Sirach 6:18-19

My son, from your youth up, choose instruction,
And you will find wisdom also into old age.
Come to her as one who plows and sows,
And wait expectantly for her good fruits;
For in her work you will labor a little while,
Then you will quickly eat of her fruit.

Personal Challenge

If we truly want to grow in the image of Christ, we must be willing to choose the path of instruction. Being a Christian is not a one-time, static event, but a lifelong series of events of being tried, tested, and molded into the image of Christ. In Orthodoxy, we call this theosis. Glory be to God!

Sirach 6:14-17

A faithful friend is a strong shelter,
And he who finds one finds a treasure.
There is nothing that can take the place of a faithful friend,
And there is no way to measure his worth.
A faithful friend is a medicine of life,
And those who fear the Lord will find him.
He who fears the Lord guides his friendship rightly,
Because as he is, so also is his neighbor.

Personal Challenge

We have become so independent and self-reliant in our current generation that we have lost the concept of faithful friendship. Most of us go through our life with an abundance of acquaintances and “Facebook friends” but no close, intimate, faithful friends. And because of that, we are missing out on so many of the treasures of faithful friendship that these verses highlight. We have lost out on so much more that our lives could have offered. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Sirach 5:10-11

Be established in your understanding
And let your word be consistent.
Be quick to listen
And give your answer with patience.

Personal Challenge

One of my go-to phrases from our Lord Jesus Christ is, “May your “Yes” be “Yes” and your “No” be “No””. This passage today reinforces that teaching. Our speech should always ring with consistency. We should stand by our word and correct it when we know that we have spoken (or typed/posted) in error. Our word should always be guided by the understanding that God gives us. But maybe the most important skill to develop is patience. We will eliminate many offenses and errors by being patient before we speak, being quick to listen and slow to speak. Glory be to God!

Sirach 3:18-19

The greater you are, the more humble you must be,
And you will find grace before the Lord;
Because great is the power of the Lord,
And He is honored by the humble.

Personal Challenge

Wait a minute! Everything that the world tells me, and demonstrates to me, is that I pursue greatness so that I can lord it over others. If I am great, then I deserve to be honored and recognized. This is not how our Lord thinks. Jesus, the Son of God, the creator of all in existence, humbled Himself and became flesh and blood, a human being. He was the greatest of all and was/is the most humble of all. If we desire to be like Him, then we too must become humble, more humble every day of our existence so that He and others will be glorified. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Sirach 2:1-6

My son, if you draw near to serve the Lord,
Prepare your soul for temptation.
Set your heart right and be steadfast,
And do not strive anxiously in distress.
Cleave to Him and do not fall away,
That you may be honored at the end of your life.
Accept whatever is brought upon you,
And in exchange for your humiliation, be patient;
Because gold is tested in fire
And acceptable men in the furnace of abasement.
Believe in Him, and He will help you;
Make your ways straight and hope in Him.

Personal Challenge

As we strive to draw near to our Lord and live our lives to be like Him, we will be tempted. The enemy does not want us to succeed. We must set our hearts and minds on Him and be steadfast in our commitment to Him. As life closes in on us and we stumble and fall, we must cling to Him even tighter so that we do not fall away. The closer we are to Him, the more that we can accept from this world as it tries to pull us away from Him. These temptations can be used by God to refine us and strengthen us. In all of this, we cannot stop believing in Him, hoping in Him, and trusting that He will make our paths straight. Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

 

Sirach 1:20-21

A patient man will hold fast until the proper time,
Then afterwards gladness shall burst forth for him.
He shall conceal his words until the proper time,
And the lips of many will tell of his understanding.

Personal Challenge

Patience! Who really wants to learn about patience? We either do not have the time to learn it or the desire to put up with what it takes to be patient. It is indeed a process that takes the rest of our lives, and possibly even the rest of eternity, to truly learn how to be patient. What we so often fail to recognize or remember is that patience brings with it great rewards. We learn how to hold fast with our thoughts and verbalizations until the proper time generating gladness for not putting our foot in our mouths. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Sirach 1:16

The fear of the Lord is the crown of wisdom,
Making peace and soundness of health to flourish.

Encouraging Words

Heath can be manifested in many areas of our lives. It can be physical, spiritual, emotional, or mental. All of these aspects of health will be affected positively by our relationship with God. The more that we give our lives to Him, submit to Him, trust Him, the more that He can be active in our lives and give us peace and soundness of health in these areas. He is our crown of wisdom and health. Glory be to God!

Sirach 1:10-11

The fear of the Lord will cheer the heart
And will give gladness, joy, and long life.
For those who fear the Lord, it shall be well to the utmost,
And on the day of his death, he will be blessed.

Encouraging Words

In this day of self-glorification and personal aggrandizement, it is hard to find people who understand what is meant by the phrase, “the fear of the Lord” and why anyone would submit to that. It is not about being fearful that some omnipotent being is going to crush us like ants. It is not cowering in the corner in fear like some precious child who has been abused. God is not a bully. He is not angry all the time. He is not always looking for a way to punish us. The fear that we are called to have for Him is awe and respect, a love for Him that puts Him above all else because He first loved us above all else. This kind of godly fear will cheer our hearts. It will give us gladness, joy, and long life. We believe that by loving Him, it will be well to the utmost with our lives and that we will be blessed. Glory be to God!

Wisdom of Solomon 19:22

For in everything, O Lord, You have exalted and glorified Your people,
And have not neglected to be present with them in every time and place.

Encouraging Words

Throughout the history of creation and mankind, God has been an integral part of our lives. Even when we have abandoned Him and sought after our own ways and means, He still remains faithful. He continues to exalt and glorify those who are His. Sometimes, because of the fallenness of this world it appears like He has left us, but the truth is that He is still there holding it all together and waiting for us to return to Him. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!