December 8, 2013

The Lord is my hope!

Wisdom of Sirach 34:13-14 LXX

The spirit of those who fear the Lord will live,
For their hope is in Him who saves them.
He who fears the Lord will fear nothing,
And he will not be cowardly, for the Lord is his hope.

Encouraging Words...

Who do I have to fear? Nothing in this physical, temporal realm because I love and fear the God of all. In Him and through Him I have life, I have hope, and nothing can ever separate me from Him. Glory be to God!

December 7, 2013

Being formed in His image.

Wisdom of Sirach 33:13 LXX

And removed from their place.
All His ways are according to His good pleasure.
Like clay in a potter's hand,
Thus men are in the hand of Him who made them,
To render to them according to His judgment.

Encouraging Words...

God is good! God is Love! God is truth! God is righteous! Those of us who follow Christ believe this. Then why do we resist Him as He molds us and makes us into His image? It all comes down to one thing...WILL. We want to exercise our will over His. Complete submission to the will of God, our Creator, is indeed the highest virtue that we can aim for. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

December 6, 2013

Working for our Lord.

Wisdom of Sirach 32:23-24 LXX

In every work entrust your soul to the Lord,
For this is the keeping of the commandments.
He who believes in the Law heeds the commandments,
And he who trusts in the Lord will not suffer loss.

Command with a Promise...

God is God and I am not! And since He is God and has given us commandments to follow then who am I to argue or disagree? Jesus made it clear that I am to love the Lord my God with all of my heart, soul, and being; and then to love my neighbor as myself. Then it is clear that I must do this constantly if I am to claim Him as my Lord. I know that I have so far to go to even come close to beginning to do this. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. And the result of this obedience...I will not suffer loss of those things important to God.

December 5, 2013

Eternal consequences...

Wisdom of Sirach 32:14-17 LXX

The man who fears the Lord will receive instruction,
And those who rise early will find His approval.
He who seeks the Law will be filled with it,
But the hypocrite will be made to stumble by it.
Those who fear the Lord will discover judgment,
And like the light they will kindle righteous deeds.
A sinful man will turn aside correction
And find a rationalization according to his will.

Personal Challenge...

Godliness, righteousness, growing in the image of Christ, all take aggressive, focused work. It all begins with a healthy fear and respect of the Lord and is followed by a life consumed by the pursuit of God and His precepts. These works are not what save us, but are the result of being saved. The rewards have eternal consequences.

December 3, 2013

Maintaining our joy...

Wisdom of Sirach 30:21-24 LXX

Do not give yourself over to sorrow,
And do not distress yourself deliberately.
Gladness of the heart is the life of man,
And rejoicing by a man lengthens his life.
Love your soul and comfort your heart,
And put sorrow far away from you;
For sorrow has destroyed many,
And there is no profit in it.
Envy and anger will shorten your days,
And worry will bring premature old age.

Personal Challenge...

We have more control over the state of our hearts than our modern culture wants us to believe. We are so often told that it is someone else's fault that we are sorrowful or depressed, or that all we need is the right pill or medication to take it away. Granted, there are certain physical conditions that can only be controlled by medical help, but for the most of us it is a matter of choice. Do we allow sorrow and grief to overcome us and control us? If we do this it becomes a deadly spiral into depression. Or do we fill our hearts and our lives with gladness, rejoicing, love for our soul, and comfort for our heart? Is this not part of the reason why we sing, "Memory Eternal!" in times of great loss and for a period of time after...to give us an opportunity to process our grief and then lift up the loss to our ultimate Comforter? As with everything else in our lives we have a choice to make.

December 2, 2013

The power of forgiveness.

Wisdom of Sirach 28:2-3 LXX

Forgive a wrong done you by your neighbor;
Then your sins will be pardoned when you pray.
Can a man preserve wrath against his neighbor
And still seek healing from the Lord?

Personal Challenge...

It is so easy to hold a grudge, and if we are not careful we begin to develop (and believe) justifications for this. However, we are commanded by or Lord to forgive our trespassers, for only in this do we develop the humility to receive God's forgiveness. It is through our acts of forgiveness that we receive healing, both physical and spiritual. Lord Jesus Christ Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

December 1, 2013

Unity...an imperative for all Christians.

Wisdom of Sirach 25:1 LXX

There are three things beautiful to see,
And they are beautiful before the Lord and men:
The harmony of brothers, friendship between neighbors,
And a wife and husband well-adjusted together.

Encouraging Words...

It is clear throughout the scriptures that our Lord desires that we live in unity one with another. These three examples provide enough to cover almost every aspect of our lives. The one that is often overlooked by those who are so keen on following monasticism is the relationship of the husband and the wife. St. John Chrysostom said of this verse: “For there is no relationship between man and man so close as that between man and wife, if they be joined together as they should be... nothing whatever is more precious than to be... loved by a wife and to love her." (taken from the Orthodox Study Bible). My prayer today, and every day, is that I love my wife as Christ loved the church. What a blessing it is to be married to your best friend and sister and Christ. Glory be to God!