pathoflifedevotions Devotions, January

January 26

Work

Are we confused about work?

It is both noun and verb, art and craft, active and passive, finished and continuing, debilitating and renewing, and it is both labor and leisure. The law in physics (W=Fd) that says work happens when force moves a body in the direction of the force. Work is also the term for manual labor, a painting, poem, a production on a stage, and a white collar corner office This is an amazing noun!

The verb is equally diverse describing our actions from our motivations deep within, to the principles commanding our choices, to the simple actions of the day, to the business of leisure, to the reflection at the end of the day, and even to our restless subconscious minds while we sleep through the night. Human beings are working all the time.

When we have had our New Covenant Sabbaths—days of rest and worship— for most of us it is time to go back to work.

There is no way to summarize in this space how the noun and the verb affect each of us. Suffice it to say that we have jobs to go to and work to do. Until we consider the wisdom of God, work is one of our deepest needs and one of our least favorite things. This contradiction is easily observed. Listen to our declarations.

  • “If you find a job you love, you will never work a day in your life.”
  • “Thank God it’s Friday!”
  • “I hate Mondays!”
  • “Back to the salt mines!”
  • “I’m out of work. I need a job!”

Indeed, to be out of work is a terrible thing, yet so many spend their lives working at jobs they hate, living for retirement and the all-too-brief vacations between now and then.

So what wisdom can be found to combat these natural responses to work?

The will of God is something to be proved in our lives.
We are not meant to live randomly or to work pointlessly. God has a plan for each of us. If we discover it early in life, we have time to prepare for it and to do that chosen work throughout our lives. If we discover it later, this has not short circuited God’s plan. He can work all the circumstances to allow us to do the work of getting back to the work He made us to do. We prove God’s will for us by either doing the work He called us to do or preparing to do that work

The attitude we possess when we are at work changes everything. Paul tells three ways we are to do the work before us:

  1. With all our life force,
  2. As unto the Lord and not unto men, and
  3. In the name of the Lord Jesus.

Today we have the choice to do our work sullenly, resentfully, half-heartedly, and in our own name, or to work cheerfully, thankfully, with our whole heart, and in the name of Jesus.

  • We can choose to work for the boss, for the family, for the company, for ourselves, or for the money.
  • We can also choose to do the work before us for the Lord Himself. When this is our choice, our work, if it is honest and helpful, becomes worship.

And it is fit to be God’s habitation.

Scriptures:
Romans 12:1-2
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
1 Chronicles 28:20
David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You have a work for me. Thanks for including me in the building of Your Kingdom on earth and Your church in the world. Let me be inspired by others but not distracted by them. They have their work; I have mine. Show me how I can do my work in the way the Bible says I should: as unto You and not unto people, in Your Holy Name, and with my full life force. Then my work will be a witness of You and an offering of worship to You. Help my work to be a blessing to those to whom I am responsible and help me be a blessing to those for whom I am responsible. Help me hear the words David spoke to his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work.” In Your Lovely Name, Amen.

Song:
Take My Life and Let It Be
Words: Francis Ridley Havergal; Music: Henry A. Cesar Malan

1. Take my life and let it be Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days—Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

2. Take my hands and let them move At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be Swift and beautiful for Thee.

3. Take my voice and let me sing Always only for my King;
Take my lips and let them be Filled with messages from Thee.

4. Take my silver and my gold—Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect and use Ev’ry pow’r as Thou shalt choose.

5. Take my will and make it Thine—It shall be no longer mine;
Take my heart—it is Thine own, It shall be Thy Royal Throne.

6. Take my love—my Lord, I pour At Thy feet its treasure store;
Take myself—and it will be Ever only, all for Thee.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, January

January 25

Life

Life’s most amazing gift from the hand of the Father is life itself. As magnificent as any mountain may be, it does not have life. As dry as any desert may be, as overwhelming as any ocean may be, they support life but they are not alive.

We are.

The earth has spun around again so a new day begins. Our hearts faithfully beat through the night as our breathing was steady and deep in restful sleep. Some of us did not sleep well, our hearts beating faster than they should, our breathing shallow and rapid but angels stood guard and the morning came.

Why?

Because life is precious and must be guarded, protected. The business of God’s holy angels is to worship God and to guard the lives of those He has created. They have a life-gift as well, different from ours, but rooted in the same source.

