Word for the Soul

Offering Lip Service

July 8, 2026July 6, 2026 Loring Schultz

“Then the Lord said, ‘Because this people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote’” Isaiah 29:13 NASB

Man speaking at microphone during community forum with crowd

I am sure there is not one of us who hasn’t been assured of some affirming word only to find out you were paid lip service. It could come as a compliment, a sincere interest in solving a problem, or pledging support to a project. Over time you realize that the compliment was short lived, there was no real interest in solving the problem, and the project is not being supported, all from those who spoke words of admiration, problem solving, and support, but it was only lip service.

Unfortunately in our fallen world lip service is given with no thought to the dishonestly of the words spoken. Some may excuse it as not wanting to hurt anyone. Others may consider it the best option to avoid confrontation, others use it to buy time, and still others have no regard for their deliberate untruthfulness only to make themselves look sincere. Lip service can come from our best friends, teachers, family members, co-workers, bosses, and even politicians. But before we add to the list, as it is exhaustive, we need to start with ourselves, and examine where we, as Christians, offer lip service.

Jesus confronting the scribes and Pharisees quoted from Isaiah in Matthew chapter 15, THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME,
TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN (Mt.15:8-9 nasb)

The religious rulers were adhering to manmade oral laws handed down after the Babylonian captivity that were not part of the Law. They were honoring God with their lips by obeying laws they have made to honor Him through ritual and not from their hearts. They were uttering lip service to please God and make themselves look good, so they thought. They were more concerned in following their rules than following the Lord God.

Even as Christians, we are prone to lip service if we are not walking by the Spirit. One basic definition of lip service is ‘service by words only.’ I’m afraid many of us are able to relate. It is bad enough treating others with lip service, but how many times do we treat God with lip service? When we worship God on the Lord’s Day with others of like faith, or when we have our prayer time alone with Him, do our actions as we depart match the words we have spoken? Is there action to prove true the words we just spoken from our hearts, or were they only words? The Lord is please with those who worship Him from the heart and not through lip service.

Uncategorized

The Hand of the Lord

July 7, 2026July 6, 2026 Loring Schultz

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 NLT

This morning, I glanced up on the shelf above my desk and saw my plush ‘Mr. Bill’ figure standing straight up without a care in the world. Mr. Bill was a clay cartoon character in the early days of the late-night show, Saturday Night Live. He was an innocent happy-go-lucky young gent having a fun time as the skit begins but as it began to unfold disaster always found Mr. Bill. Mr. Bill’s misfortunes always came from Mr. Hands who would enter the scene putting together other clay figures to hurt Mr. Bill. As danger was approaching Mr. Bill would yell, ‘Oh Nooooo!’ Mr. Hands may have created Mr. Bill, but those same hands created his enemies as well.

The hand of the Lord is mentioned many times in the Bible. God’s hand is a guiding hand to help and strengthen us in our lives. It is a hand to hold us up and pick us up when we fall. God’s hand is powerful and protective. His hand will never do us harm. God’s hand will not hurt us. But the Lord’s hand is also a hand of discipline. It is a hand of divine judgement for the evil in the world. The book of Hebrews says, “It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (10:31 nlt) The same hands will protect and help us but also discipline us when we are not in step with God.

Mr. Hands created Mr. Bill but he was not his protector. Mr. Bill was not being disciplined when disaster struck because he did nothing wrong that we know of. It may seem a strange analogy from a Saturday Night Live skit, but we can praise God that His powerful hand is always moving towards our good for protection or for discipline if needed.

Devotionals

Do not be deceived, evil is not good

July 6, 2026July 2, 2026 Loring Schultz

“Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” James 1:16-17 ESV

US Supreme Court building with columns and dome, people walking on stairs and plaza, and American flag on flagpole — Visitors walk around the front of the US Supreme Court building with an American flag waving nearby.

Deception has been around since the Garden of Eden. At the root of all deception is the father of lies Satan, himself. Satan has been deceiving people for years that bad is not that bad or not bad at all, in fact it’s actually good. The Puritans of the 17^th century recognized the deceitfulness in some of the laws of their day that were evil.

