Verse of the Day

  • February 16, 2020

    DESIRING LIFE


    Psalms 33:13-16 (34:12-15)
    Who is the man who desires life,
    Who loves to see good days?
    Keep your tongue from evil,
    And your lips from speaking deceit.
    Shun evil and do good;
    Seek peace and pursue it.
    The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous,
    And His ears are open to their supplications.

    Command With a promise

    Don’t we all desire life, a full and abundant life? Wouldn’t we all love to see good days in our lives? We are given some guide­lines, or commandments, here to follow so that we can receive these things. Keep our tongue from evil, don’t speak deceitfully, shun evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it. These are the things that we must do every day, every moment of our lives, and by doing this, living this way, we will see good days in our lives. Glory be to God!

  • February 15, 2020

    Saint of the Week

    St. Maximus the Confessor

  • February 13, 2020

    OH, TASTE AND SEE


    Psalms 33:8-12 (34:7-11)

    The Angel of the Lord shall encamp around those who fear Him,
    And He will deliver them.
    Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
    Blessed is the man who hopes in Him.
    Fear the Lord, you His saints,
    For there is no want for those who fear Him.
    Rich men turned poor and went hungry;
    But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.
    Come, you children, listen to me;
    I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

    Encouraging Words

    What does it mean to fear the Lord? It is important to understand this in order for us to appreciate all that we will be able to taste and see in our relationship with Him. Fearing the Lord does not mean that we cower in His presence like some poor puppy that has been beaten into submission by an abusive owner. It does not mean that we act out of fear like in the presence of a mean bully. God is not abusive. God is not angry. God is not set on punishing us for every mistake we make. The fear that is referred to here is all about being in awe about the Lord who holds all of creation in the palm of His hand. It is about revering and respecting Him for who He is. Fear of the Lord is ultimately total love for Him. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

  • February 12, 2020

    BLESS THE LORD


    Psalms 33:1 (34:2)

    I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

    Personal Challenge

    Do we ever have tough and challenging times in our lives? Yes, we all do. Are any of those times life-threatening? Yes, sometimes they are. Do we bless the Lord and praise Him in those times? Not always and sometimes not at all. We must remember to always take the time to bless and praise our Lord! Glory be to God!

  • February 11, 2010

    OUR HOPE


    Psalms 32:22 (33:22)

    Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us,
    As we hope in You.

    Encouraging Words

    Do we desire mercy in our lives? Do we long for peace and joy? There is only one place where we can find this. It is in the arms of our loving God. He is the one that we put our hope in. He is the one that we can trust. He is the one who gives us mercy, joy, and peace. Glory be to God!

  • February 10, 2020

    THE EYES OF THE LORD


    Psalms 32:18 (33:18)

    Behold, the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him,
    On those who hope in His mercy,

    Encouraging Words

    Why is that when so many of us hear that the eyes of the Lord are on us, that we immediately go to the concern that He is looking for every opportunity to punish us? Is it because we feel guilty in our actions and thoughts? Is it because that is the image that we have of God, a mean, angry judgmental God? Or is it because we know God well enough that we know that in His presence all that we can do is fall on our face in awe of who He is and in trembling trepidation of who we are. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

  • February 9, 2020

    THE WAY OF UNDERSTANDING


    Psalms 31:8 (32:8)

    I will give you understanding, and I will teach you in the way you should walk;
    I will fix My eyes on you.

    Encouraging Words

    One of the things that we must always remember when we read the promises that God makes to us is the context of the promise. God promises us here that He will give us understanding and teach us the way that we should walk. He is not promising us earthly understanding, but His Godly wisdom that transcends this temporal earth. If we are looking for understanding and wisdom that will only fit our desires and our passions, then we will miss out on the heavenly understanding that He is giving us. If we are looking only for clarity for our earthly path then we will not see the eternal path that He wants to teach us about and lead us on. We must learn to live and think in His context to truly get it. Everything in our life needs to be about Him and not about us. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

  • February 8, 2020

    Saint of the Week

    St. John Chrysostom

  • February 7, 2020

    LOVE THE LORD


    Psalms 30:24-25 (31:23-24)
    Love the Lord, all you His saints,
    For the Lord seeks out truth,
    And He repays those who act with great arrogance.
    Be courageous, and let your heart be strengthened,
    All who hope in the Lord.

    Personal Challenge

    It is one thing to proclaim that we are a child of God but is entirely a different thing to love Him above all else in our lives, including our very existence. If we love Him this much, then our lives will be different. The things of this world will no longer attract our attention. Our actions will reflect God and His love for us. I know that I have so far to go on this journey of life to love Him that much. Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

  • February 6, 2020

    IN YOU, O LORD


    Psalms 30:1-6 (31:1-5)

    In You, O Lord, I hope; may I not be ashamed forever;
    In Your righteousness deliver and rescue me.
    Incline Your ear to me;
    Rescue me speedily;
    Be to me a God who protects me,
    And a house of refuge to save me.
    For You are my strength and my refuge,
    And for Your name’s sake You will guide and sustain me;
    For You will bring me out from the snare they hid for me;
    For You are my protector.
    Into Your hands I shall entrust my spirit;
    You redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.

    Personal Challenge

    We live in a society that prides itself on being full of self-starters, self-sufficient men, and women. It is no wonder why so many people act as if God does not exist. If we believe that we can do everything by ourselves, then we will ultimately believe that there is no God that holds everything together. I choose to side with the Psalmist on this and proclaim that it is “In you, O Lord, I hope.” I am nothing without God. I am helpless and bare without God. But I am everything when I am willingly in His hands. Glory be to God!