Expect the Unexpected - Martin Wiles

Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. 1 Peter 4:12 NLT

Ominous clouds threatened as my wife and I eased into the parking space. We did not expect the unexpected. 

Hot, humid weather had peppered the previous week. Pop-up showers increased by the day. But on one particular evening, I had a wedding to officiate. A few rain showers had already passed by earlier in the afternoon, and I hoped for fair weather since the reception was outside.

Shortly after we pulled into our parking space, large pellets of rain began to fall. As the winds increased, I anxiously watched the reception tent. Although a few odds and ends blew away, most things stayed in place. They had expected the unexpected. The tent was securely staked. Long, heavy tablecloths clung to the tables. Wrapped utensils kept the napkins from blowing away. Apart from a bit of trash and dirt blown in by the wind, the reception went on as usual despite the earlier storm.

Peter speaks of another type of storm: persecution. And early believers were facing their share of it. They might have been surprised, but they shouldn’t have been. After all, Jesus had been persecuted and told them they would be as well.

When we remember the impact of sin on people and the world in general, we will no longer be surprised by the trials we face. People infected by sin will behave in harmful ways. Sinful natures are responsible for physical and verbal abuse, crimes of all sorts, divorce, financial mismanagement, and elder abuse. The list is endless. The infection of sin can also make nature misbehave. Tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, etc.

But not all trials are caused by sin or sinful people. As long as they don’t violate God's nature, God, too, can send trials. The Bible is adorned with stories that show how he did just that. The difference is that God’s trials are beneficial. When we respond to them with a positive attitude and draw closer to him for wisdom and guidance, we grow spiritually, and our faith is enhanced. Remaining in a close relationship with Christ helps us survive and even thrive when the unexpected comes along.

Don’t let the unexpected blow you away. Remain grounded in Christ.

Father, when the trials of life come, may I find my anchor in you. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing. No one escapes life's hurts, but we can move beyond them to hope and healing. 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.

Red Carpet Ceremony - Anita van der Elst

Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:11 NLT

Music blared into the street from loudspeakers as we walked past the temporary barricades set up at one end of Main Street in our little town. Local vendors lined the sidewalks in colorful booths. A sign on one booth proclaimed, “Ice cream solves everything.” I assure you, it will take much personal experimentation to determine the truth of that statement. It was a red carpet ceremony. 

We discovered the main attraction was an official cornhole competition. A couple of dozen target boards occupied the street next to the curbs. Teams congregated on opposite sides of the street. They took turns tossing little bags filled with dried corn kernels across the street toward the holes in the target boards. Observers crowded the sidewalks, milling about, shouting encouragement and advice. Cheers went up as corn kernel bags found their mark. It was a grand occasion, and the winners were awarded.

But God is planning a much grander event for us as Peter notes (2 Peter 1:11). The gaiety and party atmosphere on a small town’s Main Street in its noisy chaos pales in comparison to the celebration awaiting us in the Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Will it be a red carpet kind of scene? Will we jump and leap through that entrance, shouting and singing his praises? Or will it be a solemn procession? My heart wants it to be the leaping and jumping kind of event, especially since I’ll have that new body. Whatever the case, it will be better than any sports activity, concert, or awards ceremony here on earth.

Arrangements must be made ahead of time to enjoy this celebratory occasion. Trusting in Christ as our Savior is the key. Make sure you have made arrangements to be included in this grand red carpet ceremony.

Anita van der Elst finds joy in creating with words, believing God gifted her with the desire to do so. Married to her best friend, Edward, since 1976, she is a proud mom of four adult children and Oma to three of the most delightful grandchildren ever. Other joys in her life include bringing beauty to Facebook through photos she takes on her iPhone, exploring the state parks in the PNW, facilitating a small group of women, and participating in a Bible study. 

I invite you to try my newest book, Grits, Grace, and Grands, in eBook or paperback. If you are a grandparent or just want to hear grandparent stories, 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.

Discerning God’s Voice - Martin Wiles

O Lord, listen to my cry; give me the discerning mind you promised. Psalm 119:169 NLT

One text message can change the course of a life. So can discerning God's voice. 

She really didn’t want to go to church that Sunday night. After all, they were just showing the movie, God’s Not Dead. But her husband wanted to go, so she obliged. Near the end of the movie, concert-goers were encouraged to text "God's Not Dead" to every contact in their phone. Although she wasn’t at the concert, she felt the urge to text her son, who struggled with an addiction. Little did she know he was about to take another hit. Receiving the text from his mom at that critical moment changed his mind. She discerned God’s voice.

