pathoflifedevotions Devotions, February

February 15, 2017

Regret

Repentance
Regret is a precursor to repentance, but when our sins are removed from us as far as the East is from the West, regret often remains. Although painful, this type of regret is in reality a blessing. When we remember the pain we have caused by doing wrong, the lives our sins have altered beyond repair, and the ripple effects of our selfishness continuing in the circumstances of others, we are cautioned never to act that way again.

We think, “God help me to never do that again!” or, “If I had it to do over again…”

The truth is, we have it to do over again—constantly.
Based upon the undying regret of sins past, we must resolve never to repeat them. We cannot change the past but we can affect the future. As marvelous as forgiveness of sins is from the hand of the Lord Jesus, the power to break the patterns of behavior that led us into sin is more marvelous still. This power is the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit—regeneration, the theologians call it. The past is forgiven and a different future is in store for us.

Part of that future is the blessing of regrets that remind us the past can be future if we are not constantly dependent upon the Spirit of Christ, who is the Spirit of Truth, the Spirit of New Life, the Spirit of Holiness, and the Spirit of power.

  • The Spirit of Christ is the victory over evil and death.
  • The Spirit of Truth is the revealer of all truth and the One who quickens us to understand spiritual things.
  • The Spirit of New Life is the resurrection power of God making all things new.
  • The Spirit of Holiness is the Refiner’s Fire and Fuller’s Soap to purify the Sons of Levi.
  • The Spirit of Power is the inner strength in the abiding, covenantal presence of the Holy Spirit, to resist the Devil and witness to the Gospel.

Lest We Forget
So drastic is the change with the entrance of Christ into a life, it would be easy to forget the way we lived, the way we were, before Jesus saved us. Regret is the gift of God that keeps our feet on the ground.

  • When we see a face that reminds of someone we have harmed,
  • when we hear a phrase that reminds of some unkind thing we have said, and
  • when we hear a true story that is a reenactment of one that happened to us long ago, before we became the hero of such stories,
  • then we remember who we once were and how we once lived.

Remembering and regretting, we breathe a prayer of thanksgiving and without hesitation, send to heaven a plea like the old song, “Keep me true, Lord Jesus. Keep me true.”

Scriptures:
2 Corinthians 7:8-11
Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it…because your sorrow led you to repentance… See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.
Colossians 2:13-15
When you were dead in your sins and in … your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Romans 6:3-4
We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
Malachi 3:1-4
“…suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the LORD, as in days gone by, as in former years.

Prayer:
Lord, don’t let me forget, on this side of heaven, where I was when you found me and how I was before you came into my heart. Turn this regret into the Gates of Thanksgiving for me! I as remember the dark time before Your light shone around me, let me also recall how different my life has been since then—light instead of darkness, peace instead of turmoil, faith instead of fear, and your constant nearness. Thank you, Jesus! Thank you, Lord! I do not regret a mile I have walked with You!
Amen.

Song:
Keep Me True
Traditional Chorus

Keep me true, Lord Jesus, keep me true.
Keep me true, Lord Jesus, keep me true.
There’s a race that I must run.
There are vict’ries to be won.
Every hour, by Thy power, keep me true!

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

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

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, January

January 12

Dawn

Some nights pass swiftly. The eyes close and a moment later, it seems, they open again and a new day has arrived in the interval. Other nights seem to drag on and on as if the dawn were held hostage by some unseen force of evil.

Some nights are peaceful and full of rest. We scarcely move from the moment we fall asleep to the time we awaken. On other nights fear is our bedfellow as thoughts of what happened in the day and dread of what might happen tomorrow rob us of any rest even if there are periods of unconsciousness in the ordeal.

Each type of night, the swift and restful or the interminable and torturous, ends in the same way—the sun rises. The darkness has to flee and with it, the fear. Well rested eyes must be rubbed and dormant muscles must be stretched. Red-rimmed eyes that did not rest must be likewise be rubbed and muscles weak from tension throughout the night must likewise be stretched.

Regardless of how the night was spent, the morning light demands a mental reset. So, we cast aside the covers and rise to meet whatever the day will bring. As we do, we are not alone and neither are we helpless. In fact, throughout the night, whether a pleasant one that disappeared like a dream or long sleepless one that threatens to linger all day, we have never been alone.

In some spiritual corner of our bed chamber our angel kept guard through the night. Our guardian does not come and go with sleep but stays on duty throughout every single night. The stars remained on duty all through the night just in case we went outside to wonder about things. They were ready to tell us again of the glory of the Lord until the light of the sun overcame their light but not their message.

We were never alone, guarded in deep sleep or in fitful tossing, because we are His.

So now we arise to face this day. Whether strengthened by rest or weakened by sleeplessness, we step into the day knowing that we are still not alone. Along with the faithful sun which drove away the power of the night, the Sun of Righteousness has risen again this morning from His rest. He is our light. He is our Sabbath rest. He is our companion. He never sleeps or slumbers. He is the treasure, filling our earthen vessel with His strength and power.

Regardless of how the night was spent, this day will be ours because it is His.

Scriptures:
Lamentations 3:22-24
Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”
Isaiah 60:1-3
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
Psalm 30:4-5 NKJV
Sing praise to the LORD, you saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.

Song:
Morning Has Broken
Words: Eleanor Farjeon; Music; Traditional

1. Morning has broken like the first morning.
Blackbird has spoken like the first bird.
Praise for the singing! Praise for the morning!
Praise for them springing fresh from the Word!

2. Sweet the rain’s new fall sunlit from heaven,
Like the first dewfall on the first grass.
Praise for the sweetness of the garden,
Sprung in completeness Where His feet pass.

3. Mine is the sunlight! Mine is the morning,
Born of the one light Eden saw play!
Praise with elation, praise every morning,
God’s recreation of the new day!

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved