Clean Hands, Clean Heart - Martin Wiles

Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands in His sight. Psalm 18:24 NKJV

“Wash up for dinner” was a directive I rarely, if ever, heard while growing up. My family wasn’t nasty. Far from it. Both of my parents were “clean freaks.” At least my mom. But for some reason, I wasn’t told to wash my hands before eating. Perhaps because they were never dirty in the first place. I had inherited my parents’ cleanliness gene. I didn’t like dirt or anything sticky on my hands. I guess my parents imagined my hands were always clean. No reason to tell me to wash them before eating. In their mind, I had already washed them for some other reason.

But my parents also believed a few germs would never hurt anyone. Germs would help build my immune system—which, in fact, was a correct philosophy. If I wanted to play in the dirt or handle dirty things and then eat, that was perfectly acceptable. Or if I dropped food on the floor or on the ground and then put it in my mouth, that was okay too—within limits. My parents weren’t neglectful. Nor would they ever put me in a dangerous situation.

Overall, I was a clean child, so there was no need to worry too much about cleaning me up. The psalmist considered himself clean—even righteous. But he wasn’t self-righteous. God had taken care of his sin, declared him clean, and was now going to deliver him from his enemies’ tactics. The coming deliverance wasn’t based on anything the psalmist had done—or deserved. It was based solely on who God was.

Our righteousness comes the same way as the psalmists did. We shouldn’t brag about it because we didn’t do anything to deserve it. Nor is it based on anything we did or could do. Rather, our righteousness issues from what Christ did on Calvary’s cross and our request that the benefits be applied to our lives. God declared us righteous because of what his sinless Son did.

God will deliver us in life and death because we’re righteous, but all the credit goes to him. We can’t wash up; only he can clean us up.

If he hasn’t already, let God wash you and make you clean. 

Father, thank you for making me clean through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

 

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.

Reese’s Cup Éclair

 

Ingredients

8 ounces Cool Whip

1 small Vanilla Instant Pudding

2 cups of milk

2 Tablespoons of sour cream

2 Tablespoons of peanut butter

½ box of chocolate graham crackers

5 Reese’s cups

Directions

In a large bowl, mix the milk, pudding, peanut butter, and sour cream.

Fold in Cool Whip.

In an 8 x 8 dish, place a layer of graham crackers on the bottom, then add some pudding mixture.

Continue to layer crackers and pudding, ending with pudding.

Top with chopped Reese’s cups and chocolate syrup.

Refrigerate for two hours before serving.

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.

Puddled by Puddles - Martin Wiles

He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me, For they were too strong for me. Psalm 18:16-17 NKJV

Spring showers caused them to pop up everywhere.

My maternal grandmother called them mud puddles, and she knew all about them. Living in the flatlands of South Carolina, I saw them after spring and summer rains. Water crawled into roadside ditches, fields, potholes, and low places in dirt driveways until it had time to soak into the ground. 

And as the puddles waited to be absorbed into the dirt or for the sun’s heat to suck them into the atmosphere, my cousin—who lived beside my grandparents—and I waited nearby to play in them when the rain stopped. 

We knew nothing finer than removing our shoes and wading in mud puddles or running through them—at which point our entire clothes got wet. Since the summers were hot and humid, the water on our feet and bodies felt exhilarating until our grandmother pulled us away from our game. 

Our dalliances in the mud and water meant she’d have to wash clothes—and us. And who knew what might lounge beneath the water’s surface. Ringworms or other parasites, jagged glass, and tin cans come to mind. All recipes for a trip to the doctor or the emergency room. 

As our grandmother drew us from our trysts in the shallow puddles, so the psalmist said God drew him out of many waters, which represented his enemies’ attempt to harm him. 

For the believer, opposition comes naturally. It’s explained by the presence of light and darkness. We walk in the light while those who ignore God choose darkness. According to Jesus, these two things don’t mesh. One will always oppose the other because light exposes darkness’ dastardly intentions. 

