Wednesday July 2, 2025 – Yahweh’s response to our walking in His ways

Posted on July 2, 2025 by Don Schmidt

From the book of Proverbs

Yesterday I wrote about the privilege of being God’s people.  We Christians must live lives that declare us to truly be His people.  In simple terms, the issue is not God’s love for us but our love for Him.  He loves us more than we can imagine.  He has given us everything so that we can experience the extraordinary blessings associated with loving Him.

How we live truly affects our relationship with God.  When we walk in righteousness.  He responds!   But I want to personalize this in an important way.  Yahweh is the name our God chose for Himself*.  Yahweh is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  When we talk about God, He is the one we are talking about.  Here are some excerpts from Proverbs that describe the blessings he has for His people who walk in His ways:

  • Yahweh is pleased with the prayer of the righteous.
  • Yahweh  loves those who pursue righteousness.
  • Yahweh is pleased with the thoughts of the pure.
  • Yahweh hears the prayers of the righteous.
  • Yahweh is a shield to those whose walk is blameless.
  • Yahweh guards the course of the just.
  • Yahweh protects the way of His faithful ones.
  • Yahweh takes the upright into His confidence.
  • Yahweh blesses the home of the righteous.
  • Yahweh gives grace to the humble.
  • Yahweh loves those who love Him.
  • Yahweh provides favor to the good man.
  • Yahweh delights in the men who are truthful.
  • Yahweh provides peace to the man whose ways are pleasing to Him.
  • Yahweh blesses those who trust in Him.
  • Yahweh provides life, prosperity and honor to those who pursue righteousness and love.
  • Yahweh blesses the man who always fears Him.
  • Yahweh enables men who seek Him to understand justice.
  • Yahweh keeps safe those who trust in Him.

Think of it!  Every one of us is capable of walking in each of these – growing stronger and more Christlike!  Think of each of these as a continuum.  The more we pursue our Lord, the more Christ-like we become.  This is not about earning salvation but about living a faith-filled life that pleases Him – a life that declares His praises.

When we pursue living our lives as His people, His Spirit works an incredible wonder within us.  Our desire is transformed from wanting to be blessed by God to wanting to bless Him.  That is the result of our hearts being overwhelmed by gratitude for His goodness and love.  Let it sink in, to the depth of your being – He has chosen us to be His!  WOW!!!!!

*Note: A wonderful book is “Who changed God’s Name” by Dr. Jim Harvey

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Tuesday July 1, 2025 – Salvation is just the beginning!

Posted on July 1, 2025 by Don Schmidt

Exodus 19:4-6  ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on  eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

About three months after the Children of Israel left Egypt, God gave Moses this message to share with them.  It was a communication of His heart for them.  He was giving them the opportunity to be His treasured possession – out of all the nations, He chose them!  They simply had to respond by doing what He required.  Unfortunately, they responded with words not with their lives.

God has always been after a people that will be truly His.  He wants to shower them with His love.  He simply asks that they respond with love in return.  Fortunately we Christians have been born again and received His Spirit.  Our new natures in Christ free us to respond without the ‘deck stacked against us’ by our old nature.  It can still be difficult, but we have such an advantage over the Israelites.  It makes me pause to think of Jesus’ comment, to whom much is given, much is required. (Luke 12:48)

While it’s priceless to be His – to receive salvation and become one of His children – it’s even more so to live the kind of lives that He has always wanted His people to live.   Salvation isn’t the end, it’s the beginning!  It enables us to pursue lives that truly reflect that we are His people.  In 1 Peter 2, Peter is exhorting the believers to rid their lives of sin – to abstain from sinful desires that war against their souls.  He is calling them to live lives worthy of who we are in Christ.

In 1 Peter 2:9-10, Peter writes, “9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

This stunning reality that we are His is beyond words!  It is a privilege beyond measure that we have.  The more we recognize and grasp that, the more we will live lives that  declare us to truly be His people. His mercy, His grace, His Spirit and faith in Jesus Christ enable us to do exactly that!

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Monday June 30, 2025 – Threats? or Opportunities?

Posted on June 30, 2025 by Don Schmidt

Matthew 5:38-42  38“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.39But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

I woke up this morning thinking about going the second mile.  When I looked up the verse I was stuck by its context and by how unlike our typical thinking it is.  This is a whole different mindset – a different world view.  It is seeing and responding to things so differently.

