Advice from the Wrong Place - Martin Wiles

They ask a piece of wood for advice! They think a stick can tell them the future! Hosea 4:12 NLT

Advice is prevalent; where I get it from is essential. 

I was working for a very difficult boss. She was manipulative, moody, deceptive, and could be downright mean. Soon after beginning this job, I wondered if I’d made the right decision. I didn’t ask advice from anyone about what I should do. Had I, I might have heard, “Tell her to take the job and shove it.” Or, “You have a family to take care of. Sometimes we have to do what we don’t particularly enjoy.” 

In the final analysis, I took the advice God gave me through prayer and stayed put for five years. 

Hosea prophesied to hard headed people who were faithless, unkind, sexually immoral, criminal, violent, alcoholic, and buck passers. The saddest thing was that when they needed advice they asked their wooden idols. God they disregarded.  

Advice is plentiful. Good advice is scarce. I can go to a bookstore and find advice everywhere on any question I have. Or I can pick up my smart phone, computer, or IPad and ask Google. I could also go to the nearest bar where the bartender would be more than happy to offer his opinion or to the local barbershop where I could get the same. 

Many of the places I could seek advice from would be no better than the piece of wood Hosea’s audience consulted. If it’s a book I consult, it should offer sound Christian doctrine or at the very least be based on biblical principles. If it’s a website, I should read the About section. And if it’s a person I consult, they should be a mature Christian with life experiences and knowledge. 

But the best advice doesn’t come from wood sources but by praying and searching God’s Word. Others may lead me astray—inadvertently or on purpose, but God never will. What he says in his Word—or through other godly sources, can always be trusted.

Don’t get your advice from wood sources. Go to God. 

Prayer: Father, we thank You that the advice You give will always be just what we need. 

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Advice from the Wrong Place - Martin Wiles

They ask a piece of wood for advice! They think a stick can tell them the future! Hosea 4:12 NLT

Advice is prevalent; where I get it from is essential. I was working for a very difficult boss. She was manipulative, moody, deceptive, and could be downright mean. Soon after beginning this job, I wondered if I’d made the right decision. I didn’t ask advice from anyone about what I should do. Had I, I might have heard, “Tell her to take the job and shove it.” Or, “You have a family to take care of. 

Sometimes we have to do what we don’t particularly enjoy.” In the final analysis, I took the advice God gave me through prayer and stayed put for five years. 

Hosea prophesied to hard headed people who were faithless, unkind, sexually immoral, criminal, violent, alcoholic, and buck passers. The saddest thing was that when they needed advice they asked their wooden idols. God they disregarded.  

Advice is plentiful. Good advice is scarce. I can go to a bookstore and find advice everywhere on any question I have. Or I can pick up my smart phone, computer, or IPad and ask Google. I could also go to the nearest bar where the bartender would be more than happy to offer his opinion or to the local barbershop where I could get the same. 

Many of the places I could seek advice from would be no better than the piece of wood Hosea’s audience consulted. If it’s a book I consult, it should offer sound Christian doctrine or at the very least be based on biblical principles. If it’s a website, I should read the About section. And if it’s a person I consult, they should be a mature Christian with life experiences and knowledge. 

But the best advice doesn’t come from wood sources but by praying and searching God’s Word. Others may lead me astray—inadvertently or on purpose, but God never will. What he says in his Word—or through other godly sources, can always be trusted.

Don’t get your advice from wood sources. Go to God. 

Prayer: Father, we thank You that the advice You give will always be just what we need. 

Looking for a wide selection of genres in Christian books at discount prices? Use coupon MWiles and get a 20% discount on any book. Click here to see selections.  

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Flashback Friday - Martin Wiles

Worthy Commitments: Living with Integrity

I taught her history, but she was conveniently absent the day I gave a chapter test. *Tamika was smart but lazy when it came to studying. I made an appointment for her to make up the test during her study hall, but I knew her mindset: “He’ll be teaching so he won’t be observing me.”

At home, Tamika delicately wrote the answers to the test questions on a tiny piece of two inch square paper. She came to class the next day in an oversized coat when it wasn’t cold enough outside or inside for her wardrobe. I was immediately suspicious. As she took her test, I noticed her repeatedly lifting her arm. When I was certain she was cheating, I confiscated the cheat sheet and assigned her a “zero.” Read more...

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Good in Every Way - Martin Wiles

Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! Genesis 1:31 NLT

I grew up in a family where Dad beat structures regularly. 

