Wisdom of Solomon 1:1-2 LXX
Love righteousness, you who judge on the earth.
Think about the Lord in goodness
And seek Him with sincerity of heart;
Because He is found by those who do not tempt Him,
And He is manifest to those who do not disbelieve Him.
Command with a Promise…
Love righteousness, think about the Lord in goodness, seek Him with sincerity of heart, do not empt Him, do not disbelieve Him, and He will be found, He will manifest Himself to us, and we will know Him.
But I hope in Your mercy;
My heart shall greatly rejoice in Your salvation;
I will sing to the Lord, who shows kindness to me;
I will sing to the name of the Lord Most High.
Encouraging Words…
Someone may ask of us why we live our lives with so much hope, joy, and rejoicing. It is because of the Lord God Almighty in whom we put our hope. He is merciful, He is our salvation from the worst of all fears…death, He shows us kindness, He is our protector and provider. Glory be to God!
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
For His mercy endures forever.
Encouraging Words…
Our God is indeed good, He is indeed merciful, and we are blessed to be His children, adopted into His family and joint heirs in His Kingdom. Glory be to God!
The Jews, though, maintained their goodwill and unswerving faith toward the throne. But because they worshiped God and lived by His precepts, they kept themselves separate from others with regard to food, and therefore appeared hateful to some. But they adorned their way of life with the good deeds of righteous people, and thus established themselves as honorable to all men.
Personal Challenge…
The Egyptian Jews lived under great oppression and persecution in the time of Maccabaeus. Even though the government that they lived under was hostile towards them and passed all types of laws that conflicted with their beliefs, they still openly practiced their faith. Most importantly they lived their lives demonstrating goodwill towards those around them, giving unswerving faith toward the government (knowing that God had put them in this situation for their refinement), and living lives of good deeds. In doing this they endeared themselves to their neighbors and were clearly established as honorable people serving a good, righteous, and honorable God. Am I expected to do any less as a child of God? Should I not live my life in a way that is set apart and obviously following God’s precepts, all the while being submissive and supportive of the leaders that God has put over me? Once again it is about God and His glory and not about me!
Ephesians 4:1-3
The law of the Lord is blameless, converting souls;
The testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making children wise;
The ordinances of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is bright, enlightening the eyes;
The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring unto ages of ages;
The judgments of the Lord are true, being altogether just.
More to be desired are they than gold and a very precious stone,
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
For indeed Your servant keeps them;
In keeping them there is great reward.
Encouraging Words…
God’s ways, His teachings, His precepts, His holiness are to be cherished above all else. Through them, His grace, and the work of His Son, our souls are converted toward Him, we are made wise, giving us rejoicing hearts, enlightening our eyes, helping us to endure the ages. Glory be to God!
Encouraging Words…
Everything that we would ever truly need will be supplied by our Lord. He teaches and instructs, He goes before us and walks besides us, He is our source of hope. The more we commit our lives to Him and follow His precepts the more our wants become in alignment with our true needs.
but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Personal Challenge…
One of the differences that I have discovered in Eastern Christianity versus Western Christianity is the perspective of community versus individuality. Growing up in Western Christianity I became well established in the individualistic point of view: I had a personal relationship with Christ, He saved/died for me, I am blessed…fill in the blank. While all of this is true it can create a faith that revolves around me, my needs, and ultimately my wants. This can lead to some skewed ways of thinking and behaving in our local church family. In my experience so far in Eastern Orthodoxy I am learning to think of my faith in terms of the community of believers. So many of our prayers, both individual and corporate, use we and us rather than me or I. We view the working out of our salvation, our faith, our journey to theosis, as something that can only be done in the community of faithful believers. The gifts that are given to us are to be exercised in building up the community. And the list goes on an on. This verse reminds us that we are all responsible to exhort our brothers and sisters daily, even to the point of being a responsible part of helping each other avoid sin. Glory be to God!
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2 Maccabees 8:18
“For they trust in arms and bold acts,” he said, “but we trust in Almighty God, who with only one nod is able to overthrow both those who come against us and the entire world.”
Encouraging Words…
Here Judas Maccabaeus reminds us that the true battles of life are fought both in the physical and the spiritual realms. Although our enemies (those opposed to God and His ways) may appear strong and well armed, they are operating only in the physical realm. They are no match for God in that realm, let alone the spiritual realm. We can take on any attack knowing that we are in His hands.
“For to pretend such things,” he said, “is not worthy of our time of life, lest many of the young should suppose that Eleazar in his ninetieth year has gone over to a foreign religion, and because of my pretense for the sake of living a brief moment longer, they should be led astray through me, while I earn only pollution and defilement in my old age. For even if for the present I should avoid the punishment of men, yet whether I live or die, I shall not escape the hands of the Almighty. Therefore by manfully giving up my life now, I will show myself worthy of my old age, and leave to the young a noble example of how to die a good death willingly and bravely for the venerable and holy laws.”
Personal Challenge…
Do I have what it takes to live my life this way? Eleazar, in his 90th year, is being forced to violate the laws of his God that he has adhered to all of his life. He refuses and freely walks to the rack to receive his punishment. Then those who are punishing him offer him an out. He can pretend to the ungodly thing and they will let him go. He has the fortitude, the resolution, the love for his God, to deny this option because in so doing he knows that he will lead many astray. Again he offers to give up his life, which is taken away from him. How often do I chose to compromise my believes in order to save myself, whether it be my image, or to fit in, or for convenience? Am I willing to freely walk into the face of the enemy and suffer the consequences because I am unwilling to compromise my walk with my Lord? Lord Jesus Chris, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.
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