Devotionals – Page 22 – Word for the Soul

A Golden Opportunity

June 23, 2025June 19, 2025 Loring Schultz

“But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” Job 23:10 NIV

Occasionally, in our lives we come across the opportunity of a lifetime. Whether it’s a dream job, an exotic vacation, meeting a celebrity or favorite sports figure, a scholarship to a major university or being appointed to a high-level government position, we look at it as a golden opportunity, one that is too good to pass up. Opportunities may come about by chance with no effort on our part without the hard work of blood, sweat, and tears. Whatever the case, we are grateful for the opportunity and do not take it for granted.

The biblical figure ‘Job’ is often referenced in describing those who are suffering or have suffered due to some personal tragedy in their lives. Job is the perfect example in these circumstances as it is said in comparison, ‘no one has suffered more next to Job.’ Job had lost his entire family, save his wife, all his livestock, and his servants in one day by Satan’s hand as he accused Job’s integrity before God. God then permitted Satan to afflict Job with painful sores over his entire body, knowing the He could trust Job to remain faithful. The Lord did permit the attacks on Job proving to Satan Job’s faithfulness that he would not curse God, but also to give Job a golden opportunity.

On the surface, Job’s suffering does not look like a golden opportunity. Job himself, throughout the book of Job questions why the suffering, but is convinced he did nothing wrong. Job relays to his three friends that God knows of his conduct and is testing him, not to refine him by purifying him of his sins, but to prove his innocence and he will come forth as gold. (Job 23:10)

Does God test His children today? Yes, I’m afraid He does. But He puts us to the test to draw ourselves closer to Him, to increase our faith in Him, to trust His plan for us, and to show ourselves as a true follower of Jesus to others in need. It may be hard at the time, but may we thank the Lord for each golden opportunity.

Devotionals

The Prophets Have Spoken

June 20, 2025June 18, 2025 Loring Schultz

“And He said to them, ‘O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?’” Luke 24:25-26 NASB

Interest in the return of Christ has peaked again over the last few weeks for many Christians around the world. Tensions in the Middle East between Israel and Iran have escalated on top of the current crisis with the terror group Hamas. We are living in uncertain times for sure, but only the Lord God knows for sure when the end will come for this world and Christ begins to reign in His kingdom.

Christians can know for certain, and even non-Christians can know that these events will indeed happen. The Bible is filled with all sorts of prophecy concerning what we call ‘the end times.’ A thorough look through the Old Testament gives us a preview of the expected Messiah who was to come and is to come. All the prophecies concerning the birth of Christ has come true. All the prophecies of His death and resurrection have come true. So, there is no doubt the prophecies of the end times ending with Jesus’ reign on earth will also come true.

The New Testament book of Revelation is where most people go to read about those future events. Revelation is a book of prophecy as any in the Old Testament, John himself writes, “And I solemnly declare to everyone who hears the words of prophecy written in this book:” (Rev.22:18 nlt) In one of Daniel’s visions in the Old Testament is a prophecy of Jesus’ death, “After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing,” (Dan.9:26 nlt) And in the same vision, we have a peak into the much further future of the tribulation, “The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.” (Dan.9:27 nlt) This is a prophecy of the antichrist. We can trust the prophets, for they have spoken. It will certainly come to pass.

Devotionals

The Source of All Comfort

June 19, 2025June 17, 2025 Loring Schultz

Read: 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 NLT – God Offers Comfort to All – All praise – Bible Gateway

“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NLT

The apostle Paul began his second letter to the church in Corinth by declaring God is merciful and the source of all comfort. As much as we try to comfort others, we will never succeed as God does. God is the source of all comfort, meaning comfort (to soothe in distress or sorrow) is given best by comforter Himself, God. Sometimes God will use an agent like us to comfort others. Discernment is key in knowing when and how to approach one in need of comfort. For that, it is essential we are walking in step with God and in prayer for His guidance.

