Devotionals

Is the Lord Your Shepherd?     

Loring Schultz

Read: Psalm 23 ESV – The LORD Is My Shepherd – A Psalm of – Bible Gateway

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1 ESV

Photo by Antonello Falcone – The Wiseman on Unsplash

This week’s daily devotions on ‘Word for the Soul’ will feature the 23rd Psalm. This is the most recognized Psalm of all 150 psalms in the psalter. Most people can recite it in its entirety, or least some portions of it. So, an assignment for this week, if you have not memorized it yet, now is your chance. (There are only six verses)

David, the author, begins with these famous words, “The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want.” (Ps.23:1 esv) David being a shepherd as a boy and young man knew the job of shepherding and the responsibilities it entailed. Number 1 on the list was the protection of the sheep under his care. David spent many long hot days and cold nights watching over the sheep. We do not know how David got paid or if he ever received compensation for his work, but he did his work flawlessly and at the risk of his own life.

The Lord Jesus not only risked His life for His sheep but gave up it up on the cross at Calvary. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (Jn.10:11 esv) David was able to see the relationship between his protecting and providing for his sheep and God doing the same for him, but in a much larger capacity. The Lord God providing for David all his life prompted him to write, ‘I shall not want.’ He was never lacking anything he needed. David’s shepherd provided for him.

David could call the Lord God his shepherd because he knew Him, followed Him, and obeyed Him. As you read the 23rd Psalm and attempt to memorize it this week can you say, ‘the Lord (Jesus) is my shepherd’? Do you know Him? Have you accepted Him as your savoir? Is the Lord your shepherd?

Bible Studies

Deliver us from evil – The Lord’s Prayer, Jesus’ teaching on Prayer

Loring Schultz

“And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” Matthew 6:13 KJV

Open Bible glowing with golden light on wooden lectern inside church
A Bible glowing with light sits open on a wooden lectern inside a cathedral

Our Lord’s final example in praying is often misunderstood by many. When Jesus taught His disciples to pray ‘And lead us not into temptation,’ He was not referring to being tempted to sin by God. God does not tempt anyone to sin. The book of James says, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.” (Ja.1:13 esv) The word ‘temptation’ is better translated ‘a trying, or testing,’ and there are several examples of testing in the Bible. Our Lord Jesus Himself was tested (tempted) by Satan in the wilderness, Abraham was tested by God when told to offer his son as a sacrifice, and Job was severely tested when accused by Satan.

There are occasions when God will test us, or ‘put us to the test’ testing our faith in Him. There may be trials brought upon us by Satan permitted by God in order to prove and test our faith as in the case of Job and the apostle Paul. When we pray, ‘lead us not into temptation’ we are praying ‘don’t put us to the test, protect us from the test and from Satan, the evil one.’ Our Lord does not lead us into any testing or trial in which He is not there with us, and He will also make a way of escape for us in Satan’s evil temptations aimed at us. Paul writing to the church in Corinth says, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1Cor.10:13 esv)

Jesus teaches that after praying not to be put to the test, we are to ask to be delivered from evil. This is not evil in general but from the evil one, Satan. Many versions of Scripture do reference it as the ‘evil one.’ We are to pray to be delivered from Satan’s schemes, his temptations, and his accusations against us.

It is important to note that not all temptations (testing), trials, or troubles are evil in and of themselves. It was noted Jesus Himself was tempted by Satan. Our Lord passed the test and is our example in our troubled times. Abraham and Job also passed the test and were blessed for it. But when Paul asked the Lord to remove his thorn in the flesh from Satan three times, the Lord did not, but said, ’My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ And Paul responded, ‘Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.’ (2Cor.12:9 esv) Paul passed the test and serves as an example for us to follow.

