pathoflifedevotions Devotions, February

February 14, 2017

Passion

Today is a day for passion.
The scripture tells us to gather all our inner feelings and concentrate them on actions that express love for the Lord. There is no reason to hold back, to keep a measure of our love in reserve. In a worship service, when the moment comes to praise, we must release the joy pent up in our hearts. Our opening acts of praise in a worship service  must be full-throated, hot-hearted, and mentally captivating. No less praise will do.

Why? The measure of our praise is not that of our passion for God, or our knowledge of God, or even our faith in God. The standard we are given in the Scriptures has nothing to do with our feelings, our knowledge, or even with the level of our faith. The standard, the measuring rod is this: “the glory due unto His name.” (Ps 29:1-2)

All other measures are changeable

  • as passions heat and cool,
  • knowledge is gained and forgotten, and
  • faith swells and shrinks in our hearts.

His worthiness goes on and on and on and on forever.

Our praise is a matter of justice—the praise due unto His name!
He is worthy of nothing less than our very best praise—our best music, our finest words, our most sincere gratitude and our most humble hearts. Any part of our mind held back for lesser considerations is a sacrilege, a selfish, careless oversight to be corrected at once as we marshal all our mental resources to consider and express the wonders of Who God is.

When another Sunday comes and you join the Saints of God in the House of God and the call to worship sounds, lift your eyes beyond the music and the lights, the singers and players of music and their leaders, and tune your heart to heaven’s songs. Some of them are recorded for us in the Bible. Others are works of the Spirit through His troubadours.

The Spirit speaks through songs in every generation.
Surrender to the spirit of the song and join the songs of angels, thousands of them in joyful assembly. You will also be singing with loved ones who have gone before you, gathered as a special choir of the redeemed in a gallery made just for them. You will take your seat with them someday and today you may add your voice to theirs in worship.

Lord, send a heavenly fire to ignite a passion for You in each of our hearts today!

Scriptures:
Psalm 29:1-2 NKJV
Give unto the LORD, O you mighty ones, Give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
Colossians 3:1-3
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Mark 12:30
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

Prayer:
You are God
From the Book of Common Prayer (adapted SRP)
You are God: we praise You; You are the Lord; we acclaim You; You are the eternal Father: All creation worships You. To You all angels, all the powers of heaven, Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of Your glory. The glorious company of apostles praises You. The noble fellowship of prophets praises You. The white‑robed army of martyrs praises You. Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you; Father, of majesty unbounded, Your true and only Son, worthy of all worship, and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide. You, Christ, are the King of glory, the eternal Son of the Father. When You became man to set us free You did not shun the Virgin’s womb. You overcame the sting of death and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. You are seated at God’s right hand in glory. We believe that you will come and be our judge. Come then, Lord, and help Your people, bought with the price of Your own blood, and bring us with Your saints to glory everlasting. Amen.

Song:
I Love You, Lord
Words and Music: Laurie Klein

I love You, Lord, and I lift my voice
To worship You, O my soul, rejoice!
Take joy, my King, in what You hear;
May it be a sweet, sweet sound in Your ear.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, February

February 9, 2017

Remembering

All Memories Are not the Same.
Some memories take up permanent residence in the heart and there is nothing, it seems, we can do to evict them. Others, perhaps memories with greater significance, seem determined to escape the confines the mind. We must regularly review and rehearse them to keep them on file.

It would be unbearable to remember everything—it would just be too much. Somewhere, lodged between all the other events, people, and words we have encountered thus far and those memories lodged too deep to expel, other memories reside so near the surface that they seem to evaporate like so much mist. Most of them do not become memories and that is a blessing.

Memories Affect the Present.
It would serve no purpose here to evaluate all the different kinds of memories each of us holds. It is broad enough to say that we remember

  • things that have happened to us,
  • things that have been said to us, and
  • things we ourselves have said or not said,
  • things we did or failed to do.

