pathoflifedevotions Devotions, October

October 18, 2017: “Essentials”

Essentials

Every task in life has its own essentials—

  • Fundamentals to be mastered,
  • Languages to understand, and
  • Disciplines to maintain.

Today we consider the essentials of life itself—

  • The fundamentals of living a life that matters,
  • The languages of life, and
  • The daily disciplines that keep life livable.

There are not that many absolute essentials to life, but there are a few, vital factors that make life meaningful and enjoyable.

Three Essentials
Among his many detailed instructions essential to a full life in Christ, Paul elevates three essentials to the top of the list:

  • Faith,
  • Hope, and
  • Love.

The brilliance of Paul’s analysis is apparent:

  • Faith—we will believe something that gives meaning and shape to life;
  • Hope—we will function in those beliefs because they provide expectations from life that motivate us to keep going; and
  • Love—we are not alone and the best way to connect with people and with our Creator is to purposely develop and express affection and real concern for others.

Faith is an Essential.
Faith presents itself in a number of guises, among them: world view, philosophy, and theology. Faith may even masquerade as science or cynicism or sarcasm, but it is all faith. At the core of any belief system is a set of assumptions, things that must be believed without proof. Faith provides the context in which we choose to live life.

A secular faith provides us with this poverty-stricken context for life:

  • I am an accident of an uncaring universe.
  • I have no purpose beyond my own choices.
  • I am an animal controlled by instinct, driven by the will to survive and procreate.
  • I am accountable to no one except my fellow man.
  • I have no eternal destiny; this life is all there is.
  • There is no judge or judgment day beyond human existence.

Each religion provides its own context for life. Let us consider the context the Christian life provides:

  • I was created by God and He has an eternal purpose for me; my life matters.
  • Made in the image of God, I am a trinity: body, soul, and spirit.
  • I have a free will and a deep desire to know, love, and serve God.
  • Jesus took the judgment of my sins at the cross and I will stand before Him one day to receive His judgment of my deeds as a believer.
  • I will live forever to serve and worship the Lord Jesus.
  • This life is preparation for the next.

The proper faith leads to hope and love.
With this faith, we can stride into each day with confidence that God is faithful. The theme song of the Old Testament is, “The Lord is good and His mercy endures forever.” Faith gives us hope. With this faith and hope, we can approach others through genuine love. We need not fear what man can do to us—God is for us! We can love those who love us and those who hate us. We can love God with heart, soul, mind, and strength. Love for God empowers us to love our neighbor as much as we do our self.

Whatever details of your life you encounter today, if you carry with you these essentials, when the night falls and it is time to sleep, you will look back on a day lived to its fullest.

Scriptures:
Psalm 107:1 NKJV
Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
1 Corinthians 13:13 NKJV
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Romans 5:1-5
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
Mark 12:30-31
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
John 13:34-35
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Matthew 5:43-45 3
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.
Colossians 1:3-6
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints- the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you.
1 Corinthians 16:13-14
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, teach me the fundamentals! Help me to never forget the essentials. I will rehearse the faith in prayer and scripture confession. I will exercise my days in the firm hope of Your promises and Your character. I will love You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength while loving others as myself. These three essentials will empower the life I live before You and before the world. Lord, these aspirations are beyond my human ability. Holy Spirit, You dwell within me to empower me to do what I cannot do in the natural. Help me live this essential, spiritual life. For Your glory! Amen.

Song:
Faith Is the Victory
Words: John Henry Yates; Music: Ira D. Sankey

1. Encamped along the hills of light, Ye Christian soldiers rise
And press the battle ere the night Shall veil the glowing skies;
Against the foe in vales below Let all our strength be hurled;
Faith is the victory, we know, That overcomes the world.

Refrain:
Faith is the victory! Faith is the victory!
O glorious victory, That overcomes the world.

2. His banner over us is love, Our sword the Word of God;
We tread the road the saints before With shouts of triumph trod.
By faith, they like a whirlwind’s breath, Swept on o’er every field;
The faith by which they conquered death Is still our shining shield.

