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Tobit 12:6-7

Then Raphael secretly called the two of them, and said to them, “Bless God and give Him thanks. Ascribe greatness to Him and give thanks in the presence of all the living for what He has done for you. It is good to bless God and to exalt His name. Make known the words of God’s works honorably and do not delay to give thanks to Him. It is noble to keep hidden the secret of a king, but glorious to unveil the works of God. Do good, and evil will not find you.

Personal Challenge

It is never a good time to be quiet about God and all that He has done. He should always be on the tips of our tongue and proclaimed whenever possible. And when there is no one to hear our praises are to be directed at Him. I know that I seldom do this for my mind and heart are so easily focused on the things on this earth and on me. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Tobit 4:5-7

My son, remember the Lord our God all your days, and do not desire to sin or to disobey His commandments. Do righteousness all the days of your life, and do not walk in the ways of wrongdoing. For if you walk in the truth, you will be successful in your works. Do almsgiving from your possessions to all who do righteousness. When you do almsgiving, do not let your eye be envious. Do not turn your face away from any poor man, so the face of God will not be turned away from you.

Personal Challenge

As I was reading this passage I got to thinking about my parents and how much they admonished me with words such as Tobit did for his son. The didn’t! Honestly, I cannot think of once that my father (memory eternal) or my mother spoke words of wisdom like this to me. What I do remember is that my parents spent their lives showing me these truths by how they lived their lives. They always thought it was more important to live their lives in a righteous way and pray that their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, would do the same. I cannot thank them enough for showing me how to live my life in a Christ-centered, godly way. My only hope and prayer are that my children and grandchildren will someday look back at my life and see Christ in how I lived my life. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Jonah 2:2-3

And from the belly of the sea creature, Jonah prayed to the Lord his God, and said:

“I cried out in my affliction to the Lord, my God,
And He heard my voice;
Out of the belly of Hades, You heard the cry of my voice.”

Encouraging Words

The imagery of Jonah being in the belly of the sea creature calling out to his Lord for salvation is one that points to Christ and His time in the tomb. Christ answered the call of those who had died before His coming that were trapped behind the gates of hell. He destroyed those gates and the grip that death had on mankind and set the prisoners of hell free. No one can escape the love of our Lord for His love ever goes to the depths of hell. Glory be to God!

Ecclesiastes 10:6

The senseless man devotes himself to great heights,
And rich men shall sit in a lowly place.

Personal Challenge

Wait! Wait! Aren’t we supposed to dedicate our entire life to reaching the top rung of the success ladder and earning as much money as we can? Not so much so! These earthly endeavors and rewards can more easily come between us and God as well as us and our neighbor than anything else. Our life should be dedicated to loving God and loving our neighbor, and if in that process we are blessed with position or wealth, then all the more to pour back into loving God and our neighbor. Glory be to God!

Ecclesiastes 7:16

Do not be overly righteous, nor be overly wise, lest you be confounded.

Personal Challenge

Wait a minute! Isn’t this contradictory to all the scriptures that encourage me to be righteous and to seek the wisdom of God? Absolutely not! It is a reminder that we must not let the righteousness the we have been blessed with or the wisdom that Gog has given us, go to our heads. We are to live humble lives and the more that God blesses us with in our lives, the more important it is to be humble. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

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

Why do I read and study God’s word? Why do I dig through the teachings of our early church fathers and participate in Bible studies and classes at church? Why do I attend liturgy every week and sometimes multiple times per week? If the reason is to accumulate knowledge, then I have misunderstood everything that I have taken in. We are not to do all of this in order to fill our heads, but it is to bring what we learn into our hearts and to be changed. As our hearts change so does the rest of our lives, and we begin the journey to theosis, or being in the image of Christ. It is not about how much knowledge I gain, but about how much that knowledge changes me!

2 Chronicles 1:10-12

Give me wisdom and understanding, so that I may go out and come in before this people, for who can judge this great people of Yours?”

And God said to Solomon, “Because this was in your heart and you did not ask for riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, nor did you ask for long life, but you asked for wisdom and understanding for yourself, that you might judge My people over whom I made you king, now I will give you this wisdom and understanding. I will also give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings before you possessed, nor shall any after you possess.”

Personal Challenge

Wisdom and understanding appear to be at the center f the Proverbs. Why is that? It partly because the principal contributor to the Proverbs was Solomon, and as this passage points out, Solomon was blessed by God because he could have asked for anything and what he finally asked for was wisdom and understanding to rule over God’s people. It is also so important because, as the early church fathers taught, wisdom in the scriptures is an image of Jesus Christ. So what would be more important to ask for in one’s life than Jesus? Glory be to God!

Proverbs 14:17

A quick- tempered man acts with recklessness,
But a man with discernment bears many things.

Personal Challenge

It is interesting that this proverb does not contrast quick tempered with patience as one would think, but with discernment. Discernment is on of the highest virtues, for out of it flows patience and the ability to handle any situation that might arise. Discernment should be pursued above wealth and fame for it can guide our lives. Glory be to God!