Do You Want It Now? - Martin Wiles

One day when Samson was in Timnah, one of the Philistine women caught his eye. When he returned home, he told his father and mother, “A young Philistine woman in Timnah caught my eye. I want to marry her. Get her for me.” Judges 14:1-2 NLT

The virus taught us we can’t get everything now.

COVID-19 taught the world many things, but in America and other countries, we learned we couldn’t get some things we wanted—not just immediately, but at all. One comical thing that emerged was shaggy hairstyles. Men couldn’t go to barber shops. They weren’t open. If they didn’t know how to cut their own hair—or knew someone who could—they went without a haircut until officials lifted the restrictions and could once again see their barber. 

The same thing happened with ladies. No matter how much they wanted to visit their beautician to get their hair done, they couldn’t. And beauticians couldn’t fix hair at their homes without risking a stiff fine if caught. So, like men, many women went without getting their hair cut, styled, and colored. 

Perhaps the one thing Americans may have wanted immediately but couldn’t have was the chance to dine in at restaurants. We are a generation of “eater outers.” Governors closed restaurants to inside dining. Only drive-thrus and carry-outs were open. 

But wanting things immediately didn’t begin with COVID-19. I grew up long before the virus appeared and before people invented some of our present-day tech advancements. This didn’t keep me from wanting things immediately. Mom said money “burned a hole in my pocket.” When I decided I wanted something, I wanted it right then. But I couldn’t get things immediately or even within two to three days. I couldn’t order something from Wal-Mart (which wasn’t even around) and pick it up from the store the same day. Ordered things usually required waiting six to eight weeks. 

I’m not the only one with this want-it-now problem. I’ve known quite a few people who want what they want immediately. And if they have the money, they get it. I suppose Adam and Eve started the whole thing. They wanted what God told them not to eat, and they ate instantly when Satan offered it to them. 

Samson had the same problem. God set him apart to serve as one of Israel’s judges when everyone did what they considered right. Before taking that role, Samson showed his impatience. His immediate wants came in the form of women—in this case, a Philistine. A tribe God forbade the Israelites to intermarry with. Samson saw her and had to have her. Now. Although God worked through Samson’s misdeeds to accomplish his purpose for Samson—to conquer the Philistines—Samson’s want-it-now attitude often caused him problems. 

Samson struggled with patience, which I often struggle with. Patience might be a virtue, but it takes a lifetime to master it. I’ve discovered that aging, experience, and a lot of difficult times seem to help—none of which I particularly enjoy. Whether God sends the trials or merely allows them doesn’t really matter. The end result—patience—is the same if I respond properly. 

When we’re impatient, we make decisions without guidance, which generally leads us into trouble: debt, unhealthy relationships, and illegal activities. Seeking guidance from God and others takes time, but better experiences result.

A want-it-now attitude can be detrimental to us and others around us. But when we trust God for what we need in life and ask for his wisdom before making decisions, he’ll give us guidance that will ultimately teach us patience and give us a better life. 

Don’t let a want-it-now attitude destroy your happiness.

Father, help me trust you to give me what I need and to give it when I need it. 

Tweetable: What are you now willing to wait on? 

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When the World Changed - Martin Wiles

So the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many were bitten and died. Number 21:6 NLT

I once thought I would have enjoyed living during the Great Depression, but . . .

When I was younger, I could find people who had suffered through the Great Depression. I loved talking to them—my grandfather included. I enjoy reading history books about that same period. The stock market crashed, banks closed, unemployment skyrocketed, bread lines opened, work programs appeared, people traveled across the country looking for work, and, unfortunately, many committed suicide. Some lost all they had. People learned to survive on the bare essentials. However, good things came from the economic breakdown as well. People pulled together and demonstrated kindness. They looked to each other and God. But that was then, and this was now.

“We need some groceries,” my wife said.

My monthly paycheck had arrived. Usually, my wife made a list and headed there herself. Not now. COVID-19 changed our lives and the world. Officials enacted social distancing. Some stores closed early to disinfect, our retailer being one of them.

Having just gotten over strep throat, my wife didn’t need to be around too many people. That meant going as soon as the store opened. Some stores allowed no one except senior adults in during the first few hours. I qualified. Additionally, we had two of our grandboys during the week, and we didn’t want them exposed.

