Living on God’s Side - Martin Wiles

“Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him. But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” When Jesus heard him, he stopped. Mark 10:48-49 NLT

God can be on the side of those I may have no time for.  

We were out for an afternoon of shopping with my in-laws. Our city is average size but has never housed many homeless individuals. Since Wal-mart is our busiest retail store, it only makes sense for them to stand in its parking lot. And a man and his two daughters were. When leaving the parking lot, my father-in-law turned the opposite direction of our home. After questioning him, we discovered he was circling the block so he could help this homeless family. He eased to where they stood, rolled down the window, and handed them a disguised amount of money. My wife and I remarked that we had seen them there before. He simply replied, “When God tells me to do something, I do it.” Good advice. 

Living on God’s side requires listening to the prompting of God’s Spirit. Jesus did when he encountered Bartimaeus—a blind man no one else had time for. As a believer, I have the privilege of carrying God with me every day. He works through my conscience and a still small voice, stimulating me to follow his direction. When I slow down long enough to listen—and when I’m spiritually tuned in, I’ll see those endeavors he wants me to pursue. 

Sometimes living on God’s side means doing something that seems illogical or even wasteful. This is only because I don’t know the full story. I must trust God enough to listen and obey even when logic says to do the opposite.

When I live on God’s side, my heart will motivate me to show compassion to others as Jesus did—regardless of whether they’re in the tight spot because of their own bad decisions or not. Accomplishing this means prioritizing. Overloading my schedule with selfish endeavors or even good pursuits diminishes my time to listen to God’s Spirit and do what he’s nudging me to do. 

What can you change to put yourself on God’s side?

Prayer: Merciful Lord, instill compassion in our hearts so that we might live on Your side.

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Flashback Friday - Martin Wiles

Path Walking

It abruptly stopped and disappeared beneath our feet. Fortunately we had a map.

Paths are supposed to lead to a destination. This one did; the top of a mountain. But it didn’t continue or circle back. It simply stopped. Paths are paths because people or animals walk them regularly. Grass is worn because of the traffic. I’ve walked root littered paths, rock infested paths, paths leading over mountain balds and paths passing through dense woods. Some popular paths are even denoted on maps. Read more...

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Making the Negative Positive - Martin Wiles

Then the people complained and turned against Moses. “What are we going to drink?” they demanded. Exodus 15:24 NLT

Positives can be formed from negatives.

I remember very little about math beyond the basics, along with a small amount of algebra. I was once asked to teach a sixth grade math class. While I knew the material, I was quite uncomfortable being the instructor. When we arrived at positives and negatives, the kids became confused. Especially when I taught them that two negatives create a positive. Generating a positive from a negative is possible after all. 

Moses had quite a few negatives in the bunch he led out of Egypt. When six million people start complaining, one has a problem. We don’t have any water. We don’t have any meat. We’re tired of this manna. Things were better back in Egypt. Who made you the boss? Just a few of the statements Moses had to deal with. Moses wasn’t successful in turning all these negatives into a positive, but with God’s assistance, he made a valiant attempt. 

Murmuring occurs when my perception is flawed. I’m not viewing the situation as God does or wants me to. Because of this, a negative spirit takes over, and I begin complaining about my circumstances or a particular person. The Israelites didn’t see what God was doing.

Understanding people and circumstances can cut down on my negativism. Moses knew the people he led were a stubborn lot. I—like everyone else, am a product of my childhood experiences. If I grew up around murmuring, I’m likely to do it as well.

Being around others who have a complaining spirit is contagious. Multiplying two negatives makes a positive—so does multiplying two positives. When I love and encourage those who are negative, the chances of them altering their attitudes increases. Dealing with negative people requires God’s wisdom—only he can change their heart, but my positivism will go a long way in influencing them toward the same end.

Are you allowing someone else’s negative spirit to affect your positive outlook on life?

Prayer: Father, make us the bright light of encouragement to those who suffer with a negative attitude. 

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Meshing Personalities in Relationships - Martin Wiles

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. Psalm 139:14 NLT

What attracts us to someone else can be the very point of conflict thereafter.

I’m an introvert. I thrive on alone time. I can sit on a mountain peak for hours at a time and feel energized. Or on the back porch of a mountain cabin overlooking the protruding peaks and undulating valleys. No company needed. Curling up in either of these two places or in my recliner at home is perfectly satisfying. No sound required. My wife, on the other hand, is an extrovert. She thrives on people and noise. She’s a social butterfly. Of course, we complement each other. She makes up for what I lack in social skills, but on the other hand, I remind her of the importance of down time. We knew each other’s personalities before we married. But if we aren’t vigilant, what attracted us to each other can be our source of conflict in the present. 

