Author: David Short

1 Peter 2:9

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Encouraging Words…

As a child of God I am set apart and special in His eyes. If I truly believe this then it is imperative that I live my life in a way that proclaims Him, praises Him, sheds light (His light) on those around me. May God, in His grace, be ever present in my heart and therefore in my actions.

1 Thessalonians 5:14-15

Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.

Personal Challenge…

I cannot remember how many times I have found myself in the midst of a church family feeling lonely, overlooked, and looking for community. I admit that part of that falls upon me, but part also falls upon the church. I believe one are of deep brokenness in our church here in America is the lack of true community, true fellowship. And I believe a lot of this is due to our individualism and propensity to define the gospel that way that fits our own personal doctrine. One of the things that I sincerely appreciate in the Orthodox church is the focus on community. We believe our salvation is worked out in community. Even our prayers use collective petitions (us, we, our) versus individual ones (I, me, mine). Paul tells us in these verses to live our lives active in our church community…not as consumers, but as investors.

Lenten Prayer of St. Ephraim

O Lord and Master of my life, do not give to me the spirit of laziness, faintheartedness, lust for power, and idle talk.
But give to me Your servant the spirit of purity, humility, patience, and love.
O Lord and King, grant me to see my own faults and not to judge my brother, for blessed are You unto ages of ages.

1 Thessalonians 3:12-13

And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

Romans 5:8

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Personal Challenge…

I am getting so tired of well-meaning people around me acting like doing the “right” things in my Christian life are what make me a better, more godly Christian. Say these prayers at this time, bow this way, go to this “spiritual” place, read more scripture (or worse yet, more books about the scriptures). Jesus did all of the work that could possibly be done to save me from death. I can do nothing to be saved or be more saved. If I am truly following Him with all of my heart, soul, mind and body then I will do things that glorify Him, that build up His body, that encourages and uplifts those around me, I must always be examining my heart to make sure that my motives are His motives and not mine.

Psalm 119:130 (118:130 LXX)

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

Psalm 119:11 (118:11 LXX)
I hid Your teachings in my heart
So as not to sin against You.

Personal Challenge…

The Christian life is not one lived in a vacuum or lived according to my ways, but it is a life that is a lived out by pursuing the heart of God, reading His scriptures, listening to His teachers, practicing His traditions. It is a life that is a journey and not just a destination.

Psalm 145:18 (144:18 LXX)

The Lord is near to all who call on Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.

Encouraging Words…

Truth…such a much misaligned word or concept in today’s world. How often have I heard in the corporate world the belief of not telling the customer all of the story of what we can actually deliver (i.e. withholding details) is telling the truth, or fudging on what our company can actually do is telling the truth. When did the white lie become so acceptable. Now we are seeing organizations, educational institutions, churches and ministries doing cover ups (financial scandals, sexual improprieties and on and on) in the name of protecting the image of their precious cause and calling it truth. I do not believe that any of this aligns with God’s definition of truth. And here in this verse we are reminded that the Lord is near to all who call on Him, but He does give us a caveat…we must call upon Him in truth, His truth not ours. Maybe this is why we are seeing so many exposures of hidden lies in His Church today. If God beginning to clean His house.

Judges 6:12

And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, mighty one of the armies!”

Encouraging Words…

I love how the Lord reveals to us in the scriptures His true heart and nature…as well as ours. Here we see Gideon hiding from his enemies so that he can sneak together some wheat for himself and his family. An Angel fo the Lord appears to him and speaks of his true character…”a mighty one of the armies.” God knows our heart better than we do. He knows me better than I know myself. Doesn’t it make sense that the closer I draw to Him the more the true me will be revealed. I love how the early church fathers state this in my daily prayer for the acceptance of God’s will.

     O Lord, I do not know what to ask of You.
     You alone know what are my true needs.
     You love me more than I myself know how to love.
     Help me to see my real needs which are concealed from me.
     I do not dare to ask either for a cross or for consolation.
     I can only wait on You. My heart is open to You.
     Visit and help me, for the sake of Your great mercy.
     Strike me and heal me; cast me down and raise me up.
     I worship in silence Your holy will and Your unsearchable ways.
     I offer myself as a sacrifice to You.
     I have no other desire than to fulfill Your will.
     Teach me to pray. Pray You Yourself in me. Amen. 

God is God and I am not.

Luke 12:48b

For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

Personal Challenge…

This verse should be very sobering to anyone who takes on a leadership position in the church. Whether it be Sunday school teacher, choir member, pastor, priest, elder, bishop, committee member, or whatever…once we willingly accept the role of leadership we step into the reality that God will expect more from us. And the higher up in leadership that we go, i.e. the more people that my decisions and actions affect, the more that God will expect of me. I often wonder why it is that so many times one moves up in his/her leadership role the more they forget this truth. My prayer is that I will remember it all the more and become more humble each time that God chooses to give me more responsibility.