Tag: God

Devotionals

Intimidation         

Loring Schultz

“Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the LORD means safety.” Proverbs 29:25 NLT

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Sometimes there are people who try to get the best of us, meaning getting under our skin or intimidating us making us fearful of their intentions. Christians especially come under the attack of intimidation. Standing up for Biblical values in a secular world and claiming Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven will give plenty of fuel for people who think otherwise to prove us wrong. Intimidation presents itself in various ways, but it is always to make us fearful and second guessing ourselves.

Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, said that when we become fearful of others, we set ourselves up to be trapped. If our focus is not continuously on God, we will start to lose our confidence as we get bombarded by others trying to intimidate us. This will lead to our becoming fearful eventually trapping ourselves in doubt and confusion trying to defend ourselves when our trust is to be in the Lord.

The Lord will never leave us standing alone. He is always with us. “For God has said, ‘I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.’” (Heb.13:5b nlt) When we put our trust in Him, we need not fear for we are safe. As Christians we are to do the work He gives us, proclaiming the gospel, and living in accordance with His Word. So let the world intimidate us for our Biblical worldview, and be not fearful, but answer boldly in the fear of the Lord our God, trusting Him for His safety and protection on us. “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O LORD, will keep me safe.” (Ps.4:8 nlt)

Devotionals

Restore This Vine          

Loring Schultz

Read: Psalm 80 NASB1995 – God Implored to Rescue His People from – Bible Gateway

“O God of hosts, turn again now, we beseech You; Look down from heaven and see, and take care of this vine.” Psalm 80:14 NASB

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Our sins can put us into very uncomfortable situations. For instance, it is an embarrassment when one is caught in sin. The results of that sin can lead to life changing circumstances where there is a constant reminder of it. Our lives will have an empty, punch in the gut feeling, for having sinned against God and bringing this condition on ourselves. Perhaps this condition is worsened by God Himself in punishment for our sins. Yes, God will leave us to stew in the consequences of our sins for a time. But it is possible to be restored, when we reach out to Him in confession and repentance asking Him to forgive us our sins.

The writer of Psalm 80 notes that Israel is a vine that God planted in the Promised Land after bringing them safely out of Egypt. “You removed a vine from Egypt; You drove out the nations and planted it.” (Ps.80:8 nasb) The vine took shape and grew and filled the land. However, Israel’s on-going sins against the Lord led to this vine being ravaged by man and beast. (Ps.80:12-13) Israel cries out to the Lord in prayer, “O God of hosts, turn again now, we beseech You; Look down from heaven and see, and take care of this vine.” (Ps.80:14 nasb) It was God’s wrath against them for their sin that destroyed and burned the vine. Since God planted the vine (Israel), he can restore it. They ask the Lord “Revive us, and we will call upon Your name. O LORD God of hosts, restore us; Cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved.” (Ps.80:18b-19 nasb)

Whenever we find ourselves in a similar situation as ancient Israel, may we be reminded God is the restoring business. We may feel the hand of God upon us due to our sins, but He will revive us as we cry out to Him. And then we can say with Israel, “O LORD God of hosts, restore us; Cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved.” (Ps.80:19 nasb)

Devotionals

Pushing God Aside        

Loring Schultz

Read: Numbers 20:1-13 NLT – Moses Strikes the Rock – In the first – Bible Gateway

“Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out.” Numbers 20:11a NLT

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Have you ever found yourself saying amid a problem, ‘Hey, no problem, I got this?” Maybe you asked the Lord for His help, probably not if you ‘got this’. Sometimes it works and sometimes not. Our failure to ask God for His help is just that, our failure. The Lord is always there to help us even when we do not ask Him. So perhaps it was God all along who had this.

Nevertheless, Christians are to be careful of a having a smug attitude. Thinking we don’t need God in situations we deem we can handle is pushing God aside. Yes, the Lord gave us a brain to work things out, but if our attitude is ‘I’ got this ignoring God, we’re forgetting God by pushing Him aside. There may not be any consequences other than a failed project, but a continuing do-it-yourself-attitude without God will lead to disobeying to God at some point and then there will be consequences.

Moses did not have a do-it-yourself-attitude except one time, and it cost him from entering the Promised Land. The children of Israel were constantly complaining about their conditions traveling in the wilderness. Once again there was a lack of water, and they complained bitterly to Moses. They blamed Moses for no water and for making them leave Egypt entering the wilderness to die. Moses and Aaron went before the Lord and He instructed them on what to do.

