Category: Devotionals

Devotionals

The Lord Directs Our Steps

Loring Schultz

“The LORD directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?” Proverbs 20:24 NLT

Photo by Miguel A Amutio on Unsplash

I say to myself, ‘I shouldn’t have done that,’ after I already did it. Then I ask myself, ‘why did I do that?’ to which I have no answer, most of the time. Solomon’s proverb may or may not be comforting at this time when he writes, ‘The Lord directs our steps.’ If I did something stupid, how could that be the Lord directing me, but on the other hand if it turns out for the good it had to be the Lord directing me. As I look back over my life, I’ve had many of those occasions perhaps you have too, but do not waste your time trying to figure out how the Lord directs our steps, just accept it.

You may ask, ‘Is God directing my steps when I am involved in sin?’ Absolutely not! God is holy and cannot accept sin in His sight. That is why God the Father turned His back on Jesus at Calvary when the sins of the world were placed on Him at the cross. God gives us free will in making choices in this life, but when we put our trust in Him and accept His Son as our savior God will lead those who are His according to His will. Do Christians still sin. Absolutely! Although God is not directing our steps into sin, He will still work out His purposes as we confess and repent providing us with grace and mercy.

It’s hard to accept at times that we could be in a certain place due to the consequences of our sin and yet the Lord continues to bless us. He uses us in influencing others towards Him according to His will. God does not give up on His children who confess and come back to Him. He will even use our past to glorify Him as we repent and live a life of righteousness. “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.” (Is.42:3 niv) God does direct the steps of those who are His, even the stupid things we do. He will make them right. But remember God never directs us into sin, but as we confessed and repent, He will forgive us applying His grace and mercy. Hard to accept, I know. Just accept it and praise Him for it!

Devotionals

Faithfully Preach the Truth                

Loring Schultz

“We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us.” 2 Corinthians 6:7a NLT

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Have you ever traveled outside your own country either on business or a vacation? When your guide left you for a little free time on your own, how comfortable did you feel? Did you fit in as if you were one of the locals? Probably not. If we as Christians can not say that about living in this world, then something is drastically wrong. Peter addressed the Christians of his day in writing to them as ‘foreigners and exiles.’ (1Pt.2:11) They were living in a foreign land where they did not fit in. Christians today are still living in a foreign land. We may feel at home, but again that is a problem. The Lord has placed us in the country of our origin in this life, but this is not our home, heaven is. And when he has placed us here, He has given us a job to do, ‘faithfully preach the truth.’ So, it is time to get uncomfortable.

Paul, the apostle and a contemporary of Peter, is the greatest example of living as an exile outside of Jesus Himself. Paul found himself exiled from his own people after his conversion to Christ. He was a Jewish scholar studying under Gamaliel and became the strictest of Pharisees. His mission in life was to persecute the Christians, including death. When Paul started preaching Christ as Lord, he became an enemy of the Jewish leaders who were his peers. Paul’s life changed dramatically from being one the Jewish elites to going hungry, imprisoned, and being beaten. Paul had become uncomfortable in more ways than one with the world. Physically, but also with the pleasures of the world. Paul’s mission now was to ‘faithfully preach the truth.’

Paul encourages us as he encouraged the church in Corinth to live as examples of Christ in a fallen world as he was doing. To live in purity, being patience and kind, and show sincere love. (2Cor.6:6) Paul knew Christians in Corinth would begin to feel as exiles in their own hometown when they started to feel uncomfortable with the world. He knew that would be hard for them, but also knew there is joy in serving the Lord. (2Cor.6:10) The same holds true for us. Yes, we want people to like us, but this is not our home. We should live as exiles preaching the truth of salvation, bringing as many people as we can to our home country, the heavenly kingdom.

Read: 2 Corinthians 6:3-10 NLT – Paul’s Hardships – We live in such a – Bible Gateway

Devotionals

A Refuge in Times of Trouble

Loring Schultz

“The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.” Nahum 1:7 NIV

Photo by Roman Melnychuk on Unsplash

I don’t know of anyone I have ever met that has not had trouble in their life. Some people seem to have trouble following them wherever they go. One of favorite cartoon characters, ‘Ziggy’, had those experiences with a dark cloud always over his head. Ziggy is a good-natured fellow with a kind, warm heart, but that didn’t prevent him from troubled times. In fact, he didn’t let it bother him, he just went along his way being who he is, a kindhearted cartoon character. We can also go along in troubled times being who we are, Christians who know the Lord God.

