Healthy Anger - Martin Wiles

I am furious with the wicked, those who reject your law. Psalm 119:53 NLT

No one has the power to make me mad, but they can create the circumstances making the possibility greater. 

When I read of a parent who drives a vehicle into the lake in an attempt to kill herself and her children, I get angry. When someone steals something from me that I’ve worked hard to get, I get angry. If my boss ignores the hard work I’ve been doing for the last ten years and gives a promotion to some Johnny-come-lately, it frosts me. And if a doctor’s office turns my account over to a collection agency without sending me a bill, my anger flares. 

When I think of all the stupid things I’ve done or said because I was angry, it makes me wonder why God created this emotion. After all, if my body needs all the parts he put there, it must need all the emotions as well. I’ve learned there are some body parts I can live without—a gall bladder being one of them. As all my body parts have a particular function, so do my emotions…anger among them. 

Of all the things I could but shouldn’t get mad about, wickedness is one. The psalmist didn’t hate the wicked but rather what resulted from their wickedness. Jesus felt the same when he cast the merchants out of one of the temple courts. They were cheating people and preventing foreigners from worshiping. 

The only healthy anger is that which reacts against wickedness. As a believer, it should upset me when I see evil acts. Murder, theft, robbery, abuse, lying, etc. How I respond to such actions is just as important as the fact that they make me angry. I don’t agree with killing the unborn, but it’s not acceptable for me to kill the doctor who’s killing them. 

Healthy anger will propel me toward legal and godly actions. And it will stir in me the need to act. Turning my head to wickedness won’t make it go away. 

Repressed anger is dangerous, but so is accepting wickedness without taking action. When you witness wickedness, let your anger direct you to a godly response designed to bring about good. 

Prayer: Father, guide us to healthy anger and godly responses when we witness evil around us. 

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Flashback Friday - Martin Wiles

Expect Something Better

Series: Living Life To The Fullest

When I was young, I had big dreams. At twelve, I felt God wanted me to be a Bible teacher and perhaps preacher. I knew it would take education. By the time I reached the teen years, I wasn’t sure anymore. Going to school lost all appeal. As a young adult, I yearned to drive a truck, but one day of school changed my mind. 

All my dream jobs conjured up pictures of enjoyment and a hefty paycheck. I finally managed to achieve the preacher and Bible teacher position but as of yet haven’t witnessed the bulging paycheck. But it’s unnecessary. I can live a fulfilled life by doing what God has gifted me to do while anticipating a better life in eternity. Read more...

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Looking for the Worthwhile - Martin Wiles

Do not inflict me with love for money! Turn my eyes from worthless things. Psalm 119:36, 37 NLT

His discovery on January 24, 1848, changed the lives of thousands. James W. Marshall was prospecting at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma, California, when he discovered gold. News of his find pummeled across the country. 

Over the next seven years, 300,000 people made their way to California. Half came by sea, and the other half arrived from the East by land using the California and Gala River trails. Although a few became wealthy, most returned home with little more than they started with. Even more disappointing was finding what appeared to be gold only to have the assayer declare it pyrite—“fool’s gold.” It looked like gold but was worthless. 

I’ve never panned for gold or bought gold certificates, but I have been tempted to love money and the things it can buy—many of which are worthless. 

Money in and of itself is neutral. I can use it for good or bad. I can pay my bills or throw it away by gambling. I can buy food and carry it to a needy neighbor or buy the latest smart phone. I can save it for a rainy day or spend it as fast as I make it. I can invest all my extra money, hoping it will reward me with a nice retirement nest egg, or I can invest some and use the rest to care for my family and promote God’s work across the world. 

To his son in the faith, Timothy, Paul wrote, Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable 1 Timothy 6:17. As so many discovered after the stock market crashed in 1929, what is here one moment can be gone the next. 

I choose to store my treasures in heaven, which is what Jesus said I should do. There, they are safe from thieves and the destructive elements of nature. 

When loving and serving God through practical means is my focus, my rewards will be secure. Search for what’s worthwhile instead of spending your time on pursuits that will only disappoint. 

Prayer: Father, focus our pursuits on things that will build us up spiritually and enlarge Your kingdom on this earth. 

