Pathways Press.com

MEDITATION:

Written by Thomas R. Hawkins, a contemporary author and retired university professor and pastor.  This is an excerpt from his book “The Potter and the Clay.”

The closer we draw to others, the closer we draw to God. The farther away we move from God, the farther we move from others…When we are willing to abandon ourselves and to fling ourselves outward in compassion and in service, we find that we have made room not just for others in our lives but also for God in our hearts. The energy that we had massed in our own little center is spent on others, leaving an open space where God may enter. From this same God-infused center also flows the renewing energy that allows us to keep loving and serving in the world. This is why John Wesley affirmed that true faith issues in good works. It is also why Baron von Hugel ordered his spiritual directee, Evelyn Underhill, to serve several days a week in a skid row soup kitchen when she was having trouble with her spiritual life. True obedience, then is both a listening to what we hear within us and to what we hear beyond us. It is being attentive to those we encounter in our daily lives. It is creating the empty, open space within us where we can hear God speak.

PRAYER:

Written by Izwe Nkosi, a contemporary South African author, passionate about worship and prayer.

Lord, I yield to your invitation to be one of your donkeys. To embrace being unimpressive. To make space for the gentle power of your presence with me in the ordinary moments of my day. Amen.

Read Full Post »

MEDITATION:

Written by Tilden H. Edwards, a contemporary Episcopal priest, author, and founder of the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation. This is an excerpt from his book “Living with Apocalypse.”

Spiritual awareness for Christians, at its fullest, means seeing life through God’s sound eye. We could use other senses to describe this awareness: hearing life through God’s ear, touching life through God’s strength, feeling life through God’s compassion Jesus revealed our incredible intimacy with the infinite one we call God, so we can dare to speak of being God’s senses in the world. Paul called us to live in the mind of Christ so fully that we can say with him, “Not I, but Christ, lives in me.” The “I” that no longer lives then is the one that sees itself as an ultimately self-willed, self-centered being. The new “I”: is one that lives moment by moment in the awareness that we are an intimate and unique expression of God’s joy and compassion, living freely by grace, called to reverberate the joy and compassion, utterly interdependent with Creator and creation. 

PRAYER:

Written by Brigid of Kildare (451-525), one of Ireland’s patron saints, a nun and foundress of several monasteries of nuns.

I arise today

Through a mighty strength:

God’s power to guide me,

God’s might to uphold me,

God’s eyes to watch over me;

God’s ear to hear me,

God’s word to give me speech,

God’s hand to guard me,

God’s way to lie before me,

God’s shield to shelter me,

God’s host to secure me. Amen.

Read Full Post »

MEDITATION:

Written by John Calvin (1509-1564), a French theologian, pastor and reformer in Geneva during the Protestant reformation.

Nearly all wisdom we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves. But, while joined by many bonds, which one precedes and bring forth the other is not easy to discern. In the first place, no one can look upon [oneself] without immediately turning…thoughts to the contemplation of God, in whom [one] “lives and moves.” For, quite clearly, the mighty gifts with which we are endowed are hardly from ourselves; indeed, our very being is nothing but subsistence in the one God.

PRAYER:

This prayer is from the Gallican Sacramentary, an historical version of Christian liturgy withing the Latin church in the 1st millennium.

O Lord, give me purity of lips, a clean and innocent heart, and rightness of action.

Give me humility, patience, abstinence, chastity, prudence, justice, courage and self-control.

Give me the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and godliness, and of your fear.

Always lead me to seek your face with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind. Let me have a contrite and humble heart in your presence—to prefer nothing to your love.

Most high, eternal, and ineffable Wisdom, drive away from me the darkness of blindness and ignorance. Most high and eternal Strength, rescue me. Most high and eternal Courage, help me. Most high and incomprehensible Light, illuminate me, Most high and infinite Mercy, have mercy on me. Amen.

Read Full Post »

MEDITATION:

Today’s devotion  is from the “Our Daily Bread” Mountain Life devotional.

