HEAR ME, O LORD

Psalms 60:2-5 LXX (61:1-4))

Hear my supplication, O God;
Attend to my prayer.
From the end of the earth I cried out to You
When my heart was discouraged;
You lifted me high on a rock.
You guided me, for You became my hope,
A tower of strength from the face of the enemy.
I will dwell in Your tabernacle unto the ages;
I will be covered with the shelter of Your wings.
(Pause)

Encouraging Words

When we cry out to God, we are not crying out into a vacuum. He listens and attends to our prayers. His answers are often not what we want but are always what we need. In those times of discourgement that we seek Him, He lifts us up. In those times that we feel lost, he guides us and gives us hope. In those times when we need protection, He is our tower of strength. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God have mercy on me, the sinner!

SINGING AND REJOICING

Psalms 58:17-18 LXX (59:16-17)

But I will sing of Your power,
And greatly rejoice in Your mercy in the morning;
For You are my protector,
And my refuge in the day of my affliction.
You are my helper; I will sing to You;
For You, O God, are my protector;
You are my mercy, O my God.

Encouraging Words

As we celebrate Western Christian Easter today we can raise our voices in singing and rejoicing for all that God has done for us through His Son. The Psalmist could only look forward to his coming redeemer. We can relish in the knowledge that He came and set us free from the bondage of death. We do rejoice in His mercy in the morning for He is our protector, our refuge, our helper, and our mercy. Glory be to God!

Saint of the Week

St. John of Kronstadt

HAVE MERCY ON ME

Psalms 56:2-4 LXX (57:1-3)

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me,
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will hope,
Until lawlessness shall pass away.
I will cry out to God most High;
My God who is my benefactor.
He sent from heaven and saved me;
He gave over to disgrace those who trample me down.
(Pause)
God sent out His mercy and His truth,

Personal Challenge

One of the most used prayers in the Eastern Orthodox Church is, “Lord have mercy!”. We believe that we deserve nothing from our God, especially His mercy. We also believe that God is love and in that love He pours out mercy to His children. This is why we continually petition Him for this mercy. There is so much that comes with His mercy. He will cover us with protection as a mother hen does. He is our benefactor and delivers us from our conflicts. He demonstrokes His love for us in so many ways. Glory be to God!

NO FEAR

Psalms 55:4-5 LXX (56:3-4)

I will not fear by day,
But I will hope in You.
I will praise God with my words all day long;
In God I hope; I will not be afraid; what will flesh do to me?

Encouraging Words

As followers of Christ, we believe, we know, that we have nothing to fear in our lives. No matter what the world may throw at us, we rest assured in our belief, and our hope, that our God will protect us. We also believe that anything that happens to us in this temporal life does not affect us in our eternal life except to make us stronger in Christ. I wil not be afraid. Glory be to God!

HOPE AND CARES

Psalms 54:23-24 LXX (55:22-23)

Cast your care upon the Lord,
And He shall support you;
He will never allow the righteous to be moved.
But You, O God, will bring them down into the pit of decay;
Men of blood and deceit
Shall not live even half their days.
But I will hope in You, O Lord.

Personal Challenge

We put our hope in our Lord. We do not need scientific proof or earthly proclamations to do this. It is by the faith that our Lord has embued within us that we hope in Him. By this hope, this faith, we cast all our cares upon Him trusting that He will protect and cherish His followers. Glory be to God!

BEING HEARD

Psalms 54:17-18 LXX (55:16-17)

But I cried out to God,
And the Lord heard me.
Evening and morning and midday, I shall tell;
I shall proclaim, and He will hear my voice.

Encouraging Words

We live in a noisy world. On top of that our lives are consumed by busyness and chaos. Is it no wonder that so many people are haunted by loneliness and exhaustion? As I follower of Christ, I relish in the fact, and the experience, of being heard by our God. He does hear our voice and listens to our petitions. I will proclaim this as the Psalmist did millennia ago. Glory be to God!

A PROPER SACRIFICE

Psalms 50:19 LXX (51:17)

A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit,
A broken and humbled heart God will not despise.

Personal Challenge

There are many times in the Scriptures, both Old Testament and New Testament, where acts of sacrifice or worship are rejected by God. He makes it clear that our actions toward Him mean nothing if they do not come from a heart that is His. This heart is broken in spirit, submitting all to Him. It is humbled before God and our neighbor. Our repentence must come from a broken and humbled heart, which leads us to right worship and sacrifice. Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

LORD, HAVE MERCY

Psalms 50:3-6 LXX (51:1-4)

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy;
And according to the abundance of Your compassion, blot out my transgression.
Wash me thoroughly from my lawlessness
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my lawlessness,
And my sin is always before me.
Against You only have I sinned
And done evil in Your sight;
That You may be justified in Your words,
And overcome when You are judged.

Personal Challenge

We all sin, which is falling short of God’s expectations for us. Sometimes the sins are acts that we have committed. Sometimes they are things that we should have done and didn’t. Whatever the case, if we sincerly turn to God and repent of our sin, He will forgive us of our sin and have mercy upon us. The repentence, true repentence, is often the hard part but it is the part that opens the door for cleansing and renewal. Lord Jesus Christ, Son
of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Saint of the Week

St. Gabriel Urgebadze of Georgia