Refrain

3. On every hand the foe we find Drawn up in dread array;
Let tents of ease be left behind, And onward to the fray.
Salvation’s helmet on each head, With truth all girt about,
The earth shall tremble ’neath our tread, And echo with our shout.

Refrain

4. To him that overcomes the foe, White raiment shall be giv’n;
Before the angels he shall know His name confessed in heav’n;
Then onward from the hills of light, Our hearts with love aflame,
We’ll vanquish all the hosts of night, In Jesus’ conqu’ring name.

Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, September

September 9, 2017 “Safety”

Safety

It has been said that the three basic needs of people are food, clothing, and shelter.
Safety comes under the category of shelter. The room in which we sleep must not only be heated or cooled to our liking, it must almost make us feel safe.

The same is true for everything in our lives from our cars to our food to our shoes. When we feel safe, we can give ourselves fully to the work that must be done or the fun we want to have.

  • A wife wants a husband who makes her feel safe and a husband wants a wife to provide for and protect.
  • A father wants to give the gift of safety to his children so that the child doesn’t even think of the danger in world beyond the locks on the doors.
  • When a small child senses danger, all the child needs to feel safe is the nearness of his/her parent.

This Dangerous World
Since the angel with the flaming sword took his post at the gates of Eden, we have lived in a dangerous world. For this reason, promises of safety have always been a part of the covenants God has made with mankind. Because the world hasn’t changed, Old Covenant promises of safety still apply to those who live under the New Covenant.

The House Built on the Rock
In the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave us a spectacular image of the safety of covenant living with God. He said our life would be like a house built on the rock, standing firm no matter the violence of the storm or the depth of the flood. God has promised to keep us safe from storms and circumstances and even the schemes of evil people.

  • Storms will come.
  • Evil or unthinking people will attack us.
  • The roaring lion called Satan will send his imps to howl and growl against us.
  • The armies of darkness will assault the church.

But in this dangerous world, we have a Father whose strong arms can hold us safe even while the storm roars and the battle rages. Like the child hiding behind its father’s strong presence, the Father’s presence is all the shelter we need.

As we prepare for another day of serving God, we can leave the safety of our homes and venture out into the world fully confident that we are not leaving the safety of the Lovingkindness of God. We can face whatever the day may hold knowing that no foe has more power, no trial will be too great, and no promise of God will fail.

Scriptures:
Matthew 7:24-27
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
Psalm 91:1-2
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
Psalm 27:5; 37:3-3
For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock. 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.
Proverbs 18:10
The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
Isaiah 43:1-3
But now, this is what the LORD says–he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior…
Romans 8:35-39 NKJV
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?… in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I am safe in You today—I will rest! Thank You for the all the safe places in my life. Thank You for being my sure Foundation. No matter what storms may rise, I am safe in the midst of them. You are my Rock! You will keep me in my home, on any road You lead me to travel, in any temporary dwelling for the night, any place of business, and at any fun-stop along the way. You send Your mighty angels to stand guard over me and to act as sentinels and defenders from any foe foolish enough to attack. My hope is built on You, Lord, the Solid Rock! Amen!

Song:
The Solid Rock
Words: Edward Mote; Music: William Bradbury

1. My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

Refrain:
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand,
all other ground is sinking sand.

2. When darkness veils his lovely face,
I rest on his unchanging grace;
in every high and stormy gale,
my anchor holds within the veil.

Refrain

3. His oath, his covenant, his blood
support me in the whelming flood;
when all around my soul gives way,
he then is all my hope and stay.

Refrain

4. When he shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in him be found,
dressed in his righteousness alone,
faultless to stand before the throne.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions August, Devotions

August 27, 2017 “Contentment”

Contentment

How can the true believer be content when spiritual and physical needs are present everywhere we look? 
This is an important question that can bridge the gap between two widely separated points of truth in the Bible.

  • The Word of God consistently warns against sloth, laziness, and a lack of compassionate actions on behalf of those in need.
  • At the same time, regular seasons of rest are commanded and peace is a gift from Jesus.  How can we find the dynamic center between two passages such as these?

Amos 6:1
Woe to you who are at ease in Zion…

Hebrews 4:9-11
There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by… disobedience.

