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Wisdom of Sirach 1:10-11 LXX

The fear of the Lord will cheer the heart
And will give gladness, joy, and long life.
For those who fear the Lord, it shall be well to the utmost,
And on the day of his death, he will be blessed.

Encouraging Words

What do we mean when we say that we fear our God? This concept has been misconstrued in our modern language and experience. Today, we perceive this as a frightful and cowering response to someone, or something, that is mean and can do us great harm. In the Christian perspective, it means to show great reverence, love, and respect to our God who is awesome and mighty, yet loving and merciful. This kind of fear brings us to a place of great awe and respect for our God who we do not deserve to know, yet desires to know us. Is it any wonder then that through this fear He will cheer our heart, give us gladness, joy, and long life, and bless us both in this life and the life to come? Once again, I am reminded that this is all about our God and who He is and what He does, and nothing about me except that I am the blessed recipient of His love. Glory be to God!

Wisdom of Solomon 19:22 LXX

For in everything, O Lord, You have exalted and glorified Your people,
And have not neglected to be present with them in every time and place.

Encouraging Words

My God is not some distant, disconnected, wrathful, and judgmental god. He is active in the lives of those who love Him and pursue Him. He does not have unrealistic expectations of me because He loves me unconditionally and without end. What an awesome God He is.

Wisdom of Solomon 15:1-3 LXX

But You, our God, are kind, true, patient,

Wisdom of Solomon 12:1-2

For Your immortal Spirit is in all things.
For this reason You correct little by little those who fall away,
And You remind and warn them of the sins they commit
So they may be freed from evil and believe in You, O Lord.

Encouraging Words

Not only am I created in the image of God, but He is the one who breathed life in me. This breath is His Immortal Spirit that is within me. Because of this He guides and directs me in my life so that I might be corrected when I get off track and encouraged when I stay on track. God does this because He loves me. He does this gently so that I might be corrected but not broken. He gives me so many chances to follow Him and yet lets me choose for myself. Glory be to God!

Wisdom of Solomon 8:7 LXX

If anyone loves righteousness,
The products of righteousness are the virtues.
For wisdom teaches self- control, discernment, righteousness and courage,
Concerning which things there is nothing more valuable in the life of man.

Encouraging Words

What are some of the consequences of pursuing righteousness? There are so many, but this passage presents some very valuable ones. These virtues can be such wonedrful additions to our lives. Self-control, discernment, additional righteousness, and courage are virtues that can enhance the journey through life and on to theosis. Glory be to God.

Wisdom of Solomon 8:5-6 LXX

Now if riches are a possession to be desired in life,
What is richer than wisdom, who works all things?
And if discernment shows itself in action,
Who more than wisdom is its craftsman?

Personal Challenge

I believe that part of our being created in the image of God is that part of us desires to possess riches. What was broken by the fall of mankind was what we define as riches. If the riches that we desire are the things of this earth such as material wealth and personal gain and recognition, then we have bought the lie of our enemy and succumb to the fall. However, if the riches that we desire are those outside of this world such as loving God, loving our neighbor, knowing Wisdom personally, and all of those things that are of our Father, then we have started our journey to righteousness and the breaking of the fetters and shackles that this earth has bound us with. Glory be to God!

Wisdom of Solomon 7:22-23 LXX

So in herself, wisdom is a spirit that is rational,
Holy, only- begotten, manifold, subtle, easily moved, clear,
Undefiled, manifest, invulnerable, loving what is good, keen,
Unhindered, beneficent, man- loving, steadfast, unfailing,
Free from worry, all- powerful, all- surveying,
And penetrating all spirits that are rational, pure, and most subtle

Personal Challenge

Reading through this passage, we find many of the characteristics of our Lord, Jesus Christ. If my goal in life, my desire, is to be like Him, then I can pull from a list such as this, some of the things that I must strive for in my life. Here are some that stand out to me: holy (set apart), subtle (humble), clear, undefiled, loving what is good, keen, unhindered (in my love for Him and my neighbor), beneficent, man-loving, steadfast, unfailing, free from worry, and pure. This is quite a list to strive for, but if I am to grow in my journey to theosis it is a good place to start. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Wisdom of Solomon 6:12-16 LXX

Wisdom is radiant and unfading
And is easily perceived by those who love her;
For she is found by those who seek her.
She comes upon those who long to know her beforehand.
He who rises early in the morning to seek her
Will not grow weary,
For he will find her sitting at his gates.
For to think deeply about her
Is the perfection of discernment,
And he who keeps watch for her
Will soon be free from worry;
Because she goes about seeking those worthy of her,
And she appears to them favorably in their paths
And meets them in every thought.

Encouraging Words

Our early Church Fathers taught that the Wisdom referred to in the Old Testament is none other than our Lord Jesus Christ. If you read this passage and replace every occurrence of “Wisdom” with “Jesus” and every occurrence of “her/she” with “Him/He”, then you will see the profound power in what results. Glory be to God!

     Jesus is radiant and unfading
     And is easily perceived by those who love Him;
     For He is found by those who seek Him.
     He comes upon those who long to know Him beforehand.
     He who rises early in the morning to seek Him
     Will not grow weary,
     For he will find Him sitting at his gates.
     For to think deeply about Him
     Is the perfection of discernment,
     And he who keeps watch for Him
     Will soon be free from worry;
     Because He goes about seeking those worthy of Him,
     And He appears to them favorably in their paths
     And meets them in every thought.