Walk by the Spirit - Caroline Hales

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Galatians 5:16 NIV

Busy days can lead to feeling worn out. The last thing we might want to do is walk by the Spirit. 

Fatigue builds from fulfilling multiple requests. Another task, another errand, another person to visit. We keep going. Distractions bombard us—emails, phone calls, news. We can easily fall prone to focusing on ourselves. A yearning to live by our natural self gratifies the desires of our flesh.

Paul writes about another way to approach life. We can walk by the Spirit.

But what is the difference between walking by the Spirit and walking with our minds concentrated on ourselves? Focus. Focusing on the Spirit does not mean our physical world will change.

We live in a physical and spiritual world. We tend to conduct our lives with our own strength. Walking by the Spirit changes our approach to the world. We can set our minds on God’s way of living.

For example, in a conversation, we can withhold unloving words toward someone directing undeserved blame at us and speak words of grace instead by clarifying  the other person’s view.

We find rest for our souls when we walk in step with the Holy Spirit. When we remain in fellowship with Him and make decisions in line with God’s ways, we walk by the Spirit.

I think of walking by the Spirit as like leaning against a wall. The wall supports me when I rest with my back against the wall. Similarly, I can rely on the Holy Spirit for support. A part of leaning on the Spirit means I know Him and on whom I depend.

Spiritual support may include praying for the Spirit to help us love a difficult person, recalling a Bible verse about gratefulness, or thanking someone for their act of kindness.

By memorizing a Bible verse about Christlike behavior, God’s way of approaching a situation may quickly come to mind in our moment of need. Carrying the picture in my mind of leaning on a wall helps me to remember to walk in step with the Holy Spirit when I am prone to focusing on myself.

How can you learn to walk by the Spirit?

Tweetable: Have you learned to walk by the Spirit? 

Caroline Hales is a Project Manager, a student at Dallas Theological Seminary, and a freelance writer. She has an adorable niece in California who teeters as she toddles. Caroline’s passion to share Christ with others has grown while she has served in church ministry, leading evangelism and women’s ministry. She lives in Ontario, Canada.

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The Last-First Rule - Martin Wiles

Welcome to Meandering Monday, where we take a trip back to an earlier post and enjoy it again.

Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else. Mark 9:35 NLT

With a smirky smile, he looked at us and said, “We’ve been waiting in line too.”

My family and I were attending a Christian concert. A desk for ticket pick-up was in the center of the entrance hallway. Crowds of people who had their tickets mulled around with seemingly no organization. We made our way to the desk and then through the line—trying to get to a table where my mother could sit until the doors opened.

As we passed one gentleman—who obviously thought we were trying to get ahead of him—he reminded us we needed to wait in line as he was doing. I had no time to rebuke his “Christian” attitude; I simply kept moving. But when the doors opened and the people poured in, I made sure he observed me staying behind him. I wasn’t about to break Jesus’ last-first rule.

Even Jesus’ closest followers had trouble with the last-first rule. As the little band of disciples made their way to Capernaum, they discussed which of them was the greatest. When they had settled in the house where they would stay, Jesus confronted their prideful attitudes.

Pride is one of Satan’s greatest temptations. Eve had a dose of it when she thought she knew better than God about eating forbidden fruit. Thousands of years later, I frequently think the same thing. By observing my world, I perceive many others do as well. Unfortunately, this jostling of who’s the greatest is even found among God’s people as it was with the disciples.

The Bible says humility is the better quality. 

We’re not to think too much of ourselves, but neither are we to think less of ourselves than we should. 

In Christ, we can do all things. We’re masterpieces in the making, but the key is “in Christ.” When we humble ourselves before him, he will exalt us at the right time and the right place.

How can you rebuke pride in your life and observe Jesus’ first-last principle?

Prayer: Father, enable us to humble ourselves before You and others. 

Tweetable: Are you following the last-first rule? 

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Sausage Balls

 Ingredients

1 pound hot sausage

2 cups of shredded cheese

2 cups Bisquick

Directions

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.

Roll into small balls and place on a cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to12 minutes or until golden brown.

Tweetable: Why not add this appetizer to your weekend meal? 

