GOD'S COUNSEL
Psalms 72:24 (73:24)
With Your counsel You guide me,
And with glory You take hold of me.
Personal Challenge
So, if I never spend time with God, in worship, in prayer, in the reading of His scriptures, then how will I ever receive His counsel? I will not. Our relationship with God is not just a one-sided relationship with Him doing all the work. We must engage Him, pursue Him, submit to Him if we are to receive His counsel and glory. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!
O GOD OF MY HEART
Psalms 72:26-27 (73:26-27)
My heart and my flesh fail,
O God of my heart; and God is my portion forever.
For behold, those who keep themselves far away from You shall perish;
You destroy away from You all who act unfaithfully.
Personal Challenge
Is my God the God of my heart or just something that makes me feel good when I need Him? Is my relationship with Him a total commitment or one that is based on my fickle whims? Have I given my all to Him? If we live our lives with our hearts of stone and our fleshly desires only, we will fail. By loving this way we will find ourselves far away from Him, perishing, and feeling destroyed. Jesus promised us that if we follow Him and abandon this world, this life of the flesh, that He will replace our heart of stone with a heart for God, a new heart. Now is the time to abandon the world and to pursue Him! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!
FROM MY MOTHER’S WOMB
Psalms 70:6 (71:5)
By You I have been supported from birth;
From my mother's womb You have been my protector;
My song shall be always of You.
Encouraging Words
It is so encouraging to know that our relationship with God doesn't start when we say some prayer or make some kind of a decision. He was there when we were formed in our mother's womb and He will be with us throughout eternity. He has always, and always will, be our protector. Thank you, God!
IN GOD I HOPE
Psalms 70:1-3 (71:1-3)
O God, in You I hope; may I never be put to shame.
Deliver me in Your righteousness, and set me free;
Incline Your ear to me and save me.
Be to me a God for protection
And a strong place for salvation,
For You are my foundation and my refuge.
Encouraging Words
I love how the Psalmist so often praises the Lord for the wonderful things He does and at the same time words it in such a way so as to be pleading with God to do those things. It is our God that we put our hope, not man. It is our God who will deliver us, set us free, hear us and save us, protect us, and be our strong foundation. He is our hope. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!
Saint of the Week
St. Paisios
FOLLOWING HIM
Psalms 62:9 (63:8)
My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand takes hold of me.
Personal Challenge
It is one thing to say that we are a follower of Christ, and it is an entirely different thing to actually follow Him wherever He leads. We have so many apostles, disciples, saints, and martyrs that have shown us that the path of Christ is not an easy path. It is a path of sacrifice and humility. For Christ, it was a path that led to the cross. What the Psalmist is saying here is that to be a follower of our Lord we must be walking close behind Him, our footsteps in His footsteps, giving up our selves, and taking hold of His strong, guiding hand. Glory be to God!
HIS MERCY
Psalms 62:4 (63:3)
Because Your mercy is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Encouraging Words
His mercy is better than life. Life on this earth is temporary. We have a life of eternity before us. A life that has the promise of no more pain, no more sorrow, no more sickness. It is because of this promise and the mercy that we are given by the owner of that promise, that our lips shall praise Him. Glory be to God!