So what should we do? 
Work until we drop or take it easy in Zion and risk the wrath of God?

To find an answer, let’s think of the rhythms of creation:

  • God spoke and it came into being;
  • the evening and the morning marked the days;
  • the sun was to rule the day and the moon was to govern the night; and
  • Some creatures prowl the night and sleep during the day while others go about their lives in the opposite pattern.

God built rhythm into the universe. 
A form of classical music composition illustrates this for us.  The classical sonata is a form that dominated Western music for centuries.  It is a three-part work:

  1. Exposition, the introduction of themes and other musical elements,
  2. Development, the composer’s opportunity to create  extensive variations on the themes announced in the exposition, and,
  3. Recapitulation, the final restatement of the music themes, a literal “return to the head.”

Worship, work, and rest, are three movements of the sonata of life.
Each day and each week there must be time for each movement of the sonata:

  1. Daily worship and Lord’s Day worship in the company of the church, state our life’s themes:  the Lordship of Christ, the truth of God, the ever-flowing love and grace of God.
  2. Our work is the development of these truths in the context of our lives.
  3. Our rest is the comforting recapitulation of the truths we live by as each day and each week come to a close.

The result of this music is contentment.
We are not content because all the work is done, but because, all is secure in Jesus.  With tomorrow’s sunrise, His loving-kindness will be new again. His power-flow into and through our lives will reach its peak to meet the demands of the day.  We will make our music and with it change the world.

Scriptures:
Colossians 3:15
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Romans 13:11-14 NKJV
And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
Ephesians 5:14 NKJV
Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”
Philemon 4:12-13
… I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
1 Timothy 6:6-9
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.  But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.
Hebrews 13:5-6
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”   So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
2 Corinthians 13:11
Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, help me navigate these waters. Help me know when to work and when to rest. As in all other things, Your Spirit leads me. I see that I should honor Your Day—the Lord’s Day—as a day of both rest and worship. I know that You have never cancelled the Sabbath Principle. Remind me that with Your Anointing, there is rest inside the work that we do at Your Command because we are merely the earthen vessel and Your Spirit is the power within us. Help me embrace the mystery of contentment with godliness when the need before me is so great and there is so much work to be done. Help me to “labor to enter into that rest.” For Your Kingdom, Lord. Amen.

Song:
Wonderful Peace
Words: W.D. Cornell; Music: W.G. Cooper

1. Far away in the depths of my spirit tonight
Rolls a melody sweeter than psalm;
In celestial-like strains it unceasingly falls
O’er my soul like an infinite calm.

Refrain
Peace! Peace! Wonderful Peace,
Coming down from the Father above;
Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray,
In fathomless billows of love

2. What a treasure I have in this wonderful peace,
Buried deep in the heart of my soul;
So secure that no power can mine it away,
While the years of eternity roll.

Refrain

3. I am resting tonight in this wonderful peace,
Resting sweetly in Jesus’ control;
For I’m kept from all danger by night and by day,
And His glory is flooding my soul.

Refrain

4. And I know when I rise to that city of peace,
Where the Author of peace I shall see,
That one strain of the anthems the ransomed will sing,
In that heavenly kingdom shall be:

Refrain

5. O soul, are you here without comfort or rest,
Walking down the rough pathway of time?
Make Jesus your friend ere the shadows grow dark;
O accept this sweet peace so sublime.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions August, Devotions

August 10, 2017 “Act!”

Act!

A Sign in the Clouds
Just after one of our Florida afternoon rains, a vivid rainbow followed me home from a trip to the store. It was complete from end to end. A second rainbow, fainter than the first and much shorter and thinner, timidly smiled just to the south of the larger one. What a sight!–all the colors of creation spread like a painter’s palette resting in the clouds.

These heavenly signs were worth looking at. I kept turning to see the rainbow as I made the rights and lefts required by the small town streets of Bartow on my way home. The unusually bright rainbows stayed with me until I parked the car to stand, staring at the sky for as long as I dared.

