Out of Focus - Martin Wiles

But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Matthew 14:30 NLT

I’ve been known to miss what I focus on—especially when things are out of focus.

I had always hunted deer with dogs and a shotgun. Stand on the side of the road or the edge of the woods and wait for the dogs to run the deer to me, then shoot. Until I moved next to a friend who liked to still hunt. Climb a tree, sit in a stand, and chance that deer might walk where I sat. For this, a rifle worked better.

After purchasing one at a local retail store, I set out for my first adventure. At dusk, a herd of deer walked out of the woods two hundred yards from me. I carefully raised my rife, zeroed in on a buck, and squeezed the trigger. The rifle fired, but the herd stood still. Strange, I thought. After this happened twice, I figured I should check my scope. Sure enough, the rifle shot twenty feet above where I aimed.

For Peter, it wasn’t a rifle. The other disciples and Peter fought a storm in the middle of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus suddenly appeared, walking on the water. Peter wanted to try it too, and Jesus gave him permission. He did fine until he noticed the raging waves pounding his ankles. When he focused on them, he sank.

At the end of the day, a faulty scope and rough water are minor compared to other things that can steal our focus from serving God faithfully and loving him unconditionally. Perhaps the major focus stealer is life’s busyness. Work, relationships, hobbies, children, school, homework, and community affairs. None of which are sinful, but all of which can rob us of life’s true joy.

Taking time to ponder our lifestyles can reveal our life’s priorities. The results can be revealing . . . and shocking. When our priorities are out of focus, they steal our focus from the things that should be our priorities.

Step back and look at your priorities. Let God show you what might be out of focus.

Prayer: Father, focus us on the exact plan and purpose You have for us. 

Tweetable: How do you respond when life is out of focus? 

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When God Says Come - Martin Wiles

Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” Matthew 14:28 NLT

He had called me to come before . . . but never like this. So when God says come, I must go.

The first time I came was as a fisherman. My brother and I were cleaning our nets when he came strolling along the beach. He invited me to leave my nets and career and fish for people. A strange call, but I followed. Most recently, he had asked me to figure out how the other disciples and I would feed more than five thousand people who had been listening to him teach. He instructed the crowd to sit on the ground in groups and told us to pass out the pieces of bread and fish we had scrounged from the crowd.

Miracles seemed to follow Jesus. He sent the crowds away after he fed them. Then, he sent us away as well. While the other disciples and I were in the middle of the lake, a storm arose. When it seemed we would die, Jesus walked us on the water. Once I realized it wasn’t a ghost, I thought I might like to try what he was doing. So, I asked, and he told me to come.

Peter was a reckless fellow, willing to try almost anything—whether good or bad. Sometimes he strutted like the sole cock in the chicken yard. At other times, he failed miserably. But, to his credit, he accepted Jesus’ invitation to walk on water.

Jesus’ invitations to come are varied. He’s issued invitations to me numerous times over my lifetime. Sometimes, I’ve listened and obeyed, but I’ve also had instances where my faith faltered, and I said “No.” He calls some into full-time ministry, some on short-term mission trips, some to the hospitals, and some to the local women’s shelter. Others he beckons to the classrooms, their neighbors, and the local fire departments.

Where God’s invitation takes us is not as important as our willingness to go where he invites us.

Listen carefully. You might just hear God calling you.

Prayer: Father, give us faith and courage to go where You invite us. 

Tweetable: How do you respond when God calls? 

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Pizza Casserole

 

 

Ingredients

1 POUND GROUND BEEF

½ POUND SAUSAGE

15-OUNCE JAR PIZZA SAUCE

2 CANS BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

1 ½ CUPS SHREDDED MOZZARELLA CHEESE    

1 CUP SHREDDED CHEDDAR CHEESE

 

Directions

BROWN MEAT AND DRAIN.

STIR IN PIZZA SAUCE.

CUT BISCUITS IN FOURTHS.

PLACE IN A GREASED 13 X 9-INCH CASSEROLE DISH.

TOP WITH MEAT MIXTURE.

BAKE AT 400 DEGREES FOR 20-25 MINUTES.

SPRINKLE WITH CHEESE AND BAKE FOR 5-10 MINUTES LONGER OR UNTIL CHEESE MELTS.

Tweetable: Why not add this quick meal to your weekend's busy schedule? 

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Stop Picking at Scabs - Norma Mezoe

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 NIV

Years ago, a Christian magazine widely circulated an article I had written. In the article, I spoke of how God had lovingly fitted together the pieces of my broken life.

Soon, I received phone calls and letters from people with heartbreaking problems. These fellow travelers reached out to someone who had also walked along the road of despair.

One person wrote of the breakup of a relationship that she had thought would lead to marriage. She struggled unsuccessfully to cope with her pain. In succeeding letters, she said she could not let go of her burden and let God share the load, even though I had encouraged her to by sharing Scripture and articles.

