Healing Rays of Righteousness

There is nothing beautiful about death. It marks the end of a love relationship with another that we enjoyed on this earth. And in the days, months, and years that follow, we are very vulnerable to painful feelings and actions that we would not otherwise experience.

It is for such uncertain, painful journeys that the Apostle Paul encourages us to lean into God, whom he names as “…the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” (2 Cor. 1:3-4),

And so, I share with you a bit of the Godly comfort I discovered as I searched the scriptures for help in finding my way through the darkness of grief following the sudden cardiac death of our twenty-three-year-old son. During that searching journey through the Scriptures, I discovered that God comforts us by offering us two wonderful lamps of “memories” and of “hope.”  

The light from the “lamp of “memories” leads us back through the mists of the past to the many happy scenes and delightful experiences that we enjoyed with our loved one. And when a life has been lived constructively for God, family, and neighbor, this lamp of memories provides us comforting light and healing for our bereavement journey.         

I now know that one of the most priceless gifts God gives us through the life of another person is the precious memories they have given us. These treasured memories are ours to keep, to hold, and to cherish, a treasure that no one can rob from us. These memories should never be buried or locked away and forgotten, because they are gifted to us for us to forever keep alive our enjoyment and respect for their relationship with us.

The writer of Proverbs suggested this when he wrote, “The memory of the righteous will be a blessing,” (Pr. 10:7a). This ability to re-visit and enjoy these memories means that we never need to do as is often said, “pay your last respects” to a loved one who has died.

The other lamp that God gives us is thelamp of “hope.” The light of this lamp daily encourages leads us forward through the uncertain and sometimes difficult mists of each tomorrow.

The painful experience of bereavement grief will most likely cause us to cry out, “Where is God?” even as I did. And then I discovered the healing comfort that many of the Psalms offer us. In Psalms 42 we hear the writer questioning God’s absence, and three times he questions himself, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me?” And three times he answers himself with the best reassuring and healing answer, “Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”  

Sometimes we may question whether or not God even thinks or cares about us, just as the psalmist did in Psalm 8:3-4, “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” But then I am comforted as the psalmist answers his own question in Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”  So, whether it is stars or sobs – God knows and God cares!

And so, I remind all of us who grieve the death of loved ones, that with the lamp of memories and the lamp of hope, our “God of all comfort” offers us healing and hope, that is, healing for our bereavement pain and hope for our future.

And to all I say, lean into God’s love for you!

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Ray M. Geigley – “Healing Rays of Righteousness”– www.geigler13.wordpress.com – 11/05/25

The death of someone we have loved awakens the question, “After death, what happens to the person I knew and loved?” And as our own physical body ages with increasing weaknesses and disabilities, the question may taunt our Christian faith with fearful uncertainties.

In his letter to the Corinthian Christians, the apostle Paul describes the pilgrimage that we call life with its changes occurring throughout life as metamorphosis. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the spirit.” (2 Cor. 3:18). The statement translated “are being transformed” is literally a form of the word “metamorphosis” in the Greek language.

To watch the mysterious unfolding of life as an ugly, clumsy, wiggly, caterpillar becomes a beautiful, graceful butterfly is fascinating. We call this life change “metamorphosis,” which is transformation of one type of life into another. And it is one of nature’s prime exhibits of the life change we humans will experience at our moment of death. Our ultimate metamorphosis occurs the moment we meet Christ. Like the freed monarch butterfly, our spirits will be released into the most beautiful life of God’s kingdom.

Then in chapter 5, Paul describes death as moving from an earthly tent to an eternal house. Paul made and sold tents, so he knew what he was talking about. A tent is a fragile, temporary shelter, whereas a home is much more stable and permanent. And so, when the Apostle Paul reflected upon his life’s struggles and the prospect of death, his mind focused on the familiar tent. And so, about death, Paul says, “For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.” (2 Cor. 5:1). Thus, for Paul, death is about leaving the tent and going home.

I find it consoling to discover that all of Paul’s writings about death are permeated with the idea that for the Christian, death is not the end, but the key to a new, changed life of dwelling with God. He writes, “For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.” (2 Cor. 5:4).

We tend to think that in death, life is swallowed up by deterioration and decay, but Paul states the opposite, “what is mortal” (limited & dying) is “swallowed up by life” (grand & eternal).

Neither did Paul believe that death was the place of extinction, or that in death we become some disembodied spirit floating around in eternity. Rather, he believed that in death God gives us a new body and that we will be able to love and serve God better than we can now.

