Author: David Short

Saint of the Week

St. Paisios of Mount Athos

THE STATE OF OUR HEART

Genesis 4:7

“Did you not sin, even though you brought it rightly, but did not divide it rightly? Be still; his recourse shall be to you; and you shall rule over him.”

Personal Challenge

As I was growing up, I always thought Cain got the raw end of the deal with his offering to God. It was not until I converted to Eastern Orthodoxy that I got the rest of the story. The early church fathers showed in the Scriptures that the problem with Cain’s offering was not in the content but the intent. His heart was not no the spirit of giving a gift to God. It was given begrudgingly, and therefore not acceptable to God. God cares more about the state of our hearts than He does about the content of our offering. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

CHOICES

Genesis 3:11-13

Thus He said, “Who said you were naked? Have you eaten from the one tree from which I commanded you not to eat?” Then Adam said, “The woman You gave me, gave me of the tree, and I ate.” So the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Personal Challenge

Is it no wonder that our first instinct, when we are caught doing something that we shouldn’t be doing, is to blame our actions, our choices, on someone or something else? This is what both Adam and Eve did with the first sin of mankind. God knows, as well as we do, that we are solely responsible for our choices. We cannot blame another. This is the beginning of repentance. Admitting, and owning, our indiscretion leads to our forgiveness and healing. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercyl Lord have mercy!

HIDING FROM GOD

Genesis 3:8-10

Then they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden that afternoon, and Adam and his wife hid themselves within the tree in the middle of the garden from the presence of the Lord God. So the Lord God called Adam and said to him, “Adam, where are you?” He replied, “I heard Your voice as You were walking in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”

Encouraging Words

This part of the story of Adam and Eve’s response to their sin gives us a glimmer into the nature of God. God is love! Not only does He love us, but He is pure love. Everything He does comes from love. This truth flies in the face of the teachings that God is judgmental. His love always overides everything that the world can throws at us. Back to this story. God knew where Adam and Eve were. He knew what they had done. He still called out to them, giving them a chance to respond, repent, and have their relationship with God restored. He does the same for us. We do not need to hide from Him… ever! Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

OPENED EYES

Genesis 3:7

Then the eyes of the two were opened, and they knew they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

Personal Challenge

What happened to Adam and Eve happens to all of us sooner or later. God created Adam and Eve perfectly and even gave them the ability to choose for themselves. He gave them free will. He then told Adam that they had access to everything in the Garden of Eden except one tree. The were not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. That was it, the only restriction. Yet, they chose to eat the fruit of that tree and their eyes were opened. They were ashamed and hid from God who walked with them in the garden and talked to them regularly. This same thing happens to all the rest of us. We are told that there are things in this world that are not good for us. Sometimes we listen, often times we ignore the advice and check out the fruit. Our eyes are opened and it is not a good sight. Shame sets in and we hide from God. We are blessed that God still loves us so much that He provides a way out of the shame and back into His light. That way is Jesus. Thanks be to God!

ORDER IN CREATION

Genesis 1:5

God called the light Day; the darkness He called Night; and there was evening and morning, one day.

Encouraging Words

Whether one is a six day creation literalist, six period creation believer, or even a Darwinist, there is great order in our universe. As followers of Christ, we believe that order is/was planned, controlled, and maintained by our God. He, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, created all that exists and continues the creation process every moment of every day. Glory be to God!

Just going to let this one speak for itself…

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. Amen.

O God, cleanse me, a sinner. O God, cleanse me, a sinner.

O God, cleanse me, a sinner. O God, cleanse me, a sinner.

O God, cleanse me, a sinner. O God, cleanse me, a sinner.

O God, cleanse me, a sinner. O God, cleanse me, a sinner.

O God, cleanse me, a sinner. O God, cleanse me, a sinner.

O God, cleanse me, a sinner. O God, cleanse me, a sinner.

WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE

R. L. Sharpe

Isn’t it strange
That princes and kings,
And clowns that caper
In sawdust rings,
And common people
Like you and me
Are builders for eternity?

Each is given a bag of tools,
A shapeless mass,
A book of rules;
And each must make—
Ere life is flown—
A stumbling block
Or a steppingstone.

Personal Challenge

We must always be checking what we are doing in our lives to determine what kind of impact we are having on the world around us. Are we having a positive impact and making a difference for good or are we tearing down and causing our neighbor to stumble? Our desire as followers of Christ is to be like Him and make this world a better place. Glory be to God!

Saint of the Week

St. Basil the Great

IT TOLLS FOR THEE

John Donne (1572-1631) – Meditation 17

No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent; a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less… Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

Personal Challenge

All human life is precious. All human life is sacred. As followers of Christ, we believe and proclaim that all humans have been, and still are, created in the image of God. No matter what choices a person makes, whether good or bad, saintly or sinful, they are still special in God’s eyes and loved by Him. His expectation of His followers is that we love others as He would. So, it is possible to challenge a person for their actions in love and not diminish them. It is possible to mourn for a person who has had their life taken from them and still disagree with their actions or words that were contradictory to God’s truths. Godly love for a person does not require an acceptance of their ungodly beliefs and behaviors. As John Donne articulates here, we are all intertwined and interconnected. Division and divisiveness only kills us all with small, little pricks. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!