Some memories are comforting, running like pleasant movies in our head whenever we need an emotional lift. Others are so painful we must turn away from the screen in our mind, turn off the projector, or switch to some other, more pleasant narrative.

If we do not tend the pains of the past, they will visit us in the night, strange tales with characters and settings all confused and making use of bizarre symbolism to try and make us remember the causes of our pain and perhaps to do something about it.

Remembering is a function of prayer.

  • In the presence of the Lord, with His Word open before us, we deliberately re-read passages we have read for years and we remember. Along with the memory of what we heard God say long ago, we also hear new things to remember from now on.
  • When we consult the list of those who are depending on our intercession, we remember faces and voices that are dear to us and these memories add power to our prayers for them.
  • When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we recall “our sins” and “those have who have sinned against us.” It is time to search our memories for sins we have yet to repent of and to see that faces of those we are in the process of forgiving.
  • When we celebrate the Lord’s Table, we do so in remembrance of the sacrifices Jesus made for us somehow we are strengthened by His sustaining grace. In a holy reverse of memory we also anticipate the soon return of Jesus.

Remembering the Promises
Facing the challenges of everyday life, we must remember the promises of God, for sometimes events seem to be random and people are hostile. We must remember that God is faithful—He keeps His covenant!

Thanksgiving is the act of Remembering.
Thanksgiving and praise are essential parts of worship and they are the essence of remembering. Hearing ourselves rehearse the record of God’s faithfulness and calling to mind the excellence of our King and His Kingdom strengthens us for whatever might be ahead.

Remembering is a process of taking control of the mind, of selecting our thoughts, and of facing the dangers of the day ahead armed with Truth.

Scriptures:
Deuteronomy 8:11 NIV
Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day.
Psalm 77:1-6 NKJV
I cried out to God with my voice — To God with my voice; And He gave ear to me. In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord; My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing; My soul refused to be comforted. I remembered God, and was troubled; I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah You hold my eyelids open;I am so troubled that I cannot speak. I have considered the days of old, The years of ancient times. I call to remembrance my song in the night; I meditate within my heart, And my spirit makes diligent search.

Prayers:
Lord Jesus, today I choose to remember. I remember the prophesies so ancient in origin and current in application: You came, born of a virgin, living a sinless life, showing us the Father, taking on our sins, dying on the cross, rising from the dead, ascending to heaven’s throne, sending Your Spirit to abide in us. I remember Your presence so warm in my heart as a child, so faithful in my life as a young man, so tested and true to me with my family, so near to me in this moment. I remember Your call on my life, the exciting doors You have opened, the painful ones You have closed. I remember Your name, Your cause, Your reward. Holy Spirit do not let me forget. Amen.

Song:
Standing on the Promises
Words and Music: R. Kelso Carter

1. Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Through eternal ages let His praises ring;
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain:
Standing, standing, Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing, I’m Standing on the promises of God.

2. Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the Living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain:

3. Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
Bound to eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain

4. Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
List’ning every moment to the Spirit’s call,
Resting in my Savior as my all in all,
Standing on the promises of God.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, February

February 8, 2017

Craftsmanship

Craftsmanship is a characteristic of the people of God.
Since the time of Moses it has been noted that God’s people do good work. In the days of the Old Testament, God used slavery in Egypt to transform His people from herdsmen to craftsmen. Under our blessed New Covenant, God’s people are still commanded to do good work because our craftsmanship is both worship and witness. Using the most inclusive of all terms, “whatsoever,” Paul declares that our work can and should be done as worship to the Lord. Jesus said that our good deeds (our work ethic) would be a constant witness to our Father in heaven.

The Image of God in Us
A biblical term for work is craftsmanship. It is part of imago dei, the image of God in us. God is The Maker and he has made each of us with a deep desire to make something out of our lives. Just about anything we do can be described in terms of “making:” homemaking, making repairs, making scholars, making musicians, making disciples, making sales, making deals, making an organization, etc.

