Psalms 9:10 (9:11)
And let those who know Your name put their hope in You;
For You, O Lord, do not forsake those who seek You.
Encouraging Words
As our world becomes less and less dependable, it is a blessing to know that our God has always been dependable and He will continue to be into eternity. We can put our hope in Him and we will never be disappointed. All we need to do is to continue seeking Him and putting our hope in Him. Glory be to God!
Luke 15:31-32
“And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’ ”
Personal Challenge
Jealousy is a very consuming and overbearing sin. If we are trying to be sincere followers of Christ then there is no room for jealousy in us. The story of the prodigal son reveals to us an image of God’s great love for us, His children. Unfortunately, the story ends with the oldest son, the one who stayed with the father and did all that he expected, being jealous that his father was doting over his lost son who had returned. It is easy to focus on all the things that we do for God, reading His scriptures, praying to Him, going to all the liturgies, masses, and services that our church has to offer and yet not have the right attitude or motive in our hearts. This leads to jealousy of others who do not do all this stuff and yet appear to be blessed by God. What is in our hearts today? Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!
Psalms 9:1-2 (9:1-3)
I will give thanks to You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your wondrous things;
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
Personal Challenge
Sometimes we get so caught up in doing the things that we believe are showing our love for our God that we forget to just show Him that love. How do we show him that love? By giving thinks to him with our whole heart. By telling others of His wondrous things. By being glad and rejoicing in Him. We must be careful to not get trapped in doing repetitious things about Him and not doing worshipful things for Him and with Him. Glory be to God!
Luke 14:11
For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
Personal Challenge
We all have two options in our lives when it comes to humility. We can choose to be humble and let others lift us up when they deem it appropriate. Or we can choose to exalt ourselves and then someday be humbled by someone else. I prefer the first option. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who was exalted above all humanity, and creation, chose to humble Himself and become human. He lived a perfect, sinless life and was put to death on a cross, which He humbly accepted. He then arose from that death victorious over the tomb so that we all might be resurrected when He returns. Our being humble by choice prepares us for that day of resurrection and exaltation. Lord, mercy Mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!
Psalms 5:11-12 (5:12-13)
But let all who hope in You be glad;
They will greatly rejoice forever,
For You will dwell in them;
And all who love Your name will boast in You.
For You will bless the righteous;
O Lord, You crowned us with the shield of Your goodwill.
Encouraging Words
What is one of the core characteristics of a follower of Christ? Hope! We place our hope in Christ and the work that He has done for us, and we are glad in that hope. We rejoice in Him because He dwells in us. In that hope we love him and boast in Him alone. He blesses us, crowns us, and shields us with His good will. Glory be to God!
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
God’s economy, how He does things and measures things, is much different than the economy of this world. It is very important for us to recognize that if He chooses us to be blessed, there comes with that blessing the expectation that we will use it for His glory and not our gain. If riches, then sharing with those in need. If power or authority, then humility to apply it His way. His blessings bestowed upon us are to be shared in order to build to His kingdom. Glory be to God!
Psalms 5:3 (5:4)
In the morning You shall hear my voice;
In the morning I will stand before You,
And I will watch.
Personal Challenge
What an awesome way to start a day. Calling out to God knowing that He will hear our voice. Standing before Him and watching for Him to reveal Himself in our day. Is this our personal challenge each day? Do we carve out this time to start our day, calling out and watching for Him? It is truly worth the effort to make this a daily practice. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!
Luke 12:35-36
Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.
Personal Challenge
Anticipation. Is it a good thing or a bad thing? The answer really depends on what it is that we are anticipating. When Jesus was here, He kept telling us that He would be leaving us and that He world return to take us home with Him to heaven. That is the anticipation that these verses are referring to. We are to live every moment in anticipation that Jesus my return any time. We need to be ready for Him so that we can go with him. Are you ready? Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!
Verse of the Day 