Riding the Complaint Roller Coaster - Martin Wiles

But the people grew impatient along the way, and they began to murmur against God and Moses. Numbers 21:4 NLT

Riding roller coasters is not my forte. I recall getting on Thunder Road at Carowinds Theme Park once—and only then to please a girlfriend. I clung to my seat and my girlfriend as the row of cars inched to the top of the first mountain. I held my breath as my car began its breathtaking descent through the valleys and curves to follow. No loops. No corkscrews. Just up and down and around curves at breakneck speed. I sighed a breath of relief when the string of cars finally stopped.

I’ve also ridden another type of roller coaster—one the ancient Israelites rode quite often—called the complainer’s roller coaster. God delivered them from four hundred years of slavery, but that wasn’t good enough. They quickly disobeyed him, and he sentenced them to forty years of wilderness wandering. Even then, he ensured they had food, water, and shelter. That wasn’t good enough either. They complained about what He gave as well as the timing of His giving it.

The Israelites didn’t complain continuously. Nor do I. Like the roller coaster, my complaining is up and down--enough, however, I’m sure to rattle God’s nerves. Some maintain complaining doesn’t change a thing. But sometimes, it does. Yet, healthier ways to affect change exist than through a griping attitude.

Complaining shows a lack of appreciation for the way God cares for us. We may think we know best how God should meet our needs, but only a God who can peer into the future really does. A faith walk lives not by sight but by trust in a God who is all-knowing and unconditionally loving.

Our complaints also reveal we doubt God’s goodness. God is good all the time. Our definition of good and his may differ, but we must trust he has our best interests at heart.

Additionally, when we complain, we question God’s methods. His ways are higher than ours and often beyond our ability to understand. But he is God, and we are not.

Much better than complaining is a willingness to accept our situations, to be content in them, and to ask God what he is trying to teach us through them. Complete trust takes us off the complainer’s roller coaster.

Father, prompt me to ride the roller coaster of thankfulness rather than complaining. 

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I invite you to try my newest book, Grits, Grace, and Grands, in eBook or paperback. If you are an editor who wants to hone your grammar skills or someone who just wants to improve your writing or speaking, this is the book for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Accept God’s Plan - Martin Wiles

He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word … As a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. Isaiah 53:7 NLT

Accepting reality is not always the easiest thing to do.

My maternal grandfather raised hogs. In fact, hog pens seemed to surround his entire farmhouse. Since hogs are notorious for rooting under fences, I suppose it made sense to keep them nearby.

A small shed was nestled in one of the hog pens, and it was here my grandfather herded hogs he planned to butcher or take to market. One such sow was large and had just weaned a litter of piglets. But now, my grandfather needed to sell her. Getting her into the shed wasn’t a problem; persuading her to walk the ramp into the back of my grandfather’s pickup was. By the time she was finally convinced, she had almost destroyed the shed. Of course, she didn’t know what was about to happen; she merely didn’t want to go where someone else wanted her to. She was comfortable in her environment.

Hundreds of years before the Messiah’s birth, the prophet Isaiah told how the Messiah would die and how he would accept his destiny. Without saying a word or bucking reality, he would allow his enemies to accomplish the dastardly deed of crucifying him.

I have periodically struggled with accepting God’s plan, and I’ve also known many others who have. When facing this decision, I believe God’s plan is always better than mine. For one thing, he can see into the future—my entire life. I can only see the present and envision the future. I don’t possess the wisdom or fortitude to concoct a plan as God can.

Accepting God’s plan requires complete trust. Knowing he loves me unconditionally and is out for my good helps me accept his plan. And following his plan will propel me into a brighter future.

Accepting God’s plan usually entails change. Following God’s plan rarely, if ever, will keep me in the same place. While no one enjoys change, changing with a higher purpose is always beneficial.

Jesus says abundant living should be the norm for us. When we accept God’s plan, we’ll experience that. Don’t miss out on God’s plan for you.

Father, give me the faith to accept your plan and to follow it obediently and consistently. 

