God – Page 31 – Word for the Soul

“In quietness and confidence is your strength.” Isaiah 30:15 NLT

Photo by Library of Congress on Unsplash

Many U. S. Presidents are known by their quips and quotes during the administration they served. ‘Speak softly and carry a big stick’ has become a famous quote by President Theodore Roosevelt. Spoken in a speech in 1901 describing his foreign policy, ‘Big Stick Diplomacy,’ President Roosevelt conveyed the idea of negotiating peacefully, but also letting it be known that other less lenient options were also on the table. The phrase has been implemented many times by the U. S. Government over the last one hundred and twenty years. The full statement by President Roosevelt is ‘speak softly and carry a big stick-you will go far.’

The prophet Isaiah writes, “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength.” (Is.30:15 NLT) As Christians we understand that salvation is only of the Lord. We come humbly, in quietness and confidence in the Lord Jesus repenting of our sin receiving His forgiveness and salvation. Quietness and confidence are also seen and put into practice as our strength after our conversion to Christ.

How are we as Christians to act and present ourselves when sharing the gospel with others or are attacked for our faith in Jesus Christ? Paul gives us advice to put on the whole armor of God and stand firm. (Eph. 6:13-17) David refers many times to his confidence of the Lord’s strength in his life in the book of Psalms. Truly our strength as Christians comes from our confidence in our big stick, the Almighty, all-powerful God. Living our lives in quiet obedience to God pleases Him and sets a good example before others. We do not need to be boisterous, unruly, obnoxious, or even afraid in defending our faith. The Lord commands us to be salt and light in the world relying on strength from our quietness and confidence in Him. Speak softly and carry a big stick-you will go far!

Devotionals

What do you need to bury out of sight-out of mind?

January 30, 2024January 29, 2024 Loring Schultz

“So, they gave Jacob all their pagan idols and earrings, and he buried them under the great tree near Shechem.” Genesis 35:4 NLT

During our forty-four years of marriage, my wife and I have done some serious parting away from things we have collected over the years. There is always some disagreement on what we should keep and what gets trashed or donated. It usually falls in the category of sentimental value. Admittedly, even though I hold to the rule, ‘if we didn’t use it in a year, we don’t need it’, I find myself desiring to hold on to something I find sentimental. But there are some things despite being sentimental that just must go.

It had been approximately ten years since Jacob and his family left Paddan-aram and his Uncle Laban to the land God promised them. God had instructed Jacob to take his family to Bethel, settle there, and build an alter to the Lord. Before doing so “Jacob told everyone in his household, ‘Get rid of all your pagan idols.’” (Gen. 35:2a NLT) Apparently, they had some items they should have parted with when they left Paddan-aram or at least on the way but still held on to them. Perhaps they were sentimental in nature, but most likely coming from a pagan culture, they were items of superstition and replicas of idol worship. They were about to witness the renewal of the covenant at Bethel and needed to purify themselves and get rid of all remaining traces of idols, sentimental or not. The Bible says they gave Jacob all their pagan idols and earrings and he buried them out of sight.

As Christians we need to be careful that we are not holding on to something from our past we should have buried when we started our journey walking with Jesus. These may be material things of sentiment or habits we keep around finding them hard to part with. There may be other things we have picked up along the way that are displeasing to God. Over time we will begin to realize these things are bringing us down, hurting our walk with God, and hindering our service to Him. So, what do you need to bury? Let us bury our worthless sentimental idols and habits out of sight as Jacob did, ‘out of sight-out of mind.’

Read: Genesis 35:1-15 NLT – Jacob’s Return to Bethel – Then God – Bible Gateway

Bible Studies

SOLI DEO GLORIA (to God alone be the glory)

January 28, 2024January 27, 2024 Loring Schultz

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (I Corinthians 10:31, ESV).

“The aim and final end of all music, should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.” Johann Sebastian Bach

One of the greatest composers in the history of Classical Music is Johann Sebastian Bach. Bach was born in Eisenach Germany in 1685 and lived under the shadows of Reformer Martin Luther’s teachings almost two centuries earlier. He realized it was God who gave him the gift of creating beautiful music. It was God making music through him. Bach would mark the top of each manuscript the initials J.J. (Jesu Juva— “Help me, Jesus”) and place S.D.G. (Soli Deo Gloria ‘to God alone, the glory’) at the completion of each composition. Johann Sebatian Bach was certainly living out Paul’s words, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor.10:31 ESV)

