ‘those who hunger and thirst after righteousness are those who experience a deep desire for personal righteousness, which in itself is proof of their spiritual rebirth. Those who are poor and empty in their own spiritual poverty recognize the depth of their need, and they hunger and thirst for that which only God can give them. Thou shall be filled refers to a complete satisfaction. The psalmist proclaimed: “He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.” (Ps. 107:9)’
Yes my fellow believers, a big part of our duty as followers of Christ is to hunger and thirst for the righteousness that only God can provide, for it enhances our earthly lives and leads to the pinnacle of the abundant life that Christ died for us to have. And with that boost to our faith, (smile) 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!’
And it’s been promised that those who endure to the end with Jesus, will receive an even more glorious future, one that our puny minds cannot comprehend. so, let’s be wise and endure right to the very end with Jesus nuh, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Now that’s as short as we can get today! (smile) Much LOVE!
…seeking the righteousness of God…is an expected attitude of the believer…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all it takes is for you to know, also go to God in peaceful prosperity, as for me I will call upon God, as your problems overflow, ask and it shall be given you, ask anything according to his will, attend unto me and hear me, believe that you receive what you pray for, believe those things which he saith, cast thy burden upon the Lord, Chrisitanity, Christians, Da Flame, don't give up, don't go to God only in times of problems, don't say you're done, evening and morning and at noon, every trial every mountain and sea, experience with God, faith, feel battered, feeling like an outcast, fellowship, forgiveness is key for answered prayer, get together at the Lord's sanctuary, give ear to my prayer, giving thanks for life and love, glad to be above ground, God answers prayer, God is always there ready to listen, God is the answer, have faith in God, he hath delivered my soul in peace, he heareth us, He sees every teardrop, he sees every weakness, he shall hear my voice, he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved, he shall save me, he shall sustain thee, He wipes them for me, hide not thyself from my supplication, holy spirit, I get down on my knees, I mourn in my complaint, I say Saviour help me please, I will hearken unto you, I will listen to you, if you're ever feeling down, in the midst of all your heartache, Jesus Christ, knock and it shall be opened unto you, LOVE, mercy, my God answers prayer, one thing is for certain, persistence, pray regardless of our situations, prayer is communicating with Almighty God, prayer is one of our greatest privileges, prayer must be in God's will, prayer should alwyas be our first response, pride and arrogance don't belong in prayer, remember in the hard times, remember there's someone, salvation, search for me with all your heart, seek and ye shall find, shall not doubt in his heart, singing from our hearts, sweet sacrifices of praise, thanking Him for his goodness and mercy, the BIBLE, the cursed fig tree, the gospel truth, the parable of the repentant tax collector and the self-righteous pharisee, the power of prayer, then shall ye call upon me, this is the confidence that we have in Him, truth, we always have the option to go to God in prayer, we know we have the desired petitions, when the living is good, will come to pass, will I pray and cry aloud, wisdom, ye shall go and pray unto me, ye shall seek me and find me, you have nowhere to go, you may be broken, your battles are already won, your strength will surely come
Jeremiah 29:12. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you (listen to you).
Oh my fellow believers, another Sunday has come around, this first day of March, another bright and sunshiny but chilly day, and are we ever glad to be above ground! So, let’s get together at the Lord’s sanctuary and give thanks and praise for life and LOVE, amongst the many other good things that our wonderful God has so generously provided!
And to get us started today, we have a beautiful and popular modern-day Christian song from the R&B/Hip Hop Artist, Da Flame, titled ‘God Answers Prayer.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth! Once it’s in His will, God will certainly answer our prayers. We may not like His answer, but we won’t be able to say He never answered. (smile) So, let’s get down to business, offering up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, mid-tempo version of this most encouraging and energizing song.
Singing: ‘If you’re ever feeling down and like you have nowhere to go. If you’re feeling like and outcast as your problems overflow, just remember there is someone, and all it takes is for you to know, is that God is the answer, and God answers prayer. (Chorus: He sees every weakness, every trial, every mountain and sea, and He sees every tear drop, and He wipes them for me. I get down on my knees, and I say Saviour help me please. Because one thing is for certain, is my God answers prayer.)
You may be broken and feel battered, but your strength will sure come, in the midst of all your heartache. Your battles are already won. Just remember in the hard times, don’t give up, don’t say you’re done, because God is the answer, and God answers prayer. (Chorus: He sees every weakness, every trial, every mountain and sea, and He sees every tear drop, and He wipes them for me. I get down on my knees, and I say Saviour help me please. Because one thing is for certain, is my God answers prayer. Oh, He sees every weakness, every trial, every mountain and sea, and He sees every tear drop, and He wipes them for me. So, let’s get down on our knees, and say, Saviour, help us please. Because one thing is for certain… our God answers prayer.’
That was wonderful friends! All who heard us know that we were singing from our hearts, because we do know that God answers sincere and heartfelt prayers that are within His will. And one important thing to note from the words of the song is that whatever our problem, we ALWAYS have an option to go to God in prayer, for He’s ALWAYS there ready to listen.
However, we should also point out that we are not only to go to God in prayer when we have problems. No sir! When our lives are rolling along in peaceful prosperity it’s also necessary to go to God in prayer, but this time thanking Him for His goodness and mercy. Unfortunately though, many of us only remember prayer when we have serious problems, and not when the living is good. The truth is, that prayer should be made to God, regardless of our situations.