And so, Paul assures us that the difference which death makes is not between being and not-being, but rather, it is the difference between living in a tent or living in a house. It is the difference between being away from home or being at home. Most importantly, it is the difference between being separated from the God or dwelling with God in his kingdom.

Earlier in his first letter to the Corinthian Christians, Paul is remembering Isaiah’s prophetic vison of a new heaven and new earth (Isaiah 65:17-25) and encourages his readers with this summary regarding what awaits beyond our moment of death. “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Cor. 2:9).

My above thoughts barely uncover the magnificent, reassuring, comforting words of Jesus himself as he prepared his disciples for his own death and home-going. Read them often!

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going. (John 14:1-4).

Think of breathing new air, and finding it celestial air;

Of feeling invigorated, and finding it immortality;

Of passing from storm and tempest into perfect calm;

O awakening and knowing I am HOME!        

{Author unknown)

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Ray M. Geigley – “Healing Rays of Righteousness”– www.geigler13.wordpress.com – 10/30/25

Many years ago, before there were electric lights, the poet, Robert Louis Stevenson, looked out his window one evening and saw the town lamplighter coming down the street, lighting the streetlamps in succession. Stevenson was impressed by the sight and authored a poem about the lamplighter who went along “punching holes in the darkness.” 

Many more years before Robert Louis Stevenson, the Gospel writer, John, records Jesus saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (8:12).And then in Matthew’s account, we hear Jesus saying to his disciples, “You are the light of the world.” (5:14).

What does this imagery of being “light” mean to you? What do you think Jesus intended to illustrate to us? Could it be that Jesus used this imagery to illustrate the purpose and behavior he expects from his followers? I think so and suggest we consider the following works of light.

Light Reveals. It penetrates darkness and makes known what lies hidden in the darkness. Light shows the path or road, giving both direction and the condition of the way ahead, and warns of obstacles and danger. Light reveals both the good and the bad, truth and lie, beauty and ugly. As followers of Jesus, being light means we penetrate the world’s darkness and make known God’s presence, God’s truth, God’s will. Being light means we bring certainty, direction, purpose, and meaning into our communities of confused and hopeless neighbors.

Light Warms. It penetrates coldness. Like the sun’s warmth, light radiates an invitation to enjoy beauty and warm comfort. As followers of Jesus, being light means we are to be a warm, comforting presence, radiating God’s glowing lovein a world of lonely coldness. Being light means we are Christ’s presence in the school, business, shop, and marketplace, revealing to all that there is more to life than selfish greed and deadly individualism.

Light Awakens. It penetrates sleep. Each morning, we are awakened to a new day with its new possibilities. As followers of Jesus, being light means we awaken people to the reality of God’s Kingdom being present, and that his Lordship over all of his creation is the only source of ultimate truth, power, and hope for any and all of us.

Light Energizes. It penetrates depression and decay. We cannot physically live without light. It takes light to stimulate and encourage growth and healing. And so, as followers of Jesus, being light means we infuse and stimulate aliveness and growth, encouraging healing and hope in communities plagued by dark depression and hopelessness.

Furthermore, Jesus tells us that the purpose of light is both to be seen and to be of service to others. This visibility and service is expressed by Jesus with two illustrations, “A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.” (Mt. 5:14-16).

There can be nothing secretive or private about the Christian’s commitment to the Jesus way of life. The disciples of Jesus do not hide in fear or seek to protect self but instead live and work in places where their influence can be both seen and felt. Being light means we are a visible witness to the presence of the Kingdom of God and the rule of Christ in our world of darkness.

Yes, it is our gracious privilege and supreme duty as Jesus followers, to live each day being the community lamplighter going about. “punching holes in the darkness” so that others may see God and find their way home to God and his Kingdom. Amen!

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Ray M. Geigley – “Healing Rays of Righteousness” – www.geigler13.wordpress.com – 10/08/25

It has always been difficult for me to remember the names of persons I have previously met, and am too embarrassed to say, “I need to ask, what is your name?”  And so, I often find it easier to continue conversation with someone without asking or speaking their name.

My reluctance in asking a person their name is because I fear the individual may think that their previous acquaintance and conversation with me was not of importance and value to me. Believe me, nothing is further from the truth. I know that there is no better sound than the sound of your own name being spoken and addressing you, and so, deeply regret my inability to quickly remember names.

I am reminded of this every time I read the first eighteen verses of John 10, where Jesus likens himself to a shepherd and us as his sheep. A first-century Palestinian shepherd lived with his sheep. He knew his sheep; he named his sheep; and each morning he would come to the sheepfold and “He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” (v.3).Then in verse fourteen, Jesus declares, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me – just as the Father knows me and I know the Father – and I lay down my life for the sheep.” 