A neighbor lady, out for her daily walk, was concentrating on something private and paying no attention to the artwork over her head. I thought she might be discomfited by my standing in the yard, so I waved to her and pointed to the sky. “Don’t miss the rainbows!” I said. She hurried on without looking.

A Sign of the Covenant
The rainbow is the sign of a covenant God made with man, never again to destroy the earth by floods. Of course the rainbow is only an optical illusion, a clever trick done with water drops and sunlight. I tried to imagine the first rainbow after the great flood. If it had never rained before the flood, there could not have been a rainbow before. Only Noah and his family saw the first one. The same voice that instructed Noah to that point of the adventure,  told him of the meaning of the sign.

The sign of the covenant was a symbol, a presentation of light and color bearing a message.  The rainbow is an illusion but the covenant and promises are real. God has been faithful to His promise even as the “days of Noah” have returned.

Two Parties in Agreement
An explanation of the ancient customs of the covenant is far beyond these paragraphs. Two parties, one greater than the other, agree to perform acts for their mutual benefit. The rainbow is the perfect representation of such an amazing thing as a covenant between God and man—beautiful, ethereal, real but untouchable.

The Poet acts in an appropriate way when He demands action from God.

“It is time for you to act, O Lord…”

We are offended by the poet’s presumption. How can we demand anything of God? He is the greater partner in the Calvary Covenant. What right do we have to question Him?

These are modern concerns. The Poet, is exercising the ancient right of a covenant partner to call the other party to action according to the covenant. This is not pride or presumption—it is an ancient form of faith, a proper petition based on love and the expectation of God’s actions. The God-Who-Keeps-Covenant will act in our behalf.

Yelling at God
As we read deeply into the psalms we find many complaints from the poets. They don’t just complain about things; they complain to God. It is almost as if sometimes, they are yelling at God. Can this be right and proper?

The Lord “remembers our frame,” that we are only human beings. Sometimes we need to complain and the only One we can complain to is God. We can even yell at Him if we chose the time and place and do so in a very painful expression of faith. This not a public event—it is not for the worship service—it is private, intensely so.

How can this be? Won’t we offend God?

He does not turn away from us in our pain and He can handle anything we have to say to Him. He knows what is in us before we speak. When the air is clear of our complaint we will hear His gentle words of promise again— all the colors of grace in the bright rainbow after the storm–He will act!

Scriptures:
Psalm 119
I have done what is just and right; do not deliver me to my oppressors. Be surety for your servant’s good; let not the proud oppress me. My eyes have failed from watching for your salvation and for your righteous promise. Deal with your servant according to your loving-kindness and teach me your statutes. I am your servant; grant me understanding, that I may know your decrees. It is time for you to act, O Lord, for they have broken your law. Truly, I love your commandments more than gold and precious stones. I hold all your commandments to be right for me; all paths of falsehood I abhor.
Genesis 9:8-16 NIV
Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you — the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you — every living creature on earth. I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.” And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”
Psalm 142:1-4 NIV
I cry aloud to the Lord; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy. I pour out my complaint before him; before him I tell my trouble. When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who know my way. In the path where I walk men have hidden a snare for me. Look to my right and see; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life.
2 Corinthians 1:20-22
For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
2 Peter 1:3-4
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, Your promises are sure, irrevocable, unchanging. Down here on earth it seems everything is subject to change. For all we can discern with our human intelligence, there seems to be a random element to creation. I cannot reconcile Your sovereignty with this randomness. When it comes my way, I will pour out my complaint to You in prayer and You will hear me. I know that nothing lies outside of Your sovereignty. You will act in my behalf! No matter how violent the storm, I know the beauty of Your Loving-kindness, like a full, double rainbow, will guide me safely home. Amen.

