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?

Devotionals

God is Love

Loring Schultz

Read: John 17:20-26 NLT – “I am praying not only for these – Bible Gateway

“Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!” John 17:24 NLT

Four adults hugging and smiling in a warm, sunlit living room.

God is love. A phrase we have all heard. Sadly this simple statement of truth has become somewhat of a cliché over the years. It seems ‘God is love’ has lost its true meaning as it is frequently and nonchalantly used in today’s culture. It is true that God is love, but what does that mean to us and how do we apply it in our lives.

In Jesus’ intercessory prayer in John chapter 17 Jesus makes note that God the Father loved Him before the world began. First of all, God’s love is eternal. It had no beginning as God had no beginning. God’s love is relational for He loved His Son from eternity past. Jesus, God the Son, shows His love for us by stating He wants His followers (those who truly have accepted Christ) to be with Him for all eternity. Jesus’ love towards us is relational. True love, God’s love, is relational.

Scripture says we are made in the image of God. A part of that image and character is the ability not only communicate but to be relational with others. This comes from a relational God. All of us are capable of being relational with others, but the fullness of any relationship comes only when God is involved. God created us in His image to have a relationship with Him and not only with our friends and relatives.

When we come to know God through His Son Jesus Christ who died on our behalf we have a new and true relationship with Him. God had loved us and chosen us before the world began. Our relationships with others will also take on a new meaning as we show God’s love in action and not just in frequently spoken words.

Devotionals

Open on Sundays

Loring Schultz

“And haven’t you read in the Law of Moses that the priests on duty in the Temple may work on the Sabbath……. For the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!” Matthew 12:5, 8 NLT

The Sunday Pastry Shop storefront with a sign announcing open hours on Sundays from 9 AM to 4 PM
The Sunday Pastry Shop welcomes customers with fresh bread and treats, open Sundays 9 AM to 4 PM.

Sundays have long been just another workday for many industries in commercial, public and the private sectors. There was a ‘once upon a time’ when working on Sundays would have been considered unheard of. No businesses would dare to open and manufacturers instituted a day of rest for the laborers cementing a day for faith and family. However the cement began to crack as several businesses tested the waters of laws at that time prohibiting work on Sundays. The rest is history, as they say, to where we are today. We are living in a time where working on Sundays is unavoidable and even necessary for certain individuals, especially if you have been called by the Lord to be in the field of service you are in.

Jesus rebuked the Pharisees as they made an issue over the disciples picking the heads of grain in the fields to satisfy their hunger, a necessity. The Pharisees considered the picking of grains the same as harvesting a crop or working on the Sabbath. They failed to realize that performing a task on the Sabbath out of necessity is not equal to working to achieve a profit. Jesus used the example of David and his men eating the sacred bread reserved for the priests as a necessary need of hunger. Jesus continued His rebuke by informing them the priests in the Temple actually are working on the Sabbath doing the Lord’s work. Jesus concludes that He is the Lord of the Sabbath. Jesus’ point in noting the work of priests in the temple is they were doing the Lord’s work in furthering Temple worship which pointed to Jesus. Now Jesus’ disciples are doing His work on the Sabbath as well.

What work has the Lord of the Sabbath called you to do? What desires, skills, and natural abilities has He blessed you with? Are you using them for Him? Does it require you to work on Sundays? If it does, then it is just as much a necessity for you as it was for the Temple priests and Jesus’ disciples picking grain to work on Sundays, doing His will, where He called you.

The Lord had shown me early in my career that He needs Christians in all vocations to serve Him. For me it was in the retail industry at the time retailers where testing the waters of the ‘Blue Laws’ which prohibited Sunday sales. Needless to say, the retailers won. I was called into this service by the Lord working as many Sundays as I had off during my tenure due to the fact that we were open on Sundays.

Devotionals

The Recycled Finest Robe       

Loring Schultz

Read: Luke 15:11-22 NLT – Parable of the Lost Son – To illustrate – Bible Gateway

“But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet.’” Luke 15:22 NLT

Windows Recycle Bin window showing 23 deleted items including PDFs, images, and folders
A computer screen shows the Windows Recycle Bin open with various deleted files inside.