I once discerned God’s voice as well. My wife and I were eating at a local restaurant. Four highway patrolmen sat at the table next to ours, one of whom I was acquainted with. God’s Spirit urged me to perform a particular act of kindness for them. It was Memorial Day, as well as the day we were honoring medical responders, firefighters, and law enforcement personnel. Reason prompted me to consider the cost; God wanted me to act on His prompting. So I listened. 

God promises believers we can discern his mind, and the psalmist wanted to do just that. Unfortunately, I’ve missed many opportunities because I either didn’t discern his voice or lacked faith—faith that God would replace the money the act of kindness cost.

God gives us the ability to know the mind of Christ, but it doesn’t happen automatically. Just as keeping in touch with family and friends helps us understand them and their likes and wants, so the same happens in our relationship with Christ. Through prayer, Bible study, and meditation, we learn who he is, what he desires for us, and how to please him. His Spirit may indwell us, but unless we stay in constant contact with him, his Spirit’s promptings will grow fainter and fainter.

Stay close to God so you won’t miss opportunities he sends. And when he sends them, take a leap of faith and act upon what he tells you to do.

Father, give me the wisdom to recognize your voice and the faith to obey it. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing. No one escapes life's hurts, but we can move beyond them to hope and healing. 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.

A New Normal - Martin Wiles

You have been wandering around in this hill country long enough; turn to the north. Deuteronomy 2:3 NLT

Monday morning arrived, and I couldn’t remember what I needed to do first.

For the previous four years, I had observed the same morning routine. My profession as a school teacher required me to arrive at school by 7:30 a.m. But things changed when I changed employment. I still kept office hours at my new employment, but the hours were variable, giving me more flexibility.

My first morning was slightly confusing. I was unsure whether to follow the same order I used before or rearrange it. I chose the latter but soon found myself confused about what to do first. I also forgot to do some things I had been doing with predictability for the last four years.

The trip from Egypt to the Promised Land was brief—or at least should have been (Deuteronomy 2:3). Stubborn rebellion by the Israelites caused them to wander in the wilderness for forty years until the rebels died. That’s when God gave them a new normal. No more wilderness. Now it was time for them to enter the Promised Land.

New norms can bring anxiety. The Israelites would immediately pass through territory belonging to the Edomites. While they were relatives, they weren’t friendly relatives. God reminded his people that he had been with them in the past and would be with them on this new normal journey as well. God never forsakes us when he leads us into new norms. His indwelling Spirit has the power to soothe our anxieties regardless of how intense they may seem.

New norms can usher in unprecedented victories. With a new fighting force, God led his children to capture land belonging to Sihon the Amorite and Og, king of Bashan. Along with anxiety came victory. God doesn’t lead us to new normals so that we’ll have some place fresh to go. He has plans that will involve us in his Kingdom advancement.

New norms invite the enemy’s attention. Moses experienced victory, but because of earlier disobedience, he couldn’t enter the Promised Land. God has plans for victory by leading us to the new norms, but as always, our enemy works to bring defeat. Honing our faith in the new normal keeps us from falling into the enemy’s traps.

Rather than being overwhelmed by anxiety, enjoy the new norms that God brings you.

Father, help me to trust you when you bring me into new norms. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing. No one escapes life's hurts, but we can move beyond them to hope and healing. 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.

Ignoring God - Martin Wiles

I warned you when you were prosperous, but you replied, “Don’t bother me.” You have been that way since childhood—you simply will not obey me! Jeremiah 22:21 NLT

Our challenge seemed simple, but proved more difficult than we imagined.

The final day of school is always a half day. Following breakfast, teachers and students head off to the gym, where eligible students receive various awards. Typically, this had been followed by two hours of dead time. But one year, we teachers decided to show a movie. As a Christian school, we are required to show only G-rated movies unless we have parental approval.

Our lead teacher picked Star Wars, thinking that none of the students would have seen the original and that it would interest them. She was correct on the first count but miserably wrong on the second. What we teachers hoped would be a relaxing time turned into a scene more challenging than the classroom.

Jeremiah, known as the “weeping prophet,” was also given a daunting challenge: deliver a message to God’s people, warning them of coming destruction by a foreign force (Jeremiah 22:21). A destruction they had brought on themselves by ignoring God, just as most of our students ignored the movie.

Most of the students ignored the movie because they had no interest in it. Since it was space-related and showed examples of techy stuff, we assumed they’d love it. The trouble was that our world has advanced so far since the movie’s production that the production itself was now dated. Without God’s intervention, we’ll respond to God the same way the students did to the movie. While we’re born with spiritual interest, we’ll ignore God because of our sinful nature unless we listen to the Spirit of God pulling us in the right direction.

As a believer, I’ve ignored God numerous times because I had my mind on other things. Had we shown the movie earlier in the year, the students might have watched. This was the last day of school, and they were moments away from the final bell and summer vacation. Unless we allow God to keep our minds on spiritual things, we’ll also find ourselves ignoring God.