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I invite you to try my newest book, Grits, Grace, and Grands, in eBook or paperback. If you are an editor who wants to hone your grammar skills or someone who just wants to improve your writing or speaking, this is the book for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Corn Chowder

 

 

 

Ingredients
1 TABLESPOON BUTTER

             
1 CAN POTATOES (DRAINED AND SLICED)

1 CUP DICED HAM

2 CUPS MILK

1 CAN CORN (DRAINED)

1 CAN CREAM CORN

1 CAN CHICKEN BROTH

SALT/PEPPER

Directions
COMBINE IN CROCK POT.

COOK ON LOW FOR 2 HOURS.

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I invite you to try my newest book, Grits, Grace, and Grands, in eBook or paperback. If you are an editor who wants to hone your grammar skills or someone who just wants to improve your writing or speaking, this is the book for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Watch the Temptation Tree - Martin Wiles

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. 1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT

The tree was unlike any other tree I had ever seen.

Two peach trees stood on the other side of the privacy fence, separating our small subdivision from a lot of woods and a neighboring business’s back parking lot. They belonged to our neighbor across the road. The young trees filled with blooms and small peaches every year in early spring. And every year, the squirrels and birds that lived and played in the trees in those woods ate every one of the peaches as soon as they reached the size of a golf ball.

One year, as I rounded the fence on my daily walk, something in the tree startled me: a snake. Not one to overly fear snakes, I walked closer to see whether it was poisonous. That’s when I noticed it wasn’t a real snake at all. Our neighbors had placed a rubber snake three feet up in the tree, hoping to scare off the squirrels and birds.

The trees continued to change as I walked each day. I suppose the snake wasn’t enough—or, at least, the neighbors didn’t think so. They wanted peaches … badly. The following items were tin pans. They had cut them in half and tied them to various limbs in the tree—a trick I had used in my gardens. A trick that also had not worked when it came to keeping out deer. Perhaps it would work for squirrels and birds.

One day, as I rounded the corner of the fence, I jumped, thinking someone was standing near the tree. They weren’t. Our neighbors had stuck a tomato cage in the ground near one of the trees and decorated it with clothes. Another “person” hung in the other tree, waving like a Halloween ghost.

But even all of the above wasn’t enough. Our neighbors perched a fake owl on the fence. They also hung pieces of hose in both trees, along with other implements—even a plastic gorilla. So many things, in fact, that it was difficult to see the small peaches anymore. The wife wanted to make sure this tree wasn’t a temptation tree for squirrels and birds. She wanted peaches and set out to do whatever it took to get them.

Satan has a way of acting like my neighbor: decorating things up a bit so they look good and beneficial. That way, I don’t see how harmful they might be to my body, soul, and spirit.

But my neighbor prepared, which is the only way to adequately face temptation. In the heat of the moment, without any forethought, I’ll make the wrong choice every time, but when I’ve stored up a pattern of spiritual disciplines—Bible study, prayer, meditation, worship, fellowship—I’ll be more prepared to face and reject what Satan uses to entice.

Accepting Christ results in a new nature—as well as a new want—which leads us in new directions. Paying attention to God’s Spirit as he works through this new nature helps keep us away from the pretty things Satan hangs in our life’s trees to entice us.

When we decide not to sin against God, he will give us the power to do just that—at least sinning will not be the norm. He promises to show us a way out when we look and assures us he won’t allow the temptations to grow so intense that we could say, “God, I couldn’t help myself.”

Don’t let life’s temptation trees take your eyes off obedience to God.

Father, give me strength to overcome the temptations Satan hangs before me. 

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I invite you to try my newest book, Grits, Grace, and Grands, in eBook or paperback. If you are an editor who wants to hone your grammar skills or someone who just wants to improve your writing or speaking, this is the book for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Look for the Buried Treasure - Martin Wiles

And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. Ezekiel 36:26 NLT

I walked by it numerous times but never knew it was there.

As I stood by our front door, waiting on my wife, I saw one of the many squirrels scampering through our neighborhood subdivision, doing what squirrels do. Except for a few oaks, our neighborhood had no nut-producing trees. I often wondered what these squirrels constantly buried.

I observed him scooting about our small front yard on this particular day. Suddenly, he stopped at a particular place, positioned his tiny front feet for digging, and got to work. Within seconds, he had unearthed a pecan, which he promptly placed between his front teeth. Our yard held a buried treasure I knew nothing about.

