Commitment

Now or Later

April 8, 2024April 6, 2024 Loring Schultz

“And a scribe came up and said to him, ‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.’…. Another of the disciples said to him, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’” Matthew 8:19, 21 ESV

Eagerness is one thing, but eagerness without thought is quite another. Being committed is honorable, but procrastination reveals non-commitment. Many of us dive into projects and make commitments of one kind or another only to find out that we cannot fulfill the responsibilities that come along with it. We are eager to commit to a worthy cause, which is noble, but totally misrepresent what we are actually capable of doing and how deep our commitment is when it is time show up. This is especially true in our work for the Lord. A lot of Christians over commit, but more often than not we have a tendency to overestimate ourselves without giving thought to the costs, or we delay our involvement mirroring our uncertainty.

Jesus came across to two individuals during His days on the earth which He could have also found among today’s Christians. One was a scribe, a teacher of the Law, who was enthused with what he saw of Jesus. He witnessed the miracles of healing and casting out demons. With his knowledge as a teacher he must have realized that no one can do these things unless is was of God. He was eager to follow Jesus and to be part of what He was doing, perhaps even the much anticipated establishment of His kingdom on earth. But our Lord saw through his eagerness, for he was not thinking passed what he saw. He did not see that Jesus had nowhere to call home. Using today’s vocabulary, Jesus was on the road seven days a week. Even though the scribe said that he would follow Him wherever He went, Jesus knew he had not considered his commitment.

Another disciple of Jesus also expressed interest in following Him, but wanted to delay it until he was in a better position financially receiving his inheritance from his father. He missed the importance of the urgency of Jesus’s ministry on earth. Time was short and time is short today. The work of presenting the gospel is an urgent matter. It requires a total daily commitment, not based on our time table, but on God’s as He opens up opportunities for us to serve Him.

May we have a willingness to follow Jesus wherever He leads us. Let our eagerness be met with the thought of the urgency of presenting the gospel and considering the cost. May we be obedient Now and not wait until Later.

Devotionals

For the Sake of the Call

October 24, 2023October 23, 2023 Loring Schultz

“Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.” Matthew 4:21-22 NIV

In the year 1990, Christian music artist Steven Curtis Chapman illustrated what it cost to be a follower of Jesus through the lyrics he wrote and setting it to music in “For the Sake of the Call.” The story of four fishermen giving up their only means of support to follow Jesus is found in the book Matthew chapter 4 in the New Testament. Jesus was in the beginning of His public ministry and had now moved on to Capernaum. Seeing Simon Peter, his brother Andrew along with James and John at work in their trade, Jesus called them to leave it all behind and follow Him. He would make them fishers of men. We read their response was immediate. They left it all. James and John even left their father in the boat. A radical move to say the least.

Steven Curtis Chapman put it this way;

“Empty nets lying there at the water’s edge
Told a story that few could believe
And none could explain
How some crazy fishermen agreed to go where Jesus lead
With no thought to what they would gain
For Jesus had called them by name
And they answered…

We will abandon it all for the sake of the call
No other reason at all but the sake of the call
Wholly devoted to live and to die for the sake of the call
The sake of the call” (1)

When the Lord calls us today, how do we respond? Are we willing to leave it all behind and serve the Lord where He calls us? He may not be calling you into full time service, but make no mistake, the Lord has a special calling for each one of us to serve Him where he has placed us. We are to answer the call and abandon all this world has to offer FOR THE SAKE OF THE CALL.

(1) Steven Curtis Chapman, “For the Sake of the Call” Sparrow Records, 1990.

Read the story: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%204%3A12-22&version=NIV

Bible Studies

“Total Commitment” Conquering New Territory: The Book of Joshua (….through faith, courage, obedience, and devotion to the Word of God)

October 15, 2023October 14, 2023 Loring Schultz

“So the people left their camp to cross the Jordan, and the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant went ahead of them.” Joshua 3:14 NLT

A major cause in failing to succeed in conquering new territory is the failure to make a total commitment to see it through. There may be legitimate reasons for the hesitation such as; being in new territory you haven’t been there before, there is a reluctance to leave your current comfort space, and fear of the unknown ahead of you are some reasons to take a step back and not totally commit. Unfortunately some new territory we are to conquer is beyond our control and we need to do our best to conquer it. Certain life situations will not allow us the luxury of putting off the change that is necessary in our lives. We need to act, making the commitment to see it through until completion.

The good news is we do not need to do it alone. As Christians we have the Holy Spirit to guide us along the way. The Lord God will lead us into our new territory. There is nothing that takes God by surprise. He is aware of everything that comes into our lives, and in fact is a part of His sovereign will. If the Lord has new territory for us to conquer according to His will, we can be sure He has already put in place the necessary means to conquer it.

The children of Israel had new territory to conquer in entering the land God had promised them. Not only would they face battles in capturing each city, but the first battle they faced was to cross the Jordan River at flood stage. Once across the Jordan, there would be no easy retreat back from the armies of the major cities. The time had come for all Israel to make a total commitment of faith to the Lord God. Israel did just that under Joshua’s leadership. After the spies returned with a good report, Joshua wasted no time in preparing to continue on with the Lord’s plan. We read in Joshua 3:1, “Early the next morning Joshua and all the Israelites left Acacia Grove and arrived at the banks of the Jordan River, where they camped before crossing.”

Along the Jordan River for the next three days Joshua and his officers instructed the hundreds of thousands of Israelites in the procedure of crossing over. They were to follow the Levitical priests who would be carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, following at a distance of a half mile behind so all would be able to see it. The Lord would be leading them for they had not travelled that way before. Joshua also commanded them to purify themselves, an outward cleansing and an inward devotion to God. This was a solemn occasion and they were about to see the Lord God do miraculous things.

Israel witnessed the great power of God that their fathers saw forty years earlier when they witnessed the parting of the Red Sea. The Lord commanded the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant to step into the Jordan River and upon descending from the river banks the water started to back up upstream twenty miles away in the city of Adam. The nation of Israel then crossed the Jordan River on dry ground. The Lord God was aiding Israel in their venture of conquering their new territory. The nation totally committed by faith, obedience, courage, and devotion to God the plan in bringing them into the Promised Land.

Whatever new territory we are in or about to enter, let us learn from the example of Joshua and the nation of Israel. The Lord desires that we be totally committed to Him and the plans He has for us. He always has our best interests at heart and nothing in His plans are designed to hurt us but for us to be successful and to grow spiritually in Him. Paul writes in the book of Romans encouraging words for us as we totally commit to God in conquering our new territory, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”

Read Joshua 3 Total Commitment, The Israelites Cross the Jordan: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joshua+3&version=NLT

A Christian Perspective

As Long As We Both Shall Live, or As Long As Our Love Shall Last

October 7, 2023October 6, 2023 Loring Schultz

“Jesus replied, ‘Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.’” Matthew 19:8 NIV

Marriage vows have been a part of wedding ceremonies for centuries. Today many couples write their own vows to each other to show their commitment to their intending spouse and to the marriage. So sacred are these vows that they are usually presented in a church setting. The commitment to have and to hold, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, in however it is expressed is summed up by ‘as long as we both shall live.’ Sadly that expression is also being rewritten to ‘as long as our love shall last.’

Sadly today marriage is not seen as God ordained, a commitment for life, and the means of starting a family. It has come down to an arrangement when convenient and with pre-conditions. Where there is no lifetime commitment and when hard times come, the marriage is doomed to fail. The previously established exit plan is ready to be implemented. This is the way of the world system, but Christians are not of the world, so how are we to act?

During Jesus’s ministry on earth He was forever being tested by the religious rulers to entrap Him in going against the Law of Moses. One such occasion concerned whether a man can divorce his wife for any reason. There was division even among the rulers, those who held to a strict view of marriage and divorce and those who permitted divorce misinterpreting Moses’s instruction on divorce. Jesus always being aware of their deception, Charles R. Erdman writes, “Jesus avoids their snare and lays down a principle fundamental to the stability of human society. Not only does he agree with those who hold the stricter view of marriage, he insists that the bond was designed to be indissoluble. He refers to the law of marriage as divinely established at creation.”

As Christians we are to adhere to the teachings of Scripture in all areas of our lives, especially when it comes to marriage. You will not find the traditional marriage vows in the Bible, but they are seen all throughout the Word of God. God is the one who has established marriage, and it is before Him we say our vows to our intending spouse. Jesus also said, “So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” (Mt. 19:6), as long as they both shall live.

Devotionals

August 14, 2023August 13, 2023 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.