SAVING OUR HOPE
Proverbs 23:18
For if you keep these words, you shall have offspring,
And your hope will not depart from you.
Personal Challenge
The words that the author of this proverb is referring to are the previous 17 verses that articulate concepts of understanding and prioritizing things in life. There are many wise teachings throughout the Proverbs. If we heed these teachings and live by them our hope in our Lord will deepen and not depart from us. Glory be to God!
WORDS OF THE WISE
Proverbs 22:20-22 LXX (22:17-19)
Incline your ear to the words of the wise and hear my word,
And establish your heart, that you may know they are good.
And if you apply them to your heart,
They will gladden you and at the same time be upon your lips;
That your hope might be in the Lord,
And His way might be known to you.
Personal challenge
Jesus is the incarnate Word and Wisdom of God. Through Him, His words and wisdom have been, and continue to be, passed on to humankind in order
to guide us through our journey of life into His loving and welcoming arms. It is up to us to bend our will towards His and listen to those wise ones that have gone before us and have received His wisdom. We must establish our heart on that wisdom and apply it to our lives. By doing this, we too will be able to receive His wisdom and know his way. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!
LIFE AND GLORY
Proverbs 21:20 LXX (21:21)
The way of righteousness and mercy shall find life and glory.
Personal Challenge
Every person desires to have a full life. Unfortunately, we have a tendency to mess up the definition of a full life. As followers Christ, our definition would lean more toward living a life that is filled with love, joy, and peace rather than stuff or recognition. If we pursue righteousness and mercy towards others, that will lead us to that full life that we desire and ultimately glory in our Lord. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!
PLEASING GOD
Proverbs 21:3
To do righteous things and to speak the truth
Are more pleasing before God than the blood of sacrifices.
Personal Challenge
There is a push today in the more traditional churches (Catholic and Orthodox) to focus on liturgics and traditions. This also happened in the Jewish religious practices prior to Christ and in his day here on earth. The focus on liturgics and traditions as the ultimate form of drawing close to God creates an environment that becomes rigid and mechanical. In God’s eyes, these actions become something that distracts from His desire to reach those outside of the church and to create followers that do righteous things and speak the truth. He wants our hearts not our repetitive actions that have no soul in them. Glory be to God, not the institutions of men.
OUR HEART
Proverbs 19:21
There are many thoughts in the heart of a man,
But the counsel of the Lord abides forever.
Personal Challenge
Human beings are the most unique and advanced creatures in all of creation. As followers of Christ, we believe this is so because God created us in His image, both male and female. This is not true of any other creature that exists. In that image, we have a heart, a soul, that can have so many thoughts and intentions, both good and bad. We were also given free will to choose what we want to do with that capability. That is why we also believe that we must continually seek the counsel of God so that our thoughts and intentions will be aligned with His will. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!
BECOMING WISE
Proverbs 19:20
Hear, my son, the instruction of your father,
That you may become wise in your last days.
Personal Challenge
It is imperative that we listen to our elders in order to develop a mindset that is tempered by wisdom acquired by experience. There are many people that can step into the role of father in this verse. All of them can help us to become wise in our last days. Glory be to God!
GREAT STRENGTH
Proverbs 18:10
The name of the Lord is of great strength,
And when the righteous run to it, they are exalted.
Personal Challenge
As Eastern Orthodox Christians we have one prayer that is uttered often. It is throughout every liturgy, matins, vespers, and virtually any prayer that is uttered. It is, “Lord have mercy!”. We recognize and base our belief on the truth that the name of the Lord is of great strength. There is nothing, or no one, in either the physical realm or the spiritual realm that can diminish it. We run to it and are exalted by our Lord. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!
WISDOM
Proverbs 17:30 LXX (17:28)
Wisdom shall be imputed to a man without understanding who asks for wisdom,
And anyone who holds his peace will seem to have discernment.
Personal Challenge
Wisdom is not the same thing as knowledge and definitely not the same thing as information. We live in an age where unlimited amounts of information are available. Unfortunately, so much of that information is invalid and deceptive. It often is full of lies and conflicts with truth and facts. One must always address this information firehose with true discernment that can only come from God. Good, quality, and correct information can lead to knowledge. However, knowledge without godly wisdom is still worthless. The writer of this proverb reminds us that if we seek wisdom from our God, we will receive it. Then it is upon us to use it effectively for Him. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!
