pathoflifedevotions Devotions, January

January 15

Pain

There is no escaping pain.
From annoying aches to agonizing ailments to the sharp arrows of antagonists, life hurts sometimes—often, in fact.

For many the morning requires an inventory of stiff muscles and joints, a rubbing of sore eyes, and a deep draw of air to resupply the blood with oxygen. All of this gaping and stretching and bending and flexing needs to be chased by a good cup of coffee to get us going.

It wasn’t that way in Eden.
Adam and Eve must have sprung from sleep to consciousness with ease. Surely there were no stiff joints, aching muscles, or wounded minds to hinder the beginning of their day. Then one day Adam and the Mrs. had the wrong breakfast and pain registered its enrollment in the human experience.

In the normal course of things, pain increases with age. We are blessed with pills and ointments to fight its effects as the years pile up. In other cases, the young suffer pain and it hurts us to watch them. We don’t understand why it must be so.

Sometimes

  • the strong are struck down to weakness,
  • the able are reduced to disability, and
  • the good are afflicted by evil in ways that defy logic.

Sometimes we can see the cause of the effect and other times there is no cause but the effect remains terrible.

As each day begins, we must do something about our pain.
Whether it is the pain of wear and weakness, the pain of disease and disability, or the pain of the human heart, we must deal with it.

  • Has Jehovah Jireh (“The Lord Who Provides”) provided a place for our pain?
  • Does Jehovah Rophe (“The Lord Who Heals”) send healing and help flowing in our direction?
  • Does the Great Physician still make house calls?

The Balm in Gilead
Better than pills or ointments—though God is not offended when use the healing power of His creation—is His lovingkindess. It is better than life, the Scripture says.

  • He entered this wounded world precisely to feel our pain.
  • Just as the suffering crowds moved Him when He walked this earth, He is compassionate toward us.
  • His wounded back, striped with the Roman whip, took our pain.

By those stripes we are healed. Oh, there is no doubt of this. The only details unknown to us are when and where.

  • Now and here? Many, many times—Praise the Lord!
  • In heaven for sure!

There is no cancer there, no festering wounds, no brokenness, no weakness, no debilitating disease of any sort. We leave the annoying aches and agonizing ailments behind when we cross that river.

But what of the sharp arrows of antagonists? Does he care about them?

It is most amazing to think that our undeserved pain is a point of relationship with Christ.

Completely innocent of all cause, He suffered the pain of the effects of all sin. If we follow Him, this will inevitably cause us pain. Unlike the affliction of the body, the pain of ministry is a strange privilege, a way of identifying with Christ.

So, stretch those sleepy muscles, sip that sumptuous air and swill that simmering coffee! Even with pain you will greet this day with the strength of Jesus. Remember those who suffer greater pain than yours. Pray for those who seek to hurt you and hide safe within the wounds of the Savior.

Scriptures:
Jeremiah 8:21-22 NKJV
For the hurt of the daughter of my people I am hurt. I am mourning;
Astonishment has taken hold of me. Is there no balm in Gilead, Is there no physician there? Why then is there no recovery For the health of the daughter of my people?
1 Peter 4:12-17
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. … if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.
Philippians 3:10-11
I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, because of fall of mankind into sin, life is a painful experience. Sometimes the reasons for pain are clear and sometimes suffering is a mystery, adding to the pain. Whether I know the reason for the pain of the day or it is beyond my comprehension, I know I am not alone. You do not know pain from a distance or in theory only. Like us, You were born in pain. As a child you hurt Yourself like any other child. You worked until Your muscles ached like ours do. You identify with my pain. Thank You, Lord. It is good to know that You are with me when I hurt. I know Your tender touch. Someday You will dry all our tears. Until that day, Your nearness is comfort in times of pleasure or pain.

Song:
There Is a Balm in Gilead
Traditional

Refrain:
There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin-sick soul.