It is so wonderful and reassuring for me to know that in the eyes and heart of Jesus, I am much more than a social security number or picture on a driver’s license. Jesus sees me as a person of great worth with a name. And like a good shepherd, Jesus knows my name and cares so deeply about me that he is willing to die for me.

And, according to Isaiah 49:15-16, God promises never to forget my name; “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.”

And earlier in Isaiah 40:11, God told Isaiah to shout out to the people that, “He tends his flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.” (Isaiah 40:11). This is such a wondrous, comforting, and reassuring thought!

Furthermore, in Psalm 139, we hear David declaring that God knows about all our daily activities, circumstances, thoughts, and groaning laments, even before we speak them. In this psalm, David stands in awe before the Lord and is astounded by how thoroughly and intimately the Lord knows him. And then in verse seventeen, we hear David gratefully praising God, saying “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!”

Yes, in Jesus, you and I have an ever-loving, all-powerful shepherd, who calls us by name and daily provides and protects us. “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4).

So be encouraged, my friend, even if I forget your name, God remembers and loves to speak your name, inviting you to come near to him for loving embrace, protection, and provision.

And, yes, I know that someday my memory of names will be as perfect as God’s.

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Ray M. Geigley – “Healing Rays of Righteousness” www.geigler13.wordpress.com – 10/02/25

Thousands are dying every day, and with each death, there is a community of family and friends deeply grieving and silently groaning. It is difficult for me to fully fathom the immensity and depth of pain being felt among us as a church community and nation, let alone trying to imagine the worldwide experience of pain. We ask, why all this groaning and pain?

The first chapters of Genesis tell us the story of God creating our earth with all its creatures and then us. We are told that “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” But then in chapter three we are told the sad story of humanity’s disobedience and the breaking of a good relationship with God.

And from that broken relationship between the created and the Creator flows all the pain-filled groanings of our present world. The harmony of creation and humanity with its Creator is broken, and this dramatically changes the relationship of God with his good creation.

In his book, “Soli Deo Gloria, A Daily Walk Through Romans” Myron Augsburger states that “The world was designed for human life, in God’s good creation, and when humanity rebelled against God, to have its own, the whole world suffered the consequences.” (p.189).

And according to the apostle Paul, the groanings of humanity and all creation are the painful expressions of a frustrated longing for God’s deliverance from the miserable sufferings of this life. “For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.  We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved.” (Romans 8:19-24).

Just as all creation, humankind, animals, plants, and the earth itself was harmed by humanity’s sinful disobedience, so also will all share in the blessings of redemption and restoration that God has promised his people. “For in this hope we were saved.”

If we believe this, then our groanings become expressions of our redemptive hope, which is based on the sure confidence that God’s promise of restoring us with all of creation to its full harmony and wholeness, is now happening and will one day be fully completed.

Furthermore, Paul reassures us that we do not groan and suffer alone. “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. … the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” (Romans 8:26-27).

What a marvelous comfort. We are not alone. God’s Spirit prays for us, interceding in our behalf. Because I cannot fully know or express my feelings, the Spirit intercedes for me with “wordless groans” according to the will of God.

And so, I can choose to groan and lament as a way of deepening my relationship with God rather than silently enduring the pain and slowly grow bitter in spirit.

Furthermore, we are assured that God’s hears our groanings. Isaiah 63:7-9 speaks of God’s relationship with his people, and says, “In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.”              Thanks be to God!

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Ray M. Geigley – “Healing Rays of Righteousness” – www.geigler13.wordpress.com – 9/24/25

From early childhood I have enjoyed singing “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” And during the many years since, I have always been spiritually energized with singing the hymn written by Frederick M. Lehman, “The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell, it goes beyond the highest star and reaches to the lowest hell.”

This hymn is rich in describing God’s love as “measureless,” “strong,” and will “evermore endure.” And yet there are the tough times when I am tempted to feel uncertain about God’s love? During those days, I am encouraged by the words of the apostle Paul in his letter to “God’s holy people in Ephesus.” Paul’s encouraging message seems to me to give roots and life to the above songs about God’s love.

He begins his letter with this reassurance; “For he chose us in him (Christ) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he (God) predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, … In him (Christ) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.” (Eph.1:4-7 NIV).

To be reminded of “the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us” restrengthens my wavering confidence that God does absolutely love me and always will, no matter what my situation may be.

