February 27, 2020

HE HEEDED ME

Psalms 39:1-4 (40:1-3)

I waited patiently for the Lord, and He heeded me
And He heard my supplication,
And brought me up out of a miserable pit
And from miry clay;
And He established my feet on a rock
And kept straight my steps.
He put a new song in my mouth,
A hymn to our God;
Many will see and be afraid,
And shall hope in the Lord.

Encouraging Words

I love how the Psalms have so many verses the remind us how much God loves us and takes care of us. The Psalmist had the promise of the Messiah to keep him going day after day. We have the blessing of the Messiah who has come to keep us going. God does heed us, especially if we wait patiently for Him and prepare our hearts and minds for Him. He hears our supplications and lifts us up out of the mire and mud of this earthly life. He sets our feet on the solid rock of His Son and leads our way through life. He gives us a new song to sing for Him. He is our hope. Glory be to God!

February 25, 2020

WHAT IS MY PATIENCE?

Psalms 38:8 (39:7)

And now what is my patience?
Is it not the Lord?
And my support is from You.

Encouraging Words

All of my life I have perceived patience as something that I can work on in my own life. It has actually been a skill pursued or a way of being that certainly, I could master. But today as I read this passage, I have for the first time, seen patience in a totally different light. To truly find patience in our lives we need to stop looking within ourselves and look to our Lord. If we turn over everything in our lives to Him and look to His patience to be played out in our lives we will see patience manifested. Throughout this process. We will see God's support in our lives. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

February 24, 2020

OUR STEPS

Psalms 36:22-24 (37:23-24)
For those who bless Him shall inherit the earth,
But those who curse Him shall be utterly destroyed.
The steps of a man are guided aright by the Lord,
And he shall desire His way.
When he falls, he shall not be broken to pieces,
For the Lord supports him with His hand.

Encouraging Words

God loves us so much that He gave up His only Son for us. He loves us so much that through the work of His Son we are adopted into His family as sons and daughters of God. That is how we can inherit the earth. In that God-emitting love, our steps are guided and our desire becomes the desire to follow His way. In God's love we will not be broken when we stumble and fall for He supports us in the palm of His hand. Glory be to God!

February 23, 2020

THE JUST MAN

Psalms 36:16-19 (37:16-19)

Better the little with the just man
Than the great riches of sinners;
For the arms of sinners shall be shattered,
But the Lord supports the righteous.
The Lord knows the ways of the blameless,
And their inheritance shall be forever.
They shall not be ashamed in an evil time,
And in days of famine they shall be filled.

Personal Challenge

It really does make a difference in who we choose to spend our time with. We can choose to spend our time with those who are not godly people, but who have great riches and make for good parties. But in so doing so our rewards and blessings will be fleeting and fade away quickly. If however, we choose to fellowship and socialize with those who do not have great earthly wealth but are godly and righteous people, then we will see the blessings that they have in eternal blessings and wealth. We are affected by those whom we choose to speed time. We can be either cursed or blessed by their presence. The question is, "Are we blessings to those who choose to be with us?" Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

February 22, 2020

Saint of the Week

St. Isaac the Syrian

February 21, 2020

WHO ARE WE WATCHING?

Psalms 36:7 (37:7)

Submit to the Lord, and supplicate Him;
Do not be envious of him who prospers in his way,
Nor of him who transgresses the law.

Personal Challenge

We are told here to not be envious of the person who prospers in his ways, nor of him who does evil things and gets away with it. How do we do this? We do this by submitting ourselves, our desires and passions, our will, to our Lord and supplicating to Him. If our eyes are on Him we will not be watching the other person and envious of Him. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

February 20, 2020

HOPE, WORK, DWELL, DELIGHT, AND REVEAL

Psalms 36:3-5 (37:3-5)

Hope in the Lord, and work goodness;
Dwell in the land, and you shall be nurtured by its riches.
Delight in the Lord,
And He will give you the requests of your heart.
Reveal your way to the Lord,
And hope in Him; and He will do it.

Commands with Promises

Living a Christ-centered, God-blessed life is a life of action. Christian is a verb, not a noun. If we desire to see many of the promises of God manifested in our lives, then we must be actively living for Him. What are some of these promises? Being nurtured by the riches of God's land, His kingdom. Being given the requests of our hearts that we lay down before Him. Receiving that which we hope for in Him and in His will. Glory be to God!

February 19, 2020

MERCY MULTIPLIED

Psalms 35:8 (36:7)

How You multiply Your mercy, O God!
The sons of men shall hope under the shelter of Your wings.

Encouraging Words

God's mercy is not just a one-time thing that is given to us. He pours it out on us over and over. Every breath we take, every beat of our heart, every blessing in our lives is rooted in His merciful love for us. This is why we can put our hope in Him and seek shelter under His wings.

