Longing for Home - Martin Wiles

He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11 NLT

Absence can make the heart grow fonder; it can also cause it to grow callous. 

Deployed soldiers know this well. Tours of duty seem forever. Years pass without them seeing their loved ones. Letters and the occasional phone call are the best they can hope for. Though technological advances have changed the scenario, they still haven’t actually brought the loved one home. Sadly, for some, the longing for home turns sour when they receive a “Dear John” letter or email. Their loved one couldn’t stand the loneliness any longer. Or another came along and wooed them away, giving them the immediate attention they weren’t getting from their loved one. 

A perusal of world history, past and present, reveals the truth of the writer’s conclusion. God has placed a longing for eternity in people’s hearts. Rarely, if ever, could we locate a people group who didn’t worship something. The recognition of a higher power is prevalent. God has planted this longing in our souls so we will look beyond ourselves to him. 

While I enjoy this earth, I long for something better: my eternal home…a new heaven and a new earth. A place where I can actually see and fellowship with the Savior who died for me. A place where I can meet all the saints who’ve gone before me. No more being limited through Bible study, prayer, and listening to the Spirit. A place where all the manifestations of evil will be removed. A place where purity will reign as it did when God first created the earth. 

I’ve lived in places where I simply didn’t feel at home. Neither should I presently on earth. I don’t feel at home here because I don’t belong here—at least not as it is in its current form. If I feel at home here—if I stop longing for what’s ahead, I’ll fall into the same trap many spouses, boyfriends, and girlfriends did. I’ll begin looking for present things to satisfy me. And they can’t. Only when I’m home will I be completely content. 

Are you longing for home or living as if this is your home?

Prayer: Father, help us not to get too attached to the things of this world, remembering it’s not our final home. 

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Lonely at the Top - Martin Wiles

They began to speak against God and Moses. “Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die here in the wilderness?” they complained. “There is nothing to eat here and nothing to drink. And we hate this horrible manna!” Numbers 21:5 NLT

If I thought it, I was wrong. No one ever said leading was easy or popular. 

I had been chosen as the leader of a local organization. Assuming the position required moving almost three hours away. Since my wife and I felt the Lord calling us there, we went. Things went well initially. Until I began changing some things. 

With the help of a few key leaders, we made some changes that would take the entity to new heights by making it more competitive and attractive. And it worked. More people began to join. People who would serve it well into the next generation. Then it happened. Grumbling. Complaining. The majority followed my lead and enjoyed the new growth and opportunities. Others remained but continually grumbled and complained. A few chose to leave. It got lonely at the top. 

Moses knew how lonely the top could be. The job God offered him seemed attractive yet scary. Who wouldn’t want to lead millions of people? Soon after he took the position, the grumbling and complaining began. Didn’t like the route he took them down. Or the food he fed them. Or what he gave them to drink. On at least one occasion, they plotted to kill him. 

In spite of his loneliness at the top, Moses demonstrated traits of a good leader. He was patient. The stubbornness of the people would have driven even the best man to drinking, but not Moses. He was focused on where he knew God wanted him to take the people. He traveled in that direction even though the route was not the most pleasant one. He knew God’s way was always better. When they complained, he continued to lead. He was also compassionate. He knew their rebellion would bring God’s discipline—and it did in the form of poisonous snakes, but he interceded to God on their behalf when they repented. Moses loved the people even when they were unlovable. 

When God calls you to lead, do it with focus, compassion, obedience, and patience. 

Prayer: Father, thank You for the privilege of leading. May we do it with unconditional love. 

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Throwback Tuesday - Martin Wiles

Failure To Understand

I’ve had to do it with cats, dogs and chickens. It wasn’t ever easy but always necessary.

Some call it merciful; others scream cruelty. When an animal is suffering with no hope of recovery, a veterinarian will often suggest putting them to sleep. I’ve done it with a beloved Himalayan cat, an adored Dachshund and my favorite rooster, Rochester. As with friends and family who’ve contracted incurable diseases ending in death, I didn’t understand why the animals I loved had to die.

Many years prior to Jesus’ birth, Isaiah predicted his death. But it was the LORD’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants (Isaiah 53:10 NLT). When the time actually arrived and Jesus informed his followers he would leave them and that it would be by the cruel method of crucifixion, they didn’t understand. Read more...

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Life out of Focus - Martin Wiles

But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Matthew 14:30 NLT

I’m been known to miss what I focus on—even when it’s a large target. 

I had always hunted deer with dogs and a shotgun. Stand on the side of the road or the edge of the woods and wait for the dogs to run the deer to me…then shoot. Then I moved by a friend who liked to still hunt. Climb a tree, sit in a stand, and chance that deer might actually walk where I was sitting. For this, a rifle worked better. 

After purchasing a rifle at a local retail store, I set out for my first adventure. About dusk, a herd of deer walked out of the woods about 200 yards from me. I carefully raised my rife, zeroed in on a buck, and squeezed the trigger. The rifle fired; the deer didn’t move. Strange, I thought. When this had happened twice, I figured I should check my scope. Sure enough, the rifle was shooting about 20 feet above where I was aiming. 