One of the essential tools the Lord will have us use is our own experience in being comforted by God when we were in distress. It wasn’t pleasant at the time, and not pleasant now as we think back on it, but it can be used to bring comfort to one suffering at the moment. God has comforted us so we can in turn comfort others. When God shows His mercy and grace upon us through our bad times it’s hard for others not to notice. But there will always be some who do not notice or may have no knowledge of your past troubles, as they deal with their own anguish. That is why you need to share with the one who is suffering just as you were. They need the comfort you received as you tell your story and point them to the source of all comfort, the Lord God.

Understandably, there are things you would rather not share. I get it. That is why a close relationship with the God of all comfort is vital to know what to share, how to share, and when to share how God comforted you during those days. He is the source of all comfort, and you already experienced that. Trust Him to guide you in providing comfort to others.

Devotionals

What Do You See?

June 18, 2025June 16, 2025 Loring Schultz

Read: Habakkuk 1:1-11 NLT – This is the message that the prophet – Bible Gateway

“Must I forever see these evil deeds? Why must I watch all this misery? Wherever I look, I see destruction and violence. I am surrounded by people who love to argue and fight.” Habakkuk 1:3 NLT

The prophet Habakkuk had a couple complaints for God he wanted to get off his chest. First, Habakkuk was in doubt God was hearing his prayers. If He was, God wasn’t responding. Secondly, Habakkuk doesn’t understand why he must witness all the evil around him while the culprits go unpunished. Sound familiar? Habakkuk saw nothing but misery through destruction, violence, people fighting, and no justice in the courts. Again, sound familiar. The old saying is true, ‘the more things change the more they stay the same.’

Habakkuk was writing over 2,500 years ago and his words are just as relevant today and could be posted on any social media website. If you ever thought about or have questioned God, you’re not alone. When we see the same things that the old prophet saw in his day it makes us want to cry out with him, why? And perhaps we feel God is not listening to us as Habakkuk felt. But we are both wrong in our assessment of God’s attention to our prayers. He does listen and answers in His timing and according to His will.

God told Habakkuk the guilty will not go unpunished. The guilty, in this case, was his own people, the people of Judah. “The LORD replied, ‘Look around at the nations; look and be amazed! For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn’t believe even if someone told you about it.’” (Hab.1:5 nlt) God was going to use the evil Babylonian Empire to bring justice to His own people. This of course caused Habakkuk to question God even more, but through it all he rested in God working His plan which included bringing judgment on the Babylonians.

We do not understand the fine workings of God. They are too high for us, as high as the heavens. But we can rest that God hears our prayers as we tell Him what we see asking for justice in our world. God will bring about justice according to His plan and use people and nations we would never consider, but then again, we are not God. Only He can bring about true justice. So, it’s OK to question God and tell Him what we see, just remember He has the perfect plan already worked out.

Devotionals

The Forgotten Miracles

June 17, 2025June 16, 2025 Loring Schultz

Read: 2 Kings 2:1-14 NLT – Elijah Taken into Heaven – When the – Bible Gateway

“Then Elijah folded his cloak together and struck the water with it. The river divided, and the two of them went across on dry ground!” 2 Kings 2:8 NLT

“He struck the water with Elijah’s cloak and cried out, ‘Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?’ Then the river divided, and Elisha went across.” 2 Kings 2:14 NLT

Out of all the miracles that are recorded in the Bible, how many do you remember? Most likely those repeated most often in books, presented on the movie screen, heard from the pulpit, and taught in a children’s Sunday School class are most remembered. Who cannot recall the miracle of Moses and the Red Sea departing in the classic movie, ‘The Ten Commandments,’ or Jesus feeding the 5,000 in the most recent ‘The Chosen’ series along with all the other miracles that are brought to life through that video production. The Bible contains many miracles throughout its pages. It’s impossible to remember them all, even most of them. These are the forgotten ones until you come across them in your daily reading and you say to yourself, ‘Oh yeah, I forgot about that one.’

In today’s text we find two of those forgotten miracles. They are easily forgotten because they pale in comparison to a much bigger miracle, and a similar one with the same results. The prophet Elijah is about to pass his mantle to Elisha for the Lord was about to usher Elijah into His presence in a whirlwind by a chariot of fire. Before the big event, the two prophets cross over the Jordan river by Elijah dividing the water with his cloak and they cross over on dry land. After Elijah is taken up to heaven, Elisha does the same thing with his master’s cloak. These two miracles are not as grand as Moses and the Red Sea departure, or Joshua’s crossing the Jordan river with 2 million people as they entered the Promised Land, but miracles just the same.