It would be nice if all our troubles were little things happening to us that some would call bad luck, or the black cloud that hovers above us. But most of our times of trouble are more than a ‘Ziggy’ event, some of them even tragic. Becoming a Christian doesn’t guarantee all our troubles disappear, they don’t. We may find that a little odd. After all, why wouldn’t God keep us from trouble. He may not keep us from trouble, but God cares and is always with us as we go through it.

The Old Testament prophet Nahum writes, “The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.” (Na.1:7 niv) The Lord is our refuge, our safety net, our escape route, our defender, and our strength who will not abandon us. Whatever you may be going through this week remember God is there with you. God cares for you, and He is good. You will continue to have trouble in this life, but as a Christian you can rest assured God is with you. He will not leave you to work it out on your own but will be a refuge for those He cares for as you trust in Him.

Devotionals

Seeing Clearly

Loring Schultz

“You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:5 ESV

Photo by Valeria Boltneva on Pexels.com

Being able to see clearly is essential for us to have a good quality of life. Other physical and mental God given abilities also enrich our well-being. In many ways they complement each other and those who suffer physical blindness have leaned heavily on other abilities. Being able to compensate for a deficiency physically such as not seeing clearly unfortunately doesn’t carry over in a spiritual sense. Sadly, those who do not see clearly spiritually do not even realize that they are blind, blind to their own sin. They live their lives in a self-righteous state ignoring the possibility that they also are in need of some correction.

One of the most quoted sayings of Jesus is, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” (Mt 7:1 esv) Many repeat these words with the false intent to criticize anyone who would make a judgment against another. The premise being Jesus’ words, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” But Jesus goes on to say, “For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.” (Mt.7:2 esv) Jesus is not saying that we are never to judge, but to not be condemning, hypocritical, or with a self-righteous attitude. In order to accomplish this within God’s standards we need to remove any false righteousness that has a hold on us blocking our vision to our inner selves.

Jesus’ used of comparisons has a way of undeniably coming to the point with precise clarity. He tells His listening disciples, “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” (Mt.7:3 esv) A ‘speck’ is a dry stalk, a twig, or a straw, in comparison to a ‘log’ which is a support beam. Obviously there is no comparison. With a strong support beam in front of you it is impossible to see a tiny wind-blown twig with any accuracy. Therefore you sense some fault and rush to condemning judgment without acknowledging your own faults. In a sense, you see right through your sin as if it didn’t exist.

As Christians, we have an opportunity to help a brother or sister in the Lord with the speck in their eye. However, we are unable to do so if we harbor sin in our lives. Let us confess our sins and rid ourselves of the log barriers affecting our vision and be able to help those in need resulting in all of us to ‘see clearly.’

Devotionals

The Unrepentant

Loring Schultz

“Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent…….…. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.” Matthew 11:20, 23 ESV

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We have all heard the saying, ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ Truth is often revealed by an un-expecting snapshot, or a video capturing the events of an altercation. It is hard to deny the obvious when closely examining the material presented. Opinions change as facts become a reality. The truth becomes known regardless of the narrative that is being presented.  Unfortunately there are those who will refuse to believe what the eyes see due to their indifference towards the truth as they view it.

Tragically the truth about God is being dismissed by those who are indifferent to the things of God, even though He has revealed Himself to us. The apostle Paul writing in Romans explains, “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” (Ro.1:20 esv) Yet there are those who investigate other places, even within themselves to find the truth, to find the meaning of life, and to find the good in themselves. They fail to find the need for repentance before a holy God, even though they see miracles all around them.

Jesus denounced several cities in the New Testament, especially Capernaum, due to their unrepentance. He performed miracles in Chorazin and Bethsaida, outskirts of nearby Capernaum, and they were unresponsive to them. And in Capernaum, where Jesus made His ministry headquarters, the results were the same. Those who have seen Jesus, witnessed His miracles and heard Him preach of the kingdom of God, were indifferent to Him and their need to follow Him. Jesus’ words were strong towards them for their unrepentance, “And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades.” (Mt.11:20a esv)

Today the same situation exists with even more responsibility. The knowledge of God and His plan for salvation through His Son Jesus Christ is made available in ways that would have been unimaginable in Jesus’ day. As Capernaum had a greater responsibility put upon them with Jesus conducting His business right in their hometown, we have an enormous responsibility to repent of the failure to get the Word out as Christ’s church. And for those who are indifferent to the God of the Bible and His Son Jesus, a greater knowledge of God is available to you in our day. Do not be denounce by Jesus for being one of the unrepentant.

