Category: Devotionals

Devotionals

A Word of Encouragement

Loring Schultz

Read: Psalm 73 NLT – BOOK THREE (Psalms 73–89) -Psalm 73 – Bible Gateway

“Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.” Psalm 73:25-26 NLT

Mountain sunrise over a lake with Psalm 73 text about God's strength
A scenic mountain sunrise accompanies an uplifting verse from Psalm 73 about God’s enduring strength.

A fellow elder shared with us after our weekly prayer session this morning how encouraging Psalm 73 is. Our church is currently going through selected passages of Psalms for a summer Bible reading program. Seeing his comments I thought it best to review the Psalm and see what I might have missed. Yes, it is encouraging.

A psalm of Asaph that begins Book 3 in the Psalter is a reflection of what most Christians experience in certain seasons of life. During the downtimes in life, and there are many, we tend to look back at better days or to those who do not seem to have it so bad. We envy them who seem to have it all together. They may not be living for the Lord, but they have no worries, they are healthy, financially set, no internal family struggles, life is good, and like Asaph writes, “These fat cats have everything their hearts could ever wish for!” (Ps.73:7 nlt) And we surmise that we do not. But we are wrong, troubles and downtimes included.

The psalmist had reached the point where he questioned whether his obedience to God was for nothing. I’m afraid many Christians have found themselves asking the same question. The turning point for the psalmist was when he went into the sanctuary. “Then I went into your sanctuary, O God, and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked.” (Ps.73:17 nlt) Worshiping God opened the psalmist’s eyes to God’s justice. The bottom line is the wicked does not get away with anything.

Well now, what about us with our struggles and the downtimes in life? Follow the lead of Asaph as he confessed his sin of assessing life from a secular worldview. (Ps.73:21-24) He had come to realize that nothing is better or more desirable than God. May we come to the same conclusion!

Devotionals

The World Cup

Loring Schultz

“And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, ‘Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.’” Matthew 26:27-28 NLT

Golden FIFA World Cup trophy on a pedestal at a soccer stadium
The iconic FIFA World Cup trophy stands proudly on the pitch before a match with a packed stadium

The FIFA Men’s World Cup has once again descended on the nations of the world. This year three North American countries will host the 2026 World Cup with the United States being one of the hosting countries. Soccer is the only sport in the world that is recognized and played globally. Therefore the term, ‘World Cup,’ is appropriate. It is available to all who qualify to participate in striving to win the World Cup. Sadly, there will only be one winner and the winning nation will celebrate the accomplishment of winning the World Cup.

There is another World Cup that is available for all who qualify to participate in where there are no losers. This cup contains the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. In the first ‘Lord’s Supper,’ which we continually observe today, Jesus told His disciples the cup of wine represented His blood that ‘is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.’ It is available to all who qualify. Qualifying is simply accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

Qualifying for the 2026 World Cup requires much training, practice, physical fitness, and teamwork. Those nations who make the cut are in the tournament but not guaranteed the victory. When making the cut with Jesus you are guaranteed victory because victory does not depend on your performance, but on God’s gift given through grace. It is truly a World Cup, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (Jn.3:16 nlt)

Devotionals

Carefully determine what pleases the Lord

Loring Schultz

“Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.” Ephesians 5:10 NLT

Photo by Joel Muniz on Unsplash

Throughout any given day we make hundreds of choices. If our day is not already preplanned, we have the task of deciding how to fill the day. Even in those preplanned days, would our scheduled activities please the Lord? Obviously work, fulfilling family needs, spending time with the Lord, and volunteering in the community would be pleasing to God. It is those gray areas that are concerning for the Christian. Areas of personal conviction between you and God if you participate in them hinders your relationship with Him. It doesn’t need to be outright sin that would displease God, James tells us, “Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.” (Ja. 4:17nlt) This is especially true in the things you hold in conviction to do or not to do.

