Casting the Bread by Martin Wiles

As if things aren’t cheap enough at yard sales, my wife tends to lower them even more.

While participating in a spring fling sale at a local resale shop, a couple with a small child approached our table and poured over our Jell-O molds. My wife…noticing their antics, offered them all three for a dollar instead of one dollar each. A neighboring vendor scolded her…as did I. But she can’t help it. Her heart won’t let her act any differently.

Later in the day, a fellow vendor was re-locating her booth and offered us some items free of charge. In return, my wife sold her our cedar chest for a giveaway price. Once again, I gently scolded her. But later that day a fellow church member directed me to a gas station where he promptly filled my tank with $50 dollars of fuel-more than the amount we lost in the cedar chest and Jell-O mold sale.

My wife cast our bread on the water, and God noticed. Cast your bread upon the waters, For you will find it after many days (Ecclesiastes 11:1 NKJV).

A negative parallel of this positive suggestion is “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” I cast when I invest in others…spiritually and otherwise. God rewarded my wife’s casting by prompting someone to invest in us.

Recognizing life is more about God and others rather than me re-directs my actions. I spend time with God so I can learn to stop acting like a spiritually selfish child. I look for opportunities to serve others because I know it’s evidence of my love for God and because it demonstrates my appreciation for the ultimate sacrifice of his Son for the forgiveness of my sins.

Don’t let fear of casting keep you from tossing out a few crumbs.

Prayer: Merciful Father, prompt us to take what You entrust to us and cast it into the lives of others.

From Lighthouse Publising of the Carolinas. Now available for pre-order from Amazon.com.

Comments

Obeying God’s Schedule - Martin Wiles

Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” Matthew 9:22 NLT Schedules are made to be broken. According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality test, I’m a judger. I like structure and organization. While I can be spontaneous on occasion, it’s not my preferred way of life. I’m also time conscious. I’ve been wearing a watch since I was in first grade. Schedules are important, and I like to be ahead of time for whatever the agenda holds. Keeping and checking off a list gives me an adrenaline rush. In college, I completed all my projects ahead of time. Some of these traits were inborn, but being the firstborn child and living with parents who had similar traits made it certain I’d be a judger. John’s gospel, especially, makes it evident that Jesus journeyed on a divine schedule. Many were told not to tell that he had healed them or cast out their demons simply because Jesus didn’t want his ministry to end p...

Bears or Gators? Believer or Non-Believer? - Melissa Henderson

So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:21 NIV “What do you mean there are gators in the neighborhood?” Moving from central Virginia to South Carolina's Lowcountry brought new adventures. Learning about alligators, blue skinks, armadillos, and other creatures led to excitement but also a bit of worry. One of the most interesting parts of living in a new state was adapting to the weather and different animals. Would we prefer the bears of Virginia or the gators of the South? As my husband and I became accustomed to the humidity and scorching heat of the Deep South, we began referring to ourselves as “South Carolinians.” We laughed as we noticed folks wearing long-sleeved shirts and coats when temperatures reached sixty degrees in the Lowcountry. In Virginia, that temperature was...

Connecting to the Creator - Martin Wiles

It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit. Revelation 1:10 NLT I’ve done it all my life—whether I wanted to or not. Going to church was never an option. Dad was a preacher, and PK’s went to church … often. Our particular church tradition held services three times weekly, in addition to special activities on other days. I had to attend each one. After moving out, I had the option of going, but still went. When my parents made me go, I sometimes didn’t want to. But when I could stay home, I rarely did. Worship is what the apostle John did on the Lord’s Day. As he did, God spoke to him and told him to write things that would happen in the future. Things God’s people needed to hear and respond to. Beyond everything else, worship concerns giving God the glory and praise He deserves. He is our creator and deliverer, and we should celebrate that through worship. But worship involves us also. We have needs that require attention and decisions that deman...

Love Lines From God

Search This Blog