Taking a Break - Martin Wiles

On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. Genesis 2:2 NLT

When teaching, taking a break takes on new meaning.

 

A long summer break energizes teachers. We think of new things to do with our students . . . perhaps even different methods of teaching that will better engage them. We may take educational courses to gain continuing education units. But the best thing about summer is that we get to take a break from the hectic pace teaching often puts on us.

 

When the new school year approaches, we think we’re ready, but it doesn’t take long before we’re tired again and longing for Thanksgiving and Christmas break. Making lesson plans and grading papers taxes our minds, and answering an endless list of questions from students tests the nerves. Two days for Thanksgiving and two weeks for Christmas rejuvenates us, but soon after we return, we long for spring break. And when that’s over, we’re panting for summer break again.

 

I imagine most teachers love their jobs—otherwise, why would we teach—but we long for breaks. Even schools that operate year-round have built-in breaks, equal to those districts that don’t hold year-round school. Teachers can’t teach effectively without breaks, and students can’t learn efficiently without breaks either. Our minds need rest.

 

Even God needed rest . . . well, not really, but the writer uses anthropomorphic terms to tell us God stopped working after a period of time. After six days of creating—in whatever way or time that happened—God rested. He took a Sabbath. A break.

 

By Jesus’ time, religious leaders had turned the Sabbath into a day where they expected legalistic observance from worshippers. Jesus reminded them humans weren’t made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath for us. In other words, we need breaks.

 

Working all the time—whether at our jobs or at tasks or hobbies around the home—messes with our bodies. God didn’t create our bodies to go nonstop. One day a week to stop and focus on our Creator is essential, but we need more breaks than that along the way. We need enough sleep and rest. Otherwise, our bodies break down, we stress out, and we—along with everyone else we contact—suffer physically, emotionally, spiritually, and relationally. Lack of rest makes us irritable, changes our attitude, makes us short-tempered, clouds our thinking, and complicates our relationships.

 

If we’re not getting enough rest, we need to check our schedules, make some hard choices, and rethink our priorities. Then make up our minds to take a break.

 

What are some things you need to rethink so you can take more breaks?

 

Prayer: Father, help us rearrange our schedules so they include times of worship and periods of rest. 

Tweetable: Is taking a break on your schedule? 

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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’ve been known to miss what I focus on—especially when things are out of focus.

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. Until I moved next to a friend who liked to still hunt. Climb a tree, sit in a stand, and chance that deer might walk where I sat. For this, a rifle worked better.

After purchasing one at a local retail store, I set out for my first adventure. At dusk, a herd of deer walked out of the woods two hundred yards from me. I carefully raised my rife, zeroed in on a buck, and squeezed the trigger. The rifle fired, but the herd stood still. Strange, I thought. After this happened twice, I figured I should check my scope. Sure enough, the rifle shot twenty feet above where I aimed.

For Peter, it wasn’t a rifle. The other disciples and Peter fought 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 minor compared to other things that can steal our focus from serving God faithfully and loving him unconditionally. Perhaps the major focus stealer is life’s busyness. Work, relationships, hobbies, children, school, homework, and community affairs. None of which are sinful, but all of which can rob us of life’s true joy.

Taking time to ponder our lifestyles can reveal our life’s priorities. The results can be revealing . . . and shocking. When our priorities are out of focus, they steal our focus from the things that should be our priorities.

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

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

Tweetable: How do you respond when life is out of focus? 

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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. So when God says come, I must go.

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 career and fish for people. A strange call, but I followed. Most recently, he had asked me to figure out how the other disciples and I would feed more than five thousand people who had been listening to him teach. He instructed the crowd to sit on the ground in groups and told us to pass out the pieces of bread and fish we had scrounged from the crowd.

Miracles seemed to follow Jesus. He sent the crowds away after he fed them. Then, he sent us away as well. While the other disciples and I were in the middle of the lake, a storm arose. When it seemed we would die, Jesus walked 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 told me to come.

Peter was a reckless fellow, willing to try almost anything—whether good or bad. Sometimes he strutted like the sole cock in the chicken yard. At other times, he failed miserably. But, 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 I’ve also had 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 us is not as important as our willingness to go where he invites us.

Listen carefully. You might just hear God calling you.

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

Tweetable: How do you respond when God calls? 

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Pizza Casserole

 

 

Ingredients

1 POUND GROUND BEEF

½ POUND SAUSAGE

15-OUNCE JAR PIZZA SAUCE

2 CANS BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

1 ½ CUPS SHREDDED MOZZARELLA CHEESE    

1 CUP SHREDDED CHEDDAR CHEESE

 

Directions

BROWN MEAT AND DRAIN.

STIR IN PIZZA SAUCE.

CUT BISCUITS IN FOURTHS.

PLACE IN A GREASED 13 X 9-INCH CASSEROLE DISH.

TOP WITH MEAT MIXTURE.

BAKE AT 400 DEGREES FOR 20-25 MINUTES.