Then in chapter three, I hear Paul praying that God may strengthen us with the ability to more fully understand and experience the magnitude of Christ’s love for us. “For this reason, I kneel before the Father, … I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,” … Then, as if searching for adequate words, he adds … “and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”  (Eph. 3:14-19).

Paul’s deep heart-desire is that all who follow Christ lean into a deep love relationship with God, and experience all the fullness of God’s love in our every day, activity, and encounter. Paul believes that such knowing is experiential and far beyond the rational limits of intellect or comprehension. That is, to experience God’s love is so much wider, longer, higher, and deeper than saying “God is love.”

I remember reading of a farmer who had a weathervane on his barn, on which was written GOD IS LOVE. When friends asked why he did that, the farmer said, “This is to remind me that no matter which way the wind blows, God is love.”

The following scriptures would confirm this truth and are verses that I have found helpful in encouraging me through difficult and painful experiences.

When the warm ‘south wind’ with its soothing and balmy breezes, bring showers of blessing upon me, God is love. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17).

When the cold ‘north wind’ sweeps down upon me with its disciplining disappointments and disablements, God is love. “do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves” (Hebrews 12:6).

When the wild ‘west wind’ blows hard upon me with its fearful uncertainties, God is love. For Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. … Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27).

And when the stormy ‘east wind’ threatens to sweep away all that sustains me, God is love. “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19).

The biblical writers consistently assure us that it does not matter which way the winds are blowing in our life, we can be assured that the truth remains, “God is love.” (1 John 4:8,16)        

               “O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong!           

                              It shall forevermore endure – the saints’ and angels’ song.”       

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Ray M. Geigley – “Healing Rays of Righteousness” – www.geigler13.wordpress.com – 8/20/25

The prophet Micah told his contemporaries that what God requires of us is “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”  (Micah 6:8). Even though each of these virtues is worthy of thought and comment, I want to focus on the middle one – “love mercy.”

Sidney Greenberg, a Jewish Rabbi, writes in a devotional that “Judaism did not permit mercy to remain merely a feeling, a kind of inner glow of benevolence or pity. It demanded that the feeling be translated into a host of benevolent acts. Such are called gemlut chesed, an act of loving kindness. …  An act of loving kindness is a humane response to human need. It is your pain in my heart.”

He concludes the devotional with this strong challenge – “Loving-kindness reveals the inability to remain content in the presence of a person who is troubled; the inability to remain comfortable in the presence of a person who is uncomfortable; the inability to enjoy serenity when one’s neighbor is distressed. … The most important art to be cultivated in life is the art of loving-kindness. The person who has mastered it is doing God’s work here on earth.” 

The word “empathy” is a good word for carrying “your pain in my heart.” According to the dictionary, empathy is the “entrance into the feeling or spirit of another person.”  It is the capacity to look at life from another’s perspective; to understand their thoughts, to feel their feelings, to walk in their shoes, to keep in step with them. Empathy is the offering of our time, attention, and love to another. It is different from “sympathy.”

Most importantly, to become an empathetic, compassionate friend who carries “your pain in my heart” is the greatest gift we can give to anyone who is hurting and urgently needs the reassurance of being loved by God and neighbors. And as Rabbi Greenberg says, “…it is doing God’s work here on earth.”

For when we embrace and empathize with another wounded person, the healing presence of Jesus Christ flows over us and through us, transmitting God’s healing love to the other through our touching, thus making us “wounded healers” of God’s healing presence in our world.

Paul’s own life of many pain-filled experiences and his trusting connectedness to God confirms the truth of God’s compassionate, healing heart, and so he encourages all who experience pain with this testimony; “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

My notes on this verse remind me that we cannot do healing presence, instead, we become a healing presence as we choose to “love mercy” and empathize with those around us who are painfully wounded. We become God’s love and healing presence to them by gently holding the other’s pain in our heart and comforting them “with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”

In his book, “When a Congregation Cares,” Abraham Schmitt writes, “It is not possible to care unless one is willing to enter into another’s pain.” This is a strong statement that has proven correct throughout my experiences of ministry as a pastor and chaplain.  (I recommend reading this book.)

These years of ministry also taught me that empathy is not a natural human response. It must be learned through sincere desire and commitment to do so. This is seldom an easy decision. I regretfully confess that at times I have been inclined to quickly give my scriptural encouragement and exit from the apparent time-consuming and emotionally demanding situation.