Now, let’s talk about a few scriptural references to prayer. And there are so many, that I had a hard time choosing a few to highlight how important prayer is in the life of a believer. But we’ll begin with this scripture from the prophet Jeremiah to the exiled Israelites in Babylon. The Lord Himself, after saying He has good thoughts of hope and peace and not calamity for them, (Jer. 29:11) urges them, and subsequently us to pray. ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you (listen to you). And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer, 29:12-13)
Right there my brethren, we see the importance of seeking God with all our hearts, with the utmost sincerity. It doesn’t matter so much how we couch the prayer, once it’s not filled with pride and arrogance like the example Jesus gave in Luke 18:9-14 of a proud Pharisee and a repentant tax collector praying in the Temple. The Pharisee boasts of his righteousness and fasting, while the tax collector humbly beats his breast, asking for mercy. Jesus declares the tax collector, not the Pharisee, goes home justified, teaching that humility earns God’s grace.
Next, comes this wise and welcome advice from Jesus: ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.’ (Matt. 7:7-8) That means we must be diligent in asking, seeking and knocking.
Then there’s more wise advice from Jesus to the disciples, when they asked about the withered fig tree He had cursed the day before for not bearing fruit in season. (Mark 11:11-14)The Bible says: “Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought (anything) against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.’ (Mark 11:22-26) There friends, we learn the importance of strong faith and also of forgiveness in prayer.
Then we have this awesome scripture from the gospel of John, where he declares: ‘And this is the confidence that we have in him (Jesus), that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know we have the petitions that we desired (asked) of him.’ (1 John 514-15) Oh my people, even more confirmation of the power of prayer in our lives!
It’s therefore no wonder then that Bruh David prayed thus in Psalm 55: ‘Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication. Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn (wander) in my complaint, and make a noise (moan noisily)… As for me, I will call upon God; and he shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with (against) me… Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken).’ (Ps. 55:1-2, 16-18, 22)
Yes my fellow believers, we can see in those words of Bruh David, faith, persistence, assurance and experience with God. So, please let’s follow his example and pray constantly and faithfully to God, for communicating with Almighty God through prayer is one of the greatest privileges we have! Much LOVE!
…whatever the situation…prayer should always be our first response…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
31 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sense of love, according to all that I command thee, and now abideth faith hope love, call them to mind, deepen my breath, embrace the Love Revolution, faith, fall the marvellous colours of God's artistry, for he that loves not his brother whom he has seen, for Jesus' sake, foundational truth, gather thee from all the nations, God gives grace and mercy to those who seek Him with sincere hearts, God's love showing through, God's soothing peace, hang all the law and the prophets, have compassion on you, he is a liar, he who loveth God love his brother also, holy spirit, how can he love God whom he hath not seen, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, if a man say I love God and hates his brother, in all sincerity and truth, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, know you all the more, last day of January, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, LOVE, love for God ultimately leads to love for others, love is God's greatest attribute, Love makes the world go round, love the Lord with all thy heart soul and mind, Love thy neighbour as thyself, loving God with one's entire being, mercy, nothing as beautiful as bright sunshine on clean snow, obey God's voice, on these two commandments, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, responsibility to god, responsibility to man, return unto the Lord thy God, salvation, selfless love, slow my thoghts, spring rebirth of trees in green, summer the total resurgence of life, thank you for this tenderness, the blessing, the curse., the first and great commandment, the foundation for all spiritual life and obedience, the gospel truth, the greatest of these is love, the Lord will turn thy captivity, the prescription for god's compassion, the second is like unto it, the true level of our love meter, total unselfish devotion to God, truth, we all have room for improvement, when ye shall search for me with all your heart, wisdom, wishy-washy lip service, with all thine heart, with all thy soul, ye shall seek me and find me, your love both surrounds and fills me
Jeremiah 29:13. And ye shall seek me, and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
And it’s still pretty cold, around minus 11 Celsius on this lazy-day Saturday, the last day of January, so the snow on the banks of the roads and rooftops can’t melt, but it’s also another glorious sunshiny day. And you know there’s nothing as beautiful as bright sunshine on clean, unadulterated snow; it just gleams like a precious jewel! (smile)
No, I’m not crazy. If you really enjoy God’s creations, you will notice that in every season, He’s made something beautiful and amazing in it. In the spring it’s the beautiful rebirth of the trees in green, in the summer it’s the total resurgence of life in nature, strong and sturdy, while fall shows off the marvellous colours of God’s artistry, and in winter it’s the beauty of the sunshine reflecting off the white snow. That’s God’s LOVE showing through. Although seasons change, and life becomes more difficult, He still graces us with wonders in each one.
But enough talk of the weather and the seasons, let’s offer 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!’
And, as always, if our prayer was heartfelt, the Lord will soon respond with His soothing peace and calm overwhelming our spirits, for He’s ever glad to give His grace and mercy to those who seek Him with sincere hearts. And He’s said that so often in the Bible that I can’t understand why more of us don’t do it. As this foundational truth from Jeremiah reminds us, where the Lord clearly states: ‘And ye shall seek me, and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:13) That statement is as clear as day. If you want to find God then you have to seek Him with all of your heart. Not with wishy-washy lip service.
Now, that wasn’t something new to the Israelites, for Moses had long ago warned them: ‘And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind (remember them) among all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath driven thee, And shalt return unto the Lord thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul; That then the Lord will turn thy captivity (bring you back from captivity), and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the Lord hath scattered thee.’ (Deut. 30:1-3)
There you have it friends; the prescription for God’s compassion! Obey the Lord and LOVE Him with all thy heart and soul! And it’s exactly what Jesus says when the arrogant, smart-aleck Jewish lawyer tries to tempt Him into an argument by asking about the great commandment. ‘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. 22:37-40)
And as the scholars explain, Jesus outsmarted the lawyer by simply summarizing ‘the two tables of the law: (1) responsibility to God; and (2) responsibility to man, by paraphrasing Deuteronomy 6:5, and Leviticus 19:18, LOVE the Lord thy God and LOVE thy neighbour as thyself.’ And I like the overview from this commentary. ‘This commandment serves as the foundation for all spiritual life and obedience, requiring total, unselfish devotion to God.’