  • The beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and teeming creatures beneath the waves have their own kinds of life, also precious in the Lord’s sight, but lives lived for the benefit of mankind.
  • The flowers in the meadow or rustling on the hillside speak of the beauty of the Lord’s mind.
  • The furrowed fields of grain and the wild meadow and deep forest all sing silently of their life, also from God, but still different from the life of the animal or that of mankind.

We are “fearfully and wonderfully made” in the image and likeness of God. We are not told how breath came to beasts, birds, and creatures of the sea, but we know that our first breath came from our Creator when God “breathed into Adam and he became a living soul.”

We know that we are counted by Him to be worth more than sparrows in frantic flight or flowers who labor not and neither do they spin nor store in barns. Still, they are carefully cared for by our Father. How much more then, will He guard and guide and garrison us?

All of human life is precious in God’s sight, but the innocent hold a privileged place to be cared for by those of us who are guilty but forgiven. When we share this passion with the Lord, we will do what must be done to save the innocent.

Life, God’s greatest gift, demands no less.

Scriptures:
John 1:1-5
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men.
Genesis 2:7 KJV
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Psalm 145:15-16
The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
Matt 6:25-27
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
Luke 12:14-15 NKJV
“And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”
John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You for the gift of my life. I am so amazed to think of Your hidden processes that brought human life to me. Yet here I am—Your creation, Your servant. I am Yours—all of me, the good and the bad, the talents You supplied, the skills I humbly offer for Your use. As the old hymn says, “Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee. Take my moments and my days—let them flow in ceaseless praise. Let them flow in ceaseless praise.” Amen.

Songs:
I Live
Words and Music: Rich Cook

I live, I live because He is risen.
I live, I live with power over sin,
I live, I live because He is risen.
I live, I live to worship Him.

Thank You, Jesus! Thank You, Jesus!
Because You’re alive—Because You’re alive—
Because You’re alive I live!

Take My Life and Let It Be
Words: Francis Ridley Havergal; Henry A. Cesar Malan

Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days–Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, January

January 24

Fun

Like joy, fun is an essential.
The Sabbath principle calls for rest and worship. We define worship in a dazzling display of words, rich with meaning and employing vivid imagery. Rest can also be parsed into many words expressing its many sides. One of those words is fun.

Does it stretch things too far to say, “Fun is holy?”

Fun is an expression of joy, which of course, is our strength when we find our joy in the Lord. It follows then that fun in the Lord can be a source of strength as well. God created within us a capacity for enjoyment at every level of our humanity: body, soul, and spirit. There is no need to expound on the fun of the body: movement, rhythm, rhythmic movement, music, touching, seeing, tasting, hearing, feeling—the five senses can be fun.

Soul-ish fun is also known to us:

  • humor,
  • curiosity,
  • mysteries and puzzles solved,
  • riddles revealed,
  • ironies realized,
  • stories told,
  • precious memories lingering in our souls,
  • music—again the language of the emotions—the list could go on.

But what of spirit fun?
Is there such a thing? Of course and it brings us back to joy in the Lord, our strength. The joys of the soul and body are often used in Scripture as metaphors for the fun we can have in the spirit. The Bible commands to take joy in the Lord, to delight in Him, to rejoice in Him with constant rejoicing and even says that it is fitting to do so.

He was not the Hollywood Jesus!
Perhaps because fun has been captured by a sinful world, it has lost its holiness to some. This is unfortunate at best and debilitating at worst. One of the most remarkable things Jesus said of all the remarkable things He said was that He was bequeathing His joy to us. If He had been the dour, depressed character He is often purported to be in Hollywood films, His statement of intent to leave His joy to His disciples would have itself been funny.

  • He must have walked this earth in profound joy.
  • Surely it felt good to heal sick people, to set demon possessed people free, to raise the dead, and to answer the questioning minds all around Him.
  • One can see the enjoyment Jesus had in His public encounters with the religious leaders who opposed Him.
  • In the scriptural record, one can see Jesus having fun with His disciples and those who followed Him: walking and talking, dinning, fishing, and playing with children.

So, let us have our good, clean fun today. It is a day the Lord has made–have fun and enjoy it!

