Word for the Soul

This week in Biblical Insights Abram is leaving Egypt with his tail between his legs after being called out by Pharoah for his deception. It was a mistake going down to Egypt in the first place failing to trust God in caring for them during the famine. But he is on his way now traveling north into the Negev on their way to the region of Bethel and Ai. Abram left Egypt a lot more prosperous than when he entered. The Lord had blessed Abram in spite of his sin. Pharoah gave Abram much livestock and servants in addition to what he already had. “So Abram left Egypt and traveled north into the Negev, along with his wife and Lot and all that they owned. (Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold.)” (Gen.13:1-2 nlt)

Abram went back to Bethel and worshiped the Lord at the altar he made at his first visit when entering Canaan. Abram got back to business with God. Realizing God’s mercy and blessings towards him when he failed the Lord, Abram went to the nearest place he had set up an altar and worshiped God.

Lot, Abram’s nephew, was traveling with him. Lot had also become very wealthy with flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and many servants. Wealth in ancient Palestine was measured in the number of livestock, servants and jewels one possessed. Both Abram and Lot had plenty. This created a problem for the both of them. It’s hard to comprehend how blessings from God could be the cause of a problem. We accept these problems noting it is a good problem to have. A young family have God’s blessings of more children and soon find themselves needing to move into a bigger place. A good problem to have.

Abram and Lot found themselves having ‘a good problem to have.’ The region could not supply the sufficient needs for all of the livestock of both Abram and Lot. The land did not have enough water or pastured land. “So disputes broke out between the herdsmen of Abram and Lot. (At that time Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land.)” (Gen.13:7 nlt) It is also noted that rural dwellers were living there as well. On a side note, it should be mentioned besides this problem being caused by God’s blessing both of them, it should be noted that Abram was instructed to leave his family in Ur and go to the place where God would lead him. If Lot was not with him, there would be no problem. Sometimes the smallest miscue in obeying God even with the best of intentions surface later in ways we never thought of. It’s always better to obey God completely, 100%.

Abram knew this issue needed to be resolved. “Finally Abram said to Lot, ‘Let’s not allow this conflict to come between us or our herdsmen. After all, we are close relatives!’” (Gen.13:8 nlt) It wasn’t good for families to be fighting with each other and not a good look for those who were representing the Holy God the creator of all things.

It seems the decision to separate is a wise one and there is no dispute. The decision as to who goes in what direction is now to be decided. Abram, although the elder, shows kindness to Lot in letting him choose first. Whichever direction Lot chooses Abram will go in the opposite direction. Abram was growing in faith and relying on God and not his own decisions. His experience in Egypt had an effect on him. Abram is finding faith in God’s sovereignty and trusting Him. He knows in whatever direction he goes the Lord will be with him and bless him. Not so with Lot. Abram took off his self-centeredness and Lot put his on.

“Lot took a long look at the fertile plains of the Jordan Valley in the direction of Zoar. The whole area was well watered everywhere, like the garden of the LORD or the beautiful land of Egypt.” (Gen.13:10 nlt) Lot took a long look. There is always danger in taking a long look. Some will disagree saying you need to be careful and sure to make a wise decision and that is true. But what captivates you in that first look? Do you ever get past the surface and consider what is underneath? Lot based his decision on what his eyes told him. He saw the green lush vegetation of the fertile fields in the Jordan Valley. There was an irrigation system in place, even in that day, from the Jordan river. Lot knew this was a prize pic. He chose the land towards the east in the Jordan Valley at the edge of the Promised Land. His decision was a wise one in business terms and in a worldly point of view. Lot was more than content with his newfound territory and moved on away from Abram with his possessions, but it would turn out to be a disastrous decision.

Abram settled to the west in the land Canaan and Lot settled around the city of Sodom. Abram walked by faith; Lot walked only by sight. Lot allowed his long look to dictate his future. Abram let his growing faith in God decide his future. Sodom was an evil and sinful city. Lot was putting himself and his family in harm’s way to satisfy his selfish desires. When our selfish desires put us in a bad spot it will have the same effect on those closest to us and not only ourselves. Having Abram’s growing faith will have the opposite effect on each of us. Shortening that long look and putting our faith in God will help us to make the right decisions.