That’s for certain sure! It necessitates LOVING God with one’s entire being—heart, soul, mind, and strength. It then explicably leads to the second commandment, to LOVE your neighbour as yourself, as true LOVE for God ultimately leads to LOVE for others. For you can’t LOVE God and hate His human creation. As John so rightly tells us in his first epistle. If a man say, I LOVE God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that LOVETH not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he LOVE God, whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who LOVETH God LOVE his brother also.’ (1 John 4:20-21)
And when we truly focus on LOVING God, then we are better able to LOVE our neighbours with divine, selfless LOVE. And it’s as Jesus says, all the laws and the teachings of the prophets depend on those two commandments; LOVING God with everything you have and then LOVING your neighbour the way you LOVE yourself. Yes my faithful brethren, it’s all about LOVE, God’s greatest attribute. Remember how Bruh Paul puts it in that famous verse in his first letter to the Corinthians? ‘And now abideth faith, hope, charity (LOVE), these three: but the greatest of these is charity (LOVE).’ (1 Cor, 13:13)
And that’s the gospel truth! LOVE is indeed the greatest! And we all notice the great difference in our hearts and spirits when we’re filled with LOVE instead of hate. For as we say, though sometimes in jest, it’s very real: ‘LOVE makes the world go round!’ Now, on this cold lazy-day Saturday, it’s a good time to take a look at ourselves and see how we’re truly doing in the LOVE Department, ascertain the true the level of our LOVE meter.
Now, although some of us might be doing okay, we all have room for improvement, and I don’t need to tell us that our world is currently suffering from a serious lack of LOVE, and it’s our job as disciples and followers of Jesus Christ to embrace the LOVE Revolution and move it forward, so that when Jesus returns, He will find much hope, faith and LOVE here on earth! So, let’s put our hands, heads and hearts together and do it nuh…for Jesus! Much LOVE!
…all we do…should be done out of a sense of LOVE…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
06 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abide in me and I in you, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, as in the provocation, as the hart panteth after the water brooks, behold I stand at the door and knock, cleanse your hands ye sinners, come unto me, crapaud smoke we pipe, deepen my breath, desire the Lord with passion and sincerity, do whatever we want, draw nigh to God, early will I seek thee, faith, find rest unto your souls, for the living God, gladly grace our souls with peace and calm, God can only get as close as we allow Him to, God wants us to truly desire His presence in our lives, God will draw near to you, God's heart's desire, harden not your heart, he that abides in me and I in him, holy spirit, I am meek and lowly in heart, I am the vine ye are the branches, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, I will come into him, I will give you rest, if any man hear my voice and open the door, in a dry and thirsty land where no water is, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, Jesus is knocking at the door of our hearts, Jesus' great invitation, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, learn of me, LOVE, mercy, my burden light, my flesh longs for thee, my soul thirsteth for god, my soul thirsteth for thee, my yoke is easy, not to be used for our convenience, O God thou art my God, purify your hearts ye doubleminded, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, resist the devil and he will flee from you, salvation, seeking greater intimacy with God, serious repercussions, sincerely seeking God with all of our heart, slow my thoughts, so panteth my soul after thee O God, stay close to Jesus like white on rice, submit yourselves to God, take my yoke upon you, telling it like it is, thank you for this tenderness, the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, the message is urgent, the onus is on believers to seek God, the same bringeth forth much fruit, time to stop being stubborn and rebellious, today if ye will hear his voice, truth, When shall I come and appear before God, when ye shall search for me with all your heart, will sup with him and he with me, wisdom, without me ye can do nothing, ye shall seek me and find me, you are here with me, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Jeremiah 29:13. ‘And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’
The weekend’s here friends! It’s our lazy day Saturday and we can do whatever we want to do without fear of any serious repercussions…well some of us can! (smile) And in my area it’s flurrying which doesn’t give us any inclination to go out there unless we have to. So, hopefully, today we’ll simply stay inside and watch the flurries flutter and fall, while relaxing with a good book, or watching the tube, or just doing nothing at all.
And if you’re wondering why I am up so early on this lazy day Saturday, well, the truth is that I’ve been in bed for most of the night, trying to rest and get over this persistent cold that’s been bothering me all week. So I’m just tired resting now, and my back is protesting the large amount of lying down it’s been doing. So here we are up and about rather early.
But regardless of what we do or not do today, we must offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. So 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, that’s the kind of prayer our God really wants to hear from us. One seeking greater intimacy with Him, because that’s His heart’s desire, and therefore He will NEVER turn away such a sincere prayer, but will gladly grace our souls with the peace, calm and closeness we seek from Him. And there are several scriptures that emphasize seeking closeness with, drawing near to God or longing for His presence, and it’s all for our benefit.
So let’s look at a few of those verses, beginning with this one from James, that we all know, but don’t put into practice as much as we should. He admonishes his readers thus: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners: and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded.’ James 4:7-8) Yes friends, the onus is on us to clean up ourselves, inside and out, and draw near to God, for He is always there waiting for us to come to Him.
It’s like He says through the prophet Jeremiah: ‘And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:13) There again we see the emphasis on us seeking God, and not in any old way, but sincerely, with all of our heart. That’s the only way we will ever find Him, because God wants us to truly desire His presence in our lives, and not simply be used for our convenience.
And Jesus said it quite clearly when He spoke about the vine and the branches. ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:4-5) Now that’s telling it like it is! Without Jesus in us and we in Him, we are unable to do much of anything for the kingdom. That means we have to get close and stay close to Him like white on rice, or else crapaud smoke we pipe! (smile)
And we see the longing for God in many of the psalms like this one we all know by the Sons of Korah. ‘As the hart (deer) panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?’ (Ps. 42:1-2) Oh my people, that is how we are supposed to be seeking our wonderful God; panting for Him like the deer pants for water at the brooks. Not just a wishy-washy approach like so many of us have, and still expect to enjoy His many blessings.
