Category: Devotionals

Devotionals

Desires of Your heart; it’s a two-step process

Loring Schultz

“Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.” Psalm 37:4-5 ESV

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Fulfilling a desire of your heart sometimes takes a lifetime. Striving and working towards that goal seems less strenuous as you picture that coveted desire in your mind. Finally, you reach the end of that rainbow only to find out the desire didn’t fill your heart. But take heart, there’s a better way to ensure your desires will fill your heart before you set out on that long journey. The fulfillment of the desires of your heart is a two-step process.

Step1: Delight yourself in the Lord, and totally commit your life to follow Him, trusting Him to lead you in the right way. The Lord God knows what is best you, He created you and understands you better than you understand or know yourself. Delight yourself in getting to know God more intimately through prayer and a daily reading of His Word. Commit to be obedient of all you have learned through Scripture, and trust God to help you through the Holy Spirit.

Step 2: Make sure your desires are God’s desires. It is not as difficult as it sounds if you are willing to let go and let God direct you. Take a good hard look at your desires and ask, is this a desire God would have for me? If you have strong desires that center more on yourself hoping that these are also God’s desires, ask God to change your desires to match His and He will.

The Lord God promises to act on our behalf when it comes to obeying Him in desiring what He desires for us. Again, God knows how He made us and how we are wired for His service. He knows we can only have complete fulfillment in the desires of our hearts when our desires are  His desires. If you haven’t yet begun the two-step process there is not a better time than right now, it is time to start to have the desires of your heart fulfilled.

Devotionals

Guard what has been entrusted to you           

Loring Schultz

“O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”— which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you.” 1 Timothy 6:20-21 NASB

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What treasures have you been entrusted with? Those of you blessed with children have those precious jewels placed in their trusting care from God. Those who work in financial institutions have large sums of money entrusted to them.  Those who serve in law enforcement have the safety of the lives they protect and serve entrusted to them. And those of us who are Christians have the treasure of the Gospel entrusted to us.

The apostle Paul instructs his son in the faith, Timothy, to guard the treasure which had been entrusted to him, the life giving message of Salvation. Timothy was instructed to guard or keep watch over the presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ against the false teachers of his day.

Just as Timothy had false teachers in his day, we also have false teachers in our day who distort the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are to guard and keep watch, “through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us” the True Gospel Message of Jesus Christ. And we can use Jesus’s own words:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life……….I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (Jn.3:16, 14:6 nasb)

We have been entrusted with the most valuable treasure known to mankind. May we realize our responsibility and guard what has been entrusted to us!  

Devotionals

Be alert and on guard while waiting anxiously                                                                                         

Loring Schultz

Read: Mark 13:32-37 NIV – The Day and Hour Unknown – “But about – Bible Gateway

“Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.” Mark 13:33 NIV

Healthcare clinic waiting room with seated patients and receptionist at front desk
Patients wait comfortably in a bright and clean healthcare clinic reception area.

The world has a hard time staying on schedule. It is easy getting behind schedule but difficult to get back on track. In a service industry the guests or clients bear the brunt of being behind schedule in waiting. Patience wears thin when waiting in a doctor’s office, a line in the grocery store, or waiting for your favorite artist to hit the stage (they’re never on time) or when you finish your popcorn before the movie starts waiting through the endless previews. Waiting can be frustrating especially if you are looking forward to the event (except maybe the doctor visit). Whatever your waiting for it helps to be patient  and look for constructive ways to pass the time. In fact there is something worth waiting for in which we should anxiously wait.

Christians have an event we have been waiting for two-thousand years. It is the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. Sadly, the opposite is often the case for some in anticipating Jesus’ return. Busy lives with the entrapment that Jesus’ return is in the distant future puts it ‘out of sight out of mind.’ We go our own way doing our thing as it pleases us putting aside the things of God. In explaining to His disciples His return, Jesus told them, “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Mk.13:12 niv) and to be ready.

Jesus then said it was like a man who was going away leaving his house in the care of his servants each with certain jobs to do. He specifically told the door keeper to keep watch for they would not know when their master would return. The Lord has given each of us tasks to perform until He returns and just like the servants were to work while waiting for their master to come home, we are to do the same. We do not know when that day will come. There is no other prophecy that needs to be fulfilled before Jesus’ return. He can appear at any moment. So let us wait anxiously for Christ’s return staying busy with what he has called us to do.  

Devotionals

Hungry for knowledge?