Developing convictions between you and the Lord begins with spending time in the Bible and in prayer with Him. During times of confusion in certain areas of your life search the scriptures and ask God for guidance as to what He pleases Him, then go do it or not do it as the Lord placed the conviction on your heart. Not every Christian will have the same convictions. What is a conviction for me may not necessarily be a conviction for you and vice versa. That doesn’t mean that God is not pleased with both of us. He is pleased as we are obedient to His will for us.

There are common denominators for all Christians to agree with convictions in what pleases and displeases God. Paul writes to the church in Ephesus, “Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret…… Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.” (Eph. 5:11-12, 17nlt) As you plan your day, carefully determine what pleases the Lord by developing convictions.

Devotionals

Your Will or God’s Will Be Done?

Loring Schultz

“‘Abba, Father,’ he cried out, ‘everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.'” Mark 14:36 NLT

How well will you handle God’s desires and His will for you if it brings pain and suffering into your life?

Man kneeling on wet cobblestone path outside church, holding hands near face and crying.

Jesus, the God-man, faced the reality of following His Father’s will in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before His crucifixion. He knew of God’s plan of salvation for each of us before the world began and He followed every detail. The time had come for the payment of sin to be completed. The sacrifice for sin would be made in a few short hours. Jesus was about to experience the most excruciating pain and suffering imaginable as the sins of the world would be laid upon Him. His Father would turn His back on Him causing Jesus to call “out with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means ‘My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?’” (Mk.15:34 nlt)

In the garden that night Jesus knew His Father was capable of an alternative plan if it was His will to do so. Jesus prayed for this to be so. “‘Abba, Father,’ he cried out, ‘everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me.” (Mk.14:36a nlt) The physical pain in the ‘cup of suffering’ will be accompanied by the spiritual separation from His Father that was forthcoming. Jesus asked that it be taken away, but then said, “Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” (Mk.14:36b nlt)

Whatever your pain and suffering may be, it is understandable to ask the Lord to remove it and He will not fault you for that. There are times when He will remove it completely or partially, and times when He does not. Knowing that God desires your heart to be filled with His desires and for His will to be done wouldn’t you rather God’s will than your own will? May we all be able to say with the Lord Jesus, “Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” (Mk.14:36 nlt)

Devotionals

Get Cleaned Up!   

Loring Schultz

“Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” 2 Timothy 2:20-21 ESV

Photo by Nadia Valko on Unsplash

When having company over for dinner the host is sure to bring out the best china and silverware in honor of their guests. There may be other fine utensils available but only the best will do for this occasion. Now picture this dinner taking place in a great house as Paul notes in our Scripture text. And picture this great house as your local church or better yet, the universal church, Christ’s church on earth. Paul says there are honorable vessels and dishonorable vessels in this great house. Every Chistian represents one of these two vessels. I ask which one are you? I ask myself the same question; which one am I?

Paul describes these vessels as vessels of gold and silver, and also of wood and clay. The honorable vessels of gold and silver would be used to serve food to the dinner guests and the dishonorable of wood and clay would be used for the cleanup and disposing of garbage. Paul’s point is to show the importance of holiness in our everyday lives. Christians are to be set apart unto good works. We are to be honorable vessels in serving the Lord, and if we are only vessels of wood and clay, although needed, we will not bring honor and glory to God.

If you are a vessel not set apart unto God still clinging to the things of the world take heart. Paul encourages us that all is not lost. If we get cleaned up from the things of the world and become an honorable vessel the Lord will use us in His service for the kingdom.

Devotionals

Satisfaction

Loring Schultz

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” Matthew 5:6 NASB

Woman in orange sweater sitting at a wooden desk with books and tea in a home office with large window

In 1965 the ‘The Rolling Stones’ had their first number one recording in the United States with “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction.” The suggestive lyrics throughout song serves as a testimonial that there is no satisfaction in the ways of the world. Why then do so many chase after those highly sought moments of pleasure only to come up empty? As hard as it is to admit we all have a sinful nature and our desires if not held in check will result in seeking those moments to find satisfaction. In time we will all realize, “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction” in worldly desires.

