Category: Uncategorized

Saint of the Week

St. John Chrysostom

MY LIGHT

Psalms 26:1 LXX (27:1)

Of David; before he was anointed.
The Lord is my light and my savior; whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the defender of my life; whom shall I dread?

Encouraging Words

God is the source of true, revealing light. Even at the beginning of creation everything was darkness and void until God released His light into it. I am sure that was quite a “big bang”. As followers of Christ we can claim our Lord as our Light and Savior and therefore have no concerns or fears. He will be the defender of our life, therefore eliminating any dread. He is my light, I will not be fearful of enything. Glory be to God!

INSTRUCTION, GUIDANCE, AND TEACHING

Psalms 24:8-11 LXX (25:8-11)

Good and upright is the Lord;
Therefore He will instruct sinners in His way.
He will guide the gentle in judgment;
He will teach the gentle His ways.
All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth
For those who seek His covenant and His testimonies.
For Your name’s sake, O Lord,
Pardon my sin, for it is great.

Personal Challenge

The first step of our journey to be followers of Christ is humility. In humility we must recognize and admit that we can do nothing related to eternity on our own. We need One greater than us to take our hand and instruct us in His ways. We then continue exercising that humility and allow Him to guide us in His judgment showing us how to be gentle. By following this path He will teach us what we need to know to stay on His path. Through this process we experience His mercy and truth and can then apply that to those whom we meet in our lives. Glory be to God!

LORD, HAVE MERCY

Psalms 24:7 LXX (25:7)

Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor of my ignorance;
But remember me according to Your mercy,
Because of Your loving-kindness, O Lord.

Personal Challenge

As followers of Christ we know that we constantly fall short of the expectations that God has for us and that we do not deserve His love, mercy, and grace. This is why we are constantly uttering the prayer, “Lord, have mercy! “It is only by His mercy that we will experience His loving-kindness. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me the sinner!

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.