Psalms 139:4-6 (138:4-6 LXX)

For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether,
The last things and the first things;
You fashioned me, and placed Your hands on me.
Your knowledge has become too wondrous for me;
It has become too overwhelming; I am unable to grasp it.

Personal Challenge.

God knows everything about me, past, present, and future. He knows my every thought, every action, every word that proceeds out of my mouth, whether whispered or yelled. And yet He still loves me, He still forgives me, He still desires to have me walk in the gardens of eternity with Him. I know that I do not deserve any of this for I am unworthy. I will, however, cherish this un­limited love that He continually pours out on me. I will strive to submit my will to His, knowing full well that I will continue to resist Him. He made me in my mother’s womb and has been making me ever since my birth. His majesty is incomprehensible to me, yet I will trust Him as He is my Lord. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Proverbs 17:27 (17:29 LXX)

He who refrains from uttering a harsh word is intelligent,
And a longsuffering man has discernment.

John 8:31-32

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Encouraging Words

Don’t we all want to be set free? Freedom is what Jesus became incarnate for. Freedom from the strangle­hold that death had onus. Freedom from wing a life of sin and separation from God. But this freedom does come at a price. First is the price that Jesus paid by going to the cross for us. Second is the price that we pay for knowing Him as the truth and choosing to abide in His word so that we may know Him. Such a small price to pay to gain what He is offering.

Psalms 139:1-3 (138:1-3 LXX)

O Lord, You test me and know me;
You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thoughts from afar;
You search out my path and my portion,
And You foresee all my ways.

Encouraging Words

We are never alone. Our glorious God is ever present in our lives. He knew us as we were being formed in our mother’s womb and He has been intimately active in every aspect of our lives since our birth. He is active leading us along the journey of our lives whether we recognize that or not. Today we celebrate the birth of our incarnate Lord knowing that He left His place in Heaven to become one of us, to live as we have had to live in our temporal bodies, saying “No!” to temptations and sin, showing us that it is possible as a human being to live a sinless life. He gave His life up for us so that we would never have to yield our lives to death. Christ is born! Glorify Him!

Proverbs 17:14 (17:15 LXX)

The foundation of righteousness gives authority to words,
But discord and quarreling precede poverty.

Personal Challenge

Isn’t righteousness grounded in unity? Unity with our Father in heaven. Unity with our neighbor, both in Christ and the stranger. If we do not have unity with those around us, if we are constantly picking at others or condemning their choices, then we are not loving our neighbor. So without loving our neighbor and treating them with love and respect then how can we expect to have righteousness in our lives? We cannot. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

John 8:12

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

Encouraging Words

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, or Seasons Greetings! It really doesn’t matter which one we use nowadays because the truth of the matter is that Jesus Christ, the incarnate son of God, is the light of God that has entered this dark world and this is the time of year that we celebrate His birth. Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth for all mankind.

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.

Encouraging Words

We believe that the glory of the Lord is great. His glory far outshines that of any king, president, or dictator. He is high above all, and yet He watches over the lowly and gives His love to them. Jesus spent most of His time here on earth living with, eating with, talking to, and loving the common person, the lowly. He stayed far from those who were already elevated. And…He asks us to do the same. Glory be to God?

Proverbs 17:1

Better is a morsel with enjoyment in peace
Than a house full of many good things and unrighteous sacrifices with quarreling.

Personal Challenge

Contrary to popular belief, more is not always better. We live in a society, and a culture, that teaches that if I have a little bit of something that gives me pleasure or happiness, then more of it gives me, even more, pleasure or happiness. So what do we end up with? Mega-houses that own us and that have half of their rooms devoid of furniture because we ran out of money to fill them. Myriads of toys such as cars, trucks, boats, and the list goes on, many of which we only use once or twice a year. We end up with closets full of clothes that we never wear, but that we must own. All the while we walk past the homeless on the streets of our communities who spend their nights in tents or cardboard boxes. We say sorry to them because we have no money to put in their cup since it is all tied up in our toys. We ignore the person who does not have a coat to wear in winter or the child who has no shoes while standing before our stuffed closets commiserating that we have nothing to wear. I too am guilty as charged and grieved. Now is the time for fasting and giving of our wealth as alms to those in need. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!