WATCH MY MOUTH

Psalms 140:3 LXX (141:3)

Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth,
A door of enclosure about my lips.

Personal Challenge

The one part of our body that can produce results that can never be undone is our mouth. More than once, I have said something to another just to realize that once out of my mouth, it can never be taken back or undone. The words have been spoken, the damage done, and now the consequences of hurting another. We need to pray this prayer often and then listen to our Lord when He closes the door on our mouth. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

HEAR ME

Psalms 140:1-2 LXX (141:1-2)

A psalm by David.
O Lord, I have cried to You; hear me;
Give heed to the voice of my supplication when I cry to You.
Let my prayer be set forth before You as incense,
The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

Personal Challenge

So many times, in our lives we cry out to our Lord for help or guidance wondering if He hears us. It is okay to cry out to Him as the Psalmist does here to ask God to hear us and to give heed to our supplications. We grow closer to God as we pray this way. It is also imperative that we consistently reach out to God, in good times and bad, with requests and praise, and not just when we need Him. This is setting our prayer before Him as incense and regular sacrifice. Glory be to God!

TEST ME?

Psalms 138:23-24 LXX (139:23-24)

Test me, O God, and know my heart;
Examine me, and know my paths,
And see if there is a lawless way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.

Personal challenge

If I have learned anything in my life attempting to be a follower of Christ, it is to never pray for patience. When this is done then the answer to the prayer is often situations that require us to be patient. So, why would the Psalmist ask God to test Him? If we desire to truly follow in the footsteps of Christ and be His disciple, then we need God to point out to us those places in our heart, in our life, where we fall short of who we could be. By doing this we have revealed to us those areas that we can work on for our theosis. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Saint of the Week

St. John Chrysostom

HE IS THERE

Psalms 138:7-14 LXX (139:7-14)

Where could I go from Your Spirit,
Or flee from Your face?
If I should ascend into heaven, You would be there;
If I should descend into Hades, You would be there;
If I should take up my wings at dawn
And pitch camp at the furthest part of the sea,
Even there Your hand would lead me,
And Your right hand would hold me.
And I said, “Perhaps darkness shall cover me,”
But the night shall be light to my delight;
For darkness shall not be dark because of You,
And the night shall be bright as day;
As its darkness, so also shall be its light.
For You possess my heart, O Lord;
You took hold of me from my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You,
For I am fearfully and wondrously made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And my soul knows this very well.

Encouraging Words

Where is God when I need Him? He is always right there by my side. There is no place that I can be at, no situation that I can be in, no time that can be transpiring, that God is not there with me. This is so comforting and empowering. The true issue at hand is where am I in these situations? Am I listening for His voice or watching for His presence? He wants me to be waiting and watching as the reveals Himself. Glory be to God!

UNABLE TO GRASP

Psalms 138:4-6 LXX (139:4-6)

For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether,
The last things and the first things;
You fashioned me, and placed Your hands on me.
Your knowledge has become too wondrous for me;
It has become too overwhelming; I am unable to grasp it.

Personal Challenge

As “enlightened” human beings, we are so full of ourselves. We are convinced that we know all and control all. This is not the case. We are finite, both in our knowledge and in our lifespan. Our Lord is eternal. He is all knowing. He knows our thoughts before we think them. He knows our words before we speak them. He fashioned us in our mother’s womb and knew us before we were even conceived. His knowledge, His love and mercy, is more than we will ever be able to grasp. Glory be to God!

KNOWN AND UNDERSTOOD

Psalms 138:1-3 LXX (139:1-3)

For the End; a psalm by David.
O Lord, You test me and know me;
You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thoughts from afar;
You search out my path and my portion,
And You foresee all my ways.

Personal Challenge

Our Lord knows us. He knows our every thought and desire. He watches our every action and inaction. He understands us better than we ever will. He formulates tests for us in our lives so that by using our free will we can determine our own growth. He loves us enough to let us make choices that will interfere in our relationship with Him and others and yet He stays true to His love for us and our need for his mercy. Why, oh why, do I consistently choose my own way? Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

THE LOWLY THINGS

Psalms 137:4-6 LXX (138:4-6)

O Lord, let all the kings of the earth give thanks to You,
For they heard all the words of Your mouth;
And let them sing in the ways of the Lord,
For the glory of the Lord is great;
For the Lord is high, and He watches over the lowly things;
But the high things He knows from afar.

Encouraging Words

I like how this passage ends. The Psalmist recognizes that our Lord remains close to and watches over the lowly ones, the humble ones. He knows that the wealthy and the prestigious get their rewards here on earth. He also calls upon them to be recognizing the Lord as provident over all and to worship Him appropriately. The expectation was that kings and rulers would give thanks to God for they knew the words of His mouth and would sing in this ways. Glory be to God for He is great!

UNITY

Psalms 132 LXX (133)

An ode of ascents; by David.
Behold now, what is so good or so pleasant
As for brothers to dwell together in unity?
It is like fragrant oil running down upon the beard,
The beard of Aaron,
Running down upon the border of his garment;
It is like the dew of Hermon, running down upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord commanded the blessing
And life forever.

Personal Challenge

We live in a culture that is driven by disunity. It has become an us versus them environment. We see it in politics, in the broader church, in business, in families, and in every other aspect of our society. It was epitomized yesterday with cage fights on the White House lawn. The scriptures, and Jesus himself, calls us to drive for living together in unity. Any religious organization, institution, or person that claims to follow Christ but pursues division and disunity is a living a heresy and denying God’s desire for mankind. We must be willing to assess our lives and determine if we are contributing to disunity. If so, then we must repent and strive for unity. Life will be so good and pleasant if we do this. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

BLESSED

Psalms 127 LXX (128)

An ode of ascents.
Blessed are all who fear the Lord,
Who walk in His ways.
You shall eat the fruits of your labor;
You are blessed, and it shall be well with you.
Your wife shall be like a vine, prospering on the sides of your house;
Your children like newly planted olive trees
Around your table.
Behold, so shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Zion,
And may you see the good things of Jerusalem
All the days of your life;
May you see your children’s children.
Peace be upon Israel.

Encouraging Words

Our world goes on around us. As followers of Christ, we are no longer citizens of this temporal earth but ambassadors for our God representing His eternal kingdom. The blessings articulated in this passage are ours to claim throughout eternity as long as we continue to offer up our free will to our Lord and live for Him. Glory be to God!