The reason we often lack peace is that we are prone to put our eyes on everything but God. God wants us to experience His peace at all times. Isaiah 26:3 lets us know that the way we access God’s peace is by keeping our mind on Him. We all have times when the circumstances of life are overwhelming to us; at these times we will instantly lose our peace, unless we have anchored our souls on God. A steady gaze on God will steady us when the problems of this life are seemingly too much for us. One of the greatest reasons to renew and restore our faith in God is that our problems are not too big for Him! As we fix our gaze on Him, and in so doing realize how big He is, our problems shrink in comparison and our souls are endowed with His peace.

So what one problem or challenge has you in a state of anxiety or undue stress these days? Can you name it? Whatever it is, the promise of God’s peace through God’s presence is exactly what most of us need right now. Let’s all slow down and put our mind on God and His greatness! His Love! His goodness! His mercy! His grace! His kindness! His righteousness! His holiness! His justice! His majesty! I have a hunch that when we do, our anxiety will greatly shrink, or disappear completely, in the wonderful reality that it is our BIG God, Who IS with us, who WILL see us through, and Who WILL give us a peace beyond human understanding! May the Peace of Jesus be yours today!

PRAYER:

Written by Richard John Neuhaus (1936-2009), a Christian cleric and writer.

Open, we pray you, heavenly Father, our eyes to see and our ears to hear your Word, who is Jesus Christ, true God and true man. Send your Spirit upon us. Embrace us and hold us close within the Trinity of your love, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Thus, may we, according to your gift of faith, trust the fulfillment of all your promises. Amen.

Read Full Post »

MEDITATION:

Written by Augustine of Hippo (354-430), a Christian theologian credited with greatly influencing Christian thought and theology. The following is excerpted from his book “Confessions,” considered the first autobiography and one of the greatest Christian works ever written.

The life which we live here has its own peculiar attractiveness because it has a certain measure of decorum of its own and a harmony with all these inferior values. The bond of human friendship has a sweetness of its own, binding many souls together as one. Yet because of these values, sin is committed, because we have an inordinate reference for these goods of a lower order and neglect the better and the higher good – neglecting you, our Lord God, and your truth and your law. For these inferior values have their delights, but not at all equal to my God, who made them all. For in him do the righteous delight and he is the sweetness of the upright in heart…Rest in him and you shall be at rest…the good that you love is from him, and insofar as it is also for him, it is both good and pleasant. But it will rightly be turned to bitterness if whatever comes from him is not rightly loved and if he is deserted for the love of the creature. Why then will you wander farther and farther in these difficult and toilsome ways? There is no rest where you seek it. Seek what you seek; but remember that it is not where you seek it. You seek for a blessed life in the land of death. It is not there. For how can there be a blessed life where life itself is not?… For there is a joy not granted to the wicked but only to those who worship you thankfully – and this joy you yourself are. The happy life is this – to rejoice to you, in you, and for you. That is it and there is no other. But those who think there is another follow after other joys, and not the true one. But their will is still not moved except by some image or shadow of joy….For wherever the human soul turns itself, unless toward you [God], it is enmeshed in sorrows, even though it is surrounded by beautiful things outside you and outside itself…Restless is our heart until it comes to rest in you.

PRAYER:

Written by Rachel Marie Stone, a contemporary writer, editor, and speaker.

Lord God, you loved this world so much that you gave your one and only Son, that we might be called your children too. Lord, help us to live in the gladness and grace of Easter Sunday, every day. Let us have hearts of thankfulness for your sacrifice. Let us have eyes that look upon your grace and rejoice in our salvation. Help us to walk in that mighty grace and tell your good news to the world. All for your glory do we pray, Lord, Amen.

Read Full Post »

MEDITATION:

This is an excerpt from the “C.S. Lewis and Joy” Devotional, a reading plan from Lewis’ book “Shadowlands and Songs of Light.”

