Pathways Press.com

Written by Vivian Bricker, a contemporary writer.

Have you ever felt so stressed out that you were at your breaking point? Maybe you were going through a divorce, you failed a test at college, or you simply felt anxious about the future. Did you know that it doesn’t have to be this way? If somebody told you today that you could have lasting peace, would you accept it? … The peace that Jesus has given us will never fade away nor can it be taken away. Even if everything around us is falling apart, His peace still remains. While it might take some time before you fully embrace His peace, it is already waiting for you. Go to Him today and tell Him about your feelings. All of your anxieties, worries, and fears, lay them at His feet. Jesus knows this world is full of hardships and troubles, and He is always more than happy to help us.

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” [John 14:27]

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Written by George MacDonald (1824-1905), a Scottish author, poet, and minister.

To trust in spite of the look of being forsaken; to keep crying out into the vast, whence comes no returning voice, and where seems no hearing; to see the machinery of the world pauselessly grinding on as if self-moved, caring for no life, nor shifting a hair-breadth for all entreaty, and yet believe that God is awake and utterly loving; to desire nothing but what comes meant for us from His hand; to wait patiently, ready to die of hunger, fearing only lest faith should fail–such is the victory that overcometh the world, such is faith indeed.

This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.[1 John 5:4]

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Written by Ken Boa, a contemporary author and founder of Reflections Ministry.

If you are walking down a crowded sidewalk in midtown Manhattan on your way to a lunch appointment, “being seen” has relatively little value. Why? Because you don’t feel lost. If New York City is your home, you have friends there, and you are (or at least feel) secure in that environment. But if your situation in life changes—perhaps you are adrift on a disabled boat a few miles offshore in the Pacific Ocean—“being seen” may become your highest value in life. You wave frantically at every blip on the horizon or in the heavens, hoping to catch someone’s eye. Once you have caught the attention of a search plane or a passing vessel and you see it turning back in your direction, you know you are safe because you have been seen. Being seen by someone with the power to save you is the same as being saved—you know it’s only a matter of time… Perhaps you have felt emotionally shipwrecked, or lost and abandoned in a wilderness of circumstances, feelings, or conflicts. Don’t despair in those situations… God sees you. Nothing—and no one—escapes His attention. To be seen is to be found, and to be found is to be safe. God’s promise:  No matter how alone you feel, you are never out of His sight.

So she [Hagar] called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.” [Genesis 16:13]

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Written by Mark Roberts, a contemporary writer.

When Jesus calls his first disciples, Simon and Andrew, then James and John, he calls them away from their work (fishing for fish) and into a new line of work (fishing for people). If we are going to follow Jesus faithfully, should we leave our jobs and take on new employment?…Though the earliest disciples of Jesus did give up their jobs to follow him, that wasn’t true of all first-century followers of Jesus… Often, indeed, most of the time, the call of Jesus does not require the leaving of our jobs. Rather, it invites us to see our work in a whole new light and to do our work for a whole new purpose. Following Jesus fills our “ordinary work” with new meaning and energy. Or, better yet, when we follow Jesus fully and faithfully, there is no “ordinary work.” …  The example of the Apostle Paul helps us realize that following Jesus does not necessarily mean we give up our careers or our occupations. Paul was a “full-time craftsman,” a leatherworker who often used his skills to make tents. Usually, therefore, we refer to Paul as a tentmaker. During most of his apostolic efforts, Paul worked long hours in his craft, using his work to support himself and as a platform for sharing the gospel. The example of Paul helps us realize that following Jesus does not necessarily mean we give up our careers or our occupations. But, if we follow Jesus faithfully, then how we live and how we work will be radically altered, even if we remain in the same jobs we had before saying “Yes” to Jesus.

As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him. [Mark 1:19-20]

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Written by the Lead Like Jesus team, an organization founded by Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges that promotes a transformational leadership model based on following Jesus.

Although the name of God is not found in the book of Esther, God’s shaping of her life and impact is evident throughout her story. Perhaps, like Esther, you find yourself struggling to know how He wants you to live for Him in the midst of great opposition. Let Esther’s example shape your strategy. Draw trusted companions alongside you, pray, and follow the advice of godly mentors. Trust Him to lead your way.

Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish. [Esther 4:15-16]

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Written by Bill Gaultiere, a contemporary psychologist and co-founder of Soul Shepherding.

Have you considered that Jesus, our Savior and the risen Christ, is with you in this very moment? This means that Jesus is with you when…You wake up in the morning. You drink your coffee. You meditate on Scripture and pray. You drive to work. You check your emails and attend meetings. You run errands. You eat dinner. You spend time with friends. You watch a movie with your family. You read a book to wind down before bed. You lay your head down to go to sleep. Jesus is present to care for you and guide you in all of your ordinary life. Yet all of us know it’s easy to forget this.  Often we let the busyness and hurry of our schedules overshadow the reality of living with Jesus in the Kingdom of God. The Good Shepherd is present always and wants to participate in all your daily activities. He cares about what you care about and wants to partner with you.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. [1 Peter 5:7] 

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Written by George Whitefield (1714-1770), an English Anglican minister and preacher and one of the founders of Methodism.

Let your obedience be constant, universal, and uniform, founded on a living faith in Christ Jesus, that by well-doing you may put to silence the slanders of foolish and evil men. Let your speech, and all your actions, manifest whose disciples you are. Confess your Lord publicly before men, and be not afraid to tell those that have ears to hear, what God has done for your souls. It is good to keep close the secrets of a king, but it is honorable to reveal the works of the Almighty. Above all things, my brethren, have fervent charity among yourselves. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Bear ye one another’s burden and so fulfil the law of Christ. [Galatians 6:2]

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Written by John Newton (1725-1807), an English evangelical Anglican cleric and slavery abolitionist.

The two great points we are called to pursue in this sinful divided world, are peace and holiness…these are the peculiar characteristics of a disciple of Jesus, they are the richest part of the enjoyments of heaven; and so far as they are received into the heart, they bring down heaven upon earth.

Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. [Hebrews 12:14]

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Written by Thomas Upham (1799-1872), an American philosopher, psychologist, pacifist, poet, author, and educator. He was an important figure in the Holiness Movement.

Be willing to live by believing and neither think nor desire to live in any other way. Be willing to see every outward light extinguished, to see the eclipse of every star in the blue heavens, leaving nothing but darkness and perils around, if God will only leave in thy soul the inner radiance, the pure bright lamp which faith has kindled.

Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe? All things are possible for one who believes. [Mark 9:23]

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Written by Arthur Jackson, a contemporary pastor and writer.

The horrors of September 11, 2001, are forever etched in our collective consciousness. On what started as a normal September day, the nation was shocked as reports of hijacked jets being used as weapons of destruction spread around the world. We as a people were plunged into confusion, simultaneously brought to our senses and to our knees in prayer. In our lives there are days and seasons when it feels like “earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea” (Psalm 46:2); when “the oceans roar and foam” and “the mountains tremble as the waters surge” (v. 3). As much as we would like to, we cannot escape the mind-numbing, life-altering situations that we’d rather avoid. Psalm 46 speaks to people of faith faced with extreme circumstances. Despite the calamities, these poetic expressions of faith and trust prevail in view of God’ power and presence. He “is our refuge and strength” (v. 1). Though earthshaking events may invade our lives, our faith in God need not be shaken. “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress” (v. 11). May we be able to see clearly through the turmoil and tears and frayed emotions to understand that the presence of trouble doesn’t mean the absence of God. According to Psalm 46, it’s just the opposite.

Be still, and know that I am God! [Psalm 46:10]

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