Enduring Life's Thorns - Martin Wiles

But to keep me from getting puffed up, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from getting proud. 2 Corinthians 12:7 NLT

I hadn't garnered enough backpacking experience, so my first long haul involved a serious mistake. 

Hiking and backpacking had become a love I pursued monthly, but I wanted more. And what better way to spend the week than hiking a remote section of the Foothills Trail with my daughter, who was on spring break? This particular trail meanders along the South Carolina—North Carolina border.

My mistake entailed wearing a new pair of boots. Halfway through our first day of hiking, a burning sensation grabbed at the side of my heel. We stopped at the first cool stream of water so I could investigate. The culprit was a large blister. I cleaned the area, applied antibiotic cream, covered it with a bandage, and moved on. This thorn on my foot required daily care for the remainder of the hike.  

Paul was a great apostle, but he had a thorn. Theologians conjecture what it was, but Paul leaves the answer as a mystery. What it was isn't as important as how he responded to it. His actions are noteworthy when dealing with our thorns. 

Paul identified his thorn—not to us--but to himself. I knew what mine was as well. Soldiers in battle must identify the enemy before they can fight him. 

Though we can't identify the thorn, we can understand why Paul asked God about its why. Asking God a question and questioning God are different. The first is permissible; the second is questionable. God may choose to reveal why or keep it a secret. I knew why I had the blister. 

Paul asked God to remove the thorn. I would have loved for God to miraculously heal my blister, but I doubted that would happen until I took the boots off. God didn't take Paul's thorn away, either. Paul's thorn had a purpose; my blister did as well. 

When God refused to remove Paul's thorn, Paul made peace with it. I did the same with my blister. I doctored it daily because I knew the risk of infection. Paul was obviously tempted to have a prideful spirit since he concluded that God gave the thorn to keep him humble. 

God has a purpose when assigning thorns. When enduring life's thorns, ask God what he's attempting to teach you rather than complaining. 

Father, though I don't enjoy thorns, I trust you have a purpose in allowing them. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

God of Mystery - Martin Wiles

"My thoughts are completely different from yours," says the Lord. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine." Isaiah 55:8 NLT

For several seasons, my wife and I have watched a mystery that defies solving.

Few television shows have tantalized me so much that I would stop what I was doing to watch them. Black List is one. I'm not quite sure what drew my wife to it, but as I sat and read while she watched the show, I, too, was mysteriously drawn to the main characters and the show's mysterious nature. One of the characters, Raymond Reddington, is a criminal—albeit one who assists the other main character, a crime investigator, Elizabeth Keen. He helps because of a mysterious connection with her—one that is never revealed.

God defies solving as well. Scientists propose hypotheses. Experiments, in turn, test the hypotheses. When a particular result occurs, the scientists propose a theory. If the same result repeats itself, they proclaim a fact. But God doesn't follow scientific procedures. When I think I've figured him out, he'll surprise me. He is a mystery, yet a mystery I can live with.

A relationship with God entails admitting that we can't figure him out. I enjoy solving mysteries in life. A favorite board game of mine when I was younger was Clue. Through elimination, someone playing the game determined who the criminal was, what room the crime took place in, and what weapon they used in the act. God, however, doesn't play by the usual rules.

Despite all that we may not be able to figure out about God, there are some things we can know—predictable things. The ways he shows us love may change or surprise us, but the fact that he loves will not. Loving is his nature. How he delivers us from or through trouble may vary, but deliver he will. What temptations he allows us to face—and how long he allows them to endure--will differ, but he always provides a way of escape and the strength to endure the temptation. Trials of different shapes and sizes will come, but God will consistently deliver us through each one.

Although we worship a God of mystery, he remains consistently loving. Make sure you love and trust this God of mystery.

Father, among the many mysteries that surround you, I thank you that I can depend on the consistency of your love, grace, and mercy. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Cheesy Bacon Grits Casserole

 

 

Ingredients

7 packs of Instant Grits

4 eggs

2 cups of water

1 cup of milk

1/2 stick of butter

1 cup of shredded sharp cheese

1 cup of Velveeta cheese

1 pound of cooked and crumbled bacon

Directions

Mix all ingredients.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Place in casserole dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Waiting on God - Abigail Skelton

“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us.” Judges 6:13 NIV

Do you ever feel like you’re just waiting on God? Perhaps you’ve been waiting for months—even years—praying that someday soon will be the day God chooses to step in and answer prayers with a yes instead of a no. 

Gideon was there, too. When the angel of the Lord showed up for a conversation, Gideon wanted an explanation first. 

To Gideon’s confusion (and probably slight annoyance), the angel of the Lord didn’t answer his questions. But the response has inspired countless sermons and songs throughout generations: “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you” (6:14)? 

The Lord’s solution to Gideon’s problem was Gideon. While our situations are often beyond our ability to change—like the death of a loved one or a natural disaster—sometimes the suffering we see is just a challenge to live for God. Maybe there is a relationship in our life that could use some mending. Perhaps we could help those in our community who are in need. God might call us to step out in courage and solve a problem we’ve been praying about.