But with God’s help, heart-filled empathy can be learned by all who choose to “love mercy” and be a trustworthy, compassionate friend to those hurting physically, emotionally, socially, or spiritually. May we always choose to do so!

Bless’d Be the Tie That Binds

Bless’d be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love.

The fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above.

Before our Father’s throne we pour our ardent prayers;

our fears, our hopes, our aims are one, our comforts and our cares.

We share each other’s woes, each other’s burdens bear,

and often for each other flows the sympathizing tear.

When we asunder part, it gives us inward pain,

but we shall still be joined in heart, and hope to meet again.

(John Fawcett, 1782)

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Ray M. Geigley – “Healing Rays of Righteousness” – www.geigler13.wordpress.com – August 6, 2025

A truth that I have learned to greatly appreciate through personal experience and Bible study is this; God is not our protector against trouble, but he “is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”And so, Psalm 46 has become my “go to” psalm when life becomes difficult and uncertain.

This truth is undergirded by the three affirmations of faith found in these verses. And these three affirmations of faith have always encouraged and strengthened me in times of worship and praise to God as well as in tough times of petitioning God’s help.

Affirmation One – I will not fear because God is my refuge and strength. (vv.1-3).

Earlier in Psalm 9:9-10, the psalmist said, “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” In times of crisis, we turn to whom or what we trust. I choose to trust God’s love.

Affirmation Two – I will not faint because I have a river. (vv. 4-

God provides a river of resources in his city during threatening times of despair and evil attack.          “God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.” (v.5).

 All nature depends on hidden resources. The trees send their roots deep into the earth to find hidden streams of water. Likewise, we Christians need to sink our spiritual roots into God’s stream of resources to keep us from fainting in despair and defeat. I choose to trust God’s love.

Affirmation Three – I will not fret because I see the rainbow. (vv.8-11).

What is that rainbow? It is the revelation of God’s sovereignty and majestic glory over all the earth. It is seeing God exalted and overarching all storms of uncertainty and tragedies. The rainbow declares it to be so. There is no need to fret, because “The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”

This truth became very real to my family during one of our return home trips after visiting family in Phoenix, Arizona. On an early Monday morning we left Phoenix in a VW Camper van that we agreed to drive to the New York seaport to be shipped to Africa.

We enjoyed the long drive through beautiful Salt River Canyon and then by late afternoon, stormy winds were blowing as we entered New Mexico. While eating supper in a restaurant, a very windy rainstorm delayed our return to vehicle and traveling. After the storm had passed and we entered onto the interstate a bright, beautiful double rainbow appeared ahead of us.

The evening soon grew darker, and I discovered that the vehicle had no headlights. Racing against the deepening darkness we were unsuccessful in finding a garage that was still open and so stayed the night in a motel. This was the beginning of troubles and frustrations.

The next afternoon, Tuesday, the engine suddenly stopped working and we had to be towed to Amarillo, Texas. By then it was late evening, and we had to stay the night a short distance from the garage.

Wednesday was a day of delay and disappointment, and finally a diagnosis on Thursday. The van needed a new engine. This had to be ordered from Houston and should arrive on Monday and take about two days to install. The seeming lack of urgency by the garage service department frustrated me.

However, a phone call to the Mennonite church in Amarillo, connected us to the pastor who just happened to own a motel. The pastor and his wife graciously provided a room, meals, and a car for us to enjoy our stay while waiting for the van to be repaired, which took several days longer then promised.

Finally, after repeated delays, we anxiously started on our way home even though it was already early evening and raining. Imagine our reassuring amazement when, as we left the city limits of Amarillo, traveling east, a beautiful rainbow appeared in front of us.

In that moment God’s promise of presence, protection, and provision – a promise that speaks of peace amid trouble, was revealed to us in a very personal way. Yes, the rainbow stands guard over the storm. It is God’s name written in the sky for all to see and proclaims “God with us” inviting us to renew our faith and trust in his presence and power.

We really felt blessed, believing God placed those rainbows at the beginning and ending of our nine-day journey through trouble and blessing as an experiential teaching for our family about God’s enduring love and faithfulness.

And so, when I read “Be still, and know that I am God” in verse 10, I now hear, “Relax. I am God and I can manage the situation.”  This I believe, but must confess that in tough situations, fear and impatience crowds out faith and I need to keep reminding myself that God is not our protector against trouble, but he “is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”  

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Ray M. Geigley – “Healing Rays of Righteousness” – www.geigler13.wordpress.com – 7/23/25

During the past several years I have shared mid-week meditations with you with prayers that my writing would encourage you toward experiencing God’s healing rays of love, joy, and peace in your life.