Scriptures:
Psalm 118:24 NKJV
This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 51:11-12
Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Nehemiah 8:10
Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
Philippians 4:4 NKJV
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
John 15:9-12
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, help me see the joy you displayed in Your short life on this earth. The Bible makes it clear that you have planned for us to enjoy things—people, situations, funny words, laughable sights and so on. Lord, don’t let the Devil steal these things from me. Let me pray with King David, “Restore my joy! Show me the funny things and give me the courage to laugh at them, especially when that requires laughing at myself! Today, I will have some fun in Your Name! Thank, You, Jesus!

Song:
Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee
Words: Henry van Dyke; Music: Ludwig van Beethoven

1. Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee, Opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness, Drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness, Fill us with the light of day.

2. All the works with joy surround Thee, Earth and heaven reflect Thy ways,
Stars and angels sing around Thee, Center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain, Flowery meadow, flashing sea,
Chanting bird and flowing fountain, Call us to rejoice in Thee.

3. Thou art giving and forgiving, Ever blessing, ever blest,
Wellspring of the joy of living, Ocean depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ, our Brother—All who live in love are Thine;
Teach us how to love each other, Lift us to the joy divine.

4. Mortals, join the happy chorus Which the morning stars began;
Father love is reigning o’er us, Brother love binds man to man.
Ever singing, march we onward, Victors in the midst of strife,
Joyful music lifts us sunward In the triumph song of life.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, January

January 23

Interests

When interest is lost, the loss is deep and lasting.

This is not in direct reference to money, the kind of interest that increases the amount of one’s wealth as it is measured by financial standards. There is information a plenty on that kind of interest.

The interest this writing concerns is a continuing fascination of the mind, a curiosity of the heart that is not easily satisfied, a taste for ideas of substance and a thirst to know more about a particular thing. It is the answer to the question, “And, what are your interests?”

This is important!
At first glance this may seem a frivolous thing but it is not at all inconsequential. The biblical term for our interests is “the desires of your heart.” Our interests are not passing fancies; they are born early in our lives and they stay, unless we lose them through neglect, to the end of our days if our minds keep serving us well that long.

Even when we were small children, the things that fascinated us were indications of the kind of mind and heart the Lord had given us. Many of us make a living at the very things we pretended to do when we were children. It is said that an infant is fascinated by swirling colors and shapes but is bored by still, drab images. This is a sign of our human gift of intelligence. Each of us also has a deep inward need to interpret what we see—to assign meaning to our observations.

Our interests have many sources and, as we grow up, our environment will feed some of our interests and starve others. It is not by accident that artistic parents raise artistic children when those children grow up in homes filled with stimuli and packed with rewards for creativity.

The Lord Shapes our Interests
As we follow the Lord, Jesus takes a direct hand in shaping our interests. “Every good and perfect gift” comes from the Lord. For some of us, a fascination with music fills our earliest memories and has never waned in all the years since. Music is one of those “good gifts” from the hand of God. If we exercise our interest in music within the context of God’s Kingdom, our natural interest blossoms into a source of God’s strength in our lives and, for many of us, a primary way of serving God and mankind.

The imminent danger comes from feeding ungodly interests. The enemy of our souls is ready to pounce on every evil thing we do and every wicked thing done to us by others. If we are obsessed with wickedness, these interests will only yield pain as the years pass. Jesus wants to deliver us from evil interests and replace them with fascination for His creation, delight in His Word, and power in His Spirit.

There are three processes at work:
1. God gives us natural interests.
2. We develop those interests into life skills.
3. As we follow Christ, He shapes our interests–the desires of our heart–throughout our lifetime.

As we follow Christ we are “delighting ourselves in Him” as we pursue our God-given interests. It is not tortuous—it is fun! So whether it is a job or a hobby, if it pleases God, we can enjoy what interests us. So have fun today. Delight yourself in the desires of your heart. They are a gift from the heart of God.

Scriptures:
James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
Psalms 37:3-6
Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
Colossians 3:17; 23-24
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving
Ecclesiastes 11:9
Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, from my earliest memory certain things fascinated me. In childhood play those fascinations became games I made up. In the early grades my interests became skills I was learning: reading, writing, story-telling, singing and play acting. These interests stayed with me to adulthood, helping me know what classes to take and what activities to join. They also provided me with friends who shared them with me. Lord, this was no accident. The interests of my childhood became my calling from You. So today, if I should spend time having fun with these things, this is not time wasted but is a holy thing, a gift from Your hand. As I work, rest, or play today, renew my mind, refresh my spirit and rest me deeply in Your peace. I will give all my renewed strength to the honor You so richly deserve. In Your Name, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Song:
Let the Peace of Christ Rule in Your Heart
Words: Colossians 3:15; Music: Denny Cagle

Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart,
Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart,
And whatever you do in word or deed
Do it all in the name of the Lord.