Meshing personalities begins with recognizing different personalities exist. God made all people wonderfully complex with different body styles and personality types. Extrovert versus introvert. Sensor versus intuitive. Thinker versus feeler. Judger versus perceiver. 

Only when I understand the language and actions of a person’s personality—whether it’s my spouse, child, peer, or work partner, can I adequately communicate with them, work with them, appreciate them, and enjoy their company. Knowing the enemy—or in this case the other person’s personality characteristics, is half the battle.

Rather than personality types causing conflicts, they can actually add spice to relationships and life in general. Had God created us identically, life would be boring. The very traits that attract me to others may be the exact things that lead to conflict later if I’m not watchful. Appreciating and complementing the personalities of others and the differences they display, however, will lead to unity and a richer life. 

When others’ differences seem to get in the way, remember God made us as we are. Seek peace, not conflict. 

Prayer: God of wonder and beauty, help us use our differences to make this world a better place. 

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Throwback Tuesday - Martin Wiles

Life Out Of Control

I had never witnessed a body of water raging like this one; I was drawn to it.

Thompson River is the most remote of several rivers crossing from North Carolina into South Carolina and flowing into Lake Jocassee, dropping 1750 feet in just over four miles.  

Car sized boulders line the river, and the raging water is so deafening you can hardly hear another person talk or an animal walk. While the river appears out of control, it isn’t. Steep embankments, uprooted trees and rocks cage it in. Read more...

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Where Do You Go When There’s Trouble? - Martin Wiles

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2 KJV

The news rattled my brain and troubled my soul. Receiving the disturbing news was only half the battle. Now I was faced with what to do. I had never dealt with a situation quite like this and needed guidance. I needed someone who was wise in age and experience. Finally thinking of someone, I called, explained, and asked for wisdom. Yet one person didn’t seem enough. I called two more—one a close friend and the other a trusted peer. Most importantly, I prayed. While God could use others, I needed to hear him as well as them. When I finally acted on the information I’d received, I felt confident I’d made the right decision. 

When trouble strikes, I’ve discovered it’s beneficial to have a few trusted peers I can seek out for advice. Peers are often neutral to the situation and can therefore give impartial advice. If they happen to be in a similar profession, their advice becomes even more valuable. There were times in his life when the psalmist David sought help from his peers.

Wise friends are comforting when trouble arrives. Having someone to share with who I know won’t judge me but at the same time will give me honest advice is important. Good friends know me inside and out and are able to tailor their advice accordingly. David had a good friend in the king’s son, Jonathan.

Reputable authors are also a good source of advice when difficulties come. The chances are great there’s a book addressing the trouble I’m facing at any given time.

The best person to go to when dilemmas appear is God. David didn’t look to the hills but to God. Through prayer and the reading of his Word, I can find guidance, strength, peace, and comfort in the midst of my disconcerting situation. Through these means, I hear and feel God’s Spirit speaking to my spirit and comforting my soul. 

Trouble will come, but where will you turn when it does?

Prayer: God of wisdom and grace, comfort us in our times of trouble that we might also comfort others.

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A Battlefield of Love - Joanne Lowe

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Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. John 19:32-34 KJV

Jesus fought and died for us on a battlefield. However, it wasn’t a battlefield like our soldiers fight on. It was a battlefield of love. Jesus loved the ones who beat Him and crucified Him. It was the bloodiest battle that has ever been fought. He was ridiculed, cursed, and beaten beyond recognition. 

If that wasn’t enough humiliation, one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear. I believe with all my heart that when the soldier pierced the side of Jesus that He also felt that excruciating pain in His heart. O how He loves you and me! No one loves us like Jesus loves us.

Jesus left His Father and His home to come to earth to die for us. He knew that He was going to die an agonizing death, but He willingly came to earth on the mission His Father had given Him. Would you send your son to war knowing in advance that he was going to be killed? Of course you wouldn’t, but God did.

Prayer: Father, thank You that one day You opened Your heart of compassion and unconditional love to us and sent Your beloved Son to die for our sins. We are not worthy of such love but through the redeeming blood of Your Son we can come to You. We love You, dear Father.
(Photo courtesy of morguefile and GraveDistractions.)