Song:
Hear My Cry, Oh Lord
Words and Music: Marvia Lee Providence and G.E. Peters

Hear my cry, Oh Lord, Attend unto my prayer.
From the end of the earth, Will I cry out to Thee.
When my heart is overwhelmed, Lead me to the Rock,
That is higher than I… That is higher than I…

For Thou hast been, A shelter for me.
And a strong tower, From the enemy.
When my heart is overwhelmed, Lead me to the Rock,
That is higher than I… That is higher than I…

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, July

July 14, 2017 “Rubble”

Rubble

In the Path of the Storm
Sometimes we cry out to God to still the storm but the storm came anyway.  The devastation was beyond description:

  • Trees stripped bare,
  • Houses blown away leaving only stairwells and inner closets standing,
  • Cars deposited in trees,
  • Bits and pieces of people’s lives scattered among the sticks of their homes,
  • All shining under a sky now clear of menacing clouds and stirred by gentle breezes that bore no resemblance to the tornado last night.

Rubble, wild and unattached pieces of a puzzle that was too real to be unreal, was all that was left of the beautiful, carefully planned and constructed neighborhood.

The storm did not care for the plans or the people or their places to live.
It roared through the darkness on its own path, doing its deadly work sweeping away the structures and scattering the lives of the people in them.

In the morning, the survivors picked through the rubble looking for something they could use as a starting place for the re-build. You see, these people loved their homes. Their affections were not blown away by the storm. In this they were like the people of Jerusalem where their homes were destroyed by their enemies.

“For your servants love her very rubble, and are moved to pity even for her dust.”

When there was nothing left but rubble and dust, they loved the rubble and dust.

In time, the dead were buried, the injured recovered, the houses were rebuilt and the only traces of the night of destruction are the rubble of dreams, the memories of the sickening silence that followed the roar, the dim morning light that revealed the rubble.

There are others storms that do not roar.
There are winds of other kinds whose paths are filled with the rubble of the soul:

  • Houses destroyed by debt,
  • Lives wrecked by addiction,
  • Families broken by unfaithfulness, and
  • Hearts shattered by betrayal.

Though not as visible as the rubble a tornado leaves behind, if we could see into hearts and minds, this ruination of the soul would be even more disturbing. There is no insurance, no check coming in the mail to rebuild. This is rubble that will remain—until…

Until Jesus comes on the scene.
He is not only the Master Builder—He is the Master Re-builder of destroyed lives. He loves us and when our hearts are broken, He feels the pain. When we walk through the rubble that was once our lives, His arm is around our shoulders, holding us up. He helps us find the strange little things that somehow survived the storm to pop up from the rubble. Each cup and saucer, toy and knick-knack we find lifts our spirits—if these things can survive so can we! This may only be rubble and dust, but it is our rubble and dust and we love it.

We know somehow that Jesus loves the rubble and dust of our lives, too, and He is the One with the plans and the power to rebuild them. When we cry out to God to still the storm but the storm comes anyway, it is not the end. In His grace it is a new beginning.

Scriptures:
Psalm 102
But you, O Lord, endure forever, and your Name from age to age. You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to have mercy upon her; indeed, the appointed time has come. For your servants love her very rubble, and are moved to pity even for her dust. The nations shall fear your Name, O Lord, and all the kings of the earth your glory. For the Lord will build up Zion, and his glory will appear. He will look with favor on the prayer of the homeless; he will not despise their plea. Let this be written for a future generation, so that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord. For the Lord looked down from his holy place on high; from the heavens he beheld the earth; That he might hear the groan of the captive and set free those condemned to die; That they may declare in Zion the Name of the Lord, and his praise in Jerusalem; When the peoples are gathered together, and the kingdoms also, to serve the Lord. … O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands; They shall perish, but you will endure; they all shall wear out like a garment; as clothing you will change them, and they shall be changed; But you are always the same, and your years will never end. The children of your servants shall continue, and their offspring shall stand fast in your sight.”
Isaiah 58:9-14 NIV
“If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.” The mouth of the Lord has spoken.
Psalm 71:19-21 NIV
Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, you who have done great things. Who, O God, is like you? Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once again.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You never promised us a life without storms. You were careful to say that if we built our lives on You as the Sure Foundation, that when the storms come our lives will stand the punishment. Yet, there are times when the storms are so severe that You, the Foundation of our lives, are all that is left. Even then, it is enough in Your capable, carpenter’s hands—You will rebuild us. You will take the rubble and make it useful and beautiful again, a strong structure ready for the next storm. Thank You, Jesus!