Recycling according to the Environmental Protection Agency is the reprocessing of discarded unless materials into new beneficial products. It helps the environment, the economy, and it makes our lives better. There is also another type of recycling. One of the definitions of ‘recycle’ as an intransitive verb is, ‘to return to an original condition so that operation can begin again as —used of an electronic device.’ Instead of using an electronic device or your computer’s recycle bin for my illustration I would like to use a garment, a fine garment, the finest robe in the story of the prodigal son.

The selfish son who only cared about himself finally came to his senses after he had gone through his inheritance rather quickly and found himself destitute. Realizing his sin, his plan was to go back to his father and asked for forgiveness and a job as one of his fathers workers. When the son arrived home and began addressing his father it was as if the father didn’t hear him but was only concerned that his son had returned. The father then instructed his servants to bring the finest robe in the house and put it on his son. He had returned home.

We do not know if there was another incident with this son doing the same thing. That is not the point of the story. The point is the father’s love for his son. It is an example of God’s continued love towards us. If it had happened again, we can be certain that the father’s love would not have changed. That finest robe the son may have thrown off was picked up by his father and held until the day his son returned home again. I guess we would say it was recycled, ‘to return to an original condition so that operation can begin.’

How many times have we had that recycled garment applied to us? Praise the Lord for His love towards us and that the garment will never get old no matter how many times it has been in the recycle bin.

Devotionals

Be Growing in Grace and Knowledge of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Loring Schultz

“I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends. Be on guard so that you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 3:17-18a NLT

Photo by Chris Yang on Unsplash

It is easy to be swayed one way or another on any subject with so many opinions floating around social media. You may take a firm stance on an issue, but slowly if you are not careful your stance will begin to develop some cracks of doubt. That could very well be a plus in your direction if your stance is found to be false or misrepresented. But it is disastrous if you succumb to pressure to soften your stance to please others when it is the truth. Jesus prayed on behalf of His disciples to His Father, “Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.” (Jn.17:17 nlt) Jesus confirms the truth of God’s Word. Our stance based on the Word of God must be firm because it is true.

Peter, in writing his second letter to Christians in Asia Minor, warned them to be aware of false teachers who were infiltrating the Christian church. Peter begins and ends his letter with the same words of encouragement, “May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.” (2Pt.1:2 nlt) The importance of growing in the knowledge of God was vital to their Christian Walk to recognize falsehood and stand against error. Christians today face the same errors and outright distortion of Scripture being claimed as truth for our times.

Peter was aware was the social pressure put on Christians even in his day. “I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends. Be on guard so that you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing.” (2Pt.3:17 nlt) A sure way of growing in the grace and knowledge of God is to read and study His Word daily. Know for sure what God says in Scripture so you can stand securely on the truth. God’s truth is the Bible.

Devotionals

A Good Summer Read    

Loring Schultz

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT

Photo by Jessica Hearn on Unsplash
 

Summer vacations are a time to get away and relax from the daily grind of our work and everyday routines. Whether you are relaxing on a beach, a cabin in the woods, on an exotic island, or in your backyard a lot of us may have a book in hand. It may be a hardcover book, a paperback, your kindle, or your phone that is providing you with a good summer read. Whatever your method, you are engaging in a traditional summer activity of reading.

Deciding what will be your summer read could be an easy choice based on your likes and dislikes, or difficult wanting to use the time not only to relax but also to educate yourself about a certain subject. It could vary based on what is going on in your life this year or the events that surround you. As America has just celebrated its 250th birthday, I am drawn to Benjamin Franklin this year as my summer read.

We have a world of books available to us, both good and bad. May we choose wisely this summer with what will encourage us as we read for the pure enjoyment of it. Books that stimulate our minds and thinking in a positive direction in the chaotic world we live will help prepare us for the year ahead and beyond. There are many excellent Christian books available in stores, your on-line shopping site, and even on the boardwalk at favorite seaside vacation resort. I suggest you take advantage of them.

Of course let us not forget the most important summer read of them all, the Bible. You will find everything you are looking for in your search for a good read this summer. It made not appear all at once, but if you stick to it you will find what you need with the enjoyment of being in God’s presence preparing you for the days ahead.