Verse of the Day

Category: Uncategorized

  • November 14, 2020

    Saint of the Week
    St. Ephraim the Syrian

  • November 15, 2020

    LOOK TO THE LORD

    Micah 7:7

    But I will look to the Lord. I will wait for God my Savior, for my God will hear me.

    Encouraging Words

    Sometimes life can be tough. For some people, life feels like it is always tough. No matter whether we are in good times or in those rough times, we can always look to the Lord knowing that He will hear us. This gives us what we need to navigate these tough times and relish the good. Glory be to God!

  • November 13, 2020

    WE HAVE BEEN SHOWN

    Micah 6:8

    He has shown you, O man, what is good. Or what does the Lord seek from you but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to be ready to walk with the Lord your God?

    Personal Challenge

    Throughout history, people have asked the question, “What must I do to be saved?” we have it wired within us that we have been separated from our creator and that we need to be saved from the grip that death has upon us. So, what must we do to be saved? It is not about what we do, but about Who we proclaim as our Savior. He has been revealed to us, so we have no excuse. We grab hold of Him and do not let go. Then the doing follows that because we love Him and want to show our gratitude to Him. He wants us to live just lives, to love mercy, and to walk in His ways. Glory be to God!

  • November 12, 2020

    SEEK GOOD

    Amos 5:14a

    Seek good and not evil so that you may live, so that the Lord God Almighty will be with you.

    Personal Challenge

    So, what does it mean to seek good and not evil? I know that I can proclaim that I am not doing evil things like murdering someone or robbing banks or beating my wife. Is this where the definition of evil ends? Not really. Am I being disruptive and decisive in my ways and language, whether in person or on social media? Am I choosing to participate in those dirty or harmful jokes and memes? Am I lording it over other people like a bully? These are just a few of the ways that I can seek evil. If I am not truly and sincerely showing love for my neighbor, especially those that I disagree with or perceive as my enemies, then I am seeking evil. To seek good is to strive to do what Jesus would have me do. It is to desire to walk in His footprints and live as He lived, even unto death for another. This is a hard path to take but the one that leads to a life where the Almighty Lord God is with us. Glory be to God!

  • November 11, 2020

    VICTORY OVER HELL

    Hosea 13:14

    “I will deliver them out of the hand of Hades
    And will redeem them from death.
    Where is your penalty, O death?
    O Hades, where is your sting?
    Pity is hidden from My eyes.”

    Encouraging Words

    There is no place that exceeds the reach of our Lord Jesus Christ in the redemption of His church. Even the depths of Hades have been breached by His love and mercy, redeeming the captives that were once there. So, when we proclaim that God is omni­present, present everywhere, at all times, that means that He is present in heaven, on this earth, and in hell, wielding His power, His mercy, and His grace. Glory be to God!

  • November 9, 2020

    FRUIT

    Hosea 10:12


    Sow to yourselves in righteousness;
    Gather in the fruit of life;
    Light for yourselves the light of knowledge;
    Seek the Lord till the fruits of righteousness come upon you.

    Personal Challenge

    We often read in the Scriptures about the fruit of our labors. We can judge the nature of a tree by the type of fruit that it produces. We are the same. What is the fruit that we are producing in our lives? Is it bitterness or sweetness? Is it division or unity? Is it falsehood or truth? And these contrasts go on and on. Hosea reminds us that if we sow ourselves as seeds in righteousness then we will produce the fruit of life. We will be measured by the fruit that we produce. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

  • November 6, 2020

    MERCY

    Hosea 6:6

    For I desire mercy and not sacrifice,
    And the knowledge of God
    More than whole burnt offerings.

    Personal Challenge

    Our God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is merciful. He puts up with us as we continue to seek after our own ways and our own desires. He patiently waits for us to turn to Him and to share His truths with others so that they might turn to Him as well. He desires that we show mercy to those around us. He desires this more than seeing us practice the traditions of our churches which often turn us into legalistic people. He desires that we know Him more than offering all kinds of sacrifices to Him hoping to earn His favor. Jesus left us two commands to live by. They are to love our God and to love our neighbor. This is how we learn to be merciful. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

  • November 5, 2020

    PURSUE GOD

    Hosea 6:3

    Let us know, let us pursue
    That we might know the Lord.
    We shall find Him ready as the daybreak,
    And He will come to us
    As the early and latter rain to the earth.

    Personal Challenge

    Throughout the scriptures, we are encouraged to pursue God as if He is an evasive creature that tries to hide from us. However, the scriptures also teach us that God is ever-present and waiting for us. Which one is it? I will go back to the scripture that calls upon us to pursue God as a hunter tracks the game that he is pursuing. It is not that God is hiding from us at all. He is everywhere. He is in our loved ones. He is in our neighbor whom we are commanded to love, He is in the beauty of His creation. Just as pursuing the deer in the wilderness, the pursuit is not about the deer revealing itself to us, it is about us learning more and more about that deer, its characteristics, its behaviors, its essence, until we see the deer where it has always been. Our pursuit of God is about us changing to be able to see Him where He is already all around us. This is how we should pursue Him. Glory be to God!

  • November 4, 2020

    BETROTHAL

    Hosea 2:20-22

    I will betroth you to Myself in faithfulness,
    And you shall know the Lord.
    “It shall come to pass in that day,” says the Lord,
    “That I will listen to heaven,
    And it shall listen to the earth.
    The earth shall listen to the corn,
    And the wine, and the oil;
    And they shall listen to Jezreel.”

    Encouraging Words

    What is the most intimate and permanent relationship called out in the scriptures? Marriage! God looks upon His relationship with the Church, His people, as a marriage. It is based on and filled with, love. It is permanent, no matter how unfaithful we may be in our lives. God loves us! God desires to be in a relationship with us. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner, and forgive me for my unfaithfulness to you!

  • November 3, 2020

    THE GOD OF ALL

    Sirach 50:22-24

    And now bless the God of all,
    Who does great things in every way,
    Who exalts our days from our birth
    And deals with us according to His mercy.
    May He give us gladness of heart,
    And may there be peace in our days,
    In Israel as in the days of old.
    May He entrust with us His mercy,
    And let Him redeem us in our days.

    Encouraging Words

    Our God is all and in all. He is the creator and sustainer of everything past, present, and future. We are His children, His beloved and we can put our trust and hope in Him, for He will give us peace in our days and redeem us for Himself. Glory be to God!