Author: David Short

Psalm 106:1-5 (105:1-5 LXX)

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
For His mercy endures forever.
Who shall tell the mighty deeds of the Lord,
Who shall make all His praises heard?
Blessed are those who keep His judgment,
And do righteousness at all times.
Remember us, O Lord, because of the goodwill of Your people;
Visit us with Your salvation,
So as to see it in the goodness of Your chosen ones;
So as to be glad with the joy of Your nation,
So as to praise You in the midst of Your inheritance.

Personal Challenge…

The purpose that God had for setting apart a people, His chosen ones, was to have someone to proclaim His love for mankind, to be the salt of the earth and the light of life. Are we not also set aside as followers of Christ to do the same? Who will proclaim His mighty deeds and make His praises known if not us? Our calling is to live our lives in ways that draw others out of darkness and into His light. We do not so this by being the same as those around us. We do this by loving our neighbor, proclaiming the truths of God, and being different than the world because we are no longer of the world. We live for the glory of God.

Psalm 25:8-11 (24:8-11 LXX)

Good and upright is the Lord;
Therefore He will instruct sinners in His way.
He will guide the gentle in judgment;
He will teach the gentle His ways.
All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth
For those who seek His covenant and His testimonies.
For Your name’s sake, O Lord,
Pardon my sin, for it is great.

Encouraging Words…

We are not alone on our journey through life. Our Lord is there with us, instructing us in His ways, guiding us with His judgment, giving us mercy and truth. He cares that we grow in His image and become beacons to those around us. Glory be to God!

James 4:8-9

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double- minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.

Personal Challenge…

Once again we find scripture that is filled with active verbs that describe what we are to be doing for our God if we are going to proclaim that we are Christians. Draw near to God, cleanse our hands of sin, purify our hearts, lament, mourn, and weep for the sin in our lives and for the lost in the world. Our Father wants us to be active in His kingdom and His world. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

1 Corinthians 6:12

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

Personal Challenge…

Because of the work of Christ we have been set free from the law and the grasp that sin and death had upon us. With this freedom comes the responsibility to live our lives with diligence and focus on the things of God. When we stumble along the way and sin before our God we are now under His grace and can have those sons forgiven. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

2 Corinthians 9:7-8

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

Command with a Promise…

We are commanded to give and we are promised to receive. This is not some earthly prosperity gospel. God’s economy is different than our economy. First of all…Paul, and God, do not care what we give or how much we give. The focus is on how we give and the state of our heart in the giving. Second…what we receive back is not for our use or consumption but provided so that we have more to give back to God. Thy to put that one in the world’s ledger books. Glory be to God!

Isaiah 26:7

The way of the godly is straight; and the way of the godly is prepared.

Encouraging Words…

As we strive to be more like Christ, spend more time with Him, love our God and our neighbor like Him, listen to and follow the guidance and promptings of the Holy Spirit, then we begin to see how He is making our paths straight and preparing them for us. Our walk in Christ on our journey to theosis is a synergistic walk. We must be pursuing Him, doing His will, in order to be on the straight and prepared path. And we must continue this process for there is no stopping and resting on our laurels. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Psalm 103:10-14 (102:10-14 LXX)

He did not deal with us according to our sins,
Nor reward us according to our transgressions;
For according to the height of heaven from earth,
So the Lord reigns in mercy over those who fear Him;
As far as the east is from the west,
So He removes our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children,
So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him,
For He knows how He formed us;
He remembers we are dust.

Encouraging words…

Does this sound like the description of an angry, wrathful, judgmental Father? Not to me! God loves us too much to be anything but compassionate and merciful toward us. That doesn’t mean that we don’t have consequences for our wrong behavior, but even then, the consequences are part of His loving discipline to nurture us back into His ways.We are His sheep and He loves us and desires us to walk intimately with Him. Glory be to God!

Psalm 103:1-6 (102:1-6 LXX)

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And everything within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His rewards:
Who is merciful to all your transgressions,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from corruption,
Who crowns you with mercy and compassion,
Who satisfies your desire with good things;
And your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
The Lord shows mercies
And judgment to all who are wronged

Encouraging Words…

Our God is so awesome. Even though we continually reject Him and pursue the things of the world He continues to pour out His love, grace, and mercy upon us. So many faith practices are based on a god, or a leader, that is angry, judgmental, and unforgiving. Even some of the faith practices that call themselves Christians actually portray God this way. But this is not who God is. He loves mankind, His creation, His children so much that He did whatever it took to redeem us from the grip of death. That is true, unconditional love. That is our heavenly Father. Glory be to God!

John 8:31-32

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Personal Challenge…

Our Lord expects us to spend time with Him, in prayer, in practice, and in study. We cannot abide in Him unless we take the time and do it. This becomes the life of a disciple. Through spending time with Him we can truly come to know the perfect Truth…Him, and experience the true freedom that He gives.

Proverbs 17:27 (17:29 LXX)

He who refrains from uttering a harsh word is intelligent,
And a long-suffering man has discernment.

Personal Challenge…

Do we truly want to grow in the image of Christ? Then here is one step in that process…to refrain from using harsh words to, or about, those whom God has put into our lives. Also, by being long-suffering. Not easy virtues to pursue, yet nonetheless virtues that will move us closer to the image of Christ. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!