An old classic movie comes to mind that illustrates how radically different things can be seen and how things sometime aren’t what they seem.  That movie is the Wizard of Oz.  It begins and ends as a black and white movie.  I remember as a boy seeing it and being so stunned when Dorothy wakes up in Oz and everything is in full ‘living’ color.  The richness of the color versus the paucity of the black and white – they don’t change the story line, just what we’re seeing.  Then there is the ogre-like Wizard who is so authoritarian on the screen, but in reality is a little old man behind the curtain.  Here, what is perceived is very different from its true reality.

I would suggest that the situations described in these verses are like the Wizard up on the screen – their reality is very different than how we tend to perceive them.  We typically respond to them as threats (like the ogre on the screen), rather than as opportunities.  Our viewpoint is one of self and cultural orientation, and we react accordingly.  It’s like living in ‘black and white’.

But Jesus wants us to perceive these as opportunities and not as threats – and we must recognize how critical our perception is to the process.  It’s not about us but it’s all about Him.  It’s not about reacting but responding with faith.  They are opportunities to glorify our God in how we respond – or not.  Our lives are to be salt and light in the world and reflect the ‘living color’ of the life of Christ.  What a contrast!

Jesus wants our perceptions, understanding and responses rooted in His Kingdom – not in the world.  In this world we  tend to react rather than respond.  We look out for ourselves rather than be guided by His ways.  Life is filled with opportunities for us to respond wisely, reflecting His life within us.  We need to remind ourselves just how different a citizen of His Kingdom is from one of this world.  The people around us will be drawn to Him by seeing us live such lives.

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Sunday June 29, 2025 – Tokens of kindness from our Lord

Posted on June 29, 2025 by Don Schmidt

Psalm 62:8  Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

Have you ever noticed how refreshing some little things can be?  Like a gentle breeze on a warm summer’s day when you’re working outside?  When you’re going through some difficulties and a friend calls to encourage you simply because you were on their heart.  Reading a scripture, a testimony or about a Biblical truth that speaks precisely to your situation.

Some of these things are what I refer to as ‘tokens of kindness’ from the Lord.  It is so wonderful when the Lord gives them to us.  A few summers ago we were really busy with a lot going on.  Added to it was the word from our landlord that we needed to move before our lease expired September 30.  She was planning to move back into the house we were in.

One night in late July when we went to bed, we were really feeling it and Donna said we need to pray – so we did.  In the midst of the ‘stormy stuff’ going on we prayed to our Lord, acknowledging that we were looking to Him and trusting Him to lead and guide us through everything.

The next morning I woke up really early and was working around the house.  I picked up a book that I hadn’t looked at for a long time, not even remembering what was in it, and just opened it.  I didn’t even look at the front cover.  It turned out to be filled with two page true stories of His Mysterious Ways – Miracles of Prayer.

The random story I turned to and the two that followed all described situations where He provided supernatural presence and guidance to people in need.  One was a blind woman and her guide-dog out in a snow storm with an angel walking with them.  The other two dealt with people driving through dense fog and a snow storm and making it due to following the lights of vehicles that turned out not to be there!

These three stories all spoke precisely to God being with us and guiding us – just as we had prayed hours earlier.  He might not have manifested His provision supernaturally as He did in the stories, but He didn’t have to.  They reaffirmed the importance of our focus and trust in Him.  What a timely token of kindness!

We weren’t in danger of giving up or anything.  It was simply our Lord giving us some loving encouragement that lifted our spirits – like a drink of cool water when you’re thirsty.  It’s amazing the sustaining power such experiences can have!

We still got to walk through the situations we were in.  But we did so with a renewed joy simply because we had been reminded of and refreshed by His wonderful love for us.  Pray that our ‘eyes’ will see Him more and more as He works in our lives.

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Saturday June 28, 2025 – Our legacy either good or….

Posted on June 28, 2025 by Don Schmidt

Proverbs 4:18 – The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.

Consider this verse in describing the trail we leave behind us rather than the path in front of us.  The life we live.  The lives we touch.  The love we share – the way we love the Lord and one another.  The way we serve.  The “fruit” that we leave behind us, i.e., our testimony in the eyes of those we’ve encountered and touched – whether good or bad.

I think of deer trails that I have seen out in the woods.  Some are so faint as to be easily missed.  Others are more obvious to the eye.  I remember one that looked like a deer Interstate.  Anyone could tell that it was a significant trail.  The trails were evidence of activity and the presence of deer.