Theaters were places where curse words were said or sexual scenes displayed. They must be avoided. Not until much later in life did he learn to appreciate the art structure. Politics was enmeshed by crooked individuals who were always looking out for special interests groups—many of whom disagreed with his beliefs. Perhaps he forgot government was established by God. Playing cards and dancing were forbidden. I suppose he overlooked the scripture where David danced before the Lord. Sunday was the Sabbath and sacred. Mom could cook, but no buying groceries, working in the yard, or washing clothes. I guess he didn’t see the place where Jesus said the Sabbath was made for man. 

When God looked over the structure of his original creation, he pronounced it good. This would have to include everything that would eventually develop from the original structure: government, the arts, competitive events, theater, technology, electronic games, education. 

Dad tended to throw out the baby with the bathwater rather than just letting the dirty water out so clean water could be put in. He wasn’t the only Christian who is guilty of polarization—the either or scenario. 

If I coach a softball team that is suffering from one player’s bad attitude, I don’t dissolve the team. I work on its direction by working on the one player. If the government leaders of my particular country, state, or town are corrupt, I don’t advocate dissolution of government. I work to change the present one. If my child’s school is getting poor reviews, I shouldn’t bash education. I should work to better it. 

Most structures that have developed out of God’s original structure are inherently good. Sin is the problem and the reason structures head in the wrong direction. Rather than trying to do away with or completely re-create what God has already created, I must work to enhance his structures by being salt and light in my world. 

What can you do to influence the direction of structures sin has damaged?

Prayer: Father, thank You for Your good creation. Show us how we can work to purify what sin has tainted. 

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Sing a Song - Martin Wiles

Let my tongue sing about your word, for all your commands are right. Psalm 119:172 NLT

For as long as I can remember she has sung. 

I’m not sure when my mother actually began singing gospel songs. I suppose it was as a young girl when she gathered with her family on Saturday nights around the old converted player piano. Then she began singing in the old Methodist church they attended. After my dad became a minister, she sang in every church he pastored. A few times along the way, she formed a quartet and sang in other churches. 

Sixty years later, Mom’s still singing and playing the piano. Many of the songs she sings are the same ones she sang when I was a child. They all have one thing in common. They testify about Jesus, what he’s done, and how he’s coming back one day to take his children home. 

No one else in our family has been blessed with Mom’s singing ability. Dad was a fair singer and so is my middle brother. I’ve never heard my youngest brother sing, and I never utter song sounds loud enough for anyone to hear. 

What I can sing about—and do a good job at it, doesn’t require knowing music or being able to carry a tune in a bucket. Mom actually sang the gospel, but I can sing it by just sharing it with others. Though some won’t like the words of the song, I can’t alter the original message the author wrote: humans are sinful, God is love, Jesus forgives, and heaven and hell are real. I can change the methods I use to share it, but the message remains the same. 

Jesus tells me and all his followers to sing this song. I must sing it with love, patience, and volume. The entire world needs to hear. I can sing literally—although I won’t, but I can and must sing through the spoken word, emails, texts, Skype’s, gifts, actions, and attitudes. 

How often and loudly are you singing God’s song?

Prayer: Father, may we sing of Your love often and to everyone we meet. 

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Throwback Tuesday - Martin Wiles

Conquering Depression: Trusting Through Hurts

John* and Susie* were high school sweethearts who married shortly after Susie graduated, but soon thereafter their relationship changed.

Once so in love with John, Susie suddenly became distant. Her unhappiness showed up in crying spells and aversions to his attempts to show her affection. After six months, she walked out telling him, “I don’t love you anymore.” John quickly discovered a disturbing secret. Susie had been unfaithful with one of his work associates. Broken trust sent John to the brink of depression, and he delved into harmful habits hoping they would lessen his pain. Read more... 

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Mad at Sin - Martin Wiles

I am overwhelmed with indignation, for my enemies have disregarded your words. Psalm 119:139 NLT

Listening to the evening news is enough to make me mad. 

A police officer who intentionally shoots and kills a man. A man who shoots his parents and then goes to a local business to kill his ex-girlfriend too. The woman who doesn’t want her child and discards her in the trash dumpster. Tons of pollution ascending into the air or descending into fresh water sources people drink. Radical religious sects beheading people just because they’re from another religious tradition. A local animal shelter displaying pictures of cats and dogs that have been severely abused by their owners. Especially the kittens and puppies that can’t fend for themselves. 

In biblical times, the nation of Israel had any number of enemies who wanted to subdue her, rule over her, and steal her treasures. Egyptians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Syrians, Edomites, Philistines. They surrounded her with a web of evil and couldn’t wait to draw her in, roll her up, and administer the death sting. Like Goliath with David, they wanted to feed her flesh to the birds of the air.

