Frequent Flyer - Martin Wiles

Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. Joshua 1:8 NLT

“If I were gone for six weeks, you would forget about me.”

An older deacon in the first church I pastored said it, and I believed it. Our church was small, nestled in a rural community, and rarely had visitors. Since the health of the church depended on the people who were current members, it was essential to keep them happy. Part of that was ensuring someone contacted them if they were out. Although most of the congregation was related, it was easy to overlook those absent. Before we knew it, we would say, “You know what, I haven’t seen so and so in three weeks.”

While encouraging others to be frequent flyers at church is important, another frequent flyer program is even more essential: visiting God’s Word. As Joshua received his commission to lead the children of Israel into the Promised Land, God assured him He would be with him. But He also cautioned him to visit His Word often. He was to study and meditate on it day and night. Only then would he would be successful.

As airlines offer frequent flyer rewards, God extends returns to those who visit His Word frequently. And as I tend to forget about those I don’t see regularly, the same will happen if I neglect God’s Word.

Visiting God’s Word frequently gives us a base to operate our lives. God’s standards are instilled in our minds and then transferred into our hearts. This, in turn, coats our consciences, which God will work through when the enemy tempts us to violate one of God’s commands.

God’s Word gives us comfort. God didn’t hide the struggles of His people but demonstrated how He could guide them through any experience they might face. Visiting His Word regularly assures us He’ll do the same for everyone.

Frequenting God’s Word often also allows us to incorporate promises we can share with others who need comfort along life’s rocky path. What we don’t visit habitually, we will soon forget. Repetition is the master teacher.

God rewards those who frequent His Word regularly. How can you be a frequent flyer?

Father, instill in me a desire to return to Your Word repeatedly. 

Tweetable: Are you a frequent flyer of God's Word?

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Meandering Monday - Cut by the Word - Martin Wiles

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

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Hebrews 4:12 NLT

As a young boy, collecting knives was one of my hobbies.

I had large ones I carried in a sheath and small ones that easily fit into my pocket. Some I had to manually open; others opened at the push of a button. I kept my collection in a jewelry box and added to it frequently. Making sure my knives were sharp was also essential. Dull knives served no purpose. I wanted them keen enough to trim the hair on my arms. Although I no longer collect them, I still carry a small knife with me wherever I go. With a knife, I can cut string, tighten screws, loosen a knot, skin a squirrel, process a deer, and any number of other things.

The writer compared God’s Word to a knife, and I’ve experienced the similarities. Like my knife, God’s Word is incredibly practical. If I need to loosen or tighten a screw and don’t have a screwdriver handy, my knife will do just fine. Preparing game killed for consumption also requires a knife. How many pioneers and Native Americans survived in part because of a knife? God’s Word also gives me advice about friendships, finances, child-rearing, marital relationships, employee-employer associations, and most importantly, God and me affairs.

There’s also a deadly element to a knife. It can and is often used to kill. When it is, it penetrates deep into the essential parts of living things, severely damaging vital organs and leading to deadly blood loss.

God’s Word won’t kill me, but it does slice deeply into the joints and marrow of my soul. The part of me that relates to God. The chunk from which my emotions and thoughts are molded and the segment that will prompt me toward harmful and sinful actions if not quickly squelched. The instructions of God’s Word warn against such actions and at the same time propel me toward a better way.

God’s Word is living and powerful. Are you letting it cut to the chase in your life?

Prayer: Merciful God, we give You thanks for giving us Your Word to warn us about potential mistakes and give us instruction for godly living. 

Tweetable: Is God's Word cutting you? 

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Flashback Friday - Eating the Good Stuff - Martin Wiles

Eating the Good Stuff

Confession time: I love to eat.

I once could eat as much as I wanted without it affecting the scales. Little Debbie’s, Krispy Kreme doughnuts (chocolate covered), fried chicken, apple pies, pound cakes, biscuits and homemade syrup, rice and gravy. But as the years accumulated, it became obvious my metabolism had slowed.

Food is important, but eating the right types and amounts is also essential. Too much of even a good thing is bad. Exercise is also important. This keeps all the parts functioning smoothly and helps burn calories from those “not good for me” excursions I often take. Read more...

