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Ephesians 6:4

And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

Personal Challenge…

When do we as fathers stop bringing up our children in the training and admonition of the Lord? Never! We always have the opportunity to speak into the lives of our children, grandchildren, and God willing, our great-grandchildren…whether in word or deed. As fathers it is our responsibility to raise them up loving and respecting God and their neighbor, and to not provoke them to wrath. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner and forgive me of my shortcomings in this responsibility.

2 Corinthians 9:6

But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

Personal Challenge…

So often, if not always, this verse is applied to the giving of money. But money is only one of the many resources that our God gives us. What about these: time, a kind word, a gesture of love, prayer, patience, silence when it would be so easy to gossip or put someone down, and the list goes on and on. We have nothing in our lives that does not already belong to God and that is on loan to us from Him. He wants us to give it all away bountifully. If we hoard His blessings then we eventually become full and will not be able to receive any more. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!

Ephesians 5:14-16

Therefore He says:

“Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light.”

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Encouraging Words and Personal Challenge…

When Christ died on the cross, rose again, and ascended into heaven He put death and the grip that it had on creation to death. We still live in a fallen world, but one that has been redeemed by our Lord Jesus Christ. When He woke us individually from our slumber, our death, because we did not know Him, He set us on a new course in our lives. This is a course of participating in His work to redeem as much of the lost world as possible for Him before He returns. We must do our work wisely and diligently for we only have so much time to be His laborers. Glory be to God!

Psalm 139:1-3 (138:1-3 LXX)

O Lord, You test me and know me;
You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thoughts from afar;
You search out my path and my portion,
And You foresee all my ways.

Encouraging Words…

What a blessing it is to know that we serve a loving, caring, and protective God. He is ever present in our lives, not in a judging and controlling way, but in a guiding and encouraging way. Glory be to God.

Ephesians 4:26-27

“Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.

Personal Challenge…

Anger is one of the passions that we have in our lives. As with the other passions it is not wrong to exercise it appropriately. It is when we allow the passion to control us, to hold on to us day after day, that we sin. Even Christ was angry at the money changers. In that anger He cleared His Father’s temple and then released the anger so that it did not hold on to Him and lead to sin. Through Him and the Holy Spirit we can learn to do the same with the passions in our lives. Glory be to God!

Wisdom of Solomon 6:1-3

Listen therefore, O kings, and understand;
Learn, O judges of the ends of the earth.
Give ear, you that rule over multitudes,
And take pride in yourself over a multitude of nations.
For power was given to you from the Lord,
And your lordship from the Most High,
Who will make a careful search of your works
And examine closely your plans.

Personal Challenge…

No matter what position of leadership we find ourselves in, we must always remember that we are there because God has put us there. Whether it be a management role at work, a leadership position in our church or community, a head of a household, or any other multitude of positions of authority, we are there by the grace of God and must exercise our role with humility, love for those subject to us, and submission to God. We have no power or authority of our own accord. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Psalm 119:2 (118:2 LXX)

Blessed are those who search out His testimonies;
They shall search for Him with their whole heart.

Command with a Promise…

We are told here to search out our Lord with all of our heart. We are not saved once and then able to to rest on our “fire insurance”. We are saved through an ongoing, continuing process of seeking our Lord, repenting of our sin, striving to walk in His ways, becoming like Him, and growing in righteousness. All of this is to be done with our whole heart. And the promise? He will bless us with His love and mercy. Glory be to God!

2 Corinthians 6:2

For He says:

“In an acceptable time I have heard you,And in the day of salvation I have helped you.”

Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Encouraging Words…

In His own time, and in His own way, God reaches into our lives and infuses His strength into us. In our human weakness God wields His strength to help us to renounce the world in order that we may master its influence on our lives. This will often alienate us from those who want to hold onto the world, which is all the more reason for us to show them the love of God. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!