We are to pray that we be delivered from Satan’s evil temptations and not fall into sin. Jesus prayed for His disciples in His High Priestly prayer in John 17:15, “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.” (esv) A. W. Pink is quoted as saying, “To be kept from the evil of sin is a far greater mercy than deliverance from the trouble of temptation.” We may pray not to be put to the test, but the more concerning prayer is ‘deliver us from evil,’ Satan himself.

A Christian Perspective

Deception in the mid-term elections

Loring Schultz

Read: Joshua 9 NLT – The Gibeonites Deceive Israel – Now all – Bible Gateway

“But when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they resorted to deception to save themselves.” Joshua 9:3-4a NLT

People waiting in line and voting at polling booths during U.S. midterm election
Voters line up and cast ballots at a busy midterm election polling station.

Desperate people will resort to deception when they are in fear or in danger of not getting what they want. The campaigns for the 2026 mid-term elections in the United States is starting to heat up with the summer heat. People are desperate from both major parties either to retain power or over seat the incumbents. Desperation will cause one to do and say anything that will prevent them from going down in defeat, or more accurately, that their opponent takes a seat in the United States Congress. Political campaigns have not been noted for their honesty and integrity for decades, but as the stakes become more larger and more pressing, we can be sure of a bumpy ride until election day and all the votes are counted whenever that will be.

Deception is as old as our first parents, Adam and Eve. Satan, who had tempted them with deception, is at the root of every lie in any political campaign today. Jesus had this to say about Satan, “He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (Jn.8:44b nlt) And the apostle Paul tells us Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. (2Cor.11:14) That’s the worst kind of deception, appearing to do and say all the right things as a person of integrity only to pull the mask off after election day. American voters have their homework to do in analyzing every statement made and how it compares with previous statements and more importantly previous actions taken by the candidate. Are they feeding us an illusion, being fraudulent, or outright lying, or all three?

Christians have a sure-fire way of determining the sincerity and integrity of a candidate. First, examining how do their statements and policy proposals line up with scripture? Second, we should be in prayer for wisdom to discern if the candidate can be trusted if they are telling the truth. The greatest example of not seeking the Lord in prayer is found in the Old Testament book of Joshua. The result of not asking the Lord for guidance caused Israel to fall for the deception from the Gibeonites, who were desperate and fearing for their lives. The United States is in desperate times. The future governing of every citizen is at stake. All candidates seeking office with their campaigns are desperate. They want to win. May we be praying for wisdom to discern the truth and not fall for the deception of Satan’s lies.

Devotionals

Nothing Lasts Forever; Wrong!         

Loring Schultz

Read: 1 Peter 1:21-25 NLT – Through Christ you have come to trust – Bible Gateway

“For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.” 1 Peter 1:23 NLT

We have all heard ‘nothing lasts forever’ and ‘all good things must come to an end.’ The problem with those sayings is our agreement with them. Sure, a dream vacation ends too quickly, your favorite team missed the playoffs (again), your favorite childhood amusement park was torn down, old friendships fade away, and they are many other examples I could think of and you can as well. All good things do not always come to end, but then again they do not last forever either. But there are two things that are guaranteed to last forever, your new life in Christ and the Word of God.

Peter, the apostle, was addressing the early Christians of the first century in his letter of 1 Peter. They were living in days very much like ours. Their society was hostile towards Christianity but accepting of other pagan religions. There was persecution among believers from neighbors and the authorities leading to social ostracism. Yet, Peter had some encouraging words for these dishearten Christians. They were cleansed from their sins having been born again to a new life that will never end.

So you see all good things do not come to an end. Christians can rejoice that their salvation is secure and everlasting. Our new life is eternal. It will last forever, meaning there is no end. And we also have that guarantee from the very living Word of God itself which ‘remains forever.’ (v.25) If you truly desire something that will last forever guaranteed, there are only two things, the Word of God through which you will meet Jesus, your savior providing you with life never ending.

