Pathway Weeklies

When God says to build, He means for us to begin and complete the task! Funny how easily we rationalize things when it comes to fulfilling God’s will. The period of Israel’s exile was complete and about 50,000 people had returned to Judah. They had begun work on laying the foundation for the temple, but had lapsed in their commitment and soon settled back into a daily routine where their focus was...

“Christ is the desire of nations, the joy of angels, the delight of the Father. What solace then must that soul be filled with, that has the possession of Him to all eternity!” (John Bunyan). Solace and security do indeed come from one’s faith placed in Jesus. The Apostle John has reached the climax of his revelation, and he now returns to the description of the Holy City, but this time from the p...

Solomon writes, “A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart” (Proverbs 21:2). Jerusalem, the City of God, considered its ways to be right, despite the warnings from the Lord, and it suffered ultimate ruin. An eyewitness experienced firsthand the horror that fell upon the city when it was overthrown. Like this Old Testament event, the advent of the internet in our co...

What is your favorite song? The one that comes to mind whenever you ponder the gift of God’s love and grace? You may say, “Amazing Grace” or the contemporary song, “This is Amazing Grace.” Others may offer “Reckless Love” or “Graves into Gardens!” Like the first rays of sunlight on the horizon, Psalm 111 provides us with the first dawning of the Lord’s eternal desire to warm His people with eterna...

The late Billy Graham, who enjoyed remarkable effectiveness throughout his nearly eight decades of ministry, once said, “The Christian life is not a constant high. I have moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, ‘O God forgive me,’ or ‘Help me.’” Psalm 143, from beginning to end, contains a continuous appeal to God. The psalmist’s lament signals...

Have you ever thought, “It must be true because I read it on the internet”? Most everyone knows the danger of such a claim; it often signals trouble! John obviously knew nothing of the internet, but he similarly warns believers to “test the spirits,” which proves to be sage advice with spiritual concerns. There were many false teachers and teachings swirling about, and he was seeking to protect th...

How do you handle life’s testing times? Perhaps you worry. Maybe you even lash out at those you love. Others will deny the situation and seek to avoid confronting the trouble! I read numerous accounts of people on social medial who refuse to face their troubles and eventually find that they are overwhelmed by the results. The psalmist pens Psalm 112 as a reminder that our troubles provide us with ...

“The answer my friend is blowin’ in the wind,” is a portion of a verse from the iconic 1962 song recorded by folk singer Bob Dylan. The song itself was termed a “protest song,” but the series of rhetorical questions it poses cause the listener to ponder issues like peace, war, and freedom. This refrain phrase may mean something like “the answer is so obvious that it is right in your face.” John wr...

The ascent to the summit of Mount Everest, the world’s tallest peak, requires great skill and predetermined rest stops along the way. Isaiah provides us with something spiritually similar in chapter 55. There is an obvious warmth to this passage that catches immediately the attention of a reader as it demonstrates God’s profound care for His children. This passage is something of a rest stop along...

“God never made a promise that was too good to be true” (D.L. Moody, Christian History, Issue 25). The Lord makes three promises in the first paragraph of Isaiah 43, and I wonder how the people who first heard these words responded? God has just chastised them for being dull and blind in the latter part of chapter 42, but here He speaks of being their redeemer! Was He being capricious? Hardly. He ...