Category: Devotionals

Devotionals

Our Plan – God’s Plan

Loring Schultz

            As one who has more years behind him than in front of him, I often look back throughout my life and ask, ‘Is this the way I planned it?’ Most dreams and desires have not been met, at least not yet, and perhaps will not come about. Some dreams and desires have come about beyond my wildest imagination leading me to admit that it had to be God’s planning and not of my doing.

            The Lord gives us free will to make our own choices and to make our life plans. But as we go through life we discover looking back that our life is not exactly as we planned. Oh, it may be heading in the right direction, but we’re not there. Perhaps you have already arrived at where you planned to be, but the road to getting to your destination was not what you had envisioned, not even close. That’s when we see God’s plan.

            It is inevitable that God’s plans for His children overrides any plans we may have. God had specific plans for our lives from eternity past before the foundations of the world were laid. His plans cannot change, they are carved in stone, as we may say. Whatever direction our plans take we can be sure that God’s hand is in it.

            The Lord instructed the prophet Samuel to go to Bethlehem to the house of Jesse for He had chosen Jesse’s son David to be King in Israel. Samuel was to anoint David as the next king to follow after King Saul. We are not told what David’s dreams and ambitions were during his teenage years as he worked tending sheep out in the fields. But no doubt, the Lord was preparing David in his occupation for the plans He had for him. David was also the most unlikely candidate among Jesse’s sons to be king, but our thoughts are not God’s thoughts. Our ways which seem right to us are not God’s ways which are right to Him.

            Wherever you are in this life, consider the Lord’s plan and the circumstances that brought you to this point. Ask Him to open your eyes to see how he has worked His perfect plan. Have faith in Him through obedience as He continues to work His plan for you in the days ahead.

Read the Story of David’s Anointing:  https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Samuel+16%3A1-13&version=NIV

Devotionals

A Shaken Reed

Loring Schultz

“What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?” Luke 7:24b ESV

            Have you ever noticed a reed, a tall slender blade of grass, blowing in the wind? It blows whichever way the wind is blowing. It is weak in that it is easily swayed.

            Jesus asks those in the crowd, who have been following Him, and who apparently had followed John the Baptist, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?” John the Baptist, obviously wasn’t a man easily swayed by public opinion. He didn’t sugar coat his message to the people. He was a true prophet of God. (Luke 7:26-28)

            Are you a reed shaken by the wind? I need to ask myself the same question, am I a reed shaken by the wind of this world that prevents me from speaking the truth? The truth about the sinful condition of mankind, the wrath of God, and the judgment to come. One cannot read through the entire Holy Scriptures, The Bible, and not see it. The truth is those without Christ will die in their sins into eternal damnation. But, the truth is also that Jesus came to pay the penalty for sin and those who put their faith and trust in Him will escape the eternal punishment and received eternal life in Heaven with Him.

            Are you proclaiming the whole truth of God’s Word, the Bible, or is your reed (your message) being shaken by the wind?

Devotionals

Flourishing in the House of God

Loring Schultz

“But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever.” Psalm 52:8 NIV

            The olive tree has a rich history of being a very fruitful tree in the Mediterranean Basin and throughout the Middle East. It is well represented in the Bible. We find the first mention of it in the book of Genesis as Noah and his family were waiting for the water to recede after the flood. “When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth.” (Gen.8:11) The olive tree was flourishing again after the devastation of the worldwide flood.

            The flourishing of the olive tree is an example of God’s faithfulness. As the earth’s season’s change, His faithfulness is seen. We, also, can be assured that the changing of seasons in our lives reflect His faithfulness. God is aware of each change in our lives, good or bad. He is faithful to see us through it, good or bad. The question is; Are we trusting in God or ourselves? King David writes in Psalm 52, “I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever.” David was writing in contrast to those who do evil and take matters into their own hands.

            David was like an olive tree that was flourishing even though he had enemies against him conspiring for his death. His trust and love for God were like seeds planted as an olive tree in the house of God. For us, life itself with all its prosperity, joy, and peace is possible even in the direst of circumstances when we are like an olive tree ‘flourishing in the house of God.’ Start planting your seeds in the Lord God!!

Read Psalm 52: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2052&version=NIV

Devotionals

Am I Significant?

Loring Schultz

“So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27 NLT

            Am I significant? Does my life matter? What is my purpose for living? Why am I here? If you have ever asked yourself either of those questions, or if you are struggling with them now; let us tackle the first one. Am I significant? The answer is a thousand times, yes!

            The mere fact that God has created you in his own image establishes your significance. You matter to God and you are precious in His sight. You are His creation; created with the ability to reason, to show emotion, to love, to know right from wrong, and to enjoy fellowship with your creator. Your life matters to God because He did create you and He does have a purpose for your life. You are here, (wherever here is at this moment) by God’s perfect design and purpose.