Devotionals

Pray for our Pastors and Elders

Loring Schultz

“Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you……lead them by your own good example” 1 Peter 5:2a, 3b NLT

Photo by Frank Alarcon on Unsplash

Our church pastors and elders have a God-given task entrusted to them in shepherding or caring for the members in the church they serve. We are God’s flock, the church, His children. So are the pastors and elders. Even though we all are guided by Jesus, the Great Shepherd, the leaders of the church have that special assignment to lead those entrusted to them by loving the sheep, caring for the sheep, and feeding the sheep. And if you look around the church, in fact any church, you’ll realize why we need to pray for our pastors and elders. We are all like sheep and if not guided by godly shepherds we will go our way. We could be a stubborn bunch.

If that sounds a little harsh for some of you. I will just say, me included, if the shoe fits wear it. We are all not that bad, but we are all not that good either. Christians need the guidance of God’s earthly shepherds in the world in which we live. Their teaching, prayers, counselling, wisdom, and love are essential for the members of the church. Yes, there are other fine Christian teaching organizations, but nothing is as valuable as gathering as a church family for worship, love, care, and teaching from God’s appointed shepherds. The apostle Peter instructed the elders of his day to, “Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you (and) lead them by your own good example.” (1Pt.5:2a, 3b nlt) Our pastors and elders have an enormous responsibility to lead us by living a good example. We need to pray they will be able accomplish this unhindered.

For a church family to be well-led, the leadership must be prayed for daily. Satan and his demons don’t take a day off. They are eager to get a shot off at one of their favorite targets, pastors and elders. Leadership needs the encouragement they feel from the Lord through our prayers. Pastors and elders are human just as we are, they are not angels and need the hedge of protection against sin in their ministry. May we all as Christians be praying for our pastors and elders that they receive the encouragement, the care, and the teaching from the Great Shepherd growing deeper in their love for Him, for them to love, care, and feed us, God’s flock, the church of God.

Devotionals

Confidently Waiting for the Lord

Loring Schultz

“Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.” Psalm 27:14 NLT

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Are you able to say with confidence that you always wait with patience for the Lord to help you? Do you have confidence that He will? It is not easy when a heavy burden overshadows your light of day. You find it difficult to concentrate, thinking ahead waiting for the burden to be lifted. You have prayed, but you just can’t leave it there with the Lord. Rehashing it in your mind causes anxiety and you feel the answer can’t come soon enough. Let’s take a look at King David in Psalm 27. He had a mounting problem with those who were conspiring against him, but he prayed to the Lord and waited patiently with confidence.

First of all, David knew he needed not to be afraid. He said, the Lord was his light, his salvation and his protection from danger. (Ps.27:1) David came to this conclusion from the experience of God’s help in the past. You can probably recall instances when God answered your prayers in the past. Rest on that! Secondly, David portrays God’s protection from his enemies as concealing and hiding him in His sanctuary. (Ps.27:5) The sanctuary in David’s day meant the presence of the Lord. If you are a believer in Christ, you have the Holy Spirit residing in you. Rest also in that! And third, David had an intimate prayer session with God. “My heart has heard you say, ‘Come and talk with me.’ And my heart responds, ‘LORD, I am coming.’” (Ps.27:8 nlt) Rest in the fact you are invited by God to come and talk with Him!

David prayed earnestly pouring out his heart. He held nothing back and we shouldn’t either. God desires our honest prayers from the heart, so let it all out. David did and was able to say, “Yet I am confident I will see the LORD’s goodness
while I am here in the land of the living.” (Ps.27:13 nlt) And he closes his psalm by saying, “Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.” (Ps.27:14 nlt)

Read: Psalm 27 NLT – Psalm 27 – A psalm of David. The LORD – Bible Gateway

Devotionals

Unity in the Body of Christ

Loring Schultz

“Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.” Ephesians 4:3 NLT

Photo by Edward Cisneros on Unsplash

The more our politicians try to unite us, the more divided we become. That is true around the world and here in America. Promises of uniting the country fail on the first day in office for a new president and I’m sure it will happen again in January 2025 no matter who is elected. We cannot deny we live in troubling times of division in the United States. That is why it is crucial that Christians in America are united by their bond to each other through Christ. Ephesians 4:3 says, “Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.” (nlt) Paul says, ‘make every effort.’ This is not a time to be laid back.

