Tuesday October 28, 2014

Posted on October 28, 2014 by Don Schmidt

Proverbs 3:5  Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding…

I grew up next to Lake Michigan and there was a large marsh nearby called Grand Mere where ducks and geese were abundant. Waterfowl have always held such a fascination for me whether watching  them fly in formation, land in a marsh or pond or just swim and feed.  If I had gone into Wildlife as a career, it would have been as a waterfowl biologist.

One of the interesting details that I learned about waterfowl is that they have a tiny oil-secreting gland located at the base of their tail known as the uropygial gland or ‘Preen Gland’.  When a duck is preening, as we have all seen, its head and beak are spreading this oil over its feathers. This oil helps to maintain the luster of the feathers and makes the outer feathers waterproof.  Without this protective barrier, a duck’s feathers would become water-logged.

Water is a fact of life for waterfowl.  It is not just an occasional thing that these birds encounter once in awhile.  The daily preening creates and maintains this protective barrier for them.  Think about all the things that happen in our lives, on a daily basis that can cause us to respond in a way harmful to ourselves and others: change, the unexpected, criticism, bad news, insults, the thoughtlessness of others, additional work to be done, disappointment, discouragement.  I’m sure you can think of more.

Remember the expression, “Like water off a duck’s back”?  The water just rolls off – it doesn’t penetrate or soak in.  Now, think about all those items we just mentioned.  They
happen – all the time!  God’s plan is for us to be protected from the negative effective they can have.  But we play a role in the development and maintenance of that protective ‘barrier’.  Our focus and trust must be upon the Lord – not the circumstances.  Trusting in Him means we don’t succumb to discouragement because we don’t know the answers to the challenges facing us.

If our focus and trust aren’t in the Lord, we likely become ‘water-logged’ with anxiety and fear.  The ‘adventures’ in our lives are opportunities for us to hold steady in Him.  Think of it – what the oil in the ‘Preen Gland’ does for a duck, faith and trust in the Lord does for a Christian.  When regularly and actively applied, they provide a protective barrier enabling us to live securely and walk faithfully through the challenges that come.

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Sunday October 26, 2014

Posted on October 26, 2014 by Don Schmidt

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

Three years ago today was load the trucks day for us.  Our time at Williamson Christian College was at an end and we were moving back to Akron, OH.  We were so blessed with the help we received over the weeks of getting ready for that move.  Moving presents such a wonderful opportunity to be a blessing to the ones moving (or moving in) and being blessed by the very giving of our help.  We were repeatedly aware of our appreciation for the help of our friends who were able to give it.

The people who came to help us were ones we had relationship with.  That might sound obvious, but it’s fruit of those relationships.  Friends help friends.  We become involved in one another’s lives.  That is one of the beauties of small groups that are so vital to the life of a local church.  In small groups we get to know one another beyond just recognizing their faces or speaking briefly together on Sunday.

Fortunately, the Christians we were involved with 43 years ago, placed a very high importance upon community and small groups.  These were the places where we learned to ‘love one another’ in practical ways.  We would help one another, pray for each
other, have meals together, do fun things together, vacation together, etc…

We learned to recognize just how important it was for us to be there for each other. ‘Loving one another’ is a learned skill that can be richly developed.  Community helps do that.  We have the opportunity to provoke one another to love and good works by our Godly
examples.  Sometimes we cannot help, but at other times we can miss opportunities just because we are slow to recognize or respond to the need.

Sometimes it is those around us who recognize the need before we do.  We see them respond or possibly they ask us if we will join them to help someone.  We then have a choice to make.  The motto of our church here in Akron is “Blessed to be a blessing”.  We are grateful for the blessing we have received and grateful for the opportunity to be a blessing to others!

