pathoflifedevotions Devotions, January

January 5

Justice

Justice: when we are in the wrong, we fear it; when we have been wronged, we seek it. Justice confronts the sinner and comforts the one who has been sinned against.

When we see the blue and red flashing lights of the State Trooper’s car in the rear view mirror, we react in one of two ways:

  • If we are speeding, or if our tags are expired, the pit of the stomach rotates 360º.
  • If we are stranded on the side of the road with a flat tire, we are relieved that our help has arrived.

Justice is the foundation of the Throne of God. Continue reading “January 5” →

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, January

January 4



Sabbath

The center-column strength of the Old Testament Tabernacle and Temple was the Sabbath.

On the Sabbath, all activities were forbidden except those associated with the worship of Jehovah and rest for the souls and bodies of people. The Sabbath principle held the Old Covenant together. The Law extended the Sabbath beyond the seventh day of worship and rest into annual festivals celebrating the agricultural seasons of the year—the production of food and wealth was halted for times of worship and rest. Every seven years the land was granted the blessings of rest and twice each century all the people were to be granted Sabbath rest and a new start in the Year of Jubilee.

When the Sabbath in all its phases was honored, God’s blessing rained on the Holy Nation; His covenantal power secured their borders and His holy presence dwelt at the center of their hearts, their homes, the politics, and their peace. Continue reading “January 4” →

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, January

January 3

Rhythm

God lives in a constant moment called eternity.
We live in a constant flow of moments called time. One of His greatest gifts to us is rhythm. Just as a piece of music is formed by small units of time called measures which are equal groups of pulses called beats, life consists of small units of time called hours, days, weeks and years.

A music teacher once said, “In the beginning was rhythm.” He was right. The rhythm of the creation story is obvious—day and night, day and night. The universe God made is filled with rhythm:

  • the daily rotation of the earth,
  • the orbit of the moon around the earth, and
  • the movement of the earth and her sister planets around the sun.
  • Perhaps the ever expanding universe is moving to a beat too large for the devices of man to detect.

Continue reading “January 3” →

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, January

January 2



Next

The Second Day, the Second Step
The first day is easy. The clock strikes the hour. The calendar turns the page. The New Year begins—a fresh start—a grace gift from God’s amazing mind.

You step out with new promises and renewed dreams of victory over old and stubborn foes. The first day is one of enthusiasm and optimism as old failures fade in the light of another chance.

Then, the clock continues to tick and the pages of the calendar turn again and it is the second day. The impulse that was so strong yesterday is not so powerful today. The second step on this journey is not as brisk and forceful as the first.

But you still make it, that second step on the second day. Continue reading “January 2” →

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, January

January 1

Tomorrow

What Lies Ahead?
We don’t know what lies ahead. Or perhaps, we do know.

  • We will be surprised by good news we never expected and by setbacks we did not foresee.
  • Friends will come through for us in ways that draw them closer to our hearts and others will fail us requiring a special, painful kind of love called forgiveness.
  • We will sense the will of God and form a plan of action that will succeed beyond our dreams.
  • Other plans we were sure were the will of God will fizzle and die or blow up in our faces.

Continue reading “January 1” →

pathoflifedevotions Information

Welcome!

Welcome to the Path of Life Daily Devotional–continuing for 2026–The Jesus Story!

The Pathsrp-experiment of Life daily devotions are designed to be an aid to daily prayer.  This year I am posting daily narratives from the Life of Christ, beginning with the Gospel of Mark.  Matthew’s Gospel was the source of devotions from March-May.  Dr. Luke’s account gives us June-August.  Next, we are wind up the Story with the Gospel of John from September-November.  December will feature the Christmas Story. As in all my devotions, I will use a single word title followed by a few selected verses on the subject, and concluding with  a prayer and a song.

Join me for a detailed walk through the Life of our Lord in this devotional form.  If you haven’t already “followed” these devotions, please select that button and register to receive email notification of each posting, including those at StevePhifer.com.  Let’s draw closer to the Savior in this year!

The Path of Life Daily Devotions work for morning or evening.
Start your day or end your day with an encouraging word.

Each devotion, in fact each article I write, ends with the same signature:
Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

Semper Reformanda!
Semper Reformanda! is my ministry motto. It means “Always Reforming.” The church must never stop progressing toward the Coming of the Lord. We must never cease to listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. We must never stop seeking God’s Face. We must never restrain from testing all things to see if they are from the Lord. This ongoing process requires a growing knowledge of what God has said and a listening ear to what God is saying. If we are not constantly vigilant in these things, our lives will be tossed about by the unrelenting winds of culture. If we are constantly available to the Spirit for instruction in righteousness, we will build our lives on the Rock! To me, Semper Reformanda! is each day’s work as we walk the Path of Life.

 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:11 NKJV)

To begin reading the devotions for this year go to the end of this article.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

Interested in Christian Worship and Spirituality?–That is my subject!  For an extensive of articles on Worship  and Worship Renewal Go To StevePhifer.com.

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