Verse of the Day

Author: David Short

  • December 13, 2013

    Studying to grow in Christ.

    Wisdom of Sirach 39:1-3 LXX

    How different is the man who devotes himself
    To the study of the law of the Most High.
    He will seek out the wisdom of all the ancients
    And be occupied with their prophecies.
    He will preserve the discourse of notable men
    And penetrate the subtleties of parables.
    He will seek out the hidden meanings of proverbs
    And be engaged in the riddles of parables.

    Personal Challenge…

    Do I really wan to know God? To know what He wants me to do in my life? Do I really want to understand the depths of His truths? And how to apply them in my life? Then I must spend time devoting myself to the study of His teachings…the scriptures and all that they provide as His written Word, but also the wisdom of the ancients…our church fathers, the saints that have gone before me, have to offer. God’s truth and wisdom is found in the collective teaching passed on to us.

  • December 12, 2013

    Standing firm…

    Wisdom of Sirach 37:13-15 LXX

    Stand firm on the counsel of your heart,
    For no one is more faithful to you than it.
    For a man’s soul sometimes tells him more
    Than seven watchmen sitting high on a watchtower.
    And in all matters, pray to the Most High
    That He may direct your way in truth.

    Personal Challenge…

    We are guided here to listen to our heart for counsel and guidance. Now before I get jumped on with reminders that our hearts are bad, I would like to suggest that this passage is speaking in the context of having spent much time pursuing the Wisdom of God (which is personified in Christ). As a redeemed child of God my heart of flesh has been replaced with a heart filled with the love of Christ and the Holy Spirit. It is this new heart, a heart guided by the Holy Spirit, focused on serving God by loving Him and my neighbor, encouraged by wise counsel from other godly men and women, that I should stand firm in the counsel of. This still requires prayer and diligence to make sure that I am being obedient to God. My new heart is good because it is the home of my Lord, but it is my will that I must always be guarding so that it follows Christ. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

  • December 11, 2013

    Glorifying God.

    Wisdom of Sirach 35:7-10 LXX

    Glorify the Lord with your generosity,
    And do not reduce the firstfruits of your hands.
    In every gift let your face be cheerful,
    And sanctify your tithe with gladness.
    Give to the Most High as He has given to you,
    And give to Him with generosity, according to your windfall.
    For the Lord is He who repays,
    And He will repay you sevenfold.

    Personal Challenge…

    The admonitions to glorify our God with our words and our possessions continues with this passage. We do not do these things in order to earn God’s favor, but because God’s favor has already been poured out upon us through the work of His Son on our behalf. This is also not some prosperity doctrine where we are promised to receive seven times what we give. This note from the Orthodox Study Bible sums this up well:

    “If we give our tithe, the Lord has promised to repay us sevenfold. How? Perhaps by making us more wise in the management of our money. Or He may prosper our work so that we have even more to give. Or both! Even better, He always enriches the generous giver with joy and many spiritual blessings.”

    We must always remember that God’s economy is much different than man’s and has eternal consequences.

  • December 10, 2013

    Living sacrifices…


    Wisdom of Sirach 35:1-3 LXX

    The man who keeps the law will abound in offerings;
    He who heeds the commandments sacrifices a peace offering.
    He who returns a kindness offers fine wheat flour,
    And he who does alms sacrifices a praise offering.
    To forsake evil is pleasing to the Lord,
    And to forsake wrongdoing is atonement.

    Personal Challenge…

    Even our brothers and sisters of old, before the new covenant ushered in by Christ were encouraged to be living sacrifices for God. Throughout the Old Testament we are directed to live our lives in a way that far exceeds the value of the sacrifices and offerings that were established for God’s people. We can do this even today by being obedient to the law articulated by Jesus (love God and others), being kind to those who are in our lives, giving alms (giving above and beyond our tithes and offerings), and fleeing from sin. All of this creates a fragrant offering that is lifted up to God.

  • December 9, 2013

    Blessings indeed!


    Wisdom of Sirach 34:15-17 LXX


    Blessed is the soul of a man who fears the Lord.
    To whom does he look? And who is his support?
    The eyes of the Lord are upon those who love Him.
    He is a powerful protection and a strong support:
    A shelter from the burning heat,
    A shelter from the noonday sun,
    A guard from stumbling,
    And help from a fall.
    He raises up the soul
    And gives light to the eyes.
    He gives healing, life, and blessing.