We find a buried treasure of greater importance in the innermost parts of everyone who follows Jesus Christ. Ezekiel prophesied of a time when God would give the Spirit in a new way.

God’s Holy Spirit is every believer’s buried treasure. It is not buried in that it cannot be located but in the sense that the Spirit is an untapped resource for successful living for many. Just as buried treasure does no one any good as long as it’s buried, the indwelling Spirit doesn’t either if we don’t tap into his power.

God gives his Spirit the moment we trust his Son as our Savior. If we unearth the power of his presence, he will provide unexplainable comfort when we need it. Since life is tough and regularly tosses bombshells our way, we need this comfort regularly. His comfort is a feeling deep inside that everything will be all right because God loves us and is in control.

God’s Spirit also strengthens us to keep going when times are tough, when others oppose our work for God, and when disappointment and depression zap our energy level.

A further advantage of God’s buried treasure is the gifts he gives for work in God’s service. Our work for God would be impossible to complete with any notable track record without his Spirit awarding us with callings, talents, and unique gifts.

Unearth the power of God’s buried treasure.

Father, thank you for the presence and power of your Spirit, who gives me the authority and strength to do the work you’ve called me to do. 

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I invite you to try my newest book, Grits, Grace, and Grands, in eBook or paperback. If you are an editor who wants to hone your grammar skills or someone who just wants to improve your writing or speaking, this is the book for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Take a Daily Bath - Martin Wiles

A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet to be entirely clean. And you are clean. John 13:10 NLT

As I sat at my computer writing in the early morning hours, my wife hollered, “Come quickly.”

Although we lived in the city, a few months ago, an opossum came waddling between the privacy fence surrounding our backyard and made himself at home rummaging around in our yard. He was petite. I saw him again a few weeks later, trekking atop our privacy fence. He was much larger then.

On this particular morning, my wife discovered his hideout. A small patch of brush and trees separates our subdivision from the one behind us. One of the larger trees had a hollow, and he had made it his home. He sat upon a strong limb in the early morning light and bathed himself, much like a raccoon or cat.

On one occasion, Jesus washed his disciples’ feet to teach them about serving. When he came to Peter, Peter refused. He thought it was beneath the Messiah to perform such a menial task. Jesus explained that though Peter didn’t need to wash all over, his feet still needed washing. After all, people in this period walked the dusty roads barefoot or in sandals.

With rare exceptions, I, like the opossum, take daily baths. I feel cleaner when I do even if I’ve done nothing that day to get dirty. Oils build up on my skin. I may have eaten at a restaurant with sizzling smells or been junking in thrift stores.

Jesus, however, talked about a spiritual bath. The disciples had bathed when they trusted him as who he claimed to be—God’s Son. Once this is done, all our sins are washed away—past, present, and future. I don’t need a whole-body bath again, but I do need daily cleansing. My feet get dirty from walking through the world. The opossum didn’t jump in the lake; he just licked parts of his body.

My daily baths consist of confession for sins of omission and commission. I also apologize for missing opportunities the Savior has sent because I was too busy, selfish, or consumed by my own world. This daily bath keeps me on good terms with Christ and helps me hear him clearly when he calls.

Don’t neglect your daily bath.

Father, move me to daily confession so I can hear you clearly when you call me to ministry opportunities. 

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I invite you to try my newest book, Grits, Grace, and Grands, in eBook or paperback. If you are an editor who wants to hone your grammar skills or someone who just wants to improve your writing or speaking, this is the book for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Homemade Cornbread

 

 

Ingredients

3 cups Martha White Hot Rise Buttermilk Cornmeal Mix

2 Eggs

2 cups of Milk

¼ cup Vegetable Oil

Directions

Pour vegetable oil in cast iron skillet.

Heat oven to 350 degrees and place skillet in oven for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and pour mixture in skillet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

(If sweet cornbread is desired, add ¼ cup of sugar to mixture.)

I invite you to try my newest book, Grits, Grace, and Grands, in eBook or paperback. If you are an editor who wants to hone your grammar skills or someone who just wants to improve your writing or speaking, this is the book for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.