The Lord said to Moses, “You and Aaron must take the staff and assemble the entire community. As the people watch, speak to the rock over there, and it will pour out its water.” (Num.20:8a nlt) Moses had the experience of providing water for the people of Israel years earlier through the Lord’s help. He followed the Lord’s instructions to strike the rock at Horeb and water gushed out. (Ex.17:6) But this time the Lord instructed Moses to speak to the rock and water would come forth. Frustrated with the people’s complaining, Moses basically said, ‘I got this.” “Then he and Aaron summoned the people to come and gather at the rock. ‘Listen, you rebels!’ he shouted. ‘Must we bring you water from this rock?’” Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out.” (Num.20:10-11a nlt) Moses was taking the glory for himself rather than putting it on God where it belonged. He pushed God aside and the consequences of that sin was being denied entrance into the Promised Land.

We may not have such an experience as Moses but let us not carry an “I got this’ attitude thinking we don’t need God, especially if our efforts included something the Lord would disapprove of. May we be wise in what is right and wrong and not push God aside.

A Christian Perspective

Raise your right hand and repeat after me    

Loring Schultz

“But you are near, O LORD, and all your commands are true. The very essence of your words is truth; all your just regulations will stand forever.” Psalm 119:51, 60 NLT

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Much has been made on social media and mainstream news networks of Donald Trump not having placed his hand on the Bible during the swearing in ceremony. The best of intentions sometimes goes awry even in a well-planned inauguration of a president of the United States. The President-elect had chosen the first Bible his mother gave him and the famous Lincoln Bible used by President Lincoln. The problem was the oath was already being administered when the future first lady was in position with the Bibles. Yes, an unintentional case of bad timing even in a Presidential inauguration.

Regardless of whether President Trump had his hand on the Bibles, does that relieve him of holding to the oath since he did not have his hand placed on them, or if he did does it make his oath more authentic? I find these questions interesting for discussion, but I also find them irrelevant. The main question to consider is, is the Bible relevant to the one taking the oath. Does a future president or anyone taking an oath in a court room believe the Bible is God’s Word, every word of it, and fearing the Lord God Almighty? I thought of that question last weekend before the inauguration on my drive to visit a family member by something that provoked me on the radio.

This is a lesson for all of us to consider when we’re asked to raise our right hand and swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. If we believe in the God of the Bible and His Son Jesus Christ, and believe His Word is true, we can easily place our hand on the Bible. But if there is no Bible we can still swear by His Word and His Name, for we are committing to tell the truth before His presence. Whether Donald Trump had his hand on the Bible or not, his oath was before a Holy God who gave us His Holy Word. What makes an oath authentic is swearing before the one you truly believe in.

Devotionals

Keep Moving Forward   

Loring Schultz

Read: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 NLT – even though I have received such – Bible Gateway

“The righteous keep moving forward, and those with clean hands become stronger and stronger.” Job 17:9 NLT

Photo by David Cain on Unsplash
 

Navigating through trials in life can slow us down, preventing us from doing what we are called to do. Trials vary in nature and scope unique to everyone. There may be similarities, but each trial is personalized in its own way, and each of us handles it in our own way.  Life’s trials do not discriminate but are equally divided among all people. So, it is important for followers of Christ to have a proper Biblical view on handling trials in life.

Scripture provides us with two biblical characters who suffered tremendous trials during their lives. The suffering of Job is referred to often when one comes upon tragedy in their life. Many people, even non-Christians are familiar with the Old Testament book of Job. Job suffered unimaginable catastrophe after catastrophe. Losing his family, except for his wife, and all his possessions in one day, and then being physically struck with painful boils over his entire body, Job remained faithful to God. He may not have had the best attitude at times, but he was able to say, “The righteous keep moving forward, and those with clean hands become stronger and stronger.” (Job 17:9 nlt) Job’s premise is those whose faith in God does not waver in times of distress and trials will gain strength through the trails they endure.

The apostle Paul had what he called ‘a thorn in the flesh.’ Paul’s thorn is not identified but was so severe he asked the Lord to remove it three times. The Lord did not take it away, but “Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’” (2Cor.12:9a nlt) Paul saw his thorn in a different light. He was now glad for it as the power of Christ was now working through him. Paul realized as did Job that in moving forward in trails you gain strength. It is not our strength, but the Lord’s strength working through us. So, keep moving forward in your trials.

Devotionals

Supported by Prayer       

Loring Schultz

Read: Daniel 2:17-30 NLT – Then Daniel went home and told his – Bible Gateway

“Then Daniel went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what had happened. He urged them to ask the God of heaven to show them his mercy by telling them the secret.” Daniel 2:17-18a NLT

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One of the blessings of belonging to a Church is the prayer support provided by the church family. Close Christian friends outside your church family are also a blessing with their prayers. Even those we don’t know but have received our requests for prayer from another source are God’s blessings to us in our time of need. Prayer to the Lord God is our only hope when we have an urgent need. What a comfort it is to be supported by prayer with our friends and church family.

