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Matthew 9:36-38

But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

Encouraging Words

Once again, I can see the compassionate heart of our Lord for His sheep, especially those who are lost. He does not look at them as elect versus non-elect, but as all being His sheep. This is not an image of a wrathful, judgmental God. I am also urged to always be mindful of the harvest, and if I am not being active as a harvester, then I am to be active praying for the harvest, the harvesters, and the souls that are not yet in the fold. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Matthew 9:2

Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”

Encouraging Words

I am not alone on my journey of theosis. I belong to a community of other believers and just as the paralytic was healed because of the faith of his friends, so too is my life impacted and edified by my brothers and sisters in Christ. This also means that my faith has a direct impact on those around me. God works through me as I work for Him and believe in Him. There are no couch potatoes of faith in His kingdom.

Matthew 8:23-27

Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”

But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

Personal Challenge

The early church fathers viewed the boat in this story by Matthew as the Church and how we can count on it to protect us from the storms of life because Jesus still resides with us. The Church is our place of protection from the evils of the world. That does not mean that we will never experience storms and the tossing about that go with them. Sometimes it feels like it is really these times that help to determine who is really committed to staying in the boat and putting their trust in Jesus and not themselves. A winnowing of sorts. The lesson here is that we should be able to be at peace, to sleep as Jesus did, in the protection of our Church, and especially our Lord and Savior who is protecting us while we are in the Church. This also implies that when I step outside of the Church, do things my way because I don’t like how the Church is doing it, or because I am an individual and Jesus “Saved Me!” so I don’t need the Church, then I no longer have the protection of the boat against the storms of life. Pretty sobering thought, which leads me to the point of believing that if I am to survive in the boat, not only do I need to remain in it and trust Jesus, but I also need to be at peace with my fellow boaters…loving my neighbors and putting their needs before mine. Glory be to God!

Matthew 22:37-40

Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it:’You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Personal Challenge

I have found that it is so easy to remind others that these are the two commandments that we must follow while forgetting to follow them myself. Lord, have mercy! It is easy to give the first commandment plenty of lip service and practice it on the surface once or twice a week while at church, but this is not living out this commandment. It is, however, impossible to do the second one without working hard on the first one. It is such a blessing that God is so patient and merciful with me. The second commandment is the one that reveals to me how far I have to go on my journey of theosis. I find myself acting as the young rich man asking Jesus to qualify what He means by “love” and then what He means by “neighbor”. But the answers always come back…”unconditionally” and “everybody”. Lord, have mercy! As I have often heard and come to believe, “Life is not about the destination, but about the journey!” Thank You, Jesus, for leading me on the path of love for my Father and my neighbor. Lord, have mercy!

1 Corinthians 12:7-11

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

Personal Challenge

It is so easy to get caught up in the individualness of our culture and start believing that the gifts that the Holy Spirit has bestowed on me are mine and for my own use. They are not. They have been given to me to build up His Church and to use them for His glory. It is also easy to look at others and wish I had their gifts, or think that mine are better. But once again, this is a wrong behavior, a selfish, sinful behavior. I have been given my gifts because they are the ones that God, in His infinite wisdom, determined were best for me. It is my responsibility to use them properly for Him and His Church. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Psalm 59:16-17 (58:17-18 LXX)

But I will sing of Your power,
And greatly rejoice in Your mercy in the morning;
For You are my protector,
And my refuge in the day of my affliction.
You are my helper; I will sing to You;
For You, O God, are my protector;
You are my mercy, O my God

Encouraging Words

What a striking contrast to those who have built their entire belief system on an angry and judgmental God. What a blessing to see my Lord, my God, my Father, as a powerful, merciful, protecting, helping lover of mankind. Glory be to God!

Psalm 119:37 (118:37 LXX)

Turn away my eyes that I may not see vanity;
Give me life in Your way.

Personal Challenge

Not only should I strive to take every thought captive so that I do not sin, but I should also turn over the members of my body to prevent them from sinning as well. As we live in the age of information and uninhibited lifestyles, the eyes have become the portal for every kind of atrocity that one can imagine. Here the psalmist lays out the perfect way to deal with this sensory overload, asking God to turn his eyes away from those things that will separate him from his Creator. I too wish that my Lord would give me life His way and not mine. Glory be to God!

Hebrews 4:13

And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

Encouraging Words

This verse can be either oppressive or liberating. The oppressive view is that God, the great judge, is watching my every move and keeping account of everything that I think, say, or do, especially the bad things so that in the day of my judgment He can slam the gavel and call out “guilty!” the liberating view is that God, the loving and merciful Father is everywhere, at all times, and He is watching over me as a mother hen watches over her chicks. He allows me to exercise my free will and coaches and teaches me that living rightly is better for both me and those around me. I prefer the liberating view. It helps me to know that He is always there with me and creates within me a desire to do right for Him, to please Him, to impress Him. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner, and thank you for opening the doors of heaven to me and destroying death’s hold upon me.