Which brings us to this point. We each may have had a major miracle in our life which we will never forget and continually praise God for, but how many smaller, much smaller miracles have God worked in our lives that are quickly forgotten. These are the events in our lives in looking back we know it was only by the miraculous hand of God at work. These too are miracles. May we continue to praise God for all His miracles in our lives and not one of them be forgotten.

Devotionals

Our Future Glory

June 16, 2025June 13, 2025 Loring Schultz

Read: Romans 8:18-25 NLT – The Future Glory – Yet what we suffer – Bible Gateway

“Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.” Romans 8:18 NLT

Suffering. Not a pleasant topic, but one that all of us understand. It comes to us in all stages of life from the youngest to the eldest and everyone in between. There are numerous degrees of suffering, some bearable and others hard to bear. Whatever it is you are suffering from, whatever your age, and whatever the decree of your suffering, the last thing you want to hear is ‘don’t worry, it will get better.’ Well, I’m sorry to say this but ‘don’t worry, it will get better.’

I’m also sorry to say it may not get better in this life, but for Christians we have the Lord walking with us through our suffering. The Lord is also able to take away our suffering in this life, and He may very well choose to do so. It may or may not be His plan. But as we walk with God we are assured that He has planned what is best for us today, tomorrow, and in the future.

Paul, writing in Romans said, “Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later……And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering” (Ro.8:18, 23 nlt) Paul writes of a future day where he says ‘don’t worry, it will get better.’ All Christians will one day will have a perfect glorified body with no pain and no suffering. Yes, while in this life we groan for that future taste of glory while we suffer here on earth, it can’t come soon enough. Be assured it will come. Better days are ahead of us. ‘Don’t worry, it will get better.’

Devotionals

Look for Jesus in the Old Testament

June 13, 2025June 11, 2025 Loring Schultz

Read: Isaiah 53 NIV – Who has believed our message and to – Bible Gateway

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5 NIV

It has always amazed me how some people, even Christians, dismissed the Old Testament as having no relevance for today. The New Testament has all the ‘Red Letter’ words of Jesus’ teaching the way of salvation and how to love God and others as yourself. The Pauline Epistles teach us how to walk in the spirit, live the Christian life, and the importance of the church body. And who isn’t fascinated with the end times in the book of Revelation if we can understand it. But there is all of that and more in the Old Testament if we only take the time to go through it.

The most important aspect of the Old Testament, in fact the entire Bible, is that it is about Jesus Christ. When keeping that in mind you’ll begin to find new meaning in the stories you have heard and read as far back as when you were child. Simply put; God created the heavens and the earth, He created us, we sinned against Him, we needed a savior to take our punishment and reconcile us back to God, the Old Testament paves the way for the Messiah born in Bethlehem and there are even prophesies of the end times. It’s all in there.

Isaiah 53 speaks of Jesus’ suffering sacrifice by dying for our sins. This chapter accurately describes the events of Jesus’ death written 700 years earlier. “He was despised and rejected by mankind……Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised……Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering……But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities……He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter……He was assigned a grave with the wicked, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth……For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Is.53 niv)

It’s kind of hard to deny that Isaiah was prophesying about Jesus Christ. It’s not a coincidence, but a factual truth found in the New Testament gospels. Jesus is found all throughout the Old Testament for He is God the Son, the second person of the trinity. The Old Testament proves who Jesus is and what He has done as any portion of Scripture from the New Testament. You can look for Jesus in the Old Testament. He’s there!

Devotionals

Bottomless Grace

June 12, 2025June 11, 2025 Loring Schultz

Read: 1 Kings 17:8-16 NLT – The Widow at Zarephath – Then the LORD – Bible Gateway

“There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the LORD had promised through Elijah.” 1 Kings 17:16 NLT

I enjoy going to a restaurant that serves a bottomless cup of coffee. You never worry if that second cup is coming or will I have enough coffee to finish my meal. There is a story in the Old Testament book of 1 Kings that tells of a poor widow who had a bottomless cup of grace given to her for her faith and obedience to God.