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How Long? - Martin Wiles

How long, O Lord, must I call for help? But you do not listen! “Violence is everywhere!” I cry, but you do not come to save. Habakkuk 1:2 NLT

How long will it take to finish this paper?

Writing a research paper once took days, even weeks. After coming up with a topic, I visited at least one library to see if enough resources were available to write on the subject. That meant looking in the card catalog and then using the Dewey Decimal System to locate the books. Then, if enough books existed, I began.

Limits existed on how many books I could check out, so I checked out as many as allowed and as many as I thought I could use in the allotted time. But of course, the entire book didn’t address my topic, so I searched the index of the book to find what I wanted. Then, I took notes on a piece of paper—in my own words, of course.

When it appeared I had enough information from the required resources, which I noted on a separate sheet of paper (after researching how to enter a source), I returned the books. Now came the real work: handwriting it legibly or typing it. I chose typing, which didn’t become an option until I entered the ninth grade.

To type a paper, I had to handwrite it first so everything would appear exactly where I wanted it in the paper. I could not move large or even little chunks of material around. Double trouble. Hopefully, I would not make a big mistake while typing. If I did, I had to retype the entire page.

What it once took me weeks to complete, students can now complete in a few short class periods without ever leaving their desks. With computers, a world of information waits at their fingertips. Magazines, posts, books—all online. And to boot, Word enters the sources correctly. They don’t have to learn much at all. Their “How long?” differs from mine.

Habakkuk asked a “how long” of a different type. God’s people did a poor job of obeying. Sinful acts reigned on every hand. Habakkuk wanted to know how long God planned to let this go on without intervening. God informed the prophet He had things under control.

I’m tempted to ask God the same question. Things in the world look pretty seedy. Sin on every hand. And it doesn’t appear things are getting any better. The good news is that God works behind the scenes. He has a plan in mind and will execute it in His good time. Good will win out in the end. The Bible tells us so.

Our job is to be patient and trust God’s wisdom. He knows what He’s doing. Beyond that, we must shine the light of an excellent example so others can see what a believer should look like. And our good deeds will make this world a better place in the process.

When you’re tempted to ask, “How long?” ask “What can I do” instead.

Prayer: Father, show us what we can do to stem the tide of evil. 

Tweetable: Do you wonder how long God will let evil continue? 

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Walk-on Wednesday - A Personal Guide - Martin Wiles

Welcome to Walk-on Wednesday. By Hump Day, we are struggling, but we believe a good devotion can strengthen us to finish the week strong. 

When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. John 14:3 NLT

Life would have been much easier—and still would be—if I had my own personal guide.

I’ve never been deep sea fishing or on a big game hunt, but many who take such excursions usually hire personal guides. Personal guides know the area and where they will likely find the game.

Having one to guide me through life would also be nice. They could have explained how much nicer it would be to use the toilet instead of soiling my diaper. How much better table food would taste than baby food. Or whole milk than baby formula. A personal guide could have steered me away from childhood rebellion by reminding me how important it was to honor and obey my parents. Later, he could have maneuvered me away from unhealthy relationships and stressful situations. And a personal guide could have warned me of the danger of rejecting Jesus Christ.

Jesus claims to be a tour guide—or whatever other type of guide we might need. He’s not here personally at the moment, but he plans to return. A final moment is coming when we’re going to need his help.

Death isn’t something I enjoy thinking about. In fact, I enjoy it less now than I ever have because I know I’m closer than I’ve ever been. When going somewhere I’ve never been, having a guide—whether a person or a technological gadget—is  essential. In this case, I’d prefer the real thing, not a voice speaking to me through a device of some sort.

Jesus promises he will personally get us when it’s our time. He won’t send angels. And our final journey won’t be alone. Instead, he’ll take our hand and lead us to the Promised Land. And since he knows where it is, we can trust he’ll get us there safely.

Trust Jesus to be your personal guide through life and death.

Prayer: Father, we trust You to guide us through our life’s journey and also through our final journey. 

Tweetable: Who is your personal guide? 

   

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Meandering Monday - Life Is Precious - Martin Wiles

Welcome to Meandering Monday, where we take a trip back to an earlier post and enjoy it again.