    Encouraging Words…

    To have the eyes of our Lord upon us; to have Him as our powerful protection and strong support; a shelter and a guard from stumbling. What more could we ask for? And Hid great love for us does not stop there. Glory be to God!

  • December 8, 2013

    The Lord is my hope!

    Wisdom of Sirach 34:13-14 LXX

    The spirit of those who fear the Lord will live,
    For their hope is in Him who saves them.
    He who fears the Lord will fear nothing,
    And he will not be cowardly, for the Lord is his hope.

    Encouraging Words…

    Who do I have to fear? Nothing in this physical, temporal realm because I love and fear the God of all. In Him and through Him I have life, I have hope, and nothing can ever separate me from Him. Glory be to God!

  • December 7, 2013

    Being formed in His image.


    Wisdom of Sirach 33:13 LXX

    And removed from their place.
    All His ways are according to His good pleasure.
    Like clay in a potter’s hand,
    Thus men are in the hand of Him who made them,
    To render to them according to His judgment.

    Encouraging Words…

    God is good! God is Love! God is truth! God is righteous! Those of us who follow Christ believe this. Then why do we resist Him as He molds us and makes us into His image? It all comes down to one thing…WILL. We want to exercise our will over His. Complete submission to the will of God, our Creator, is indeed the highest virtue that we can aim for. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

  • December 6, 2013

    Working for our Lord.


    Wisdom of Sirach 32:23-24 LXX

    In every work entrust your soul to the Lord,
    For this is the keeping of the commandments.
    He who believes in the Law heeds the commandments,
    And he who trusts in the Lord will not suffer loss.

    Command with a Promise…

    God is God and I am not! And since He is God and has given us commandments to follow then who am I to argue or disagree? Jesus made it clear that I am to love the Lord my God with all of my heart, soul, and being; and then to love my neighbor as myself. Then it is clear that I must do this constantly if I am to claim Him as my Lord. I know that I have so far to go to even come close to beginning to do this. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. And the result of this obedience…I will not suffer loss of those things important to God.

  • December 5, 2013

    Eternal consequences…

    Wisdom of Sirach 32:14-17 LXX

    The man who fears the Lord will receive instruction,
    And those who rise early will find His approval.
    He who seeks the Law will be filled with it,
    But the hypocrite will be made to stumble by it.
    Those who fear the Lord will discover judgment,
    And like the light they will kindle righteous deeds.
    A sinful man will turn aside correction
    And find a rationalization according to his will.

    Personal Challenge…

    Godliness, righteousness, growing in the image of Christ, all take aggressive, focused work. It all begins with a healthy fear and respect of the Lord and is followed by a life consumed by the pursuit of God and His precepts. These works are not what save us, but are the result of being saved. The rewards have eternal consequences.

  • December 3, 2013

    Maintaining our joy…


    Wisdom of Sirach 30:21-24 LXX

    Do not give yourself over to sorrow,
    And do not distress yourself deliberately.
    Gladness of the heart is the life of man,
    And rejoicing by a man lengthens his life.
    Love your soul and comfort your heart,
    And put sorrow far away from you;
    For sorrow has destroyed many,
    And there is no profit in it.
    Envy and anger will shorten your days,
    And worry will bring premature old age.

    Personal Challenge…

    We have more control over the state of our hearts than our modern culture wants us to believe. We are so often told that it is someone else’s fault that we are sorrowful or depressed, or that all we need is the right pill or medication to take it away. Granted, there are certain physical conditions that can only be controlled by medical help, but for the most of us it is a matter of choice. Do we allow sorrow and grief to overcome us and control us? If we do this it becomes a deadly spiral into depression. Or do we fill our hearts and our lives with gladness, rejoicing, love for our soul, and comfort for our heart? Is this not part of the reason why we sing, “Memory Eternal!” in times of great loss and for a period of time after…to give us an opportunity to process our grief and then lift up the loss to our ultimate Comforter? As with everything else in our lives we have a choice to make.