Likewise, the “trail” or path we leave behind us is a legacy to who we are – and how much we truly love Jesus.  The more we walk in the ways of the Lord the brighter our path becomes.  The more we love and serve and bear the fruit of the Spirit – the more we reflect Him.  The path we leave is to be about Jesus.   The wonder it is to be His hands extended – for others to see and encounter Him when they interact with us.

Our path is our testimony, but not in our words.  It is where we’ve been and what we’ve done as described by others and witnessed by those around us – both on earth and in the heavenlies.  The more we are transformed into the image of Jesus, the brighter it becomes.

Remembering 2 years ago: Donna returned from celebrating the life of her best friend of 45 years who is now with Jesus. The Memorial Service for Paulette was such a special time of joy and celebration of her marvelous loving life. Her legacy was so evident to her family and friends and those who knew her!

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Friday June 27, 2025 – A great Grad School experience!

Posted on June 27, 2025 by Don Schmidt

Proverbs 22:6  Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

A few days ago (June 22) I used the illustration of training our children when they were little in the principle of obedience and disobedience.  The focus of any discipline was upon disobedience not upon the specific action they did or didn’t do.

This brought to mind a very significant experience that we had in Grad School that underscored the effectiveness of this approach.  I was taking a class on Moral Development.  The (secular) textbooks we were using described that children had to be 7 or 8 years old before they were developed enough to understand certain things.  They contained the following illustration:

Billy is asked to help set the table for dinner.  While carrying a tray of 5 glasses to the
table, he trips and breaks all 5 glasses.

Nancy is told that she cannot have a cookie before dinner.  But when her mother is in another room, she gets a chair to stand on to reach the cookie jar.  While reaching for the cookies she bumps 1 glass, knocking it to the floor, breaking it.

Who is naughtier – Billy or Nancy?

The authors indicated that children younger than 7 or 8 would say Billy was naughtier because he broke 5 glasses while Nancy only broke 1.  Their focus would be upon the number of glasses broken.  The one who broke more was naughtier.

We had 2 sons at the time and they were 3 and 4 years old.  The next day I read the illustration to Johnnie, the oldest, and asked him, “Who is naughtier – Billy or Nancy?”  His answer was wonderful.  Johnnie, the 4 year old, replied, “Only Nancy was naughty.  She disobeyed.  Billy wasn’t naughty because it was an accident.”

Needless to say I shared this experience with the class the next week.

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Thursday June 26, 2025 – Dealing with the “wilting” around us

Posted on June 26, 2025 by Don Schmidt

Proverbs 12:25  An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.

For a season I worked at Wal-Mart in the GardenCenter.  The spring and summer were really busy times and we had thousands of plants for sale. Those plants all needed to be watered each day and it typically took hours to do it.

My job was outside in what was called a corral where bricks, soils, fertilizers and more plants were kept.  I would load the purchased items into a customer’s vehicle.  Needless to say I got a lot of exercise.  Although watering the plants wasn’t my responsibility, there was something that just had an affect on me that I couldn’t ignore.  Periodically, I would see plants that were in a full wilt because they had been missed in the watering process.

It just bothered me so to see plants dying when all they needed was water.  As much as possible I would water those plants to bring them back to life. My eyes became trained to spot them.  What a blessing to walk by later and see them fully revived and blooming.

Have you noticed that we have people around us that are in various stages of ‘wilting’?  It’s not from lack of water but from anxiety, concerns, family crises and all manner of difficulties.  Maybe it’s just from being buried at work.

A kind, encouraging word can do for them what water will do for a plant.  It can cheer them up; it can revitalize; it can be sunshine on a cloudy day.  We’re not talking about a major conversation, but a simple, sincere word of kindness that will lift someone’s soul.

Take time today to notice those around you.  Remember water isn’t just for wilting plants.  Water keeps healthy plants blooming – it prevents them from wilting. The same is true with people.

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Wednesday June 25, 2025 – What is our “normal”?

Posted on June 25, 2025 by Don Schmidt

I Thessalonians 5:16-18   Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens.  This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live. (The Message)

It’s been a bit frustrating as I’ve grown older to lose some of my sense of smell.  I particularly notice it when it comes to sweeter more subtle fragrances – like perfume on Donna or food cooking.  Likewise my hearing isn’t what it used to be (what an understatement) and I miss things – though in the middle of the night, it’s not so bad.  Praise God for hearing aids.  They do wonders.  When people speak softly, I can push a button and the volume increases.

