January 22, 2013

Hebrews 4:13

And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

Personal Challenge...

Why is it that it is so easy for me to forget that my Lord is ever present? He knows my every thought, my every action. And yet I still do things that I know are wrong, whether in thought or deed, as if no one is watching me. Oh how fortunate I am that He is so loving and merciful. Lord Jesus Chris, have mercy on me, a sinner.

January 21, 2013

Psalm 63:8 (62:9 LXX)
My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand takes hold of me.

Encouraging Words...

There is a reason to follow closely in the steps of my Lord...the closer that I am to Him the sooner I will be held by Him when He takes hold of me.

January 20, 2013

Luke 18:40-41

So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him. And when he had come near, He asked him, saying, What do you want Me to do for you?

He said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.

Personal Challenge...

Jesus knows our every need. He knew that this man was blind and yet He still asked him what he wanted. Jesus wants us to tell Him our needs, to reach out to Him in prayer. He wants us to have a dynamic, interactive relationship with Him. It is then that He answers our prayers.

January 19, 2013

Proverbs 17:1

Better is a morsel with enjoyment in peace
Than a house full of many good things and unrighteous sacrifices with quarreling.

Personal Challenge...

This verse does not say that it is wrong to have "stuff" in our lives. It speaks to how I look upon this stuff, how I hold on to it. If my stuff, my motorcycle, my computer, my..., becomes my god then what I do with this stuff becomes unrighteousness and discontent and the environment of quarrelsomeness follows shortly. If I can be content with the small things and learn to hold on to them lightly, as if they are loaned to me to be a caretaker of them, then contentment and the environment of peace and enjoyment follows. Glory be to God for entrusting me to be His steward of His possessions.

January 18, 2013

Titus 2:9-10

Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.

Personal Challenge...

We don't live in a day and age of bondservants, but we do live in a day and age of employer/employee arrangements. This passage so clearly applies to me and the work ethic that I must have with my employer, managers, and coworkers. I must regretfully admit that this is an area of my life where I do not always "adorn the doctrine of God my Savior in all things." Lord have mercy on me a sinner. Time to behave like a bondservant of Christ.

January 16, 2013

Psalm 73:26 (72:26 LXX)

My heart and my flesh fail,
O God of my heart; and God is my portion forever.

Encouraging Words...

As long as I am living in this temporal I will stumble and fall. However, the God of my heart is my protector. He will always catch me and heal me as I run back to Him.

January 15, 2013

2 Timothy 4:1-4

I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

Personal Challenge...

In many of the Christian research circles today the term "consumerism" has been applied to those people that attend their church to be entertained, served, delivered what they want to hear the way that they want to hear it. They are consumers. Who would have known that Paul was exhorting Timothy to be prepared for this 2,000 years ago. One of the things that I have come to appreciate in the Orthodox Church is that our liturgy is the same one that has been delivered for nearly 1,600 years. It is not up to me to want something that tickles my itching ears or makes me feel good all over, but it is up to me to step into the traditions of my Church and meet God there. That is where true worship is found. This passage reminds us, actually commands us, very boldly to stand firm in the truth of the Church and to be ready to share it at any time.