Now listen to Bruh David as he declares in Psalm 63: ‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;’ (Ps. 63:1) Now tell me nuh, how many of us truly desire the Lord with such passion and sincerity eh? Not enough of us. But it’s by a deep passion and longing for God that we truly get to enjoy all the benefits of His grace and mercy.
And we cannot forget Jesus’ Great Invitation, where he faithfully promises: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Now why would Jesus offer such an invitation if He did not seriously care for us and desire great intimacy with those who truly seek Him. But again, we have to go to Him, to accept His invitation. He’s done all He can, the next move is now in our hands.
And if you still don’t believe that Almighty God seeks a deep relationship with us, then listen to this telling verse from Revelation, where Jesus declares: ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open up the door, I will come in to him, and will sup (dine) with him, and he with me.’ (Rev. 3:20) Oh friends, Jesus is always right there at our hearts, knocking on them seeking to come in and dine with us. All it takes is for us to open our hearts to Him, so that we can enjoy all the goodness and mercy He desires to share with us.
And we will end with is this exhortation from Hebrews: ‘Today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation (rebellion of the Israelites)’ (Heb. 3:15) Yes my people, the message is urgent; it’s time to stop being stubborn and rebellious, meaning today is the day that you let Jesus into your heart! Please do it if you hear Him knocking. It will be the wisest decision you’ve ever made. Much LOVE!
…God can only get as close to us…as we allow Him to…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
13 Sep 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sense of deep communication, according to the fruit of his doings, all my members were written, before you came out of the womb, blaspheme God, covered me in my mother's womb, curiously wrought, deepen my breath, desperately wicked, devilish times, divine scrutiny, faith, fearfully and wonderfully made, formed my inward parts, God is omniscient, God's holy purposes, heart throbs, hidden motives, hiding our true feelings and works from God, holy spirit, honour me with their lips, human motivations, I knew thee, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I sanctified you, I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, in all sincerity and truth, in thy book, in vain they do worship me, increase my awareness of you today, inner intentions, Jesus Christ, know you all the more, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, lead us into the arms of Christ, lie abed as late as possible, lip service, Lord I want to be with you now, LOVE, made in secret, man's sinful ways, marvellous are thy works, mercy, more lazing around, my soul knows that very well, my substance was not hid from thee, ordained thee a prophet, our entire being relaxes, outward actions, possessed my reins, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, salvation, seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, seeking intimacy with God, skillfully made, slow my thoughts, suffer the consequences, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men, test the minds, thank you for this tenderness, the heart is deceitful above all things, the tension drifts into outer space, their heart is far from me, their works are in the dark, this people draw near to me with their mouth, thou art acquainted with all my ways, to give every man according to his ways, to our detriment, truth, understand my thought afar off, when ye shall search for me with all your heart, who can know it, who sees us, wisdom, woe unto them, words of praise, wrought in the lowest parts of the earth, ye hypocrites, ye shall seek me and find me, you are here with me, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Jeremiah 29:13. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
And then it was our lazy-day Saturday! Thank You Lord! It’s the time to just lie abed as late as possible, then get up, have a cup of coffee, and retire to the couch for more lazing around. (smile) After five frustrating and draining days of work, we’ve earned the right to relax, to just be quiet and allow our bodies to catch themselves. And there’s no better way to accomplish that desired situation than by offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer.
So, with all sincerity and truth, let’s pray: ‘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 we say those simple words of praise and communion, we feel the peace and calm of the Lord just flowing into us and with a deep sigh, our entire being just relaxes, and all the tension of the past five days just drift right into outer space. (smile) Yes friends, that’s what seeking intimacy with our wonderful God can do!
Remember, that’s what He desires from us; that sense of deep and sincere communication. He says it very clearly in His Word, through the prophet Jeremiah. ‘And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:13) Now isn’t that a marvellous promise? It certainly is! But it requires seeking the Lord with all of our hearts. We cannot go seeking Him with just lip service and no heart throbs, for He will not answer us. And sadly, that’s what many of us are doing today, simply running to God with our mouths and asking for all sorts of unwise things, and when we don’t get them, we wonder why, and then bad talk and blaspheme the Lord.
But it’s like Jesus said to the Pharisees: ‘Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias (Isaiah) prophesy of you saying, This people draweth nigh (near) unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.’ (Matt. 15:7-9) Yes my fellow believers, unfortunately that’s very true of many of us in these dreadful and devilish times.
And I like this verse of promise from Isaiah’s prophesy. ‘Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?’ (Is. 29:15) Now that’s exactly how many of us behave; foolishly trying to hide our true feelings and works from the Lord. But remember our God is omniscient, all seeing, all knowing and wise as ever, so there’s nothing we can ever hide from Him.
Especially when He checks the motives of our hearts before He even considers our prayers. And He says it quite plainly through the prophet Jeremiah. ‘The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked (incurably sick): who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try (test) the reins (minds), even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.’ (Jer. 17:9-10)
And I like what this commentary says about that last verse: ‘It explains that God not only examines human motivations but also rewards individuals according to their deeds and the fruit of their actions. This divine scrutiny extends beyond outward actions to the inner intentions and thoughts of every person, revealing hidden motives and ensuring judgment aligns with their true desires and ways.’
Oh my brethren, we cannot get away from the close scrutiny of our all knowing God. He made us and knows exactly what we’re all about. And it’s like the Lord said to Jeremiah when He called him into ministry. ‘Before I formed thee in the belly (womb) I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee (set thee apart), and ordained (appointed) thee a prophet unto the nations.’ (Jer. 1:5) So the Lord knows what’s happening with us right from the very beginning.
It’s also like Bruh David says in that magnificent Psalm 139 – Praise to the All-Knowing God. ‘O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou comapsseth (comphendest) my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. …For thou hast possessed my reins (formed my inward parts): thou hast covered (weaved) me in my mother’s womb.