Initially, a few students were interested in the movie but were eventually distracted by classmates who weren’t. I, too, have been led away from God by others. Going was my choice, but letting them influence me was also my choice.

Don’t let things or people lead you to a place where you are ignoring God. Doing so always has devastating effects.

Father, may I always give you my full attention so I can accomplish Your perfect plan. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing. No one escapes life's hurts, but we can move beyond them to hope and healing. 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.

Sweating-Blood Scared - Martin Wiles

He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood. Luke 22:44 NLT

He had proudly denied the existence of God and spewed nothing but hate for him. But that was before he lay on his deathbed, sweating-blood scared.

The movie, God’s Not Dead, details the story of a battle between a college freshman and an atheist philosophy professor who challenges the young student to prove God’s existence—a battle the student wins when he asks the professor how he can hate someone who doesn’t exist.

Having a change of mind, the professor hurries to a Newsboys concert, only to be hit by a car while crossing the road. Fortunately, a local pastor is nearby and rushes to his side. Fear washes over the professor’s face as he realizes that perhaps God is alive after all. Willing to take the risk, he professes his belief in Jesus Christ just before he takes his last breath.

Fear also washed over Jesus before his death as he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane—so much so that his sweat became like blood (Luke 22:44). Although God in the flesh, he was also very much human. He knew the agony involved in crucifixion, but realized his would be even more painful. He would take the sin of the world upon himself.

God has created within us a fight-or-flight mechanism that serves us well. When we find ourselves unwillingly in danger, God gives us healthy fear, which leads us to run away. This mechanism can also provide adrenaline power that we don’t typically have when we need to fight.

Satan, on the other hand, is the master of burdening us with unhealthy fear. This spirit debilitates and keeps us from fulfilling God’s plan for our lives. We’ll make excuses instead of forging ahead. This fear can also prevent us from forming healthy relationships, causing us to dwell on those that weren’t. With this fear, Satan can steal, kill, and destroy God’s intentions for us.

Overcoming the fear of sweating blood is as simple as acknowledging it, reminding ourselves that it isn’t coming from God, and asking God to replace it with a sound mind that trusts him to lead us into his bright future.

Give your fears to God, and let him replace them with a sound mind. Don't be sweating-blood scared. 

Father, I place my fears in your hands and ask for peace of mind, soul, and spirit. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing. No one escapes life's hurts, but we can move beyond them to hope and healing. 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.

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 ensure they remembered all the concepts. As we encountered new ideas along the way, I 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-term 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. Those who plan to sing at church rehearse. Professional singers rehearse. Playing sports requires rehearsing before games.

Rehearsing is also a part of our Christian experience. 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 daily in every situation. Rehearsing would lead to remembering.

Rehearsing God’s Word is essential and commanded by God, but we still have to choose to do it. God won’t force us 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.

Rehearsing God’s Word forces us to meditate on it. What is on our minds, we will think about often. God will bring his Word to our conscience when it is embedded in our memory. This is beneficial when we’re tempted. God’s Word reminds us of his requirements and his ability to help us fend off my archenemy.

Rehearsing God’s Word also aids when we’re questioned about what we believe and why. When his Word infiltrates our hearts, we’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.

Father, thank you for your Word that calms my fears, lifts my spirits, and strengthens me for any circumstances I might face. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing. No one escapes life's hurts, but we can move beyond them to hope and healing. 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.

Getting the Big Head - Martin Wiles

Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out. So the entire community and their livestock drank their fill. Numbers 20:11 NLT

Henry was a close friend of my father’s, but they were different. Dad was quiet and reserved; Henry was outgoing and comical. Dad held post-graduate degrees; Henry never made it out of college. Dad held no position in his state denomination, while Henry had moved up in the ranks. Dad was a relatively unknown pastor. Henry was known by most and had served for many years as the parliamentarian for his denomination on the state level. But Henry never got the big head. Regardless of how important the people were whom he hobnobbed with, he remained the same old Henry. He must have known that getting a big head can push us away from God and others.

Moses forgot how to be humble. God had chosen him to lead the Israelites from Egyptian slavery to the Promised Land. He also gave him the power to perform miracles. One was striking a rock with his staff. When he did, water gushed out for the thirsty people. But on this occasion, God told him to merely speak to the rock. Moses, full of himself and angry at stubborn people, hit the rock instead. God doesn’t appreciate orneriness and politely informed Moses he had forfeited his chance to lead the captives into the Promised Land.

The Bible doesn’t use the word big head, but it does use the word pride—and they’re identical. When pride infiltrates our lives, life becomes about us. Initially, Moses wanted nothing to do with the assignment of freeing the captives, but as time moved on, he thought more of himself than he should.

