Category: Devotionals

Devotionals

Lent 2026: The Complete Story       

Loring Schultz

“The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but three days later he will rise from the dead.” Mark 9:31 NLT

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Paul Harvey, an American news broadcaster for over fifty years for ABC News, was known for his segments called ‘The Rest of the Story.’ This final segment put closure to a story most people knew about, but not in its entirety. Several of these facts may not have been available at the time or were hidden from the public for one reason or another. Paul Harvey was able to dig up the facts through research and old-fashioned journalism to arrive at the complete story.

Our current world system has many reasons why a story will be under reported or some of the facts left out. There may be legitimate concerns if protective information falls into the wrong hands. Some information is withheld or skewed to create a narrative pushing a preferred agenda. Discernment is necessary for every person when receiving the information to decide its accuracy. As years go by through the decades and centuries even a complete story can be rewritten to distort the truth to agree with the changing culture.

With Easter (Jesus’ resurrection from the dead) right around the corner, there are many stories that have a shorten version of Passion week. It seems to end on Good Friday. Sadly, there are so-called Christians and preachers who accept and justify this rewritten story. They claim to accept Jesus and live by His words and teaching, but it is a selective acceptance. Jesus was clear about His mission, the complete story.

Jesus told His disciples many times in Scripture about His upcoming arrest, death, and resurrection. Jesus was careful to always include His rising again on the third day every time He spoke these words. Jesus never left out the rest of the story. He would rise again on the third day, and He did. There is no Easter without the resurrection. There is no salvation or eternal life without the resurrection. Beware of those who want to rewrite a story that Jesus said is already finished.

Devotionals

Always Something Good in God’s Hand     

Loring Schultz

Read: Psalm 145:14-21 NLT – The LORD helps the fallen and lifts – Bible Gateway

“When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.” Psalm 145:16 NLT

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When you were a child did you ever have one of your grandparents come up to you with a close hand containing a pleasant surprise? The imagery of that precious moment may still be impressed in your mind. God, our heavenly Father, has more than a surprise for us in His hand. He freely gives us all we need in this life and in the life to come. His hand always has something good for us.

Psalm 145 may have been the last of David’s seventy-five psalms he wrote. It is a psalm of praise for who God is and for all He has done. The first half of the psalm David praises God for His greatness and His grace. Beginning in verse fourteen he praises God for His faithfulness and righteousness. The Lord always has His eye on us to help us as we look to Him in hope for what we need. (14-15) We can count on His provisions to be exactly what we need when we need them. (16-17) God is near to those who call on Him in truth. (18) The Lord hears the cries of us who fear Him with the reverential fear due Him. He will help us and protect throughout our lives. (19-20)

David, later in his life,  understood more than anybody there is always something good in God’s hand. Sometimes that good was in the form of discipline, but David knew it was for his good. It is the same for us. There is always something good for us in God’s hand for our good. May we sing along with David as he closed his final psalm, “I will praise the LORD, and may everyone on earth bless his holy name forever and ever.” (Ps.145:21 nlt)

Devotionals

Bad Luck or Bad Deeds

Loring Schultz

Read: 1 Peter 3:8-12 NLT – All Christians – Finally, all of you – Bible Gateway

“The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.” 1 Peter 3:12 NLT

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There is an old saying that goes, ‘If I didn’t have bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.’ I suppose that is true if holding good things happening to you is a matter of luck. It is easy to assume that everything bad occurring in life is due to bad luck, therefore the old saying becomes a matter of fact. But is it always luck that is in play in the circumstances of life? Perhaps not. Perhaps it’s something more.

Peter, in writing to Christians of his day, wrote “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies.” (1Pt.3:10 nlt) Happy days which lead to an enjoyable life start with always telling the truth and not saying anything that is evil. You will never need to worry about anything coming back at you if you tell the truth. Peter went on to say, “Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace and work to maintain it.” (1Pt.3:11 nlt) Doing good things, striving for peace and living in it will never result in negative circumstances. There’s no luck involved.