Daniel had an urgent need. He had just returned from asking King Nebuchadnezzar for time to reveal the king’s dream. Daniel’s pagan counterparts failed the king by not being able to fulfill his request by telling him his dream. Nebuchadnezzar had ordered the death of all the wise men in his service, including Daniel, for their failure. Upon returning home, Daniel confided in his three best friends what had happened and what would happen if the king’s request was not fully answered. Daniel asked his prayer partners to support him in prayer.

Whatever our need, especially the urgent, may we not neglect to seek others for prayer. It doesn’t need to be a whole congregation; a few close friends will do. Jesus says, “For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” (Mt.18:20 nlt) Daniel asked his three friends to support him in prayer, they prayed, and the Lord answered their request that night. May we not hold back in asking others God has placed in our lives to support us in prayer.

Devotionals

Not Feeling Holy?          

Loring Schultz

“For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 1:9 NLT

Photo by Devin Avery on Unsplash

Every Christian has come to faith in the same way. The Lord calls us by the nudging of His Spirit leading us to realize our sin before Him. Sin that needs to be confessed and repented of, leading us to accept Christ’s payment for our sins, for there is nothing we can do to save ourselves. When we accept Christ as our savior, our sins are forgiven. God declares us righteous through Christ’s righteousness. Paul says, God saved us and called us to a holy life, and Peter writes, “But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, ‘You must be holy because I am holy.’” (1Pt.1:15-16 nlt) But do we always feel holy. No! In fact, far from it most of the time.

Not feeling holy is not an indication you are not saved. Your salvation does not depend on how you feel. If we monitored our feelings every day to see where we stand on the holiness scale, we would do nothing but continually doubt if our salvation is real and try to make sure that it was. Scripture is clear, we have been saved by grace through faith in Christ. (Eph.2:8) We did nothing to earn it. We did not make ourselves holy, God made us holy in Christ.

Understanding the biblical definition of ‘holy’ or ‘holiness’ may help us to see this in a better light. In the Old Testament, ‘The Hebrew word for holy is “qodesh” which means “apartness, sacredness,” or “separateness” showing that God is altogether holy, sacred, set apart or separate from His creation.” In the New Testament, “The Greek word used for holy or holiness is “hagios” and means much the same thing that the Old Testament word “godesh” means, which is “pure, morally blameless” or “set apart” as in set apart for holy use, which is what the saints of God have been called to.” (1) Having been ‘set apart’ for God’s use, we are to be separate from the things of the world.

This helps explain why at times we don’t feel holy. We don’t always set ourselves apart from the world and unto God. But that feeling is not the status of your salvation. The Holy Spirit is working in us to become more like Christ (holy) overtime. That process is called sanctification, being set apart for holy use. It is a journey every Christian goes through and none of have arrived yet, but one day we will. So, keep striving to be holy as God is holy and enjoy the journey.

(1) What Is The Biblical Definition Of Holy?

A Christian Perspective

National Sanctity of Human Life Day will Continue

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. Then God blessed them and said, ‘Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it.’” Genesis 1:27-28a NLT

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This Wednesday January 22, 2025, is the annual observance of the National Sanctity of Human Life Day in the United States. The third Sunday each January is also noted as Sanctity of Life Sunday in many churches across America. On Friday January 24, the annual March for Life Rally will be held in Washington, D.C. (1) Each year pro-Life supporters gather in the nation’s capital to celebrate life and to urge federal legislators to draft and pass laws protecting the unborn in the womb. These faithful pro-Life advocates have been organizing these rallies since the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973.

There has been lot of noise on the other side by pro-Abortion advocates since the overturning of ‘Roe’ in June of 2022. Cries about not having access to abortion when the life of the mother is at stake are most repeated. An article on the Cincinnati Right to Life website says the following, “Medical science has progressed to the point where an abortion is never necessary to preserve the life or the health of the mother. This has been true for more than half a century.” (2) And the Charlette Lozier Institute reports that 0.3% of abortions are performed due to risk of the women’s life. (3)

The overturning of ‘Roe’ bringing the issue back to the states has resulted in some states passing legislation to restrict abortion, but despite these advances abortions have not decreased overall in the United States. According to a report from CNN Health, “Despite restrictions and bans that have taken effect in the two years since the US Supreme Court’s Dobbsdecision revoked the federal right to an abortion, the average number of abortions provided each month in the United States continues to rise, a new report shows. There were an average of 98,990 abortions each month in the first three months of 2024, according to the latest data from #WeCount, a research project from the Society of Family Planning. That’s about 14% higher than the average from the same period last year, or about 12,000 more abortions each month.” (2)

