Friday October 10, 2025 – The message of creation!

Posted on October 10, 2025 by Don Schmidt

Psalm 19:1  The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

When I was a little boy I had a book about Grandpa Bunny Bunny.  He was the founder of Bunnyville and the father and grandpa of many little bunnies.  He was dearly loved by them all. He taught his children and grandchildren how to paint Easter eggs and spring flowers and autumn leaves.  People would see the incredible beauty around them and wonder where it all came from.  But the little bunnies would laugh, because they knew it was Grandpa Bunny Bunny’s doing.

Then came a day when Grandpa Bunny Bunny told all the little bunnies that it was time for him to leave – and then he was gone.  A few days later, after a rain, there was a sunset of incredible color.  All the little bunnies who loved him so, knew that he was still painting.  The colorful sky was the work of their beloved Grandpa.  In my family, we referred to such colorful sunsets as “Grandpa Bunny Bunny” skies.

So many people are blind to the wonder of creation.  Others, instead of recognizing the heavens as evidence of His existence, struggle with questions that deny the reality of what they are seeing.  The heavens declare God’s glory – but they are also designed to provoke a response in each of us to find the One who created them.  The “creator” wants to be found by the “created”.

When we look at the stars and the skies; when we see a glorious sunset or enjoy the beauty around us – we get to recognize them as the work of our beloved Lord.  They are not the work of some omnipotent, unknowable, distant being.  We are able to view the wonder in the context of our love relationship with Him.

While God’s greatness and power are beyond our imagining, it never ceases to amaze me that through Jesus, we belong to Him – and that He loves us so! As I sit and write this, I’m laughing and grinning with joyous wonder because He made me His.  The God who made the heavens knows my name and made me one of His sons.  WOW!  The wonder of the heavens pales in comparison to that!

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Thursday October 9, 2025 – How to respond to unjust suffering…

Posted on October 9, 2025 by Don Schmidt

1 Peter 2:19  For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God.

We have a tendency to expect positive results when we do the right thing.  Nothing wrong with that, but we must be aware that often that isn’t the case.  Peter is talking about us bearing up under the pain of unjust suffering because we are conscious of God – just like Joseph did.

Joseph refused to yield to the temptation presented by Potiphar’s wife.  Day after day she talked to him and he repeatedly refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.  When she caught him by his cloak one day, they were the only ones in the house and Joseph fled.  She proceeded to lie to Potiphar accusing Joseph of being the one wanting her.

It appears that Potiphar believed his wife for Scripture says, “he burned with anger.”  I’ve often wondered if he ever asked for Joseph’s side of the story – and would he have believed him if he did.  Potiphar then took Joseph and put him in prison.  Joseph did what was right and wound up in jail.  In spite of doing right, because he was conscious of God, he experienced even more pain of unjust suffering.

“But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; He showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.” (Gen 39:20b, 21)  In the midst of it all, Joseph could see that God was there with him.

Do we understand the importance of maintaining a godly attitude and godly behavior when in trying situations?  We too can be falsely accused.  We can be fired or receive unfavorable treatment because we refuse to go along with illegal or unethical demands.  We can lose sales or clients because we are unwilling to lie or deceive.  We can face the loss of “friends” because we refuse to participate in activities that are sinful.  If our focus is Jesus, we will make the right decisions and do it with grace – not self-righteousness.  Our goal is to do it right.  Wherever we wind up, the Lord will be there with us.

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Wednesday October 8, 2025 – Things happen…How will we respond?

Posted on October 8, 2025 by Don Schmidt

Genesis 37:36  Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.

Life is filled with all kinds of experiences – many good, some not-so-good, and some downright awful.  I think at this point, Joseph probably viewed his situation in the downright awful category.  How do you adjust from being free and part of a family – deeply loved by your father, and suddenly find yourself as a slave – sold by your brothers no less – in a foreign land?

Joseph had a short time to come to a decision on how he was going to respond to his situation.  He might have viewed escape as impossible and viewed slavery as his lot for the rest of his life.  His attitudes and demeanor could have played an important role in who he was purchased by.  Did he realize or have a clue that the events of his life were being orchestrated by the God of his fathers?

He was purchased by Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.  At this point, the scriptures note that, “The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered…” – so much so, that Potiphar saw that the Lord was with Joseph and was giving him success in whatever he did.

