John 16:33

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

Encouraging Words…

In the Orthodox Church we often discuss the fact that we live in two realms at the same time…the physical, earthly realm and the spiritual, heavenly realm. This verse seems to allude to this by telling us that as we live out our days in this temporal body, in this physical world we will have trials and tribulations…predominantly because we no longer belong to this world. Jesus affirms for us though that He has brought the spiritual world into this physical one and defeated it. Glory be to God!

Isaiah 1:16-20

“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean. Put away the evils from your souls before My eyes. Cease from your evils. Learn to do good. Seek judgment and redeem the wronged. Defend the orphan and justify the widow. Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord, “although your sins are like crimson, I shall make them white like snow, and although they are as scarlet, I shall make them white like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good things of the land. But if you are unwilling and disobedient, you shall be devoured by the sword,” for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Personal Challenge…

Am I willing and obedient or unwilling and disobedient? Do I take God’s love for me for granted and live my life for me or do I receive it as a precious gift and share that love with those around me? My salvation is not all wrapped up in just saying some special prayer or proclaiming that I am a follower of Christ. It is to be an active salvation filled with action for my Lord, because of my Lord and His love for me.

1 Samuel 2:1-2


And she (Hannah) said:
“My heart is strengthened in the Lord;
My horn is exalted in my God.
I smile at my enemies;
I rejoice in Your salvation.
Because no one is holy like the Lord,
No one is righteous like our God,
No one is holy but You.”

Encouraging Words…


Our everything is found in the Lord. It is He who meets our every need and walks before us through our journey of life. He holds all creation in the palm of His hand and yet cares for us intimately. What a powerful thing to know and to believe as we head out the door to start our day. Glory be to God.

Proverbs 3:23-26 (26-29 LXX)

That you may walk confidently in peace in all your ways,
And your foot may not stumble.
For if you sit down, you will be without fear,
And if you lie down, your sleep will be pleasant.
And do not be afraid of intimidation when it comes upon you,
Nor of the attack of the ungodly when it comes at you;
For the Lord will be over all your ways,
And He will plant your feet firmly, that you may not be shaken.

Encouraging Words…

Shouldn’t this be the foundation of our entire life experience? Our Lord has promised us that He will never leave us or forsake us. He has promised that He will meet our needs, not necessarily our wants, but our needs. He has promised that He will be our Protector and send us a Comforter. If I confess Him as my Lord and believe in Him then if I truly want to fully experience Him and His presence in my life then I must live my life this way. In doing this it frees me up to focus on changing my behavior so that I live more like Christ, so that I purposely battle against the sinful nature that haunts me. It allows me to live my life in a way that glorifies Him and edifies others. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!

Psalm 10:14 (9:35 LXX)

But You do see, You do perceive the suffering and pain,
That You might deliver them into Your hands;
Therefore, the poor man will be left to You;
You give help to the orphan.

Encouraging Words…

When God commands us to take care of the poor, the orphan, and the widow, He is not asking us to do something that He is not already doing. Throughout the Scriptures and the history of mankind God has taken care of those who could not take care of themselves. We should do the same.

Deuteronomy 8:18

Then you shall remember the Lord your God, for He it is who gives you strength, that you may gain power, and He may establish His covenant the Lord swore to your fathers, as it is today.

Encouraging Words…

Sometimes we get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life or get pressed down under the burdens of all that we have on our to do list that we forget to take time out for our Lord. He is the source of our strength. He is the one that gives us the power to make it through the day. He is the one who established His covenant of peace and joy with us. Glory be to God!

Judges 16:20

And Delilah said, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” So he awoke from his sleep and said, “I will go out as before, and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him.

Personal Challenge…

The story of Sampson and Delilah is such a clear reminder of what happens in our lives when we flirt with sin. We start down a slippery slope and before we know it we have slipped so far from God that we are no longer empowered by His Holy Spirit. These actions always come from our choices. Whether it be that we choose to lie, or dabble in an addictive behavior, or gossip about others, or take something that is not ours, or…fill in the blank.. If we keep dabbling in this area we soon fall in love with it and switch our focus off of God and on to it. The result will always be painful and difficult. Just as Samson had to struggle to make it back to his former position we have to do the same and will suffer the consequences of our choice to sin. How much better it is to say “No!” the first time that little voice in our head tells us to do something that we know is wrong. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Proverbs 18:10

The name of the Lord is of great strength,
And when the righteous run to it, they are exalted.

Encouraging Words…

It is not our righteousness or our running to the Lord that lifts us up, but it is the Lord and His strength. He is our shelter and our source of strength. It is only in Him that we can be lifted up from the drudgery and challenges of this earthly life and realm into His eternal life and heavenly realm. Glory be to God!

Psalm 62:5 (61:6 LXX)

However, be submissive to God, O my soul,
For my patient endurance is from Him.

Personal Challenge…

I have sometimes , actually often, wondered why I have such a hard time patiently enduring a situation. Well, here is a good hint to the core of the problem…not being submissive to God first. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Deuteronomy 7:9-10

Therefore know, the Lord your God, this God, is a faithful God, who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with those who hate Him; He will repay them to their face.

Personal Challenge…

Our God is constant. He is never changing. He is faithful to those who love Him, even when we are not faithful to Him. He is also consistent with those who actively reject Him and hate Him.Thoughts that are both encouraging and challenging at the same time.