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Psalms 138:4-6 (137:4-6)

O Lord, let all the kings of the earth give thanks to You,
For they heard all the words of Your mouth;
And let them sing in the ways of the Lord,
For the glory of the Lord is great;
For the Lord is high, and He watches over the lowly things;
But the high things He knows from afar.

Personal Challenge

No one is above God. No matter how much power or money or any other earthly possessions a person has, they are still inferior to God. God speaks and all hear Him. God’s glory exceeds everything in this world created by Him. He is high above all and watches over all. We all, including all kings and all leaders, will someday, whether on our own accord or through compulsion, will ultimately give Him thanks. Why not start now? Glory be to God!

1 Corinthians 1:18

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Personal Challenge

The world around us, especially those who do not follow Christ, believe the devote Christians are foolish. As Paul writes here to the church in Corinth, the whole message of God becoming a man and dying on a cross, sounds like foolishness. But isn’t that how God works? His economy, His way of doing things, is always so much different than how people would do things. That is why we must put our faith in Him. He far exceeds any level of understand that we will ever have, and because of that He does things in ways that we will never understand. That is why He is God, and we are not. Glory be to God!

Psalm 133 (132)

Behold now, what is so good or so pleasant
As for brothers to dwell together in unity?
It is like fragrant oil running down upon the beard,
The beard of Aaron,
Running down upon the border of his garment;
It is like the dew of Hermon, running down upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord commanded the blessing
And life forever.

Encouraging Words

Following up on yesterday’s passage, today’s also speaks of the beauty of unity. This was not planned by me and there are no such things as coincidences with God. Unity between brothers, or those in our lives, is as sweet as fragrant oil. When kings were anointed, a fragrant oil was poured on their head, and it ran down through their beard and over their whole garment. It was a fragrant reminder of God’s blessing and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. We anoint new members of the church of baptism with holy oil for this same reason. What a vibrant image to remind us of how important unity is to God. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

1 Corinthians 1:10

Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Personal Challenge

We live in an age where unity has become a nonentity. We have divisions in our homes, our churches, our relationships, and all across our society. At times it appears as if division is the desired state. True followers of Jesus will desire unity for our God is always desiring unity. The enemy thrives on sowing seeds of division. Unity is not always easy, especially when dealing with people. Unity requires work and a willingness to reconcile and cooperate with others. But this is part of our responsibility if we desire to be like Jesus. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Psalms 128 (127)

Blessed are all who fear the Lord,
Who walk in His ways.
You shall eat the fruits of your labor;
You are blessed, and it shall be well with you.
Your wife shall be like a vine, prospering on the sides of your house;
Your children like newly planted olive trees
Around your table.
Behold, so shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Zion,
And may you see the good things of Jerusalem
All the days of your life;
May you see your children’s children.
Peace be upon Israel.

Encouraging Words

We can live lives that are blessed by God. It does mean, however, that we live our lives in a way that opens the doors for those blessings. We most fear our Lord in the way that the saints before us did. This is not in fear of punishment but in awe and respect for how great our God is. We need to walk in His ways and labor for Him. Being a blessed child of God does not come from a passive life in Christ, but an active Christ-centered, Christ-like life lived actively for Him. Here the blessings received far outshine the sacrifice of ourselves for Him. Glory be to God!

Romans 16:17-18

Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.

Personal Challenge

Once again, we are in the middle of another national election cycle. This passage can serve us well as we assess the candidates to determine who we believe God would want us to vote for. We live in an age where so many claim to be Christians, and yet their behavior and their speech bears no resemblance to Christ. It is incumbent upon us to prayerfully search our hearts to determine if we are supporting the people that God would want us to. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me the sinner and guide me through this process.

Psalms 127:1 (126:1)

Unless the Lord builds the house,
Those who build it labor in vain;
Unless the Lord guard the city,
Those who guard it stay awake in vain.

Personal Challenge

Whether we are talking about building a house, guarding a city, or doing anything in our life, the primary question is about who is leading the effort. Is it God or is it us acting it on our own. We need to give it all over to Him. The wonderful thing is that God always knows what to do. Glory be to God!

Romans 15:13

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Encouraging words

It is always good to know that someone is praying for us. Here we have the Apostle Paul praying that we will be filled with joy and peace in believing by the God of hope. We must note that he is not praying for happiness, but joy and peace. He is also praying that we may abide in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. These are blessings that we can surely hold on to. Glory be to God!