Pride leads us to distrust God, causing us to make poor decisions. No inherent power resided in Moses’ staff. Trust in God made the staff work—along with anything else God told him to use. Many of my poor decisions have been selfish and made in a moment when I failed to let God guide me.

God has a way of shrinking our heads when they get too big. He shrunk Moses’ by taking away the privilege of living in the Promised Land. He’s used various methods on me as well. But God isn’t in the head-shrinking business because He’s mean. He simply wants us to trust in him instead of in ourselves.

When your head gets too big, let God remind you about who you are without Him.

Father, remind me daily that I am nothing without you. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing. No one escapes life's hurts, but we can move beyond them to hope and healing. 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.

Wrong Place at the Right Time - Martin Wiles

A passerby named Simon, who was from Cyrene, was coming in from the countryside just then, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross. Mark 15:21 NLT

Daily, thousands, perhaps millions, of people are at the wrong place at the wrong time.

As I listen to the latest news headlines while eating breakfast, I hear about many of them. Some are seriously injured while others are killed. A police officer is shot. A motorist is involved in a life-altering accident. Some board a plane only to have it crash or be blown up by terrorists. Others are the victims of robberies or murders.

Apparently, Simon of Cyrene was one of them. Minding his own business, hobbling in from the countryside, he is accosted by Roman soldiers leading Jesus to Calvary to crucify him. By this time, Jesus struggles because of the persecution he has endured. Rather than fooling with his inability to move faster, the soldiers enlist someone to carry the cross for Jesus.

But, then again, perhaps Simon wasn’t at the wrong place at the wrong time. Just maybe, he was at the wrong place at the right time. Cyrene is located in modern-day Libya, so it’s possible Simon was an African man coming to worship during the Passover celebration. Although he worshiped the Jewish God, this experience of carrying Jesus’ cross likely led him to faith in the Messiah. By shouldering the cross, he would have touched the blood of Jesus and probably Jesus himself. Though his experience wasn’t pleasant, Simon was where he needed to be.

God has a habit of placing us in what appear to be the wrong places at the most inconvenient times. Later, we discover these times and places are just where we need to be to learn essential lessons that propel us forward in our spiritual growth. From God’s perspective, there is never a wrong place or a wrong time. He guides our steps and forms our image after his, just as the potter does the clay vessel. As with Simon, if we’re perceptive, he’ll put us exactly where we need to be.

Don’t fear the events of the day. Instead, trust God to put you exactly where he needs you so you can experience all he has in store.

Father, give me faith that you will place me exactly where I need to be. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing. No one escapes life's hurts, but we can move beyond them to hope and healing. 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.

Fruit Inspector - Martin Wiles

You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Matthew 7:16 NLT

What looks good outwardly can occasionally disappoint.

I’m not a fruit inspector—at least not by profession. But I do inspect fruit before purchasing it. When selecting apples and oranges, I look for bruises or soft spots. If I’m buying a bag of Irish potatoes, I make sure there are no rotten spots. Bananas can’t be bruised or overripe. Some fruit, however, can trick me.

I recall buying one bag of black grapes. They had all the appearances of being ripe and sweet, but when I plopped the first one in my mouth, I was met with an unpleasant taste. Sourness. And, unfortunately, the entire bunch was identical. Since grapes don’t ripen once removed from the vine, I threw them away. I’ve purchased a few watermelons and cantaloupes that also fooled me. Unlike grapes, however, they continue to ripen, so if I’m patient, I’ll eventually experience a good taste.

Jesus instructs us to be fruit inspectors, whether we get paid for it or not. Just as some fruit appears to be ripe but isn’t, some people seem to be Jesus’ disciples but are actually false teachers—wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Jesus’ admonition reminds us that we can deceive others. Through our actions, emotions, words, and attitudes, we portray our identity, but we can also disguise our identity by those same means. When we curtail them to fit a particular situation or display certain ones when around specific people, we define ourselves as someone particular—genuine or hypocritical.

God knows our hearts. We do, too. We may succeed in fooling others about our true identity, but in our hearts, we know whether we’re being true to our inner selves. So does God. That’s why he pricks our conscience when the two don’t match up. He doesn’t want us leading others astray, nor does he want us fooling ourselves. We must inspect others’ fruit, but also ours.

Cultivating our vines through spiritual disciplines so we’ll bear more fruit that’s ripe, sweet, and delicious is vital. When others inspect us, we should want them to find abundant good fruit, but we don’t want them to discover hypocrisy.

Make sure the spiritual fruit you’re producing is sweet to others’ taste.

Father, may the fruit I produce show others that I am your child. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing. No one escapes life's hurts, but we can move beyond them to hope and healing. 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.