1. Sometimes I feel discouraged, And think my work’s in vain,
But then the Holy Spirit revives my soul again.

Refrain

2. If you cannot preach like Peter, Ify you cannot pray like Paul,
You can tell the love of Jesus, and say, “He died for all.”
Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, January

January 13

Victory

There are small victories like when the bathroom scales report one less pound than the day before, and large ones like those two in 1945—VE Day (Victory in Europe) and VJ Day (Victory in Japan)—which marked the end of the world’s greatest war. In between the small and large are daily victories we celebrate silently or call the one we love to give the good report.

Defeats, large and small, we absorb, either to study them and learn from them or to forget them and add them to the memories we would love to discard.

In large measure, victory is a choice.

  • We choose the right battles to fight.
  • We select the proper weapons to wield.
  • We join the army that has the strength and wherewithal to win.
  • We follow the General with both the will to take on the enemy and the might to defeat him.

Today, we choose to fight the good fight of faith.

  • That is, we choose to live right in a world gone wrong.
  • We select weapons for our warfare that are spiritual and mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.
  • We march in the Army of God who defeats the terrible foe with a song.
  • We follow Jesus who is the Victor, the complete Master of all time and space.

The battle today will not be easy. The enemy is strong and wily. Deceit and despair are his artillery and he has strewn the roadway with mines. But we tread carefully, placing each step in a nail scarred footprint. Jesus has gone this way before us. He has clearly marked the hazards. He knows the enemy’s secret schemes.

He has gone head-to-head with the enemy of our souls,

  • in the wilderness of temptation,
  • in the war of words with the religionists,
  • in the battles for the lives of those tormented by demons and disease,
  • in the Garden of prayer and unlawful arrest,
  • in the betrayal of a dear and trusted friend,
  • in the legal courts of men,
  • under the lash of man’s wrath,
  • under the cross on the Via Doloroso,
  • on the cross at Mt. Calvary,
  • in the regions of hell to wrest the keys of death, hell and the grave from Satan’s grip,
  • in the tomb where death reigned supreme over His body until the Holy Spirit, who had overshadowed Mary to give Jesus human life, invaded His burial chamber to give him resurrected life, and
  • in the Throne Room of Heaven to wear the Victor’s Crown for all eternity.

Victory is our choice today because Jesus is our choice. Temporary setbacks will occur but they do not have the final word. The final word is “Victory” and Jesus has spoken it.

Scripture:
1 Corinthians 15:54-58
When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You are the absolute Victor. Hell falls silent when You open Your mouth to speak. Demons tremble at the sound of Your Name. Darkness flees away at Your entrance for You are absolute Light. My sins are gone because You sent them away. I sleep well because Your angels stand guard over my pillow. The path of life before me is clear because You walk ahead of me, Your footsteps blessing the earth with peace. You will never be defeated. But, Lord, when I feel I am at risk and that enemies rise up against me, You are a shield to me, my glory and the lifter of my head. I will walk in Your victory because You walk in me. I say to the day ahead, “Bring out your best, do your worst, I am not afraid. The Victor walks in me invincible!” Thank You, Lord Jesus! Amen

Song:
Victory
Words and Music: B.E. Warren

1. Hallelujah, what a thought! Jesus full salvation brought, Victory, Victory!
Let the powers of sin assail, heaven’s grace can never fail, Victory, Victory!

Refrain:
Victory, yes victory; Hallelujah! I am free, Jesus gives me victory.
Glory, glory, Hallelujah! He is all in all to me.

2. I am trusting in the Lord, I am standing on His Word, Victory, Victory!
I have peace and joy within, Since my life is free from sin, Victory, Victory!

Refrain

3. Shout your freedom everywhere, His eternal peace declare, Victory, Victory!
Let us sing it here below in the face of every foe, Victory, Victory!

Refrain

4. We will sing it on that shore, when this fleeting life is o’er Victory, Victory!
Sing it here, ye ransomed throng, start the everlasting song: Victory, Victory!

Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, January

January 8

Trusting

Trusting is not like throwing a football. It is not a physical act that can be witnessed live or on video. Trust is an action of the heart in league with the mind. It is a choice people and nations make.

When we Americans decided to put “In God We Trust” on our money, this was a bold statement. We said that even if we build a navy to guard the high seas, or an army to guard our interests, or an air force to patrol the skies of the world, our ultimate trust is not in those military machinations.

We said that we will do commerce from sea to shining sea but our trust is not in the free market, but in the faithfulness of a covenant keeping God.

We also said that we would freely investigate all truth, all natural phenomena, to discern the secrets of creation and carefully pass them on to our young, but our trust will be in the Word of God, the beginning of wisdom.

We made the choice.

Today we make it again.

We trust in God because of so many things and in spite of some things.

Sometimes the evidence of God’s trustworthiness shines against the darkness of other choices.

There are also times when His hand seems delayed, when His answer cannot be clearly heard and understood, when His immediate care and provision cannot be detected, when His presence seems to have fled. Like His manifestation at Mt. Sinai, He seems hidden by smoke and thunder and the ground beneath our feet seems to tremble.

But still, we choose to trust, to continue on with the disciplines of daily life in Jesus: prayer, Word, worship, obedience, repentance, and stillness of spirit. Desperate for the atmosphere of Heaven, we breathe deeply in worship here on earth. As we do, the winds of the Spirit stir from their heavenly storehouses and race to us at the speed of His light. Like His manifestation at Mt. Zion, our spirits behold His face clearly and in great detail and we are changed in the process. Our hearts are refreshed.

This is vital to the day ahead, for it is in the heart that we trust in God.

Scriptures:
Psalm 20:7
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
Psalm 37:3-7
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. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You alone know what this day holds for me and for those I love. I choose to trust You with today and all it will bring. Your Word is sure, fixed in the heavens and powerful here on earth. I walk in Your truth, confident in your Covenant, content in Your will, trusting in Your Character. Teach me to delight in Your ways. Empower me to do good as You direct me so that I might be a blessing as I dwell in the land and enjoy safety. In Your Name, Amen.

Song:
‘Tis so Sweet to Trust in Jesus
Words: Louisa Stead; Music: William Kirkpatrick

1. ‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, Just to take Him at His word,
Just to rest upon His promise, Just to know “Thus saith, the Lord.

Refrain:
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him! How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er.
Jesus, Jesus, Precious Jesus! O for grace to trust Him more.

2. O how sweet to trust in Jesus, Just to trust His cleansing blood,
Just in simple faith to plunge me ‘Neath the healing, cleansing flood.
(Refrain)

3. Yes, ‘tis sweet to trust in Jesus, Just from sin and self to cease,
Just from Jesus simply taking Life and health and joy and peace.
(Refrain)

4. I’m so glad I learned to trust Him, Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend,
And I know that Thou art with me, Will be with me to the end.
(Refrain)

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, January

January 6

Covered

Belgium, 1944:
“Cover me!” the sergeant yells to his pinned down squad as he breaks his cover to charge the machine gun nest. As he runs a zigzag pattern, the corporals and privates in his command lay down a withering fire from M1 Garand carbines and the Browning automatic rifle. The enemy machine gunners cease firing to find cover as the soldier with the stripes tosses a grenade into their emplacement, ending the war for them.

Today, on the job:
“Cover for me,” the guilty party pleads to his friend. Friendship overrules common sense and the boss never finds out.

When we are under attack, and even when we are guilty, there is One who covers us.

In Today’s Battle
Against unnumbered foes, the Lord Jesus covers us from a position of power with weapons of a spiritual warfare that are mighty indeed. We can charge boldly into the day with all its dangers knowing the enemy must cower before the Name of Jesus and retreat in the face of determined obedience to His Word. Continue reading “January 6” →

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, January

January 3

Rhythm

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

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

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

Continue reading “January 3” →

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, January

January 1

Tomorrow

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

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

Continue reading “January 1” →