Toys in the Tub - Martin Wiles

Late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath. 2 Samuel 11:2 NLT

Baths may clean us up, but sometimes toys in the tub get us into trouble.

Resting outside the bathtub in our spare bathroom is a plastic container with numerous bath toys: a rubber duck, a sailing boat, several balls, a bar of Ivory soap, and cars. The normal toys kids play with when they bathe. 

And when they were young, all our grandboys loved to play with them when they bathed. They loved the bubbles MeMe put in the tub. They hid the toys under the bubbles, then held them in the air and watched as the water squirted out, hollering and laughing. Occasionally, they splashed water on the floor, which drew a sharp rebuke from MeMe. 

King David also knew a little about bathing and getting into trouble. He wasn’t the one bathing. Bathsheba was, but he was the one who looked when he shouldn’t have. The play on words is interesting: Bathsheba bathing. Some suggest she bathed here on purpose because she knew the king’s practice of walking on his roof. Whether or not she intentionally provided the temptation, David fell into the traps of lust, adultery, lying, and murder. One year—and several consequences—passed before he finally confessed.

Our world is filled with play toys—not that we bathe with but that we encounter daily. Technological gadgets, possessions of all sorts, hobbies—and the things we need to enjoy them—sporting activities—and the money we can spend watching them—movies, video games. The list of play toys available to those who live in developed countries is endless. 

Some of the play toys are sinful—and others have the potential to be. Bathsheba’s bathing wasn’t a sin, but if she did it hoping the king would do what he did, then it became sinful. David’s accidental glance wasn’t a sin, but when he lusted and acted, it became one. Satan is a master at wrapping innocent things in sinful paper. 

Only God can give us the wisdom to play with the right toys and to keep them in the proper perspective. We can’t trust our own judgment. It’s skewed by our sinful nature and our propensity to gratify our selfish desires. 

God may not ask you to throw your toys away. He may simply want you to see them with different eyes or use them more productively. 

Father, guide me in using my toys so they won’t grab my attention away from you and more important things. 

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Three Bean Salad

 

Ingredients
1 CAN GREEN BEANS
1 CAN WAXED BEANS
1 CAN KIDNEY BEANS
1 SMALL ONION CHOPPED
1 GREEN PEPPER CHOPPED

 

Directions

DRAIN ALL THE BEANS.
COMBINE ALL INGREDIENTS AND POUR DRESSING OVER.

 

DRESSING

Ingredients
¾ CUP SUGAR
½ CUP OLIVE OIL
½ CUP VINEGAR
1 TEASPOON SALT
1 TEASPOON PEPPER

 

Directions

MIX ALL TOGETHER AND ADD TO BEAN MIXTURE.
COVER AND REFRIGERATE OVERNIGHT.

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Hemmed In - Martin Wiles

You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Psalm 139:5 NIV

The fence was there for a purpose—not just for looks. 

The first house I lived in was situated on two acres of land just outside of town. Gardening and farming had always been in my blood—I suppose because both of my grandfathers had, so I decided to set up a small farm. I bought twenty chickens, two goats, and two hogs. 

But before buying any of my animals, I erected two fences. A six-foot high fence for the chickens, complete with one-by-fours around the bottom. For the hogs, I put up hog wire and fastened it to the ground with stakes. Although I’d had none of these animals before, I knew their tendency. My maternal grandfather raised hogs, and I watched as they continuously tried to root under the fence. Since goats go over, I topped the fence with barbed wire. I’d watched my maternal grandmother raise chickens, so I knew they loved to fly over a fence and roost up high. 

I didn’t hem my animals in because I wanted to make their lives miserable. Just the opposite. I knew if they got out, they might be killed by other animals, get run over on the highway, or be tempted to go into the neighbor’s yard and root up everything. The fence protected them.

The psalmist also knew God hemmed him in for a reason. He was hemmed in by God’s commands and principles, as well as by his daily interactions. He enjoyed being hemmed in. 

As God’s child, God also hems us in. Instead of looking at his commands and principles as cruel and cumbersome—things given to make our lives miserable—we can see them as being for our good. Like my hogs and goats, we tend to root under God’s commands and jump over his principles. Things on the other side look more appealing. 

But God knows what’s best. That’s why he gave guiding ideologies. And that’s why he gently brings us back into the fence with his discipline when we get out. He loves us and wants us to experience the best in life, which we won’t know if we go over or under what he’s put there to hem us. 

Learn to live within the hemming boundaries of what God has erected. He provides the fences for your good, not your detriment. 

Father, thank you for hemming me in so I won’t wander on paths I’d be better off leaving alone. 

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The Sun - Lynne Phipps

To bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. Isaiah 61:3 NIV

It was a cold winter’s day. So cold that I debated going for my daily walk with the dogs, worrying that it would be too frigid for their feet. Nevertheless, they were anxious to get outside, so off we went. 

As we trudged around the snowy path, I pulled my parka hood up over my hatted head to try to cut the searing north wind. What a bitter day, I thought. In spite of the cold, however, the beauty of the brilliant blue sky against the stark white landscape was a sight to behold. Best of all, however, was the heat of the winter sun beating down upon us, making our glacial experience that much more bearable.

That winter sun reminded me of the last part of today’s scripture verse: a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. Life, just like the weather, can at times become quite bitter, causing us to become discouraged or even to despair. God understands this and has given us a remedy to make our difficult situations bearable. 

Praise is the key to lifting our spirits and blessing us with the encouragement, hope, and strength to persevere amidst the winters of life.