Although opposition is unfavorable, God is sovereign over any opposition we face. Even if it brings unfathomable consequences or ends in our demise, he still controls it and is forever greater than any opposition we face. 

Opposition also confirms our identity. Jesus said if his enemies persecuted him, they would also torment his followers. The truth of his statement decorates Christian history.  

Comforting, however, is the thought that one day all opposition against the truth will be brought under the full authority of Christ’s reign. Believers living in the new heaven and on the new earth won’t experience it because God will eliminate all forces of sin. 

Puddles of opposition may be numerous, but God will deliver us from them all. 

Father, thank you for the privilege of suffering for your name. I am comforted in knowing that you will deliver me through or from the puddles of opposition. 

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.

The New Family - Lynne Phipps

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families. Psalm 68:5-6 NIV

After my horse Frank’s mother died, he was very lonely. They had spent ten years together and formed their own family unit. Now, she was gone. He moped about for weeks and seemed to lose all interest in life. When let out of the corral onto our fenced acreage to graze, he was fearful and stayed close to the corral. We had three goats as well, plus a pack of dogs, but he shunned their company. 

Not until our property was threatened by a grizzly bear did things change. The goats needed protection, and Frank realized that only he and the dogs could provide it. At that moment, he chose to join the canine pack and confront the grizzly, who, knowing he was outnumbered, fled into the forest. From that time forward, Frank moved out of his grief and into a strong relationship with the goats and the dogs as his new family. 

God cares when we grieve. He cares when we find ourselves alone in life, due to any number of circumstances. He knows the hole that has been left in our heart when loved ones are lost and the depression which can so easily overtake us amidst such loss. He knows, and he cares. He cares so much that he does something about it: He sets the lonely in families. This is a promise. Like Frank, however, we need to embrace the new family he sets before us.  

If grief has us in its grips, we don't have to despair. We can cling to God’s truth: He sets the lonely in families. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, saves those who are crushed in spirit, and binds up their wounds. Healing is happening even now, though it may not feel like it. One day at a time, the darkness will recede a little more. The light will begin to shine as we trust and cling to him who loves us and will never leave or forsake us.  

When our hearts are ready, a new family relationship that God is even now preparing will come our way. It will never take the place of what we have lost, for nothing ever can. It may even be far different than we could ever imagine, but it will be good and right and lovely. It will meet the need of our heart and grant us the joy, companionship, and love that God knows we each crave, long for, and need. 

Ask God now to prepare your heart to accept the good gift that, in his time, will come your way.

Thank you, Lord, that you heal the brokenhearted and save the crushed in spirit. Thank you for promising to set the lonely in families. Prepare the hearts of the grieving from the loss of family to accept the good gift of new family relationships you will bring their way. In Christ’s name, 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.

Perplexed by Trials - Martin Wiles

Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 NLT

Rain is not a deterrent—just an inconvenience. 

I’d heard the saying from seasoned hikers. And since I loved to hike, I’d said it a few times myself. Had I postponed hiking trips because of the chance of rain, I would have stayed home more than I hiked. Unless the forecast was for a total washout, I proceeded with my plans and prepared accordingly. 

One such trip was to Tray Mountain in northeastern Georgia. Before reaching the summit, hikers come to a rocky mound with a 360-degree view. But not on this trip. Clouds covered the peak and valleys like a blanket. Occasionally, the stiff winds blew away enough clouds for me to see the surrounding beauty. 

My desire to hike or camp always overruled the inconvenience of rain. I simply prepared for inclement weather by taking a raincoat, a pack cover, and quick-drying clothes. Rain didn’t perplex me. In fact, I learned to expect it when hiking in the mountains—which make their own weather. 

Perhaps Paul was perplexed by his trial—an unidentified thorn in the flesh. He wouldn’t be the first. Old Testament Job—and a host of others—was as well. When living righteously and loving God supremely, it didn’t make sense for life to be tough. Shouldn’t it have been easy?