Sin causes me anguish because it infringes on my rights, the rights of others, and on the good plan God has for his earth. While the earth itself has been affected by sin, it is the sinful people who live here that infest it with sinful practices. But sin rather than the sinner is what must be the source of my anger. 

Jesus didn’t get mad at people per se; he got angry over the sinful deeds they committed. He loved criminals, prostitutes, thieves, the religious left, and the religious right. He extended to all the privilege of becoming his child and having their sinful actions and attitudes transformed into godly ones. And he still does. 

Sin should anger me, but I should never get angry at the one sinning. Except for the grace of God, I might be walking in their shoes. 

Do you hate sin but love the sinner?

Prayer: Father, enable us to get angry over sin but at the same time to love the sinner. 

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Using Your Sixth Sense - Martin Wiles

Give discernment to me, your servant; then I will understand your laws. Psalm 119:125 NLT

Five senses are great, but it’s wonderful when the sixth works as well. 

I enjoy all of my senses. Recently, my eye doctor told me I was a candidate for glaucoma. Fortunately, the cornea specialist said it wasn’t as bad as it initially appeared. With a regimen of daily drops, I can see fine, and the nerve damage has been limited. 

I also enjoy tasting almost anything and an abundance of it. Hearing is also pleasurable. Listening to the birds sing as the first rays of light appear is exhilarating. Smell is pleasant too. It’s perhaps the most powerful and can resurrect memories we thought were long buried. And, of course, it’s nice to actually be able to feel what I touch. This along with smell clues me in to important matters—such as when my dog needs a bath. 

With my five senses, I discern colors, distance, pleasant aromas, faint noises, and a warm fuzzy blanket. But what about the first impression about someone I’ve just been introduced to. I get a feeling I can’t explain. Or I’m in an area and suddenly get an unexplainable sense of dread. Everything appears safe, but all I can think about is getting away. 

Perhaps it’s the 30 year mortgage I’m thinking of assuming. A feeling inside telling me not to sign the papers even though the interest rate is low and the house is just what I’ve always wanted. 

I attribute my sixth sense to God. It’s the sense scientists can’t identify because the workings of this sense aren’t repeatable. I know I have it, but I can’t prove it to anyone other than by giving them my word. 

When I program my mind with God’s Word, I can trust these unexplainable warnings. I can also proceed with confidence in directions that appear senseless to me and others. All God requires to receive this sense is a faith relationship with his Son. Having it means I can live every day with confidence. My sixth sense will be my trusted guide. 

Do you have a sixth sense guiding you in the right direction and to the best decisions?

Prayer: Father, thank You for giving us the spiritual sense that’s beyond our physical senses.

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Flashback Friday - Martin Wiles

Trust And Believe

The “blues” is a style of music and also a state of mind.

A musical genre originating in African American communities of the Deep South around the end of the nineteenth century, the songs developed from old spirituals, work songs, field shouts, hollers and chants. The “blues” are a unique musical style formed by specific chord progressions and flattening certain notes and are a reference to the “blue devils” which means melancholy or sadness. Read more...

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When Hope is Crushed - Martin Wiles

LORD, sustain me as you promised, that I may live! Do not let my hope be crushed. Psalm119:116 NLT

We sat in a small group and talked about disappointment and appointment. 

When I have an appointment, someone has agreed to meet me at a certain time or I’ve agreed to meet them. Disappointment is the difference between my expectations and what happens. 

If my doctor’s appointment is canceled when I really need to see him, I’m disappointed. If I expect my children to succeed in school and college and they don’t, I’m disappointed. If I’m looking for a pay increase and don’t get it, I’m disappointed. When I do everything I should to promote good health only to find out I have a terminal illness, I’m disappointed. When hope is crushed, I experience the disappointment. 

Disappointment and crushing of hope have been friends of mine quite a few times. She showed up when my son decided to quit school. She walked in when a spouse walked out. When my drooling over a new car was sopped up by the salesman who said my credit rating wasn’t high enough for a loan. And when I was told someone else had been hired for the job. 

For a shepherd, disappointments might be different. Perhaps the sheep didn’t produce as much wool as he had hoped. Or a wild animal killed a few of his prize animals. Maybe one wandered too close to the edge of the mountain and fell to its death. Or ate poisonous weeds. 

If I’m not careful, bitterness can stroll in when my hopes are crushed. There are few things in life I can control. Everything else is controlled by the forces of nature or the actions of others. I can, however, remember God is in control no matter how bleak my circumstances appear. 