In one Puritan prayer it says,

“Show me how to know when a thing is evil,

which I think is right and good,

how to know when what is lawful

comes from an evil principle….” (1)

The above could have been written in 2026. Even Christians, when not careful, can be influenced by the world around them in seeing things from a secular worldview or even worse from a distorted Biblical worldview in the name of fairness and justice. Don’t be deceived. Evil is not good. If Scripture says it is evil, then it is evil. Secular governments passing legislation that attributes to the acceptance of anti-biblical truths puts Christians on defense for just believing the truth of Scripture.

Let us take heart and pray for one another to stand strong in defense of God’s Word. This is nothing new, but it is the devil’s continual attempt to sway people away from God and the truth of His Word. Sadly, it worked on Eve in the garden and with many others throughout history and is running rampant today. Pray that you will not be deceived.

(1) Bennett, Arthur Ed. The Valley of Vision. East Peoria: Versa Press, 2023. Pg 69

Bible Studies

“Thy Name, Thy Kingdom, Thy Will” – The Lord’s Prayer, Jesus’ teaching on Prayer

July 5, 2026July 2, 2026 Loring Schultz

“Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”

Photo by Guillaume de Germain on Unsplash

The Lord’s Prayer is a simple model Jesus taught His disciples when they asked Him to teach them to pray. It begins with an upward focus to the God of heaven, His glory and His will leading to the human needs of each of us. Jesus’ focus, also His priority in prayer, is the exaltation to God. The first petition He taught His disciples to pray is ‘Hallowed be thy name.’ It may be translated as ‘holy’ be thy name. God’s name is to be treated with reverence for it is holy. This should make us aware as we approach God in our failed human state that we are about to converse with a holy God. It is our place to begin our prayer by treating His name as holy, ‘hallowed be thy name.’ It was Jesus’ first petition in His prayers and should be ours as well.

The second and third petitions flow together with the first exalting God the Father. In all that we do, Christians are to do everything for the glory of God including our prayers. Our prayers should reflect the desire for glorifying God by honoring Him and praying for His kingdom to be established and His will be done in all things. This brings glory to God as we pray in agreement that God’s will and His kingdom will come about according to His plans established before the foundations of the world.

We may ask, why then should we pray? If God’s plans for His kingdom and His will are already determined, then why pray? Note the following reason on why we should pray; Prayer is not only about asking for things from God, although that is certainly an important part of prayer, but more importantly it is a time of meeting with God, your creator. It is a time to sit with Him and seek to know Him better. We need again to remember ‘who God is’ and ‘who we are’ and that the God of the universe wants to have a relationship with us. He has reached out to make that happen for we would not do that on our own. Therefore He deserves our praise and reverence exalting His name as we sit in prayer with Him. Modern day theologian the late R. C. Sproul notes when asked ‘Does our prayer change God’s mind? No, prayer changes us’ and that is the basis of prayer, to know God and to be changed by Him.

The Messianic Kingdom will indeed become a reality one day in the future. The Lord Jesus will rule from Jerusalem over the entire earth for 1,000 years. But currently this world is under the rule of Satan and his demons. Paul writing in Ephesians says the following, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” (Eph.6:12 nlt) Therefore as Christians we desire to see the Kingdom of God in its fullness come quickly. Until then we pray ‘hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come,’ and for God’s will for us to be completely known that we obey His will ‘in earth as it is in heaven.’

A Christian Perspective

America 250

July 4, 2026July 1, 2026 Loring Schultz

Logo celebrating America’s 250th commemoration anniversary

Today marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of the United States of America. On July 4, 1776, the United States was born in the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Delegates from the thirteen original colonies settled by England in the 17^th and 18^th centuries had enough of the tyrannical rule from King George III. Freedom was sought after. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Before I go any further we must all recognized that the United States is not a perfect country, nor was it at its birth. Why? Because we live in a broken world and all mankind is sinful. The Bible says, “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” (Jer.17:9 nlt) Now that I have covered that, mankind is still capable of doing good when our hearts and minds are centered on our creator God. The men of the American Revolution were not perfect, but most of them believed in their creator God.

As the nation celebrates 250 years the question is asked will America make another 250 years. It may be a moot point for all of us today. But for some of you, will America celebrate a Tri-Centennial? I am old enough to remember America’s Bi-Centennial and the feel of celebration was quite different from the now 250^th anniversary. The difference is centered around one thing, the division of the country. Never before has America been so divided. If the thirteen colonies were as divided as we are today there would have been no will to continue seeking freedom. Being united is essential for freedom and our survival.

