Psalm 62:1-2 (61:2-3 LXX)

Shall not my soul be submissive to God?
For from Him is my salvation.
For He is my God and my savior,
My protector; I shall be shaken no more

Personal Challenge…

We live in an age where everything is temporary and thrown away. It is so easy then to put our trust into these temporary things; our job, our knowledge, our pension, you name it, and look to the temporary for permanence. All of this will some day be burnt up as chaff. It is our God, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end that is the only one that we can put our trust in and give our submission to.

Proverbs 25:4

Beat drossy silver,
And it will be made entirely clean.

Personal Challenge…

Silver is a beautiful, precious metal when it has ben purified and all of the dross, or foreign material, pounded out of it. We humans, formed in the image of God, are beautiful, precious beings and must also have the dross, or in our case, sinful passions, pounded out of us. We are not totally depraved. We are beautiful diamonds covered in the slime and muck of sin and impurities from living in a fallen world. Our Lord is the perfect silversmith, or diamond cutter, who is constantly cleaning us up and chipping away at the dross in our lives. We can do our part in this refinement as well by being spiritual athletes, running the race, and practicing by prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and loving our neighbor. Glory be to God!

Psalm 51:17 (50:19 LXX)

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

Personal Challenge…

God desires that we offer up to Him our heart more than the works of our hands. It is from the humble heart and the broken spirit that our true actions come. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Isaiah 12:2

Behold, God is my Savior and Lord. I will trust in Him and be saved by Him. I will not be afraid, for the Lord is my glory and my praise. He has become my salvation.

Encouraging Words…

Just as Isaiah could call out to His Lord in praise thousands of years ago so can we today for He is the same God from ages to ages. The difference is that we have the hope that Isaiah looked forward to in the incarnation of God as man…Jesus Christ. We have the hope realized in God as man and are a part of the new covenant with God our Father. Glory be to God!

Psalm 4:2

You heard me when I called, O God of my righteousness.
You strengthened my heart when I was in distress;
Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.

Encouraging Words…

God is always there for His children. Even in the midst of trials, tribulations, and even persecution, He is there. Since we live in two worlds His presence may not change the situation or condition of our physical world, but it does change the spiritual one. Glory be to God!

Proverbs 10:22 (10:23 LXX)

The blessing of the Lord is upon the head of a righteous man;
It enriches him, and grief of heart will not be added to it.

Encouraging Words…

We often slip into the frame of mind that trying to live a righteous life is all about doing things. In reality it is more about the state of our heart and mind, for it is from there that righteous acts come willingly. We do not do what we do to earn God’s blessings, but we do them because we are blessed by God.

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

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.

Encouraging Words…

Our God is a loving and compassionate God. He is not judgmental as He is often depicted. He does judge, but this judgment is that of a loving Father desiring to discipline and correct His children. It is not surprising that as people build their religious practices around a judgmental god that the result is hostilities and divisions. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Psalm 30:11-12 (29:12-13 LXX)

You turned my lamentation into dancing for me;
You tore up my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
That my glory may sing praise to You,
And not be pierced with sadness;
O Lord my God, I shall give thanks to You forever.

Encouraging Words…

Our Lord is so good to us. We must be patient and stay close to Him so that we can see His hand of healing at work in our lives. This passage is so appropriate for me today as we approach the last leg of our journey home from my parent’s home in California. I have been gifted with the jewels of my father’s workshop (Billy G’s Clock Shop as it has been affectionately christened) and given the charter, the privilege, to keep his memory alive by continuing his legacy. God has given me a chance to build upon my father’s legacy and to not only have my lamentation turned into dancing, but hopefully to use this opportunity to bring healing and hope to the rest of the family as well. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Hebrews 12:1-2

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Encouraging Words…

We are not alone in our journey and struggle through life. Those saints who have gone before us and are continuing to petition our Lord on our behalf. Our Lord is at the core of our journey paving the way before us and supporting and nurturing us along the way. Glory be to God!

Psalm 71:1-3 (70:1-3 LXX)

O God, in You I hope; may I never be put to shame.
Deliver me in Your righteousness, and set me free;
Incline Your ear to me and save me.
Be to me a God for protection
And a strong place for salvation,
For You are my foundation and my refuge.

Encouraging Words…

Once again the Psalmist reminds us that even in the midst of a world going bad around us we have the Lord, our God, that we can put our trust in. He is our salvation. He is our foundation, He is our refuge. The challenge is that it is often difficult to remember this in the midst of our challenges. Nonetheless we can turn to Him and run into His protective and loving arms.