Each kind of work has its own set of basic skills that must be mastered if one is to become a true craftsman. Each craft also has its own language and laws, principles and processes that must be learned. This process establishes an intergenerational structure of teaching, mentoring, and apprenticeship. The training time is as important as the lifetime we will spend making things.

Today, work has often been severed from worship and witness.
We tend to see our jobs as just a means to a paycheck or a career. In truth each of us has a calling, a life’s work that God has chosen us to do. We may make a living at it, or it may be a service to God and Mankind done after hours, but we have something God expects us to do.

Not for salvation, but for praise.
It is clear that we do not enter into this craft to earn our salvation. Judgment day will not being a balancing of our good works against our sins to gain entrance through Peter’s heavenly gate. That balance was done at a place call Calvary. If we have repented of our sins and confessed the Lordship of Christ, His perfect record has been applied to our name in heaven’s books.

We have holy work to do for better reasons than getting into heaven:

  • We want to please the Lord every day.
  • We want to obey Him in every way.
  • We want to advance His Kingdom.
  • We want to see His mercy, grace, and healing flow like a healing stream through this hurting world.

Today, whether you are in the training stage or you are a productive craftsman, do your work well. It is an act of worship and the work of your life is a shining witness to the love of the Father.

Scriptures:
Exodus 31:1-7; 35:35
Then the LORD said to Moses, “See, I have chosen Bezalel… and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts–to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship. Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab… to help him. Also I have given skill to all the craftsmen to make everything I have commanded you… filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as craftsmen, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers–all of them master craftsmen and designers.
Romans 12:6-8
We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
Colossians 3:17; 23-25
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.
Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, the Psalmist prayed the words of his mouth and the meditation of his heart would be acceptable in Your sight. I echo that timeless petition and I add this: let the work of my hands be pleasing to You and speak well of You to others. Give me such an integrity deep in my spirit, that it would be seen in my work. If there are problems, the Holy Spirit knows the solutions and He lives in me. Show me the answers so that I might be a problem solver in my work and not a problem causer. Guard my heart from pride in my work, for I would be misguided and mistaken to think that I am more than I am. I am Your servant, sent among men to do a work for You. I am awed by this privilege. In the Holiest Name, Amen.

Song:
In the Service of the King
Words: Alfred Ackley; Music: Bentley Ackley

1. I am happy in the service of the King. I am happy, Oh so happy;
I have peace and joy that nothing else can bring, In the service of the King.

Refrain:
In the service of the King, Every talent I will bring;
I have peace and joy and blessing in the service of the King.

2. I am happy in the service of the King. I am happy, Oh so happy;
Through the sunshine and the shadow I can sing, in the service of the King.

Refrain

3. I am happy in the service of the King. I am happy, Oh so happy;
To His guiding hand forever I will cling, in the service of the King.

Refrain

4. I am happy in the service of the King. I am happy, Oh so happy;
All that I possess to Him I gladly bring, in the service of the King.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, February

February 6, 2017

Boundaries

Life is organized by boundaries.
Borders define nations. Standards of behavior define morality. Boundaries express and enable covenantal agreements. Think of traffic lanes on the highway. On a two-lane road a thin boundary divides the road into the two lanes. Even if the white line is broken into short stripes, it rules the road. Because of this agreement, we are unafraid of traveling nine miles above the speed limit (ten miles over might get us a ticket) with oncoming cars just inches away. Covenantal boundaries and rules make our highways safe at amazing speeds.

This is the power of boundaries.
Even in these “anything goes” times, teens are able to manage their hormonal surges When they have behavioral boundaries—there are things they will not do. Perhaps the boundaries are set from an internal sense of propriety or by carefully taught moral principles from the home or the church, but these unseen borders can keep youth sexually pure until a marriage contract draws delightful new boundaries for them.

Boundaries are necessities on the Path of Life.
The ancient words of Psalm 16 praise the Lord for the life-boundaries His covenant people enjoy.

“The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.”