For Peter, it wasn’t a rifle. He and the other disciples were fighting a storm in the middle of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus suddenly appeared, walking on the water. Peter wanted to try it too, and Jesus gave him permission. He did fine until he noticed the raging waves pounding his ankles. When he focused on them, he sank. 

At the end of the day, a faulty scope and rough water are small things compared to other things that can steal my focus from serving God faithfully and loving him unconditionally. Perhaps the major focus stealer for most is the busyness of life. Work, relationships, hobbies, children, school, homework, community affairs. None of which are sinful, but all of which can rob me of life’s true joy. 

Taking time to ponder my daily lifestyle can reveal my life priorities. The results can be revealing…and shocking. When they’re out of whack, they steal my focus. 

Step back and take a look at your life. Let God show you what might be out of focus. 

Prayer: Father, focus us on the exact plan and purpose You have for our lives. 

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Christmas Surprise - Martin Wiles

As we sat in a circle opening our Christmas gifts, we never imagined the greatest gift was yet to arrive.

For a number of years, our family had gathered on Christmas Eve—or the day before depending on work schedules, to open presents. Everyone sat in a circle while one of the younger members passed out all the presents. When all the gifts had been distributed, we began the hours’ long process of opening them one by one while letting everyone see what the designated recipient had received. Read more...

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When Christmas Mixes with Sorrow - Martin Wiles

“Can you think of anything we can sell,” I asked my wife. “The only thing I can think of,” she responded, is my….” 

Christmas 2013 was shaping up to be the leanest Christmas season my wife and I had experienced since we married. Gifts were purchased from places we normally wouldn’t buy them from, and if not for the ones she had bought during the sales season after last year’s Christmas, we wouldn’t have as many as we did. Buying for each other was out of the question; we were merely attempting to give small tokens of love to family members. We had joy because we knew the real reason for the season, but it mixed with sorrow over not being able to make it brighter for others—and ourselves. Read more...

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A Baby for Christmas - Martin Wiles

Rarely did Santa bring her what she wanted for Christmas, but one Christmas.... 

Elsie and her sister Connie grew up the daughters of a dirt poor farmer who attempted to eke out a living from sandy soil in the Low Country of South Carolina. By the time her father died, he had made a name for himself in the community and accumulated enough in land and money to be considered well off. But Elsie had left home long before and knew nothing of the wealth growing up that her parents experienced later in life. Even in their later years—when they could have lived more comfortably, they lived as if they had very little. Never a new car or truck. Never a new tractor or combine. Just the same old farm house Elsie had grown up in with no central air or heat. Not even a window air conditioning unit. Just one lonely gas heater in the kitchen and an even smaller one in the bathroom. Read more...

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Christmas Changes - Martin Wiles

The first time I watched it, CDs weren’t on the market, so I popped it into the VCR player. Several years ago—after the VCR player had died and CD’s had overtaken the market, someone bought me a DVD of this treasured movie. I did with it what I’ve done every year in recent history: curled up in my recliner, watched every scene in the film, and sobbed at the end. 

The 1984 version of A Christmas Carol featuring George C. Scott is my all time favorite movie. Clive Donner—editor of the 1951 version entitled Scrooge, directed this made for television movie about a miserly old gentleman who thought Christmas was humbug but who later changed his mind and lifestyle after a visitation by three ghosts. Read more...

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Throwback Tuesday - Martin Wiles

Moving God’s Hand

Somewhere in the middle of my prayer, I pleaded, “Lord, we need $120.”  

My wife and I were moving eight miles away, but this didn’t lessen our challenges. One was internet service with a former provider. Everything appeared to be on schedule until we received an email stating, “We can’t process your order. You have a past due amount.”

Two phone hours later, we discovered the error. Instead of disconnecting the service on our previous move day as requested, they entered our pro-rated amount as a partial payment, turned the balance over to the collection department and terminated our already discontinued service. Now they were penalizing us for a mistake they wouldn’t admit. Read more...

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Christmas Silence - Martin Wiles

Despite the noise and hectic events engulfing her small family, her son was born into Christmas silence. 

The birth of God’s Son came amidst outside noise. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. (Luke 2:7 NLT)

Mary received a disturbing angelic message saying she would birth the Messiah. She shivered at the thought of the ridicule and possible religious consequences ahead. She and her fiancé weren’t married. How would it look when her pregnancy became increasingly obvious to others? What would they say? Would she have to leave town? All questions that competed with her other thoughts. The angel’s words were exciting yet alarming. Read more...

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When God Says “Come” - Martin Wiles

Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” Matthew 14:28 NLT

He had called me to come before…but never like this. 

The first time I came was as a fisherman. My brother and I were cleaning our nets when he came strolling along the beach. He invited me to leave my nets and way of life and fish for people. A strange call, but I followed. Most recently, he had invited me to figure out how I and the other disciples would feed 5,000 men plus women and children that had been listening to him teach. He sat the crowd on the ground in groups and told us to pass out the pieces of the five loaves of bread and two fish we had scrounged up among the people. 