Remember, this is occurring long before Moses and the law.  Joseph’s knowledge of God would have been from the stories passed on by Abraham, Isaac and his father Jacob.  Yet Joseph responded rightly to what was occurring in his life.

While it is difficult for us to relate to being sold into slavery, there are those in the world right now that are having this happen to them.  Famine, plague, war, bombings, slavery, natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes – they are occurring now, all around us.  In our lives it might be loss of jobs, or loved ones – disappointments, accidents, bankruptcy, acts of violence, persecution.  Dealing with the woke culture and the government’s responses to the pandemic. These things happen – things that we don’t want – wouldn’t choose – wouldn’t want to happen even to people we don’t like.  But they happen to us or people we care about.  God expects us to respond consistently with our faith – not like the world responds.

As Christians, our Lord has promised to never leave us nor forsake us.  In the midst of every situation, no matter what happens, He is there.  There is nothing He cannot redeem.  Pray that this knowledge of the Lord being with you – ALWAYS – becomes a rock-solid reality in your heart.  It will transform you – and those around you.

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Tuesday October 7, 2025 – It was God’s plan for him!

Posted on October 7, 2025 by Don Schmidt

Genesis 42:21 They said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that’s why this distress has come upon us.”

Today’s verse is from the remarkable story of Joseph.  His brothers have come to Egypt for grain and find themselves being treated as spies by the Governor of Egypt who is Joseph.  He had recognized them and when they bowed down to him, he remembered his dreams about them.  But they did not recognize him.

Joseph spoke harshly to them and held them in custody for 3 days.  When told that they would be allowed to return home by leaving one of the brothers in custody in Egypt, the brothers spoke today’s verse to one another.  In spite of his pleadings, they remembered their cruelty to him.

Picture the scene 21 years earlier when Joseph found his brothers near Dothan.  A young man of about 17, he was simply obeying his father in finding his brothers, to see how they were doing.  He had no idea what lay in store for him – what God had in store for him.  When he got to them, they stripped him of his richly ornamented robe and threw him into a dry cistern.

Can you imagine what Joseph was experiencing?  He faced the anger of ten older brothers who wanted to kill him.  It’s possible that he heard them debating over whether to kill him or not and how they would cover it up if they did.  At this time, the caravan of Midianite merchants passed by.  Joseph finds himself being pulled up out of the cistern, not to be set free or killed, but to be sold as a slave and taken to Egypt.

Think of Joseph as the caravan moved on to Egypt.  Did he have any hope of seeing his father again or his brother Benjamin?  Did he have any thoughts of the dreams that he’d had?  Was he grateful for simply being alive – that they hadn’t killed him?  Did he cry out to God?

Did he have any idea that being sold into slavery by his brothers was God’s plan for his life?

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Monday October 6, 2025 – Hiking provides a helpful illustration

Posted on October 6, 2025 by Don Schmidt

James 1:2  Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,

The house we lived in in Tennessee backed up to a school yard that had a ½ mile walking path.  I would typically walk it at a very brisk pace.  In one corner the path has a slight incline in it.  Walking at a leisurely pace it might not be noticed, but at the rate I was going it was noticeable.

There are other places to walk that go across hilly terrain that are a bit more taxing.  At the far end of the spectrum are paths or trails in the mountains that are very rigorous.  In Colorado a very popular trail is the Pike’s Peak Incline – a railroad tie stairway up the mountain.  A friend of ours, has taken groups to Nepal to climb to the Mt. Everest Base Camp that is at about 17,590 feet.  It takes about 2 weeks to hike there and back.  It’s not only a rigorous climb but because of the height, there is altitude sickness to contend with.

When considering today’s verse, using the illustrations of hiking, many of us only think of it in terms of big or rigorous trials – like encountering mountains.  We tend to perceive it as being instructed to have joy when we encounter mountains to climb – not the little hills or inclines.  But that severely limits this verse and our accountability to this command.

Again, thinking in terms of hiking terrain, the ‘trials of many kinds’ in today’s verse applies to everything from ‘a slight incline’ to going to the Base Camp’.  No matter how small the ‘incline or hill’ we are to have joy.