In C. S. Lewis’ autobiography, Surprised by Joy, he tells of experiencing an other-worldly joy ─ a specific Joy that defies our modern understanding. This idea of Joy is not a satisfied desire but an unsatisfied desire ─ a deep longing for God, a hungry pursuit of God’s heart that never ends and is more satisfying than any earthly happiness. In Shadowlands and Songs of Light, Lewis writes: “Joy—that sharp, wonderful Stab of Longing—has a lithe, muscular lightness to it. It’s deft. It produces longing that weighs heavy on the heart, but it does so with precision and coordination…It dashes in with the agility of a hummingbird claiming its nectar from the flower, and then zips away. It pricks, then vanishes, leaving a wake of mystery and longing behind it.”

Lewis recalls three seemingly trivial and disconnected events with a common thread: he experienced a sudden, piercing pang of longing ─ a bittersweet ache and yearning for something far-off, other-worldly, and unnamed during each event. He would later recognize these sudden aches of longing: a deep spiritual hunger for God ─ not just for an intellectual knowledge of God, but for a real relationship with Him. These deep longings in Lewis’ life ─ these stabs of Joy ─ worked as flashing sign-markers pointing him down the path toward Christ. True Joy, as Lewis presents it to us, is the ache for something beyond this world. The Holy Spirit uses this restlessness to awaken spiritual hunger. When little moments of life ─ like the way the light falls on a summer evening ─ stir you with a deep longing that’s hard to define, don’t look to earthly pursuits to fill the void. Instead, allow the ache to push you deeper into your relationship with God. Pursue Him. Allow that longing for Him to become the hottest fire in your heart.

PRAYER:

From the Mozarabic Rite, a liturgical rite of the Latin Church once used generally in the Iberian Peninsula (Hispania), in what is now Spain and Portugal.  Developed during Visigoth (Arian Christian) rule of the Iberian peninsula  in the 500s AD.

Jesus our Master,

walk with us on the road

as we yearn to reach the heavenly country,

so that following your light,

we may stay on the way of righteousness

and never wander in the horrible darkness of this world’s night

while you, the way, the truth, and the life,

are shining within us.

Read Full Post »

MEDITATION:

Written by Rachael Carmen, a contemporary author and speaker.

Worry, fear and anxiety are the responses our flesh gives. When the Joy of the Lord is our strength, we respond in the Spirit and in hope, faith, and love.  These traits come from daily walking in the Spirit. This daily walking in the spirit is crucial to our responses in life. The more time you spend with the Lord, the more time you spend pouring over the Word and communing with Him in prayer, the more our responses will be Spirit led. We can also memorize God’s Word so that we have it like a shield around our heart for our darkest and hardest days.

As God becomes our focus, our eyes will shift from the temporal to the eternal. Yes, we will still have days that we struggle, but we will also have the tools we need to combat the very real battle that is going on in our lives But, even still, there will be hard days. And our strength and joy will rise as we wait on God. We don’t always understand the why in the waiting– and joy is hard in those places. Yet joy isn’t based on our circumstances but on our relationship and the knowledge we have it that relationship with God.

PRAYER:

Written by Rachael Carmen,the author of today’s meditation.

 Father, help us to remember that it is through your death on the cross that we can find total and complete joy. It is a gift that is given freely to us, if we accept it. Help us to make a point each and every day to count it all a joy, even in the trials of life. Also, Lord help us to pass our joy unspeakable and full of glory to everyone we meet.  In your name, Amen.

Read Full Post »

MEDITATION:

Written by A.W. Tozer (1897-1963), an American pastor, author, magazine editor, and spiritual mentor.

The Christian owes it to the world to be supernaturally joyful. In this day of universal apprehension when men’s hearts are failing them for fear of those things that are coming upon the earth, we Christians are strategically placed to display a happiness that is not of this world and to exhibit a tranquility that will be a little bit of heaven here below. All this takes for granted that sin has been dealt with by sincere repentance and thorough amendment of life. It assumes that we are walking in the light of truth, for true joy cannot be artificially induced. The “keep smiling” school of applied psychology is not even remotely related to the true faith of Christ. The chief fun of the comedian and the good humor of the wit who is the life of the party are like flowers growing on old graves, briefly interesting, but evanescent and always touched with sadness. But the fountain of Christian joy flows out from the throne of God, pure, refreshing and sweet everlastingly.

