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Psalms 146:1-2 (145:1-2 LXX)

Praise the Lord, O my soul.
I shall praise the Lord while I live;
I shall sing to my God as long as I exist.

Proverbs 22:17-19 (22:20-22 LXX)

Incline your ear to the words of the wise and hear my word,
And establish your heart, that you may know they are good.
And if you apply them to your heart,
They will gladden you and at the same time be upon your lips;
That your hope might be in the Lord,
And His way might be known to you.

Personal Challenge

It is so easy to adhere to the modern way of thinking and beliefs that we can be independent of everything and everyone as we live our lives centered on ourselves. However, if we desire to live godly lives, we must shift our focus from self-centeredness to a focus on our God who is the source of life and wisdom. This is the only way to establish our heart on a path to righteousness and godliness. It is never about me. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

John 14:12

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

Encouraging Words

Jesus did many amazing things while He was incarnate here on earth. He healed many, raised people from the dead, fed the hungry, walked on water, and returned alive from the grave. And yet He told us that if we believe in Him, then we would do greater things than He did. In the history of the early church, these greater things did happen. People were healed of many sicknesses, some were brought back to life, and the church was spread all across the known world. So, why is this not happening today? The answer lies in Jesus’ own hometown. Elsewhere in the scriptures, we are told that He was not able to perform miracles in His own hometown due to the disbelief of His neighbors. We live in an age of disbelief. We live in an age when so many, even many participating in churches, do not believe in God, Jesus, or the power that they have to work through us. It is our own disbelief that has fettered us. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Psalms 145:18 (144:18 LXX)

The Lord is near to all who call on Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.

Encouraging Words

So, the Psalmist promises us that the Lord is near to those who call upon Him. That is good news, especially in times of need. But, there is a little caveat here. We need to seek upon Him in truth. What does that mean? The original text would have used faith rather than truth. We must call upon God with a spirit of faith if we want Him to be near us, or better yet if we want our eyes and minds to be opened to seeing Him since He is always near to us. This is why Jesus could say to so many that He healed, “Your faith has made you whole.” Glory be to God!

John 14:6

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Personal Challenge

Jesus has made it clear to us that there is only one way to make it into the presence of the Father. It is through Jesus, by the fact of Who He is and the work that He alone has done. So, I cannot study myself into this relationship with God. I cannot do incredible acts of worship or almsgiving to make this relationship happen. I cannot buy my way there through tithes and offerings. I can only enter into a relationship with God, the Father, through coming to God, the Son, and submitting my life, my all, to Him. Any religion, or other belief system, that leaves Jesus out, also leaves God out. Lord, have mercy? Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Psalms 145:8-9 (144:8-9 LXX)

The Lord is gracious and merciful,
Longsuffering and abundant in mercy.
The Lord is good to all,
And His mercies are upon all His works.

Encouraging Words

Our God is good! He is gracious to us, His creation. He is merciful to us, His children. He is longsuffering and pours out His abundant mercy upon us as He delays His return so that more may be saved. He is good to all, both those who have given their lives to Him and those who have not. We are the works of His hands and He pours out His mercy on us. Glory be to God!

Proverbs 21:3

To do righteous things and to speak the truth
Are more pleasing before God than the blood of sacrifices.

Personal Challenge

God has made it clear throughout His scriptures that He is not interested in how meticulous we are in following the rubrics of our faith. They are important and it is good that we desire to do them well so that we can glorify Him, but if our hearts are not pure, then He sees these actions as waste. He desires us to live righteous lives, loving others, speaking the truth in love, and being humble before Him and others. Our sinful nature, our stubborn will, does make this difficult, but He has given us a Helper to grow in His image. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

John 13:34-35

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Personal Challenge

The commandment that Jesus gave to us to love one another is not a new commandment. Christianity is not the only religion that expects its adherents to love others and to take care of them in times of need. What is different in Christianity is how we are to love one another and who that other is. Jesus expects us to love those around us as He has loved us. Unconditionally! Completely! Even to the point of giving our life for another. He also expects us to not only love those who are like us and love us, but we are to love our enemy as well, we are to love the stranger, the ones that are down and out, the ones who look funny, smell funny, and talk funny. He expects us to love everyone the way that He loves us. This can be so difficult in today’s climate of terrorism, political division, nationalism, and anti-immigration. If we truly love Him, if we are truly His children, then we must rise above all of this because we are no longer citizens of this world or the nations within it, but citizens of heaven. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!