There is strength in numbers, but don’t let that encourage you. Our true strength is found in the Lord. Nehemiah says the ‘joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh.4:10) Couple that with God’s awesome power and we will be encouraged for our days ahead. Believers in Christ need each other. Do not be a lone ranger traveling that dusty road ahead of you. Yes, you have the Holy Spirit with you, but God also gave you brothers and sisters in Christ as your family. We travel this road together having been united in the Spirit.

Jesus, in His High Priestly prayer, prayed that all who believe in Him would be one. He prayed we would be an example of perfect unity to the world, so that God’s great gift of salvation would be seen. Christians are blessed beyond measure and as we bless each other and live in peace in the strength of the Lord, others will see the love we have for one another through Christ.

In a time of such division in the United States, the only unifying factor that works is Jesus Christ. Christians can participate in the intensifying division in the nation or set the example of unity. May we all make every effort to remain united, encouraging each other as we present to the world the great unifier, Jesus Christ.

Read: Ephesians 4:1-6 NLT – Unity in the Body – Therefore I, a – Bible Gateway

Read: John 17:20-24 NLT – “I am praying not only for these – Bible Gateway

Devotionals

What Really Matters When It Comes to Love

Loring Schultz

“I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.” Philippians 1:9-10 NLT

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The world acknowledges every time there is a catastrophic event ‘love’ is missing, that it had been here from the beginning and now it is gone. But has it always been here? The Bible says God is love and for sure He is. There is a misunderstanding of the love of God among the people of the world which justifies sinful behavior. The love of God simply stated in scripture is, “For God loved the world so much that 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)

Godly love has not been in the world, outside of those who know God, since the fall of our first parents, Adam and Eve. The world is incapable of this love if it does not know the true God of the Bible. John writes, “…. for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.” (1Jn.4:7b nlt) Obviously those who do not know God do not possess the love needed the help the world in crisis. But Christians do! “God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” (1Jn.4:9-10 nlt)

It is vital for every Christian to know what really matters after we have accepted Christ as savior. Paul encourages us to ‘keep on growing in knowledge and understanding’ and that our love would overflow. It is not sentimental love, but love rooted in the knowledge of God. Understanding what really matters will help us to ‘live pure and blameless lives.’ Paul writes, “May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.” (Ph.1:11 nlt) Then we are capable to share the gospel, the love of God, with the world who so desperately needs it. That’s ‘what really matters when it comes to love.’

Devotionals

A City on a Hill

Loring Schultz

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” Matthew 5:14 ESV

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John Winthrop, the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, coined the phrase ‘A City on a Hill’ while aboard the flagship Arabella upon arriving on the shores of present-day New England. An English Puritan lawyer, Winthrop was in pursuit of religious freedom along with many others in early 17th century England. His encouraging words to his shipmates set the tone for the work ahead of them lasting for centuries to come, “We must always consider that we shall be as a ‘city upon a hill’—the eyes of all people are upon us.” His sentiments have been repeated countless times throughout the years in the United States of America as a mode of encouragement most famously used by both President John F. Kennedy and President Ronald Reagan.

Jesus told His disciples they were the light of the world and a city on a hill. The landscape of America includes several cities that are elevated on mountainous terrain visible for all to see. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither can anyone who has accepted Christ as Savior be hidden from the world. Jesus’s words to His disciples apply to every Christian today. Christians are the light of the world and cities on a hill that can be seen by all. With such great amount of exposure, are we taking advantage of our opportunity to represent Christ, or are we allowing the clouds and fog of indifference to settle in?

People today are looking for light in a dark world. Christians possess the light of Christ and are placed on a hill of God’s choosing to bring the light of the gospel to others and to bring glory to God. Jesus said, “…..let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Mt. 5:16b esv)

The Puritan settlers knew that future generations would look to them as a city on a hill. Christians today need to follow their example and live up to John Winthrop’s words, “We must always consider that we shall be as a ‘city upon a hill’—the eyes of all people are upon us.” For all eyes are upon us, the city on a hill.