Being united is living by the documents established by the Founding Fathers. Beginning with the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights we have a government that is truly for the people by the people. They are for everyone and they work. The problem today is there is a constant effort to tear down the very structure that provides the freedom we all enjoy.

It seems obvious that if the United States of America will survive to see a Tri-centennial the divisiveness must end and our founding documents must stand. Of course, they need a little tweaking from time to time, but only ‘a little tweaking.’ We can agree to disagree and remain united for the sake of the safety of our country and hope for the future generations. Happy Birthday America 250!

Devotionals

Stay Sharp

July 3, 2026June 30, 2026 Loring Schultz

“When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments.” 2 Timothy 4:13 ESV

As we age we tend to not be as sharp as we once were. This occurs both physically and mentally. Physically it is best to stay active as best as you are able and mentally the same holds true. Our learning ability may slow down, but we are still capable of learning new things. Keeping our minds sharp by reading, playing brain teaser games (there are plenty on your smartphone), and engaging in deep conversations help keep our minds alert adding to our quality of life.

Keeping our minds sharp and focused is particularly important as we grow older and so is applying some of the above to help us fill our souls with the things of God. The apostle Paul in his concluding thoughts to Timothy in his letter requested he come to see him soon. Both Paul and Timothy knew that Paul’s days may be short. Paul requested a few things. He asked Timothy to bring Mark along with him, and to stop by Troas to pick up Paul’s cloak that he left there. Winter was settling in soon and it would provide much needed comfort. But most importantly Paul instructed Timothy to bring ‘the books, and above all the parchments.’

The books were papyrus scrolls of the Old Testament, and the parchments were skins of vellum used for smaller documents, Paul’s personal copies of the Scriptures. Here is a man up in age who had already confided to Timothy ‘the time of my departure has come.’ (2Tim.4:6 evs) Why would he want these writings in his present circumstances? Paul wasn’t finished yet. He wanted to stay sharp right up to the end of his days and have his soul filled and refreshed. This is a lesson for all of us whatever our age to continue learning from the Word of God. There is nothing more important. Let us stay sharp!

Devotionals

Have You Ever Complained to God?

July 2, 2026June 30, 2026 Loring Schultz

Read: Psalm 55 NASB – Prayer for the Destruction of the – Bible Gateway

“As for me, I shall call upon God, And the LORD will save me. Evening and morning and at noon, I will complain and murmur, And He will hear my voice.” Psalm 55:16-17 NASB

I do not believe there are any Christians who at one or another have not complained to God. If you are one, please tell me how you do it. I promise I will not take offense, simply curious. Among life’s difficulties and the unexpected that come into our lives it is not always easy to hold back even questioning God as to why. The Lord knows are frame that we are but dust, we have emotions capable of running wild, and some of us have a low tolerance of pain. Once in awhile an unexpected difficulty will come our way and we will let our emotions get the best of us, yes, even before God.

Psalm 55 is a prayer of King David during a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem. It had been put forth by those who were closest to him. There is upheaval in the city and finding someone trustworthy seems impossible with the false accusations and rumors spreading among the people. David was under severe stress feeling abandoned by those close to him and does not know whom he could trust. Through all this David still knows he can trust God even as he brings forth his complaint. “Give ear to my prayer, O God……Give heed to me and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and am surely distracted.” (Ps.55:1-2 nasb)

God understands the trials we go through. He does not mind a question here and there in our crying prayers to Him. The Lord understands when we lift up our hearts in a complaint before Him. David was confident God would hear his voice. The Lord will hear your voice as well and answer you even in your complaint.

Devotionals

Hope in Our Rebellion

July 1, 2026June 30, 2026 Loring Schultz

Read: Genesis 11:1-9 NLT – The Tower of Babel – At one time all – Bible Gateway

“At one time all the people of the world spoke the same language and used the same word” Genesis 11:1 NLT

There is always hope for those who rebel against God. An example of mass rebellion against the creator God occurred in the early chapters of the book of Genesis. One hundred years after the destructive flood that saved only Noah and his family the people rebelled against God in their pride and refused God’s command to move on and populate the earth. Everyone spoke the same language and they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world.” (Gen.11:4 nlt)

That famous tower they intended to build was the ‘tower of Babel.’ It was to be a symbol of their strength and achievements of what they were capable of without God’s help. They were assigning glory to themselves in building this great tower. It would stand as a monument of how great they were. They quickly forgot God and became their own god. The God of heaven quickly put an end to that by confusing their language. God who created mankind now created multiple languages among the people so they could not understand each other and were forced to separate and move on.