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right (very) well. My substance (bones) was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously (skillfully) wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect (unformed); and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned (the days fashioned for me) when as yet there was none of them.’ (Ps. 139:1-4; 13-16)
Oh my people, all of that just shows how our God is deeply involved in our creation even before we’re created. He doesn’t just create us, He plans it all out before putting it into action. That ought to tell us that there’s nothing we can hide from Him, nothing about us He doesn’t know, and nowhere we can go where He won’t find us. (Ps. 139:7-12) So why are we still foolishly trying to hide things from Him and escape His LOVING embrace eh? Who knows?
But it is certainly time to stop doing it, for it will only be to our detriment. Remember all the Lord is doing is not for Himself, but for us, and if we don’t show the proper wisdom and appreciation, we will have to suffer the consequences, which can be very heartrending. So, on this somewhat cloudy, lazy-day Saturday in mid-September, let’s seriously consider all we’ve said, and let it sincerely lead us into the arms of Christ, where we were created to be! Much LOVE!
…man was made by God…for God’s holy purposes…not for man’s selfish, sinful ways…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
22 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a source of strength and resilience within us, accept God's gifts, as a blood bought truth, be not afraid only believe, be of good cheer, bombarding us with carnal things, cling to every promise of scripture, comfort, distract us from our witness for Christ, duty bound, experience one disappointment too many, faith, fearful times, go and pray into me, God will not fail us, God will not renege on His promises, great faith, greater is he that is in you, guidance, help me to see a shimmer of hope, hold on, holy spirit, hope seems naive, hurry, i have overcome the world, I rpay to know somewhere in my soul, I will hearken unto you, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, in god's eyes, in me ye might have peace, in the name of Jesus, in the world ye shall have tribulation, In Touch Devotional, it takes work and faith on our part to believe, jaded moments, Jesus and Jairus, Jesus Christ, Jesus keeps all of His promises, life is not an easy road to hoe, listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, make it to the next day, mercy, move the world, nothing shall be impossible to you, on the hard days, one proviso, our Christian motto, prayers met with silence, refuge for our souls, remove and it shall remove, salvation, say unto this mountain, share His love with my neighbours, sincere prayer, something for a fool, surpasses all external forces, than he that is in the world, that it's safe to trust you, the beloved of God, the Christian life, the gospel truth, the power of God is stronger than the powers in the world, the rough and tumble times, these things I have spoken unto you, this earthly sojourn, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, turn to you, waiting in faith, when ye search for me with all your heart, whom we belong to, wisdom, with the whole wide world, worry, ye shall call upon me, ye shall seek me and find me
Mark 5:36b. Be not afraid, only believe.
So friends, it’s now Tuesday, we’ve successfully gotten past our nemesis, Monday, and are well on our way to a glorious week of work, all in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! What a blessing it is to have Jesus in our lives, to help us travel the ofttimes rocky road we call life. But even with Jesus in our lives, this earthy sojourn is still not any easy road to hoe, for all kinds of ungodly things and powers keep fighting for our attention, bombarding us with all sorts of carnal things, trying to distract us from our witness for Christ.
But that’s where sincere prayer comes in, it helps to quiet our souls, our worries and our fears. And today we’ll look at one such prayer from the July In Touch Devotional. So please pray with me. ‘Lord, when my prayers are met with silence or I experience one disappointment too many, hope seems naïve, something for a fool. In those jaded moments, I pray to know somewhere in my soul – deep, deep down – that it’s safe to trust You, God. On the hard days, help me to see a shimmer of hope and hold on, to turn to You and make it to the next day. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
And you know what friends, we all experience such days, especially in these fearful and crazy times our world is currently going through. But it’s worth noting that Jesus is our help in any and every situation, we just need to call on Him. But there’s one proviso, as stated in the Book of Jeremiah. ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:12-13)
Yes my people, we can’t only run to Jesus when life gets tough and forget about Him in the good times. We have to be continually having communion with Him, so that when those rough and tumble times come, we’re already in His presence and we don’t have to go searching for Him like crazy, as so many of us seem to do. And as long as we live, there will be problems, hurts, disappointments and all the other unfortunate moments of life. But let’s remember what Jesus said as per those times: ‘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)
Now that’s much easier said than done, but if you truly believe in Jesus, then you will know that He’s faithful to keep all His promises, but it also takes work and faith on our part to stay strong and believe His words. It all doesn’t happen automatically like so many supposed believers think. No! It’s a two way street. God has a part to play, and so do we, but until we do ours, God won’t do His. So all the promises in the Bible are sincere and true, but in most cases we have something to do to access them, like believing and waiting in faith.
Remember the incident with Jesus and Jairus, the Jewish synagogue ruler who came to Him seeking help for his sick daughter? As He was on His way to heal her, He got waylaid by the woman with the twelve years issue of blood. But as Jesus was talking to the woman, He overheard them tell Jairus that His daughter was dead. He immediately turned to Jairus and said, ‘Be not afraid, only believe.’ (Mark 5:36) And that ought to be our Chrisitan motto! Be not afraid, only believe, for when we do that, the powers of heaven align with us and take us through the tough times.
And I like how this commentary explains that verse. ‘So what does it mean for the Christian to not fear, but only believe? It means to cling to every promise of scripture as a blood bought truth and refuge for our souls. It means to trust that God will not fail us, that He will not prove to be deceptive, that He will not back out of His promises.’ And that’s the gospel truth my brethren! God will never renege on His promises, but we do need to hold on tightly to them, if we want to see them come true.
As Jesus said, ‘If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove (move); and nothing shall be impossible unto you.’ (Matt. 17:20) That means with even a small amount of faith, we can do great things and overcome seemingly impossible obstacles. So can you imagine what we can do with great faith? Not only move mountains but move the world!
