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Isaiah 30:15

For thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel: “When you return and groan, then you will be saved and know where you were. When you trusted in vain things, vain was your strength, and you did not will to listen.”

Personal Challenge

Throughout the history of the Jewish people, God’s chosen ones, they were in exile from their promised land. The exile was the consequence of departing from their relationship with their God. When they would get their priorities straightened out and return to their worship of God, they would be returned to their rightful state. It was always trusting in vain things that led them away from God. How often do we do the same thing? How often do we put our trust in the things of this world and look away from God? We too must return to Him to receive His blessings. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Isaiah 29:13

So the Lord said, “These people draw near to Me and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me, and they worship Me in vain, teaching the commandments and doctrines of men.”

Personal Challenge

Is our worship that we do on Sunday’s for Gods’ edification or ours? Are the songs that we sing glorifying God or are they written to make us feel good? Are our prayer times focused on praising God and interceding for those around us or are they our wish list approaching God as if He is Santa Claus? God wants us to worship Him from the very depths of our hearts and souls. He does not want us to perform for Him every once in a while and then live the rest of our lives as if He doesn’t matter. True worship comes from a transformed heart and life. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Isaiah 28:16

therefore, thus says the Lord: “Behold, I lay for the foundations of Zion a costly stone, a chosen and precious cornerstone for its foundations, and whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.

Encouraging Words

Every great structure, profound idea that matures into something great, or accompl­ishment is founded upon a strong cornerstone. For Christians, that cornerstone is Jesus Christ. When we choose to follow Him, we allow Him to rip out from under every aspect of our lives, those cornerstones that we have built upon, and replaces them with Himself. Our journey to theosis is then built upon that foundation. Glory be to God!

Isaiah 26:7

The way of the godly is straight; and the way of the godly is prepared.

Personal challenge

We are all on a journey called life. This is one short piece of the rest of eternity in which we find ourselves. It is important that all of us determine where we want to continue our journey after we repose here in this temporal realm. Jesus has given us the path to eternal life in the presence of God. It is through Him that we enter that realm. Part of what we can do in this stage of our journey is to strive to be godly and live for Him. This helps to make this path straight and to prepare us for Him. Glory be to God!

Isaiah 26:2-4

Open the gates; let the people enter who keep righteousness and guard the truth, and who lay hold of the truth and keep peace, because they hope forever in You, O Lord, the great and eternal God,

Encouraging Words

The gates to heaven have been opened by our Lord Jesus Christ. He welcomes all who believe in Him, who keep His righteousness, who guard His truth, and who hold onto that truth and keep His peace to enter in. Our hope is in Him and it is because of this hope that our lives are changed so that we desire to live for Him and walk in His footsteps. Our Lord is the great and eternal God and we are His children. Glory be to God!

Isaiah 12:2

Behold, God is my Savior and Lord. I will trust in Him and be saved by Him. I will not be afraid, for the Lord is my glory and my praise. He has become my salvation.

Personal Challenge

It is indeed one thing to proclaim these types of things about our Lord and yet an entirely different thing to live out our lives demonstrating this belief. Do we submit our all to Him as if He truly was our Lord? Do we trust Him and go through both the challenges and the victories of life as if we are convinced that He will save and protect us? Or do we rely on ourselves and the things of this world for our salvation? Do we go through every day without fear because we see God as our glory and praise? He is our salvation! He is our Lord! And we are blessed to be His children! Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Isaiah 9:6

Great shall be His government, and of His peace there is no end. His peace shall be upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order and establish it with righteousness and judgment, from that time forward and unto ages of ages. The zeal of the Lord of hosts shall perform this.

Encouraging Words

I have spent most of my Christian journey being taught, and believing, that God’s Kingdom was coming, someday after Jesus returns. However, if you read the scriptures through the eyes of Eastern Orthodoxy, eyes similar to those of our Apostles and Jesus himself, you will see that Jesus ushered in His Kingdom and His government with His incarnation. We believe that we are living as members of His Kingdom and under the rule of His government today. The key here is that we are living this out in this temporal world as His ambassadors, representing Him to the world around us. We do not put our hope in some future Kingdom but in the one that belongs to Him today. Glory be to God!

Isaiah 6:8-10