Boundaries are born in reality. I grew up in a small Delta town on the Arkansas side of the Mississippi River–now there is a boundary! For more than a century of civilization people of the town of Helena had to cross the River by boat. When I was about 11 years old a magnificent bridge was built to span the mighty stream in all seasons of the year from the highest spring floods to the winter days when the temperatures and the waters were low enough for the river to freeze. Cars no longer needed to ride on the slippery decks if a dangerous ferry boat called The Pelican.

Another Dangerous River
When sin entered the human story, a wide and raging river carved a deep and dangerous boundary between our heart and the heart of God. For centuries the world had the nation of Israel as a witness to the One True God. The nation of Israel had the Law and a system of worship wherein the blood of innocent animals paid the high price of transit across the river. This ancient grace stood on pillars of the promise of some future Redeemer Who would come and build a bridge.

A Better Bridge
Jesus is that Redeemer. He has bridged the raging river for us and now we have ready access to the heart of God. Sin no longer needs to separate us from the God we need and love.

“The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.”

Indeed.

Scriptures:
Psalm 16:5-11 NIV
LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Psalm 74:12-17 NIV
But you, O God, are my king from of old; you bring salvation upon the earth. It was you who split open the sea by your power; you broke the heads of the monster in the waters. It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan and gave him as food to the creatures of the desert. It was you who opened up springs and streams; you dried up the ever flowing rivers. The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon. It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.
John 14:6 NIV
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Hebrews 10:19-22 NIV
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith…

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I owe You so much! My life, my salvation, my destiny, all come from You and through You. You are the bridge spanning boundary of my sin. Your Word gives me clear boundaries of behavior. Through the Bible I know what pleases You and blesses me and I can clearly see the sins that would grieve You and harm me. Your binding covenant marks the lane in which I should travel, warning me of curves and hills and hazards of all kinds. Your faithfulness to Your promises is my security. Yes, the boundaries of my life do occupy good and pleasant places. Thank You, Father, in Jesus’ Name.

Song:
Nothing Between
Words and Music: Charles A. Tindey

1. Nothing between my soul and the Savior,
Naught of this world’s delusive dream;
I have renounced all sinful pleasure,
Jesus is mine; there’s nothing between.

Refrain:
Nothing between my soul and the Savior,
So that His blessed face may be seen;
Nothing preventing the least of His favor,
Keep the way clear with nothing between.

2. Nothing between like worldly pleasure,
habit of life, though harmless the seem,
Must not my heart from Him ever sever,
He is my all, there’s nothing between.

Refrain

3. Nothing between, like pride or station;
Self or friend shall not intervene;
Though it may cost me much tribulation,
I am resolved, there’s nothing between.

Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, February

February 4, 2017

Tranquility

There are three kinds of tranquility:

  1. The kind we imagine when life is anything but tranquil,
  2. The kind we enjoy when living is easy, and
  3. The real thing, a tranquility based in the facts of faith.

God gave each of us a powerful imagination.
As children we commute from the real world of grownups and ordinary things to the world created by our imagination with its surprising shapes, colors, characters and happenings seen only through our childish eyes. Grumpy adults call it day-dreaming and continually require us to awaken and come back to the world of their reality.

Why are we grumpy?

Life—reality—called us one too many times and we never found our way back to the tranquility of our day-dreams. Our imaginations were forced to live on in symbols in our dreams, dancing with our fears or celebrating our hopes, but forgotten when the alarm clock sounds.

Sometimes stories, in print or on the screen, beckon to our long-neglected imaginations to live vicariously with

  • heroes and anti-heroes,
  • maidens in distress and strong women making it big in a man’s world,
  • animals so familiar in their four-legged humanity that we understand them perfectly, or
  • even monsters and villains we love to hate as they trample the cities of our imaginary worlds or threaten to topple the fail-safe structures of our imaginary civilizations.

But none of the tranquility of escapism is really ours. Soon the book is closed, or the credits roll and it is back to real life and its troubles still there waiting for our return, problems still unsolved, dilemmas still undecided, pain never soothed, bills unpaid, and conflicts still raging.

