September 15, 2020

SOUNDNESS OF HEALTH

Sirach 1:16

The fear of the Lord is the crown of wisdom,
Making peace and soundness of health to flourish.

Encouraging Words

Heath can be manifested in many areas of our lives. It can be physical, spiritual, emotional, or mental. All of these aspects of health will be affected positively by our relationship with God. The more that we give our lives to Him, submit to Him, trust Him, the more that He can be active in our lives and give us peace and soundness of health in these areas. He is our crown of wisdom and health. Glory be to God!

September 14, 2020

THE FEAR OF THE LORD

Sirach 1:10-11

The fear of the Lord will cheer the heart
And will give gladness, joy, and long life.
For those who fear the Lord, it shall be well to the utmost,
And on the day of his death, he will be blessed.

Encouraging Words

In this day of self-glorification and personal aggrandizement, it is hard to find people who understand what is meant by the phrase, "the fear of the Lord" and why anyone would submit to that. It is not about being fearful that some omnipotent being is going to crush us like ants. It is not cowering in the corner in fear like some precious child who has been abused. God is not a bully. He is not angry all the time. He is not always looking for a way to punish us. The fear that we are called to have for Him is awe and respect, a love for Him that puts Him above all else because He first loved us above all else. This kind of godly fear will cheer our hearts. It will give us gladness, joy, and long life. We believe that by loving Him, it will be well to the utmost with our lives and that we will be blessed. Glory be to God!

September 13, 2020

IN EVERYTHING

Wisdom of Solomon 19:22

For in everything, O Lord, You have exalted and glorified Your people,
And have not neglected to be present with them in every time and place.

Encouraging Words

Throughout the history of creation and mankind, God has been an integral part of our lives. Even when we have abandoned Him and sought after our own ways and means, He still remains faithful. He continues to exalt and glorify those who are His. Sometimes, because of the fallenness of this world it appears like He has left us, but the truth is that He is still there holding it all together and waiting for us to return to Him. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

September 12, 2020

Saint of the Week

St. Macarius the Great

September 10, 2020

GOD'S MERCY

Wisdom of Solomon 15:1-3

But You, our God, are kind, true, patient,
And govern all things in mercy.
For even if we sin, we belong to You and know Your might;
But we will not sin,
Because we know that we are counted as belonging to You.
For to know You is complete righteousness,
And to know Your might is the root of immortality.

Encouraging Words

The God that we put our trust in is kind, true, patient, and merciful. He loves us. And when we sin, He grieves for us yet does not abandon or forsake us. He counts us as belonging to Him, not as slaves, but as His children. To know Him is to make us righteous. To trust in Him is our foundation in immortality. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

September 9, 2020

HIS SPIRIT IS IN ALL THINGS

Wisdom of Solomon 12:1-2

For Your immortal Spirit is in all things.
For this reason You correct little by little those who fall away,
And You remind and warn them of the sins they commit
So they may be freed from evil and believe in You, O Lord.

Encouraging Words

When God created mankind He breathed His breath of life into us. He did not do this with any other parts of His creation. That breath of life is still within every one of us. This breath of life is His Holy Spirit, which dwells within us to correct our paths and constantly point us back to our creator. He is there to shed light on our journey so that we can avoid the pitfalls of sin and be freed from sin. Are we, am I, listening to that still, small voice or drowning it out? Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

September 6, 2020

A LOVE FOR WISDOM

Wisdom of Solomon 8:17-20

When I considered these things within myself
And thought about them in my heart,
That in kinship with wisdom there is immortality,
And in friendship with her there is good pleasure,
And in the labors of her hands there is unfailing wealth,
And in the shared training of her company there is discernment,
And in the fellowship of her words there is good repute—
Thus I searched about that I might take her for myself.
As a child I was good by nature and received a good soul;
And much more, since I was good,
I entered an undefiled body.

Personal Challenge

Solomon did not have the blessing of living after the incarnation of Wisdom in our Lord Jesus Christ like we do. However, He lived his life with the hope of what would be coming someday. This passage is packed with so many things that we are blessed with in Jesus Christ. Kinship with Him gives immortality. Labors with Him provides unfailing wealth. We receive discernment in His training. By staying in fellowship with His words we find and retain good repute. If we search for Him as if we are searching for the greatest of treasures or rewards, we will find Him. Through Him, we can become undefiled bodies. Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!