Then there’s this final question: why do we think we have the Holy Spirit of God dwelling within us eh? It’s to give us power and faith and hope, comfort and guidance to live the Christian life! But there again, we need to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and do what it commands us if we expect to have divine intervention in our affairs. So friends, let’s wake up this Tuesday afternoon in late July of 2025, and realize that the enemy is bearing down on us with all he has, but we have the power to withstand him, if we choose to do so, for as John writes in his first epistle. ‘Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.’ (1 John 1:4)
More indisputable truth my people. The Holy Spirit that lives within us is greater than the devil that’s in the world! As this commentary explains: ‘The verse emphasizes that the power of God residing within believers is stronger than any worldly power or challenge. It suggests that those who believe in God have a source of strength and resilience within them that surpasses any external forces they may encounter.’ But we first need to believe and then work with the power within us for any of it to come true!
Now let’s go home declaring 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!’
Now, we’re duty bound to go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…God’s given us all we need to live the life He desires…but we must first accept His gifts…then put them into action…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Sunday afternoon stroll, an attitude of prayer, ask and it shall be given to you, be patient in tribulation, communication with God, continuing instant in prayer, deepen my breath, delve into God's Word, everyone that asks receives, everyone that seeks finds, eye-opening scripture, faith, for our benefit, frequent prayer, go and pray unto me, He spake a parable unto them to this end, holy spirit, I love them that love me, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I will hearken unto you, in Christ Jesus concerning you, in everything give thanks, in the face of adversity, in the morning, in the Spirit, increase my awareness of you today, intimacy with god, Jesus Christ, Jesus went out into a solitary place and prayed, knock and it shall be opened unto you, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, LOVE, maintain gratitude, make time to be intimate with our heavenly Father, meditate and pray, men ought always to pray and not faint, mercy, not lose heart, patient in tribulation, perseverance, pray without ceasing, praying always, put the word into action, quiet my soul, refreshing ourselves, rejoice evermore, rejoicing in hope, relax my muscles, relieve frustrations, rising up a great while before day, salvation, search for me with all your heart, seek and you shall find, slow my thoughts, spiritual success, thank you for this tenderness, the armour of God, the BIBLE, the Christian life, the wronged woman seeking justice from the unjust judge, then shall ye call upon me, this is the will of God in Christ, those that seek me early will find me, to everyone that knocks, to him that knocks it shall be opened, truth, watching thereunto, wisdom, with all perseverance and supplication for all saints, with prayer and supplication, ye shall seek me and find me
Luke 18:1. And he (Jesus) spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).
And finally we come to another Saturday, our lazy-day Saturday, where we dare to lie about doing as little as possible, in the opening rounds of refreshing our tired selves and spirits from a mediocre and unpleasant week. And the best way to begin relieving our frustrations is by offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer in all sincerity and truth.
So, as one strong voice, let’s pray. ‘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 there’s nothing better at relieving frustrations than seeking intimacy with our heavenly Father, because it lightens our spirits and renews our souls. Remember that eye-opening scripture we read yesterday from the prophet Jeremiah? ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:12-13)
Yes friends, anytime we’re disheartened, discouraged, fearful, worried, lost or even just tired, the best way to relieve our anxieties is by sincerely seeking Jesus in prayer with all of our hearts. souls, bodies and minds. Cousin Sol also offer his two cents worth on the subject in Proverbs, when he writes of the Lord: ‘I LOVE them that LOVE me; and those that seek me early (diligently) shall find me.’ (Prov. 8:17)
This brings to mind this ever so important verse of the Bible, where it says: ‘And he (Jesus) spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).’ (Luke 18:1) Then He told them about the wronged woman who kept seeking justice from the unjust judge, until he finally got tired of her and gave her the justice she desired and deserved. And prayer, sincere and steadfast must always be number one in our lives.
Look at how often Jesus prayed. Before and after almost every event He went away by Himself to pray, to seek intimacy, strength, renewal and direction from the Father. And this scripture verse on the subject just touches my heart. Mark writes: ‘And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he (Jesus) went out, and departed into a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.’ (Mark 1:35)
Now, if Jesus, the Son of God, thought it necessary to make time to be in the Father’s presence, how much more do we, miserable and sinful creations that we are, need to make time to be intimate with our heavenly Father eh? Much, much more! And there are a number of scriptures that do encourage, admonish and exhort us to pray.
So let’s look at a few of them now nuh, beginning with this famous one from Jesus: ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.’ (Matt. 7:7-8)
And the scholars offer this explanation of those verses. ‘The three imperatives, ask, seek, knock are in the present tense of the original language, suggesting both perseverance and frequent prayer. Fervent and continual prayer is to be made on behalf of those for whom we are concerned. God promises to answer all genuine prayer (vs. 8). Everything we need for spiritual success has been promised to us. God leaves us no excuse for failure.’ And that’s something we ought to grab hold of and hold on to quite tightly: we have no excuses for spiritual failure, because God has already given us what we need, and shown us the way to succeed.
Now here is another verse of scripture that encourages us to pray, from Bruh Paul to the Romans. When talking about overcoming evil with good, he says a part of our behaviour to enable us to do that, must be: ‘Rejoicing in hope, patient (persevering) in tribulation; continuing instant (steadfastly) in prayer.’ (rom. 12:12)
Then to the Ephesians, when talking about the armour of God, Bruh Paul ends with this most important verse. ‘Praying always with prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for the saints.’ (Eph. 6:18) What he’s saying there is that despite all the godly armour you might have on, prayer is still very important, for without it, the armour won’t work.
And finally, to the Thessalonians, Bruh Paul exhorts them thus: ‘Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:16-18) Yuh see how he throws in that li’l gem in the middle: ‘Pray without ceasing.’ The scholars tell us that means we ought always to have an attitude of prayer, although we might not be praying audibly, and that constant attitude of prayer will help us to maintain gratitude in the face of adversity.