I think these physical phenomena are similar to how we live each day and how we respond to what goes on around us.  We have deficiencies and God wants to fix them.  These verses talk about being cheerful; praying all the time and being thankful.  This is how God intends us to live.  This is being normal.  God’s plan is for these attributes to become second nature to us; they are to become who we are.  Unfortunately, they can be diminished just like my sense of smell and hearing are.

The verses go further – we are to be cheerful no matter what!  We are to be thankful no matter what happens!  We are to pray through it all – meaning that our focus is upon the Lord.  There is to be constancy in our lives that is reflective of the wonder of our God and His goodness that overrides everything – no matter what!  But it’s easier to be cheerful and thankful when things are going well than when they aren’t.

How often do we hear of a close friend who has died; or that someone very dear to us is unexpectedly having surgery for cancer; or that a contentious situation unexpectedly arises that has to be dealt with by those close to us; – and this is all on top of the stuff we are already dealing with.  This is part of life.

Fortunately, God has made gratefulness and focusing upon Him to be like an artesian spring within Donna and me – they are always there, flowing.  They’ve become normal.  The wonder and blessing of their genuineness never ceases to amaze us.  We experience the joy that comes from the utter confidence that we and those we love are not helpless or alone; that we have a God who adores us!  Through tears and pain, the joy and gratitude are there.  All of these difficult situations just cause us to embrace Him all the more – they push us into Him.  We don’t have to understand – we have Him.

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Tuesday June 24, 2025 – God’s miraculous provision: It was $1 more than we had!

Posted on June 24, 2025 by Don Schmidt

Philippians 4:19  And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Donna and I were married in the fall of 1970 right after I graduated from Michigan State.  That next January we were involved in a coffee-house street ministry called The Master’s House in downtown Lansing, MI.  We were open evenings and late into the night.  While we had no salary, we were provided with a little 2 bedroom home across from the Oldsmobile forge plant on the west side of town.  We got to pray everything else in and were so blessed by God’s provision.

We went an extended period where we had no money – not a dime.  Groceries, gas, everything was provided – just no money.  One evening Judy Potter, a college friend who was helping with the ministry, came up to me and said with a little embarrassment that the Lord had told her to give us $1 – not $5 or $10 – just $1.  I grinned and took the dollar and placed it in my shirt pocket and told her it was $1 more than I had.

Later that evening another helper came and asked if we could give him a ride home when we closed.  He lived on the south end of Lansing.  I was a bit concerned because we were low on gas but I agreed to take him home.  Our old Ford had about 8 gallons below empty and we had been on the empty mark for a couple of days.

After dropping him off after midnight, we were near home when we had to stop at a railroad crossing for a train.  I no sooner stopped when I ran out of gas.  But much to my relief, next to us was a police car!  I got out and went over and asked them to call AAA.  Fortunately, at Christmas we had been given a AAA membership.

The officers pulled behind us with their lights on and we waited.  When the AAA guy arrived, he didn’t say a word but he took a 5 gallon gas can, poured it in my car and then walked up to me and his first words were, “That will be $1.”  (Gas cost 19.9 cents/gallon.)  I took the $1 out of my shirt pocket – the only dollar that I had – and handed it to him.  We rejoiced all the way home!

Our friend didn’t give us $5 or $10 but she sensed the Lord said to give just $1 – the exact amount we would need.  Here 50+ years later I continue to be thrilled by the amazing power of this experience with God.

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Monday June 23, 2025 – A “more excellent way”

Posted on June 23, 2025 by Don Schmidt

Proverbs 3:3-4  Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.

Love and faithfulness – what marvelous attributes these are!  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every Christian was primarily characterized by these?

Consider the contrast by viewing verse 4 in two different ways.  On the one hand, verse 4 becomes the question, “What can I do to win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man?”  This is an entirely appropriate question and desire.  The Lord provides a wonderful answer in verse 3 to accomplish that goal.

But there’s another question that can be asked that reflects a subtle yet significant difference in motivation.  “Lord, what things are important to You that should characterize my life?”  Love and faithfulness (verse 3) is an answer to that question and verse 4 becomes the result of living such a life.

In both scenarios, the obedient Christian will live a life expressing love and faithfulness.  This results in favor and a good name.  But I think the motivation of the second question expresses a “more excellent way”.  The distinction is that the goal is not winning favor and having a good name, but living a life that expresses love for God – that will glorify Him.

This all speaks to the issue of “why”.  Why do we do what we do?  What is our motivation?  Do we do things to get blessed?  Or, do we do things to express our love for Him and one another – and blessings are the fruit?

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