God is never disappointed—or surprised, because he knows everything that’s going to happen. He orchestrates world events and the situations in my life. Believing in his unconditional love helps me navigate the disappointments of life without them crushing my hopes. 

Don’t let life’s disappointments crush your hopes. Trust God for the best. 

Prayer: Father, guide us to look to You when circumstances attempt to crush our hopes. 

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Light for My Path - Martin Wiles

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. Psalm119:105 NLT

Camping in the mountains without one is a disaster. 

When my brother, daughter, and I backpacked in the mountains, our goal was for our packs to be as light as possible. Among the things I chose to leave out, a flashlight wasn’t one of them. In addition to the flashlight, I’d carry extra batteries—especially if we were camping in the winter months. 

Flashlights came in handy when preparing a meal before or after it was daylight, when making a bathroom trip during the night, when looking for something in my tent, and when reading before I fell asleep. Camping in the mountains without some type of light would have been unthinkable. 

My life path is just as tenuous—perhaps more so, as the dark paths I’ve walked in the mountains or the campsites I’ve fumbled around in after dark. Without a light, I could stumble over roots, fall, and injure a body part. 

Trying to find my Bible in a dark tent isn’t fun either. Nor is trying to fix a stuck zipper on my sleeping bag, or trying to cook breakfast or supper. 

I sometimes feel I’m fumbling around in the dark as I experience life. Darkness descends when a family member dies, when a trusted friend betrays me, or when a spouse walks out the door never to return. 

Darkness happens when the boss delivers the pink slip or when the doctor delivers bad news. Or when the professor stamps C in my grade slot when I tried so hard for an A. Darkness surrounds me when depression sets in and happiness steps out. 

Whatever my darkness, God’s Word will provide a lamp for my way, shining brightly so I can determine where I need to step to avoid falling and injuring myself. It will shine the light of peace on my troubled situations and illuminate happiness where sadness has settled. 

God’s Word reminds me who’s in control, that life does have meaning, and that a vibrant relationship with Christ is the way to experience peace in spite of my circumstances.  

What are you using to light your path?

Prayer: Father, may we trust in You to guide us along the dark paths of life.

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Throwback Tuesday - Martin Wiles

Prayer’s Healing Power

Situated on the eastern border of the Dead Sea Coast, the Ein Gedi nature reserve covers almost 151,000 square feet and includes two spring fed streams with water that flows year round and produces around three million cubic meters of water annually. It is also home to numerous species of plants and wildlife.

In this wilderness, David hid from a ravenous king who, when he learned of David’s whereabouts, mustered three thousand men and pursued him. Feeling the call of nature, Saul entered a cave-the very one where David and his men hid. David was close enough to kill the king yet refused to do so. Read more...

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Faithful to the End - Martin Wiles

Your faithfulness extends to every generation, as enduring as the earth you created. Psalm 119:90 NLT

She was a vibrant young teenager, but she had a premonition she’d never live to see 20 years of age.

Rachel Scott was popular at her high school, even though her witness for Christ wasn’t always well received. 

Two students who hated her were Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris. She had talked to them and tried to persuade them to stop doing all the weird things they were doing. 

During the week of Easter, both boys entered Rachel’s school and started shooting. Before approaching her, they killed another student who was witnessing about his faith. Then they shot Rachel in the leg and back. Realizing she was still alive, Harris walked over to her and asked, “Do you still believe in God?” Before he delivered the final shots that ended her life, she said, “You know I do.”  

I’m not sure how old the psalmist was when he wrote these words, but he obviously had lived long enough to observe God’s faithfulness. And I suppose he must have read and heard about his faithfulness as well. Friends, parents, grandparents. They’d all experienced God’s faithfulness and lived to tell him about it. 

I too have a heritage of hearing about and experiencing God’s faithfulness. I watched as both of my great-grandmothers witnessed of God’s faithfulness. Two of my grandparents also showed me God’s faithfulness and told me many stories to support it. Both of my parents testified to me of God’s faithfulness and lived out that belief day by day. I did the same with my two children, and hopefully they will do the same with their children. 

I’ve read of God’s faithfulness in the historical stories of the Bible and other Christian literature. I’ve witnessed it in the lives of hundreds of others. God was faithful yesterday, he is today, and he will be for as many years as I live. Faithful to fulfill every one of his promises he makes to his children in his Word. He has to be. Not to would contradict his very nature. 

Are you experiencing God’s faithfulness in Your life? 

Prayer: Father, thank You for Your faithfulness to us. Enable us to be as faithful to You.

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