No friends, living the Christian life is not easy, definitely not a Sunday afternoon stroll in the park,, but as we saw earlier on, our wonderful God has given us everything we need to live the successful Christian life, so it’s all up to us to delve into His word, meditate and pray on it, then put it into action in our lives. And there’s no better time to begin doing that than right now. So, let’s take some time on this lazy-day Saturday, the first one in July of 2025, and spend it in true and sincere intimacy with our marvellous God. That can only be to our benefit! Much LOVE!
…without prayer…there’s no communication with God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: anxious, be of good courage, blessed is the man that trusts in God, crucifixion of christ, desperately wicked, Easter Saturday, empty words, ensure our hearts are right and sincere, faith, go and pray unto me, good advice, greater intimacy with God, holy spirit, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I test the most secret parts, I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, I will hearken unto you, impatient, increase my awareness of you today, incurably sick, Jesus Christ, Joseph of Arimathea, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, like a tree planted by the rivers of water, look not on his countenance, LOVE, make a positive difference, man looks on the outward appearance, mercy, on the height of his stature, outward doings, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, rise in victory, salvation, seek God with all thy heart, sincere prayer, slow my thoughts, strengthen thine heart, thank you for this tenderness, the death knell of Satan, the fatal blow, the heart is deceitful above all things, the imminent demise of Satan, the joyful expectation, the Lord looks on the heart, the Lord sees not as man sees, the waiting kills us, these things understood not the disciples, to give every man according to his ways, to the fruit of his doings, truth, wait I say on the Lord, wait on the Lord, who can know it, wisdom, ye shall call upon me, ye shall seek me and find me, you search for me with all your heart, your love surrounds and fills me
1 Samuel 16:7b. for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.
Oh my people, it’s Easter Saturday and the waiting ensues. Christ was crucified and buried yesterday, so today we wait with bated breath for the upcoming miraculous transformation. Like a butterfly waits for its chrysalis (hard outer shell) to crack and allow it to spread its beautiful wings and fly, so too, we wait for Jesus to arise majestically and victoriously from the grave. While alive, He sounded the imminent demise, the death knell of Satan, hell, death and the grave, and He finally applies the fatal blow in His death! And all of God’s people shouted a loud and grateful, ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ in glorious expectation.
Yes friends, it’s ofttimes the waiting that kills us; we know that something good is coming, or about to happen, but we get so anxious and impatient that we lose the joyful expectation of what’s to happen. That’s why Bruh David so wisely advises us in Psalm 27: ‘Wait (expectantly, in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (expectantly, with faith), I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:14) And that’s good advice my brethren this Holy, lazy-day Saturday (smile) that’s fairly warm, but looks rather cloudy and dreary.
But re the waiting, yuh know what? We’re in a much better position than those early believers who watched Jesus crucified on the cross, then buried in the wealthy Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb. Why? Because we know that on the third day, He will rise again in victory! But the early Christians did not pay a lot of attention, or even understand when He mentioned that amazing situation as His time wound down. And at the actual crucifixion they were too afraid and terrified to remember such a seemingly inconspicuous incident.
The gospel of Mark tells that Jesus, after casting out a dumb and deaf spirit from a child, ‘And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it (didn’t want anybody to know). For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is (being) delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise again the third day. But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.’ (Mark 9:30-32) So it was no surprise that they were terrified at Christ’s death wondering what would happen to them.
And as John says after Jesus’ marvellous kingly entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. ‘These things understood not his disciples at first: but when Jesus was glorified (resurrected and ascended), then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.’ (John 12:16) But we know better because it happened long ago and was written down for our benefit. And to help us wait with faith, 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!’
And we know that if our prayer was sincere then our spirits will soon be much calmer and more peaceful that they were before. That’s because our God just LOVES it when we come to Him seeking greater intimacy, and simply cannot refuse our requests. That’s why we have these verses from Jeremiah to remind us of the fact. ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:12-13)
Yes friends, it says it right there in spades; when we seek God with all of our heart, we will find Him, and He will listen to our prayer. Now, that can mean sometimes our prayers are not heard, or not answered because we didn’t seek God with our whole heart. As Jesus said when lambasting the Pharisees for their hypocrisy. ‘Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias (Isaiah) prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh (near) unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.’ (Matt. 15:7-8) And Isaiah did prophecy that in Chapter 29:13-16)
However, with the world having become as material and carnal as it currently is, no doubt many of us fall into that same trap; turning to God, with only our lips and mouths, while our hearts are far from Him. That obviously won’t get us anywhere with Him, for it’s our hearts He looks at, not our outward show, or the insincere words we mouth. And we have at least two examples of the Lord saying this.
First, when He sent the prophet Samuel to Jesse’s house to anoint the next king of Israel, Samuel saw Eliab, who looked physically great and thought that he must be the one. ‘But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused (rejected) him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.’ (1 Sam. 16:7)
Then, when the prophet Jeremiah talks about blessed is the man that trusts in God, and he shall be like a fruitful tree planted by waters, etc. etc. (Jer. 17:7-8) he also says these very astute and mindful words. ‘The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked (incurably sick): who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins (test the most secret parts), even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings (deeds).’ (Jer. 17:9-10)
Yes my fellow believers, this lazy-day Holy Saturday, appears to be a very appropriate one to remember that the Lord looks at our hearts and not our outward doings or empty words, and therefore when we turn to Him, let’s ensure that our hearts are right and sincere. For that could make a whole lot of positive difference in our lives! Much LOVE!