Giving thanks, giving thanks to God through Christ, the Lord.
Giving thanks, giving thanks to God through Christ, the Lord.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, January

January 22

Reality

Some realities are beyond detection by the five senses; they cannot be seen, smelled, heard, felt, or tasted. Despite these sensual limitations, the realities of the spirit dimension of life are powerful in their effect on us every day. Realities of the senses will pass away as we do. Realities of the spirit will last forever.

A Spiritual Reality
Prayer, although it can be seen, heard, and even felt, is essentially a spiritual reality. The Book of Revelation suggests that the prayers of the saints of God are stored somewhere in heaven. We add to that supply each time we pray.

Think of it.

  • Our praise is collected before the Lord.
  • Our adoration accumulates in the presence of the Lord.
  • Our intercessions are invested with interest in the power of the Lord.

When the sensual reality of how we feel as we try to pray threatens to defeat us, we need to remember the heavenly container with our name on the label. Even when we don’t feel like praying and we pray anyway, those prayers add to the collection:

  • Our praise collection grows.
  • Our accumulated adoration of the Lord Jesus increases.
  • Our intercessions in behalf of those in need increase by the power of another day’s interest.

Daily prayer and Bible reading arm us in spiritual realities, preparing us to walk in the Spirit during the coming day.

The Sense of the Spirit
Like everyone else we live in the real world, the world of the five senses. Like everyone else we also live in the spiritual world. Most people are unaware of this dimension of reality, thinking that what they see, hear, touch, smell, and taste is all there is. Not so. When the Lord Jesus reigns on the throne of our lives and with daily communion with Him through prayer and His Word, we are spiritually prepared. We can live with a very real sixth sense, the sense of the spirit.

  • We can see the spiritual realities beyond physical realities around us and engage the full truth of each moment.
  • We can hear the voice of the Lord in the sounds of nature and in the voices of those around us.
  • We can feel the embrace of the Lord deep in our hearts in quiet moments of peace.
  • We can sense the sweet aroma of the Peace of the Lord in the clamor stressful moments.
  • We can “taste and see” that the Lord is good.

The world delivered to us by our five natural senses can be anything from delightful to terrifying. The spirit world made real to us by the Holy Spirit, is more dependable. It is a secure realm, ruled by the Prince of Peace.

Scriptures:
Revelation 5:6-9; 8:3-4
Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders… Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel’s hand.
1 Corinthians 15:44-47
If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual.
Ephesians 6:11-12
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Galatians 5:16; 25-26 NKJV
I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You are the ultimate reality. You created me so I am real, too! My problems are real problems and so are my potentials. My joys are genuine, and so are my tears. You have provided us with powerful imaginations but life is not imaginary; it is very, very real. Our five senses tell us about realities, and, we have another sense, a spiritual one, to help us recognize realities beyond our physical world. Thank You, Lord, that You have sent the Holy Spirit to abide in our souls, to guide us, inform us, inspire us, embolden us, and fill us with spiritual power. Tune my ear to hear the voice of the Spirit. Quicken my mind to comprehend what the Spirit says. As Your Spirit bears witness with my spirit, I am assured that I am indeed a child of God. Father, I choose to walk in Your Spirit today, fully aware of seen and unseen worlds and the reality of Your nearness. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Song:
Open My Eyes, that I May See
Words and Music: Clara H. Scott

1. Open my eyes that I may see glimpse of truth Thou has for me;
Place in my hands the wonderful key that shall unclasp, and set me free.

Refrain:
Silently now I wait for Thee, Ready, my God, Thy will to see;
Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine!

2. Open my eyes that I may hear voices of truth Thou sendest clear;
And while the wave notes fall on my ear, Everything false will disappear.

Refrain

3. Open my eyes that I may bear gladly the warm truth everywhere;
Open my heart, and let me prepare love with Thy children thus to share.

Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, January

January 21

Diligence

Diligence doesn’t get the headlines. There will be no news crews camping in your front yard, no reporters pouncing on your every move. However, what diligence gets you is more important than celebrity; it is real success.