Loring Schultz

“A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash.” Proverbs 15:14 NLT

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Solomon wrote, ‘a wise person is hungry for knowledge.’ A desire to learn all you can is wise and beneficial in life. Educational institutions from pre-school through college must continually provide opportunities for those with an inquiring mind to advance and grab as much knowledge as possible. But they do not always succeed, and we have been seeing the results of their failure throughout society. When hunger for knowledge is not met or redirected by school administrators a failed education system is guaranteed.  Soloman also wrote, the opposite of the wise person who is hungry for knowledge is the fool who feeds on trash. Unfortunately, there is a lot of trash being passed off as education through schools and so-called educating the public venues through biased journalism and news broadcasts, and the ever-expanding social media.  

If anyone should be interested in increasing knowledge and having a complete understanding of the world it is every Christian. Christians should have the desire to increase learning and keep up with current events. The problem is where do we go to get current, trustworthy news and information. Which institutes of higher learning would provide the best non-biased education. These decisions will not come easily, but the place to start is with the Bible, the Word of God.

Our hunger for knowledge begins with our hunger for God. Psalm 42:1-2 says, “As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him?” (nlt) We can be sure what we learn from God is true knowledge and it is His holy agenda. The Bible is trustworthy, the very words of God Himself. Immersing ourselves in scripture daily will give us insight as we seek sources for our continued education. Looking for a reliable platform to research and learn more about the current events in our world will come through observing through God’s eyes. You’ll start to analyze and know the difference between true and false information. Satisfy your hunger for knowledge with the Lord through His Word. He will teach you through His Word and will guide you to make the right decisions in increasing your knowledge.

Devotionals

Obey me, and I will be your God

Loring Schultz

“This is what I told them: ‘Obey me, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Do everything as I say, and all will be well!’” Jeremiah 7:23 NLT

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Do you believe in God? If your answer is yes, do you want Him to be your God? You may be a bit confused at this point, but just think it through. Just because you say you believe in God is He really your God or just one of many. Is He in competition with your career, your spouse, your vacation home, automobile, boat, or your favorite sports team? Does He hold first place on every shelf in your life, and do you obey Him wholeheartedly in everything you do? If not, then He is your God in name only.

The Lord speaking through the prophet Jeremiah to the nation of Israel says, “…. Obey me, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Do everything as I say, and all will be well!” (Jer.7:23 nlt) This is what the Lord God wanted Israel to do when He led them out of Egypt. He didn’t want their offerings or their sacrifices, he only wanted their obedience. They believed in God, but also had other gods from the desires of their hearts to put alongside the God of heaven. Over time these idols, other gods, began to push the true God out of their lives. The Lord God says of them, “This is the nation whose people will not obey the LORD their God and who refuse to be taught. Truth has vanished from among them; it is no longer heard on their lips.” (Jer.7:28 nlt)

God is not to be the top rung on the ladder of our gods. He is the whole latter from top to bottom and our access to eternal life through Jesus Christ His Son. There is no other way of salvation and there are no other gods able to bring us satisfaction and joy in this life than the true God of heaven. Believe God when He says, ‘Obey me, and I will be your God’ and know for sure that He is.

Devotionals

Developing Convictions

Loring Schultz

Ephesians 5:10-20 NLT – Carefully determine what pleases the – Bible Gateway

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

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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

Hold your money loosely

Loring Schultz
Photo by Lukas Blazek on Pexels.com

You may be thinking today’s title is not wise advice and I would agree if I were walking the streets of New York city. I would be sure to have a secure grip on my wallet. Another thing that sounds strange is that money is not that important. Paul tells Timothy that money is ‘so unreliable.’ For the Christian, our trust should be in God and not in our money.

Holding on to our money too tight makes it harder for us to let it go. It gives us a false sense of security and blinds us to the needs of others around us. We are to trust God for our security because He supplies all our need with money left over to enjoy life. When we trust God with our finances we find there will be money left over to share with others. But if we hold tight that money in our hands we will never find out.

The Lord wants us to use our money wisely, ‘to do good’ with it. We are to be  generous to those in need with our money but also in good works giving our time in whatever need others may have. Holding our money loosely and relying on God to meet our needs will not only bless us but those around us in need.

And there is nothing wrong in investing for the future. In fact it is wise. But while we are investing the same rule applies. Hold your investments loosely so you have money left over to invest in the kingdom of God. Make it a good deposit storing up treasures in heaven.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 NLT

“Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.” 