Maybe the word ‘trial’ throws us.  Consider some words used in other translations instead of the word trials: temptations; tests; challenges; troubles.  Think of all the ‘little’ things that occur everyday we encounter and we have to deal with.  The little ‘tests’; the little ‘troubles’; the many temptations to respond in situations unrighteously – these are the heart of this verse.  These are the places where our joy is to be evident.  Do we respond with joy – or with annoyance, frustration or anger?  These are the places that prepare us for the ‘big’ trials.

In looking at other versions of today’s verse, two in particular really stood our.  Please consider these as you go through your day:

  • Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. (The Message)
  • Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. (New Living Translation)
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Sunday October 5, 2025 – Expressing the fragrance of Jesus

Posted on October 5, 2025 by Don Schmidt

2 Corinthians 2:15 For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.

I would like us to consider aroma and fragrance.  These words have to do with the sense of smell, and in a positive sense, things like food cooking, perfumes, the scent of flowers.  The things that we do – our very lives when centered in Christ – emanate the richness of our God.  And this richness is noticed by those we interact with.

Think of all the positive things that impact us – that we notice – that are helpful or make our lives richer: an encouraging word, a helpful hand, the thoughtful presence of a friend, acts of kindness.  All of these things can communicate the love of our Lord.  This opportunity we have is expressed wonderfully by Paul: “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.” (2 Corinthians 2:14)

The day by day journey of our lives is as important as the ultimate destination.  Day by day others can experience Jesus as revealed in our attitudes, words and actions.  The more our lives reflect His ways, the more they will emanate the wondrous fragrance of our God.

Think of it!  In a world of darkness and despair He has chosen to spread His fragrance through us.  Some will recoil because they are not interested in Him.  But others will be attracted because they are responding to the work of His Spirit, drawing them to redemption.  We get to share His fragrance with all who surround us, knowing and trusting that there are those who will respond to Him.

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Saturday October 4, 2025 – What should (must) we desire?

Posted on October 4, 2025 by Don Schmidt

Psalm 20:4  May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.

I remember reading this verse and not having a clue what the desire of my heart was.  On top of that, I didn’t know what my specific plans were either.  A close friend asked me if I could do anything I wanted, what would it be?  I couldn’t answer him either – other than saying to be prosperous or successful.

This began a search for me. I just hadn’t thought that much about what my desires were.  It seemed there were things I could say that sounded good, but they really didn’t reflect a deep-seated desire.  It was a given that I wanted to provide for my family and do well at my job, but it seemed that this verse was talking about something deeper than that.

This search became a part of my relationship with God.  I was seeking to become more passionate in my love for Him.  I wanted my life to better demonstrate my love for Him by doing the things His word says to do and to refrain from doing those things it says to avoid.  It became clear that in order to love God more, my life had to become more conformed to His word.  The more it did, the more I loved Him and pleased Him.

Through this search it became delightfully clear to me, that the Lord was giving me understanding about what He wanted our primary desires to be – that He in turn would grant.  More than anything else, He wants us to love Him and please Him in everything.

He also opened my eyes to see that loving my wife, Donna, was inextricably interwoven with loving Him.  Loving Him more, meant loving her more.  (Think of 1 John 4:20b For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.)  Having warm, wonderful emotional feelings for your spouse and for God is great, but loving someone is so much more than that.  We must recognize the reality that our feelings can be communicating one thing, but our attitudes and actions can be sending a very different message.

The reality of life has a way of revealing where we are weak and in need of change.  Who better for the Lord to use than those closest to us to reveal such things?  If we could neither speak nor write – our love must be evident by the life we live.  The desire of our heart must be such a life.

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Friday October 3, 2025 – The fear of the LORD is wonderful!

Posted on October 3, 2025 by Don Schmidt

The fear of the Lord

As we consider the fear of the Lord, take a moment and think of the story of Pinocchio.  A wooden puppet becomes a real boy.  Something inanimate becomes alive and vibrantly real.  For many the fear of the Lord is a static inanimate thing; not particularly attractive and something to avoid.  But that is such a misperception.

The good news is that the Lord will enable us to see and understand how vibrantly wonderful the fear of the Lord is, and how valuable it is for us to possess it.  Listed below are a number of verses that speak of the fear of the Lord.  It truly is a multifaceted treasure for us.

2 Chronicles 17:10  The fear of the LORD fell on all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah, so that they did not make war with Jehoshaphat.