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Friday October 24, 2014

Posted on October 23, 2014 by Don Schmidt

Romans 12:14  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

In the context of talking about persecution, let’s consider the verses of Matthew 5:10-12.  When I read them, my first thought is how glorious they are.  The rejoice command is the one we likely miss or overlook. Here are the verses:

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  11Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

This really requires a paradigm shift for most of us.  We typically do not view persecution to be a blessing nor do we want to bless the ones doing the persecution.  When it comes to the rejoicing part we likely miss it because it never occurs to us.  If Christians are being martyred for their faith in Jesus, our tendency is to view it as an evil.  But then we need to consider the words of Jesus.  Persecution is a blessing when it is done because of Him or because of righteousness in our lives.  As verse 12 states, we are to rejoice and be glad – not become discouraged or angered.

These verses in Matthew indicate that the persecution we receive should be because of righteousness – not because of worldly attitudes or actions.  They also make it clear that we will be persecuted because of our faith in Jesus. We want our lives to be filled with His righteousness – meaning that our daily lives are increasingly filled with Godly attributes.

With each passing day we can become more like Jesus.  The very fact that we live for Him is going to produce results.  Some will be drawn to God and will become His.  Others will react negatively and will take it out on us.  Let us prepare ourselves that when persecution occurs, we will respond as God wants.  Let us remember that it is all about Him – not about us.

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Thursday October 23, 2014

Posted on October 23, 2014 by Don Schmidt

Matthew 13:54-55  Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked.  “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?

If you saw a miracle happen, would you believe it?  Or would you immediately dismiss it because ‘miracles don’t happen’ today!  What if you were the one in need of a miracle?  Would you listen to those around you dismissing it – or would you set aside these opinions and see if a miracle could happen to you?  Some of the people in Nazareth did respond and they experienced what God had for them.

But for the most part, the people of Nazareth and the Jewish leaders represent one of the most difficult to believe ‘phenomenon’ in the Bible for me to understand.  They chose to adhere to opinions they had rather than respond in faith to what was going on before them.  The Scriptures say the people of Nazareth were amazed at what they saw and heard, yet they responded with unbelief.  They chose to hold to what their ‘common sense’ was telling them.

This is a significant principle that God uses and we have to adjust accordingly.  It all boils down to whether we are going to respond appropriately to what He is doing.  Will we respond with unbelief, listening to common sense or fear?  Or will we respond in faith to what we are encountering?  Will we seek Him and allow Him to guide us?

The Lord gives us opportunities to follow Him and accomplish things that He has purposed us to do.  But in the midst of those things, He allows all manner of problems,
difficulties and obstacles to arise.  They can be fearful or overwhelming.  How are we going to respond?

It might not seem fair, but we have a path to choose.  We can be fearful and succumb to worldly wisdom or fear – or we can seek and trust the Lord, lifting all of the problems
to Him.  I think of Joshua and Caleb and the other 10 spies sent in to explore the Promised Land.  There were giants there, but only the Joshua and Caleb had their focus on the Lord.
They knew He would see them through.  The other 10 focused on the giants – fear and ‘common sense’ dictated how they responded.

The things we sometimes face can lead to similar choices.  We can focus on the ‘giants’ or
we can focus on our God – unbelief versus faith.  Each is an opportunity for the Lord in His greatness to enable us to overcome.  The choice is ours.  How will we respond to
the challenging things He allows in our lives?

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Wednesday October 22, 2014

Posted on October 22, 2014 by Don Schmidt

John 3:8  “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

What is the difference between a speedboat and a sailboat?  Duh – one has a motor and the other doesn’t?  One doesn’t need sails while the other does.  One needs gasoline and the other needs wind.  One can move independently of the wind, the other cannot move without the wind.  One is a whole lot easier to get where you’re going, when you want to get there and how fast you want to get there – guess which one!

The speedboat (any boat with a motor) offers independence – it’s at the whim of its ‘captain’.  The sailboat is dependent upon the wind.  No wind – and it isn’t going  anywhere.  A speedboat can be driven by just about anyone, even someone who’s never been on water; just start the motor and off you go.  Whether a child or an adult, if you
can steer anything – from a kiddie car, go-kart, automobile – you can steer the
speedboat.  It’s also easier to stop!