We long for more than this.
In quite moments before sleep overtakes us, we think of tranquil places we have known, images of home, of yesteryear, of childhood or school days when life was simple and fun. Those memories lull us to sleep where dreams deal with our fears in more fantastical ways. It is strange that memories of peace give way so readily to frightful dreams, but this is the fleeting, shadowy world of tranquility as a sleepy time exercise.

The Real Thing
There are days when real tranquility is our lot for a day. No conflicts threaten the peace we feel. Bills are paid. Pain is gone. Work is going along nicely, thank you, and the ones we love appear to love us right back. We want to memorize moments like these so we can hold them in our minds forever and recall them when we need them.

Going Deeper
There is a tranquility that does not spring from either the circumstances of life or our imagination; there is a real tranquility of the spirit. This tranquility speaks from the deepest part of us regardless of what our list of “things to do today” may hold—disasters, dreams, or delightful prospects.

This tranquility is based on the facts of our faith in God.

  • God loves us just as we are.
  • God has redeemed us as He found us and is transforming us into His likeness.
  • God has hemmed us in behind and before and has laid His hand on us.
  • No weapon formed against us shall prosper.
  • He knows the future and is already there.
  • God is One who keeps His covenant promises.

Let the seasons of life change the color of the landscape before us. Let the leaves bud, wave green in the summer wind, dry and die in autumn, and huddle to the ground in winter. We are blessed evergreen trees flourishing throughout the years of our lives. This reality is our tranquility, safe from storm, stealth, and savagery, because its source is the unchanging, unassailable character of God.

Scriptures:
John 14:27 NIV
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.
Matthew 7:24-25 NIV
“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.
Isaiah 26:3-4 AMP
You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You. So trust in the Lord (commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope confidently in Him) forever; for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages].
Colossians 3:15 NIV
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

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.

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

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, February

February 3, 2017

Advancement

However it is measured, daily progress is to be desired.
It is important to us to feel that we have advanced the cause of our lives, the purpose God has for us, and the dream or vision the Holy Spirit has given to us. At the beginning of the day we pray for advancement in these things. At the end of the day we look back, hoping to measure the advancement of the day. If we see progress, we can go to sleep dreaming of tomorrow’s tasks. If the day has been one of setbacks or frustrations, we worry ourselves to sleep searching our memories for unseen flaws of technique or hidden causes of the random nonsense that robbed the day of measurable progress.

Give it time.
Advancement isn’t always easy to judge. Many times what we need is a greater time reference than a single day. What may seem like a setback today may prove to be a necessary course correction in a few days. With time, frustrations can lead us to new understandings of the task we are attempting. Even people who we think have hindered our advancement may turn out to be friends not enemies, helpers, not hinderers.

To gain this more accurate perspective, we must pull the camera of our analysis of our work back to a wider view. It is possible that the energy we pour into worrying about an unproductive day may be wasted. Things can look completely different from a longer viewpoint. Tossing in bed and constant adjustment of our pillow can be relieved by reflecting on how the Lord Himself might judge the day just past.

Paul encourages us to ruminate, not on the possible setbacks of the day, but on the final victory in Christ that is guaranteed in the Covenantal Promises of God.

“…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose”

Remember the Promises.
As we meditate on the promises of God, the energies wasted on worry can be more profitably spent on

  • praise in advance for what God has promised to do,
  • thanksgiving for what God has already done,
  • anticipation of what tomorrow may bring, and
  • confidence in God to see us through.

Perhaps it is time to replace our hunger for advancement with a quiet confidence in faithfulness.

We cannot always sense advancement, but we can always be faithful. If we have been faithful, we have advanced the cause of Christ.

It may be that we have to look to the right or the left to judge our progress. This is useful, but all we need is a glance or two. Keep looking up

  • to the vision,
  • to the dream,
  • to the prize, and most of all,
  • to the Lord.

True advancement comes only from Him.