Devotionals

The Truth about Jesus     

Loring Schultz

Read: John 5:19-30 NLT – So Jesus explained, “I tell you the – Bible Gateway

“I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.” John 5:24 NLT

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The truth about Jesus has been debated for centuries. Theologians for the past two thousand years have studied Scripture and the works of fellow scholars to know all they can about Jesus Christ. Each one produces their view with most of them are in agreement with what they discover. There are however differing opinions among some, especially in the last one hundred and fifty years, as to Jesus’ deity and His authority. When these subjects are in question, all hope of our salvation, eternal life, and coming judgment for unbelievers lie in the balance. The best way to understand the truth is to read Jesus’ words for ourselves and hear what He has to say.

Our reading for today will help clear up these issues concerning Jesus’ deity and authority. The religious Jewish leaders were criticizing Jesus and questioning His authority for breaking Sabbath rules and making Himself equal with God. Jesus claimed His deity when He said, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does..…For just as the Father gives life to those he raises from the dead, so the Son gives life to anyone he wants.”(Jn.5:19, 21 nlt) Yes, Jesus is making Himself equal with God the Father for He is God the Son.

Jesus then proves He has authority when He says, “In addition, the Father judges no one. Instead, he has given the Son absolute authority to judge…..And he has given him authority to judge everyone because he is the Son of Man.” (Jn.5:22, 27 nlt) Our culture today through some of the modern-day theologians and progressive leaning pastors are stripping away Jesus’ deity and His right to judge by preaching a watered-down version of Jesus taking away the true reason why He came. As today’s key verse indicates Jesus came to bring salvation and eternal life for all who hear His message and believe. That is the truth, the truth about Jesus.

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Devotionals

Jesus Stopped      

Loring Schultz

Read: Mark 10:46-52 NIV – Blind Bartimaeus Receives His Sight – Bible Gateway

“Jesus stopped and said, ‘Call him.’ So they called to the blind man, ‘Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.’” Mark 10:49 NIV

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Have you ever called out to someone for help and they failed to stop? We have seen tragic reports of accidents and violence towards people where others move along as if nothing was happening or they stand by watching while they video the scene on their cell phones. They don’t want to get involved even if they have the ability to help. Yes, discernment is needed in current days but all too often helping never is considered as people just turn away. Jesus never turns away; in fact Jesus always stops when we call out to Him.

As Jesus left Jericho on His way to Jerusalem for His final days before His crucifixion, Jesus stopped. He stopped for Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, who was calling out for Him. The man was shouting “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mk.10:47 niv) Bartimaeus was in his usual position of sitting along the side of road looking for alms from the passers-by as Jesus passed by. He knew it was Jesus by the reaction and noise of the crowd that were traveling with Him. The crowd rebuked him telling Bartimaeus to be quiet but he shouted out all the more. Bartimaeus wasn’t looking for alms but for healing. He knew Jesus was able to heal him because he knew Jesus was the Messiah, he called Him the ‘Son of David.’

Bartimaeus wasn’t going to miss his chance, he cried out for Jesus to have mercy on him. Jesus always stopped for people in need all throughout His three years of ministry and He stopped here for Bartimaeus asking what he wanted Him to do for him. Of course Bartimaeus wanted to receive his sight and the Lord healed him.

This same Jesus will stop today and listen to your cry for help when you call Him. Others may pass you by but our Lord is always there to help us in our time of need. Don’t neglect to call upon Him, He will stop!

Devotionals

A Call to Holy Living

Loring Schultz

Read: 1 Peter 1:13-16 NLT – A Call to Holy Living – So prepare your – Bible Gateway

“But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.  For the Scriptures say, ‘You must be holy because I am holy.’” 1 Peter 1:15-16 NLT

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God calls every Christian to holy living. In fact, He says ‘you must be holy.’ Don’t allow God’s statement to alarm you. He is not calling you to be perfect as He is without a trace of sin. We all know that is not possible, and if anyone knows that is not possible it is God. So, what does God mean when He gives us this command, we must be holy. He is calling us to holy living and not to a perfect sinless life without any flaws or defects. And is this possible, yes!

The Lord is calling us away from our old way of living before we were saved. Dr. John MacArthur notes, “Holiness essentially defines the Christian’s new nature and conduct with his pre-salvation lifestyle.” We are called to live separately from the sinful ways of the world as the new Christ-like nature takes over. Being holy, in essence, is being separated from the world and not living in accordance with the world systems. Christians are to be set apart from sin and impurity and set apart to God.

Habakkuk 1:13 says, “But you are pure and cannot stand the sight of evil.” (nlt) The hearts and minds of every Christian should continually reflect on the purity of God. Our goal is to live in purity and recognize God cannot stand the sight of evil. When we fail, which will be often, the Lord offers forgiveness when we confess and He gives us grace to see us through as we continue on with our call to holy living.