Author: David Short

Psalm 127:1 (126:1 LXX)

Unless the Lord builds the house,
Those who build it labor in vain;
Unless the Lord guard the city,
Those who guard it stay awake in vain.

Encouraging Words

I have so often heard this verse applied to the raising up of a family and the need to follow this principle. This is so true, but this also applies to how I should live my own life. There is a house of faith, hope, and love that I should be building in my own heart and mind. If I try to build it on my own accord, without letting the Lord be the Masterbuilder then I am building it in vain. If I am trying to protect this house by my own strength then I am I am also doing this in vain. It is encouraging to know hat my Lord is the Masterbuilder and Protector of the house of faith, hope, and love in my heart and mind. Glory be to God!

Nehemiah 4:7-8

Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall in the sheltered areas, and I positioned the people by families with their swords, their spears, and their bows. And I looked and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember our God, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”

Personal Challenge…

Living the life of a Christian is not for the faint of heart. Just as Nehemiah set is heart and mind, not to mention all of his physical ability and possessions, on the task of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, so are we too called to build walls of protection around the temples of our hearts and the Christian community that we live in. And just as Nehemiah was attacked from both outside of his community as well as from inside of his community, so too will we be attacked for obeying our Lord’s command to shore up our hearts for Him and to help our brothers and sisters to do the same. Nehemiah provides for us here a great example of how to resist these attacks. We are to work together, covering each other’s back while at the same time focusing on doing God’s work. And while we are doing this we are to be looking to God, working in partnership with Him and one another, and trusting that together we will synergistically accomplish the task of rebuilding these walls. Living this way takes work. Sometimes it means confronting those who are focused on tearing down the walls being built. But in the end we will be co-workers in bringing the kingdom of God to fruition amongst us. Glory be to God in all things!

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Encouraging Words

We live in an age when the information that is available is unlimited. And to top that off it is all at our fingertips. It is not jus information that is important for me. If I am not careful, not discerning, then I will be letting garbage into my life and distract me. It is encouraging to know that God inspires Scripture and provides it to me so that I can be reproved, corrected, instructed in righteousness, and ultimately equipped for every good work. These Scriptures surround me in the written text of the Bible and other writings of the Church, in the traditions of the Church, and the teachings of the Saints and Fathers. As the character Luther in the Jesse Stone series often states, “Information is out there. All you have to do is let it in.” By the grace of God the Father, the work of Jesus, and the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, I am blessed to have a filter to run this information through. Glory be to God!

2 Timothy 2:22-26

Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

Encouraging Words and Personal Challenge

Wow! Just wow! God’s timing is so impeccable. I have just finished the book of Esther (read the LXX version with much more in it) and the story of Mordecai, Haman, and Esther is ever so present in my mind and heart. And what should transpire over the weekend but a Haman-Mordecai moment. Then to top it all off, my random selection of this verse of the day brings me to this passage…a reminder that there are Haman’s in our lives, our churches, and our places of work. My first thought, before I read this passage was to exercise justifiable retribution. But that would fall into the category of “youthful lusts”, getting even, settling the score, or whatever else you want to call it. Would this not also make me a Haman in someone else’s life? Now I am convicted to deal with this event differently. Correction is still needed, for letting it slip would continue to encourage the wrong behavior. The correction must come from a pursuit of righteousness, faith, love, and peace. Why? So that I do not become a Haman in my response. Why? So that hopefully by the grace of God, my brother might be granted repentance, the ability to know the truth, and come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil. Why? So that the Body of Christ is healed and edified. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!

Ephesians 6:10-18

And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

Personal Challenge

As a child of God, living in this temporal world I have no opportunity to live in peace. I can be at peace in who I am in Christ. I can have peace with all that He has done to save mankind, including me. However, if I am truly trying to live my life for Him, growing in His image, then I will constantly be at war with the enemy in the spiritual realm. Christ has come to save the world, and me as a part of that world. However, until He comes again to set up His new kingdom the enemy is still roaming throughout this world trying to turn people away from God. As a redeemed and saved child of God I have been conscripted into His spiritual army and now in constant battle with the enemy and striving to take back that which he has stolen from my commander. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Psalm 119:130 (118:130 LXX)

The revelation of Your words gives light,
And it causes children to understand.

Encouraging Words…

Having converted to Eastern Orthodoxy 3 1/2 years ago, I was set on a new journey. Part of this journey is attempting to see life, and everything in it, through the Eastern mindset, a mindset that is more similar to the way that the Apostles thought before the “Age of Enlightenment”. It has been and continues to be, an exciting journey. Reading through the scriptures and looking at them the way the early Church Fathers did is wonderful. Today’s verse is another one of the nuggets that have been jumping off of the pages in my latest pass through them. Do I really want to understand God’s living Word, both in written format and in the traditions and teachings of the Church? Then I must approach my journey to theosis as a child, just as Jesus told us to! Glory be to God!

1 Timothy 6:6

Now godliness with contentment is great gain.

Personal Challenge

As followers of Christ, we should all be desiring and striving for godliness, or put another way, Christlikeness. It does no good, however, to do this if we are not living our lives in a spirit of contentment. God has His own timeline and it is far better than ours. If we learn to be content in His timing, in His ways, in His definition of godliness, then that contentment will be great gain in our lives. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!

Hebrews 13:15-16

Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Personal Challenge

As children of God, we are commanded to take up our crosses and follow Christ and to live sacrificial lives for Him. We are told here that we do this by continually praising God as the fruit of our lips and not forgetting to do good and share with those around us. Our occupation in Christ leaves no room for doubt about what He wants from us. Glory be to God!

Philippians 4:19

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Encouraging Words

Once again, God is not fickle in His promise to us. If we live our lives in Him, being submissive to Him, and loving Him and our neighbor as He has commanded us to do, then our every need will be met. The important part of to understand here is that if we live our lives His way our needs will be much more different than what we and the world, think our needs are. We become transformed into His likeness and our needs become transformed accordingly. Glory be to God!