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Lying to Yourself - Martin Wiles

Keep me from lying to myself; give me the privilege of knowing your instructions. Psalm 119:29 NLT

I was telling myself a big one, and the trouble was I believed it. My lie began about the time I turned 14. It went something like this: “You don’t need school.” If I didn’t need school, I didn’t need to study either. So I did very little of it. 

After I started driving, another lie popped up. If I didn’t need school or need to study, what was the purpose in going? Every opportunity I got, I ditched class. By the time I reached the twelfth grade, the lie had grown. School wasn’t important, studying wasn’t essential, attending was optional. Why go at all? So I quit. I found a full time job at a grocery store but had to lie about being out of school to get it. After several months, they cut my position. I finally decided to tell myself the truth: I needed an education. 

Knowing God’s Word is a privilege. One which keeps me from lying to myself. When I know God’s Word, I won’t lie by telling myself I’m okay and don’t need God. Rather I’ll believe the verse that reads, For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23. 

Neither will I lie by telling myself I’ll live forever. I might as well live it up without worrying about whom I’m hurting. For the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23) squashes that lie. 

If I lie to myself by believing there’s no God I’m accountable to, I read The fool has said in his heart there is no God Psalm 14:1. 

And if I imagine I can get to heaven by any route I choose, I find, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except by me (Jesus) John 14:6. 

Lies are always harmful, but the ones affecting my present happiness and eternal destiny are more so. Others may lie to and about me. I may lie to myself. But God will never lie. His Word contains unchanging truth that doesn’t vary by time period or culture. 

Feed on the truth from God’s Word. 

Prayer: Father, thank You that we can always depend on You to tell us the truth about sin and about ourselves.

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Throwback Tuesday - Martin Wiles

Spiritual Better Than Physical

Series: Living Life To The Fullest

At 6’ 4,” 200 pounds, his nickname was appropriate.
James George Janos-a.k.a. Jessie “The Body” Ventura, was a professional wrestler from 1975 to 1986. He took the stage name to match his “bleach blonde from California” character and also to coincide with his villainous role. But his impressive physique couldn’t shield him from blood clots in his lungs that ended his in-ring career.

I admit it. My shape may be somewhat affected by my sweet tooth and occasional enjoyment of junk food, but my eating and exercise habits are overall healthy. While I don’t run five miles a day or spend hours at the “Y,” neither am I a couch potato.  Read more...

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Good Grief - Martin Wiles

I weep with grief; encourage me by your word. Psalm 119:28 NLT

I remember it as the one time in my life when I openly grieved. I don’t come from a crying family. If we shed tears, we did so in private…and then only for brief episodes. But for me, grieving changed when my father died. I thought I was handling it well as I watched him die in an Atlanta hospital. I even kept my composure when we went to the funeral home to view his body prior to the funeral. But during the funeral—as songs were played that my father loved, I lost my composure. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t hold back the tears or even the open weeping. This grief was different, but it was good. It helped me process my loss. 

Spending 70 years serving ruthless enemies was discouraging for God’s people. These same enemies had also destroyed what was most precious to them: the Temple in Jerusalem. And so they cried…grieved. Would they ever leave captivity? Would God’s house ever be rebuilt?

There was a time when the picture of the strong rugged American kept many from weeping openly. Crying wasn’t for boys or men, and women didn’t do a whole lot of it either. We could handle anything. We could pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps. 

Depending on the translation used, “Jesus wept” is the shortest verse in the Bible. He wept when he looked at Jerusalem—a city of unbelievers with a sordid history. He wept when his good friend Lazarus died prematurely. He cried on his knees in a garden when he thought of his impending doom on the cross. 

If the Son of God grieved, it must be something good about it. Grieving—in whatever form it appears, is beneficial. It helps me process what has brought my sorrow. Tears release pressure and cleanse the soul. They are for strong minded people not weak minded pansies. Only when grief goes beyond a reasonable period or is processed in unhealthy ways does it stop being good and start bringing harm. 

Let yourself experience good grief when sorrow comes into your life. 

Prayer: Father, comfort us in our times of grief so we might comfort others in theirs.

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Down in the Dust - Martin Wiles

I lie in the dust, completely discouraged; revive me by your word. Psalm 119:25 NLT

Rejections have a way of putting someone in the dust. 