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Flashback Friday - Martin Wiles

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Wanting It Now 

Series: Psalm 23 for the 21 st Century
I’ve had one as long as I can remember. Usually more than one.  Wants.

I want a new car. One with less miles and a lower monthly payment. I’d like my own home. A place I paid for that no one could take from me. In the mountains where I could walk outside and see God’s beauty rolling across the mountaintops. I’d also like perfect kids, a decent paying job, good health, a nice investment portfolio, a retirement nest egg and one each of the latest tech devices. Read more...

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Life on the Bottom - Martin Wiles

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When life places me on my back, there’s only one direction to look—up. 

You will be driven from human society. You will live in the fields with the wild animals, and you will eat grass like a cow. Daniel 4:32 NLT

I’ve been fortunate with on-your-back experiences. I’ve only had one hospital stint. I’ve never broken a limb nor had a surgery that left me incapacitated or with limited movement. Hardships, trials, and emotional stressors are another story. Of these on-your-back episodes, I’ve had my fair share. These types of occurrences have put me on my back emotionally. 

Nebuchadnezzar had an on-your-back, or rather an in-the-field, experience. He was king of the mighty Babylonian empire, but pride put him out to pasture—literally. As he surveyed his kingdom—imagining that its greatness was solely because of his talents and intellect, God reminded him it wasn’t. So he wouldn’t repeat the same mistake in the future, God gave him a lesson in humility.

Asking why I’m on my back is always important. If it’s because of circumstances beyond my control, then I accept it as such. But if my actions, in some way, have put me where I am—that’s a different scenario. 

On-my-back episodes can teach me vital life lessons. They can show up misplaced priorities, unhealthy relationships, poor decisions, or bad company. What I can learn is the necessity of rectifying these wrong or unwise situations. 

Regardless of why I’m on my back—whether it’s my fault, someone else’s, or no one’s, I can lean on God for strength and comfort. He may choose to leave me there for a spell—especially if being there is my fault, but he’ll still encourage and strengthen me while I’m there. 

My major endeavor in an on-your-back incident is determining how I’ll be different once I’m on my feet again. Will I repeat the same mistake? Will I indulge in the same lifestyle? Will I associate with the same people? Will God assume a new place in my life? 

When you’re on the bottom, look up for strength, guidance, and encouragement.

Prayer: Merciful God, when we find ourselves on our backs, encourage us to look to You for strength and direction. 

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The Goodness of Grief - Martin Wiles

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More is gained by grieving than is lost by not.

David and his men tore their clothes in sorrow when they heard the news. They mourned and wept and fasted all day for Saul and his son Jonathan. 2 Samuel 1:11-12 NLT

The news hit him like a bombshell. Running for his life, hiding like the criminal he wasn’t, and constantly looking over his shoulder wasn’t the life he had bargained for. Caves, wildernesses, enemy camps. Not places he enjoyed lying his head down at night. He had no choice. The king had placed a price on his head and was hunting him like a dog. Even the king’s son and his best friend couldn’t save him. Now it was finally over. The enemy had won. Saul and Jonathan lay dead on the battlefield. Words couldn’t adequately convey David’s grief.  

David’s sorrow started long before the death of the king and his good friend. Because of the king’s jealousy, David had to leave his best friend and had been hiding in the wilderness for months as the maddened king sought his life. Grieving often precedes the actual grief event itself. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, in her book On Death and Dying, detailed the stages most people experience when receiving news of their impending death: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. 

Grieving over loss or impending doom is necessary. Tears provide a healing flow. Refusing to grieve by repressing my emotional turmoil only leads to further emotional issues. When my father died, I experienced emotions as I never had before. My emotional states were necessary on my journey to acceptance. 

Just as grieving follows different stages, so it also happens in various time frames. Some grieve and heal quickly while others remain in grief’s grip for months and possibly years. Only God can help us grieve properly and heal sufficiently.

Comfort for believers is found in what the apostle Paul wrote, (Y)ou must not carry on over them (the dead) like people who have nothing to look forward to, as if the grave were the last word. 1 Thessalonians 4:13 MSG Rather than reacting in unhealthy ways, let God help you grieve properly.

Prayer: Guide us, God of comfort and grace, to a healing state when circumstances cause us untold grief.