Next week we’ll begin to see some of Lot’s troubles as a result of his long look……

A Christian Perspective

No Open Borders

February 28, 2026February 23, 2026 Loring Schultz

Read: Exodus 23:27-33 NIV – “I will send my terror ahead of you – Bible Gateway

“Do not let them live in your land or they will cause you to sin against me.” Exodus 23:33 NIV

There is much in the news cycle around the world these days concerning countries with open borders even though they say their borders are secure. The main reason for closed and secure borders is for protection of their citizens. This is nothing new or distinct for the 21^st century. We find an early prime example of a ‘no open borders’ policy from the pages of the Bible in the book of Exodus.

The Lord God established Israel’s border before they entered the Promised Land. “I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the desert to the Euphrates River.” (Ex.23:31 niv) Israel has well defined borders. They haven’t changed and a future day will come when Israel will possess all the land God has promised them.

What has caused a major delay in Israel not having all the land assigned to them was their unwillingness to finish the job of driving out the nations the Lord required them to do. They let them hang around within their borders. God specifically warned Israel if they did this their hearts would turn away from God. Israel would be influenced by those around them and would soon find themselves sinning against God. Israel didn’t secure their borders nor drive out all the heathen nations God required them to and we are still seeing the effects of that today.

Many Christians today are similar to ancient Israel in not having a ‘no open border policy.’ We let ourselves be influenced by things and even people God is instructing us to drive out of lives. The apostle Paul writes, “if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2Cor.5:17 niv) If we continue in our relationships as previously and do the things we did before as if nothing has changed, then nothing has changed! We have not closed our borders to the outside influences that can harm us. This will lead to damaging effects in our lives down the road. As a nation needs to secure its borders, Christians, especially new Christians need to seal off all negative influences that would lead them away from the Lord.

Devotionals

Mode of Church Discipline

February 27, 2026February 26, 2026 Loring Schultz

Read: Matthew 18:15-20 NIV – Dealing With Sin in the Church – “If – Bible Gateway

We church people get squeamish on the subject of church discipline and perhaps we should. It is a very delicate but necessary function of the church. Care and accountability are never more important than in church discipline. It is essential to the life of the church. Jesus knew that His church would face brothers and sisters in Christ and church elders sinning against each other. He gave us a simple three step method on how to handle it in Mathew’s gospel.

Jesus says first of all, “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.” (Mt.18:15 niv) Jesus says to approach them, one on one, in the love of God to show them their sin and the need for repentance. Restoration of the sinning believer with God and you is the goal. We are not loving God or our church family if we are blinded or ignorant of sin around us. As a church family we are to be accountable to one another.

Jesus’s instruction for step two is as follows, “But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’” (Mt.18:16 niv) Again no broadcasting to others but select one or two other believers to confirm the charge and encourage repentance. Paul gave this same instruction to Timothy concerning elders in the church. “Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses.” (1Tim.5:19 niv) This is a very important step for everyone, but extremely important for those who serve as elders.

Jesus then gives us step three in Matthew’s gospel, “If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.” (Mt.18:17 niv) Our Lord is very concerned about His church. Believers are to be separate from the world and any sin found in the church, especially among the leadership and not dealt with will tarnish the credibility of the gospel message, Paul also gives Timothy Jesus’ third step by saying, “ But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning.” (1Tim.5:20 niv)

Church discipline is extremely difficult to deal with but must be dealt with to avoid putting shame on the name of Christ. The main point of church discipline is the restoration of the believer. It is a loving service of the church that pleases God when sin is removed and a family member restored.

Devotionals

Where Are They Now?

February 26, 2026February 24, 2026 Loring Schultz

Read: Deuteronomy 32:15-39 NLT – “But Israel soon became fat and – Bible Gateway

“Where are their gods, the rocks they fled to for refuge? Where now are those gods, who ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their offerings? Let those gods arise and help you! Let them provide you with shelter!” Deuteronomy 32:37-38 NLT

Photo by Ishan @seefromthesky on Unsplash

A good number of people worship the gods of this world. Money is a god that ranks high on the list. Popularity and fame are a favorite among today’s gods. Material possessions such as expensive cars, luxurious homes, and rare collections of art among other things, even our vocations can become objects of our worship. They become things we cannot do without and why we exist. They are dependent upon for a safe, healthy, and happy life. But what happens when safety, health, and happiness fade away, where are those gods then?