If anyone takes a human life, that person’s life will also be taken by human hands. For God made human beings in his own image. Genesis 9:6 NLT

She was a good friend and full of life, but things changed when she took a new job.

Kelly* was my wife’s best friend in high school. Secretly, she wanted to be my girlfriend, but I had eyes for another—my future wife. High school ended, my wife and I married, and different roads took us away from Kelly. We heard that she had entered an abusive marriage and bore several children.

When she finally left her husband, she took a job as a manager of a local fast food restaurant. After closing one night, she met a waiting assailant, who robbed and killed her. A young life needlessly snuffed out. Attending Kelly’s funeral and watching her young body lay in the casket reminded me of how precious life is.

Soon after creation, God gave a command and warning against taking another person’s life. After all, God created us in his image. Therefore, whoever was bold enough to shed another’s blood would have his blood shed by those responsible for upholding the law.

Whether or not a country or state should practice capital punishment isn’t the issue; the sanctity of life is. And since God made us in his image, we are important. Because we are, our lives have value. God doesn’t take it lightly when someone recklessly and unconsciously takes another’s life for personal gain or revenge. Those who do have destroyed one of God’s masterpieces whom he has plans for.

Life is precious. God only gives a certain number of years to enjoy it. When we love and respect others—whether we agree with or even like them—we reflect God’s opinion about life.

God has a plan for every child that comes into this world. Their lives are sacred, and so is God’s purpose. Give value and respect to every person God places in your path.

Prayer: Father, may we respect and cherish what You place so much value on. 

Tweetable: How precious is life to you? 

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Sausage and Cheese Rolls

 

Ingredients

1 POUND HOT SAUSAGE

             
1 LARGE BLOCK OF VELVEETA CHEESE

2 PACKS OF DINNER ROLLS (YOUR CHOICE)

Directions

COOK AND DRAIN SAUSAGE.

MIX CHEESE UNTIL MELTED.

PLACE IN ROLLS AND SERVE.

Tweetable: Why not add this sumptuous appetizer to your weekend meal? 

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Sniffing Temptation - Martin Wiles

When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. 1 Corinthians 10:13b NLT

Stop. Sniff. Stop again. Sniff again. Caught.

We call our little Chihuahua-terrier mix our cordless dust buster. Wherever we sit to eat, she positions herself underneath our feet so she can retrieve any dropped crumbs. She particularly enjoyed standing beneath our daughter’s middle son when my wife kept him. Pig Pen, we call him—and for obvious reasons. The way he eats causes him to leave many crumbs behind. Sometimes, whole chunks of food. But, of course, our little mutt didn’t complain.

Our daughter’s two oldest boys usually ate snacks—and sometimes meals—on our love seat or my wife’s recliner. Mine was off-limits—unless I was not home to monitor their activity. Our little vacuum cleaner stood guard by each one, hoping a crumb would fall. When the boys finished and got up to throw their trash away, our little mutt quickly went to work, sucking up every crumb they left behind.

One day, as I edited a book manuscript for an author and my wife sat at the table working on making items for a baby shower, we heard a whine—our dog’s standard signal when she wants to go out.

“Let Rita out,” my wife said.

“She’s not at the back door,” I replied.

“Well, I heard her whine,” she said.

I had, too. Then it dawned on me where she was. She had been there before. Under the love seat. Trapped. How she got there when the ends were not reclined, I never figured out. But once she got under, she couldn’t get out without me reclining one or both ends.

On this occasion, reclining didn’t work. I kneeled on my aching knees and saw she had wedged herself in a small section and was surrounded by springs and bars. Rescuing her meant lifting one end of the recliner off the ground.

She ran out, but did she learn her lesson? No. As soon as I put the recliner back down, she scooted under to see if she had missed any crumbs.

Leftover food tempts our little dog. Not necessarily a bad thing, unless she gets in a predicament under the recliner. But temptations are not reserved for my Rita. Paul says they come to believers and unbelievers alike. The difference is that God assists the believer when we turn to Him.

Temptations are not sin—but can quickly lead there. The good news is that God controls them and will not let them intensify to the point we can’t overcome with His help. Emphasis on “with His help.” Regardless of the nature or intensity of the temptation, God has an escape route available if we’ll ask. The temptation may smell good—as it does for our little pooch—but it will lead to trouble every time. Victory over them, on the other hand, strengthens us for the next attack.

Stopping for a quick sniff when temptation comes might be okay, but choosing to eat is another story. Better yet, ask God to keep you from sniffing in the first place.

Prayer: Father, give us the strength not to stop and sniff when temptation comes. 

Tweetable: Are you sniffing where you shouldn't? 

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Walk-on Wednesday - Washing Away Guilt - Martin Wiles

Welcome to Walk-on Wednesday. By Hump Day, we are struggling, but we believe a good devotion can strengthen us to finish the week strong. 

So he (Pilate) sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood.” Matthew 27:24 NLT

He’s only an animal, but some of his looks show he’s feeling human emotions.

I once owned a Chihuahua out of necessity. I’ve owned quite a few by choice as I was growing up. This one belonged to my daughter, who moved into an apartment that didn’t allow animals. She bought him while in college. She attended classes almost daily, so she never had time to housetrain him fully. And since you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, we never managed to housetrain him completely. Occasionally when I got up in the morning or came home after work, I would find surprises I shouldn’t on the floor. As I stared at him with my hands on my hips, he peered back with downcast eyes—as if the look would alleviate his guilt.

Pilate thought washing his hands would remove his guilt. As the one the Jews brought Jesus to for conviction, he knew their motive: jealousy. He finally gave in to their demands, but he reminded them the guilt would rest on them, not him. To prove it, he washed his hands.

But we can wash away guilt with water. Nor can it be scoured away by sacrificing an animal on an altar. The Jews discovered that after thousands of years of trying.

When we feel honest guilt over sins we’ve committed against God, only one solution avails itself: take our sins to the throne of Jesus, confess and repent of them, and then walk away.

The forgiveness God dispenses is based on what Jesus did on the cross. Repressing it, talking about it, reading about it, ignoring it, and denying it won’t make it go away. 

Guilt is God’s reminder we’ve sinned. Only he can cleanse us from a guilty conscience so we can serve him in freedom.

Try confession when you’re tempted to try and soothe your guilt in some other way.

Prayer: Father, thank You for the guilt-free living we can experience through Jesus Christ. 

Tweetable: How do you deal with guilt? 

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Meandering Monday - Can’t Miss This Appointment - Martin Wiles

Welcome to Meandering Monday, where we take a trip back to an earlier post and enjoy it again.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4 NKJV

Some appointments can’t be missed, but lately, I’ve missed a few that could.

Actually, I went to appointments I didn’t have. While attending a local writer’s conference, I made a consultation appointment with a marketing agent. Thinking it was eleven in the morning, I hovered around the door as she continued to talk to her previous client. After a check of the schedule, I discovered I was thirty minutes early.

Returning home after a busy weekend at the conference, I prepared to speak at a local school’s chapel service—or so I thought. My scheduled appointment was the twenty-third, and it was the twenty-third. But when I showed up, I heard another speaker introduced. I wasn’t supposed to be there until the twenty-third of the following month.

As a shepherd, David knew about long trips to upper pastures—trips that required walking through walled valleys where thieves and robbers hid and predators lurked. Death was an ever-present possibility—for him and the sheep. He carried only two weapons: a rod and a staff. One defended the sheep while the other guided and rescued wayward sheep.

David mentions an appointment no one will miss unless they happen to be alive when Jesus returns: death. But he wasn’t afraid—and there was a reason.

David’s potential appointment is our certain final appointment. We will die regardless of how we attempt to stop or postpone it. Our bodies will ache and deteriorate no matter how healthy we eat or how much exercise we get. Our only hope is to prolong the final appointment. Keeping it from happening isn’t an option either. 

Yet, when we trust Christ as our Savior and choose to follow him, we won’t have to fear walking through the valley of the shadow of death. Our Great Shepherd’s rod and staff will protect and comfort us.

Choose the only Shepherd who can safely guide you through death into heaven's joys.

Prayer: Father, we thank You that we can trust You to guide us through the valley of death and into Your eternal presence. 

Tweetable: Are you prepared for the final appointment? 

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.