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Throwback Tuesday - Martin Wiles

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He’s My God

“It’s mine; you can’t have it.” Mom, Dad, he took my…” “Johnny share with your…”

If you have kids you’ve heard it and struggled with the challenge of teaching them to share with siblings, friends and strangers. They aren’t married yet, but the old saying applies: “What’s mine is mine and what’s yours is mine.” 

Selfishness doesn’t always leave after childhood. Not learning to share early in life leads to selfishness in adulthood. But as adults, the toys are bigger and the consequences of selfishness more acute. Read more...

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Maintaining a Clear Conscience - Martin Wiles

Because of this, I always try to maintain a clear conscience before God and all people. Acts 24:16 NLT

Clear consciences lead to healthier living.

Our front and back doors are solid glass. Since I’m not one to like fingerprints hanging around on glass—whether on doors or on bathroom windows--I regularly clean both areas. Until our first grandson came along and my wife started keeping him every day, clean doors weren’t an issue. Suddenly, they were. 

Our grandson liked the wooden doors open so he could see outside. He also loved to put his grimy little hands all over the doors while he peered at the sites outside. Although I cleaned the doors once a week on the day he was not here, it accomplished little. As soon as he arrived the following Monday, the doors were covered with fingerprints again. I determined fingerprint-free glass doors were an impossibility as long as he was around. 

The apostle Paul encountered and endured many a sticky situation during his early missionary journeys, but maintained a clear conscience in spite of the attacks and accusations. He regularly confessed what his life was like before Christ as well as what Christ had done for him afterward. Regular confession of sin keeps my conscience clear and the causeway open between me and God. Guilt—whether false or genuine--melts away when I come clean before God.

Regular reading of God’s Word—along with other helpful Christian material--also helps maintain a clear conscience. Through his Word and other authors, God persistently reminds me of his standards so I can judge myself accordingly. 

Continually monitoring my actions, attitudes, and speech is a necessity. God helps me do that through spiritual disciplines, but having an accountability partner also helps. Often, what I can’t see, God gives others the ability to see clearly.

Understanding God’s forgiveness affects the state of my conscience as well. While God has forgiven all my sins through Christ, I still must acknowledge and own them. Otherwise, my conscience will suffer. 

Is your conscience clear before God? It can be.

Prayer: God of love and grace, we thank You for the forgiveness that’s available in Christ and for the further ability to live free from guilt. 
(Photo courtesy of morguefile and jade.)

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Secure In Christ - Martin Wiles

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But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you. I Peter 2:9

His name may be unfamiliar now, but in 1971 it was a household name among sports enthusiasts. 

Vinko Bogataj is famous in ski jumper history. In 1971, he took a head-over-heels tumble during a ski jump competition in Oberstdorf, Germany. Unfortunately, Wide World of Sports was there, captured every moment and then showed the fall at the beginning of their weekly show for years to come. 

I’m not the king of fall downs but I am of stumping my toes and bumping my head. Big feet cause my feet to run into things, and a six foot one inch frame makes most things too low resulting in numerous “head bangings.”

My bumps and stumbles aren’t broadcast worldwide but they’re just as disturbing and painful, especially since I have two ingrown toenails and a sensitive head. By now, you would think I would have learned to duck and be more careful when walking in tight places. 

Peter was adept at fall downs. He fell away at Jesus’ arrest, fell back when asked if he was Jesus’ follower and fell under when trying to walk on water. But Jesus gave him second chances. 

God allows stumbles, bumps and falls without disqualifying us from his service. We’re his chosen children, and he won’t unchoose us when we stumble over poor decisions or bump into unfaithfulness. God’s requirement is holiness, but we’re still his special possessions when we occasionally act unholy. Nor does he broadcast our foibles worldwide. He just quietly picks us up and says, “Try again.” Don’t let the falls keep you down. 

Prayer: Thank You merciful Father for giving us other chances when we fall short of Your standards. 
(Photo courtesy of morguefile and klk13.)

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Flashback Friday - Martin Wiles

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Good Grief by Martin Wiles

They didn’t expect to find Jesus in the grief and misery of death row—but he showed up.  

The Green Mile is a film starring Tom Hanks as the “boss” prison guard over death row. Hanks and his comrades didn’t expect Jesus to be confined here, but he appeared in the form of an enormous African American male with limited mental capacities, accused of kidnapping and killing a little girl. And the color of his skin assured his conviction. Only after a few miracles did they discern he was more than a mere man. Read more...