The prophet Elijah predicted there would be no rain for the next couple of years until Elijah spoke it. No rain led to a famine that devastated all of Israel. Elijah wasn’t exempt from feeling the effects of the famine. The Lord did provide for him in miraculous ways, one of them through this poor widow. Elijah was told to go to the town of Zarephath north of Israel along the Mediterranean Sea where he would meet a woman who would feed him. He met her, but she only had enough for one last meal for her and her son and after that she expected they would die. But God told Elijah that she would feed him.

When the woman told Elijah of her dilemma he responded in a way to test her faith as she revealed an awareness of the Lord God Elijah serves. “Don’t be afraid! Go ahead and do just what you’ve said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use what’s left to prepare a meal for yourself and your son. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the LORD sends rain and the crops grow again!” (1Kg.17:13-14 nlt) The woman would have a bottomless flour and olive oil supply.

She obeyed the word of the Lord and was given bottomless grace for the daily provisions as long as the drought and famine continued. Perhaps you’re facing a dry spell in your life on this day. Maybe you’re in the middle of a spiritual drought. Perhaps the Lord is testing you to step out in faith and help someone at your own expense as the poor widow. She obeyed the Lord and her needs were met. Why not do the same and receive a bottomless cup of grace from the Lord. It’s much better than a bottomless cup of coffee.

Devotionals

Act Like Men

June 11, 2025June 10, 2025 Loring Schultz

“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 ESV

The role of men in our society has greatly diminished over the years. This isn’t just a reality for the 21^st century but has been developing especially in the United States since the end of World War II. I was reminded of this last weekend with the anniversary of D-Day on June the 6^th. Our local regional airport also held their annual World War II Weekend by the Mid Atlantic Air Museum. These men who fought this war were known as the ‘greatest generation.’ That is not taking away anything from the many women who had a vital role, or the men and women in the Untied States who contributed to the war effort during this period in history.

We saw society change gradually in the years following World Warr II. Some for the good, and some for the not-so-good. The advancement of women in the workplace has been a good thing. Women’s presence in the workforce has been increasing in all fields, adding another dimension to the overall success of many companies and organizations with their expertise. The not-so-good effect is many men have downplayed their God given role within the family and in society itself. This has been filtering down for the last two generations and the family unit is suffering from it, not to mention the local church.

When the apostle Paul closed his letter the church in Corinth, he instructed the men to ‘act like men.’ Sounds like there may have been a problem. Men not acting like men is a problem in society, it is even a bigger problem when it occurs in the church. Paul told them to be watchful. Their eyes were to be trained on expecting the unexcepted, to always be ready to handle any situation. There were to stand firm in the faith and not compromise on any of the Lord’s Words in Scripture. They were to be strong, as men ought to be, and they were to do everything in love. That’s how real men act. Let’s act like men!

Devotionals

What Do You Need?

June 10, 2025June 7, 2025 Loring Schultz

Read: Matthew 6:31-34 NLT – “So don’t worry about these things, – Bible Gateway

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Matthew 6:33 NLT

There isn’t a person who has ever lived that didn’t have any needs. There is no one alive today who doesn’t have any sort of need. Our God promises to take care of our needs, but there are some of us who fret over a potential future downfall of our income or a rise in our expenses. Will we be able to make ends meet? Well, if that is our attitude, we’re focusing on the wrong things.

Jesus told His disciples and anyone willing to pay attention the remedy for having all we need. “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (Mt.6:33 nlt) The Lord knows what we need. He also knows what we don’t need, so, don’t expect Him to give it to you. God’s desire for us is to seek His kingdom. Looking upward as opposed to horizontally to the things of this world will help us see the light of what is not needed in this life, but what is needed for eternal life. Our desires will become His desires as we live righteously leading others to the kingdom of God through faith in Christ.

Don’t get caught up worrying about your needs in this life. Trust in the Lord. He will provide. Just make sure your priorities are in order. What do you need? You need to ‘Seek the kingdom of God above all else,’ and let Him do the rest.