It is foundational that we realize our talents and natural abilities come from our creator. In that alone we should be giving God the glory, for it is impossible to do anything without Him. After all it is not about us, but about God who has given us everything we need in this life. Therefore, all that we accomplish in this life should be to bring glory to God. There should be nothing that brings us greater joy than to glorify God. Jonathan Edwards notes, “by seeking to display the fullness of His glory, the Lord is at the same time seeking our joy.” The highest possible joy ever is bringing glory to God and He is certainly in favor of bestowing joy upon us. The psalmist writes, “Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!” (Ps. 105:2-3 ESV)

Again, our goal should be to proclaim God’s name giving Him the glory for everything. Our God is a holy God, a just God, a loving God, a forgiving and merciful God, a God of all truth, and a God of true light and purity. The Devotional series “Heart of the Reformation” notes, “We are to exalt His glory because it is the highest good and the only thing that can ultimately satisfy human beings. God’s highest aim is for the furtherance of His glory-ultimately everything God’s does is for His glory” This should be our goal as well.

In closing our survey at the Five Solas of the Reformation let us look at how they tie together in the Biblical and Reformed doctrine of salvation. Ultimately our salvation (saving of sinners from eternal damnation) is for the glory of God. “The Heart of the Reformation” series writes, “God’s own glory is His chief motivation to all that He does, and it is for that purpose of displaying His glory that God saves His people.” Scripture is clear salvation is of the Lord and not us, (Ps. 3:8) (sola Scriptura). It is through Christ alone, (solus Christus). By God’s free grace alone, (sola gratia). By faith in Jesus Christ alone, (sola fide). And for God’s glory alone, (Soli Deo Gloria). To God alone be the glory!

Devotionals

Come to Jesus, He will never drive you away!

January 26, 2024January 25, 2024 Loring Schultz

“…………whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” John 6:37b NIV

Is there any sin you can commit that is outside the reach of God’s forgiveness? Have you found yourself in a place where you cannot approach God due to your sin, and yet knowing that you need to? Is the light of your Christian life clouded by repeated sin and keeps you from going to God for forgiveness? Have you reached a point where you feel God will or has driven you away from Him due to your sin?

Just a couple more questions. Do you believe in God? Have you accepted Jesus as your personal savior? Do you believe the Bible is God’s Holy Word to us and every word is true? If you answered yes to these last three questions there is some very good news in the pages of God’s Word especially for you, the good news of God’s forgiveness and restoration for all believers saved by His grace. It is true God hates sin, but He loves you, the sinner.

In teaching the crowd that followed Him after feeding five thousand men plus women and children, Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (Jn. 6:35 NLT) Jesus was telling them He was the way to salvation and eternal life. Those in need of repentance and forgiveness of sin leading to eternal life were to come to Him, He was the bread of life, eternal life. Jesus didn’t say to those with the most grievous sins stay away, but ‘whoever comes to me I will never drive away.’

Jesus does not turn anyone away who comes to Him for salvation, nor He will not drive away any of those who accepted Him as savior when coming to Him in confession and asking for forgiveness. His words apply in granting salvation and in forgiving our sin after our salvation. Your sins Jesus died for covers past, present, and future sins, no matter how deplorable. Jesus wants us to come to Him with our sin, whatever it is, and confess it to Him. He will not turn His back on us, in fact, Jesus promised, “………whoever comes to me I will never drive away.”

“He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” (Ps. 103:12 NLT)

“For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again” (Prov. 24:16 NKJV)

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 Jn. 1:9 NKJV)

Devotionals

What has God Assigned You to Do?

January 25, 2024January 24, 2024 Loring Schultz

“We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work.” John 9:4 NLT

Every believer in Christ has been given a specific assignment by God when we became a Christian. The problem is many Christians, me included, have a hard time figuring out what that assignment is. I retired a year ago after forty-five years in retailing, most of them in management. That was God’s assignment for me although there were times it felt like God made a mistake, or somehow, I missed his direction. Several times throughout my career, mostly during times of pressure and stress, I tried to get out from under God’s assignment only to be brought back in to where he had placed me. I regret not realizing it earlier during my retail days, I could have saved myself a lot of trouble. But the Lord made it clear to me during my final years in the job it was where He had assigned me and wanted me to be for all forty-five years.

Jesus says, “We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work.” (Jn. 9:4 NLT) Forty-five years is a long time, but for us in retirement age, it seems like yesterday, therefore one needs to work quickly for there will be a day you will work no more. We must not squander any of the opportunities God assigns for us during our vocational years or in retirement, for a Christian never really retires. God continues to assign certain tasks and responsibilities to each of us. Those assignments are specifically designed for you. Only you can carry out these tasks as God has equipped you to reach those only you can reach.