SPRINKLE WITH CHEESE AND BAKE FOR 5-10 MINUTES LONGER OR UNTIL CHEESE MELTS.

Tweetable: Why not add this quick meal to your weekend's busy schedule? 

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Stop Picking at Scabs - Norma Mezoe

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 NIV

Years ago, a Christian magazine widely circulated an article I had written. In the article, I spoke of how God had lovingly fitted together the pieces of my broken life.

Soon, I received phone calls and letters from people with heartbreaking problems. These fellow travelers reached out to someone who had also walked along the road of despair.

One person wrote of the breakup of a relationship that she had thought would lead to marriage. She struggled unsuccessfully to cope with her pain. In succeeding letters, she said she could not let go of her burden and let God share the load, even though I had encouraged her to by sharing Scripture and articles.

Then I thought of a simple illustration I hoped would help her. When I was a child with a scabby knee, I struggled to leave the scab alone. Time and again, I picked at the crusty growth until it bled. Then, the healing process had to begin anew.

Too often, we repeat something similar. An emotional pain leaves us with a wound. Slowly, the process of healing begins. But then we pick at the hurt—perhaps by thinking of what might have been or what we should have done differently. Soon, tears flood over a heart that has begun to heal, and the scab tears from the wound.

God waits to heal our pain and aching heart but cannot if we pick at the wound. However, if we keep our hands off, His love and peace will cover our wounded spirit and bring complete healing. We must only release our burdens into the Great Physician’s healing hands.

How can you stop picking at the scabs and let God do His healing?

Tweetable: How can you stop picking at your emotional wounds? 

Norma C. Mezoe has been a published writer for thirty-nine years. Her writing has appeared in books, devotionals, take-home papers, and magazines. She writes to honor God, to encourage, and to point others to the Lord. Norma became a Christian at fifteen but didn’t grow spiritually in a significant way until she experienced a crisis at the age of thirty-three that brought her into a closer relationship with the Lord. Norma may be contacted at normacm@tds.net. 

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Shelter in a Storm - Martin Wiles

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

We had no reason to think we’d need shelter in 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 peeled through the mountain valleys. So, we quickly erected our tents.

Within minutes, the lighting popped, and rain poured. The only things separating us from danger were tall trees and the rubber mats we sat on. We knew an AT shelter sat 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 marched 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 as exposed to lightning as our tents, we weren’t much safer. The shelter didn’t prevent the storm from coming nor shorten its length or intensity.

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 strengthens our faith in him to protect us. He may not prevent the storm, but he will safely carry us through it.

While the shelter doesn’t affect the storm, being in the shelter changes our perspective. Our Shelter can lessen the storm’s intensity and duration if he chooses. The shelter is also the place where we’re reassured that God’s in control. He won’t allow anything in our lives that won’t form us more into his image. In the shelter of God’s arms, we’re safe—even if the storm takes our lives.

What shelter do you run to when life gets loud and dangerous?

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

Tweetable: Where do you find shelter in your storms? 

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Not My 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 not my body after all.

“It’s my body. I can do whatever I want with it” is an argument often used by advocates of particular causes or those with habits that can potentially ruin their health—even kill them. On the surface, the argument appears valid. It is my body, and I do have power over it. If I want to go into the kitchen, work outside, attend church, or drive somewhere, I can make my body obey. Whatever messages enter my mind that require bodily movement, my body will obey unless it’s physically incapacitated, or I ignore the message.

The Bible says God is spirit, but he showed up in bodily form in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ body moved according to the Father’s plan. He went where God told him 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 received back into heaven.

God’s body is now represented in every believer’s body. And if it belongs to God, then it doesn’t belong to us. While we still have control over it and can ignore God, we’ll only be blessed and rewarded when we make our bodies follow the messages God puts in our minds. We receive those messages as we daily read his Word, pray, and pay attention to the still small voice of his Spirit.

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

Let God direct your body to accomplish his perfect will. You’ll be glad you obeyed.

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

Tweetable: Are you following God's directives for your body? 

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Pecan Pie

 

Ingredients

1 CUP SUGAR

1 CUP BROWN SUGAR

1 STICK BUTTER

2 TABLESPOONS FLOUR

¾ CUP MILK

3 EGGS (BEATEN)

1 TEASPOON VANILLA

1 CUP CHOPPED PECANS

2 UNBAKED PIE SHELLS

Directions

CREAM FIRST 4 INGREDIENTS, AND THEN ADD REMAINING INGREDIENTS.

STIR TO BLEND WELL.

POUR INTO PIE SHELLS.

BAKE AT 350 DEGREES FOR 30 MINUTES OR UNTIL FIRM.

Tweetable: Why not add this Southern delight to your dessert menu? 

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The One True God - Karen Huffaker

This is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. John 17:3 NLT

My childhood ambition was to be a weather girl on television.

