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Psalm 139:4-6 (138:4-6 LXX)

For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether,
The last things and the first things;
You fashioned me, and placed Your hands on me.
Your knowledge has become too wondrous for me;
It has become too overwhelming; I am unable to grasp it.

Encouraging Words…

Our God is far too magnificent and wondrous for us to ever truly know Him. As soon as I begin to think that I know my God He lifts another veil and shows me that I have the understanding of an infant. Does this dissuade me from asking to know him? No, to the contrary it drives me to know Him more and more. While this journey to know Him may be assisted by studying the scriptures, teachings of the early church fathers, and other learned believers, but it is also found by doing His work of loving my neighbor, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and taking care of the orphan. All of this is necessary to draw closer to my Lord and therefore to know Him better today than I did yesterday.

Psalm 121:1-4 (120:1-4 LXX)
I lifted my eyes to the mountains;
From where shall my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
Let not your foot be moved;
Neither let Him who keeps you slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

Encouraging Words…

Praise the Lord for who He is? He is always present and I can always hide under His wings of love and protection. Glory be to God!

Psalm 119:147 (118:147 LXX)

I arose at midnight and cried out;
I hoped in Your words.

Encouraging Words…

No matter what the time of the day; no matter what the conditions of life; I can call out to my God and put my hope in Him. Glory be to God!

John 6:14

Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

Personal Challenge…

Is my Jesus the Prophet of the world or the Prophet of all creation and heavenly things? This passage reminds me that many are believers in Christ because of what they have seen or received in this physical world. He makes me feel good! He has helped me get…! Jesus would often leave those crowds who sought Hm for His physical and worldly things. Belief comes in trusting Him for those things that are not of this world. If I believe this way then the world can take away all that I have, even my life, and my belief will remain strong. Faith must be what rules my life and not my experienceså or desires.

Psalm 118:1-4 (117:1-4 LXX)

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
For His mercy endures forever.Let the house of Israel say that He is good,
For His mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Aaron say that He is good,
For His mercy endures forever.
Let all who fear the Lord say that He is good,
For His mercy endures forever.

Encouraging Words…

Let the house of David and Laura say that He is good,
For His mercy endures forever.

Psalm 101:2 (100:2 LXX)

I will sing and understand in a blameless way;
When will You come to me?
I walked in the innocence of my heart in the midst of my house.

Personal Challenge…

As the psalmist reaches out to his Lord to start his day with a blessing of mercy so do I. My desire is to be reminded to call out to my Lord every day, to sing His praises, and to seek His understanding. I need to desire His coming and to strive to walk in His ways with a heart filled with innocence. This only comes from submitting my all to Him in humility. Help me, oh Lord, to walk in this way.

John 4:13-14

Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

Encouraging Words…

Oh, to never thirst again! We are promised here by our Lord that when we receive Him into our loves He will place within us a well that will feed our thirst forever. That well is the Holy Spirit and He dwells within me. Why is it that I still have those dry periods where I thirst? The answer is so simple, I do not spend enough time at the well drinking and taking in that which God has provided. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Personal Challenge…

Oh, how easy it is to forget that I have been bought for a very expensive price…the life of my Lord. And because of that I no longer belong to myself. Do I take care of myself in a way that glorifies and honors my owner? The food I eat, the way that I take care of my body, what I let my eyes take in, the words that come out of my mouth, where I let my mind go, what I let my heart hold on to? I know that I have a long way to go to honor my Lord in all of these areas. But I also know that by God’s grace He is loving me through this growth and gracing me with His mercy. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.

Psalm 119: 89 (118:89 LXX)

Forever, O Lord,Your word continues in heaven.

Encouraging Words…

This verse makes me wonder…if God is never changing, always the same, and His word remains forever, then why is it that we have chosen to create so many variations of how we worship and follow Him? I know that we must adapt to fit our culture, but can’t we do this without totally reinventing God and His Gospel? Even the old covenant as laid out in the Old Testament continually points to Christ and His new covenant. I believe that it is in our pride that we split off from each other and create our own doctrines and followings. I am blessed to be able to worship and grow in my faith in a practice of Christianity that strives to stay as close as possible to the way that it originally started over 2,000 years ago. Yes, I know that we too have adapted and adjusted but we have not really changed all that much. Glory be to God.

Acts 10:34-35

Then Peter opened his mouth and said: In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.

Personal Challenge…

Our justification in Christ is not a one time event. It is an active, ongoing process. Through Christ and the work that He has done our faith in Him begins the process of justification. But God wants us to grow in our fear (respect and awe) of Him and our works of righteousness. As James also reminds us (v. 2:24) our justification comes through our faith in Christ and the works that we do flowing out of that faith. There are no couch potatoes in His household.