The Invisible Factor
The professional athlete and the professional musician seem to live in worlds widely separated by all the visible factors we may call to witness. Yet, there is an invisible factor behind the great catch at the goal line or the great throw from the superstar quarterback, and the great, difficult, nearly impossible passage flawlessly played by the French Horn player or the violinist sitting properly tuxedoed in the symphony orchestra. That invisible factor is diligence. Those flashes of public glory are made possible by hours and hours of diligent practice.

Nothing important happens without diligence; someone has to stick to the job when it would be easier to quit. Diligence demands consistent adherence to the fundamentals of the task, the craft, the art. To gain true excellence the fundamentals must be drilled and drilled until they become automatic, functioning without conscious thought. For the third baseman when the batter shoots a hot one his way, there is no time to think. Muscle memory takes over when the running back sees an opening in the line of scrimmage. Years of diligent practice, including several hours every day, are the source of the eloquence and beauty of a musical phrase that lasts only a few seconds.

Life demands diligence:

  • In the reading and processing of the Word of God,
  • In daily discipline of prayer,
  • In the sacrifice of praise that springs, not from our fleeting feelings, but from the unchanging but ever increasing worthiness of the Lord Jesus,
  • In the life-choices each day presents where we can follow the right path or turn away, and,
  • In the craft of listening to the voice of the Spirit each day, as He points out those He has placed in our path who need a word or touch from us.

A Gift from God
Diligence is not a matter of personality or natural giftings. It is a gift from God. After all, we are made in His image and likeness, Imago Dei, as the ancients called it. He is certainly diligent in his care for us. Because we are an earthly vessel filled with the treasure of His Holy Spirit, we can do well without becoming weary. We can be faithful in the few things He gives us here and someday rule with Him over many things in His Kingdom to come.

Still, diligence is a daily choice. In the words of King David to Solomon his son, we must “Do the Work.”

Scriptures:
Hebrews 11:6 NKJV
… without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him
Hebrews 6:9-12
… God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
1 Chronicles 28:20
David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work.”

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your diligence in loving me. When I have been selfish, You were still giving. When I was weak You came to me in gentle strength. When I have been wrong, You have shown me my error as You pointed me to the right way. When I have withheld from You my praise and gratitude and adoration through inattention and prayerlessness, You never abandoned me. Grant to me this day the Gift of Diligence that I may be more like You. You have given me work to do today, help me be strong and do the work. All for You, Lord Jesus, All for You! Amen.

Song:
We’ll Work Till Jesus Comes
Words: Elizabeth Mills; Music: William Miller

1. O land of rest, for thee I sigh! When will the moment come
When I shall lay my armor by and dwell in peace at home?

Refrain:
We’ll work till Jesus comes, We’ll work till Jesus comes,
We’ll work till Jesus comes, and we’ll be gathered home.

2. To Jesus Christ I fled for rest, He bade me cease to roam,
And lean for succor on His breast till He conducts me home.

Refrain

3. I sought at once my Savior’s side, no more my steps to roam,
With Him I’ll brave death’s chilling tide, and reach my heavenly home.

Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, January

January 20

Absence

Living, as we do, locked into the dimensions of time and space, we cannot imagine the life of our Lord who is everywhere all at once and all the time. We must deal in now-and-then and someday-will-be. Many people we would love to be here with us are absent. Some will return from wherever it is they have gone; others will wait for us to join them where they have gone.

Right now the result is the same—absence—a gaping hole in our hearts.

Tell It to Jesus
Morning prayer is a good time to deal with absences. We can pray for those who are away from us, and in a strange way, draw them nearer. It has been well said and often repeated that there is no distance in prayer. There is, however, distance in absence, a distance we want with all our hearts to close. As the years pile up, the list of those who were once close by but who are now absent grows longer. Affection and admiration still abide in our hearts for them, but miles and mountain ranges, rivers and rolling hills, and perhaps even oceans have come between us. Because the Lord is present with us and with them, lifting their names to Him closes those immense intervals and invokes God’s love, care, and provision on those we love who are absent from us.