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The Day I Missed a Miracle - Lori Hatcher

Facetime: God, this is hopeless. Why should I even bother to pray?

She was a lovely lady with a voice that was sweet, winsome, and compelling. Of all the soloists at our church, she was my favorite. When she sang, the joy of God was so evident on her face that the song on her lips was merely an echo of what was in her heart.

My heart broke for her when our pastor announced she had been diagnosed with a cancer so rare no oncologist on the East Coast would treat her. Her only hope was a clinic in Texas, he explained, and she was leaving immediately. He invited us to join him in praying that God would do a miracle and spare her life.

When I heard his words, my heart sank. I knew she was going to die. The hopeless diagnosis and confirmation from the oncologists who wouldn't treat her sealed the inevitable in my heart.

Two years later she stood before our congregation cancer free and once again singing to the God who had healed her. She thanked everyone who had prayed for her. She was a living miracle.

And I had no part in it. I missed being a part of her miracle because I had not prayed in faith for her healing. Instead of believing the God who asked Jeremiah, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for me? (Jeremiah 32:27), I believed the doctors when they said there was no hope.

Instead of believing the God who said, If you have the faith of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, be removed, (Matthew 17:20), I believed statistics that said her cancer was too advanced.

Instead of believing the God who said, Call unto me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things that you do not know, (Jeremiah 33:3), I believed the reports that said she was beyond healing.

Was God able to heal this sister in Christ without my prayers? Obviously. My lack of faith did not hinder him in the least. God was more than able to fulfill his purpose for her without my help. This precious lady was not harmed in any way by my prayerlessness.

Of all the people involved in this scenario, I was the only loser. I had missed the chance to be part of a miracle. While I rejoiced in her healing and praised the God who had brought it about, I had no share in the victory because I had not believed.

I learned several powerful lessons that day. I learned that nothing is impossible for God. That he delights in working through the faith-filled prayers of His children. That nothing is sweeter than the victory that comes after doing battle on our knees. That when we unite our hearts in prayer around a common goal, God's incredible power is unleashed. And I learned that every prayer victory makes it easier to believe the next time.

I missed out on the chance to be part of a miracle that day, but I purposed in my heart that it would never happen again. Now, when someone invites me to pray, I say "Yes!" with all my heart. Never again will I miss being part of a miracle. I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for me? Jeremiah 32:27


Lori Hatcher is an author, blogger, and women’s ministry speaker. She shares an empty nest in Columbia, South Carolina, with her ministry and marriage partner, David, and best dog ever, Winston. Her latest book, Hungry for God . . . Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women, helps women connect to God in the craziness of life. You’ll find her pondering the marvelous and the mundane on her blog, Hungry for God. . . Starving for Time  (www.lorihatcher.com).

Life on a Treadmill - Martin Wiles

Is not all human life a struggle? Our lives are like that of a hired hand, like a worker who longs for the shade, like a servant waiting to be paid. Job 7:1-2 NLT

Round and round life goes. Where it stops nobody knows.

I suppose it was one of the earlier pets my parents allowed me to own. Why I chose a hamster, I’m not sure. Since hamster cages are somewhat small, it’s not uncommon for them to include exercise wheels. Most owners also have a plastic ball for their pet so it can roll around the house. I had both, but they achieved different results. In the ball, my hamster could scoot all over the house. When he hit one wall, he merely switched sides of the ball and took off again. The wheel, however, was quite different. He would often run on it all night, but he made no forward progress. Sometimes life can feel the same. 

Although it may appear that I, like the hamster, am running on life’s treadmill and going nowhere, such isn’t the case. I must believe God has a plan for the world in general and for me in particular. Things are not occurring outside of his control, nor are they random and unconnected. Furthermore, his plans are good and for my good. When he is finished weaving them together, I will understand that. 

As the hamster spins in one direction, so must I—God’s direction. When I hit a wall in my ball, I determine I’ve taken a wrong course and then correct it by going in another direction. My directions are determined through prayer. I can know the mind of Christ, but this doesn’t mean I’ll always get it right the first time. Walls and treadmills remind me of this. God’s Spirit residing in me gives guidance to know when and when I’m not heading in the appropriate direction. 

When life feels as if it’s nothing more than a spinning treadmill, remember God has good plans for you. Pursue them. 

Prayer: Thank You, heavenly Father, for having good plans for us. Prompt us to follow them so we might experience the fullness of Your blessings. 
(Photo courtesy of morguefile and xandert.)

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