Author: David Short

Isaiah 55:8-9

“For My counsels are not as your counsels, neither are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “But as heaven is distant from earth, so is My way distant from your ways, and your thoughts from My mind.”

Personal Challenge

Why is it that I always try to force God into my way of thinking, my paradigm? God’s wisdom and counsel greatly surpass any that mankind can produce. It only makes sense that it is for me to change my way of thinking, my thoughts, and my desires to match His because He is the creator and sustainer of all. Glory be to God!

Matthew 3:13-17

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”

But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.

When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Encouraging Words

Only in Christianity do we see our God choosing to become one of us so that we can become one with Him. Jesus took on the flesh of mankind so that through Him we might be able to enter into eternal life. He chose to be baptized, not because He needed any sins forgiven, for He had none, but so that He could unite with His creation and restore it to its original state that existed before sin corrupted it. Jesus, fully God and fully human, is God and I am not. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

1 John 1:1-3

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

Encouraging Words

How awesome it is that we do not serve or worship a mythical god. The apostles knew Jesus personally, they saw Him perform His miracles, they heard Him teach the multitudes, they saw Him die on the cross and be resurrected from the tomb. And it does not stop there. Our Lord has continued to manifest Himself throughout the last 2000 years. He is alive and continuing to be present with us at all times. Glory be to God!

Daniel 2:45

Whereas you saw the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, it ground to powder the clay, the iron, the copper, the silver, and the gold. Thus the great God has made known to the king what must come to pass after this. The dream is true, and its interpretation is trustworthy.

Encouraging Words

Jesus is that stone carved out of the mountain that will lay all governments to rest. He has already set this in motion. No government, since He walked this earth, has been able to silence His message or quench the fire that burns in the hearts of His followers. this is not some future overthrowing of the governments of the earth, but an ever-present state that we live in. That is why we live here as ambassadors and should not concern ourselves with the affairs fo this world. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Hosea 13:14

“I will deliver them out of the hand of Hades
And will redeem them from death.
Where is your penalty, O death?
O Hades, where is your sting?
Pity is hidden from My eyes.”

Encouraging Words

Jesus’ death on the cross, descension into hell, resurrection, and ascension into heaven put to death, once and for all, the power that hell had over us. It’s gates have been destroyed, freeing its captives forever. That is why we sing over and over again during our Pascha celebration, “Christ has risen from the death, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!” Glory be to God! He is risen!

Psalm 63:3 (62:4 LXX)

Because Your mercy is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.

Encouraging Words

There are really no words in the human vocabulary that can fully describe the mercy of God. His mercy is our source of life, our very existence and essence. It is our sustenance. It is the redemptive power that grants us everlasting life in His presence. It is indeed, that which is better than life and that which deserves our praise for Him. Glory be to God!

Wisdom of Solomon 8:17-18 LXX

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.

Encouraging Words

Since the early church fathers taught that the wisdom spoken of in the Old Testament writings was Jesus, replacing the word “wisdom” with “Jesus” shows the power and glory of who Jesus ios and why we pursue Him. Glory be to God!

When I considered these things within myself
And thought about them in my heart,
That in kinship with Jesus there is immortality,
And in friendship with Him there is good pleasure,
And in the labors of His hands there is unfailing wealth,
And in the shared training of His company there is discernment,
And in the fellowship of His words there is good repute—
Thus I searched about that I might take Him for myself.

Psalm 27:4 (26:4 LXX)

One thing I ask from the Lord; this I will seek,
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
And behold the delights of the Lord,
And visit His temple.

Encouraging Words

One of the most powerful things that the human race has at our disposal to guide us through every day of our lives is hope. No other creature has this capability. To be able to put our hope in our God, the creator of all, the sustainer of all, the giver of both temporal and eternal life to all, is the ultimate exercising of hope. It is no wonder that the psalmist only asked for one thing, to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life. This too is my desire. Glory be to God!