There is still much work to do in limiting and bringing abortion to an end. This upcoming week is a reminder of that. The National Sanctity of Human Life Day will continue until our nation respects and protects human life from conception in the womb, and in addition recognizes “God created human beings in his own image (and) then God blessed them and said, ‘Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it.’” (Gen.1:27a, 28a nlt)

(1) https://marchforlife.org/national-march-for-life/

(2) https://cincinnatirighttolife.org/what-percentage-of-abortions-are-medically-necessary/

(3)

Fact Sheet: Reasons for Abortion

Visit Preborn.com https://preborn.com/

Devotionals

Perfect Peace

Loring Schultz

Read: Isaiah 26:1-8 NLT – A Song of Praise to the LORD – In that – Bible Gateway

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” Isaiah 26:3 NLT

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Peace is hard to come by. Total peace is unthinkable in our day and is reserved for Utopia. But every Christian can have their utopia in the here and now. Utopia is described as ‘any idealized place of perfection.’ The prophet Isaiah writes, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you.” (Is.26:3a nlt) The word ‘perfect’ in Scripture has the meaning of ‘completeness.’ So, it is possible to have ‘total’, ‘complete’ perfect peace in this life.

Perfect peace has been evaded from many Christians by the cares of this world. Granted, there are many things we should care about, but not to the extreme. Besides, our cares and worries should be handed over to God. There is no need for us to put excess stress on ourselves for those things God is in control. He will guide us and give us wisdom in handling our daily concerns.

A more important aspect of achieving perfect peace is to keep our thoughts fixed on God. The old King James says, ‘whose mind is stayed on thee.’ ‘Stayed’ meaning, ‘to lean, lay, rest, support, uphold.’ When our minds are totally fixed of God, leaning on Him, thinking and resting in His presence we won’t have time to think about what has the potential to take away our peace. We still have many concerns that need dealing with, but when our focus is God, He will give us the peace and strength to see them through in perfect peace.

Devotionals

Just another day at the office

Loring Schultz

Read: Daniel 2:1-16 NLT – Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream – One night – Bible Gateway

“When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, came to kill them, Daniel handled the situation with wisdom and discretion.” Daniel 2:14 NLT

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Corporate Executives in notable positions of authority are subject to an unexpected crisis happening at any time. How they deal with it unveils their character a good bit of the time. Some may panic, but most do not. Some may be quick to assign blame, rather than responding to the situation. Others respond by doing their best work while under pressure. The prophet Daniel in the Old Testament did his best work best while under pressure.

Daniel was one of the Jewish captives brought to Babylon trained to become one of king’s advisors serving in his administration. An unexpected crisis developed within the king’s entire advisory staff. Nebuchadnezzar, the king, had a terrifying dream calling his advisors to tell him the dream and then give it its meaning. The advisors who were known as his magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers, would not attempt to answer the king’s order without knowing first what he had dreamt. The king, perhaps wise to their previous inaccuracies and deceptions, demanded they tell him his dream first, and then interpret it. He reasoned if they could reveal his dream, then they would be able to give him its interpretation. Nebuchadnezzar demanded they follow his command and failing to do so will result in their execution. They could not fulfill the king’s command, as a result they were ordered to be put to death.

Meanwhile, back in Daniel’s office, Daniel is confronted by the commander of the king’s guard. We may question why Daniel wasn’t called with the others to interpret the king’s dream. It could have been Daniel willing kept himself away from the heathen practices of his colleagues, or perhaps he wasn’t called due to being a Hebrew, he wouldn’t have knowledge of their pagan gods. People in the Near East during those days believed that gods spoke to human beings in dreams. Whatever the reason, it didn’t matter. Daniel was one of the king’s men, so he was included, guilty by association.

Daniel has a remarkable reaction signifying his ability to work well under pressure when Arioch came to kill him. The Bible says, “Daniel handled the situation with wisdom and discretion. He asked Arioch, ‘Why has the king issued such a harsh decree’?” (Dan.2:14b-15a nlt) Daniel didn’t panic, not even the slightest. If he did it didn’t show. It was just another day at the office for him. What Daniel had was faith in his God who had sent him there and was with him as he worked under the pressure of being an advisor to the king of the Babylonian Empire. Daniel knew the Lord’s hand was on him come what may. He trusted God with the outcome enabling him to concentrate on his work in a professional and godly manner. A valid lesson for us to follow.