Pathways Press.com

Written by Gary Thomas, a contemporary minister and  author. This is an excerpt from his book “Devotions for a Sacred Marriage.”

The wide, biblical concept of mercy includes forgiveness but also has roots in loyalty. One commentator notes, “This steady, persistent refusal of God to wash His hands of wayward Israel is the essential meaning of the Hebrew word which is translated loving-kindness [or mercy].”This is a loyalty and forgiveness seasoned with graciousness and kindness — particularly to those who don’t deserve it. It is one of the most beautiful words in the English language and certainly one of the most precious truths in the Christian faith. What does it mean to fall in love with mercy? It means I am to become mercy’s biggest fan. Having received mercy from God, I am to walk in assurance and thankfulness, using my own gift of mercy as the lens through which I view anyone else’s sin… Seek to understand what a gift you’ve been given in God’s mercy. And then, from that foundation, explore the riches of extending this same mercy to others.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead [1 Peter 1:3]

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Written by John Ortberg, a contemporary pastor, author, and speaker.

Pay attention to your pain. Instead of reacting with anger or avoidance, pause and offer it to God as a sacrifice of love. When you encounter pain of any kind (physical, emotional, or spiritual) take it as an invitation to pray, ask for help.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. [James 1:2-3]

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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 may be times when we sense that the task before us is too great for the resources available to us. We may realize that God is our only hope, but we can’t seem to find it in ourselves to pray or to believe that He is hearing our prayers. If you find yourself facing such a time, let the story of the paralytic carried by friends into the presence of Jesus inspire you. Call together trusted friends and ask them to come alongside you, seeking God’s intervention on your behalf.

Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. [Mark 2:3-4]

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Written by Richard Foster, a contemporary theologian and author.

Jesus teaches us with a negative and a positive command:  “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth,” but do  “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matt. 6:19). The  “treasures” in view here are not just great riches, but all those things that we trust in and cling to. My boys, for example, when they were young, had some very special treasures. When I looked into what those objects were, I was frequently amazed, for they may have been only some shiny stones, or an odd-looking stick, or a pile of rubber bands. But for my children, these were coveted treasures. Jesus is warning us that, no matter what our earthly treasures may be, we have to be very careful about holding too tightly to them, because they are bound to disappoint us and to keep us from living in the kingdom of God in the freedom and power we desire. He knows that we have an almost compulsive need to secure ourselves by means of earthly things but tells us not to do that.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  [Matthew 6:19-20]

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Written by Ray Pritchard, a contemporary pastor, author, and president of Keep Believing Ministries.

Lord, grant me tenacious winsome courage as I go through this day. When I am tempted to give up, help me to keep going. Grant me a cheerful spirit when things don’t go my way. And give me the courage to do whatever needs to be done. 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 hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [John 14:17]

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Written by Mark Roberts, a contemporary writer.

Nothing can distract us from our true purpose in life like popularity. Even when we know God has called us to some particular work, we can be tempted to focus our energies on some other venture if that’s what people like. Many pastors, for example, find it easier to preach on what makes people like them rather than on what their people actually need. I surely faced that temptation when I was a parish pastor. Business leaders sometimes work long hours because the praise they get at work is much more gratifying than the day-to-day challenges of family life. Popularity is not necessarily bad, of course. But it can be a poor measure of what God wants us to do with our lives. Jesus did not let his popularity distract him from his true purpose. Rather, he remained faithful to his calling. So, he left behind the adoring and needy crowds in Capernaum in order to preach the good news of the kingdom in other places.

In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” He answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.”  [Mark 1:35-38]

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Today’s devotion is based on Proverbs and is from the Pray.com team.

Love chooses to cover, not expose. Proverbs 17:9 shows us the wisdom of forgiveness and discretion. To “cover a transgression” is not to ignore sin but to let love lead in how we respond. It’s the difference between healing and harming. Repeating offenses—primarily through gossip—tears relationships apart. But choosing to protect and forgive preserves love. This kind of mercy doesn’t come easily, but it reflects God’s own grace. In a world quick to share and slow to forgive, God calls us to love that heals and holds others up.

Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends. [Proverbs 17:9]

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Written by Henry Frost (1858-1945), a Canadian missions leader, Bible teacher, speaker, evangelist, counselor, and author.

Nothing so pleases God in connection with our prayer as our praise, and nothing so blessesthe man who prays as the praise which he offers. I got a great blessing once in China in this connection. I had received bad and sad news from home, and deep shadows had covered my soul. I prayed, but the darkness did not vanish. I summoned myself to endure, but the darkness only deepened. Just then I went to an inland station and saw on the wall of the mission home these words: “Try Thanksgiving.” I did, and in a moment every shadow was gone, not to return. Yes, the Psalmist was right, “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord.”

And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. [John 11:41]

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Written by Megan J. Conner, a contemporary author, editor, and speaker.

Have you ever truly considered the wind? It can be a gentle and leading breeze or a forceful and powerful gale. However, because it is an unseen force, it is often overlooked and sometimes even misunderstood. It can be the same with our awareness and understanding of our Heavenly Father and His Kingdom… We accept that the wind exists because we can sense it. We cannot grasp the wind, but we can feel its gentle brush against our skin. We cannot see or taste it, yet fragrance is often a travel companion to a breeze. Though intangible, there is evidence that affirms the existence of the wind. And we readily accept this truth without questioning its validity. The same should be true about the Lord, yet we struggle to believe in what is unseen when it comes to our Heavenly Father. Just like the wind, the reality of a living and active God in our lives is evident, if only we would have the eyes to see. Every day, we journey through our lives in an artistic masterpiece.  Stunning vistas, impressive geological sculptures, complex beings in all of their animate and inanimate forms, nurture our bodies and souls with their beauty and provisions, allowing us to survive and thrive here on this earth. Though visible, these earthly attributes remain hidden by the busyness and noise of all that demands our attention, and the worries that consume our hearts. It is my prayer today that we quiet our souls, lean in, and listen for that gentle whisper, that fragrant breeze. Our Heavenly Father is here, leading and guiding us down the paths He has for us.

The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. [John 3:8]

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Written by Phillips Brooks (1835-1893), an American clergyman and author.  This is an excerpt from his book “Best Methods of Promoting Spiritual Life.”

To promote spiritual life is not to be more religious where one is already religious. It is to be religious where he is irreligious now; to let the spiritual force which is in him play upon new activities. How shall he open, for instance, his business life to this deep power? By casting out of his business all that is essentially wicked in it, by insisting to himself on its ideal, of charity or usefulness, on the loftiest conception of every relationship into which it brings him with his fellow man, and by making it not a matter of his own whim or choice, but a duty to be done faithfully because God has call him to it…God chose for him his work and meant for him to find his spiritual education there.

Whatever your task, put yourselves into it, as done for the Lord and not for your masters. [Colossians 3:23]

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