There is also no bad luck involved when bad things happen. When we are not walking in obedience with the Lord, we should not be so surprised if bad things happen. Peter writes, “The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.” (1Pt.3:12 nlt) Going our way by turning our backs on God, doing bad deeds, will not result in the Lord’s blessings.

Yes, bad things do happen to faithful Christians under the providence of the Lord for His purposes. But we can be sure His eye is always on us during these times, and he is attentive to our prayers. It is our disobedience that brings about most of our bad times. It is not our bad luck, but our bad deeds.

Devotionals

Our Time is Now           

Loring Schultz

“If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” Esther 4:14 NLT

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Have you ever imagined yourself living in another time and place? Perhaps you fantasized of living during the Renaissance Era in Europe, the Colonial Days of the 17th and 18th centuries or the so-called Fabulous 50’s in America. Whatever your dreams or fantasies, rest assured that you are where you are today by Divine design. It is not by chance. God has placed each of us in the space of time and location by His choosing.

The story of “Esther” in the Old Testament is an excellent example of God’s Divine providence. Esther was in a position, by highly usual circumstances, I might add, to keep her people, the Jews, from annihilation. (Esther 3:12-13) She was in the right place at the right time because the Lord had placed her there. We also are in the right place and time by God’s Divine Providence.

We may not be in such a dilemma as Esther, but it is a matter of eternal life and death. God places each of us to carry out His purposes by being obedient and faithful where he has placed us. You may ask yourself, “Why I am here, at this place, during this time?” You are here to carry out God’s purposes in telling others the Good News of His Son, Jesus Christ right where he has placed you. It is a matter of life and death and our time is now.  

“I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.” (1Cor.2:3-5 nlt)

Devotionals

Lent 2026: Keep Watch and Pray

Loring Schultz

Read: Mark 14:32-42 NLT – Jesus Prays in Gethsemane – They went – Bible Gateway

“Then he returned and found the disciples asleep. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour?  Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” Mark 14:37-38 NLT

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Today is day thirty of Lent if you are keeping track. Perhaps if you did not know it is day thirty it is because you have lost all track of time due to your rich experience with the Lord during this season. Or the opposite is true in that you have slowly drifted away from your Lenten commitment to grow closer to the Lord. There may be several reasons for this, and I am sure some legitimate ones.

For those who had good intentions but have a tough time fulfilling them, you are not alone. Jesus told Peter, James, and John they had a willing spirit, but their bodies were weak. Jesus had asked them to watch with Him for one hour, not 40 days, and they could not do it. Yes, it was night and they were exhausted, but the Lord wanted their attention and their company during his agony in the garden. They had a challenging time doing it.

Jesus gave them two more chances to watch and pray and they failed again. The disciples were human just as we are. Our Lord knew that and He is aware we are human and we fail. The Lord wants to have an on-going growing relationship with each of His children. A suitable time to get back into rhythm is during Lent. Again, our commitments during Lent are to draw us into a deeper relationship with God. We do not do it for merit. Our rewards are the sweetness of the savior as we grow in Him.

There are 10 days left in this Lenten season. If you have not started anything yet, start now! If you are behind by slowing down or have quit altogether, there are 10 days left. Let us make the most of them. Jesus is telling us, “Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” (Mk.14:38 nlt)

Devotionals

Level Ground      

Loring Schultz

“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!” Psalm 143:10 ESV

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There is a chorus of an old hymn that goes like this, “Lord, lift me up and let me stand By faith on heaven’s table land; A higher plane than I have found-Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.” The hymn writer’s desire is heaven, the higher ground. I’m sure that’s a song many Christians relate to in our struggling days. That got me to thinking. Actually King David got me to thinking when he wrote in the Psalm 143, “Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground.” (143:10 esv)

We know heaven is a glorious place, free from the cares and sorrows of this world, yes, a much higher and desired place. Those of us who know the Lord are sure to be there and are looking forward to it, but in the meantime we are away from our heavenly home here in a rocky and dry land. There are many hills and valleys we go through every day of our lives. There is no level playing field in this world, but we have a God who is able to level the ground for us.

His Holy Spirit is there to guide us. May we not neglect His presence in our lives. He is able to lift us up from the deepest valley and guide us down a slippery slope of anxiety and fear. When we are trusting in God and asking Him to teach us to do His will, we can be sure He will lead us on level ground. So, as we look forward to that ‘higher ground’ let us rejoice we can walk today on ‘level ground.’

(1) Johnson Oatman, Jr.

Devotionals

Faithfully Preach the Truth

Loring Schultz

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

“We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us.” 2 Corinthians 6:7 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 and also with the pleasures the world had to offer. 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. We are to live in purity, being patience and kind, and show sincere love. (2Cor.6:6) Paul knew the Christians in Corinth would begin to feel as exiles in their own country 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.

Devotionals

Heart of Gold

Loring Schultz

“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.” Jeremiah 17:9-10 NLT

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“She’s all heart.” “He has a warm and caring heart.” “Their love comes from the heart.” “They have sensitive hearts to the situation.” All these statements reflect an outward appearance of people’s demeanor towards others. And I am sure that most of what we see is real concern in treating others with kindness. We should all strive to have like comments be made of us, but a examination of our hearts is necessary to insure that the label put on us is genuine. After all, what does it mean to have a warm and caring heart, a heart of gold?

Legendary singer-songwriter Neil Young wrote about his search for a heart of gold. Trying to determine his true meaning in writing ‘Heart of Gold’ proves difficult as with any gifted artist. It has been suggested the songwriter’s quest was to better himself, to be a good caring person showing love, kindness, and openness in order to be able to properly love the girl of his dreams. Therefore he was searching for that heart of gold to match his girlfriend’s heart of gold. According to the artist himself, he states it was to ‘capture a moment of happiness.’ He was correct. Searching for that heart of gold is but for a moment when dealing with a human heart not indwelled by the Holy Spirit.

The universal problem is that all human beings possess the sin nature from birth, and that includes our hearts. Jesus confirms this truth to His disciples in explaining a parable. “It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth……. the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you.” (Mt.15:11, 18nlt) The religious leaders in Jesus’s day were more concerned with traditional outward appearances which made them look like they had a heart of gold towards God. But Jesus said their actions were hypocritical. They put on a show of ceremonial washing their hands to not defile their bodies from the food they ate, but Jesus tells them it is the thoughts they have in their hearts and what they speak from those thoughts that defiles them.

Christian friend, we need to guard our hearts. To have a warm and caring heart we need to stand guard against the influences of the world, our own self –centeredness, pride, and evil those thoughts. Those of us who know the Lord have changed hearts through the presence of the Holy Spirit. Let us be careful to walk by the Spirit so we do not carry out the sinful desires of the flesh, but present to God a ‘heart of gold.’  

Devotionals

Honor Your Boss

Loring Schultz

“Let as many bondservants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed. And those who have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren, but rather serve them because those who are benefited are believers and beloved.” 1 Timothy 6:1-2 NKJV

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There’s a four-letter word that a lot of people don’t like to hear, ‘work.’ Another four-letter word that goes along with ‘work’ is also disliked by some people, ‘boss.’ I get both those sentiments. Been there, done that! But, once we have the right perspective that work is a gift from God work will not seem like such a drudgery. No, it’s not always easy, that’s why it’s called work! Nevertheless, we are to do our work to the best of our ability bringing glory to God. This also includes honoring those we work for, the boss.

You may be about to say, ‘you don’t know who I work for, they are impossible to please.’ Again, been there, done that! We may have worked for the same people. There are a couple of those characters in every industry and field of work. But God requires Christians to honor those we work for, yes, even that hard to please boss. Being disrespectful whether outright or in the performance of our work blasphemes God’s name. God created work and gifted it to us. One way we could show our gratitude to God is to honor our bosses. The Lord has also placed them over us for us to bless them by our work and show them the love of Christ in our lives.

Those of us who have a boss who is a fellow believer have an added responsibility, to not take advantage of them because they are a Christian. We may think they will show favoritism and let us get away with a lackluster work effort. No, Christians should strive all the more to do well bringing glory to God benefiting the employer and the employee before a watching workforce. The Lord commands us to honor our bosses realizing all of us work for ‘The Real Boss’, Jesus Christ.