October 11, 2019

OUR FORTRESS

2 Samuel 22:2-3

And he sang:
“O Lord, my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
My God will be my guardian, in whom I will trust;
My defender and the horn of my salvation,
My protector and the refuge of my salvation;
You will save me from unrighteousness.”

Encouraging Words

David had just escaped an attempt on his life by the king and his armies. His response is not one that is typical of so many of us. He chose to proclaim the glory of his God, our God. God is our rock, our fortress, our deliverer, our guardian. We can trust Him, trust Him for our life and our every need. God is our defender, our salvation, our protector, and our refuge. He and only He will save us from the unrighteousness around us. Glory be to God!

October 9, 2019

OUTWARD APPEARANCE

1 Samuel 16:7

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Have no regard for his outward appearance, nor for the maturity of his stature, because I have refused him. For man does not see as God sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord sees into the heart.”

Personal Challenge

Samuel had been given the task of selecting the next king of Israel. He was directed toward the family of Jesse who had eight sons. Samuel started by selecting the son that he thought looked like the most kingly material. He did like so many of us do with people in our lives. He looked at the outward appearance of this young man. But God had other plans. God knew that David, the youngest of the brothers and a mere shepherd boy was the one who should be the next king. God was looking at his heart and not his external appearances. The challenge for us here is to strive to see the heart of those around us and not just their external appearances. Glory be to God!

October 8, 2019

BEHOLD!

1 Samuel 15:22

Then Samuel said, “If only the desired whole burnt offerings and desired sacrifices were equal to the Lord, as compared to one who heeds the voice of the Lord! Behold! Hearing is better than a good sacrifice and obedience than the fat of rams.”

Personal Challenge

It is so easy to get caught up in rituals and traditions and then forget the entire reason for doing them. In the day of Samuel they had sacrifices and offerings. In the day of Jesus, they still had these rituals but they also had a myriad of other rituals piled on top of that. Today we have our celebratory worships, our liturgies, our fasting, our Bible study times, and the list goes on and on. What we end up doing, all too often, is doing the ritual for the sake of the ritual and then living our lives as if God does not exist. Samuel reminds us that God wants our hearts, our minds, and our souls to be poured into Him, loving Him, and loving our neighbor. He wants our hearts more than He wants us practicing rituals about Him in our lives. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

October 7, 2019

MY HEART IS STRENGTHENED

1 Samuel 2:1-2

And she said:

“My heart is strengthened in the Lord;
My horn is exalted in my God.
I smile at my enemies;
I rejoice in Your salvation.
Because no one is holy like the Lord,
No one is righteous like our God,
No one is holy but You.”

Encouraging Words

Hannah is another one of the special characters in the Old Testament. Like many of the other women in the Old Testament for their great faith, she went late into her life with no children. Then God answered her prayers and gave her a son, Samuel. Samuel, who would later become a great profit. Samuel, the man that this book is named after. In her exuberance and joy, she prayed the prayer that these two verses start. We too should pray prayers of jubilation when we see God's mighty hand at work in our lives. Glory be to God!

October 6, 2019

THE LORD HAD DEPARTED

Judges 16:20

And Delilah said, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” So he awoke from his sleep and said, “I will go out as before, and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him.

Personal Challenge

We are so blessed to live in the new covenant where Jesus has promised to never leave us or forsake us. However, it is still possible for us to harden our hearts toward Him to a point where we no longer see or feel His presence in our lives. The story of Samson shows us the process that we can go through to get to this point where it looks like God has departed from us. Sampson was set apart for God. He had lived a life where he was extremely blessed by God and did great and wonderful things for Him. But then he started acting as if he had done these things on his own and began to leave God out of the equation. That was the first step. Then he fell in love with Delilah, a woman that was an enemy of God. We do this by falling in love with things of the world that are contrary to God. It could be a person. It could be stuff. It could be a cause. But if it is not of God, it is against Him. Finally, he gave his heart, his allegiance to Delilah and turned his heart away from his first love, God. When he did this, and when we do this, God is no longer there with us or better stated, we are no longer there with Him. That is when disaster ensues. The answer to this is to constantly be running back to God and seeking His presence in our lives. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

October 5, 2019

Saint of the Week

St. Silouan the Athonite

October 4, 2017

CHECK, IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE

Judges 7:9-11

On that same night the Lord said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have delivered it into your hand. But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant. Listen to what they shall say, and afterward your hands shall be strong and you shall then go down into the camp.” And he went down with Purah his servant to the edge of the camp of the fifty.

Encouraging Words

The story of Gideon continues as God tries to convince him that He will guide him and his army to victory over the Midianite oppressors. But once again, God does not do this as we, mankind, would expect. Gideon calls for volunteers to join his army and 32,000 men step up. But God says, "No! This is too many." They go through a process of elimination and end up with 300 men. However, the text says that the Midian army was as many as the sands of the sea. This is a large enemy. Why would God do this? He did this so that all of the credit would go to Him and not to any man or group of people. And of course, Gideon was still skeptical, so God told him to sneak down to the enemies camp and see for himself, why he had nothing to fear. The rest is... His story. Glory be to God!