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Flashback Friday - Fruit the Hard Way - Martin Wiles

Fruit the Hard Way

Some think it’s easy, but I didn’t. I’d watched my grandfather do it for too many years.

Growing a garden is relaxing but also taxing. Breaking up a piece of unplowed ground with a tiller emits sweat, filthiness, and if I’m not cautious a few words better left unsaid. Rows must be drawn off, fertilizer added, and seed planted. Plants must be weeded and watered and sometimes sprayed with poison. Then the fruit must be harvested and canned or placed in the freezer. All time-consuming endeavors. While fresh fruit is delicious, it’s the product of demanding work. Read more...

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The Best Exercise - Martin Wiles

Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:8 NLT

If having one would help me keep track of my health, then why not buy it?

What initially attracted me wasn’t its sleek style or the many things it could do. It combined as a watch with an alarm, and I’ve been a sucker for a watch since I was nine years old. But since my wife and I have been on a health kick, I was also attracted by its benefits.

Fitbit is an American company known for making products which are wireless and track such things as steps, heart rate, rigorous activity, sleep quality, calories, and other personal metrics. An added feature is that it syncs with my iPhone and alerts me when I have a text message, calendar notification, and incoming call.

Until I was 40 years of age, I could eat anything I wanted without consequence. Not so now. And as I get older, I realize I must take care of myself (and my wife) if I want to increase my chances of staying here a little longer. Because my wife has more health concerns than I do, I had no problem justifying spending the money for a Fitbit if it would help us.

Paul commends physical exercise and good health. After all, God made our bodies and expects us to treat them with care. For believers, our bodies house His Spirit and are a temple. They are also living sacrifices.

As good as physical exercise and proper eating are, there is a better exercise: spiritual. Physical exercise is good for this life only; spiritual exercise is good for both this life and the next. In fact, without proper spiritual exercise, we won't enjoy what the life to come offers.

Spiritual exercise helps me enjoy the abundant life Jesus says I can have now. A life lived daily with confidence and assurance. Confidence that God loves me and has accepted me into His family. Assurance that nothing or no one can take me from His hand. A life lived without condemnation because Jesus has taken my sin.

Spiritual exercise isn’t easy, but it’s always beneficial. I’ll never lose when I devour God’s Word, bathe in prayer, commune with other believers, love everyone unconditionally, serve others with kindness, forgive my enemies (and friends), and care for God’s world.

Exercise physically, but don’t miss the benefits of spiritual exercise.

Prayer: Father, give us the stamina to exercise spiritually every day. 

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Dog on a Foot - Martin Wiles

Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. Luke 10:39 NLT

Of all the stores my grandfather delivered ice cream to, the one where the dog sat on my foot was my favorite.

Aside from a few chain pharmacies and gas stations, mom and pop stores ran the retail world. Small stores owned by local people. Stores where a little of anything could be purchased—including ice cream. And my grandfather was more than happy to supply them with all their customers could consume.

As a young boy, I enjoyed traveling from town to town and through the country helping my grandfather stock these small stores with ice cream novelties. But the one I looked forward to the most was the one where a small dog sat on customer’s feet.

“Where are we going next?” I’d eagerly ask on the day of the week we worked this store. 

Finally, my grandfather would say, “To the store where the dog sits on your foot.” 

As my grandfather took the store owner’s order, the dog walked over and sat on my foot. Why he did, I’m not sure. Perhaps just one of those odd habits some animals pick up as a part of their personality.

Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were Jesus’ good friends. Martha was a busy body, wanting everything to be in order. She was a good hostess. Mary loved to listen to Jesus teach, so she sat at His feet. Martha fussed about it, but Jesus reminded her Mary had chosen the better thing.

The small dog at the store could have reared up on my leg or sat with his tail wagging and got the same response from me as he did by sitting on my foot. He wanted attention from the store owner’s customers. He obviously loved people and craved petting.

Jesus wants the same from me as He did from Mary. But most of the time, I’m a Martha. I get so wrapped up in daily affairs—good things mind you, that I forget to sit at His feet, enjoy His company, and learn from Him. There’s a better way, and Mary and the foot-sitting dog remind me of that. Time spent with the Savior is never wasted. Other things can wait. Listening to Him is more important.