            You are significant because God knows you. He knew you before you were born and He had specific plans for your life beforehand. The Lord told the prophet Jeremiah, “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.” (Jer. 1:5) Wow, what does that say to you? The Lord God knew you before you “before ‘HE’ formed you in your mother’s womb.” And yes, he has plans for you, plans that only you were designed to fulfill.  

            Be encouraged my friend if you are feeling insignificant, or if you are questioning your purpose in life. Reconnect with God, your creator. He has the plan for your life, that’s why he created you.

            Am I significant? A thousand times, YES!

Devotionals

Spinning Your Wheels

Loring Schultz

“Cease striving and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10a NASB

“But, O what a death it is to strive and labour, to be always in a hurry and yet do nothing!” *

            The term “spinning your wheels” carries with it the idea of being always busy, always in a hurry, and working yourself to exhaustion with nothing to show for it. It’s sort of like your car stuck in the mud, wheels spinning, mud flying everywhere, and soon you have dug yourself into a major rut. You’re not going anywhere, you find yourself frustrated, worn out, and out of gas, both you and your automobile.

            Whatever your vocation, the Lord has a plan for you right where you are. It is His desire that you will know Him and know His willingness to help you in your individual job. The more we strive to accomplish things for God in our own strength, the more frustrated we will become with limited results and suffering burn out in the process.

            God wants us to “Cease Striving” in our own strength. Simple translation is “Relax, Let Go.” Allow Him to help you in your work. The King James Version translate it, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Picture the still waters of a perfectly calm lake on a clear summer day; that is God’s command for us to obey.

            We have much to accomplish for God in the work He has given us to do through the vocations where He has placed us. He has specific items of interest that only we can fulfill and that is why He has placed us where we are. Let us not burn ourselves out by “Spinning Our Wheels.”

* The Valley of Vision Devotional “Service and Equipment”

Devotionals

Then It Happened

Loring Schultz

2 Samuel 11:1 NASB — Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem.

          “Then it happened” Have you ever had a “then it happened” moment. Everything is going well. Health, finances, personal relationships, friends and family are having the best of times. In fact it couldn’t be better. Life is good, and “then it happened.” Something out of blue disrupts your life and those around you. It comes along unexpectedly when you least expect it and it happens. Some “then it happened” moments you have no control over, but there are some fortunately you do have control over. These controllable “then it happened” moments never need to see the light of day if you are where you are supposed to be, doing what you are to be doing, rather than being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

          King David had a “then it happened” moment. The Lord had protected David from the hand of King Saul who was determined to kill him. After the death of Saul, David became King of Israel. The kingdom was securely in his hand. The Lord had continually blessed David, and then it happened. David was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Although he was in the comforts of his own home, he was not where the King of Israel needed to be at that time. David was to be out with Israel’s army in the battlefield, but David sent Joab and his servants as he stayed home.

          As the story unfolds, David was on the rooftop of his house late in the evening, perhaps he couldn’t sleep or he had nothing else to do and was bored. He noticed a beautiful woman, Bathsheba, bathing in the privacy of her own home from a distance. There’s an old saying, “idle minds are the devil’s workshop,” and here an idle king fell into the devil’s trap. Inquiring about the woman, David sent for her and the two had relations resulting in a pregnancy. If the story ended here it would be bad enough, but it gets much worse. Cover up and conspiracy leading to the murder of Bathsheba’s husband is the fallout from this sin of adultery. 2 Samuel 11:27 says, “…..But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the Lord.”

          Temptation has been around since the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Temptation was obviously around in David’s time, and you can be sure it is around today. How do you avoid temptation? One way is avoid any situation that could possibly lead you in the direction of temptation and sin. Along with that, remain faithful in your responsibilities to be where you are to be at any given time, and not in the wrong place at the wrong time.

          As you go through life be obedient to God and His Word, following His lead, and you will never need to worry about having that “Then It Happened” moment.

Read the story: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Samuel+11&version=NASB

Devotionals

Commitment

Loring Schultz

“Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you.” Psalm 37:5 NLT

            One of the most anticipated joys of summer for baseball fans is the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in Cooperstown, New York. As of July 24, 2023, 20,447 players have made to the major leagues since 1876. But only a handful were ever to achieve the status of being enshrined into baseball’s highest honor of achievement, the Baseball Hall of Fame. There are many factors that attribute to an athletes success, but a major factor is commitment.

Fred McGriff and Scott Rolen at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony July 23, 2023

            A recurring theme each year are the commitments that were made throughout the hall of famer’s career, and this year was no different. There are commitments made by individual coaches from little league and high school to nameless coaches in the minor leagues who have spent hours with the young prospect helping to improve their skills. Commitments by mom and dad, siblings and friends are credited with helping them to keep going never giving up, and wives and children are always recognized for the sacrifices they made during the baseball season. All had an enormous effect by their commitment. The new inductee also followed through with his commitment to never give up.

            Success in our spiritual lives also involves commitment. As children of God we are to be in total obedience to Him. This is only possible by committing everything we do to the Lord. We should note, we are not perfect and will fail sinning at times. But as the Psalmist wrote, after we commit everything to God, trusting Him, He will help us. As hall of famers achieve their success to their commitment through hard work and to those who committed part of their lives in helping them, we also have the Lord committed to helping us as we commit everything to Him.

Devotionals

Unity

Loring Schultz

“I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” John 17:23 NIV

            Have you ever given thought that Jesus has prayed for you? Jesus had a specific petition for all future Christians who would make up His church. Near the end of His “high priestly prayer” recorded in John’s gospel chapter 17, Jesus made His requests known soon before He was to go to the cross. He prayed that we would be with Him in eternity and see His Glory, but His specific request was that we all be one in complete unity. Imagine as Jesus was about to be crucified, His concerned for us future believers was for there to be unity. So how are we doing?

            Before we answer, perhaps it would good for us to know why Jesus made this request. Jesus reasoned, “Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them.” You made have heard the statement; “The only Christ the world will see, is the Christ they see in you.” That is very true and Jesus confirms it later in His prayer as He says, “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you……” Indeed, most of the world does not know God. Many have heard of God and have somewhat of a knowledge of Him, but they do not know the true God and Jesus Christ His Son.

            As the world looks at the church and individual Christians today, do they see unity? Do they see the love of Christ between us? Are we in a unifying fashion convincing the world that Jesus is God’s Son sent to save us from eternal damnation? Does the world see their spiritual need by observing authentic Christianity in unity, or is it muddled by the in-fighting, pride, and disagreements in doctrine not essential to Salvation? There are legitimate differences of opinion in the teaching of scripture in churches today, but they should not be at the expense of alienating those outside of Christ from hearing the message of the Gospel.

            Unity. So how are we doing?

Read Jesus’s prayer for all believers:  https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2017:20-26&version=NIV

Devotionals

Whole Hearted Worship

Loring Schultz

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, Be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14 NASB

Is your heart always in everything you do, whatever it is? How many times do you utter the phrase, “My heart’s just not in this.” It could be a work project, which would be understandable, or it could be an enjoyable recreation activity and you still cannot get your whole heart interested and excited. Let’s face it we all have days like that, sometimes for good reasons, but not always.

When it comes to Worshiping God we need to desire that our hearts be in it, 100% in it, but then again we know that is not always the case. King David was particularly conscious of this. He wrote “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, Be acceptable in Your sight.” David wanted his worship, his prayers and his thoughts to be acceptable to his Lord, his Rock and his Redeemer. And we should want the same thing for us, but it is much more than an hour church service or a fifteen minute personal devotion time. I heard someone once say that, “Life is Worship.” We should be acknowledging God in everything we do; every aspect of our lives, our work, our play and our thoughts; we should be Worshipping God!

The way to Whole Hearted Worship is to live your “Life as Worship.”

Devotionals

Your Word

Loring Schultz

“All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’” Matthew 5:37a NIV

            Promises are broken every day so they say. Promises are made to be broken they also say. Promise makers are not always promise keepers. Although some promises are broken intentionally others are not. Unintentional broken promises are no fault of the promise maker who had given their word. Their word was good enough to assure the one promised that the pledge would be honored. Then there are those who know they will not keep the promise they are agreeing to as they are making the promise. Their deception is in making an oath by swearing in the name of someone or something usually of a sacred or personal nature. Their word was not good enough for complete trust and honesty. They had to pad it with an oath.

            Jesus’s word to us from the Sermon on the Mount is this, “But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.  And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.” (Mt. 5:34-36) People in Jesus’s day thought they could break an oath if it wasn’t sworn in the name of God without consequences. Today we would call that ‘an out” or “a loophole.” But Jesus confirms that everything falls under God and His name. God’s throne is in heaven, He created the heavens and the earth, and He created us. There is nothing belonging to ourselves that is able to back up an oath. Jesus says, “All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’” and then He adds these words, “anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” (Mt. 5:37)

            What about you? Is your word good enough to secure a promise or do you need to add some assurance in order to be believed? For the Christian our word should be taken at face value, which should be the reflection of the Lord Jesus in our lives. In the world in which we live others should expect our word to be nothing more than a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ as good enough for the Jesus follower.

            So, how is Your Word?