Writers know what it is to face rejection. The only way to avoid it is never to send anything out to be considered for publication. “We’re sorry. We are not receiving manuscripts at this time.” Or “We’d like to hold your devotional for further consideration.” Then ten minutes later another email arrives saying they decided not to use it anyway. When rejections letters or emails come, it makes me want to put the pen down—or in my case the keyboard. What’s the use, I think. No one wants to read my stuff anyway. Feelings of worthlessness follow. Before long, I’m in the dust. 

Why the psalmist was discouraged I’m not sure. Perhaps he had witnessed the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem by invading armies. Maybe he wondered if it would ever be rebuilt…if he would ever be able to return to his homeland. Whatever the source, he was down in the dust. 

Satan loves to put believers in the dust. He’s had me there numerous times. I remember one occasion when I was out of work and had sent out hundreds of resumes applying for positions in my profession only to be rejected by every single one. I was older than who they were looking for. I didn’t have the credentials they sought. I didn’t…. The reason wasn’t important. I was left in the dust. 

Satan knows putting me in the dust often leads to discouragement. If he can turn up the discouragement, I might give up and quit. Unhealthy emotions will take over, and before I know it I’m depressed or feeling worthless. No initiative left. Dreams dashed. Goals evaporated. In the dust and useless. 

God never intends for us to grovel in the dust…unless it’s to repent. He wants us to know we can do all things through Him because He gives us strength. He wants us to learn contentment in every situation by realizing He’s in control. Whatever you’re facing, God is all you need to get through. 

Trust God to lift you out of your “down in the dust” episode.

Prayer: Father, thank You for lifting us up when we feel down in the dust. 

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Flashback Friday - Martin Wiles

Depending On God’s Presence

Series: Living Life To The Fullest

Thousands of children experience it every year. So does one out of every two spouses. Parents aren’t supposed to leave their children nor spouses their life partners-but they do.

Growing up, I could count on one hand the peers I knew whose parents left them. Nor did I know many whose parents were divorced. My parents didn’t leave me, and they didn’t leave each other either. But I have been left. By friends who moved away and by great-grandparents, grandparents and one parent who surrendered to death. Read more...

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Just Passing Through - Martin Wiles

I am only a foreigner in the land. Don’t hide your commands from me! Psalm 119:19 NLT

I was just passing through; I had no plans to stay forever. 

As a pastor’s son, I passed through many places. We passed through Hilda, South Carolina, and stayed for three years. Next, we passed through Jackson, Tennessee, where we stopped over for four years. Then we went to Cameron, South Carolina, where we passed through in one year. Finally, we journeyed to Orangeburg, South Carolina, and settled for five years. By the time the trip ended in Orangeburg, I had graduated high school. I thought I was finished passing through, but then God called me to preach, and I began passing through some more places: Branchville, South Carolina; Iva, South Carolina; and Harleyville, South Carolina. 

God’s Old Testament people passed through quite a few places themselves. They passed through 400 years in Egyptian slavery. Next, they stopped over in Assyria for a couple of hundred years. Then they passed through Babylon for 70. But wherever they passed through, they never forgot where home was. Neither did they forget God’s commands and their responsibility to obey them. 

I’m not considered a foreigner unless I visit another country. God, however, considers me a foreigner regardless of where I live. I can travel the world over, and I’ll never find a place I can really call home. 

My journey here is temporary. I’m just passing through. And when I leave on my final journey, I won’t be able to take any of the things I’ve accumulated with me. It makes sense, then, that I should travel with a light load instead of encumbering myself with things that make the journey unenjoyable. 

My passing throughs taught me to hold things—and even many relationships, lightly while hanging on to the one person who’d never betray or leave me. 

Believers are just passing through earth on their way to a new heaven and a new earth. What priorities we establish on our journey determines whether the trip will be enjoyable or depressing. 

As you pass through, let loving God and people be the only baggage you carry. 

Prayer: Father, thank You that when we have completed our passing through, we will be in heaven with You eternally. 

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Speaking Truth into Memory - Martin Wiles

I have recited aloud all the regulations you have given us. Psalm 119:13 NLT

Truth and temptation have interesting ways of entering our minds. 

During elementary school, I was introduced to multiplication tables. Beginning with one times one, we learned up to 12 times 12. When we had finally mastered 12 times 12, we stopped. Our goal was reached. Large cards with the equation were held up by the teacher. No overheads or projectors in those days. Only after each student had stood before the class and recited their 1’s, 2’s, etc., did we move on to the next number. Though I hated standing in front of the class, I always had a good memory so the practice wasn’t difficult, just embarrassing. 