Miracles seemed to follow Jesus. He sent the crowds away after he fed them. He sent us away as well. While I and the other disciples were in the middle of the lake, a storm arose. When it seemed we would die, Jesus came walking to us on the water. Once I realized it wasn’t a ghost, I thought I might like to try what he was doing. So I asked. And he said, “Come.” 

Peter was an impetuous sort of fellow, willing to try most anything—which could be good or bad. Sometimes he strutted like the sole cock in the chicken yard. At other times, he failed miserably. To his credit, he accepted Jesus’ invitation to walk on water. 

Jesus’ invitations to “Come” are varied. He’s issued invitations to me numerous times over my lifetime. Sometimes, I’ve listened and obeyed. But there have been those instances where my faith faltered, and I said “No.” He calls some into full time ministry, some on short term mission trips, some to the hospitals, and some to the local women’s shelter. Others he beckons to the classrooms, their neighbors, and the local fire departments. 

Where God’s invitation takes me is not nearly as important as my willingness to “Come” where he invites me to. If you listen carefully, you might just hear him calling you now. Peter did.

Prayer: Father, give us faith and courage to come where You invite us to go.

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Flashback Friday - Martin Wiles

God Unlimited

I remember the first time I donned them. I detested every minute, but the alternative wasn’t enticing. I’ve had limited sight since I was a young boy. Glasses are a required part of my wardrobe if I’m to see clearly ten feet and farther or two feet and nearer. 

Even if my eyes were 20/20, my sight would still be limited. Eyes are only constructed to see clearly for a certain distance, and they can’t see through solid objects. I can see an airplane several thousand feet above the earth in a clear sky but can’t see tomorrow. From a mountain peak, I may see hundreds of miles, but tomorrow is invisible. As a small boy sitting on my father’s shoulders at a local parade, I could see half the floats, but thirty years into my future is unknowable. Read more...

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Sheltered in the Storm - Martin Wiles

The LORD is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Psalm 9:9 NLT

The morning was beautiful; we had no reason to expect a storm.

My brother, two children, and I had set out for an overnight camping trip on the Appalachian Trail. No sooner had we reached the gap where we planned to camp than the sound of thunder began creeping through the mountain valleys. We quickly erected our tents. 

Within minutes, lighting was popping and rain was pouring. The only things separating us from danger were tall trees and the rubber mats we sat on. We knew there was an AT shelter a few hundred yards down the trail, but we were scared to venture out. After thirty minutes, the storm subsided enough for us to hightail it to the shelter. There we spent the next four hours listening as one storm after another crept across the mountains. 

The psalmist pictures God as a shelter for those experiencing trouble. The AT shelter provided cover for us, but since it was only three sided and just as exposed to lightning as our tents, we really weren’t much safer there. The shelter didn’t prevent the storm from coming nor did being in it shorten the length or intensity of the storm. 

Having God as a shelter doesn’t mean storms won’t come. In fact, I’ve experienced numerous life storms since I made him my shelter. But in the shelter, God will strengthen my faith in him to protect me. He may not prevent the storm, but he will safely carry me through it. 

While the shelter doesn’t affect the storm itself, being in the shelter changes my perspective. I’m reminded that my Shelter does have the ability to lessen the storm’s intensity and duration if he chooses. The shelter is the place where I’m reassured God’s in control…that he’ll allow noting in my life that doesn’t carry the ability to form me more into his image. In the shelter of God’s arms, I’m safe—even if the storm takes my life. 

What are you running to for shelter when life gets loud and dangerous?

Prayer: Father, thank You for being our shelter when the storms of life assault us. 

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It’s God’s Body - Martin Wiles

And the church is his body; it is filled by Christ, who fills everything everywhere with his presence. Ephesians 1:23 NLT

“It’s my body. I can do whatever I want with it.” 

An argument often used by abortion rights advocates to justify their decision to abort their unborn babies. Or by those involved in substance abuse habits that have the potential to ruin their health—even kill them. 

On the surface, the argument appears to have some validity. It is my body, and I do have power over it. If I want to go into the kitchen for something to eat, I can make my body go there. Or if I want to go outside to work in the yard, I can lead it there also. If going to church is my desire, I can make my body get in the car and drive there. Whatever messages enter my mind that require bodily movement, my body will obey unless it’s physically incapacitated or I choose to ignore the message. 

The Bible says God is spirit, but he showed up in bodily form in the person Jesus Christ. Jesus’ body moved according to the Father’s plan. He went where God told him to and spoke the words the Father whispered in his ear. But that body was mangled, crucified, placed in a tomb, raised to life three days later, and eventually ascended back into heaven. 

God’s body is now represented in my body and in the bodies of every other person who claims to be his follower. If my body belongs to God, then it doesn’t belong to me. While I still have control over it and can ignore God, I’ll only be blessed and rewarded when I make my body follow the messages God puts in my mind. I receive those messages as I read his Word, pray, and pay attention to the still small voice of his Spirit during the course of every day. 

God expected his Son’s body to follow his directives when he was on earth, and he wants his body embodied in the church to do the same. 

Let God direct your body to accomplish his perfect will. You’ll be glad you went where you did and said what you said. 

Prayer: Father, direct our bodies so that we may accomplish Your kingdom’s work in this world. 

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