CHOOSE INSTRUCTION

Sirach 6:18-19 (not in Protestant Bible)

My son, from your youth up, choose instruction,
And you will find wisdom also into old age.
Come to her as one who plows and sows,
And wait expectantly for her good fruits;
For in her work you will labor a little while,
Then you will quickly eat of her fruit.

Personal Challenge

We are never done with process of learning. We should always be willing to embrace instruction. This does not always come from books or blogs or lectures. The school of hard knocks is constantly there to instruct us, especially in our decisions and actions. Instruction of this type is an investment that often takes time to produce dividends. Just as the farmer invests in a future crop by tilling the land, purchasing and sowing the seed, and maintaining the land, the results arrive at harvest time. Lord Jesus Christ. Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

A FAITHFUL FRIEND

Sirach 6:14-17 (not in Protestant Bible)

A faithful friend is a strong shelter,
And he who finds one finds a treasure.
There is nothing that can take the place of a faithful friend,
And there is no way to measure his worth.
A faithful friend is a medicine of life,
And those who fear the Lord will find him.
He who fears the Lord guides his friendship rightly,
Because as he is, so also is his neighbor.

Personal Challenge

Life can be a challenge to navigate. It is full of twists and turns, ups and downs, and yet plugs along whether we are ready or not. The journey through this life can be enhanced by a faithful friend that personifies the characteristics in this passage. These faithful friends are priceless. Glory be to God!

CHARACTERISTICS OF AN ENEMY

Sirach 6:1 (not in Protestant Bible)

Do not be an enemy instead of a friend;
For a bad name brings shame and disgrace,
And a double-tongued sinner is of such a kind.

Personal Challenge

Friendship is such a valuable part of a full life. A challenging part of life are those who choose to be an enemy to others. These people do things that generate a bad name for themselves, which brings them shame and disgrace. If we affiliate with these people, we too, will be tainted. Having a double-tongue also contributes to the aspects of these enemies. Lord have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Sirach 5:10-11 (not in Protestant Bible)

Be established in your understanding
And let your word be consistent.
Be quick to listen
And give your answer with patience.

Personal Challenge

The teachings of Sirach offer words of wisdom on ways to live our lives. Today’s text provides clear guidance on quality communication skills. Start by being established in our understanding of the issue at hand. Follow that with having consistency in our speech and mannerism. Finish that all off with being quick to listen and slow to speak. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

BE HUMBLE

Sirach 3:18-19 (not in Protestant Bible)

The greater you are, the more humble you must be,
And you will find grace before the Lord;
Because great is the power of the Lord,
And He is honored by the humble.

Personal Challenge

Humility does not mean wimpiness or cowardice. It takes deep personal strength to humble oneself and to put others before yourself. Humility is an expected characteristic and endeavor for all followers of Christ. In humility we are able to love God and love our neighbor. In humility we receive God’s great strength to be His representatives here in this earthly realm. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God have mercy on me, the sinner!

Saint of the Week

St. John Climacus

BE PREPARED

Sirach 2:1-6 (not in Protestant Bible)

My son, if you draw near to serve the Lord,
Prepare your soul for temptation.
Set your heart right and be steadfast,
And do not strive anxiously in distress.
Cleave to Him and do not fall away,
That you may be honored at the end of your life.
Accept whatever is brought upon you,
And in exchange for your humiliation, be patient;
Because gold is tested in fire
And acceptable men in the furnace of abasement.
Believe in Him, and He will help you;
Make your ways straight and hope in Him.

Personal Challenge

As I often teach the teenagers that I work with at church, being a follower of Christ, a Christian, is a verb, not a noun. We do not just slap this label on ourselves and claim our work is done. We are to be constantly following in the footsteps of Christ. We are getting our hands soiled and sometimes even our hearts broken. We go into the world representing our Lord knowing that we will be rejected by others and tempted by our enemy. We keep our hope in Him knowing that He will make our paths straight. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

PATIENCE

Sirach 1:20-21 (not in Protestant Bible)

A patient man will hold fast until the proper time,
Then afterwards gladness shall burst forth for him.
He shall conceal his words until the proper time,
And the lips of many will tell of his understanding.

Personal Challenge

The scriptures are full of virtues, or characteristics, that are good for us to desire and pursue. One of those is patience. With patience we are able to hold ourselves in any situation until it is the proper time to respond. With patience me can manage and control our tongue until the proper time. A patient person is esteemed by many. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

FLOURISHING HEALTH

Sirach 1:16 (not in Protestant Bible)

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

Encouraging Words

There is that phrase again, “the fear of the Lord”. Once again, it has nothing to do with being afraid. It has everything to do with awe, respect, and appreciation. By looking at our Lord this way we do receive the crown of wisdom and a life of peace and soundness of health. Glory be to God?

CHEER THE HEART

Sirach 1:10-11 (not in Protestant Bible)
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

One of the challenges with the English language is that it often misses the original context of ancient languages in translation. For example, in the ancient Greek language there were 9 words for love (eros, philia, storge, pragma, ludus, mania, muraki, philautia, and agape) while in English we use one word, love, for all of these. The same is for the phrase “fear of the Lord”. As followers of Christ, we read this as respect, trust, commitment to, and other terms as opposed to being afraid for our lives. This ancient text of Sirach, dated around 180 BC, shows the results of seeing our God through these definitions of “fear. ” He cheers our heart. We receive gladness, joy, and long life. Our lives will be well to the utmost. We will be blessed. This results from a healthy fear (awe, respect, trust) of our loving and merciful God. Glory be to Him!