Fortunately, the angel of the Lord didn’t just leave Gideon to figure things out alone. He assured Gideon he would be with him. What a promise. 

When God calls you to act—whether you’re saving a kingdom or helping a friend—he will accompany you wherever the journey may lead. 

Abigail Skelton is from beautiful Southern Oregon, where she grew up with an avid love for Jesus, chocolate, and writing. She has lived in three countries while involved in missionary work and frequently travels and studies foreign languages. You can connect with Abigail on her website: https://abigailskelton.com.

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Giving God His Due - Martin Wiles

You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35 NLT

How could ninety cents go further than one dollar? According to Dad, however, it was doable.

Two things Dad taught me about money were the importance of saving some and the necessity of giving one-tenth to God. As a child, I only received money from allowances or gifts on Christmas or my birthday. Dad reminded me that I was supposed to give one-tenth to God. He called it tithing and repeated an old adage: “You can’t outgive God.”

I took Dad’s word as truth. When I learned math concepts, I wondered how to buy more with ninety cents than one dollar. But Dad taught me that tithing worked, and so I continued. I tithed ten percent of my income when I began my first part-time job. Dad even taught me that I should tithe from my gross pay, not merely my net. Again, I wondered, Why should I give from what I didn’t receive? After I began working full-time, I continued the practice. Tithing worked. I couldn’t explain it; I simply experienced it.

When we give God his due, we demonstrate our belief that his resources are limitless. He had given me the job and the means to work it and owned every available job and resource. Why should I worry about how I would get by without the ten percent? Believing God can make the ninety percent go further than the one hundred percent is an act of faith—a deed that reminds us that we walk by faith, not sight.

Giving God his due boosts our trust level. We always need the ten percent to pay bills. In fact, we need more than ten percent. Yet, God still wants us to give him the ten percent—and sometimes more. Then, we'll believe he’ll stretch the ninety. And God will honor our giving when we’ve done it with the right spirit and motives. He promises to meet our needs, and we'll learn he can be trusted to keep his word. Giving sporadically illustrates a lack of faith in God, but consistency proves our faith.

Giving comes down to giving because we want to, not because we must. We give to God because he has given so much to us. 

Make sure you are giving God his due. 

Father, prompt me to give you your due because you have given so much to me. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

God's Fences - Martin Wiles

You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Psalm 139:5 NIV

My maternal grandfather was a farmer whose land was circled by fences. Since my cousin and I had free reign to go and come as we pleased, we often encountered fences of different varieties. Most were hog wire fences. One step up and over, and we cleared the obstacle. Occasionally, the hog wire was topped by barbed wire. This required a little more ingenuity. We carefully pulled down the strand and held it against the top of the hog wire, allowing us to swing our legs over without getting snagged.

Of course, the most dangerous kind of fencing was electric. What hog and barbed wire couldn’t fetter, electric fencing could—primarily hogs. They inched their snouts near it and squealed as they felt the warmth of the pulsating electricity. My cousin and I proceeded with just as much caution as they did. Touching it would deliver a jolt we didn’t care to feel.

According to the psalmist, God does a bit of fencing himself. But it’s not hog wire, barbed wire, or electric wire. God’s means of fettering are different.

God fetters through the presence of his Spirit, who reinforces the knowledge of God's commands. Some perceive God as an unfriendly type who sits up in heaven, waiting to zap people for disobeying his commands—which they perceive as nothing more than a list of things they can’t do. And to be sure, God does have a host of “Thou shall not’s.”

But God’s commands are not given to cause us misery but to fence us in, making it more difficult for us to travel in fields we’d be better off staying out of. His commands are not designed to make life miserable but to guide us in a more pleasant direction. He has our best interests at heart. Obedience to his commands will ensure we experience the best out of life.

I’ll be the first to admit I’ve questioned some of God’s directions. And some of them I tend not to understand. Of course, I didn’t understand many of my parents’ directives either. I discovered later, however, that my parents were wiser than I was. God is, too. We can jump God’s fences or believe he has erected them for a reason.

Make sure you are responding positively to God’s fences.

Father, thank you for providing fences to keep me on a godly path. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Cheese Cake

 

Ingredients

2 BOXES JELLO CHEESECAKE MIX 

  

8 OUNCES CREAM CHEESE

8 OUNCES COOL WHIP

3 CUPS MILK

Directions

IN A MIXING BOWL, WHIP CREAM CHEESE UNTIL SMOOTH.

ADD CHEESECAKE MIX TO CREAM CHEESE. 

MIX WELL UNTIL IT FORMS A BALL. 

GRADUALLY ADD MILK UNTIL BLENDED.

FOLD IN COOL WHIP AND PLACE IN A PAN.

REFRIGERATE UNTIL READY TO SERVE. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.