February 18, 2020

DO NOT BE FAR FROM ME

Psalms 34:22-23 (35:22-23)

You saw this, O Lord; do not keep silence;
O Lord, do not be far from me.
Arise, O Lord, attend to my judgment,
My God and my Lord, to my cause.

Encouraging Words

Our God is always near to us, it is us that wander away from us. He does not keep silent in our lives, it is us that become deaf to His whispers and teachings. He is always there to defend our cause, as long as our cause is in alignment with His, which comes about as we spend more and more time with Him, seeking His face and His will. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner and the Wanderer.

February 17, 2020

THE BROKENHEARTED

Psalms 33:19 (34:18)

The Lord is near those who are brokenhearted,
And He will save the humble in spirit.

Encouraging Words

Have you ever wondered why we as a human race always seem to root for the underdog? Maybe this verse gives us a glimpse into that. God knows that life in this fallen, the temporal world is difficult and often heartbreaking. He is near the brokenhearted for He knows that they need His comfort. He also knows that some­times the only way that we will learn to draw close to Him in humility is by having our heartbroken, revealing to us just how much we need Him. God is love! God is merciful! God is near us when we are brokenhearted. Glory be to God!

February 16, 2020

DESIRING LIFE

Psalms 33:13-16 (34:12-15)
Who is the man who desires life,
Who loves to see good days?
Keep your tongue from evil,
And your lips from speaking deceit.
Shun evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it.
The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous,
And His ears are open to their supplications.

Command With a promise

Don't we all desire life, a full and abundant life? Wouldn't we all love to see good days in our lives? We are given some guide­lines, or commandments, here to follow so that we can receive these things. Keep our tongue from evil, don't speak deceitfully, shun evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it. These are the things that we must do every day, every moment of our lives, and by doing this, living this way, we will see good days in our lives. Glory be to God!

February 15, 2020

Saint of the Week

St. Maximus the Confessor

February 13, 2020

OH, TASTE AND SEE

Psalms 33:8-12 (34:7-11)

The Angel of the Lord shall encamp around those who fear Him,
And He will deliver them.
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who hopes in Him.
Fear the Lord, you His saints,
For there is no want for those who fear Him.
Rich men turned poor and went hungry;
But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.
Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

Encouraging Words

What does it mean to fear the Lord? It is important to understand this in order for us to appreciate all that we will be able to taste and see in our relationship with Him. Fearing the Lord does not mean that we cower in His presence like some poor puppy that has been beaten into submission by an abusive owner. It does not mean that we act out of fear like in the presence of a mean bully. God is not abusive. God is not angry. God is not set on punishing us for every mistake we make. The fear that is referred to here is all about being in awe about the Lord who holds all of creation in the palm of His hand. It is about revering and respecting Him for who He is. Fear of the Lord is ultimately total love for Him. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

February 12, 2020

BLESS THE LORD

Psalms 33:1 (34:2)

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Personal Challenge

Do we ever have tough and challenging times in our lives? Yes, we all do. Are any of those times life-threatening? Yes, sometimes they are. Do we bless the Lord and praise Him in those times? Not always and sometimes not at all. We must remember to always take the time to bless and praise our Lord! Glory be to God!

February 11, 2010

OUR HOPE

Psalms 32:22 (33:22)

Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us,
As we hope in You.

Encouraging Words

Do we desire mercy in our lives? Do we long for peace and joy? There is only one place where we can find this. It is in the arms of our loving God. He is the one that we put our hope in. He is the one that we can trust. He is the one who gives us mercy, joy, and peace. Glory be to God!

February 10, 2020

THE EYES OF THE LORD

Psalms 32:18 (33:18)

Behold, the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him,
On those who hope in His mercy,

Encouraging Words

Why is that when so many of us hear that the eyes of the Lord are on us, that we immediately go to the concern that He is looking for every opportunity to punish us? Is it because we feel guilty in our actions and thoughts? Is it because that is the image that we have of God, a mean, angry judgmental God? Or is it because we know God well enough that we know that in His presence all that we can do is fall on our face in awe of who He is and in trembling trepidation of who we are. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

February 9, 2020

THE WAY OF UNDERSTANDING

Psalms 31:8 (32:8)

I will give you understanding, and I will teach you in the way you should walk;
I will fix My eyes on you.