The sailboat is different; there’s a whole lot more to learn and a lot more skill involved.  But the key things are its dependency upon the wind and the ability of its ‘captain’ to read the wind and sail the boat where it’s to go, and the route the sailboat goes to get there.

Think about it: how do you get from here to there with a headwind blowing straight at you.  That means that the wind is blowing from the direction you want to go.  Instead of
being at your back, it’s blowing in your face.  The question then becomes are we sure that’s where we want to (or are supposed to) go?  If it is, the sailboat can do it, but it sure isn’t a direct route.

Kind of sounds like what we experience with the Holy Spirit sometimes doesn’t it?  He leads us to do something and we encounter ‘headwinds’ – difficulties, opposition, obstacles, etc…  As I suggested in yesterday’s devotional, for the Christian (Jesus Follower), a life of obedience to Scriptures, becomes the sails of our boat.  Walking in His ways, becomes the skill to sail the boat – to read the wind and allow it to choose the route whatever it might be.  Loving God develops the life-dependence upon Him.

That dependence is essential if our lives are to be about Jesus (sailboat)!  Without it, our lives are about us (boat with a motor)!  We must beware of the spirit of independence that is so common in our culture and in our lives.  The Holy Spirit is given to us so that we may have relationship with Him and live the lives that experience, enjoy and reflect the glory of our God.

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Monday October 21, 2014

Posted on October 21, 2014 by Don Schmidt

John 15:5  “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Picture a large sailboat, out at sea, with sails unfurled and moving gloriously with the wind.  (Hopefully imagining this doesn’t make you seasick!)  Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be on such a ship, on such a day, with a group of dear ones?  Wow – what a great time that would be!  Donna and I have been able to do this very thing a couple of times and the memories we have are ones we treasure.

But take a moment to think about all of the needed ‘ingredients’ in this adventure.  What must we have to make it happen?  First we’ve got to have a sizable body of water for sailing on.  Then we must have a sailboat big enough to handle the group of friends that are going on the adventure – and a crew to sail it.

We would like to have a beautiful day with a strong breeze.  How about doing the sailing amidst a group of islands with beautiful scenes to behold – and a group of dolphin accompanying us?  Of course we want to have something wonderful to eat, so why don’t we
make it a morning sail and we enjoy homemade coffee cake and coffee and orange
juice as we sail.  Can’t you just picture enjoying one another, the breeze, the sea spray, the beauty and the wonder of it all!?

In considering the necessary ‘ingredients’, does anything seem to be missing?  Not at first glance.  But there is something absolutely essential that is taken for granted in the above items.  Without this ‘essential’ the adventure doesn’t happen – except that we sit on the sailboat, wherever it is, and enjoy the scenery, the food, the breeze and one another – but we don’t go anywhere!

What is this essential – that is taken for granted to be there?  Answer: Sails.  And what is a sail?  A piece of material extended on a mast to catch the wind and propel a boat, ship, or
other vessel: “all the sails were unfurled”.

From God’s perspective, walking in His ways is as much as a given for Christians as sails are for a sailboat. Just as a sailboat won’t go anywhere without sails, Christians who don’t walk in His ways won’t ‘go anywhere’ either.  This is why we are more and more hearing the term Jesus Follower.  This is how we remain in Him!  This is how we bear righteous fruit!  Sailboats with sails = Christians who obey Scripture (Jesus Followers) = the adventure is on!!

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Monday October 20, 2014

Posted on October 19, 2014 by Don Schmidt

John 15:5  “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Have you ever thought about how wonderful it is to do things right?  To be told, “Good job!”  To have people express their gratitude for what you’ve done or for whom you are?  Boy, talk about something that puts a spring in your step!