Then I thought of a simple illustration I hoped would help her. When I was a child with a scabby knee, I struggled to leave the scab alone. Time and again, I picked at the crusty growth until it bled. Then, the healing process had to begin anew.

Too often, we repeat something similar. An emotional pain leaves us with a wound. Slowly, the process of healing begins. But then we pick at the hurt—perhaps by thinking of what might have been or what we should have done differently. Soon, tears flood over a heart that has begun to heal, and the scab tears from the wound.

God waits to heal our pain and aching heart but cannot if we pick at the wound. However, if we keep our hands off, His love and peace will cover our wounded spirit and bring complete healing. We must only release our burdens into the Great Physician’s healing hands.

How can you stop picking at the scabs and let God do His healing?

Tweetable: How can you stop picking at your emotional wounds? 

Norma C. Mezoe has been a published writer for thirty-nine years. Her writing has appeared in books, devotionals, take-home papers, and magazines. She writes to honor God, to encourage, and to point others to the Lord. Norma became a Christian at fifteen but didn’t grow spiritually in a significant way until she experienced a crisis at the age of thirty-three that brought her into a closer relationship with the Lord. Norma may be contacted at normacm@tds.net. 

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Shelter in a Storm - Martin Wiles

The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Psalm 9:9 NLT

We had no reason to think we’d need shelter in a storm.

My brother, two children, and I had set out for an overnight camping trip on the Appalachian Trail. No sooner had we reached the gap where we planned to camp than the sound of thunder peeled through the mountain valleys. So, we quickly erected our tents.

Within minutes, the lighting popped, and rain poured. The only things separating us from danger were tall trees and the rubber mats we sat on. We knew an AT shelter sat a few hundred yards down the trail, but we were scared to venture out. After thirty minutes, the storm subsided enough for us to hightail it to the shelter. There, we spent the next four hours, listening as one storm after another marched across the mountains.

The psalmist pictures God as a shelter for those experiencing trouble. The AT shelter provided cover for us, but since it was only three-sided and as exposed to lightning as our tents, we weren’t much safer. The shelter didn’t prevent the storm from coming nor shorten its length or intensity.

Having God as a shelter doesn’t mean storms won’t come. In fact, I’ve experienced numerous life storms since I made him my shelter. But in the shelter, God strengthens our faith in him to protect us. He may not prevent the storm, but he will safely carry us through it.

While the shelter doesn’t affect the storm, being in the shelter changes our perspective. Our Shelter can lessen the storm’s intensity and duration if he chooses. The shelter is also the place where we’re reassured that God’s in control. He won’t allow anything in our lives that won’t form us more into his image. In the shelter of God’s arms, we’re safe—even if the storm takes our lives.

What shelter do you run to when life gets loud and dangerous?

Prayer: Father, thank You for being our shelter when the storms of life assault us. 

Tweetable: Where do you find shelter in your storms? 

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Not My Body - Martin Wiles

And the church is his body; it is filled by Christ, who fills everything everywhere with his presence. Ephesians 1:23 NLT

It’s not my body after all.

“It’s my body. I can do whatever I want with it” is an argument often used by advocates of particular causes or those with habits that can potentially ruin their health—even kill them. On the surface, the argument appears valid. It is my body, and I do have power over it. If I want to go into the kitchen, work outside, attend church, or drive somewhere, I can make my body obey. Whatever messages enter my mind that require bodily movement, my body will obey unless it’s physically incapacitated, or I ignore the message.

The Bible says God is spirit, but he showed up in bodily form in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ body moved according to the Father’s plan. He went where God told him and spoke the words the Father whispered in his ear. But that body was mangled, crucified, placed in a tomb, raised to life three days later, and eventually received back into heaven.

God’s body is now represented in every believer’s body. And if it belongs to God, then it doesn’t belong to us. While we still have control over it and can ignore God, we’ll only be blessed and rewarded when we make our bodies follow the messages God puts in our minds. We receive those messages as we daily read his Word, pray, and pay attention to the still small voice of his Spirit.

God expected his Son’s body to follow his directives when he was on earth, and he wants his church body to do the same.

Let God direct your body to accomplish his perfect will. You’ll be glad you obeyed.

Prayer: Father, direct our bodies so that we may accomplish Your kingdom’s work in this world. 

Tweetable: Are you following God's directives for your body? 

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Pecan Pie

 

Ingredients

1 CUP SUGAR

1 CUP BROWN SUGAR

1 STICK BUTTER

2 TABLESPOONS FLOUR

¾ CUP MILK

3 EGGS (BEATEN)

1 TEASPOON VANILLA

1 CUP CHOPPED PECANS

2 UNBAKED PIE SHELLS

Directions

CREAM FIRST 4 INGREDIENTS, AND THEN ADD REMAINING INGREDIENTS.

STIR TO BLEND WELL.

POUR INTO PIE SHELLS.

BAKE AT 350 DEGREES FOR 30 MINUTES OR UNTIL FIRM.

Tweetable: Why not add this Southern delight to your dessert menu? 

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