Spiritual Absence
Some have left us in other ways—they have departed from the faith we once shared. Morning prayer is a good time to close that gap as well. Because there is no distance in prayer, we can intercede for them, inviting the Holy Spirit to send people their way to remind them of the wrong turn they have taken. Jesus said the Holy Spirit is more than a Comforter and Helper, He is One who convicts and convinces. The Spirit abiding with us also surrounds those who have left us spiritually. He can manipulate circumstances around them to melt their rebellious hearts and turn their deceived minds around. Remember, praying father or mother, prodigals do come home!

The Departed
We also know that there is another degree of absence—those who have graduated from this life to the next. The Bible refers to an ancient Christian belief theologians call “The Communion of the Saints.” In Hebrews chapter eleven we are inspired by the heroes of the faith gathered in a gallery of witnesses with the best seats in the house beholding the “One Who Sits upon the Throne.” The next chapter makes it clear that the Royal Grandstand isn’t reserved for the famous only—our departed loved ones are there as well! When we draw near to the Lord in praise and worship, we also draw near to them, “the spirits of just men made perfect.”

In prayer we effectively deal with the absences of our lives. Because the faithful ones are with the Lord, either here or there, and because the Lord is near the prodigals, we can face our day full of presence, not absence.

Scriptures:
1 Corinthians 5:3
Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment … just as if I were present. When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present…
Hebrews 12:1-3; 22-24 NKJV
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus… so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. … you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant…

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, although You are eternal, You entered into time and space. You know how it feels to be in one place at one time, just as we are. Sometimes the people we love are close by—how we treasure those moments—while at other times the people with us are not the ones we want near and those preferred ones are away, even far away, from us. You understand our discomfort with such an unmanageable thing as time and space. Now, Lord, You have entered back into Your natural, supernatural state in glory. We have loved ones near You there, embrace them for us. You are also with those who are absent from us in so many ways. Hold them close for us, Lord Jesus. You watch over the prodigal, the wayward, the troubled and confused. Whisper in their hearts, reminding them that You are close by, close enough to hear them call on You. In Your sweet and very present name, Amen.

Song:
Never Alone
Traditional

1. I’ve seen the lightning flashing, and heard the thunder roll;
I’ve felt sin’s breakers dashing, trying to conquer my soul;
I’ve heard the voice of my Savior, Telling me still to fight on;
He promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone.

Refrain:
No, never alone! No, never alone!
He promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone.
No, never alone! No, never alone!
He promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone.

3. When in affliction’s valley I’m treading the road of care;
My Savior helps me to carry my cross when heavy to bear;
My feet, entangled with briars ready to cast me down,
My Savior whispers His promise, “I never will leave you alone.”

Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, January

January 18

Setbacks

We never can be sure what the day will hold.

Some days go as we planned them but most are filled with unplanned interruptions. It has been said that some of the most important teachings of Jesus came when someone interrupted him. It is good to look at unplanned interruptions as opportunities the Lord sends our way.

There. That was easy enough.

But what about those huge interruptions when we fail at something really important to us? Most of us don’t shoot from the hip in things that really matter. We take careful aim but still, sometimes, we miss the target. Our momentum is lost. Our rhythm gets off by a beat or more. We have to regroup, re-plan, reorganize, and somehow restore our enthusiasm. Talk about interruptions!

Sometimes things just don’t work out.
When, on the well-imagined, finely tuned, well-plotted journey of life, something just doesn’t work out, this setback must be carefully managed. The high hopes that sung us to sleep each night have stopped singing altogether. In their place is a mournful lament. As mature as we might like to think we are, the truth is our feelings are hurt. Setbacks are painful for they strike us in the heart with disappointment and in the mind with questions we thought we had answered correctly.

What is the old worn out saying? “The best laid plans of rodents and regents sometimes fail.”—something like that, anyway. Being neither rats nor rulers, this certainly applies to us. So how do we respond to setbacks, large and small?

Setbacks Small and Large
The small setbacks are managed easily with simple time management and coping skills. We know we cannot react to everything that happens. We must choose where our limited supply of energy will go.

Big setbacks—failures, shortfalls, crises, unfaithful people, wrong-headed ideas and plans—demand careful thinking and intentional examination.

  • Examine the plan. Was it from God? Did it work to fulfill the call on your life?
  • Examine the motivation behind the plan. Was this a godly thing to attempt? Were the hearts of the leaders pure?
  • Examine the presentation of the plan. Was there a mixed message that undermined the ministry? Was this sold to the people? Was there a consensus in the minds of the people or was this a top-down effort?

