OUR LODGING

Psalms 90:1 LXX (91:1)

The praise of an ode by David.
He who dwells in the help of the Most High
Shall lodge in the shelter of the God of heaven.

Encouraging Words

Let’s work this one backwards. How wonderful and peaceful it would be to lodge in the shelter of the God of heaven. We can do that by dwelling in the help of the most high. How do we do that? By submitting to our Lord in humility, trusting in Him, and accepting His free gift of mercy and grace. This is why Jesus gave up His place in heaven, chose to be incarnate as one of us, live a sinless life, die a horrible death as an innocent man, and rise from the grave after destroying the bonds of death. All so that we can join Him in His heavenly dwelling. Glory be to Him!

REMEMBER ME, O LORD

Psalms 88:48-49 LXX (89:47-48)

Let my substance be remembered, as to what sort it is,
For did You create all the sons of men in vain?
What kind of man is there who will live and not see death?
Will he deliver his soul from the hand of Hades?

Personal Challenge

One thing that none of us can escape in life is death. We will all meet that fate at the end of our journey here on earth. The Psalmist pleads with God to remember him as he was created, in the image of God. We can ask God to remember us as His children through the work of His Son, Jesus Christ. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

BUT YOU, O LORD

Psalms 85:15 LXX (86:15)

But You, O Lord, are compassionate and merciful,
Longsuffering and very merciful and truthful.

Encouraging Words

God is so much more than we can articulate with our words. He is compassionate, loving us before we even know that He exists. He is merciful, pouring His grace upon us no matter how far from Him we wander. He is longsuffering, waiting for His children to return to Him as the father of the prodigal son. He is truthful, having no deception or falsehood within His essence. Thanks be to God!

Saint of the Week

St. Ephraim the Syrian

GIVING THANKS

Psalms 85:12 LXX (86:12)

I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
And I shall glorify Your name forever;

Personal Challenge

One thing that we can all do that costs us absolutely nothing is to give thanks to God with our whole heart. Everything that we have and everything that we are is from Him. Every breath of air and every beat of our heart are gifts from Him. We can give thanks and glory to Him forever and never begin to repay Him for His great love and mercy. Glory be to God!

TURNING

Psalms 84 LXX (85)

For the End; a psalm for the sons of Korah.
O Lord, You were pleased with Your land;
You turned back the captivity of Jacob;
You forgave the transgressions of Your people;
You covered all their sins.
(Pause)
You ended all Your wrath;
You turned from the wrath of Your anger.
Turn us, O God of our salvation,
And turn away Your anger from us.
Will You be angry with us forever,
Or will You prolong Your anger from generation to generation?
O God, You will turn and give us life,
And Your people will be glad in You.
Show us Your mercy, O Lord,
And grant us Your salvation.
I will hear what the Lord God will speak in me,
For He will speak peace
To His people and to His holy ones,
And to those who turn their heart to Him.
His salvation is very close at hand to those who fear Him,
That glory may dwell in our land.
Mercy and truth met together;
Righteousness and peace kissed each other;
Truth arose from the earth,
And righteousness looked down from heaven.
For the Lord will give goodness,
And our land shall yield its fruit.
Righteousness shall go before Him
And establish His footsteps as our pathway.

Encouraging Words

There is always hope for a society. We must first turn to God and then He will turn His love toward us. Glory be to God!

WALKING IN INNOCENCE

Psalms 83:12-13 LXX (84:11-12)

For the Lord God loves mercy and truth;
He will give grace and glory;
The Lord’s hand will not remove good things from those who walk in innocence.
O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man who hopes in You.

Personal Challenge

It amazes me how many people today, especially those in leadership positions, profess that they are followers of Christ and yet exhibit behaviors consistent with His adversary, the father of lies. As followers of Christ we are expected to live lives filled with mercy and truth. We cannot be agressively harming others and continuesly spewing lies all the while expecting God’s blessing. He desires that we walk in innocence and humility in our relationship to those around us. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

DWELLING WITH GOD

Psalms 83:2-3 LXX (84:1-2)

How beloved are Your dwellings, O Lord of hosts.
My soul longs and faints for the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh greatly rejoice in the living God.

Encouraging Words

One of the errors that has creeped into the modern church is that we will dwell with God when we die and transition into eternity. Jesus made it clear that the kingdom of God is here amongst us now. Why is this important. If we believe that we are dwelling with God now then our behavior will reflect that. We will live to glorify and honor Him in everything that we say and do. Glory be to God!

STAYING CLOSE

Psalms 72:26-27 LXX (73:26-27)

My heart and my flesh fail,
O God of my heart; and God is my portion forever.
For behold, those who keep themselves far away from You shall perish;
You destroy away from You all who act unfaithfully.

Personal Challenge

Part of our nature is to wander. Maybe it is a desire to learn by exploring our world. The challenge today is that there are so many distractions that can pull us away from our walk with our Lord. This always leads us to times in our lives where we feel as if we will perish. Our Lord is always there to pull us back into His presence and to lead us on our journey to theosis. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord have mercy!

COUNSEL AND GLORY

Psalms 72:24 LXX (73:24)

With Your counsel You guide me,
And with glory You take hold of me.

Personal Challenge

A critical thing for all of us to do in our lives is to surround ourselves with people that will give us wise counsel. They cannot be people that will affirm our every thought or action They cannot applaude our every move, whether successful or seriously destructive. Wise counsel will correct us when we are choosing the wrong path. This helps both us and those in our lives. God is our ultimate wise counsel, if we will listen to /him. His glory will hold us through our lives. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!