Category: Uncategorized

WAIT ON THE LORD

Psalms 26:13-14 LXX (27:13-14)

I believe I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.
Wait on the Lord;
Be courageous, and strengthen your heart,
And wait on the Lord.

Personal Challenge

We have become so spoiled in this age of instant gratification. We have fast food on practically every corner. We have high speed internet delivered into our hand wherever we are. The list of conveniences goes on. Most of us have lost the ability, or desire, to wait patiently for something good to come our way. If we desire to be followers of Christ, then we must reclaim the ability to wait on our Lord. He always knows what is best for us, as well as what is the best time for us to receive it. This applies both to the world we live in today as well as His kingdom to come. By waiting on the Lord we develop the ability to be courageous and strong at heart. Lord have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

SEEKING GOD

Psalms 26:8 LXX (27:8)

My heart speaks to You; my face seeks You;
Your face, O Lord, I will seek.

Personal Challenge

How much do we really seek God and desire to speak to Him? I must admit that I all too often allow the busyness of life to consume me and end up spending all of my time focused on me and my stuff. God wants us to spend time speaking to Him from our heart, alone, just Him and ourselves, speaking one on one. Sometimes that means just being silent in His presence and waiting, watching, seeking His fase. God loves us so much that He wants to spend that alone time with us. We need to love Him so much more and to be willing to give Him that time. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

WHAT DO WE ASK FOR?

Psalms 26:4 LXX (27:4)

One thing I ask from the Lord; this I will seek,
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
And behold the delights of the Lord,
And visit His temple.

Personal challenge

David was identified by God as a man after His own heart. This verse gives a glimpse into David’s heart and why God cherished him so much. David was a wealthy, powerful, and successful king, and yet, his life desire was to be in the presence of his God. What is it that we desire and ask for? Wealth? Power? Prestige? Success? Jesus told us that what is in our heart is what drives us. We are seeing the evidence of this in our world today with so many people, especially leaders, proclaiming to be followers of Christ but focusing all their energy, desire, and love on the things of this world. We must constantly be evaluating our lives to determine if we have replaced our love and desire for our Lord by things of this world and reset to what really matters! Lord have mercy! Lord have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

NOT AFRAID

Psalms 26:2-3 LXX (27:2-3)

When the wicked drew near against me to eat up my flesh,
Those who afflict me and are my enemies, they weakened and fell.
Though an army should array itself against me, my heart shall not be afraid;
Though war should rise up against me, in this I shall hope.

Personal Challenge

A very important aspect of life for those who are followers of Christ is that there will be times when life is really difficult. Just because we follow Him it does not mean that everything from that point on is all wine and roses. Jesus is the Son of God and His incarnate life here on earth ended with death on a cross. He destroyed the hold that death had on Him and us when He resurrected from the grave. He warned us that if the world hated Him, then it would hate us as well. That is why teachings like Christian nationalism, prosperity gospel, and dominionism are heresies. What we can know and claim, as followers of Christ, is that we do not need to be afraid of the world and its attacks on us for our Lord has conquered the world. We are residents of His eternal kingdom and nothing in, or of, this world can take that away from us. Glory be to God!

Saint of the Week

St. John Chrysostom

MY LIGHT

Psalms 26:1 LXX (27:1)

Of David; before he was anointed.
The Lord is my light and my savior; whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the defender of my life; whom shall I dread?

Encouraging Words

God is the source of true, revealing light. Even at the beginning of creation everything was darkness and void until God released His light into it. I am sure that was quite a “big bang”. As followers of Christ we can claim our Lord as our Light and Savior and therefore have no concerns or fears. He will be the defender of our life, therefore eliminating any dread. He is my light, I will not be fearful of enything. Glory be to God!

INSTRUCTION, GUIDANCE, AND TEACHING

Psalms 24:8-11 LXX (25:8-11)

Good and upright is the Lord;
Therefore He will instruct sinners in His way.
He will guide the gentle in judgment;
He will teach the gentle His ways.
All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth
For those who seek His covenant and His testimonies.
For Your name’s sake, O Lord,
Pardon my sin, for it is great.

Personal Challenge

The first step of our journey to be followers of Christ is humility. In humility we must recognize and admit that we can do nothing related to eternity on our own. We need One greater than us to take our hand and instruct us in His ways. We then continue exercising that humility and allow Him to guide us in His judgment showing us how to be gentle. By following this path He will teach us what we need to know to stay on His path. Through this process we experience His mercy and truth and can then apply that to those whom we meet in our lives. Glory be to God!

LORD, HAVE MERCY

Psalms 24:7 LXX (25:7)

Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor of my ignorance;
But remember me according to Your mercy,
Because of Your loving-kindness, O Lord.

Personal Challenge

As followers of Christ we know that we constantly fall short of the expectations that God has for us and that we do not deserve His love, mercy, and grace. This is why we are constantly uttering the prayer, “Lord, have mercy! “It is only by His mercy that we will experience His loving-kindness. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me the sinner!

FOLLOWING HIS PATHS

Psalms 24:4-5 LXX (25:4-5)

Make known Your ways to me, O Lord,
And teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation,
And on You I wait all the day.

Personal Challenge

Being a follower of Christ is much more than raising our hands during a performative worship service or brandishing our religious paraphernalia. First, we must pursuing Christ in a way that opens our hearts and minds to Him so that He can show us His ways and lead us on His paths. Both of these will be very much different that the ways and the paths that the world offers. If we desire the fullness of His satuation to be evident in our lives then we must be following Him and abandoning the world. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

RECEIVING BLESSING AND SALVATION

Psalms 23:4-5 LXX (24:4-5)

He who has innocent hands and a pure heart;
He who does not lift up his soul to vanity;
He who does not swear deceitfully to his neighbor.
He shall receive blessing from the Lord
And mercy from the God of his salvation.

Personal Challenge

As things like Christian nationalism and white evangelicalism continue to grow and raise their ugly head, the reputation and understanding of true Christianity gets stained and abhored. Lord, have mercy! This psalm reminds us of some of the things that God looks for in His followers. Innocent hands and a pure heart. If we are not loving our neighbor, especially the poor, the naked, the victims of abuse, and the stranger amongst us, then we are not fulfilling the call to have innocent hands and a pure heart. A follower does not lift up their soul in vanity. We cannot pursue wealth and power, or fawn over those who do, and be followers. A follower does not swear deceitfully to his neighbor. We are called to speak the truth in love and to defend the truth at all cost. If we desire to receive the blessing and salvation of our God, then we must live our lives His way. Slogans and crosses and t-shirts and rituals are not what He cares about. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!