Find time daily to sit at the feet of Jesus.

Prayer: Father, help us slow down so we can spend time sitting at Your feet and learning from You. 

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Rehearsing God’s Word - Martin Wiles

Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Deuteronomy 6:7 NLT

Rehearsed materials tend to stay around longer.

For the final two weeks of school, I required my middle school language arts students to rehearse what they had learned during the year. The final exam would cover the entire book, so I wanted to make sure they remembered all the concepts. As we encountered new concepts along the way, I had reminded them of concepts we had already learned.

By rehearsing material from previous chapters, they had a better chance of transferring that material from their short to their long-term memory. The grades revealed that some should have rehearsed a little more.

Rehearsing is essential with much of what we do in life. Those who plan to sing at church rehearse. Professional singers rehearse. Playing sports requires rehearsing prior to games.

Rehearsing is also a part of my Christian walk. 

God told the ancient Israelites to rehearse His commands. Not only were they to know them personally, but they were also to teach them to their children by rehearsing them every day and in every situation. Rehearsing would lead to remembering.

Rehearsing God’s Word is important as well as commanded by God, but I still have to make the choice to do it. God won’t force me to learn His Word. 

As a child, I was required to memorize various Bible verses, along with the books of the Bible. Children in my father’s church practiced sword drills which entailed a contest to see who could locate a book of the Bible quicker. But as an adult, the choice is mine.

When I rehearse God’s Word, it forces me to meditate on it. 

What is on my mind I will think about often. God will bring His Word to my conscience when it is embedded in my memory. This is beneficial when I’m tempted. God’s Word reminds me of His requirements and of His ability to help me fend off my arch enemy.

Rehearsing God’s Word also aids me when I’m questioned about what I believe and why. 

When His Word is in my heart, I’ll be prepared to give an answer to the curious and to the skeptics. 

Don’t let anything keep you from rehearsing God’s Word.

Prayer: Father, thank You for Your Word that calms our fears, lifts our spirits, and strengthens us for any circumstances we might face. 

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Throwback Tuesday - Martin Wiles

Absorbing God

“Chrissy, did you hear me?” Of course she didn’t. She hadn’t even noticed me walking through the room. She was glued to and enthralled by what held her attention…the television.

Barney and Friends first aired in 1992 and quickly became my five-year-old daughter’s favorite television program. Barney was a fictional purple dinosaur who taught educational messages through optimistic songs and peculiar dances. I found him less than interesting, but from my daughter’s perspective there was no other show like it. She watched it religiously and intently. She absorbed and was absorbed. Read more...

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Book of Books - Martin Wiles

For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are. Hebrews 4:12 NLT

No book exists forever…with the exception of one. 

Collecting old books is a hobby I started several years ago. In that short time, I’ve amassed hundreds of books dating from the 1800’s. One I happened upon was dated 1821. For its age, the book was in excellent condition. The inside page noted it had been housed in a Charleston, South Carolina, library. I quickly grabbed it, took it to the register, and gave them two dollars. But despite its condition, one day it too will deteriorate.

Only one book will last forever, and the writer of Hebrews tells why. The Bible is living, not bound by covers that will fade, crumble, separate from pages, and finally dissolve or be thrown away. No material that books are made from is indestructible—the Bible included, but God’s Word won’t cease to exist because the covers and pages deteriorate. 

The Word of God is more than covers and paper. It is a person. John wrote, "In the beginning the Word already existed" (John 1:1). God gave His Word to writers, but it existed before then, and it will continue to exist even if all Bibles are destroyed. 

God’s Word is preserved by His life-giving Spirit who is more powerful than any force imaginable. The Word is sharper than the sharpest knife, slicing deep into my innermost being to expose my true self so that I might compare my current state with what God wants it to be. When the gap has been revealed, I can petition Him for guidance to bridge the chasm. 

I shelve my old books. Some I wrap in cellophane. Rarely do I read any of them. Turning the pages would only hasten their demise. Not so with God’s Word. It is meant to be handled, digested, and experienced. 

Let God’s eternal Word shape your actions and attitudes. 

Prayer: Father, enable Your Word to become alive in our lives. 

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