January 14, 2013

Psalm 73:24 (72:24 LXX)

With Your counsel You guide me,
And with glory You take hold of me.

Encouraging Words...

As the psalmist so clearly reminds the reader...my God will guide me through life with His counsel. That counsel comes through His written word, through the traditions of the Church, through the wise advice of those whom He has placed in my life...past, present, and future, through the guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit. He holds me with His glory and by His grace. What more could I ask for?

January 13, 2013

Psalm 143:1 (142:1 LXX)

O Lord, hear my prayer;
Give ear to my supplication in Your truth;
Answer me in Your righteousness;

Encouraging Words...

Why do I pray...because my Lord hears my supplications. He is Truth and He will answer my prayers in His righteousness. He knows me and what is best for me and therefore His answers are always the right ones.

January 12, 2013

Matthew 4:4, 7, 10

But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"

Jesus said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'"

Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.'"

Encouraging Words...

Jesus was fully God, but He was also fully man...just like you and me. He was a man when the Spirit took Him out int the wilderness. He was a man as He fasted for 40 days. He felt the pangs of hunger and was truly tempted in His flesh by the greatest tempter of all. However, He denied the temptations, He exercised His free will to withstand the tempter, He used His training in the scriptures to defend His stand. And in doing this He gave us all the example to follow. We too are being lead by the Holy Spirit so we can rely on Him to help us be strong in times of temptation. We too have the power and authority to tell the tempter to go away. We too have the opportunity to practice fasting so that we can develop the power we need over our flesh and free will. Glory be to God.

January 11, 2013

2 Corinthians 4:7-10

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard- pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

Encouraging Words...

With the grace of God being poured into us we have the poer of Christ in our physical lives where we are dying regularly to the flesh and being made alive in the Spirit. It is because of this living grace that we can press on through the things that the world throws at us.

January 10, 2013

James 4:6-7

But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:

   "God resists the proud,
     But gives grace to the humble."

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Encouraging Words...

All true grace comes from God, however, we need to submit ourselves to Him, humble ourselves before Him, so that His grace will flow more freely into our lives. Once we do this not only will we receive His grace but also we will be able to resist the enemy better.

January 9, 2013

James 3:14-16

But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self- seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.

Personal Challenge...

Once again I am reminded that I must constantly be checking the state of my heart. I must purge all bitter envy and self-seeking thoughts, attitudes, and desires or my actions will be skewed in an ungodly way.

January 8, 2013

Psalm 61:8 (60:9 LXX)

So I will sing praise to Your name unto ages of ages,
That I may pay my vows day to day.

Personal Challenge...

It is good to have a reminder once in a while from the psalmist to remember to sing praises unto our God for all that He does in my life.