So, at 6:30 am on a Sunday—enough time to shop and return before going to church, where I preached to empty pews—we pulled into the Walmart parking lot. A few others had the same idea. Go early and avoid the risk of exposure. The store would be disinfected, and most people would still be home in bed. And the shelves might even be stocked, since hopefully the hoarders would still be asleep, too. We struck pay dirt, getting everything we needed and avoiding seeing more than thirty people.

The previous day, pen sickness had overcome us. When I used the phrase on my adult daughter, she said, “What?” I had to explain. My wife and I had tired of the four walls. We needed to get out. Living in town differed from living in the country. There, we could have roamed acres of land without coming in contact with anyone. Not so in the city.

We called a couple and asked if they wanted to ride to a nearby park that officials had yet to close. The park hosted a few hiking trails, and we imagined a nice getaway where we could enjoy God’s creation and still maintain social distancing. Getting out in nature and doing a little exercise did us all a world of good. We were thankful for a place we could still go without the threat of contracting the virus that ravaged our world.

Never in all my life had I used so much hand sanitizer or washed my hands so often. I’m a firm believer that exposure to germs builds an immune system. And I think I’m right. I lick my finger before passing out papers to my middle schoolers and handle the papers they turn in without thought, washing my hands only after using the restroom or touching poisonous materials. But not then. Coronavirus changed my world.

The Israelites’ world also changed. They did their usual thing: disobeyed God. God had punished them in various ways, but this time, He rocked their world with poisonous snakes. Many died. Only those who looked at the bronze serpent Moses erected lived. Their look was one of faith. After all, faith is the one thing that gets us through a changed world.

Never in my lifetime—or in the lifetime of anyone I have known—has something changed our world as COVID-19 did in 2020. Thousands died, medicines were only experimental, and no vaccine existed. Social distancing made us feel disconnected, even though social media kept us together. But Twitter, Skype, Instagram, and Facebook didn’t substitute for a good hug, sitting next to someone, or shaking a hand.

New normals get our attention, making us sit up straighter and focus. And this one did. I’m not saying God sent the virus—He could have. After all, He did send snakes. But at the very least, He used it to bring out the good in people, to promote unity, and to help us love each other more.

When massive change comes, we can hoard and turn inwardly or turn outwardly and upwardly. Undoubtedly, COVID-19 changed our world in a way it had never experienced before. For those who responded appropriately during the virus, we, in the aftermath, now see people differently, love God more passionately, and rearrange a few of the things that we once considered necessary. After all, whoever thought toilet paper would top our grocery list?

Don’t let change diminish your trust in the God who controls.

Father, when things seem out of control, turn my eyes to the One who remains in control. 

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When Panic Sets In - Martin Wiles

The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm. Exodus 14:14 NLT

Dead ends faced me in every direction I turned.

Every fall, when apple-picking time arrived, my wife and I, along with our daughter and her two boys, made our way to Hendersonville, North Carolina. We enjoy the scenery, love the apples, and enjoy watching the grandboys play on the various attractions.

One activity we always enjoy entails walking through the corn maze. Walking through a cornfield where the corn reaches higher than my six-foot frame brings back fond memories—memories of doing the same as a boy as my cousin, and I ran through our grandfather’s corn fields.

The corn maze also reminds me of an attraction at the local fair where I grew up in Orangeburg, South Carolina: the Glass House. As I recall, I only mustered the nerve to do it one time. Everywhere I turned, I hit a glass wall. I finally made my way out, but not before panic set in.

While I enjoy the corn maze, I always feel a sense of anxiety when walking through it. Paths lead in all directions. I have no way of knowing which one will lead me to the end of the maze. Fortunately, I have my wife ahead of me, and she has a better sense of direction. But even with her excellent nose, we hit several dead ends. A sign greeted us, telling us we had come the wrong way.

Since the corn stalks stretch tall like a church steeple, seeing over them to find a landmark that would direct us back to the apple barn was impossible. Finally, we made our way out. Although I was a little anxious, I did not panic. In this case, I knew I could walk out of the field if I wanted to and see where I was.

