Psalm 46:11 (45:12 LXX)

The Lord of hosts is with us,
The God of Jacob is our protector.

Encouraging Words

Life is filled with battles, both temporal and spiritual. It is so easy to set our focus on the size of our army, or the strength that we do not have, and get discouraged about the overwhelming size of the enemy. But this is not what matters. What matters is that we have the hosts of heaven on our side and if we fight our battles under our Lord’s guidance then the enemy is defeated. Glory be to God!

2 Timothy 4:7-8

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Personal Challenge

I can never hope for, or desire, and easy, cushy life, if I am to live my life as a godly, righteous man. This does not mean that my life will not be filled with joy or rewards. The life of a Christian who is desiring theosis is a life lived as a marathon. Every thought, every action, every breath taken is part of our training for the race of life. Am I thinking rightly? Am I acting righteously and in the image of Christ? Am I breathing in His Spirit and breathing out the distractions, temptations, and sins of this world? And just as in a marathon there is the prize at the end of the race, there are also the waypoints along the race where I am given that bottle of water to sustain me, or that pat on the back and the encouragement to keep pressing on. Praise God for these times, like this past weekend spending time with some of my children and grandchildren. What an awesome reminder that the race is worth it and the prize indeed is good and worth the sacrifices along the journey to get to the end. Glory be to God!

St. Basil the Great

Malachi 1:6a


“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then, I am the Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is the reverence due to me?” says the Lord Almighty.


Personal Challenge


What a personally convicting verse this is today. The whole first chapter of Malachi challenges the people of God who had gotten sloppy in their liturgical worship services. They had made them more honoring to man and less honoring to God. They are complaining about the length and calling them boring. The liturgical services of the Church are not for me and my desires. They are for worshipping our Lord. Do I give my all as a living sacrifice when I participate in these services or do I check out and just go through the motions? This is my opportunity to focus my entire being on my God in worship and adoration. It is not about me. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Psalm 127:1 (126:1 LXX)

Unless the Lord builds the house,
Those who build it labor in vain;
Unless the Lord guard the city,
Those who guard it stay awake in vain.

Encouraging Words

I have so often heard this verse applied to the raising up of a family and the need to follow this principle. This is so true, but this also applies to how I should live my own life. There is a house of faith, hope, and love that I should be building in my own heart and mind. If I try to build it on my own accord, without letting the Lord be the Masterbuilder then I am building it in vain. If I am trying to protect this house by my own strength then I am I am also doing this in vain. It is encouraging to know hat my Lord is the Masterbuilder and Protector of the house of faith, hope, and love in my heart and mind. Glory be to God!

Nehemiah 4:7-8

Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall in the sheltered areas, and I positioned the people by families with their swords, their spears, and their bows. And I looked and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember our God, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”

Personal Challenge…

Living the life of a Christian is not for the faint of heart. Just as Nehemiah set is heart and mind, not to mention all of his physical ability and possessions, on the task of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, so are we too called to build walls of protection around the temples of our hearts and the Christian community that we live in. And just as Nehemiah was attacked from both outside of his community as well as from inside of his community, so too will we be attacked for obeying our Lord’s command to shore up our hearts for Him and to help our brothers and sisters to do the same. Nehemiah provides for us here a great example of how to resist these attacks. We are to work together, covering each other’s back while at the same time focusing on doing God’s work. And while we are doing this we are to be looking to God, working in partnership with Him and one another, and trusting that together we will synergistically accomplish the task of rebuilding these walls. Living this way takes work. Sometimes it means confronting those who are focused on tearing down the walls being built. But in the end we will be co-workers in bringing the kingdom of God to fruition amongst us. Glory be to God in all things!

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Encouraging Words

We live in an age when the information that is available is unlimited. And to top that off it is all at our fingertips. It is not jus information that is important for me. If I am not careful, not discerning, then I will be letting garbage into my life and distract me. It is encouraging to know that God inspires Scripture and provides it to me so that I can be reproved, corrected, instructed in righteousness, and ultimately equipped for every good work. These Scriptures surround me in the written text of the Bible and other writings of the Church, in the traditions of the Church, and the teachings of the Saints and Fathers. As the character Luther in the Jesse Stone series often states, “Information is out there. All you have to do is let it in.” By the grace of God the Father, the work of Jesus, and the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, I am blessed to have a filter to run this information through. Glory be to God!

2 Timothy 2:22-26

Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

Encouraging Words and Personal Challenge

Wow! Just wow! God’s timing is so impeccable. I have just finished the book of Esther (read the LXX version with much more in it) and the story of Mordecai, Haman, and Esther is ever so present in my mind and heart. And what should transpire over the weekend but a Haman-Mordecai moment. Then to top it all off, my random selection of this verse of the day brings me to this passage…a reminder that there are Haman’s in our lives, our churches, and our places of work. My first thought, before I read this passage was to exercise justifiable retribution. But that would fall into the category of “youthful lusts”, getting even, settling the score, or whatever else you want to call it. Would this not also make me a Haman in someone else’s life? Now I am convicted to deal with this event differently. Correction is still needed, for letting it slip would continue to encourage the wrong behavior. The correction must come from a pursuit of righteousness, faith, love, and peace. Why? So that I do not become a Haman in my response. Why? So that hopefully by the grace of God, my brother might be granted repentance, the ability to know the truth, and come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil. Why? So that the Body of Christ is healed and edified. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!

Ephesians 6:10-18

And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

Personal Challenge

As a child of God, living in this temporal world I have no opportunity to live in peace. I can be at peace in who I am in Christ. I can have peace with all that He has done to save mankind, including me. However, if I am truly trying to live my life for Him, growing in His image, then I will constantly be at war with the enemy in the spiritual realm. Christ has come to save the world, and me as a part of that world. However, until He comes again to set up His new kingdom the enemy is still roaming throughout this world trying to turn people away from God. As a redeemed and saved child of God I have been conscripted into His spiritual army and now in constant battle with the enemy and striving to take back that which he has stolen from my commander. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

St. John Climacus