Yes, such comments can lead to pride, but they also can lead to us experiencing a heartfelt gratitude for what God has done and is doing in our lives.  Importantly, they can be such an encouragement to do more ‘right’ things; to be more of a ‘right’ person; and in the context of today’s verse, to bear more fruit.  Better still is the desire God gives us to learn what those ‘right’ things are and do them more and more.

Think of sports, hobbies, relationships, work – our goal is to do them well.  The reality is that more often than not, the wrong is eliminated simply by doing the right!  Being kind eliminates unkindness; being patient eliminates impatience; being thoughtful eliminates
thoughtlessness; being generous eliminates stinginess; being loving eliminates being unloving; being other-oriented eliminates selfcenteredness.

Then as we bear these wonderful fruits of righteousness, the Holy Spirit asks us, “How would you like to do them even better?”  “How would you like to bear more fruit?”  To which, we reply.  “Oh yes Lord! Show me how!”  And He does so, in a most affirming way.

There’s an old song that Bing Crosby made famous: Accentuate the Positive.  The first three lines are

You’ve got to accentuate the positive
/ Eliminate the negative / Latch on to the affirmative

This is the point!  Our attitude about repentance goes through a significant switch.  Instead its focus being our wrong doing, the focus becomes “Eliminating the negative” so we can “Latch on to the affirmative.”  It becomes a vital tool in the hands of the Holy Spirit to enable us to bear more of His righteous fruit.  The more fruit we bear the more joy we have and the more we glorify our God.  It’s not about us.  It’s all about Him.

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Sunday October 19, 2014

Posted on October 19, 2014 by Don Schmidt

Psalm 23:4b  I will fear no evil, for you are with me;

Wouldn’t it be handy to have a gadget that could measure the fear in our lives just like a thermometer measures body temperature?  Whether we use the thermometer typically depends on how bad the symptoms are.  If you have an active child and all of a sudden you find them curled up and quiet a first response might be to feel their head to see how hot it is.  If it’s hot, we find the thermometer.

There are recognizable symptoms that let us know when we are sick.  Some are serious and some are not so serious, but there are symptoms none the less.  Likewise there are symptoms of fear.  Unfortunately, fear can be such a normal ‘companion’ in our lives that  we don’t recognize that we are ‘sick’ – read afraid.

A few weeks ago (9/15/14) I wrote about being angry in a classroom discussion at Grad School and was oblivious to my anger – until the instructor interrupted and pointed it out.  I had become so accustomed to it that it appeared normal.  Unfortunately, those closest to me suffered for it.  Thankfully, God’s grace enables us to repent and change.

Some of the fear symptoms that occur to me are worry, anxiety, anger, annoyance, impatience, lying, deceiving, complaining, selfishness, rebellion, immorality, jealousy, envy, and the list could go on.  These can be indicative of other problems as well, but they are part of the mob that accompanies fear.  What kind of fear?  Well there are lots of them, but to name a few:

  • Fear of failure
  • Fear of rejection
  • Fear of the unknown
  • Fear of what ‘might’ happen
  • Fear of what ‘might not’ happen

The antidote to fear and the negative behaviors associated with it is walking in God’s ways.  The verse preceding today’s verse says, “He guides me in paths of righteousness…”
Even when our journey takes us through the “valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for (God) is with me.”

If you ask, “What are the paths of righteousness?”  The answer is they are the paths you walk in order to be a follower of Jesus.  They are defined in Scripture.  Unfortunately, the term Christian has become so broad that in the minds of many it includes all manner of behaviors that a follower of Jesus will not and must not do.  These are all identified in Scripture.

The Holy Spirit and Scripture are our ‘thermometers’ to detect the fear in our lives.  Likewise those who love us can help point out where we’re not where we are supposed to be.  Ultimately, fearlessness is rooted in God.  The more we follow Jesus, the more ‘fear-less’ we become, because He is with us.