Jesus says in the fourth Beatitude, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Mt.5:6 nasb) Satisfaction, according to Jesus, God the Son, comes to those who have a hunger and thirst for righteousness. This is a characteristic of Jesus’ followers as are the first three Beatitudes; the poor in spirit, those who mourn and the meek. Every Christian should hunger and thirst for righteousness. It should be our desire.

John R. W. Stott lists three aspects of righteousness found in the Bible; they are legal, moral, and social. “Legal righteousness is justification, a right relationship with God; moral righteousness is that righteousness of character and conduct which pleases God; and social righteousness is concerned with seeking man’s liberation from oppression, together with the promotion of civil rights, justice in the law courts, integrity in business, and honour in home and family affairs.” (1)

Sadly, there are many Christians who have not found the true satisfaction that comes from knowing Christ. If you are not satisfied as a Christian, then something is amiss. If this relates to you, could it be that you hunger and thirst for things outside the word of God? Get into the Word of God where righteousness is put on display, and you will soon discover a desire for it.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” All other desires, “(You) Can’t Get No satisfaction.”

(1) Stott, John R. W. The Message of the Sermon on the Mount. Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1978.

Devotionals

A long-term investment strategy

Loring Schultz

Read: Psalm 37:16-22 NLT – It is better to be godly and have – Bible Gateway

“It is better to be godly and have little than to be evil and rich.” Psalm 37:16 NLT

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

Investing for the future makes sense. Old sayings like ‘a penny saved is a penny earned’ and ‘saving for a rainy day’ have been repeated to young children to instill upon them the importance of saving for the future. High school and college graduates entering the workforce will begin, if they are smart, investing for family planning, buying a home, and all the expenses accumulated in life. Investing for the future also includes a retirement plan for when your working days are over. Some people put this off thinking they have lots of time, but another old saying is ‘time flies.’ I remember thinking back years ago in my first full-time job and seeing my retirement date. It seemed like an eternity away; well that date came and went five years ago.

For the Christian, while it is smart to invest financially, it is also vital to invest in living a godly life which will benefit in your overall retirement goal. Biblical commentator David Guzik says Psalm 37:16 is ‘a long-term investment strategy.’ King David wrote, “It is better to be godly and have little.” (Ps.37:16 nlt) You see, with God little is much. Living a godly life, obeying God, working hard, caring for your family, being a good neighbor, and helping others are also part of a long-term investment strategy.

There is nothing wrong in being rich. God blesses the rich as well. Their riches are even more abundant in God’s hands. David is saying in this psalm if you need to be evil and shady to secure your future it’s not worth it. “For the strength of the wicked will be shattered, but the LORD takes care of the godly. Day by day the LORD takes care of the innocent, and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever.” (Ps.37:17-18 nlt) A sure long-term investment strategy is living a godly life of obedience. It is never too early or too late to start as long as you start now.

Devotionals

We will never wipe out poverty, but we can help the poor!        

Loring Schultz

Read: Mark 14:3-9 NLT – Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the – Bible Gateway

“You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to.” Mark 14:7 NLT

Volunteer giving a food tray to an elderly man at an outdoor relief camp
A volunteer happily hands a meal to an elderly man at a community food distribution site.

Jesus said many things recorded in Scripture, all true by the way. When Mary anointed Jesus before His crucifixion with an extremely expensive perfume, $53,000 in today’s economy, people were outraged. Why this waste they responded in a scolding tone. That money could have been given to the poor. “But Jesus replied, ‘Leave her alone. Why criticize her for doing such a good thing to me? You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But you will not always have me.” (Mk.14:6-7 nlt)

We cannot deny the truthfulness of Jesus’ statement, ‘You will always have the poor among you.’ All we need to do is look around and we see that Jesus was right. Jesus went on to say, ‘you (we) can help them (the poor) whenever you (we) want to.’ The world is looking at poverty the wrong way. Poverty is never going to be eliminated. Jesus said so. So, what do we do, especially Christians. We help the poor. It is an on-going work. Yes, there will be many who see their way out of poverty and we rejoice in that, but there will always be others who will take their place. Jesus said so.

