Psalms 27:13-14 (26:13-14 LXX)

I believe I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.
Wait on the Lord;
Be courageous, and strengthen your heart,
And wait on the Lord.

Encouraging Words

What did Jesus mean when He said that the kingdom of heaven is now? Many of our early church fathers believed, and taught, that the incarnation of Jesus ushered in the new age and brought us into the kingdom of heaven. Couldn’t this be an answer to this psalmist’s plea to be able to see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living? I, personally, like this teaching because following it forces me to my life, today and every day, as if I am living in Heaven. It means that I must always be looking for, and waiting for, my Lord to appear and show Himself, It means that I can go through my day being courageous and with a strengthened heart because I know that I am alive in Gods’ kingdom. It also means that I must look at everyone around me as if they too have been invited into God’s kingdom and treat them with the love and respect that my Father would want me to give to my neighbors in heaven. Can I do this? Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Deuteronomy 31:6

Be valiant and strong, do not fear nor be afraid of them, nor be terrified before them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes before you and with you and among you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.

Encouraging Words

Life can be tough. At times it can feel like we are all alone standing before a mighty dragon that must be slain. But we who proclaim Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior know that He is on our side and will never forsake us. People sometimes challenge me and ask me how I can believe this stuff. My answer is always that I have seen God’s presence in my life and the lives of others. As I continue to study the lives of the saints who have gone before me, the presence of God in His children’s lives becomes more and more evident. This presence always gives the one who participates in it the strength and courage, even in the midst of the worst, life-threatening situations. We celebrate the martyrs of our church because they stood firm on their belief in God and their acknowledgment of the truth that they knew about spending eternity with their Lord. This is true faith, true belief in our Lord and His love for us. Glory be to God!

Matthew 14:27

But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”

Encouraging Words

Every human life will encounter those situations where the storms ensue. Sometimes these storms are just small events that put out a few dribbles here and there but do not even rock the boat. Sometimes they are massive systems that last for long periods of time and threaten to sink the boat and carry us to the bottom of the sea. No matter what the extent of the storms that enter our lives, we, like the apostles in their boat on the storming lake with no Jesus as a passenger can call out to Jesus to save us from the waves, the raging winds, and the vicious downpours. Sometimes, like in this occasion, Jesus comes into the midst of our storm in some other-worldly way. He always starts by encouraging us, calming us down, and showing us that we have nothing to be afraid of. He then reaches into the midst of our storm and guides us, just as He did to Peter so that we can navigate through the storm. All of this needs us to be willing to recognize Him for who He is, to call out to Him, and to do what He tells us to do, even if it is to join Him by walking on water to Him. Glory be to God!

Psalms 27:8 (26:8 LXX)

My heart speaks to You; my face seeks You;
Your face, O Lord, I will seek.

Personal Challenge

David was considered a man after God’s own heart. This verse gives us a glimpse into some of the reason for this. David loved his God beyond compare. He gave his all fort his God, and even when he sinned greatly, he always ran back to his God seeking forgiveness and restoration. So, why is this passage such a personal challenge for me? I know the true depths of my heart. I know that I so easily get caught up in the busy-ness of life and the attractions of this world, and so often turn my mind, my eyes, my ears, and my heart away from my Lord. I do this all too often and sometimes delay far too long, returning to Him for forgiveness and restoration. If God was truly the center of my life, my all, then I would spend more time speaking to Him, seeking Him, and fellowshipping with Him. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner.

Deuteronomy 29:28

The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Encouraging Words

One of the things about Eastern Orthodoxy that I immediately fell in love with is how we deal with the mysteries of God. So many Christian faith practices spend so much time trying to explain the mysteries that God has given us exposure to. How can God be three persons in one? How can God become incarnate in the womb of a virgin? Who does God really save? In Orthodoxy, we recognize that God is God and we are not. It is okay that there are mysteries that have not, nor never will be revealed to us because only God can comprehend them. I do not have the capability to understand these things. If we continually pursue trying to know and eventually “own” God’s mysteries we take the chance of entering into, or worse yet. creating, heresies. The early church fathers were very comfortable leaving the mysteries of God to God and focusing on spreading His Gospel and love to their world. Should we not be doing the same today? Thank You, Father, for the truths that you have deemed me worthy to receive.

Matthew 13:44

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”

Encouraging Words

God created us, all of us, in His image. Part of the result of the fall of man into sin is the separation from God. This separation has created a hole in our soul that can only be filled by God. For some people, finding God and His Kingdom becomes a pursuit. They know that they need Him and pursue Him. For others, they wander through life with no inkling that the void that they keep trying to fill with earthly things can only be filled by God, Himself. These are the ones that this verse highlights. God, in His love and grace, hides in the paths of the lives of these people, great treasures that they might stumble upon and find God and the great treasure that He has to offer. The next step is the critical one for both of these people. Whether we pursue God or stumble upon the treasure that He set out for us in order to find Him, in both cases our only response is to give everything that we are or have in this world away so that we can seize hold of God and not have any obstacles between us and Him. He is the only treasure worth keeping. Glory be to God!

Psalms 26:4

One thing I ask from the Lord; this I will seek,
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
And behold the delights of the Lord,
And visit His temple.

Personal Challenge

We are taught so often that the kingdom of God is something that will be here at some future time. Maybe we will see it after we fall asleep in the Lord. Or maybe we will see it when Jesus returns. However, the early church fathers taught us that the kingdom of God is here, it is now. They taught this because it is what Jesus taught. So, if I believe that this is true, then I too can claim as the psalmist did so long ago that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. In order to do this, however, I must live my life according to His teachings and His precepts. I cannot be both in His house and the house of the world at the same time. They are not only mutually exclusive but they are diametrically opposed. To live this way means that I must continually strive to love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, spirit, and body. It also means that I must love my neighbor, whether they are loved ones or enemies, as Christ does. This is indeed living otherworldly. Lord, have Mercy! Lord, have Mercy! Lord, have Mercy!

Deuteronomy 10:12-13

“So now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord your God and His ordinances I command you today for your good?”

Encouraging Words

The concept of love has become so misunderstood and misconstrued in our society. In this age of broken marriages, non-committed relationships, prenuptial agreements, and the such, most people no longer value the concept of unconditional love. This passage was a clear statement by God as to how much He loved His people and it applies to His New Covenant people today. Here is what Saint John Chrysostom said about this passage:

“God needs nothing we have to give Him, and this especially proves sincere love, when one who needs nothing and is not in any necessity, does everything for the sake of being loved by us. So when He bids you to love Him, He then most of all shows He loves you. For nothing secures our salvation more than loving Him” Orthodox Study Bible

If we would all choose to apply this type of love to our spouses, or would be/could be spouses, then we would see a change in our lives and the lives of everyone around us that would change the course of history. It is our choice, not the other’s that makes this happen! I choose to love my wife unconditionally for she deserves it.

Matthew 11:28-30

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Encouraging Words

The God that I follow, the God that I love, is a loving God. He asks me to come to Him and to submit my free will to Him. In doing this, He will give me rest, He will take off of my back the yoke that the world has put upon me and place upon me His yoke, which is easy so that my burden will be light. He does this because He is gentle and humble in His greatness. So, why does it seem sometimes that His yoke is heavy and burdensome? That is because it is both the world and my stubborn, hard heart that keeps piling on the burdens of the world. If I will continually turn to Him, every moment of every day, and purposely cast off the yoke of the world and put on the yoke of the King, I will see just how much rest He will give me. I will see how much I can learn from Him and begin to be like Him. I will see how light His burden is to carry and look forward to putting on His yoke. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner.