Pathway Weeklies

God does not lose those souls He has saved (1 Peter 1:4, “kept in heaven”). There can be no more powerful statement than the one with which this devotional begins. It was written because the first readers of Hebrews needed to remain steadfast in their commitment to Christ. Since then, this chapter has created libraries full of commentary based upon a flawed interpretation of verse 6 and the phrase...

Some of the most memorable testimonies I have ever heard come from people whose lives have been radically transformed by God. From addictions to newfound freedom in Christ, they have been reborn! Their journeys toward healing led them to reach out to God and invite Him into every thing they thought or did each day. This required them to slow their lives down and think about each decision and subse...

“Suffering is unbearable if you aren’t certain that God is for you and with you” (Keller, Walking with God through Pain and Suffering). Paul’s testimony here provides us with a clear example of the cause-effect nature of his ministry. His primary call to share the Good News led directly to the suffering he experienced. There is a key element to his testimony that we must not overlook, or we will m...

“Call America to Pray Again,” may be the spiritual campaign theme we all need to adopt in this tumultuous era! Of course, it is a deliberate play on words regarding the recent campaign slogan used by the current presidential administration. Everyone who truly knows me will know that this rubric is neither an endorsement of, nor a swipe at, this current administration. I write it because prayer for...

What’s in a name? Names meant much in the Scriptures, and a person was expected to live up to the name given to him. Rehoboam’s name meant, “one who enlarges the people,” but today we will learn the irony of his name. Instead of enlarging, he actually divided the people, due to his lack of wisdom. Wisdom is a key element to God's creation and to a flourishing life (cf. Proverbs 1). His folly becam...

“Everything is meaningless” reads like the mantra of some postmodern philosopher, but these are the words of Solomon, the author of Ecclesiastes. This phrase forms the theme of the book, but the meaning in the words is a mystery (1:2). He writes literally that all is a “vapor” or “breath,” and we might say, “here today and gone tomorrow.” Poof! Well, this is a mighty depressing way to begin the mo...

Long-range planning requires the right foundation, or the result will fail. This bold claim rests entirely upon a biblical worldview seen through Solomon’s lens of faith in God. Our focal verse encapsulates this life principle and provides us with an excellent guide to ensuring success in our own lives and ministries. Let’s look more carefully at our focal passage for today. The main theme of this...

John of the Cross said, “Whenever anything disagreeable or displeasing happens to you, remember Christ crucified and be silent.” The Thessalonians had endured some stiff suffering because of their commitment to Christ, so Paul writes to strengthen and encourage them. They were “pressed out like grapes,” but they did not whine (see 1Thessalonians 1:6)! It may surprise you to hear where their afflic...

[Photo credit: Sue Carroll on Unsplash] John Newton, the great hymn writer, once said, “If the Lord be with us, we have no cause of fear. His eye is upon us, His arm over us, His ear open to our prayer—His grace sufficient, His promise unchangeable.” The psalmist knew this calming truth about God’s favor when he penned the Psalm 91. Let’s look carefully to see the ways that God cares for us amid s...

“To err is human, to forgive divine,” is Alexander Pope’s 18th century immortal, heroic couplet from an “Essay on Criticism.” It referred originally to the way writers sometimes overly praise or harshly criticize other writers, but it has come to mean that every human being makes mistakes. The point is that we should be forgiving of those who blunder, since God shows His divine mercy in forgiving ...