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Written by Chris Webb, a contemporary Benedictine Anglican priest, author, speaker, and teacher. This is an excerpt from his work “To Bear the Character of God.”

The great twelfth-century Dominican writer Thomas Aquinas …  made the startling assertion that love was more than the goal of Christian perfection: it is the fundamental power behind the created order. Just as physicists probe sub-atomic structure to identify the basic forces and particles that make up this physical universe, so Aquinas probed to the depths of Christian theology to identify the driving energy behind creation itself. In the end, Aquinas argued, everything is grounded in love, since all creation reflects the character of the one who made it. He suggested that we are not only made to love, we are made of love. Everything we do is driven by this divine quality: all we can do is love.  But Aquinas had no illusions about the terrifying human capacity for sin. He wrote about the lethal power of sin, that ​“turning away from our last end which is God.” He came to see love as having the kind of awesome power we see in nuclear fusion. Well-ordered and directed to the right ends, love can transform lives, inseparably unite people with one another and God, and act as the harmonious and creative power which holds all creation in being. But misdirected – allowed to turn in on itself, allowed to run wildly on the heels of any and every desire of our misguided hearts – love can become a horrifyingly destructive force, tearing apart the world from under our feet.  Love, rightly ordered, will be the foundation of the kingdom of God. But grotesquely disordered love, inordinate self-love which swirls in on itself like a fierce tornado, has the capacity to shape tragedies like Auschwitz or the Rwandan genocide. Sin – love disordered – is horrific. But holiness – love rightly ordered – is life in all its abundance.

Prayer:

Written by Mark D. Roberts, a contemporary author and speaker.

Gracious God, thank you for being a good, good God, a God whose love for us never gives up, never expires, never fails. Thank you for making your love known to us in so many different ways. Your work, Lord, shows us your love. You have made the heavens and the earth for us, filling them with beauty and fruitfulness. You have delivered us from bondage to sin and death, saving us through Jesus Christ. Your steadfast love, O God, endures forever. As I do my work today, may it be an expression of love. Help me, I pray, to love my colleagues, my customers, my students, my neighbors, my family, and my world through my work. Most of all, may my work be a response to your love. May I love you this day as I work for your glory. Amen.

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Written by Dallas Willard (1935-2013), an American philosopher and writer known for his works on spiritual formation.  This is an excerpt from his book “The Divine Conspiracy.”

This is a God-bathed and God-permeated world. It is a world filled with a glorious reality, where every component is within the range of God’s direct knowledge and control — though he obviously permits some of it, for good reasons, to be for a while otherwise than as he wishes. It is a world that is inconceivably beautiful and good because of God and because God is always in it. It is a world in which God is continually at play and over which he constantly rejoices. Until our thoughts of God have found every visible thing and event glorious with his presence, the word of Jesus has not yet fully seized us.”

Prayer:

Written by Lesli White, a contemporary author.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for being good and for blessing my life with good. Even when bad things happen, I know that You are good and You do good. I cling to You, and pray that You will continue to perform in me that which is good, for Your glory. Amen.

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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.

There are times when we’ve given all we have to give humanly speaking. Our bodies are fatigued, our thoughts seem to go in circles, our energy and enthusiasm evaporate. In these moments, we may be tempted to think that God is disappointed in us or even that He has abandoned us. Nothing could be further from the truth. He meets His children at their point of need when they call out to Him. Where do you need this reminder?

Prayer:

Written by the Lead Like Jesus team, authors of today’s meditation.

Father, I’m reminded that You rested after creation, and Jesus was so tired He slept while a storm raged around Him. Remind me to call out to You when I am exhausted, to rest in You, and experience restoration. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Written by Emma Danzey, a contemporary writer. This is an excerpt from her work “Standing Firm.”

We are part of a spiritual battle that many days we wake up forgetting is going on. When our lives are consumed with the temporary, we forget the eternal… There is nothing that I can create to build my life on that will be more firm than choosing to trust in Jesus. When Christ is the King over our lives, when we have placed our faith in Him, we too are now stable and immovable in Him. He is the reason that we can have confidence and a place of refuge in the difficulties in life. He gives us peace and bravery. When a hurricane comes, it matters more what the homes are built out of to withstand the storm. Although all will be hit by the storm, not all will crumble. Because of Jesus, even though we are in the storm of sin in this world, we will not crumble…It is easy to live in fear when trials occur around us. We can fall into the pit of anxiety and worry. However, Christ has called us to be courageous and strong. Just like Joshua in the Old Testament was chosen and invited to be strong and courageous, we too have been chosen and called by God to do the same in our generation. Although Joshua battled real people, we have a great spiritual battle going on around us. The calling for both is still the same, and the promise that the Lord is always with His people remains as well.  

Prayer:

Written by Brad Dennis, a contemporary professor of software engineering, writer, and entrepreneur.

Father, I am so grateful for your guidance and hope. Please keep me strong as I wait patiently on the way out that you have provided! Amen.

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Written by Uli Chi , a contemporary businessman and founder of Computer Human Interaction. This is an excerpt from his work “Leadership Wisdom—Divine Disclosure.”

In our toxically contentious moment in history, we need to relearn God’s great compassion and empathy for other human beings. Jesus reminds us that God cares deeply about the people we might dismiss, despise, and consider our enemies. To do that requires resources beyond our own. Arguably, the first part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount lays out an agenda for being human that is beyond human capacity to do alone – like loving our enemies. And that is the point. Being human is not a solitary affair. To be human requires others – an ongoing relationship with other human beings and an ongoing relationship with the ultimate Other, the God of the Universe, who also wants to be “Our Father.”

Prayer:

Written by Uli Chi , author of today’s meditation.

God our Father, we are amazed at the breadth and length and height and depth of your love. We are grateful that you, who are Creator, Lord, and Judge, are first and foremost our father. Help us to love those we serve the way you love us. We ask in your name, Amen.

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Written by Aisha Davis, a contemporary writer and team member of the Fuller Center for Spiritual Formation.”

In the fast-paced and demanding world we live in, finding moments of rest and rejuvenation has become increasingly crucial for our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. The concept of Sabbath, originating from the Bible, offers us a timeless and profound principle for finding true rest… Observing the Sabbath is not merely about taking a day off; it is about entering into a divine rhythm of rest and restoration. In the creation narrative of Genesis, God Himself rested on the seventh day, setting an example for humanity to follow. This sacred rhythm reminds us that we are more than just our work and accomplishments; we are beings in need of rest, reflection, and connection with the Him. I can personally attest to the transformative power of observing the Sabbath. As a mother, student, preacher, daughter, sister, friend, etc. I used to be caught in a relentless cycle of work and responsibilities, leading to burnout and exhaustion. Embracing the practice of Sabbath not only allowed me to experience physical rest, but also enabled me to connect deeply and more intimately with God.  Engaging in the practice of Sabbath can bring about profound transformations in our lives, ministries, and organizations. Embracing the sacred rhythm allows us to find true rest, reconnect with God, rediscover our purpose and calling, and find joy in the simple blessings of life. May we all find the courage to pause, take a breath, and embrace the gift of Sabbath in our lives.

Prayer:

Written by Peter Greig, a contemporary writer and church planter. He co-founded the 24-7 prayer movement around the world.

May this day bring Sabbath rest to my heart and my home.

May God’s image in me be restored, and my imagination in God be re-storied.

May the gravity of material things be lightened, and the relativity of time slow down.

May I know grace to embrace my own finite smallness in the arms of God’s infinite greatness.

May God’s Word feed me and His Spirit lead me into the week and into the life to come.  Amen.

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Written by Max Lucado, a contemporary pastor, speaker, and author.  This is an excerpt from his book “Help Is Here.”

One day while studying for a message, I read the words Jesus used to describe the Holy Spirit: comforter and friend. I recall having this wonderful realization: “I know that Person.” That was three decades ago. I no longer think of the Holy Spirit as the Holy Who. I now call Him our Heaven-Sent Helper. He is the ally of the saint. He is our champion, our advocate, our guide. He comforts and directs us. He indwells, transforms, sustains, and will someday deliver us into our heavenly Home. He is the executor of God’s will on earth today, here to infuse us with strength. Supernatural strength. Was this not the promise of Jesus? He would not let His followers begin their ministries unless they knew the Holy Spirit… The Holy Spirit comes with power. Power to make good choices, keep promises, and silence the inner voices of fear and failure. Power to get out of bed, get on with life, get busy about the right things in the right way. Power to face the unexpected, unwanted passages of time. Power. This is what Jesus promised then, and this is what Jesus promises still.

Prayer:

Written by Anthony Robinson, a contemporary writer.

Come Holy Spirit, come. Teach me to wait and to pray. To wait for you, to call upon you, to be clothed by your power from on high. Amen.

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Written by Stacy Edwards, a contemporary writer. This is an excerpt from her book “Devotions for the Fall.”

Our lives go through seasons, just like the calendar. There are periods when we feel weary from the weight of our sins. The guilt and shame we carry are as oppressive as the heat of a Southern July day. There seems to be no end in sight, and we find ourselves just trying to survive. That is not the life our heavenly Father desires for His children. Thankfully, just as we turn a calendar page, we can turn from the heaviness of our former ways. Just like that first fall breeze, repentance will bring a refreshing new season into our lives. When we turn from our sins and turn toward Jesus, forgiveness blows over us like a crisp autumn wind, and new energy is instilled in us. The sky is a little brighter, the colors are a little bolder, and our steps are a little lighter as the burden is lifted. Walking in freedom with Jesus is as stimulating as that first fall breeze. Everything that once weighed us down just falls away, and a fresh beginning is ours for the taking. Everything is brimming with possibility, and the opportunities are endless. Let’s repent, be refreshed, and embrace a new season with Christ.

Prayer:

Written by Scotty Smith, a contemporary American pastor.

As the rain hides the stars,

as the autumn mist

hides the hills,

as the clouds veil

the blue of the sky, so

the dark happenings of my lot

hide the shining of thy face from me.

Yet, if I may hold thy hand in the darkness,

it is enough, since I know,

that though I may stumble in my going,

Thou dost not fall. Amen.

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Written by J.I. Packer (1926-2020), a Canadian evangelical theologian, cleric, and writer. This is an excerpt from his book “God’s Words.”

[The essence of sin is] playing God; and, as a means to this, refusing to allow the Creator to be God as far as you are concerned. Living, not for him, but for yourself; loving and serving and pleasing yourself without reference to the Creator; trying to be as far as possible independent of Him, taking yourself out of His hands, holding Him at arm’s length, keeping the reins of life in your own hands; acting as if you and your pleasure, were the end to which all things else, God included, must be made to function as a means—that is the attitude in which sin essentially consists. Sin is exalting oneself against the Creator, withholding the homage due to Him, and putting yourself in His place as the ultimate standard of reference in all life’s decisions. Augustine analyzed sin as pride (superbia), the mad passion to be superior even to God, and as a state of being bent away from God into a state of self-absorption (homo incurvatus in se).

Prayer:

Written by Ken Boa, a contemporary teacher, writer,  speaker and President of Reflections Ministries.

 Father, I desire to be a person after Your own heart. I want to be pleasing and obedient to You, and when I sin against You, I want to acknowledge it quickly with no excuses and waste no time returning back to Your embrace. I know that I will never attain perfection in this life, but I desire to progress in godly character and conduct. You look at the heart and not at the externals that impress people. Therefore I ask that I would guard my heart and walk in integrity before You. By Your grace, I would desire what You desire, love what You love and hate what You hate. May I honor my commitments and relationships. Let me allow You to define my understanding of myself and not the world with its pride and deception. Amen.

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Written by Jenise Jones Vacarro, a consultant on business development and writer. This is an excerpt from her work “Trading Fear For Love.”

I often need to step back and be reminded of what is more weighty: getting a deal and being right, or yielding to a colleague because the relationship I may have with that person is of greater import than getting credit for a deal. One outcome of such an action is that I have had a manager tell me that I am not “tough enough.” How do I express my decision without sounding sanctimonious? Oh, to be eloquent and have a response that not only gives understanding for my position but also serves to glorify God to my management and colleagues. I must admit to some need for growth in this area as well. But, I recall the words of Proverbs 16:7, reminding us that “when a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live in peace with him.” I am in most times at peace with my colleagues—no small feat when one considers the serious grudges being held by so many within the sales ranks of my industry. One of my prayers is that the light of God’s love would be on my countenance and be evident in my actions. Were it not for this prayer, I am certain that my selfish, prideful side would win.

Prayer:

Written by John Baker (1948-2021), pastor and founder of the Celebrate Recovery ministry.

 Dear God, thank You for Your love, for the grace You freely offer. Help me model Your ways when I make my amends to those I’ve hurt and offer my forgiveness to those who’ve injured me. Help me set aside my selfishness and speak the truth in love. Help me focus on my own responsibility in the issue, so my actions won’t be conditional. I know I can forgive others because You first forgave me. Thank You for loving me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

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