Proverbs 1:7a  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge

Proverbs 9:10 a  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom

Proverbs 14:27  The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.

Proverbs 16:6b  through the fear of the LORD a man avoids evil

Proverbs 22:4  Humility and the fear of the LORD bring wealth and honor and life

In the New Testament in Acts 5:11 it talks of great fear seizing the whole church because of events involving Ananias and Sapphira.

Acts 9:31  Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.

Hopefully these verses will produce a desire to learn more about this important subject.  One of the more practical applications for me over the years was “through the fear of the Lord a man avoids evil” coupled with the verse from Numbers “your sin will find you out”  At times my motivation wasn’t what it should be, but I didn’t sin.  This is also an example of the fear of the Lord as the beginning of wisdom. Not sinning is always wise.

A scripture that always moves me is Revelation 1:17 “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.”  This is John’s response to seeing Jesus.

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Thursday October 2, 2025 – It’s all about Him…

Posted on October 2, 2025 by Don Schmidt

Philemon 4-5  Every time your name comes up in my prayers, I say, “Oh, thank you, God!” I keep hearing of the love and faith you have for the Master Jesus, which brims over to other believers. The Message

What a testimony!  Think of inspiring joy and thanksgiving in others because of our love and faith in Jesus – and that faith and love overflow to those around us.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if those who knew us could write such a declaration describing us?!!  The issue isn’t recognition but one of acknowledgement of the reality of Christ’s love worked out in our lives.

Who are the Christians in our lives who really are a blessing to us and to others?  Take a moment and see who comes to mind; whose lives fulfill such a description.  Does the mere thought of them bring a smile to your face and a heartfelt gratitude that they are in your life?

Now think of the joy if others think of us and react with an, “Oh, thank you God!”  Believe it or not, that is the destiny that the Lord has for each of us!  In John 13:35 Jesus describes how disciples that are truly His will be recognized,

“This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciple —when they see the love you have for each other.”

 It’s not by our verbal testimony – nor by attending meetings or being part of a recognizable “Christian” group.  It is by our love for one another that all will recognize His disciples. And the quality of this love is to be the highest imaginable! In the verse preceding this Jesus describes this love:  “In the same way I loved you, you love one another.”

Instead of being overwhelmed with the thought of “How on earth do we ever do that?” our response should be closer to giddy excitement that our God enables us to love each other just as Jesus did!  This is our destiny – we get to do this!  And when we do, others will know that we belong to Jesus.  It’s all about Him.

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Wednesday October 1, 2025 – An important lesson from Andrew and his team (all 9 year olds)

Posted on October 1, 2025 by Don Schmidt

Hebrews 10:24  And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: KJV

I am reminded of our son Andrew and his gymnastic team at Washington Court Athletic Club.  There were 6 boys on the 9 year old team (Class IV) that became state champions in 1990: Andrew, Greg, Johnny, Kenny, Matt and Nick.  A 50 point all-around score (6 events) is a very good score at that level and all 6 of the boys were able to score near 50 and above in competition.

This meant that their practices were something special because they all were doing so many things right. They still had fun – they were 9 year old boys – but they were seeing and experiencing commitment to excellence in every practice.  They worked hard and watched one another do routines right.  They helped and encouraged each other.  They wanted to win as individuals but it was the team that was most important.

Today’s verse talks about us provoking one another to love and good works.  The NIV uses the phrase ‘spur one another on’.  The idea is the reverse of being jealous or depressed by seeing the efforts and accomplishments of our peers.  The efforts and accomplishments of those around us can provoke similar things in us. They are meant to encourage and motivate.  We can all experience excellence in the tasks we face.

When you or your friends need help with something, are there certain individuals who always seem to be there helping?  This is a practical expression of loving one another – to be there when needed.  It’s important to have our “eyes and ears” trained to recognize the opportunities when they arise – and to use the examples of those who have helped us to spur us on to help others.

This is what we need to see in our relationships with those around us.  It will encourage and challenge us.  It makes us all want to try harder and support one another.  It also provokes such a sense of gratitude that we get to be part of such a group.  The Lord has given us such a marvelous opportunity to bless one another, our community and most of all Him.  Our prayer is that we will be ever-faithful to the challenges He has placed before us.

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