Devotionals

Theologically Speaking           

Loring Schultz

“And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples and said: ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.’” Luke 6:20 ESV

“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger.” John 6:35 ESV

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com

I have heard it said from a well-known modern-day theologian that everyone is a theologian. All of us have a theology that we hold to. You may say I have no theological point of view, not even a thought of one. But you do and have thought about it. Simply put, theology is the study of God. You may not study God, but you have thoughts about Him, and even if you say there is no God, you have thought about Him who you believe is not there, theologically speaking.

Even among Christians there are differing theological views concerning God and His Word. Putting a stronger emphasis on certain doctrines will distinguish a theological view not held by all Christians. This doesn’t insinuate error but a disagreement on the subject matter. There are many such passages presented in Scripture which can be worked out between believers or agreeing to disagree as the saying goes.

One example would be the text verses above, two statements by Jesus concerning those who have a hunger for God and righteousness. Jesus said, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” (Lk.6:20 esv) Jesus is speaking of those who are poor in spirit seeking righteousness. In the book of John Jesus says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger.” (Jn.6:35 esv) Jesus is not referring to physical hunger, but again a spiritual hunger.

In the above example some people will put a stronger emphasis on ‘poor’ and ‘hunger’ in their theological view in caring for the poor and hungry. No doubt helping the less fortunate is what all Christians ought to be doing. Helping the poor in spirit by feeding them the gospel message not only helps them in this life but saves their soul from eternal torment in eternity. The line between the two must be removed to see the truth of Scripture clearly and know our priorities as Christians, theologically speaking.

Devotionals

Made for Wisdom      

Loring Schultz

“Wisdom is the power to see, and the inclination to choose, the best and highest goal, together with the surest means of attaining it. Wisdom is, in fact, the practical side of moral goodness. As such, it is found in its fulness only in God. He alone is naturally and entirely and invariable wise.” (J. I. Packer, Knowing God)

Photo by Josh Hild on Unsplash
 

Wisdom, humanly speaking, is the quality of having or showing good judgement. For one to be wise involves knowledge and a learning experience. Wisdom does not always show itself through extensive book learning, browsing the internet, or asking AI although the right resources are a significant help. But wisdom is more a learning experience, taking notice to the positive and negative events in our lives and acting accordingly by not repeating the failures and pursuing the methods of the good outcomes. But as J. I. Packer noted above, ‘(God) alone is naturally and entirely and invariable wise.’ As none of us possess entire wisdom, or moral goodness, James, the brother of our Lord advises, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (Ja.1:5 esv)   The Lord Himself says, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Is 55:9 esv) This gives us assurance that what we ask for is coming directly from the source of wisdom, God Himself. We should not be afraid to ask God for wisdom; He encourages us to ask because we are made for wisdom.

Yes, the God of wisdom who made us in His image also made us for wisdom. Wisdom comes only from God and His wisdom it is seen through His attribute of wisdom. First is God’s wisdom in creation. Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.” (nkjv) Take note how the earth hangs in space and rotates at a perfect angle with the sun at the exact distance needed to prevent it from burning up or becoming a frozen piece of rock, and we all can concur with the changing of the seasons to the glory of God and His wisdom in maintaining His creation.

Secondly, God’s wisdom is on display in His providence through our lives. God always has in mind the highest end. The time in history when we were born, where we were born, where we have lived and worked, the friends and family we have, the good times and bad are all part of God’s wisdom in directing our lives. Again,  He has our highest end and joy in mind even though as Joseph suffered from the hands of his brothers was able to say, ‘but God meant it for good.’

Thirdly, and by far, the greatest display of the wisdom of God is His perfect plan of salvation. Jesus, God the Son, came to earth as God-Man living a perfect life and offered that life on the cross to pay the penalty of our sins. He was buried and rose again after three days to ensure eternal life for those who believe in Him. This is a plan that could have never been drawn up from all the wisdom in the world except by the wisdom of God. So, ask God for wisdom. He created us for it.