Encouraging Words

One of the things that we must always remember when we read the promises that God makes to us is the context of the promise. God promises us here that He will give us understanding and teach us the way that we should walk. He is not promising us earthly understanding, but His Godly wisdom that transcends this temporal earth. If we are looking for understanding and wisdom that will only fit our desires and our passions, then we will miss out on the heavenly understanding that He is giving us. If we are looking only for clarity for our earthly path then we will not see the eternal path that He wants to teach us about and lead us on. We must learn to live and think in His context to truly get it. Everything in our life needs to be about Him and not about us. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

February 8, 2020

Saint of the Week

St. John Chrysostom

February 7, 2020

LOVE THE LORD

Psalms 30:24-25 (31:23-24)
Love the Lord, all you His saints,
For the Lord seeks out truth,
And He repays those who act with great arrogance.
Be courageous, and let your heart be strengthened,
All who hope in the Lord.

Personal Challenge

It is one thing to proclaim that we are a child of God but is entirely a different thing to love Him above all else in our lives, including our very existence. If we love Him this much, then our lives will be different. The things of this world will no longer attract our attention. Our actions will reflect God and His love for us. I know that I have so far to go on this journey of life to love Him that much. Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

February 6, 2020

IN YOU, O LORD

Psalms 30:1-6 (31:1-5)

In You, O Lord, I hope; may I not be ashamed forever;
In Your righteousness deliver and rescue me.
Incline Your ear to me;
Rescue me speedily;
Be to me a God who protects me,
And a house of refuge to save me.
For You are my strength and my refuge,
And for Your name's sake You will guide and sustain me;
For You will bring me out from the snare they hid for me;
For You are my protector.
Into Your hands I shall entrust my spirit;
You redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.

Personal Challenge

We live in a society that prides itself on being full of self-starters, self-sufficient men, and women. It is no wonder why so many people act as if God does not exist. If we believe that we can do everything by ourselves, then we will ultimately believe that there is no God that holds everything together. I choose to side with the Psalmist on this and proclaim that it is "In you, O Lord, I hope." I am nothing without God. I am helpless and bare without God. But I am everything when I am willingly in His hands. Glory be to God!

February 5, 2020

LAMENTATION INTO DANCING

Psalms 29:12-13 30:11-12)

You turned my lamentation into dancing for me;
You tore up my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
That my glory may sing praise to You,
And not be pierced with sadness;
O Lord my God, I shall give thanks to You forever.

Encouraging Words

Our God only wants the best for us. He is not some great punisher in the sky eagerly waiting for us to mess up so that He can punish or. He loves us. He gave His Son for us. When we truly embrace how much He loves us, we too will see our lamentations turn into dancing and our sackcloth of mourning torn up and replaced with gladness. Glory be to God!

February 3, 2020

LIFE

Psalms 29:6 (30:5)

For there is wrath in His anger,
But life in His will;
Weeping will lodge at evening,
But great joy in the morning.

Encouraging Words

God hates sin. But because of Jesus, our sin is forgiven and we are wiped clean. When God looks at us, He sees Jesus. This is where we receive life, in His will. As we go through this earthly life we struggle with sin, but when we fall asleep in Him, we will awake to great joy in the morning. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

February 2, 2020

I BELIEVE

Psalms 26:13-14 (27:13-14)

I believe I shall see the Lord's goodness in the land of the living.
Wait on the Lord;
Be courageous, and strengthen your heart,
And wait on the Lord.

Encouraging Words

No matter how crazy the world gets around us we can still believe that God is in control, for He is, and wait on Him. His goodness will always be present in the land of the living. We just have to look through the fog of this world to find the light of our Lord that is always shining bright. This is why we need to be courageous, strengthen our hearts, and wait on Him. Glory be to God!

February 1, 2020

Saint of the Week

St. John Chrysostom

January 30, 2020

SEEKING GOD

Psalms 26:8 (27:8)

My heart speaks to You; my face seeks You;
Your face, O Lord, I will seek.

Personal Challenge

Why is it that we only seek God when we need something from Him? Maybe this is part of the reason that God said that David was a man after His own heart? We too, can be like David, and seek Him all of the time. God is always there for us. It is us that become present to Him as we seek Him. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

January 29, 2020

BLESSING AND MERCY

Psalms 23:4-5 (24:3-4)

He who has innocent hands and a pure heart;
He who does not lift up his soul to vanity;
He who does not swear deceitfully to his neighbor.
He shall receive blessing from the Lord
And mercy from the God of his salvation.

Personal challenge

Once again the Psalmist provides guidance on how we should behave if we desire to receive God's blessing and mercy in our lives. We are still dependent upon Jesus for our eternal salvation, but this guidance teaches us how to live our lives within that blessing of salvation. What are we to do to show that we are children of God? Live in a way that we have innocent hands and a pure heart. Flee from vanity. Do not treat our neighbor deceitfully. We cannot say that we do not know what God wants of us. Glory be to God!