Song:
I Will Serve Thee
Words and Music: William J. Gaither

I will serve Thee, because I love Thee.
You have given life to me.
I was nothing before You found me.
You have given life to me.
Heartaches, broken pieces, ruined lives are
Why You died on Calvary.
Your touch was what I longed for.
You have given life to me.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, June

June 20, 2017 “Hidden”

Hidden

From time to time everyone feels like he or she is socked in by heavy fog.
I have two dangerous experiences with heavy fog:

  • A Ferry across the Mississippi In the early 1950’s my family and I were taking the car ferry across the big river from Helena, Arkansas to see mother’s family in Mississippi. Before we reached the eastern bank of the river a heavy fog enveloped us. The captain of the boat could not locate the landing on the Mississippi side. I was just a little guy but it really frightened me. I’m sure the fear I saw on the adults’ faces was part of my fear. I remember fingers of light, the searchlights on the ferry, reaching into the dense cloud trying to locate the landing. We missed it several times. Each miss required another trek upstream against the power of the mighty river, to make another run. Now I understand that the night was filled with fog and the river was packed with large sets of barges pushed downstream by towboats. A collision in the fog would have been a disaster.
  • A Fog on I-40 Decades later after a Christmas trip home to Arkansas, we made the long trek back to North Carolina. We started out at midnight intending to drive all night and part of the day to get home. (I was a young man in those days!) At Little Rock a heavy fog settled over everything. The visibility was zero. Driving the speed limit with zero visibility is not easy, even for a young man. I prayed and noticed a big truck in my lane. Without getting too close to him, I could barely make out his running lights. I held that position all the way across the Grand Prairie of Eastern Arkansas. When we crossed the Big River at Memphis the fog stayed behind and the rest of the trip was under a starry, winter sky.

When it seems God is hidden…
And so it seemed to be for the Psalmist.

“How long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself forever?”

The pain in this question is not some misty fog, easily penetrated by even a candle’s slender flame. His pain is real, substantial and, dare we say it?—unjust. Yes, the truth is—the righteous suffer.

  • Even if our God is Jehovah Who Provides, sometimes we go without.
  • Even when we serve Jehovah Rapha, The Lord who Heals, we still get sick and some of us live with disease.
  • Even when we are sure of His presence, sometimes it seems like He isn’t there at all.
  • There are times when we cannot feel the peace of Jehovah Shalom, or the victory of Jehovah Nissi, or the nearness of the Hosts of Heaven than surround Jehovah Saboath, or even the precious nearness of the One called Emmanuel.

This fog is real, too.
It is no mist or misunderstanding. Wrong has happened instead of right. Others have sinned and we are hurting for it. I cannot explain this fog. Like you, and like that boat on the river and that truck guiding me through the winter night, I can only go on,

  • step by step,
  • mile by mile,
  • chugging upstream for another try at a landing,
  • calling out to Him all the while
  • trusting God all the time for a safe journey and a secure landing, even when it seems He is far away, hidden from all my senses.

Let us hear the words of the Psalmist from deep in the fog, “Praise be to the Lord forever!
Amen and Amen. “

The Lord-Who-Provides will provide. Like the lights on that big truck we have a dependable light to follow. The Lord-Who-Guides will guide us. Like the brave captain of the Mississippi River ferry boat, our Captain will see us safely across any river, through any fog.

Scriptures:
Psalm 89:46-52 NIV
How long, O Lord ? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire? Remember how fleeting is my life. For what futility you have created all men! What man can live and not see death, or save himself from the power of the grave? O Lord, where is your former great love, which in your faithfulness you swore to David? Remember, Lord, how your servant has been mocked, how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the nations, the taunts with which your enemies have mocked, O Lord, with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one. Praise be to the Lord forever! Amen and Amen.
1 Peter 2:19-22; 4:12-19 NIV
For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. … So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
Psalm 139:7-12 NKJV
Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” Even the night shall be light about me; Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.
Psalm 51:10-12 NKJV
Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Philippians 4:11-13 NKJV
Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You are my Light, my Guide, my Captain. There is no fog so dense as to hinder Your radiance, Your leadership, Your command. Though life may threaten me, You will keep me safe. When It seems You are hidden from me, I know that it is just a feeling. Your name is Emmanuel—God with Us and it is always true. When darkness closes in, I know I will see a light—Your light—to guide me.. You said You will never leave or forsake us and it is true, no matter how thick the fog may be. Thank You, Jesus! Amen.