God has the power to initiate or allow trials. When He allows them, Satan is the instigator. He hopes the trial will make us bitter and frustrated or make us want to give up. That’s never God’s intention when he initiates or allows them. He has good intentions—along with the power to turn around Satan’s plans and overrule them for good.

Rather than getting perplexed by trials, we can focus on their positive effects. They can grow us, making us stronger spiritually so we can face life with a different attitude. They can draw out our ingenuity. God doesn’t usually fix things automatically, but he will give us wisdom, under his power, to discern the correct course of action. Trials cause us to look at life differently—to examine our priorities. And they also propel us into actions we might not otherwise take. 

Instead of being perplexed by your trials, let God show you the positive side effects of them. 

Father, when I move through difficult seasons of life, show me the positive things that can result. 

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.

Red Velvet Cake

 

Ingredients

2 ½ CUPS PLAIN FLOUR (SIFTED)

1 ½ CUP SUGAR

1 TABLESPOON BAKING SODA

1 TEASPOON COCOA

½ TEASPOON SALT

3 EGGS

1 CUP BUTTERMILK

1 ½ CUP OIL

1 BOTTLE RED FOOD COLORING

1 TEASPOON VANILLA

1 TEASPOON VINEGAR

Directions

SIFT ALL DRY INGREDIENTS TOGETHER.

BEAT OIL, SUGAR, AND EGGS TOGETHER

GRADUALLY ADD ALL INGREDIENTS TOGETHER, BEATING AS YOU GO.

BAKE IN 3 LAYERS AT 325 DEGREES FOR 25 MINUTES.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Ingredients

               1 BOX POWDERED SUGAR              

1 STICK MARGARINE

1 TEASPOON VANILLA

8 OUNCES CREAM CHEESE (SOFTENED)      

1 CUP NUTS (CHOPPED)

Directions

BEAT ALL INGREDIENTS EXCEPT NUTS.

STIR IN THE NUTS.

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.

Seeing with Faith Eyes - Martin Wiles

Then at your command, O LORD, at the blast of your breath, the bottom of the sea could be seen, and the foundations of the earth were laid bare. Psalm 18:15 NLT

Jan could see herself healed, but she had no proof she was. 

For more than a year, Jan had suffered with a hacking cough and congestion. Her initial doctor visits resulted in a diagnosis of bronchitis, for which she was prescribed antibiotics. Somewhere along the way, her bronchitis cleared up, but the coughing and shortness of breath didn’t. Her family doctor referred her to a pulmonologist who diagnosed her with asthma. 

After a year of coughing, Jan was tired—physically and emotionally. She rarely attended church because she was afraid her coughing would disrupt the service. Her energy level made going to the grocery store or getting together with friends almost impossible. She was confined and discouraged. 

Carrying on a conversation with her was almost impossible because of her coughing. She apologized; I told her I understood. She told me she wanted to come to church; I assured her the church understood. Then she said, “But I still believe God can heal me.” She still saw life with faith eyes.

David did as well. God hadn’t defeated his enemies yet, but he believed he would. He could see what the earth and sea would look like after the battle was over—the battle that hadn’t taken place yet. 

Seeing with faith eyes lets us see God’s forgiveness. We have no tangible proof that our sins are forgiven and cast into God’s sea of forgetfulness, but we believe they are.

Seeing with faith eyes gives us a glimpse of eternity—even though we’ve never been given a sneak preview. All we have is the picture God’s Word paints, but we stake our lives on the belief it exists.

Seeing with faith eyes helps us believe God has a plan for our lives. We don’t always understand it or see how he is working it out—but we believe he is. He tells us we’re his masterpieces, and that we have potential to be used in his Kingdom agenda. 

Seeing with faith eyes also helps us remember the ill effects of sinful behavior, thoughts, and attitudes. Although we can’t handle sin, we can be handled by it. God says sin violates his standards, and we choose to accept his word. 

Life holds more than we can physically see. Let God help you live with faith eyes.

Father, remind me that I walk by faith—not by sight—and that my faith will be rewarded. 

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.