Devotionals

Coming Before God in Prayer with Unconfessed Sin

Loring Schultz

“If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love from me.” Psalm 66:18-20 NLT

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com

The biggest struggle most Christians have in their daily walk with God is a consistent and fruitful prayer life. Living in a fast pace society where everything is instantaneous, short, and to the point, will put anything of value in jeopardy. A Christian’s prayer life is no different. We may do our best to carve out time in our day to pray, but there is always a chance something will hinder us from being consistent, it’s called life. We cannot get around unexpected interruptions, but we can make sure we are not hindering our time with God right from the start with inconsistencies in our own life.

The number one reason for an inconsistent and unfruitful prayer life is unconfessed sin. The Psalmist writes, “If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But God did listen!” (Ps.66:18 nlt) Prayer is not simply asking God for things but is a conversation with a holy God. It is a relationship that is intended to grow with time spent together. Unconfessed sin is a barrier preventing growth in your Christian life and it starts in your prayer requests to God.

If you are struggling in your prayer life with no satisfaction, no results, no meaningful relationship with God, and your prayers seem like just words being spoken in open air, maybe it’s time for a self-examination, me included. “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.” (1Jn.1:9 nlt) The Psalmists continued to write with good news that God does listen when we confess our sins to Him. God pays attention to our prayers, He does not ignore them, and He will never withdraw His love from us. Praise God!

A simple acrostic to follow when we pray may be helpful:

ACTS – Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication.

Devotionals

Self-deceived

Loring Schultz

“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven” Matthew 7:21 NLT

Young woman looking at her fragmented reflection in a broken mirror

How often have you been deceived? How many times have you been taken advantage of through deception of one kind or another? Have you ever invested in a project, no matter how noble, that turned out to be a sham? There have been many fraudulent schemes in past years that continue on even more aggressive in our day. They even affect our financial future. The effects of being deceived through misrepresentation of investing for future financial gains to secure a better life for yourself and others are heartbreaking when it is realized the returns are not there.

It is one thing to be deceived by others, but it is quite another when you deceive yourself. You may actually deceive yourself into believing you know best by putting your trust into your abilities and the actions you take. Again, the effects are heartbreak in this life when they fail, but they are more than heartbreak in eternity when you deceive yourself.

Jesus is recorded as saying, concerning the Day of Judgment, “On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’” (Mt.7:22-23 nlt) Apparently there were people in Jesus’s day who preached the name of Jesus and perform great deeds in Jesus’ name that Jesus will confirm that He never knew them. We can be sure there are those today who make the same claim. They also in return never knew the Lord Jesus as their Savoir, but deceived themselves into thinking they were heaven bound due to their performance here on earth.

Let us not deceive ourselves into applying this only to the so-called charlatans of our day whose preaching and antics distort the truth of the Gospel and the Word of God. This also includes the regular church attendee, the board member, Sunday school teacher, food bank organizer, choir director along with all who sing in the choir, the custodian, and all others within the church and outside the church who are deceiving themselves that good deeds will get you to heaven.

As Jesus explained to Nicodemus, the Jewish ruler, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” (Jn.3:3 nlt) It is not by your works but being born again by the grace of God. Do not be ‘self-deceived.’

Bible Studies

“Forgiveness” – The Lord’s Prayer, Jesus’ teaching on Prayer

Loring Schultz

“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.” Matthew 6:12 NLT

Photo by Johannes Plenio on Pexels.com

Over the centuries the Bible has been translated from the original manuscripts into many different languages and it is still on-going. We also have several different versions of scripture available to us. According to the Wycliffe Global Alliance, Bible translation is currently happening in 2,846 languages in 157 countries, and there are yet 964 languages in which there are no translations, but the work has started. I open with this to remind us that whichever language text you may be reading, it may vary depending on the version it was translated from. One such example is the fifth petition in the Lord’s Prayer as taught to us by Jesus. Most versions say, ‘forgive us our debts,’ some say ‘forgive us our sins,’ and some traditional Church readings render ‘forgive us our trespasses.’ It is always most important to know the original meaning of certain words in order to apply them correctly to our lives.