Miss Pat was the local weather personality on the morning show my mother watched daily. She was attractive, likable, and intelligent. And her demeanor made her weather forecasts enjoyable enough to inspire a child.

Pat became my role model as she stood before the big maps, pointing to national regions. It looked easy enough, I thought. I drew crude weather charts and information on paper, taped them to the wall in our den, and used a yardstick to point to various pictures as I “broadcasted” the day’s weather report to my imaginary audience.

By my seventh-grade year, I was still slightly interested in the weather. So, for my science project, I made a couple of simple instruments to demonstrate how to measure wind speed and direction.

But now, as an adult, I desire to point others to the one true God. I show my desire through my words, activities, and lifestyle. Through prayer, involvement in ministries in my church and community, and serving others, I share the light and love of Jesus. I want to encourage others in hope and faith.

The Bible provides wisdom and guidance to live according to God’s plan. It records the details about Christ, whom God sent to earth so we can know and accept Him.

As followers of Christ, we learn how to imitate Him, but obeying God is a lifelong pursuit that leads us to an abundant life with lasting purpose and eternal life in heaven.

Do you have a role model that points you to the one true God? 

Tweetable: How are you pointing others to the one true God? 

Karen Huffaker is a freelance Christian writer. She has taught children’s Sunday school and single mom’s Bible studies and written poetry. She is from the Deep South and loves reading Christian books, devotionals, genealogy adventures, fishing, and all things family. She is also passionate about her grandchildren’s sporting events. 

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Atomic Power - Martin Wiles

I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of his power for us who believe in him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead. Ephesians 1:19–20 NLT

Atomic power can be used for good or evil.

German physicist Otto Hahn discovered how to split the atom in 1938. Scientists feared Nazi Germany might use the knowledge to continue their attack on Europe. World-renowned scientist, Albert Einstein, was convinced to sign his name to a letter addressed to United States President Franklin Roosevelt sharing that concern. Roosevelt in turn formed the Briggs Committee to investigate nuclear fission.

Intense research on the atomic bomb began in America after leaders discovered the Nazis were investigating it and after the shocking attack on Pearl Harbor. On August 6, 1945, a B-29 named Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, killing 130,000 people. Another one was dropped on Nagasaki three days later, killing 75,000 more. World War II ended primarily because of the atomic bomb’s power.

Like many others, I often crave power. I may satisfy my cravings by being educated for a profession that will place me in a management position. Or I could go to a local car dealership and buy a vehicle with a powerful engine. It could be as simple as paying more to get a faster internet connection.

Whatever power we crave can never be matched by the power of the God we serve or the power he gives through the relationship. The scientists who discovered how to split the atom and who eventually developed the atom bomb were influential and created power, but God gave them the ability to develop the power. This God created the universe and presently holds it together.

The power God exerts in nature was also demonstrated in his ability to raise his Son from the grave. He will give us this same resurrection power if we ask. 

God's power will enable us to face and overcome anything in life. It also provides us with the power to live an abundant life. Nothing is too difficult for God—or us—when we’re in a relationship with him.

What do you need power for at the moment? Ask God. He’ll give it.

Prayer: Father, may we live and serve with confidence through the power You supply. 

Tweetable: Are you experiencing God's power? 

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Knowing God - Martin Wiles

Asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. Ephesians 1:17 NLT

Getting to know someone doesn’t just happen—nor does knowing God.

When I arrived in this world, the first person I met was the doctor. Then I met the nurses who handed me to a lady who snuggled me against her chest. A few minutes later, a man took me from the woman and cuddled me against his chest. Several days later, they took me to a strange place. Both of them stuck a bottle in my mouth when I was hungry, changed my diaper when I soiled it and rocked me to sleep. It took a while, but at some point, I began calling them Momma and Da Da. But I didn’t know all there was to know about them. That would take their lifetime and mine.

Getting to know God isn’t much different than getting to know anyone else. Had my parents given me up for adoption, I would never have known them—unless they chose to reveal themselves later. Had I decided to leave them when I was old enough to care for myself, I wouldn’t have learned the many wonderful things I know now.

The theology book I used in college was four inches thick and told anything I could possibly want to know about God. I’ve plowed through it several times, but that only tells me things about God. The same could be said for reading my Bible. It gives me information about God but doesn’t guarantee I’ll know him.

Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians was that they’d get to know God. Before we can know God better, we must recognize we need to. When we make this request, God will grant it and show us ways to make it happen.

Studying Jesus’ life in the gospels is an excellent place to start. Since he was God in human form, he shows us much of what we need to know about God and how he expects us to live. When we hunger to know God, the Bible and other sources then become great avenues of information.

Knowledge about God is only mildly beneficial; personal knowledge about him will change our lives. After all, knowledge is of little use if we don’t use it to better ourselves, others, and the world.

So, what can you do to know God better?

Prayer: Father, may we never be satisfied with just knowing about You. Guide us into a complete knowledge of who You are and who we are in a relationship with You. 

Tweetable: How well do you know God? 

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