October 3, 2019

MIGHTY ONE

Judges 6:12

And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, mighty one of the armies!”

Personal Challenge

How would you feel if you were Gideon? The Israelites had been under oppression by the Midianites. Their land and the fruit thereof had been taken away. If you were caught trying to gather food you were persecuted or killed. So Gideon found a way to get some grain and thresh it in a winepress so that no one would see him. While there, this Angel of the Lord (pre-incarnate Jesus) shows up and calls him, "mighty one of the armies." I think I would be thinking, "who are you kidding!" How often do we shrink away from the oppressions in our lives in fear that we will never be able to make it through them? How often do we read in the scriptures that God is there with us, but let the burdens of the world overtake our belief in God? God is with us! God does want us to be the mighty ones of His army and will equip us for that role, but we must trust Him and follow Haha. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

October 2, 2019

BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS

Joshua 1:6-9

“Be strong and courageous, for you will divide this land which I swore to your fathers to give them. Be strong, therefore, and courageous to guard yourself and to do as Moses My servant commanded you; then you will not turn away from them, to the right nor to the left. In this way, you will have understanding in whatever you do. The book of this law shall not depart from your mouth, and you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may have the understanding to do all the things written therein. Then you will both prosper, make your ways prosperous, and have understanding. Behold, I have commanded you. Be strong and courageous. Do not be cowardly or fearful, for the Lord your God is with you in all things, wherever you go.”

Encouraging Words

Our God is with us wherever we go and in whatever we do. He never departs from us, even when we attempt to abandon Him. We get our strength and courage from Him. But we do not get this on our own accord. As God instructed Joshua, He instructs us. We must study those who have gone before us and learn from them. We must feed upon the teachings of God just as we feed upon food to sustain our bodies. We do not become strong and courageous in a vacuum. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

October 1, 2019

GOD IS WITH US

Joshua 1:5

No man shall be able to oppose you all the days of your life, and as I was with Moses, thus I will be also with you. I will not forsake you nor disregard you.

Encouraging Words

Jesus told His disciples, and ultimately us, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" This was not the first time that this promise was given to God's people. Joshua was challenged multiple times to be strong and courageous. That challenge was always followed by the promise that God will be with him. We too can claim that promise. Glory be to God!

September 30, 2019

HE GOES BEFORE US

Deuteronomy 31:8

“But the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not be afraid, nor be terrified.”

Encouraging Words

If we truly believe that our God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, then we can claim this promise that He made to the Jewish nation. We are not alone in our journey through life. We have a God that loves us, cares for us, and is actively involved in every aspect of our lives. Glory be to God!

September 28, 2019

Saint of the Week

St. Nektarios of Aegina

September 27, 2019

BE VALIANT AND STRONG

Deuteronomy 31:6
“Be valiant and strong, do not fear nor be afraid of them, nor be terrified before them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes before you and with you and among you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

Encouraging Words

We are never alone. God is always with us and ready to protect us as we go through this difficult and challenging world. He is serious when He tells us to be valiant and strong and to not fear our enemy. This is a living, active faith that shows that we love and trust Him. We can trust His promises to us. Glory be to God!

September 26, 2019

SECRETS REVEALED

Deuteronomy 29:28

The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Encouraging Words

The truths of God have always been kept for those who love Him and follow Him. He reveals enough of His truths to all of His creation in order to draw us to Himself. Beyond those basic, fundamental truths, He chooses to reveal more as we become more His children. Glory be to God!

September 21, 2019

Saint of the Week

St. Cyril of Alexandria

September 20, 2019

WHAT DOES GOD REQUIRE

Deuteronomy 10:12-13

“So now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord your God and His ordinances I command you today for your good?”

Personal challenge

What does God want from us? In this Old Testament passage, the answer to this question is provided. Fear God. Walk in all His ways. Love Him. Serve Him with all of our heart and soul. Keep His commandments and ordinances. Jesus summed this all up in His two command­ments to love God and love our neighbor. If we do this then we are doing what God requires. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

September 19, 2019

OUR STRENGTH

Deuteronomy 8:18

Then you shall remember the Lord your God, for He it is who gives you strength, that you may gain power, and He may establish His covenant the Lord swore to your fathers, as it is today.

Personal Challenge

Sometimes we get so busy in our lives that we forget that God should be a part of our life. Sometimes it is the pressures and challenges of life that cause this disconnect. And then, through God's patiently waiting for us to include Him, we remember that He is there and He gives us the strength that we need. How much different our lines would be if we always kept Him at the forefront of our every thought and action. Glory be to God!