Psalms 73:24 (72:24)

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

Encouraging Words

One of the things that sets the Christian faith apart from other religious is that we are not let alone in our walk through life. Our God promises to be there with us every step of the way. He is not there to chide us for every mistake we make. He is there to give us His counsel and to guide us. He is there to hold on to us and to shine His glory into our lives. Glory be to God!

Acts 20:29

For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.

Personal Challenge

As I observe what is going on in our world today, especially in the way that earthly politics has made it into the church, I see that Paul’s prediction of the challenges that we will face are upon us. Not only is the world around us being consumed by savage wolves, but they are now in so many of our churches and being embraced as modern-day saviors. We must resist this with our entire being. We must raise up the standard of God’s church, His flock, as a body set apart from the world. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy.! Lord, have mercy!

Psalms 71:5 (70:6)

By You I have been supported from birth;
From my mother’s womb You have been my protector;
My song shall be always of You.

Encouraging Words

God holds us in His hands from the time of conception through eternity. That is how much He loves us and desires that we love Him. He knows every decision that we will make in our lives, both good and bad, and yet He still gives us free will and His unconditional love. The key to this is the question of what we will do with that great love. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Acts 17:28

for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’

Encouraging Words

When Paul was preaching to the Athenians about the true name of their unknown god, he pointed them to God, the Father, son, and Holy Spirit. It is our God who created all that ever has been and ever will be. He holds it in the palm of His hand. He created us and it is in Him that we live and move and have our being. Glory be to God!

Psalms 71:1-3 (70:1-3)

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

The psalmist so elegantly reminds us of our need to be thankful for our God and to constantly put our hope in Him. When we walk in the footsteps of His Son, we will never be put to shame. He delivers us from the traps in this temporal life and sets us free. He hears our supplications and petitions and saves us, even from death. He is our protection, our salvation, our foundation, and our refuge. Glory be to God!

Acts 17:6

But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.

Personal Challenge

The Christian message, the Good News, has been turning the world upside down for over 2,000 years. We have been called to be active participants, as followers of Jesus, to be these change agents in the world around us. How are we doing? Can people call us out as they did the apostles for changing every place they went to? Do people recognize us as followers of Jesus? If not, then maybe it is time to let the Holy Spirit start using us for God’s good. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Psalms 63:8 (62:9)

My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand takes hold of me.

Personal Challenge

Proximity is an important thing in our walk with Jesus. The farther away we are from our source of life and energy, the dimmer He becomes in our lives. If we truly desire to be a disciple of our Lord, then we must always follow close behind Him, our eyes focused on Him, and our hands extended to Him so that He take hold and lead us as we follow Him. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Acts 16:25

But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

Encouraging Words

One of the precious gifts that God promises to give us when we choose to give our lives to Him is joy. We can embrace that joy and let it permeate our lives or we can take it for granted and let the burdens of life overtake us. Paul and Silas are great examples of holding on to the joy that God gave them to the point that they were able to pray and sing hymns to their God from the depths of prison. We too can choose God in our lives. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Psalms 63:3 (62:4)

Because Your mercy is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.

Encouraging Words

God’s mercy is truly beyond anything that we can comprehend. He is our everything and He covers us with His mercy all the time. Our every breath, beat of our heart, thought of our mind are covered in His mercy and love. So, what should our response be? Praise! Glory be to God!