Not so easily solved with COVID-19, which hit in full force during 2019-2020. People in China contracted it initially, and many died. Suddenly, the virus left China and marched across the world. The number of infected grew—and thousands died. With no cure available, panic grew. Toilet paper disappeared from shelves like a chicken thief with his goods—even though diarrhea was not a symptom of the virus. Hand sanitizer followed. My wife and I walked through retail and grocery stores and saw empty shelves. People hoarded food items as well. Doomsday thinking reigned.

Panic had a domino effect. Sporting events were axed. Churches canceled services. The President of the United States declared a national state of emergency. Governors closed schools. Even the private school where I teach closed. Everywhere, panic and anxiety rose and multiplied. People were encouraged to social distance themselves from places where fifty or more people would be gathered—then ten. Restaurants closed their dining areas and only opened the carry-out or drive-thrus.

Panic also gripped God’s people. They had just left four hundred years of slavery in Egypt. As they made their way toward the Red Sea, the king of Egypt—who had changed his mind about letting them go—hounded them. When the children of Israel looked around, they saw Pharaoh and his armies behind them and the Red Sea in front of them. Moses, their leader, told them to stay calm. The Lord would fight for them. Moses’ message was the same I heard from official after official during the Coronavirus: stay calm.  

When panic over dire circumstances sets in, we should remember a big but comforting word: sovereignty. The Bible attributes this trait to God. He is in control. He has not stepped away from his throne, where he rules the world.

God will also watch over His children. This does not mean we won’t succumb to the sickness, but God will give us wisdom to do what we need. And if a disease or natural disaster should snatch our lives away, God has an eternal home awaiting us. Knowing this, however, should not prevent us from taking every precaution we can. God gives us a mind to use and His Spirit to guide us along proper courses of action.

Trust is the key. God tells us not to be anxious or worry. He will supply our needs. Whatever we’re anxious about, we can present to him in prayer, and he will give us a peace that exceeds our understanding.

Panic sends a bad message that we think things are out of control, but they aren’t. God controls the timing and the duration of the situation and uses it for his good purposes—as well as ours.

When circumstances appear out of control and you are tempted to panic, remember who controls the situation.

Father, I look to you to lead me away from panic and fear and to trust instead. 

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A Christian Response to Coronavirus - Martin Wiles

In these novel and confusing days, how can we give a Christian response to the Covid-19 pandemic?

1. Don't demonstrate panic or unhealthy fear. 

The Bible reminds us, "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7). In Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, he also tells us not to worry. God will care for his children. Panic leads to unwise decisions, making our situation worse, not better.

2. Don't watch an overabundance of news telecasts. 

Even too much of a good thing can be bad. Too much of this can lead to paranoia--being controlled by fear.

3. Pay attention to what authorities tell us to do.

a. Social distancing- This is a must to keep this virus from spreading. Gathering in groups of 10 or more puts us at risk. This is why many churches are choosing to cancel physical gatherings and substitute these with live streaming. Doing this IS NOT a lack of faith. Rather, this is an effort to use common sense to protect ourselves and others.

b. Wash hands regularly- After doing things we normally don't think about, such as touching mail or picking up a package delivered to our home.

c. Don't shake hands or hug- For us in the South, this is a hard habit to break, but essential at this time. Don't be offended when someone chooses to speak, smile, elbow bump, or fist bump instead.

4. Find ways to show kindness and give hope. 

Technology gives us many avenues to interact while keeping our social distance. And, of course, there's still the old way of writing letters or sending cards. Think of the elderly. Consider those who are working long hours now (medical field). Parents are taking on extra duties because of online schooling.

5. Remember God is in control. 

This, too, will pass, but our world faces something we've never had to face before. Many viruses pass from animal to human but not from human to human thereafter. This one does. We have no vaccine and not enough test kits. Expect things to get worse before they get better. Hunker down for the long haul.

6. Get together with family or a few friends for a time of prayer and Bible study.

Remember, groups of ten or less. 

7. Watch church services online. 

Numerous churches are offering these. Remember, canceled services don't mean churches have closed. The church exists as long as Christians do. 

Tweetable: A Christian Response to Coronavirus. 


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