God had caused the separation due to their sin. They would not scatter across the earth as God told them to. Sometimes we put ourselves in a position of not following God’s instructions and God separates from what is keeping us from serving Him. But there is always hope that follows. After the Lord separated the people at the tower of Babel scripture tells us that through the line Shem, one of Noah’s sons, came Abraham, and through his line came our savior Jesus Christ.

There was a time when the world had one language and although we enjoy the many diverse cultures it came about due to sin. But there is hope, for God sent His Jesus to reconcile all of us back together through Him no matter our language. “After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb.” (Rev.7:9 nlt)

Devotionals

A Divine Drought

June 30, 2026June 27, 2026 Loring Schultz

Read: Psalm 42 NIV – BOOK II Psalms 42–72 -Psalm 42 – For – Bible Gateway

“Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.” Psalm 42:7 NIV

Photo by Melisa u00d6zdemir on Pexels.com

The area in which I reside has been experiencing drought conditions for the past several months. Residents wait with anticipation until the next ‘drought monitor’ is updated only to find out there has been no improvement. Ninety-five percent of the county where I live is affected by this drought. It has not reached disastrous proportions yet, but vegetation and lawn gardens are beginning to show its lack of rain.

Droughts occurring on the earth have an enormous effect on drinking water and food supply. The food chain will not see disruption until the end of the season or even the following year, but water shortage is felt immediately. Without water humans and animals cannot survive. A drought is serious business if it lasts for an unprecedented period of time.

Our physical bodies can experience major health issues with an inadequate supply of water. Our souls will experience major spiritual issues during a ‘divine drought’ caused by lack of spiritual water. There are several reasons a spiritual (divine) drought occurs and symptoms will soon become noticeable. Not living for the Lord by doing your thing is one way to disengage from Him and soon lack the spiritual water needed to survive. A sure way to create a ‘divine drought’ is to neglect the reading of God’s Word. It is the spiritual water we need. And a third way is not communicating with God on a daily basis through prayer.

There are many other reasons for a ‘divine drought.’ If you are going through one at the moment and the reason is not one listed above, think through your life for something that is there that should not be. There is something that is preventing the spiritual water from entering your soul. Pray about it and ask the Lord to reveal it to you. If you already know what it is, deal with it. Allow the Lord to rain down His spiritual blessings on you and end your ‘divine drought.’

Devotionals

Including Peter

June 29, 2026June 26, 2026 Loring Schultz

Read: Mark 16:1-7 NLT – The Resurrection – Saturday evening, – Bible Gateway

“Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.” Mark 16:7 NLT

Can you recall the feeling you had when you were left out of something? You volunteer for a good-will project, put in the effort to make it successful and when the day comes to begin the project you are not selected to participate. It made not have been anything you have done to be left off the project, but for some reason you were not chosen to participate. Hurt feelings are sure to arise.

But, what about if you had done something irresponsible to give your organization a bad name that precipitated in you not being included? You would still feel hurt, but also sad remorse for what could have been, but wasn’t. You no longer have any control over the situation. The good-will project will go on without you.

Peter, one of Jesus’ most trusted disciples, had done something which he thought eliminated him from any future good-will project. He denied three times that he even knew his master, Jesus. Remembering what Jesus said that before the evening was over he would deny Him three times, Peter went out and wept bitterly after he did exactly what Jesus said he would do. For sure Peter gave Jesus a bad reputation by being associated with a liar. Any chance to work on His behalf would seem to be lost. But that was not the case.

On the morning of Jesus’ resurrection from the grave the three women came to the tomb of Jesus and found it empty except for an angel sitting on the right side. The women were frighten and did not know what to say so the angel encouraged them by saying, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body.” (Mk.16:6 nlt) Then the angel told them to go tell the disciples, ‘including Peter,’ to go meet Jesus in Galilee. Peter was not going to be left off the team. By God’s grace and forgiveness Peter was restored to do a great work for Christ.