…sincerity is one of the most valued of Christian attributes…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a chosen generation, a kindom of priests, a people set apart to proclaim God's praises, a royal priesthood, above all peapole, an holy nation, be a peculiar treasure unto me, believers are distinct from the world, believers have access to god, bring us back to God, brought you unto myself, christianity, church attendance is declining, contemplating God, deepen my breath, do all to the glory of God, established it upon the floods, every beast of the forest is mine, faith, for your unceasing nearness, God's sovereignty over creation, grace, greater communion and intimacy, he hath founded it upon the seas, holy spirit, I bare you on eagles' wings, I may know you all the more, I praise you, I want to be with you now, If I were hungry, if I were hunry I would not tell thee, in time past, increase my awareness of you today, into his marvellous light, Jesus Christ, keep my covenant, keeping us close to God, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, lifting our spirits, live a life of holiness, LOVE, many are turning away from God, meditiating on God's word, mercy, now have obtained mercy, now the people of God, obey my voice, our Controller, our Creator, our earthly purpose, our Provider, our Saviour, proclaim God's greatness, quiet my soul, reflecting God's character, relax my muscles, salvation, seek Him with a sincere heart, seen what I did to the Egyptians, share the light of the gospel, show forth the praises, sincerity and truth, slow my thoguhts, thank you for this tenderness, the BIBLE, the cattle upon a thousand hills, the earth is mine, the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the Lord enjoys sincere communion with man, the Lord revels in it, the ultimate owner and ruler of the earth, the unique status of believers, the wild beasts of the field are mine, the world and they that dwell therein, the world is mine and the fullness thereof, tied to wickedness and evil, too busy seeking the wealth of the world, truth, were not a people, whatsoever you do, when ye search for me with all your heart, who called you out of darkness, wisdom, with everything we have, with our heavenly father, ye shall seek me and find me, you can't be contained, your love surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Psalm 24:1. The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
And the first Saturday in April has turned out to be wet, cloudy and chilly, but that only makes it an excellent lazy-day Saturday, one made for lazing around, especially if you don’t have to go out in the dreary weather. (smile) Or, here’s an even better alternative; spending time contemplating God, and meditating on His Word. What could be better than that eh? Nothing! For it serves the wonderful purpose of lifting our spirits and keeping us close to Him.
And if you haven’t been doing that as yet, let’s begin right now nuh, by offering 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!’
Now, that’s certainly a start toward greater communion and intimacy with our heavenly Father, something that He simply revels in. I can’t tell how you much the Lord enjoys sincere communion with His creation, especially when they come seeking Him with a sincere heart. Remember what He says in the Book of Jeremiah? ‘And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:13) Oh my faithful brethren, it could not be said any plainer or clearer than that! The Lord greatly desires us to come seeking Him with all of our hearts. minds, bodies and souls; with everything we have!
But, unfortunately, too many of us have not been doing that in this last generation because we’ve been too busy seeking instead the ways and wealth of this evil and ungodly world. No wonder church attendance is declining, and numerous people are foolishly turning away from God, from our Creator and Controller, our Provider and Saviour! That’s not very wise eh, when He still controls the whole universe that He created. Remember how Bruh David puts in Psalm 24: ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods (rivers).’ (Ps. 24:1-2)
That says it all friends! It’s a declaration of God’s sovereignty over creation, and signifies that Jehovah God is the ultimate owner and ruler of the earth and everything in and on it. The psalmist Asaph, also makes that definitive statement in Psalm 50 – God Will Judge – when talking about the Lord not needing sacrifices. He writes of God, saying: ‘For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls (birds) of the mountains:; and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.’ (Ps. 50:10-12)
Now, Bruh Paul also reiterated that truth in his first letter to the church at Corinth. In talking about what one should eat or drink, he says: ‘For the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof.’ (1 Cor. 10:26) Then concludes by saying: ‘Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.’ (1 Cor. 10:31) Now that’s excellent advice. And how I hope and pray that we would take it, because it would turn us and our world right around in such an amazing manner and bring us back to God where we belong.
And although I’ll keep on praying for that, I won’t hold my breath waiting for it to happen, because so many of us are so tied to wickedness and evil that it would take all the power of God to pry us lose. (smile) Anyway, getting back to the Lord owning the earth and all that’s in it, that statement was first made long, long ago by Moses to the Israelites in the third month of their freedom from slavery in Egypt, when they came into the wilderness of Mt. Sinai. Moses went up the mountain and the Lord spoke to him.
‘Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare (sustained) you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar (special) treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.’ (Ex.19:3-6)
And with the coming of Jesus and His sacrificial death on the cross, that now includes us Gentiles, or anybody who chooses to believe that Christ is their Lord and Saviour, as Peter says in his first epistle. ‘But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar (special) people; that ye should shew forth praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.’ (1 Pet. 2:9-10)
Oh friends, how wonderful it is to now be one of God’s chosen, receiving mercy and grace and all the other good things that comes to us because of Christ’s sacrifice! And this commentary further explains: ‘In 1 Peter 2:9, the New Testament describes believers as “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people”. This phrase, rooted in the Old Testament concept of Israel as a holy nation, emphasizes believers’ unique status and purpose as a people set apart to proclaim God’s praises.’
Then it gives a more detailed explanation of the various terms. “A chosen generation”: This refers to believers being selected by God, distinct from the world. “A royal priesthood”: This signifies that believers are not just ordinary people, but have access to God and can serve as mediators between Him and others. “A holy nation”: This phrase, originating in the Old Testament (Exodus 19:6), emphasizes that believers are to be set apart and live a life of holiness, reflecting God’s character.
“A peculiar people”: This term, while sometimes misunderstood, means “a people belonging to God,” emphasizing their unique identity and purpose. “That ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light”: This phrase underscores the purpose of believers: to proclaim God’s greatness and share the light of the Gospel with the world.’
Now, we can’t say that we don’t know our purpose here on earth. (smile) So please, let’s begin to fully live up to it nuh, as the Lord desires and our world desperately needs! Much LOVE!
…the Lord created everything and everybody…He controls everything and everybody…and eventually He’ll do as He pleases…with everything and everybody…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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