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Saturday October 18, 2014

Posted on October 17, 2014 by Don Schmidt

Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I lack nothing.

The unexpected is a fact of life.  Think how often in our daily routine that we encounter the unexpected.  Simple things: running out of paper, ink, dish detergent, the shirt you were going to wear is in the laundry, the lawn mower won’t start; your appointment is delayed.  Then there are those that are a little more noteworthy: traffic jams, canceled appointments, a friend lets you down, something is forgotten by someone who shouldn’t forget, the car breaks down, extra work is dumped on you in your job….

These (and many other) things when viewed from a distance don’t seem to be so bad – annoying maybe – but they aren’t major issues.  We usually don’t perceive them as tests of our faith.  They don’t fall into the category of losing a job, losing investments, losing a loved one, being injured in an accident, being betrayed by a friend, discovering you have a life threatening disease, etc….

But all of these things, whether big or small, have something important in common.  They are all opportunities.  Opportunities for what you ask?  Each and every one of them gives us the opportunity to reflect the reality of our life in Christ.  These opportunities are windows into our soul that give insight to those around us – and ourselves if we have eyes to see it.

Take a moment now and re-read today’s verse.  Now, read it again, out loud, pausing after the first phrase.  This verse describes an unshakeable, bedrock reality that God intends to
become ours as we walk in His ways – truly becoming a disciple of Jesus.  It becomes the reality of who we are to the depth of our being.  The reality of God in our lives is an unshakeable settled-ness that is reflected in our responses to everything we encounter.

The Lord is my Shepherd; I lack nothing.  Although a storm may be raging around us, it’s peaceful in the boat.  The storm doesn’t shake us.  Jesus is our Shepherd and the reality of our life in Him is reflected in all of the unexpected ‘opportunities’ we encounter.  Hopefully, that reflected reality is of someone walking in His ways.

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Friday October 17, 2014

Posted on October 17, 2014 by Don Schmidt

Psalm 95:6-7  Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; 7 for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.  Today, if only you would hear his voice,

Isn’t it amazing that the God of the Universe considers us His people?  Savor the reality that because of Jesus, we belong to Him.  When I read these verses, I am so aware of the love and warmth that is in them.  This is not talking about a sterile relationship where we are given the edict to ‘Bow down!’ or ‘Worship!’ like a dog being told to ‘Sit’ or ‘Heel’.  This is family.  There is love, purpose, relationship, awe, community, growth, protection, provision, learning, …  It is the Lotto of life and we are winners!!

Think of all the positive attributes that a loving family has and they are here.  Reading these verses my mind moves to the 23rd Psalm – The Lord is my Shepherd.  The attributes spoken in that Psalm describe the reality of being the people of His pasture, the flock under His care.

I received one of those forwarded emails from my brother Richard that included such a wonderful description of Psalm 23.  I don’t know who wrote the summary description of each phrase but they really bring home what God provides us with:

The Lord is my Shepherd —– that’s a Relationship!
I shall not want —– that’s Supply!
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures —-that’s Rest!
He leadeth me beside the still waters —–that’s Refreshment!
He restoreth my soul — that’s Healing!
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness — that’s Guidance!
For His name’s sake —– that’s Purpose!
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death –that’s Testing!
I will fear no evil —– that’s Protection!
For Thou art with me —– that’s Faithfulness!
Thy rod and Thy staff comfort me —–that’s Discipline!
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies —that’s Hope!
Thou annointest my head with oil —–that’s Consecration!
My cup runneth over —– that’s Abundance!
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life —that’s Blessing!
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord —– that’s Security!
Forever —– that’s Eternity!

Most of all they reflect His love for us.  Let me phrase it this way: God so loved the world that He gave us Himself in Jesus to enable us to become His people – His family – His flock – the joyful and grateful recipients of His affection.  Praise God that He also gave us the Scriptures, which are His voice telling us how to return the love He has so lavished upon us.

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