The word translated ‘debt’ in the original Greek is ‘opheilēma’ and means that which is owed, legally due, or a debt. Its secondary meaning is an offence or sin. It is easy to see why ‘debt’ is used in most versions. But a closer look considering the context and how it relates to the whole of scripture, we take note that ‘sin’ is also an appropriate translation and more to the point.

Jesus instructs us to confess our sins to God our Father and ask forgiveness as we have also forgiven those who sinned against us. What Jesus is saying is forgiveness leads to forgiveness. It’s important to note Jesus doesn’t say we ‘should’ forgive others, but that we ‘will’ forgive others. We will forgive others in response to our Father’s forgiveness of our sin when we accepted His Son Jesus as our Savior. Jesus went to the cross and bore the guilt and punishment for our sins which we could never pay. It is a debt none of us could pay. God the Father forgave our debt, he forgave our sin.

In the fourth petition of the Lord’s Prayer Jesus teaches us to ask for our daily bread, food substances and our material needs. It is only logical Jesus now addresses our daily spiritual need of forgiveness. We have been forgiven an enormous debt and given salvation and eternal life through Jesus, however we are still fallen creatures in our sin nature who still sin daily. As we ask God daily to forgive us of our sin, we are reminded that we are pardoned sinners, and as pardoned sinners we should forgive as we have been forgiven.

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Eph. 4:32 niv)

A Christian Perspective

It’s not about religion     

Loring Schultz

Read: John 4:1-26 NLT – Jesus and the Samaritan Woman – Jesus – Bible Gateway

‘“For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.’ The woman said, ‘I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.’ Then Jesus told her, ‘I AM the Messiah!’” John 4:24-26 NLT

Emblem featuring symbols of major world religions including Star of David, Cross, Crescent Moon and Star, Om, Dharmachakra, Sikh Khanda, Yin Yang, and others with a world map and monuments in the background
A colorful emblem showcasing major world religions surrounded by historic monuments and a map background.

A very familiar story in the Bible is ‘Jesus and the Woman at the Well.’ It is found in the New Testament book of the gospel of John. This story would be cataloged under ‘Christianity’ or the ‘Christian Religion.’ One of these placement files is named correctly, the other not so much. The story is about Jesus Christ, God the Son. Believers in Christ, those who have accepted Jesus as their savior redeeming them from eternal punishment, are called ‘Christians.’ Therefore to cataloged this story under ‘Christianity’ is correct. In fact cataloging the Bible under the same label is also correct. The Bible, from beginning to end, is about Jesus Christ and God’s plan of salvation.

Today there are over 4,000 religions in the world. How is religion defined? “Religion can briefly be defined as a specific belief system about God or gods expressed through a code of conduct, ethics, forms of worship, and rituals. Religion includes social, ethical, and ceremonial elements combined with the belief in an unseen world and often a deity.” (1) Christianity does not fit into any form of that definition except for a deity and life after death. Christianity is not a merit system of good conduct, or a form of ethics, and ritual worship. It is the free gift of salvation by grace and through faith in Jesus Christ.

Jesus offered the woman at the well this free gift of salvation using water as an illustration. “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” (Jn.4:13-14 nlt) Jesus then told the woman before He identified Himself as the Messiah, “For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” (Jn.4:24 nlt)

It is not about religion, it is about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, fully God and fully man, who took our sins on Himself on the cross that we may have access to the Father and eternal life in heaven. If you are one who is struggling to find the right religion I understand your frustration and confusion, there are over 4,000 and they all can’t be right. There is only one and if you prefer to call it a religion that’s OK, because this religion has no set of rules to follow only to receive the free gift of salvation and live in total surrender to Jesus Christ.

(1) How Many Religions Are There in the World?