In the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy Israel’s enemies are being used by the Lord God to punish them. They had abandoned God for foreign gods of their day. “But Israel soon became fat and unruly; the people grew heavy, plump, and stuffed! Then they abandoned the God who had made them; they made light of the Rock of their salvation. They stirred up his jealousy by worshiping foreign gods.” (Dt.32:15-16 nlt) The foreign gods of pleasure were not much help when Lord used them in judgement against them. When their sin forced God’s hand Israel had nowhere to turn. Their foreign gods were useless. “Where are their gods, the rocks they fled to for refuge? Let those gods arise and help you! Let them provide you with shelter!” (Dt.32:37-38 nlt)

Not all of our troubles and disasters are due to our sin but be aware some are most certainly from the Lord who calls us to repentance when needed. Whatever struggles we find ourselves in we will soon realize the gods of this world we have been relying on cannot help. They have fled the scene. But as the Lord God said to Isarel, He says to us, “Look now; I myself am he! There is no other god but me! I am the one who kills and gives life; I am the one who wounds and heals.” (Dt.32:39 nlt) The gods of this world will fail us every time when trouble comes and we’ll find ourselves asking ‘Where are they now?’

Devotionals

Lent 2026 – The Cross in the Old Testament

February 25, 2026February 23, 2026 Loring Schultz

Read: Psalm 22:13-18 KJV – They gaped upon me with their mouths, – Bible Gateway

“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?……they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture.” Psalm 22:1, 16-18 KJV

The message of the cross is not just a New Testament story. The man upon that cross is seen all throughout the Bible including much of the Old Testament. Jesus Christ, God the Son, the Messiah is that man on the cross. You may have heard that ‘history’ is really ‘HIS-story’ Jesus Christ. There is plenty of evidence in the Old Testament to convince even the strongest doubters that Jesus is the promised Messiah who was to come. He came in His Father’s timing to earth to paid the penalty for our sins on the cross of calvary.

The author of Psalm 22, King David, prophesized Jesus on the cross when expressing his own thoughts in his prayer of anguish to the Lord. “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Ps.22:1 kjv) David, a godly servant, was under constant attack unjustly by his enemies. Our Lord Jesus was under attack unjustly as David, both as righteous sufferers. But, in our Lord’s suffering, as unjust as it was, justice was served in payment for our sin debt. Jesus ultimately defeated death by rising from the dead to ensure salvation and eternal life for all who believe in Him.

There is much to learn about Jesus in the Old Testament. This Lenten season as we focus on the cross let us glean through those treasured sacred writings and discover the many references to Christ within its pages for it is His-story.

Devotionals

Lent 2026 – Guest Post, Rainer Bantau

February 24, 2026February 23, 2026 Loring Schultz

Living by Faith, Not by Sight

Devotionals

Giving Our Best

February 23, 2026February 22, 2026 Loring Schultz

“Cursed is the cheat who promises to give a fine ram from his flock but then sacrifices a defective one to the Lord.” Malachi 1:14 NLT

Successful athletes sacrifice much in striving to achieve the best they can be. When reaching the pinnacle of being able to perform at a high level, they do not slack off, but continue to give their best. Their desire is to see the results of exhausting training, a healthy diet, and the sacrificing of creature comforts. Giving their best is self-satisfying and pleasing to teammates in a team sport. When one does not give their best in the sporting world it is very noticeable. Teammates and fans alike recognize it immediately and one’s individual statistics cannot hide the fact. Giving a lackluster performance when one is more than capable to step it up in giving their best is, well let’s say, cheating.

God accused Israel of cheating by not giving their best sacrifice. They had it in their power to do so, they had their best, and even promised to do so, but chose to not give it. God demanded the very best, an unblemished animal, for sacrifice. Israel thought they would get by offering a less than stellar performance but they did not get away with it.