So, what has God assigned you to do? You may be struggling with not knowing what God’s assignment is for you, or you may feel as I have that God made a mistake. Start at the beginning, where you are right now is God’s assignment for you, it’s no mistake. Pray, read, and study God’s Word and He will direct you. Live your life as a Christian, loving God with all your heart, and your neighbor as yourself. Be a shining light in this dark world to all outside of Christ. Be sensitive to open doors and opportunities for new assignments the Lord may be leading you to. And be careful to quickly carry out those assigned tasks for we do not know when ‘the night is coming, and then no one can work.’

Devotionals

Spread it out before the Lord!

January 24, 2024January 23, 2024 Loring Schultz

“Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD………” 2 Kings 19:14-15a NIV

King Hezekiah of Judah was in dire straits. He was totally outmatched by the King of Assyria with his vast army of soldiers, horses and chariots. The king of Assyria sent messengers to taunt and instill fear into the people of Judah saying they did not stand a chance against their forces. Their intent was to convince them to surrender. (2 Kings 18) The messengers made their way to Hezekiah reminding him of Assyria’s most recent victories, completely destroying the nations in their path.

How many times do you feel outmatched in the events that surround your life? Circumstances beyond your control seep in unexpectedly and unwanted causing panic and uncertainty. You see no way out, no solution to your problem for you are in dire straits. Anxiety sets in clouding your thinking and you want to let off steam to anyone who will listen, anyone who can help.

There is one who can help, God. Take a lesson from King Hezekiah. The King took the letter and he “spread it out” before the Lord. Picture it in your mind; Hezekiah laying the letter before the Lord, detailed with the devastation that will come if they do not surrender. The Lord didn’t need to see the letter to know what it contained, He knew, but the visual presentation of giving it to God demonstrates Hezekiah’s faith that God was the only one who could take care of it. And God did. (2 Kings 19:35) Whatever your dire circumstance today, spread it out before the Lord!

Devotionals

The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far from the Tree

January 19, 2024January 18, 2024 Loring Schultz

“When the men who lived there asked Isaac about his wife, Rebekah, he said, ‘She is my sister.’ He was afraid to say, ‘She is my wife.’ He thought, ‘They will kill me to get her, because she is so beautiful.’” Genesis 26:7 NLT

You may be familiar with the proverbial saying ‘the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.’ Coming into English in the 1830’s from an existing German proverb the meaning refers to an individual’s traits resembling their parents. It is used to explain one’s actions in both a positive and negative way. One who is successful in life having successful parents is an apple from the tree of successful parents. A bad apple usually falls from a bad tree picking up undesirable traits. Now to be fair, that does not always hold true either positively or negatively, but when it is recognized, the saying seems appropriate.

We have an example in the Old Testament of an apple not falling far from the tree in Genesis chapter 26. Issac is instructed by God to go down to Egypt due to the famine and reside there. Upon arriving Issac introduced his wife Rebekah as his sister out of fear for his life. This could have brought severe consequences for Rebekah if the king of the region took her for himself. Issac sinned by lying and having no regard for the safety of Rebekah. Abraham, Issac’s father, had done the same thing twice years earlier. (Gen. 12:23; 20:3) Although Abraham was a righteous man and justified by his faith in God, he set a bad example for his son to follow.

All of us have sinned and have fallen short of God’s standards. (Ro.3:23) Even those of us who have accepted Christ as savior need daily forgiveness. Despite our failures, which will continue, are we still growing and producing good fruit? Are we good apples or bad apples? Jesus said in John 15:5a, “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit.” (NLT) As others observed us, are they able to say positively in a favorable manner, ‘the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.’

Devotionals

Blue Monday

January 17, 2024January 16, 2024 Loring Schultz

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3 ESV

Did you ever have one of those days where something just doesn’t feel right? There’s a slightly depressed feeling you can’t quite shake off. Your thinking is muddled, finding it hard to concentrate. I had one of those days this week on Monday. My first thought was the after effect of my Dallas Cowboys being humiliated in a playoff game the day before, but upon thinking about it further even partly muddled I knew that wasn’t the reason, at least not all of it. There had to be more to it than losing a football game, the Cowboys have disappointed me before.