PRAYER:

Written by Calvin Hoogendoorn, a contemporary pastor.

 Lord, protect me from believing that human achievement can refine your gift of joy. Help me to praise your name, rest in your love, and trust in you alone as Savior. Amen.

Read Full Post »

MEDITATION:

Written by Calvin Hoogendoorn, a contemporary pastor.

Joy is a precious gift. It is so precious that it must be protected from forces that suppress it. In fact, Paul’s tone exudes urgency as he calls believers to be vigilant about guarding their spiritual birthright. The words “rejoice in the Lord” can also be interpreted to mean “let the Lord be the one who makes you happy” or “find your joy in him and in him alone.”

The great threat to real joy is the belief that joy is either a reward for good work or the fruit of a combination of God’s love and human achievement. The Bible, however, directs us to ask, “With what shall I come before the LORD … ?” (Micah 6:6). The answer is “Nothing—nothing but my sin and emptiness.” I have nothing that deserves the Lord’s reward and his joy. Joy is a gift, the fruit of salvation in Jesus Christ. The Bible considers any other perspective a betrayal of the gospel. No wonder Paul says, “Watch out.” God desires that we place our confidence in the gracious character and loving work of Jesus Christ alone. The psalmist says, “Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man’s behalf! … Come, let us rejoice in him” (Psalm 66:5-6). Be vigilant in protecting your joy in Jesus Christ!

PRAYER:

Augustine of Hippo (354-430), an early Christian theologian and philosopher. He was the bishop of Hippo Regius (modern day Annaba, Algeria) and is viewed as one of the most important church fathers in Western Christianity.

Rejoice now, heavenly hosts and choirs of angels.  Rejoice now, all the whole earth, bright with a glorious splendor. Rejoice and be glad now, Mother Church, and let your holy courts in radiant light, resound with the praises of your people. For in Christ’s ressurection, joy has come to the whole earth. Amen.

Read Full Post »

MEDITATION:

Written by Bill Sytsma, a contemporary pastor and author.

The metallic, grinding sound was painful to hear. As I looked at my driving instructor, he stated flatly, “If it makes that kind of noise, something is wrong.” It should have been obvious. Even though I was just learning how to drive with a stick shift (manual transmission), I should have known that. The grinding noise indicated a problem. In Psalm 51, the psalmist points out a nagging sound in his walk with God that indicated something was wrong. Sin in his life had caused disharmony with God—and, because of that, the joy of his salvation was lacking. The lack of joy is a grinding sound that indicates something is wrong. When everything is working properly in a vehicle, there is a quiet, powerful rumbling of the engine that is not overwhelmed by grinding. When everything is harmonious in our walk with God, joy is present. That is the way it is supposed to be. If our walk with God is cluttered with sin, joy will be lacking. If we believe our walk with God is something that we dutifully and begrudgingly approach by fulfilling legalistic obligations, joy will be lacking. The lack of joy is an indication that something is wrong. God created us to know him and to enjoy his presence. When we develop habits that help us walk in step with God, we will know the joy of his presence.

PRAYER:

From the Mozarabic Rite, a liturgical rite of the Latin Church once used generally in the Iberian Peninsula (Hispania), in what is now Spain and Portugal.  Developed during Visigoth (Arian Christian) rule of the Iberian peninsula  in the 500s AD.

The heavens are shining with the clear beauty of the stars, O Lord,

and the very earth is made beautiful by a shining light,

because you appeared to the world

from your holy dwelling place.

Remove from our hearts all sadness,

for you came for this,

to make all things new.

Enlighten our eyes to purify us

that we may behold you forever,

that we who preach to the nations the glad joys of your glad

appearing may be made

with you in infinite joy.  Amen.

Read Full Post »