During the past year I selected fifty-eight of the more recent meditations and have published them in a book titled, “Healing Rays of Righteousness” I am offering the book to you for $17.00 per copy, plus $3.00 mailing costs. Send order with check to Ray Geigley, 403 Benjamin Drive, Chambersburg, PA 17201.

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I pray that the selected meditations contained in this book will in some small way, significantly awaken and encourage your spirit and soul toward God’s healing rays of love, joy, and peace in your life. Whatever may be your present circumstance, lean into Jesus who invites us, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give your rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Mt. 11:28-29). <><><> 

This may be the ideal gift for your family, friends, co-worker, and neighbor. May God graciously bless your today! Ray M. Geigley

Excerpted from INTRODUCTION

After retiring from active ministry, I was encouraged to write a weekly meditation as a continuing ministry. Needing to choose a title for my writings, and with deep appreciation for my name and its mission, I searched for a scriptural verse that would possibly link my name with my purpose for writing and best define the focus of my writing ministry.

That is when I surprisingly re-discovered Malachi 4:2. With this reference to the sun of righteousness rising with healing in its rays, I readily thought of the rising morning sun, promising healing light, warmth, and hope. With that thought, I quickly realized that this promised healing hope was what had shaped and motivated my ministry as a pastor and chaplain for the past 58 years. Thus, I chose the title, “Healing Rays of Righteousness” for my weekly meditations.

Apostle John’s pen is bubbling with joy as he writes, urging his readers to open their minds and consider how deeply God loves and cares for them. “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”  (1 John 3:1).

 He then paints in the background. “This is how God showed his love among us; He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love; not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (1 John 4:9-10).

I remember reading the story of a well-known speaker who began his seminar presentation by holding up a new twenty-dollar bill. In the room of two hundred persons, he asked, “Who would like this twenty-dollar bill?”  Hands were slowly raised up. He continued, “I am going to give this twenty-dollar bill to one of you but first let me do this.”  He then proceeded to crumple up the bill. He then asked, “Who still wants it?”  Again, the hands went up in the air. “Well,” he asked, “what if I do this?”  And dropping the crumpled bill to the floor, he ground it beneath the heel of his shoe, until the bill was not only crumpled but also dirty and torn. “Now who still wants it?” he asked. And again, the hands went up.

“My friends,” he said, “you have all just learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth twenty dollars. Many times, in our lives we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what happened or will happen, you will never lose your value in the eyes of those who love you. You are special and never forget it.”

I agree with this speaker and am convinced that the biblical record of God’s LOVE relationship with his people consistently confirms this message. You and I were created and born being wonderfully great, unique, and full of potential. And now, years later, we are even greater, more unique, and still full of wonder-filled value and potential.

Some of the most profound teachings regarding God’s love is found in the third and fourth chapters of John’s first letter. In verses eight and sixteen of the fourth chapter, John tells us that “God is love.” 

Those three little words get to the heart of what John believed about God. They tell us that God is pure self-giving love, and that God cares deeply about you and me and covets our love relationship with himself. The amazing character of God is love and his greatest desire is that we be in a daily love relationship with him as our loving Father, caring Mother, and glorious King. Yes, I said it. You are a child of the King, loved and cared for in the family of God, the King of kings.

Just how deep is God’s love for us, you ask? Read those verses from John’s first letter again. Ponder the remarkable good news that amazing, gracious, endless love is at the very core of God’s character and at the very center of God’s heart.

In his book Experiencing God, Henry T. Blackaby writes, “God is far more interested in a love relationship with you then He is in what you can do for Him.”

At this very moment, we are children of God, who is LOVE. And, most amazing, there is nothing that will ever be able to prevent God from continuing to deeply love us. The apostle Paul believed this and writes, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39).

Even though I have had experiences that caused me to question this truth, I now am convinced that God will never, can never stop loving us. He created us in our mother’s womb and breathed life and love into you and me. We are his amazing and glorious creation, filled with eternal purpose and potential.

And so, no matter what happened in your past or may happen in your tomorrows, you will never lose your value in the eyes of your Heavenly Father who dearly and forever loves you. You are special and never forget it. You are loved, today and always! Amen!

Together we sing with the psalmist; “Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O Lord. How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings. You feed them from the abundance of your own house, letting them drink from your river of delights. For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see.”  (Psalm 36:5-9, NLT).

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Ray M. Geigley – “Healing Rays of Righteousness” – www.geigler13.wordpress.com – 7/08/25