The third Monday in January has become known as Blue Monday. It was first recognized in 2005 as a PR stunt by the British travel company Sky Travel. According to ‘National Today’ much controversy exists concerning the cause of the saddest day of the year, but there is agreement as to what could contribute to it such as, snow and cold weather, Christmas bills arriving in the mail, and trying to maintain your New Years resolutions. I had no idea there was Blue Monday until my wife told me she heard it reported on a newscast as I confided in her how I was feeling all day. Again, thinking through this as clearly as possible, we are having some winter weather, but it’s manageable, I thank the Lord we have no after Christmas bills, and I don’t make New Years resolutions, so it wasn’t a case of Blue Monday.

Attempting to find a cause for days of confusion, depression, or lack of concentration is above my pay scale as they say, but one thing I do know is that when we allow our minds to slip away from Christ, we open our minds up to whatever the world has to offer, and it usually isn’t so good. The prophet Isaiah has a quick and easy cure for Blue Monday’s or any other blue days of the week when he writes, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” (Is. 26:3 ESV) We all succumb to Blue Monday days at one time or another, but we do not need to stay there if we keep on minds our Christ and keep trusting in Him.

Devotionals

God’s Temple

January 16, 2024January 15, 2024 Loring Schultz

“In building the temple, only blocks dressed at the quarry were used, and no hammer, chisel or any other iron tool was heard at the temple site while it was being built.” 1 Kings 6:7 NIV

The Old Testament Jewish Temple is where God met with His people. It was the worship center for the Jewish people. The temple was built during King Solomon’s reign, taking seven years to complete. Careful considerations were taken for the sacredness of the project. They were building a house for the Lord God, His Holy Presence will be there. 1 Kings 6:7 tells us that they prepared the stone blocks at the quarry away from the Temple site, WHY, so that “no hammer, chisel or any other iron tool was heard at the temple site while it was being built.” The Holiness of God’s presence, even future at that point, was recognized and respected.

The New Testament informs us that believers in Jesus Christ have a body that is the Temple of the Holy Spirit. “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” (1 Cor. 6:19-20 NIV)

So, the question for us is: What noises are we allowing to enter the temple? Noises that affect our relationship with Him. Noises that are contrary to His Holiness. Noises that forfeit our ability to glorify God by bringing harm to our bodies. May we recognize the Holiness of God and bring Honor and Glory to His Name through our bodies.

Bible Studies

SOLA GRATIA (Grace Alone)

January 14, 2024January 13, 2024 Loring Schultz

“But no man can be thoroughly humbled until he knows that his salvation is utterly beyond his own powers, devices, endeavors, will, and works, and depends entirely on the choice, will, and work of another, namely, of God alone.” Martin Luther

The third of the Five Solas to be recognized during the Reformation period was ‘sola gratia’ or (grace alone). In the early sixteenth century there was an emphasis on church teaching of salvation by works of merit and indulgences. Scripture says we are saved by grace alone as Paul writes in the book of Ephesians, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” (Eph. 2:8 ESV) The first reformer of the sixteenth century was Martin Luther and he had said, “Our salvation depends entirely on the choice, will, and work of another, namely, of God alone.” We cannot take any credit leading to our salvation, God has done it all.

Yes, ‘for by grace we been saved through faith,’ but the reality is God gives us the faith to believe in His Son through the Holy Spirit as He draws us to Himself. Our regeneration proceeds our faith. It is by His grace that He grants us the faith to believe in Jesus for we would never do this on our accord. Paul, the apostle, quoted from the Old Testament in the book of Romans, “as it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.’” (3:10-12 ESV) God’s saving grace towards sinners is His granting unmerited favor upon us. When God’s saving grace is applied to us it cannot fail to accomplish the purpose for which it was given.

The saving grace that God bestows on His chosen cannot be understood or appreciated until we have a full knowledge of what we have been saved from. There is not one of us who has a right to eternal life, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Ro. 3:23 ESV) We are all sinners in Adam, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” (Ro. 5:12 ESV) And the punishment for sin is death, physical death and spiritual death being eternally being separated from God in the lake of fire. “And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Rev. 20:15 ESV)

As we come to accept that there is nothing we could ever do to find favor with God to enter into His presence, we should find ourselves in continued praise and worship for what He has done for us through His grace. God has chosen to love us in Christ, underserving sinners that we are. As Paul writes again in Romans, “For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.” (Ro. 5:17 ESV) May we chose to live for Him as He chose us to live with Him.

Tag: God

Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick

What do you need to bury out of sight-out of mind?

SOLI DEO GLORIA (to God alone be the glory)

Come to Jesus, He will never drive you away!

What has God Assigned You to Do?

Spread it out before the Lord!

The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far from the Tree

Blue Monday

God’s Temple

SOLA GRATIA (Grace Alone)