Christians today will also not get away with not giving their best in serving the Lord. God is holy and He demands the best that each one of us is capable of doing. He will call us out. We cannot hide or get away with it. The talents and gifts that the Lord has given to us are to be used for His honor and His glory to the best of our ability. Although I am a sports enthusiast I was never much of an athlete, but the Lord has given me other talents that I am to use in serving Him. All of us have the opportunity and capability, with the Lord’s help, to give our best.

Bible Studies

“Abram’s Deception” – The Story of Abraham

February 22, 2026February 20, 2026 Loring Schultz

Read: Genesis 12:10-20 NLT – Abram and Sarai in Egypt – At that time – Bible Gateway

“But the LORD sent terrible plagues upon Pharaoh and his household because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. So Pharaoh summoned Abram and accused him sharply. ‘What have you done to me?’ he demanded. ‘Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife?’” Genesis 12:17-18 NLT

The first two weeks in our story of Abraham we saw Abram, who later became Abraham, as a man of great faith and the father of all who believe. He left all that was familiar to him, his home, friends, and family to go where God called him. This took great faith as we learned last week. Unfortunately Abram paused his journey along the way and settled in Haran for a period of time. Although Abram was called of God, he was not perfect and wasn’t chosen because he was perfect. He eventually moved on after God’s repeated the call to him. Abram made it to the Promised Land and built an altar to the Lord when arriving in Shechem. This week Abram’s frailty leads him through a detour into Egypt.

The land of Canaan was suffering from severe famine. The Palestine region in ancient times often experienced famines. Abram decided to journey down to Egypt on his own under no divine guidance from God. Egypt fared well during periods of famine. It had an abundant supply of food available from the water source of the Nile River. Abram took his wife Sarai and all who were with him down into Egypt. He may not have planned to stay long, but it turned out to be long enough to bring shame on God’s chosen vessel.

As Abram nears Egypt he says to Sarai his wife, “Look, you are a very beautiful woman. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife. Let’s kill him; then we can have her!’” (Gen.12:11-12 nlt) Abram was right in his assessment that Pharaoh would take beautiful women to be part of his Harem. He was also right in that they would kill him to take his wife. The Egyptians respected marriage but had an unusual way to show it, especially the Pharaohs. Pharaoh would have the wife of the husband killed first before he took her for his Harem. Abram, of course, didn’t want this to happen so he devised a plan, again not under God’s guidance. Abram said to Sarai, “ So please tell them you are my sister. Then they will spare my life and treat me well because of their interest in you.” (Gen.12:13 nlt) Abram’s fear, and really his lack of faith at this point, caused him to deceive the Egyptians into thinking Saria was his sister. It worked, and they took her.

Abram’s scheme was a half-truth, or we could call it a half-lie, and a half-lie is really a lie. Abram’s reasoning was to deceive and that is what he did. He failed to trust in the Lord who was leading him and would protect him. He was thinking more of himself than any thought he had for his wife. But despite Abram’s failure here, the Lord is going to watch out for Sarai and protect her. “And sure enough, when Abram arrived in Egypt, everyone noticed Sarai’s beauty. When the palace officials saw her, they sang her praises to Pharaoh, their king, and Sarai was taken into his palace.” (Gen.12:14-15 nlt)

The irony of this story is that Abram is rewarded by Pharoah for taking his sister. “Then Pharaoh gave Abram many gifts because of her—sheep, goats, cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.” (Gen.12:16 nlt) Abram was right, Pharaoh did treat him well. Having livestock and servants were a indication of wealth in those days, and Abram was paid handsomely.

But as we noted, the Lord protected Sarai. He sent plagues upon Pharoah and his household. Scripture does not tell us the nature of these plagues, but they were severe enough for Pharoah to summon Abram. Some commentators speculate that Pharoah’s illness kept him from defiling Sarai. We do know from Scripture that no mention is given of Sarai being intimate with Pharaoh. We also know from history that a four-month purification process was in place for new brides before they were received into Pharoah’s Harem. God’s hand was at work in protecting Sarai.