Praise focuses our attention on the truth of who God is, what He has done in the past, and what He will do now and in the future. Praise opens the door of hope, as well as expectancy. God is ever-present.  He will never leave us. He goes before us and can lead us on the right path. He is the God of peace who will provide every good thing we need in order to do His will. God provides wonderful counsel and wisdom. He hears us when we cry and answers our pleas. He is also able to do exceedingly abundantly more than we could ever hope or dream, more even than our highest prayers.

Yes, when we don the garment of praise amidst our times of discouragement or despair, our spirits are lifted, our burdens become lighter, and hope for today as well as tomorrow begins to shine down upon us, just as that warmth of that winter sun shone down upon me on that cold and bitter winter’s day and gave me strength to keep going.

Father God, thank you for the garment of praise to banish the spirit of heaviness within my life when the storms of life assail me. Remind me to don it quickly and wrap it tightly around me. In your name I pray, amen. 

Lynne Phipps and her family live on a small hobby farm in the heart of Alberta, Canada’s farming country. She has been writing devotions for forty years and never tires of the spiritual correlation the Holy Spirit blesses her with. He uses normal everyday events and the behaviors of the multitude of glorious creatures He has brought across her path to point her to the truths of God. Lynne is a devotion writer for VineWords: Devotions and More, Christian Devotions, and Love Lines from God. 

If you seek hope and healing because of hurts you have faced, then Hurt, Hope, and Healing is 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.

Club Benefits - Martin Wiles

Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:13 NLT

We had the clubhouse. All we needed were members. And after all, we had club benefits. 

My first cousin and his family lived next door to my maternal grandparents on a large farm. The closest neighbors were of another race, and, because of the prevailing culture at the time, neither he nor his siblings had much to do with them. He only played with other cousins, his siblings, or someone farther down the road with whom he went to church. Many of his games and ventures, he concocted himself. 

One of his ventures was building a clubhouse. He happened to be in the middle of his construction project when I made one of my periodic visits. Using scrap lumber from around the farm, we finished our small square dwelling and decided who would and would not be welcome. Somewhat of a mute decision since we were the only two around. Who could we exclude? And why would our membership rules matter if no one else wanted to join?

The early church began as somewhat of an exclusive club, too. When the Holy Spirit appeared on the Day of Pentecost, he indwelt only Jewish people. As non-Jews began believing and receiving the Spirit, some of the Jewish folks wondered whether they should let them into the club. An eventual decision by the church opened the doors to anyone, with a few conditions. 

God’s club is inclusive and exclusive. Everyone who wants to join is welcome, but there are conditions. God doesn’t want anyone to perish, but he also won’t allow just anyone in without an examination.

Confession of sin is one requirement. Christ assures us that if we confess him as Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved. Forgiveness hinges on confession and repentance and is our ticket into God’s clubhouse. 

Once in, we get to enjoy the benefits of belonging—forgiveness of our sins being one. God also offers an abundant life. The ability to live with peace and confidence regardless of what we face in life. We also have the assurance of God’s perpetual presence with us, guiding us in every life decision. When life is over, we transfer our membership from earth to heaven. A place where no hardship, pain, sorrow, sin, or death exists. 

No other club offers the benefits God’s does. Join today.

Father, thank you for offering club membership to anyone who asks. 

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Sugar Free Oreo Cookie Delight

 

 

Ingredients

2 packs Sugar-Free Oreo Cookies
1 large pack Sugar-Free Chocolate Pudding Mix
1 8-ounce tub Sugar-Free Cool Whip
1 box Sugar-Free Chocolate Cake Mix
2 ½ cups low-fat milk

Directions

 Bake cake mix as directed on box. Cool and crumble.

In a separate bowl, mix pudding and milk.

Then fold in 4 ounces of Cool Whip.

Using your favorite glass dish, start with a layer of crumbled cake mix, followed by a layer of pudding mixture, and finally Oreos.

Continue layering until all ingredients are used.

Top with the remainder of Cool Whip.

Cover and refrigerate for two hours before serving.

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The Heavenly Know-It-All - Martin Wiles

For the Lord sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes. Proverbs 5:21 NLT

Every class I took in college seemed to have a know-it-all.

Know-it-alls are people who think they ... well ... know it all. And during my college tenure, I knew quite a few. They were the ones who quickly raised their hands when the professor asked a question he thought no one should know. With a smirky smile, they bellowed their answers and were proud of them—even when they were wrong. They were the ones who prided themselves on asking difficult questions to the professors, thinking they might stump the one who was supposed to know everything. And they loved to brag … on themselves.

I never enjoyed hanging around with know-it-alls. Their pompous attitudes got in the way of my having any meaningful conversation or relationship with them. A friendly, “How are you?” was the most I could manage. Inside, I felt sorry for them when the professors put them in their place or when I saw others avoiding them because of their attitude. And there were times when I knew more than they did, but I wouldn’t answer because I didn’t want to be perceived as what they were.

But there is one know-it-all I choose to have a relationship with: God. We term his ability to know it all as omniscience. Just as he is all-powerful and can be in all places at the same time, so he also has the capacity to know the past, present, and future—as well as all the possibilities that never materialize.

This trait of God is comforting. When we’re down in the dumps, he knows. When the financial crunch crunches, he knows. When the relationship sours, he knows. When the test grade bombs, he knows. Not only does he know the facts, but he also knows the whys behind the facts. He knows how to get us through the financial messes, soured relationships, difficult assignments, tough work atmospheres, and emotional upsets.

I make a habit of avoiding know-it-alls, but not God. He’s not pompous or self-focused. He wants to help us through life’s tough spots, and will if we ask.

Don’t wait until life goes downhill to consult God. He’s the know-it-all who knows it all and wants to help you every day and with every detail.

Father, as my heavenly Know-It-All, prompt me to come to you with all of life’s episodes—good and bad.  

If you seek hope and healing because of hurts you have faced, then Hurt, Hope, and Healing is 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.