June 24, 2020

DO NOT FORGET

Proverbs 3:1-2

My son, do not forget my laws,
But let your heart keep my words;
For length of days, and years of life and peace
They will add to you.

Personal Challenge

God is not fickle. He does not just arbitrarily punish us or expect us to do things that He hasn't persistently asked us to do. He desires that we be able to live long, peaceful lives, basking is His love and mercy. All He asks is that we not forget His laws and keep His words in our hearts. Things like love Him, love our neighbor, honor our mother and father, and treat others the way that we want to be treated. All the other stuff flows out of these things. Glory be to God!

June 23, 2020

SEARCHING FOR TREASURE

Proverbs 2:1-6

My son, if you receive the words of my commandment
And hide them within yourself,
Your ear will be obedient to wisdom,
And you will incline your heart to understanding;
You will entrust it to your son as an admonition.
For if he calls upon wisdom,
And you utter your voice for understanding;
If you seek perception with a strong voice,
If you seek her as silver
And search for her as treasure,
Then you will understand the fear of the Lord
And find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom,
And from His face come knowledge and understanding;

Personal Challenge

We have become a people that search for the wrong treasure in all of the wrong places. We pursue wealth in our jobs and our investments. We stockpile toys and stuff that make us feel powerful and in control. We chase after the temporal, which can fade away so quickly. We are reminded here in Proverbs that the true riches of both this temporal life and our eternal life can only be found in God and that we must seek after Him and His treasures to truly be blessed with wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Glory be to God!

June 22, 2020

KEEP IT SIMPLE

Proverbs 1:22

“So long a time as the simple hold fast to righteousness,
They shall not be ashamed;”

Personal Challenge

Jesus turned the religious world of His day upside down by telling people that they must become like little children to inherit the kingdom of heaven. Just as the Pharisees and Sadducees of His day we have made Christianity so much more complex than it was ever meant to be. This proverb reminds us to stay simple and to hold on to God's righteousness in order to not be ashamed. If we live this way then God gets all the glory for everything that happens and not us. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

June 21, 2020

WISDOM

Proverbs 1:20-21a

Wisdom sings in the streets;
She moves boldly in the squares.
She preaches on high city walls
And sits at the gates of lords.

Encouraging Words

Our Lord Jesus Christ proclaimed that His message would be presented to everyone, but that many with ears would not hear. The early Church fathers (those who lived in the first couple of centuries) taught that this Wisdom spoken of throughout the Proverbs was Jesus. If you really want to have fun, read the Proverbs substituting "Jesus" for "Wisdom". This passage reminds us that Jesus is doing everything He can to proclaim His gospel, His Good News to every human being because He wants all of us to be part of His family. Glory be to God!

June 20, 2020

Saint of the Week

St. John Chrysostom

June 18, 2020

BEGINNING OF WISDOM

Proverbs 1:7

The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom,
And there is good understanding in all who practice it;

Encouraging Words

The book of Proverbs is full of great nuggets of knowledge and wisdom. It does start off by reminding us, though, that true wisdom and understanding have a beginning point. That starting point is fearing God and practicing that fear in our lives, every day. All knowledge, all wisdom, all understanding that means anything, begins with Him. Glory be to God!

June 17, 2020

HEAR ME, O LORD

Job 42:4

But hear me, O Lord, that I also may speak.
I will ask You, and please teach Me.

Personal Challenge

Sometimes it may feel like God is deaf and cannot hear our pleas. He is not, God is always present and listening to us. Sometimes He waits to respond to our pleas so that we can keep calling out and hopefully grow in our depth of knowledge of Him and understanding of what we should actually be praying for. He is still listening. No matter what our prayer or plea is about, we should always be looking for what He is teaching us. Glory be to God!