The Holy Spirit will lead you to the right questions to ask. Remember,

James 1:5
“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault…”

Besides, you are certainly not alone:

  • An angel with a flaming sword posted at Eden’s Gate was a major setback for Adam and Eve.
  • Growing past the age of childbearing was certainly a setback to Abraham and Sarah.
  • Moses experienced setback after setback as Pharaoh continually hardened his heart.
  • King David’s heart broke when a young man lay dead by the Ark of the Covenant, but he recovered, consulted the Word of God, and called for the Priests and brought the Ark to Jerusalem.
  • John the Baptist became discouraged in prison and asked if Jesus was the One or should he look for another.
  • Jesus couldn’t heal in some towns because of unbelief so He just went on the next village.
  • Peter denied the Lord three times and all the disciples except John ran away. Later, they turned the world upside down.
  • Paul experienced too many setbacks to relate in this short space. His words to us are as powerful today as when he wrote them centuries ago.

Take heart. You will get another chance to get it right.

Scriptures:
Philippians 3:12-14
…I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. … I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
2 Corinthians 4
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you lived on this wonderful, fallen planet. You ran a business and were part of family who didn’t quite know what to do with you. I am sure your hammer slipped a time or two and hit your thumb. You probably did quality work for someone who never paid you more than empty promises. You chose twelve men to follow you and one them didn’t. Lord, you knew the setbacks built into life. You had to think on your feet, dodge the sucker punches, and take the losses, so you know how it is done. Walk in me today so that if a setback should surprise me or a disappointment find me or a faithless friend should betray me with a kiss, it will be just the old routine of life on earth. Your experience and resilience will clothe me in peace. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

Song:
God Leads Us Along
Words and Music: G.A. Young
1. In shady green pastures, so rich and so sweet,
God leads His dear children along;
Where the water’s cool flow bathes the weary one’s feet,
God leads His dear children along;

Refrain:
Some through the waters, some through the flood,
Some through the fire, but all through the blood;
Some through great sorrow, but God gives a song,
In the night season and all the day long.

2. Sometimes on the mount where the sun shines so bright,
God leads His dear children along;
Sometimes in the valley, in darkest of night,
God leads His dear children along;

Refrain

3. Though sorrows befall us and Satan oppose,
God leads His dear children along;
Through grace we can conquer, defeat all our foes,
God leads His dear children along;

Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, January

January 17

Reflection

Reflection may not flash and shine like many activities that catch the human eye, but it is a demanding and rewarding part of worship.

Every day is a gift from God and is a day for reflection, for thinking deeply about life and the author of life and for fully engaging the imagination God gave us for just this purpose—the contemplation of the divine. Reflection in prayer does not happen by accident; it is a conscious choice involving specific exclusions and inclusions. The worshiper must close his/her mind to many things and open every window in his/her heart to everything God has.

Reflection is the process of intense study. Another word might by contemplation. Biblical words include meditate, consider, behold. Reflection begins and ends with Jesus. Just as He is the center-holder in heaven’s throne room, Jesus must be the center of our reflection. The ministry of the Holy Spirit in both private and public worship is to help us center our hearts on Jesus, moving other personalities and other considerations to the periphery.

  • If we wonder about the nature of God, we should think on Jesus; He has revealed God to us in terms we can understand.
  • If we are to contemplate the justice and judgment of God, we must reflect on what Jesus said and did in this life.
  • If we desire to really care for people, we should enter into the Love of Jesus so that we can experience it and pass it on others.
  • If we want to be wise, we must study the Master’s every word, parable, prophesy, and prayer. As the Old Covenant says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”

As we read the scriptures, the contemplation of Jesus and the saving acts of God must be the lenses through which we read every account. We must hear the name Jesus every time we read the name “Lord.” When we read the gospels we must imagine ourselves in every scene:

  • We are standing in every crowd who hears Him speak. We can almost taste the fish and bread from the little boy’s lunch.
  • From the mountaintop we hear Him present the constitution of the New Covenant, the world’s most famous sermon.
  • We are in the shadows when Nicodemus conducts his nocturnal interview about the new birth.
  • We are seeking shade in the heat of the day at the well in Samaria where New Covenant worship was introduced to the world through the questions of a wicked woman.
  • In the book of Acts we can accompany the Apostles on every journey and we can consider every letter in the New Testament to be addressed to us.