Song:
Jesus Is the One
Words and Music: Adgar Pace and Gertie Rast

1. When the day is dark before you,
And the clouds are hanging low.
There is One who watches o’er you,
Ev’rywhere that you may go.

Refrain:
Jesus is the One, Yes, He’s the only One,
Let Him have His way until the day is done;
When He speaks you know, the clouds will have to go,
Just because He loves you so.

2. Oh, if you are sad and lonely,
Life is but an empty tomb.
Breathe a prayer to Jesus only,
He will drive away the gloom.

Refrain

3. When you come to cross the river,
He will be your Friend and Guide.
You can live with Him forever,
Over on the other side.

Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

Related Article: “The Rock Is Still Solid”

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, March

March 19, 2017

 

Plans

Plans are mental constructs.
We might write them down, chart them on a wall, or fill a handy notebook with them, but they are products of the mind with no real substance of their own until we put them in motion.

In The Gift of Asher Lev, the second of his two books about the divinely gifted young artist who comes up in a system that does not recognize his gift as one from God, the author, Chaim Potok, places a question in the mouth of Asher’s wife: “Is there a plan, Asher?”

It is a good question to ask. All too often we feel we have the right plan for our lives, the one the Lord has given us when circumstances seem to turn against us.

A Terribly White Christmas
I remember one Christmas when we worked for months on a beautiful musical celebration of the story by Carolina Christian Arts—our production ministry at the church I was serving. When the planned weekend came a snow storm came with it. We had to cancel opening night and opened instead on a Sunday afternoon when every other church in town was closed because of the storm.

This was disappointing to all of us but my theology was shaken. I planned for every contingency I could imagine but the weather was out of my control. Why would God let us go through the agony of creation without the ecstasy of presentation? All we wanted to do was tell His story.

I still don’t know the answer.

Sometimes we label and sort out our plans:

  • Plan A,
  • Plan B, and
  • Worst Case Scenario.

As we pray and think through this season of Lent, a question often comes to mind: “All this suffering of Jesus on our behalf, was it Plan A, or was it some sort of divine improvisation because of the unexpected entrance of sin into the world?”

It was so from before the beginning.
Be assured, the Plan of Salvation is Plan A. God’s motivations are lost in the blinding light of His divinity and are certainly “beyond finding out” by mortals like us.

We can, however, gain insight into a certain depth of the Creator’s reasons for this plan. Since we are made in His image and since we each have a deep need for fellowship, I believe it is safe to believe that God has a deep desire for fellowship as well.

In 1927, the Poet James Weldon Johnson put these words into the Creator’s mouth:

“And God stepped out on space, And he looked around and said: I’m lonely –I’ll make me a world.”

This is art not scripture but I suspect it is pretty close to the truth.
All that we think about in Lent and in the Holy Week comes from God’s plan from the beginning to create us, to give us free will to choose or reject Him, and to provide a way back to Him.

Is there a plan?—Yes.
Once the evil snake was loosed in the world, the heel of the Seed of Mary had to be bruised so that He could then crush Satan’s head.

We should not think of the Passion of the Christ as another sad tragedy—a brilliant young man of peace struck down by violence. This is the plan of God no longer hidden in clouds of majesty or promised in prophecies of old. This is the plan of God set in motion.

Scriptures:
Genesis 3:14-15 NKJV
So the Lord God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”
Ephesians 1:3-10 The Message
How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He’s the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son. Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people — free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.
Proverbs 16:9; 19:21 NKJV
A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.
There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the Lord ‘s counsel — that will stand.
Jeremiah 29:11-14 NIV
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord , “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord , “and will bring you back from captivity.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, Your throne sits above the realm of time, founded upon eternity itself. Your wisdom is, as the prophet declared, “past finding out.” Though billions of individuals roam this planet, You know each of us by name. We each have a lodging place in Your heart and in Your great mind there is a plan for each one of us. Today, You will turn another page in Your plan for me. Help me see and obey. If I cannot see it, help me do what I know is right anyway. I trust in Your plan for me, seen or unseen, understood or a mystery. Thank You, Jesus! Amen.