Almost fifty years later, I still remember my multiplication tables without really thinking about the answers. Because I spoke truth repeatedly into my memory, it stuck. 

The psalmist knew the importance of memorization as well. He probably wasn’t concerned with math facts, but he was with the principles of God’s Word. 

My parents and early childhood Sunday School teachers were also. I memorized the books of the Bible and demonstrated my knowledge by participating in sword drills. I also memorized special verses in the Bible that most Christians deemed important. Verses like John 3:16 and Romans 10:9, 10. Many of the verses I memorized as a child have stuck with me. 

Some years ago, I bought a small pocket sized notebook and began recording special Bible verses in it. Many of those I’d memorized as a child. Verses reminding me of God’s promises, love, and provision when facing troublesome times. Before long, I had filled the book. I keep it beside my favorite chair. Periodically, I’ll look through the book and recite the verses. 

God’s Word doesn’t automatically enter my mind, but I can speak it there. Repeating verses aloud speaks truth into my memory. Doing it often speaks it into my long term memory where it remains. When it’s firmly implanted, God will use those verses to guide me through the challenges of everyday life. 

Regardless of the situation or emotion I face, there will be a verse that fits. Are you speaking truth into your mind? It’s never too late to start. 

Prayer: Father, may Your word be so important to us that we would speak into our memories.

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Throwback Tuesday - Martin Wiles

Trust God For Your Needs

Series: Living Life To The Fullest

Distinguishing between wants and needs isn’t easy for children. And sometimes not even for adults.

When I was young, many of my perceived needs were actually wants. Just any bike wouldn’t do. I needed a Schwinn that sported a banana seat and high handlebars. Nor would any pair of shoes suffice. They had to be high-top Converse tennis shoes. And when it came to blue jeans, nothing but a Levi tag was good enough. Later in life-when I began footing my own bills, I discovered generic brands wore just as well and off brand bikes rode just as smoothly. Read more...

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Peanut Butter Dip - Michelle Wiles

PEANUT BUTTER DIP

Ingredients

¼ CUP PEANUT BUTTER

1 TABLESPOON SUGAR

1 TABLESPOON WATER

4½ OUNCES COOL WHIP

Directions

MIX INGREDIENTS WITH MIXER.

CHILL IN REFRIGERATOR UNTIL READY TO SERVE. 

*SERVE WITH GRAHAM CRACKERS OR FRUIT*

Why not top your recipe off with an encouraging devotion. Click here. 

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Hide n Seek - Martin Wiles

I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11 NLT

What appeared dead on any given day of the week came alive once a year. 

The small white country church stood on an isolated road. While the pews bustled with people years ago, only a few still managed to show up. But on one day of the year, the grounds bustled with activity: the day before Easter. On that Saturday, parents and grandparents would come out in force to hide Easter eggs for children. 

Since the previous winter’s oak leaves still hovered over the little church’s yard, adults and older teens had no trouble finding hiding spots. Drop an egg, cover it with leaves, and move on to the next spot. When someone yelled, “Okay, find the eggs,” children spilled from the church and tumbled across the yard. Hiding and finding eggs for Easter egg hunts is something that never seems to get old. 

I’ve hidden my share of Easter eggs. I’ve also hidden some other things. Money, candy, my favorite snack cakes, weapons. Or my feelings, anger, fear, embarrassment. But the most beneficial thing I’ve ever hidden was the same thing the psalmist did: God’s Word. 

Hiding God’s Word in my heart takes effort. I can’t learn it or hide it by osmosis. I can’t sleep with a Bible under my pillow every night and expect the instructions to seep into my mind. Hiding takes action such as making time every day to read and meditate on God’s Word. Finding particular verses that speak to certain areas of personal concern also imbeds it in my heart. When I obey God’s commands and claim his promises, I hide them where they can never be found and removed by someone else.  

To do any of the above requires love for God’s Word. Only as I see its relevance and believe its truth will I attempt to put it where it can never be lost. When I tuck it in my heart, it will always be there when I seek it. 

Take some measured steps to hide God’s Word in your heart.

Prayer: Father, may we always see the urgency of hiding Your Word in our hearts. 

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