Today, as you worship in the Secret Place, reflect on Who Jesus is. His presence will gently flow through every window in your heart that you open to Him.

Scriptures:
Psalm 119:15-16 NKJV
I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways. I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.
Psalm 27:4-5 NKJV
…one thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.
2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NKJV
Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Prayer:
From the Book of Common Prayer
Before Worship
O Almighty God, who pours out on all who desire it the spirit of grace and of supplication: Deliver us, when we draw near to You, from coldness of heart and wanderings of mind, that with steadfast thoughts and kindled affections we may worship You in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Song:
Think about His Love
Words and Music: Walt Harrah

Think about His love, think about His goodness,
Think about His grace that’s brought us through.
For as high as the heavens above,
so great is the measure of our Father’s love.
Great is the measure of our Father’s love.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

For more on this topic go to http://stevephifer.com/thinking-carefully-about-jesus/

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, January

January 16

Stillness

If motion is a sign of life, we are really alive in this age of mankind. We put a premium on speed:

  • Faster cars,
  • Faster planes,
  • Faster trains,
  • Faster video screens,
  • Faster phones, and of course,
  • Faster computers.

What have we gained with all this rapid motion? Does our hurry bring us any closer to God? Is there some necessary thing that eludes us when we live at this pace? The command of the Lord is interesting, and arresting—“Be still and know that I am God.”

Stillness and prayer are natural companions.
The battle for daily prayer is half won when we decide to schedule stillness into our lives. To “know that God is God” is worth going to bed early so you can get up early to be still before the Lord. Stillness is not inactivity. It is a quiet and intense focusing of the mind on the Lord Himself. In stillness we listen for His voice from a position of openness free of presupposition and clear of random ideas. It is much like looking at a body of water or a stand of forest or a mountain vista without focusing our eyes on any particular detail. We end up seeing something that would have escaped our notice if we had zoomed in on something we already knew was there.

In stillness, strength builds within us, and with strength comes joy. We will need strength as the day progresses and joy will make the trying times bearable. The voice of the Lord is still and small as it was with the prophet. Before the whirlwinds and earthquakes of the coming day set in, it is good, joyful, and empowering to hear His still, small voice.

Angels and Saints
When we who live on earth are still, we can hear more clearly the worship of heaven. Angels and saints never cease worshiping before the Throne of God. The continuous sound is so great the doorpost of heaven shake in sympathetic vibration. When we engage stillness, as we are commanded, we can feel the rhythm and hear the song. No wonder the Scriptures require the silence of stillness from those who dwell on the earth.

A Demanding Discipline
We must not confuse stillness with inactivity, it is a demanding discipline. We must not mistake silence for that of a brass heaven. The heavens are not brass, neither are they silent, nor are they distant. The heavens are telling about the Glory of the Lord. The hosts around the Throne of God are singing of His Majesty, Grace, and Everlasting Love. Even our inmost hearts are whispering about comfort and courage if we are only still enough to hear.

And when we hear, we know that God is God.

Scriptures:
Luke 21:19 KJV
In your patience possess ye your souls.
Nehemiah 8:10-11
Nehemiah said, … This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” The Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for this is a sacred day. Do not grieve.”
Psalm 46:8-11
Come and see the works of the LORD, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire. “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, help me be still. The gravity of the world is pulling me down. The pace of life is pushing me forward. The pain of the past beckons me backward. Your voice is an upward call drawing me higher. Even in this upward motion there is still a place of stillness. There are things about You, Lord, that I cannot know in a hurry. There is a place in You that settles my heart where the soft music of Your song soothes my spirit. Help me today to counter the inertia of life with the stillness of Your Spirit where You are more fully known. Amen.

Song:
Be Still, My Soul
Words and Music: Kim Noblitt

1. Be still my soul. Be still my soul
Cease from the labor and the toil
Refreshing springs of peace wait
To troubled minds and hearts that ache

Be still my soul God knows your way
And He will guide For His name’s sake
Plunge in the rivers of His grace
Rest in the arms of His embrace

2. Be still my soul Be still my soul
Though battles round you rage and roar
One thing you need and nothing more
To hear the whisper of your Lord

Be still my child I know your way
And I will guide For my name’s sake
Plunge in the rivers of My grace
Rest in the arms of My embrace.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved