Pathways Press.com

Written by Grace Pouch, a contemporary writer and teacher of spiritual renewal.

In the second and third century, Christians adopted a new metaphor for the Church—the Boat. Boats had long been associated with salvation in the minds of God’s people (think of Noah’s ark and Moses’s basket). In the Gospels, Jesus turns the boat into an intimate classroom where his disciples witness miracles, learn to obey him, and face his question: Why are you afraid? As a symbol, the Boat carries these Biblical stories of faith, doubt, desperation, and deliverance. It’s no wonder that early Christians—whose communities were rocked by persecution, political upheaval, and doctrinal disputes—identified with the sinking apostles who cried, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” (Mark 4:38). The Boat image both validated their struggle and affirmed Christ’s presence with them in the storm and his power over it. We need this symbol more than ever. Every generation has to wrestle with the “not yet” of God’s final deliverance, but the storms right now feel especially fierce. Historically, there have been periodic groundswells of an anti-Christ spirit in the world. Coldhearted people, high on their own power, churn up tidal waves of cruelty. An unholy thirst for greatness drives people to fabricate false gospels of salvation. (I’m thinking of Marc Andreessen’s claim that “AI Will Save the World” and Bryan Johnson’s perverse initiative, Don’t Die). Every day brings a new wave of suffering—to us, or to others whom we feel powerless to help. I confess, what I want right now is for Jesus to calm the storm. And I pray for this. But I also pray that Jesus will show me—show all of us—how to stay together, pull together, and grow our “little faith” into a more mature dependence upon him. Calm but not complacent. Assured of his ultimate victory, but also engaged with God on earth here and now. 

A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. [Mark 4:37]

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Written by Adrian Patenaude, a contemporary writer, editor, and poet.  This is an excerpt from the book “A Beautiful Year in the Bible.”

God not only opens a path forward through divine grace but also brings restoration to every part of our lives. What we perceive as weaknesses or dead ends—whether it’s a career setback, a strained relationship, or a personal struggle—God can transform into strengths and possibilities. The opposing force to grace is the expectation of perfection. We strive for a standard we an never achieve on our own and feel overcome by shame when we fall short. But God doesn’t write us off for mistakes and is infinitely patient with us in the process of restoration and redemption. No one is too far gone or too small to be part of God’s divine plan, which manifests its wonders through even the most unexpected sources. If we think of God as a bridge builder, then God’s grace is the bridge itself—sturdy and reliable, spanning the gap over the vast and seemingly uncrossable ravines in our lives. With God’s grace as our bridge, no obstacle is too great, and there is always a way forward…God’s grace not only builds bridges but also rebuilds. Grace is more than a mere second chance; it is a lifelong restorative process, turning every challenge into a testimony of faith and every individual story into a chapter of a grander narrative of salvation.

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. [Hebrews 4:16]

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Written by Sunshyne Gray, a contemporary writer.

Forgiveness is one of the most misunderstood topics out there. It  is something we all face, whether in small daily frustrations or in deep, life-shaking wounds. We live in a broken world, and none of us are perfect, so the need for forgiveness is constant. Sometimes it’s about letting go of a quick comment or a bad attitude; other times, it’s about healing from the kind of hurt that knocks the wind out of you. No matter the size of the offense, the truth about forgiveness doesn’t change…A lot of people assume that forgiving someone means you have to instantly reconcile, forget what happened, or fully trust the person again. But that’s just not true. You can forgive someone and still feel hurt. You can forgive and still choose not to trust—or even not to reconcile at all. So, what is forgiveness, really? Simply put, forgiveness is releasing someone from your punishment and entrusting the offense to God.  That moment of surrender can happen in an instant, but often, it’s something we have to keep doing—moment by moment …… Forgiveness is a choice—an action we choose.  It is not a feeling or instant healing or pain relief…Forgiveness and healing are not the same. Forgiveness is a choice to release the offender from our punishment and entrust it to God. It happens in a single moment. Healing is a journey that takes time and intention. Keep in mind though, forgiveness is the first step that kicks off the journey to healing. It is the foundation that must be in place before healing can begin.

Be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, as God, in Christ forgave you. [Ephesians 4:32]

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Written by C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), a British writer, scholar, and Anglican lay theologian. This is an excerpt from his book “The Problem of Pain.”

When Christianity says that God loves man, it means that God loves man: not that He has some ‘disinterested’ … concern for our welfare, but that, in awful and surprising truth, we are the objects of His love. You asked for a loving God: you have one. The great spirit you so lightly invoked, the ‘lord of terrible aspect’, is present: not a senile benevolence that drowsily wishes you to be happy in your own way, not the cold philanthropy of a conscientious magistrate, nor the care of a host who feels responsible for the comfort of his guests, but the consuming fire Himself, the Love that made the worlds, persistent as the artist’s love for his work and despotic as a man’s love for a dog, provident and venerable as a father’s love for a child, jealous, inexorable, exacting as love between the sexes. How this should be, I do not know: it passes reason to explain why any creatures, not to say creatures such as we, should have a value so prodigious in their Creator’s eyes. It is certainly a burden of glory not only beyond our deserts but also, except in rare moments of grace, beyond our desiring…Man does not exist for his own sake. ‘Thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.’ We were made not primarily that we may love God (though we were made for that too) but that God may love us, that we may become objects in which the Divine love may rest ‘well pleased’. To ask that God’s love should be content with us as we are is to ask that God should cease to be God: because He is what He is, His love must, in the nature of things, be impeded and repelled by certain stains in our present character, and because He already loves us He must labor to make us lovable… What we would here and now call our ‘happiness’ is not the end God chiefly has in view, but when we are such as He can love without impediment, we shall in fact be happy.

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. [1 John 4:16]

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Written by Hugh Latimer (1487-1555), an English bishop, reformer, and martyr.

Christ makes love His cognizance, His badge, His livery. Like as every lord commonly gives a certain livery to his servants, whereby they may be known that they pertain unto him; and so we say, yonder is this lord’s servants, because they wear his livery: so our Savior, who is the Lord above all lords, would have His servants known by their liveries and badge, which badge is love alone. Whosoever now is endued with love and charity is His servant; him we may call Christ’s servant; for love is the token whereby you may know that such a servant pertaineth to Christ; so that charity may be called the very livery of Christ. He that hath charity is Christ’s servant; he that hath not charity is the servant of the devil. For as Christ’s livery is love and charity, so the devil’s livery is hatred, malice, and discord.

This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you. [John 15:12]

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Written by Kristi Gaultiere, a contemporary psychotherapist, spiritual director and founder of Soul Shepherding.

Your chest tightens. Your heart races. You feel small and unsafe. You don’t know why but you’re spiraling. Maybe a harsh tone that makes you feel deathly afraid. Perhaps getting ignored throws you into feelings of shame and self-hatred.  You know your emotions are bigger than your current experience, but you can’t shut them off. Friends, this is what trauma does. It triggers the pain of old memories in the present moment. It floods us emotionally and overwhelms our capacity to cope in a healthy way. Trauma often “shuts us down” to God’s presence and love. It also keeps us from embracing his grace through his ambassadors… Trauma might sound dramatic. After all, I never went to war or got abused. Likewise, you might be thinking, I didn’t experience trauma as a child. I grew up in a stable family and all my physical needs were met. But you may have missed the tender care you needed…Painful experiences are often stored in our bodies without our conscious awareness. Implicit memories—along with attached fear, shame, or anger—surface under stress through emotional reactions and bodily sensations…Many of us have trauma stuffed down that makes us feel young and vulnerable when someone or something “pushes your buttons.” … You may find help as I did by inviting Jesus into your memories through healing prayer. This practice can help you experience his compassionate presence and restorative love in the places where you’ve been wounded.

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings, you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. [Psalm 91:4-6]

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Written by Tim Bias, a contemporary pastor.

We often talk about love as if it’s just a warm feeling or a kind word. But for Jesus followers, love is far deeper. It’s not based on what feels good or what benefits us, it’s based on agape, God’s selfless, unconditional love. Agape love doesn’t wait for convenience. It doesn’t filter people by worthiness or political position. It’s the love that sees someone hurting and responds with grace and action, without expecting anything in return. That’s what we’re called to embody. To love as Jesus loves is to align your actions with God’s heart, for all people, in all places. It might mean offering warmth on a cold day, giving without recognition, or showing up for someone who has nothing to give back. It might mean setting aside opinions to see another person’s humanity. When love costs something, that’s often when it matters most… God’s love puts the well-being of others first, working for the good of others. It is rooted in the actions of grace, kindness, and commitment. When you seek to follow Jesus, you seek to align yourself with God. When you align yourself with God, you learn to love what God loves…Whatever action needs to be taken to heal our world, our communities, our relationships is in harmony with God’s love. 

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. [John 13:34-35]

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This reflection is from the Pray.com app.

Life is made up of seasons—some joyful, some painful…God ordains the rhythm of our lives. There’s a time to gain and a time to let go. Sometimes, we cling too tightly to what God asks us to release. Trusting His timing means accepting that loss can lead to growth and letting go can open space for something new. When we walk with God, no season is wasted. Each one serves His purpose. Peace comes not from controlling time, but from trusting the One who holds all seasons in His hands.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away.  [Ecclesiastes 3:1, 6]

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Written by Dallas Willard (1935-2013), an American philosopher, speaker  and writer on spiritual formation. This is an excerpt from his book “The Scandal of the Kingdom.”

Difficulty in the early stages of anything that is truly worth doing is a natural part of human life. This is true not only as we master new skills and talents, but also as we grow in areas of personality and human interaction where many things can be learned only through experience. This is the case as we learn to walk in the Spirit. Persistence is the prerequisite for a fruitful life in the kingdom of God. We are taught, and rightly so, that the grace of God brings salvation. We do not earn it and could never deserve it, and it is not something we can attain on our own. But that isn’t an indication that there’s nothing left for us to do…On the one hand, we are saved by the grace of God, but on the other hand, responding to the grace of God necessitates rigorous effort… Our persistent efforts to forgive freely, serve wholeheartedly, pray unceasingly, and humbly regard others as better than ourselves with childlike abandon will most certainly increase our faith in, confidence in, and dependence on God. We need to seriously consider how we experience this way of life and receive the grace of God for a fruitful life in his kingdom.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. [1 Corinthians 9:24]

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Written by Max Lucado, a contemporary pastor and author. This is an excerpt from his book “Start With Prayer.”

Father, You are slow to anger, gracious in mercy, and abounding in love. You are worthy of all praise and honor. I humbly ask for Your peace in my life. The stressors in my life cause many sleepless nights and worries and concerns. Fill me with Your peace, and reassure me that You are there and in control. Comfort and bless my loved ones. They, too, have to endure many challenges. Calm their spirits, and focus their hearts on You. Thank You for caring about every part of our lives and every member of our families. Thank You for the Holy Spirit, who is our great Comforter. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.  [John 14:27]

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