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

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

The more we get to know God, the closer we are to Him, the more we realize how little we know Him and how far from Him we truly are. He knows everything about us, even our future, and we know so little about Him. This is very humbling and should drive us to our knees before Him in sincere worship. Even with all of this, He still loves us completely. Glory be to God!

1 Corinthians 1:25-29

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.

Personal Challenge

Why would God choose such foolish things (according to the wisdom of man) to accomplish His will and plan here on earth. What foolish things? Apostles that were uneducated commoners to lead His fledgling Church. Weak and broken people to be His saints and martyrs. Simple and base things to be the foundation of His kingdom. He did this so that no human being could say that they did it and not God. He did this so that all glory would go to Him. He did this so that all mankind can be a recipient of His love, mercy, and grace. He did this for each of us. Glory be to God!

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

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.

Encouraging Words

God knows me better than I know myself. In that, He knows which tests and trials to take me through so that I can grow more in the image of His Son. He knows my every action and thought and guides me along my path of life. The challenge is for me to be willing to submit to Him and to choose to walk along His path, His way. Glory be to God!

1 Corinthians 1:22-24

For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

PERSONAL CHALLENGE

One of the awesome things about living out my Christianity with an Eastern Orthodox faith practice is how easy it is to connect with the mindset of our forefathers like Paul. We, the Western world, are formed by the age of reason and intellectualism, that shaped the way that the church of the west thinks. Because of that mindset people still look for Christ like the Jews did. Show me a sign of some tangible proof. They challenge the truths of Christ such as incarnation, death on a cross, resurrection, as foolishness and unbelievable fairy tells. But to those who have embraced Christ as their savior, all of this becomes easier to accept. For the Eastern mind, this is all part of the power and mystery of our God.

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

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.

Personal Challenge

No one is above God. No matter how much power or money or any other earthly possessions a person has, they are still inferior to God. God speaks and all hear Him. God’s glory exceeds everything in this world created by Him. He is high above all and watches over all. We all, including all kings and all leaders, will someday, whether on our own accord or through compulsion, will ultimately give Him thanks. Why not start now? Glory be to God!

1 Corinthians 1:18

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Personal Challenge

The world around us, especially those who do not follow Christ, believe the devote Christians are foolish. As Paul writes here to the church in Corinth, the whole message of God becoming a man and dying on a cross, sounds like foolishness. But isn’t that how God works? His economy, His way of doing things, is always so much different than how people would do things. That is why we must put our faith in Him. He far exceeds any level of understand that we will ever have, and because of that He does things in ways that we will never understand. That is why He is God, and we are not. Glory be to God!

Psalm 133 (132)

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.

Encouraging Words

Following up on yesterday’s passage, today’s also speaks of the beauty of unity. This was not planned by me and there are no such things as coincidences with God. Unity between brothers, or those in our lives, is as sweet as fragrant oil. When kings were anointed, a fragrant oil was poured on their head, and it ran down through their beard and over their whole garment. It was a fragrant reminder of God’s blessing and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. We anoint new members of the church of baptism with holy oil for this same reason. What a vibrant image to remind us of how important unity is to God. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

1 Corinthians 1:10

Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Personal Challenge

We live in an age where unity has become a nonentity. We have divisions in our homes, our churches, our relationships, and all across our society. At times it appears as if division is the desired state. True followers of Jesus will desire unity for our God is always desiring unity. The enemy thrives on sowing seeds of division. Unity is not always easy, especially when dealing with people. Unity requires work and a willingness to reconcile and cooperate with others. But this is part of our responsibility if we desire to be like Jesus. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Psalms 128 (127)

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

We can live lives that are blessed by God. It does mean, however, that we live our lives in a way that opens the doors for those blessings. We most fear our Lord in the way that the saints before us did. This is not in fear of punishment but in awe and respect for how great our God is. We need to walk in His ways and labor for Him. Being a blessed child of God does not come from a passive life in Christ, but an active Christ-centered, Christ-like life lived actively for Him. Here the blessings received far outshine the sacrifice of ourselves for Him. Glory be to God!