Song:
Trust and Obey
Words and Music: John H. Sammis

1. When we walk with the Lord in the light of his word,
what a glory he sheds on our way!
While we do his good will, he abides with us still,
and with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2. Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
but our toil he doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
but is blest if we trust and obey.

Refrain

3. But we never can prove the delights of his love
until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor he shows, for the joy he bestows,
are for them who will trust and obey.

Refrain

4. Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at his feet,
or we’ll walk by his side in the way;
What he says we will do, where he sends we will go;
never fear, only trust and obey.

Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, February

February 18, 2017

Fortune

The Random World?
At the edge of our glowing, carefully laid plans lies darkness, a random world, it seems, beyond our ability to predict. In unguarded moments we call this darkness luck; when we think God is listening we call it fortune.

Each day we plan and hope, predict and provide, filling our hearts with optimism that will we “have a good day.” At some point we must leave the safety of home and step out into the real world that doesn’t know our plans, cares nothing for our hopes, laughs at our predictions, and consumes our provisions. Are we subject to the darkness of a random world? Is living for God a matter of good luck and bad? Can we expect fortune to “smile on us” today?

Try as we might, we cannot imagine the mind of God.
He created all that is and He remains intricately involved in everything that is—and that includes us. We deal with light, shadow, and darkness; in Him there is no darkness at all. Life seems random to us because we do not have the intelligence to discern the wisdom of God. The universe He created is not random to Him. He has it in His firm grip and no force can make Him let go. No darkness can extinguish the light He can see.

So we trust Him. His ways are past finding out, but we can choose to trust Him. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts so that we can trust His wisdom when life seems random, unpredictable, and dangerous. Just like the universe God created, He has us in His firm grip and no force can make Him let us go. We can trust Him.

We can trust Him because He is a Covenant-keeper.
He does not promise lightly. He never forgets His promises. There are no cracks in the floor of His administration through which any of us will fall. He gives us light for our path and a lamp for each step and that’s really all we need. Out there in the dark, beyond the glow of our carefully laid plans, enemies lie in ambush, predators are ready to spring, and holy angels standing guard.

Today we can venture beyond our home fires and challenge the darkness of blind fortune because we know what the darkness holds, not the details, but the larger truth that God is there working everything to our good. Why? Because of who He is, because He loves us, and because He has
promised.

Darkness is not dark to Him.

Scriptures:
Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
2 Peter 3:9 9 NKJV
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
Psalm 139:7-12
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.
Isaiah 55:8-9
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.”As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I am so glad that You have me. I am safe for I am in Your arms. I can look forward to what the world would call good fortune. There is no chance involved. You and I are in New Covenant relationship. As I worship You, You build a hedge around me. As I serve You, You send angels to bear me up. As I love You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, You shower Your love all around me—grace, not good fortune—the faithfulness of God, not the luck of the Irish. Thank You, Father, for revealing Your loving heart to us in the heart of Jesus, tender and strong. Amen.

Song:
Living by Faith
Words: R.E. Winsett; Music: J.L. Heath

1. I care not today what tomorrow may bring,
If shadow or sunshine or rain;
The Lord I know ruleth o’er everything,
And all of my worry is vain.

Refrain:
Living by faith in Jesus above,
Trusting, confiding in His great love;
From all harm safe in His sheltering arm,
I’m living by faith and I feel no alarm.

2. Though tempests may blow and the storm clouds arise,
Obscuring the brightness of life,
I’m never alarmed at the overcast skies;
The Master looks on at the strife.

Refrain

3. I know that He safely will carry me through,
No matter what evils betide;
Why should then care, though the tempest may blow,
If Jesus walks close to my side.

Refrain

4. Our Lord will return to this earth some sweet day,
Our troubles will then all be o’er;
The Master so gently will lead us away,
Beyond that blest heavenly shore.

Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved