Devotional – Page 10 – Word for the Soul

Surely a ‘dumb move’

October 25, 2023October 24, 2023 Loring Schultz

“I will hear what God the LORD will say; For He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones; But let them not turn back to folly.” Psalm 85:8 NASB

We have all done foolish things. I hate to think back of all the foolish things I’ve done, and pray they are not brought back to memory by anyone I know. But there are some things you just cannot forget. The foolish things we’ve done without any evil intent but out of what we would say was a ‘dumb move’ may be looked at, even by God, as just an embarrassment. And yes that seems bad enough, but not as bad as sinning against God which is evil and foolish, and definitely a dumb move.

Psalm 85, A Psalm of the sons of Korah, is a prayer and a plea for pardon from the Lord. The Jews had returned from their exile in Babylon due to their many sins and turning away from God. The Lord graciously had mercy on Israel allowing them to return to the land after seventy years. The psalmist prayed that God had forgiven their sins in the past and withdrew His anger from them. Now that they are back in the land, they pray once again for forgiveness, restoration, and for God to remove His anger. There is a pause in the prayer to hear from the Lord with confidence that it will be a message of peace. Verse 8 of Psalm 85 says, “I will hear what God the LORD will say; For He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones; But let them not turn back to folly.” The Psalmist is certain God will be faithful to His people in His forgiveness, but is careful to add they remain faithful to God and not turn again to their folly (sin).

Our God is a God of grace and mercy and is able and willing to forgive our foolish sins against Him. But let us be careful as we confess our sins that we do not go back to repeat them again and again, “Like a dog that returns to its vomit is a fool who repeats his folly.” (Pr. 26:11) Surely a ‘dumb move.’

Read Psalm 85, Prayer for God’s Mercy upon the Nation: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+85&version=NASB1995

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

Devotionals

Have your considered my servant?

October 23, 2023October 22, 2023 Loring Schultz

“Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” Job 1:8 NIV

How well do you handle adversity? The troubles that come into your life will determine your relationship with God by how you will react. Do you seek after God during a personal crisis for comfort and guidance, or do you blame God and demand an answer, even cursing God for the tragedies that are occurring? Those of us who are Christians are reminded, that no matter how hard it can be to accept, God is in control. He allows the events in our lives to happen to draw us closer to Him and for His Glory.

We are given a glimpse of this reality in the book of Job. A conversation between God and Satan is unveiled in the first chapter of Job, verses 6-12. “Then the LORD said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.’” Satan, the adversary, accuses Job of being upright only due to the fact that God has bless him tremendously. He goes on to say if the Lord would stretch out his hand against him, then Job would curse God to His face. Satan is given the go ahead.

Unimaginable physical pain and suffering, along with the loss of his family and all his possessions is most likely the worst experience anyone ever encountered. As you read through the book of Job, you will find that Job, although very distraught at his suffering, never curses God, never loses his faith in God, and remains blameless and upright.

The Lord could say to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job,” because He knew Job could be trusted in following through continuing to trust God. The question is; can you and I be trusted to follow through continuing to trust God during our trails and suffering? Can the Lord say, ‘Have you considered my servant’ (your name here)?

Devotionals

Recognizing the Messiah; the Light of the World

October 20, 2023October 19, 2023 Loring Schultz

“The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!’” Matthew 20:31 NIV

Our world is currently going through dark times, in fact we could say it seems that total darkness cannot be far away. Darkness in the world has troubled humankind since the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Although I must admit darkness has been progressing deeper into our society blinding any light trying to dispel it. The apostle Paul addressed this in his letter to the church at Ephesus by saying, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Eph. 6:12) Also in writing to Timothy he said, “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.” (2 Tim. 3:1) Our world is certainly a dark place and growing darker.

But rest assured for all is not lost for the believer in Christ. Even in the darkness of our world, Christians can live in the light of Jesus Christ, and in the light of His Word. John writing about Jesus said, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it….The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.” (Jn. 1:5, 9) Jesus is the true and only light in the world.

The world is in darkness due to all of mankind being in darkness, spiritual darkness. We are in spiritual darkness due to our sin nature and nothing will eradicate the darkness except the light of Christ in our lives. All of us are in need of confessing our sin and accepting Jesus Christ, the light of the world, as our savior.

The gospel of Matthew tells the story of two blind men who were aware that Jesus was soon to pass their way. They were also aware that He was the true Messiah, God the Son, who was able to cure their blindness. As they sat by the roadside, they shouted out to Jesus, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us.’ By referring to Jesus as the Son of David, they were confirming their belief that He was the true Jewish Messiah who was to come. They had need of physical healing of blindness and asked to receive their sight, knowing that He who heal spiritual blindness is able to heal physical blindness. They believed in Jesus’s divine power.

Have you recognized the true Messiah, the true and only light of the world, Jesus Christ? The two blind men above recognized Him as the only one who could cure their physical and spiritual blindness. Scripture says, “Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.” (Mt. 20:34) We are living in a dark world, but we do not need to live in a dark spiritual world. Receive the light of the world and gain your spiritual sight and follow Him.

Read Matthew 20:29-34 Two blind men receive sight: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+20%3A29-34&version=NIV

Devotionals

Coming Before God in Prayer with Unconfessed Sin

October 19, 2023October 18, 2023 Loring Schultz

“If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love from me.” Psalm 66:18-20 NLT

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com

The biggest struggle most Christians have in their daily walk with God is a consistent and fruitful prayer life. Living in a fast pace society where everything is instantaneous, short, and to the point, will put anything of value in jeopardy. A Christian’s prayer life is no different. We may do our best to carve out time in our day to pray, but there is always a chance something will hinder us from being consistent, it’s called life. We cannot get around unexpected interruptions, but we can make sure we are not hindering our time with God right from the start with inconsistencies in our own life.

The number one reason for an inconsistent and unfruitful prayer life is unconfessed sin. The Psalmist writes, “If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But God did listen!” (Ps. 66:18) Prayer is not simply asking God for things, but is a conversation with a holy God. It is a relationship that is intended to grow with time spent together. Unconfessed sin is a barrier preventing growth in your Christian life and it starts in your prayer requests to God.

If you are struggling in your prayer life with no satisfaction, no results, no meaningful relationship with God, and your prayers seem like just words being spoken in open air, maybe it’s time for a self-examination, myself included. “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.” (1 Jn. 1:9a NLT) The Psalmists continued to write with good news that God does listen when we confess our sins to Him. God pays attention to our prayers, He does not ignore them, and He will never withdraw His love from us. Praise God!

A simple acrostic to follow when we pray may be helpful:

ACTS – Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication.

Devotionals

Do Not Fear; ‘Be still, and know that I am God!’

October 18, 2023October 17, 2023 Loring Schultz

“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” Psalm 46:10 NLT

There has always been conflicts and war between the nations of the world since the days of the Old Testament. Our world is broken and is suffering the consequences of sin. War is one of those consequences. It is inevitable that skirmishes will result when sinful people are in disagreement with each other. Not being held in check, these disagreements eventually lead to outbursts of anger, violence toward your adversary, and eventually war between nations.

The world today in 2023 is experiencing war on several fronts. Ukraine and Russia are at war since the Russians invaded Ukraine in February, 2022, and most recently the terrorists group Hamas invaded and struck Israel who has now declared war on Hamas. Wars today as they were in Bible times are still going on, and will continue to go on until Jesus rules on the earth in the millennial kingdom. So what are we to do in the meantime, in these days of war, ‘do not fear.’

The Lord God declares something that is extremely important for us to understand in our day. The Lord says in Psalm 46, “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” God wants us to know that He alone is God and to be still, trusting Him, and not to fear. The day is coming when every nation will honor the Lord; Russia, Ukraine, Israel, the United States, China, Iran, North and South Korea, and every other nation on the planet. The Lord God will also be honored throughout the whole world by every person when Christ rules in His kingdom.

So let us take heart and not fear trusting God that He indeed is God, better days are ahead, and wars will cease. Let us also pray for those caught in the war zones during these troubling times. May we also pray for peace and safety, for courage and wisdom for the governmental leaders, and for God’s Word to go out bringing comfort to all through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Read Psalm 46: Psalm 46 NLT – Psalm 46 – For the choir director: A – Bible Gateway

Devotionals

Fan Into Flames

October 17, 2023October 16, 2023 Loring Schultz

“This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you.” 2 Timothy 1:6 NLT

Are you using your “Spiritual Gift” that God has given you? Spiritual gifts differ from our God given natural gifts and abilities in that they are given to us by the Holy Spirit as we put our trust and faith in Jesus Christ for Salvation. Gifts such as; teaching, giving, exhorting, encouraging, serving, leadership and mercy. These gifts are given to us to serve the Lord where He has placed us within the local church and in the ministry He has for us wherever that may be.

The apostle Paul reminded Timothy to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave him. Timothy needed some encouragement. Perhaps he was fearful, timid or shy. We may feel the same at times, but whatever the case, it is good instruction for us today to fan into flames the spiritual gift that God has given us.

Think of it this way; your gift was given to you for a specific purpose and if you do not use it there will be many people who will miss out on a spiritual blessing that only you can provide. It is your spiritual gift. Use it. Read 2 Timothy 1:3-7 Encouragement to Be Faithful: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Timothy+1%3A3-7&version=NLT

Devotionals

For just such a time as this

October 16, 2023October 15, 2023 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

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 17^th and 18^th centuries or the so-called Fabulous 50’s in America. Whatever your dreams or fantasies, rest assured that you are where you are 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)

We may not be in such a dilemma as Esther, but 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.

Devotionals

Looking out for #1

October 13, 2023October 12, 2023 Loring Schultz

“When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant.” Matthew 20:24 NLT

During my years in the corporate world I’ve seen opportunities for advancement present themselves in various ways. Some were decisions made by company executives promoting individuals into vacated positions or newly created positions of which I was the recipient and also passed over at times. Other opportunities were posted within the corporation with proper procedures in applying for the open positions. It is within this framework that one might try to take advantage over others if they have a contact with influence in the decision making process. Sometimes it worked to their advantage and sometimes not, but what was consistent was the resentment felt of others who had no such advantage.

Trying to work your way into an inside track is a tactic used for thousands of years and by those we would think would be above implementing such a maneuver, such as Jesus’s disciples. Jesus had told His disciples they would be ruling with Him in the kingdom sitting on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Mt. 19:28) Two of His disciples, James and John, used an influential contact, their mother, in asking Jesus if they would be granted to sit on His left and on His right in the kingdom. To be fair, the gospel of Mark records James and John as asking Jesus, but there is no contradiction here in Matthew’s account. It is possible that all three were present in asking Jesus, or as John MacArthur notes, ‘more likely that they had discussed it among themselves beforehand, and each posed the question to Jesus privately.’ The bottom line is they were seeking an advantage for themselves over the other disciples.

Scripture tells us, “When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant.” (Mt. 20:24) There are the two sides to this coin we need to understand. It is true the other disciples felt resentment, but they were sorry they did not get to Jesus first to ask Him. They were, in fact, jealous. They were all looking out for #1. Jesus then explains to all His disciples His kingdom is not like the kingdoms of the world. It’s not about being #1, but serving. He uses Himself as the greatest example of serving, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mt. 20:28)

Temptations are always present in our day to look out for #1, But as Christians, when we look out only for ourselves we leave a trail behind us of those who now look at us defiantly, the very ones we are to help and serve.

Read Jesus teaches about serving others: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+20%3A20-28&version=NLT

Devotionals

No Excuse

October 12, 2023October 11, 2023 Loring Schultz

“For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.” Romans 1:20 NLT

All of us must admit there are times when something is so obvious, so clearly seen, so clearly heard, even so clearly felt, that we cannot deny is authenticity. Indeed it must be true. Despite the efforts of some who will try to dissuade you from a certain truth either through false comments or actions, if you take the time to examine what they are saying and doing you will find plenty of evidence to the contrary. What is true is true and what is false is false. There is always evidence as to what is true and to what is false if we only take the time to search it out for ourselves. In our current day, we have a vast pool of informational sources available to us to search out a matter. As a result of this, we are without excuse if we continue to be persuaded by others and not look at the evidence ourselves.

When it comes to the existence of God however, God has made it easy for us to determine He does exist and He is God. All throughout history up to including today, there are many people who deny the existence of the God of the Bible. Some display their denial through their words, but most exhibit their denial through their actions. Therefore if there is no God, then there is no God to answer to and I am free to do as I please. They become their own gods determining what is right or wrong according to themselves and their current culture. Their actions are having severe consequences on themselves and society as a whole. Even though some claim to know God, they obviously do not know the God of the Bible.

But the good news is the God of the Bible, the true God, has made Himself known to every individual through nature itself and the creation of the world. He has made it easy for us to know Him so we are without excuse. We have no excuse for living as if there are no consequences in living in violation of His Word, as if He doesn’t exist or doesn’t care about our actions. He does!

Read Romans 1:18-32, God’s anger at sin: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+1%3A18-32&version=NLT