Author: David Short

FOLLOWING HIS PATHS

Psalms 24:4-5 LXX (25:4-5)

Make known Your ways to me, O Lord,
And teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation,
And on You I wait all the day.

Personal Challenge

Being a follower of Christ is much more than raising our hands during a performative worship service or brandishing our religious paraphernalia. First, we must pursuing Christ in a way that opens our hearts and minds to Him so that He can show us His ways and lead us on His paths. Both of these will be very much different that the ways and the paths that the world offers. If we desire the fullness of His satuation to be evident in our lives then we must be following Him and abandoning the world. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

RECEIVING BLESSING AND SALVATION

Psalms 23:4-5 LXX (24:4-5)

He who has innocent hands and a pure heart;
He who does not lift up his soul to vanity;
He who does not swear deceitfully to his neighbor.
He shall receive blessing from the Lord
And mercy from the God of his salvation.

Personal Challenge

As things like Christian nationalism and white evangelicalism continue to grow and raise their ugly head, the reputation and understanding of true Christianity gets stained and abhored. Lord, have mercy! This psalm reminds us of some of the things that God looks for in His followers. Innocent hands and a pure heart. If we are not loving our neighbor, especially the poor, the naked, the victims of abuse, and the stranger amongst us, then we are not fulfilling the call to have innocent hands and a pure heart. A follower does not lift up their soul in vanity. We cannot pursue wealth and power, or fawn over those who do, and be followers. A follower does not swear deceitfully to his neighbor. We are called to speak the truth in love and to defend the truth at all cost. If we desire to receive the blessing and salvation of our God, then we must live our lives His way. Slogans and crosses and t-shirts and rituals are not what He cares about. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

GOODNESS AND MERCY

Psalms 22:6 LXX (23:6)

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord to the end of my days.

Personal Challenge

It is so easy to proclaim the label of “Christian”. It is something totally different to live a life where goodness and mercy are evident both in our personal life and the way that we touch the lives of the people that we come into contact with. If we leave a trail of broken and hurt people that have been a part of our life, then we must question if we are following in the footsteps of Christ. If we desire to dwell in the house of the Lord, both in this earthly life, and the eternal one to come, then we must be doing the works that Jesus would have us do. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Saint of the Week

St. Paisios of Mt. Athos

ABOUT OUR LORD

Psalms 18:8-12 LXX (19:7-11)

The law of the Lord is blameless, converting souls;
The testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making children wise;
The ordinances of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is bright, enlightening the eyes;
The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring unto ages of ages;
The judgments of the Lord are true, being altogether just.
More to be desired are they than gold and a very precious stone, Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
For indeed Your servant keeps them;
In keeping them there is great reward.

Encouraging Words

If I have learned anything in my life of following Christ and loving my Lord, it is that I will never be able to know and understand Him fully. There is so much more to Him than the collective understanding of all humanity will ever be able to embrace. That is okay. This psalm attempts to frame some of the greatness of our Lord. There is so much here to embrace, experience, and cherish. Glory be to God!

HE LIVES

Psalms 17:47 LXX (18:46)

The Lord lives, and blessed is my God.
Let the salvation of my God be exalted,

Encouraging Words

We live our lives in our belief that our God is live and at work in this world. We desire to bless Him because of the blessings that He bestows upon us. We trust that His salvation will be at play in our lives, knowing that we do not deserve it. In His salvation of His people, He is exalted.

SOURCE OF POWER

Psalms 17:33 LXX (18:32)

It is God who girds me with power,
And He made my way blameless;

Encouraging Words

As followers of Christ, we believe that our hope in, and through, life comes from our God. We also so believe our power to do anything in our life comes from Him. He makes the way of our life blameless, however, it is up to us to follow that way. Glory be to God.

LOVING GOD

Psalms 17:2-4 LXX (18:1-3)

thus he said:
“I will love You, O Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my foundation, my refuge, my deliverer;
My God is my helper, on Him I will hope,
My champion, the horn of my salvation, and my protector.
I will call upon the Lord and praise Him,
And I shall be saved from my enemies.”

Encouraging Words

As followers of Christ we have so much to love God for. This passage provides a powerful list of why we love Him. He is our strength, our foundation, our refuge, our deliverer, our helper, our hope, our champion, the horn of our salvation, and our protector. We call upon Him and praise Him. Through Him, we will be saved from our enemies. Praise God!

HEAR MY PRAYER, LORD

Psalms 16:1-9 LXX (17:1-9)

A prayer of David.
Listen, O Lord of my righteousness;
Attend to my supplication;
Give ear to my prayer that is not with deceitful lips.
From Your face let my judgment come;
Let my eyes behold uprightness.
You tested my heart, when You visited me in the night;
You tried me in the fire, and found nothing unjust in me.
That my mouth might not speak of the works of men,
I held to hard ways because of the words of Your lips.
Restore my steps in Your paths,
That my footsteps may not slip.
I cried out, because You listened to me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, and hear my words.
Magnify Your mercies,
O You who save those who hope in You
From those who rise up against Your right hand.
Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
In the shelter of Your wings, You will shelter me
From the face of the ungodly who trouble me.

Encouraging Words

A prayer for those desiring to be seen, and heard, by God. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

THE WAYS OF LIFE

Psalms 15:11 LXX (16:11)

You made known to me the ways of life;
You will fill me with gladness in Your presence;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Encouraging Words

If we take the time to slow down in our lives, get our egos out of the way, and let God do His thing in our lives, He will make known the ways of life to us and they will be so much better than our ways. God will fill us with an immeasurable gladness when we are in His presence. And we will find everylasting pleasures at His right hand. Glory be to God!