Photo by The Cleveland Museum of Art on Unsplash

Pharoah sharply accused Abram of deception. He came to know Sarai was his wife and these plagues were the proof of it. Pharoah ordered Abram to get out of Egypt and even had his men escort him out to make sure he left. Abram was exposed as a liar. The Egyptians with their many faults were still a society that valued truthfulness. This wasn’t a good look for Abram who was called by God. Abram was kicked out of Egypt in humiliation before the Egyptians and those traveling with him who knew of his call from the Lord. The Wycliffe Bible Commentary notes, “Abram’s behavior was not worthy of the majestic soul of Jehovah’s special ambassador to the nations. He would need to grow; he would need to go back to Bethel.”

Abram will grow and God will still use him. God knew of Abram’s failures before He call him out of Ur and into the Promised Land. God knows of our failures even before we do and yet He calls us just the same. The Lord will never give up on us despite our failures. We may have a rough go of it when we decide to go our own way, but the Lord will put us back on track as we trust Him and allow Him to lead us in every situation.

Next week Abram and his nephew Lot have a decision to make. Until next week trust the Lord completely even in a famine.

A Christian Perspective

Playing God

February 21, 2026February 19, 2026 Loring Schultz

“You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” Psalm 139:16 NLT

Our lives are under the watchful eyes of God the Father. From beginning to end, nothing escapes His sight in all that goes on. He is aware of the slightest scratch on our bodies, every scar and how it got there, and even the emotional struggles we deal with. Nothing is outside of His knowledge, and for that we should be thankful.

King David was truly amazed and awe-struck of how intimately the Lord God knew him. So amazed that he wrote the 139^th psalm to express his feelings towards God’s complete knowledge of himself and every human being. David tried to comprehend it but couldn’t. He wrote, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!” (Ps.139:6 nlt) David knew but couldn’t understand how God knew his every move before he made it, every word before he spoke it, he could not get over the infinite mind of God and all its wonders as it pertained to human life. David also was confused how God knew the exact number of days of his life before he was born. Although he couldn’t explain it, David knew it to be true.

David wrote, “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” (Ps.139:16 nlt) David said the Lord God saw his unformed body in his mother’s womb, and why wouldn’t He, God is the creator of life from its very beginning. “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.” (Ps.139:13 nlt) The baby in the womb is God’s handywork starting with conception, the beginning of life, and David believed it. “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.” (Ps.139:14 nlt)

It is a comfort to know our lives are in the hands of God and we are never out of His sight from the moment of conception until we died. It is also a sobering thought to think that every abortion performed is seen by the eyes of God. If only those in the pro-choice movement would realize they are playing God by taking the life of one of His precious children.

Devotionals

Hard Working Shepherds

February 20, 2026February 19, 2026 Loring Schultz

“Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, ‘You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.’ And in another place, ‘Those who work deserve their pay!’”1 Timothy 5:17-18 NLT

The word ‘shepherd’ is used often to describe elders in the church but always to distinguish pastors. A pastor is the shepherd of the flock, the congregation. He excels in leadership, preaching, and teaching. While all elders help in leading, preaching and teaching, the lead elder is the pastor, the head shepherd. Paul had a few things to say about head shepherds in his first letter to Timothy.

First of all he said elders (shepherds) who do their work well are to be respected. Some translations use the term ‘worthy of double honor’ which means ‘a valuing by which the price is fixed.’ In other words as in the NLT Paul says secondly they should be paid well. This is especially true for those who work hard (toil) to a point of weariness and exhaustion. They are worthy of double honor.

A pastor’s (shepherd’s) main responsibility can be narrowed down to three things. They are to feed the sheep, love the sheep, and protect the sheep. All the hard work a pastor does day in and day out will fall under one of these three categories, and it can become exhausting. A true shepherd is committed to the health and welfare of the sheep under his care. The Lord, the ultimate head shepherd, assigns a pastor to the sheep pen He desires to place him.

May each of us be aware of the tremendous responsibility given to our pastors from the Lord in feeding, loving, and protecting us through all the hard work of preaching and teaching they do and remember that they are worthy of double honor.