Our focus today as Christians should be to do the work of helping the poor as Jesus said in Scripture to help them. It is the Chrisitan thing to do. Mary’s sacrificial offering of the rich ointment poured over Jesus’ head was of the absolute best showing her love and devotion to Him. When we give to the poor may we give our best to show our love for Jesus and His love for us as He sacrificed His life for us, poor in spirit sinners, that we may receive the glorious riches of His salvation.

Devotionals

Put your religion into practice

Loring Schultz

“But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!” Matthew 5:20 NLT

Photo by Katya Wolf on Pexels.com

You may have heard the term, ‘practice makes perfect.’ You may have used it yourself while encouraging others to continue their practice sessions. Whether learning to play a musical instrument or being coached up to throw a curve ball, run a deep route on the football field, or raise the percentage of free throws from the foul line, practice is needed. But does practice really make perfect? We are all able to testify that practice does make us better, but it does not make us perfect. That is not to say that one cannot bowl a perfect 300 game, a pitcher not throw a perfect 27 out baseball game, or a student studying for an exam is not able to ace it. Outside of those accomplishments, which are few, practice does make us better, but certainly not perfect.

The religious leaders of Jesus’s day were all about practicing religion. They had calculated 248 commandments and 365 prohibitions in God’s law. They strived to keep them all. No doubt, they practiced their religion by obeying or trying to obey each of 613 total commandments and prohibitions. As much as they practiced their religion and attempted to keep all the laws, they were not able to do so. They did claimed, however, to have a righteousness that surpassed everyone else. Their religion was an outward show of righteous deeds. No matter how much they practiced the righteous deeds of the law they were not perfect.

Jesus said to His disciples in the Sermon on the Mount in reference to this, “But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!” (Mt.5:20 nlt) The teachers of the law and the Pharisees were considered to be the most righteous individuals due to their observances of God’s laws. But Jesus tells the disciples their righteousness must exceed that of the righteous leaders or they will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Practicing or observing religion is not the answer.

One is made righteous in the sight of God by accepting Christ as their Savior. There are no works we can perform, or any amount of practicing that will earn us a place in Heaven with Christ. “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” (Eph.2:8-9 nlt) Do not practice your religion, put your religion into practice.

Devotionals

Maximum Effort  

Loring Schultz

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 NASB

Maximum Effort with 2 Timothy 2:15

There are various things in life that require our maximum effort. Rearing children to adulthood needs more than casual supervision. Working your way through medical school is a vast undertaking that shapes your priorities to maximize your efforts where they need to be. Going back to the moon and safely returning takes maximum effort from every individual involved in every step of the entire project. Doing anything that is vital for our quality of life will take maximum effort to be achieved successfully. Anything less will fail.

In the Christian life one of the most important things that require maximum effort is to present ourselves approved to God. What is meant by, ‘approved to God’? For starters it means are we being faithful to God through obedience? Are we applying maximum effort to live a life unblemished by the world? Our deeds should not put us in a spotlight of embarrassment before others, especially those outside the faith. If we are applying maximum effort to live pure lives before others it will bring good results and that will bring God’s approval.

There is one other vital aspect in presenting ourselves approved to God and that is  handling the word of truth, the Bible, accurately. This is not just for pastors, Bible teachers, and seminary professors. Every Christian needs to know Scripture well enough to handle the truth correctly. The truth of the gospel is the most important message you can convey to others. In a world where this truth gets distorted every day, it is vital for true Christians to understand salvation and be able to explain it through Scripture. It will take maximum effort but we have the Holy Spirit to help us with that extra boast we need to get us there. With His help we can accurately handle the word of truth.