The word of the day is “envy.”  The first death of a human being happened because of murder when Cain killed his brother Able. Why did Cain do such an awful thing?  Because of envy.  In our reading of Proverbs 23:15-24:5, the wise sage of Proverbs writes, “Do not let your heart envy sinners but be zealous for fear of the Lord all the day (NKJV vs. 7).  The sage cautions us about envy not only because it is a passion, that is, an unholy desire. But the sage warns us to guard against it because of its result. Today we learn that when envy is fully mature, it bears the fruit of hatred. Envy grows from seemingly mild and…
The word of the day is “horse.”  What strength can we rely on when we are face temptation?  In our reading of Proverbs 21:23-22:4, the wise sage of Proverbs writes, “The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance is of the Lord” (NKJV vs. 31).  If temptation engages us in a battle, we might depend on our strength as ancient peoples counted on their chariots.  However, the sage states that rescue from our foes is in the hands of God, not warhorses. Today we highlight the importance of trusting the Lord and not our own devices. The ancient Israelites did not have horses or chariots until the reign of Solomon. Therefore, for the Chosen People, the warhorse was a source of terror…
The word of the day is “better.” Our secular society tucks religion away in a separate compartment. Our citizens can worship as they choose. But their faith is not supposed to have any bearing outside the sphere of their private “spirituality.” But in our reading of Proverbs 21:3-21, the wise sage writes, “To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice” (NKJV vs. 3).  To apply this proverb to our time, let’s suppose that righteousness and justice are matters that apply to our life in society. And let’s consider that sacrifices have to do with religious practices. If that is the case, then righteousness and justice are matters of public concern. They apply to our life…
The word of the day is “keep.” It is possible to lose one’s soul.  The Lord said, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul (NKJV Mark 8:36)?  But how does one keep the soul safe from loss?  In our reading of Proverbs 19:16-25, the wise sage says, “He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, but he who is careless of his ways will die” (NKJV vs. 16). Today we will consider  how we might “keep” our soul instead of losing it. The Hebrew Term for Soul The Hebrew term for “soul” is derived from the thought of the animation of creatures that live and breathe.  As a result,…
The word of the day is “cleanse.” In these times, we think of disease in medical terms. We speak in terms of infections, cancers, and disorders of the heart and other organs. But when we speak of sin, we use words like transgressions, shortcomings, disobedience and “missing the mark.” However, the Orthodox Church tends to talk about sin as a disease that needs healing and the corruption that needs cleansing.  The Cleansing of Conscience The Orthodox approach to sin and redemption is in keeping with our reading of Hebrews 9:11-14.  In that view, the purpose of Christ’s sacrifice is purification.  The apostle writes, “For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean,…
The word of the day is “Ark.” Many families pass down certain articles of past generations to their heirs. We may keep a family Bible, a porcelain figure, a picture or photo album, a uniform, a set of letters or even a handwritten recipe. These things are a physical connection to the past. By treasuring them, we call to mind the memory of our ancestors. Material Reminders of God’s Grace In our reading of Hebrews 9:1-7 (first reading), the apostle writes of physical artifacts that were kept in the most sacred place in the Temple. He writes of the Holy of Holies and says that it had “the golden censer and the Ark of the Covenant… in which were the…
The word for today is “cheerful.” As the present crisis continues, many people are frustrated and depressed. Yet even amidst this pervasive dreariness of heart, there are some who raise our spirits. These persons are bright lights in the darkness. Of them, the wise sage of Proverbs writes in today’s readings of Proverbs 17:17-18:5, “A merry heart does good, like medicine” (NKJV vs. 17:22). Today we learn that we, the faithful, are called to “lift up our hearts” so that our cheerfulness can be medicine for others in a gloomy world. Nowadays, the word “merry” is associated with Christmas and its festivities.  However, the word in the Hebrew Bible means to be glad, joyful, and rejoicing (Strong’s Hebrew #8056, 284).…
The word of the day is “anger.”  One of the traits of maturity is self-mastery. And one of the greatest tests of self-mastery is the ability to control one’s temper.  In our reading of Proverbs 16:17-17:17, the wise sage of Proverbs writes, “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city (NKJV vs. 16:32). Anger is like a powerful army that storms a city and conquers it.  Accordingly, it takes an almost superhuman strength to resist its attacks. Today we explore what it takes to defeat the might of anger in our soul. The Loss of Control More than any of the vices, anger exposes the loss of control…
The word of the day is “commit.” It is natural to worry about the success or failure of our work, our family life, and our every endeavor. Yet, that anxiety is unnecessary. Today in our reading of Proverbs 15:20-16:9,  the sage teaches that we can develop a calm  confidence in everything we do. He writes, “Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will be established” (OAB vs. 16:3).   Today we consider the peace of heart and mind that comes from committing whatever we undertake to the Lord and His Glory. The Lord Made All for Himself The foundation for our comments today is found in the sage’s teaching: “The Lord has made all for Himself, yes, even the…
The word of the day is “better.” Are the choices that people make in their lives based on reason? The “Rational Choice Theory” claims that people choose the options they believe are in their best interest. That is, they select the most reasonable choices among alternatives. Our reading of Proverb 15:7-19 rejects this presupposition. The wise sage of Proverbs writes, “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fatted calf with hatred” (NKJV vs. 17). This saying suggests that the theory that people make reasonable choices fails to consider the role of the passions in human decisions. Today we look at the basic choice between the freedom of wisdom and the folly of slavery to the passions. …