Scriptures:
Psalm 75:6-7
No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt a man. But it is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another.
Proverbs 4:25-27
Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.
Isaiah 30:19-21
O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
Galatians 6:9-10
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I take a constant delight in You. As I do You shape the desires deep in my heart. I long for each day to be one of progress, ever higher, ever deeper, ever greater and all of this in Your will and love for me. Help this day to be one of advancement—advancement of Your splendid Kingdom. Help me move in Righteousness for Your cause does not advance through sloth or wickedness. Help me operate from a base of profound Peace with no anxiety in my mind or fear in my heart. Strengthen me with the Joy of the Holy Spirit which gives me Your power for the tasks before me. For Your Kingdom’s sake, Amen.

Song:
Higher Ground
Words: Johnson Oatman; Music: Charles Gabriel

1. I’m pressing on the upward way, New heights I’m gaining everyday;
Still praying as I’m homeward bound, “Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”

Refrain:
Lord, lift me up and let me stand,
By faith on heaven’s tableland,
A higher plane than I have found;
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

2. My heart has no desire to stay Where doubts arise and fear dismay;
Though some may dwell were these about, My prayer, my aim, is higher ground.

Refrain

3. I want to live above the world, Though Satan’s darts at me are hurled;
For faith has heard the joyful sound, The song of saints on higher ground.

Refrain

4. I want to scale the utmost height, and catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I’ll pray till Heaven I’ve found, “Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”

Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, January

January 31

Worship

Today is a day for worship.
It is the day the Lord has made! Yesterday we discussed the call to rest to the refreshing of our bodies, minds, and hearts. We must garner our strength for what we have the honor to do today. We will worship. We will minister to the Lord! He has filled us to overflowing, so we will let our thanksgiving and adoration overflow. He has been faithful to us, so we will be faithful to Him on His day. He has ministered to us and now we will minister to Him.

What does it mean to minister to God?
It is very different from the common understanding of ministry. We have learned to think in terms of the strong ministering to the weak. If that were the only way ministry flowed—from the strong to the weak, the able to the unable, the rich to the poor, the well to the sick—it would make no sense to say that we can minister to the Lord. He is never weak or unable or poor or sick, and if He were, we would be powerless to help Him.

But worship is ministry to the Lord.
We who are weak respond to His strength. Because we are unable, we rejoice in His limitless ability. In our poverty, we extol his vast riches—not the paltry residue of earthly commerce, but the priceless resources of all creation. We press through our illness to touch the hem of His garment and as our worship flows to Him, His healing flows to us.

Just as a child can delight the heart of a loving parent, the Lord Jesus delights in our gratitude. He takes joy in our offerings of music and speech when they emanate from a sincere heart. He responds to our worship just as He did the alabaster jar Mary of Bethany lavished on Him. “Leave her alone! She has done a beautiful thing to me. She has done what she could.”

It is amazing to think that we can minister to the Lord. We can do this incredible thing because He has ministered to us. He has taken away our sins. He has given us His Spirit to dwell in sweet communion with our spirits. His loving-kindness has brought us to this day—a day to minster to the Lord, to give him the glory due His name and to worship Him in the splendor of His holiness.

Scriptures:
Psalm 29:1-2 NKJV
Give unto the LORD, O you mighty ones, Give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
Hebrews 13:15-16
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise-the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I hear much talk about worship these days, what people like and don’t like, what they want and don’t want. You know my heart. You know my list of what I like and want; there is no need to pretend you don’t know these things. What I like and what I want in today’s worship will be the very first thing I will sacrifice to you. Take my preferences and my expectations of men and burn them on Your altar of fire. Holy Spirit help me keep my focus on Jesus. Enable me to set my affections on Jesus. I want to open my heart to You and empty it of all it contains. Then, may You fill it with nothing but passion for You. All for You, Lord Jesus, Amen.

Song:
I Worship You, Almighty God
Words and Music: Sondra Corbett

I worship You, Almighty God, There is none like You.
I worship You, O Prince of peace, That is what I want to do.
I give You praise for You are my righteousness.
I worship You, Almighty God, There is none like You.

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