Author: David Short

Proverbs 21:21 (21:20)

The way of righteousness and mercy shall find life and glory.

Personal Challenge

I believe we all desire to have full lives with some glory sprinkled in there every once in a while. We find here in this Proverb a recipe for that. Live righteous and merciful lives and we shall find life and glory. It also works out that if we are living this way, we will not take advantage of the life and glory that we receive, but we will share it with those in our lives. Glory be to God!

Ephesians 2:19-22

Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Encouraging Words

It is quite amazing, when you think about it, that because of who Jesus is, and what He has done, that those of us who follow Him, are fellow citizens with saints and members of the household of God. We are no longer strangers and foreigners in His kingdom. This also means that we are now foreigners in this earthly kingdom that we dwell in today. We are His ambassadors and as such must be demonstrating to those around us what the kingdom of God is and why everyone should become citizens there. If we are looking and acting more like citizens of earth (and the United Sates) than we are citizens of heaven, then we are serving the wrong master. Glory be to God!

Proverbs 21:3

To do righteous things and to speak the truth
Are more pleasing before God than the blood of sacrifices.

Personal Challenge

What have we done to our culture and our world? As followers of Christ, for over 2,000 years we have a history of changing the world. It started with one, Jesus, who took 12 men and totally turned the world upside down. We have a long history of men and women who have given their all, including their lives, to change the world by doing righteous things and speaking the truth. How is it that we, so many who claim to be the followers of Christ, have helped create a culture that thrives on lies and falsehoods? How can we claim to be followers of Christ and also engage in things that He would never approve of. All of our sacrifices of going to services and giving to our churches are for naught if we are not doing righteous things and speaking the truth. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Ephesians 2:8-10

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Personal Challenge

As followers of Christ, we must always remember that it is by God’s gift of grace that we are saved from death and separation from God throughout eternity. There is no work that we can do, no matter how good or noble, that can earn this for us. There is no amount of knowledge that we can acquire, no matter how godly it appears, that can do this for us. We can only boast in Jesus Christ, who He is, and what He has done to make this gift possible. Glory be to God and God alone!

Ephesians 1:3-6

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

Encouraging Words

Our God is blessed and through Him we are blessed over and over again. He chooses to bless us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. His blessings even go to the point of adopting us as His sons and daughters. Glory be to God!

Proverbs 19:20

Hear, my son, the instruction of your father,
That you may become wise in your last days.

Personal Challenge

In our modern, self-centered culture, we have lost the practice of listening to our elders and learning from their wisdom. In the workforce we are seeing ageism raise its ugly head. In our families we are seeing parents and grandparents isolated because their opinions appear outdated our contrary to current opinions. If we want to become wise in our last days, it behooves us to spend time with our elders, loving them, thanking them, and listening to them so that we can learn from the past. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Galatians 6:14

But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Personal Challenge

Am I able to make a claim like this one that Paul made in His letter to the church in Galatia? Can I truly claim that I have crucified the worldly part of me on the cross of Jesus? If only I could! I have so far to go in my journey of theosis. I am truly blessed that my God is so patient, merciful, and loving. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Proverbs 18:10

The name of the Lord is of great strength,
And when the righteous run to it, they are exalted.

Encouraging Words

There is power in words. Sometimes that power is positive and sometimes it is negative. In our culture today, we have mastered the use of words in a negative way. We tear down the other person. We profess lies and call them the truth. We are coercive and manipulative. As followers of Christ, we are called to be countercultural, even to the point of martyrdom. The place to start with this is to run to the name of the Lord, to do and say everything His way. Then we will see Him exalt us into His kingdom here on earth. Glory be to God!