Bottled Up - Martin Wiles

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. Psalm 56:8 NLT

They are bottled up on the cabinet, snuggled on the shelf, and frolicking on the floor, but none are doing what they were initially designed to do.

Old bottles are one of my passions. I don’t go out of my way to find or collect them, but when I come across one at a decent price, I snatch it up. Many in my collection were given to me by people who saw no purpose in having them, and others I’ve bought at discount prices from store owners who didn’t know their true worth. They range from soda bottles to medicine bottles to milk bottles and everything in between, but they all have one thing in common: they’re empty.

None of my bottles are filled with their original contents, nor are they presently being used for their initial purpose. The beauty is now in their historical significance and the unique designs and raised markings they display. I could bottle them up with something—water if nothing more—but they still wouldn’t fulfill their earlier purpose. They serve merely as reminders.

The psalmist was discouraged. Enemy troops tracked him, slanderers stalked him, spies spied on him, and his emotions raged. Appealing to God helped calm his nerves. He reminded himself that God took notice of his situation and could bottle up his fears, disappointments, and sorrows.

Whatever was stored initially in my bottles could be uncorked or uncapped and poured down the recipient’s throat. Pleasure or relief from pain resulted. God can take sorrow, discouragement, and disappointment and bottle them up. But He seals them so tightly no one can release them again.

Life can be overwhelming. Sin taints the world so thoroughly that the results are bound to touch our lives repeatedly until we die. A range of emotions result when they do. Feelings that can lead us in unhealthy directions unless we remember God hasn’t abandoned us.

When I feel overcome with peace-destroying emotions and thoughts, I look at my empty bottles and ask God to do what the psalmist did—bottle them up. Seal them tightly. Cork them completely. And then I ask Him to help me to see clearly what I can glean from the confined contents.

What are some things that are overwhelming you? Ask God to bottle up the things that baffle you.

Father, I thank You that I can come to You with my petitions and pains and count on You to bottle them up so I can live with peace and purpose. 

Tweetable: What are you bottling up? 

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

No Deposit, No Return - Martin Wiles

He has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us. 2 Corinthians 1:22 NLT

They lay alongside the roadside, waiting for a lawnmower to crush them or some boy to pick them up and return them to a store for the deposit money.

Once upon a time, before manufacturers of soda decided to package their product in aluminum or plastic, they placed it in glass. And on the bottle, manufacturers stamped the words, “Return for Deposit.” Retailers, and then customers who bought the product, paid a small deposit—three to five cents. If they returned the bottle to any retailer, the retailer would return the deposit to them.

My cousin, who lived in the country, always looked for ways to make money. When I spent time with him during the summers, I joined in his escapades. One involved picking up bottles. From his house to the nearest small town was about one mile. He took one side of the road, and I took the other. By the time we reached town, both of us had found a few bottles lying along the roadside. We took them to Bert’s farm store, and he gave us five cents per bottle. Doesn’t seem like much now, but then a quarter went much further.

For various reasons, bottle production faded away in most places, and aluminum and plastic took over. Some manufacturers later returned to putting a limited amount of their product in bottles, but the “Return for Deposit” was missing. Now, it says, “No Deposit No Return.” I can spend my time picking up bottles and returning them to a retailer, but they won’t accept them—and they won’t give me any money. The best I can do is recycle them.

Manufacturing companies stamped their names on their products, so the bottle got back to the right place. According to Paul, God does the same. When we trust Christ as our Savior, God places an identifying mark not on us but in us: the Holy Spirit. He’s a person and a part of the Holy Trinity, along with the Father and the Son.

The good news is that God won’t take back what He’s deposited, such as retailers and manufacturers once did. In the Old Testament, God gave His Spirit intermittently, when He had a special job for someone to do. But after Pentecost and the birth of the Church, God gave the Spirit permanently to His children.

Great advantages come with having God’s Spirit: perfect guidance for all circumstances, perfect wisdom for every decision, strength for any mission God sends us on, perfect peace—regardless of the pain or dire straits we encounter—and life as we could never experience if we didn’t have the Spirit.

Don’t waste the value of what God has deposited in you. Let the power of God’s Spirit lead you to the life God has planned for you.

Prayer: Father, help us to be sensitive to the power of Your Spirit in us. 

Tweetable: Are you valuing the life God has given you?

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

Bottled Up - Martin Wiles

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. Psalm 56:8 NLT

They cuddle on the cabinet, snuggle on the shelf, and frolic on the floor, but none are doing what they were originally designed to do. 

Old bottles are one of my passions. I don’t go out of my way to find or collect them, but when I come across one at a decent price, I snatch it up. Many in my collection were given to me by people who saw no purpose in having them, and others I’ve bought at discount prices from store owners who didn’t know their true worth. They range from soda bottles to medicine bottles and everything in between. But they all have one thing in common: they’re empty. 

None of my bottles are filled with their original contents, nor are they presently being used for their initial purpose. The beauty is now in their historical significance and the unique designs and raised markings they display. I could bottle them up with something—water if nothing more, but they still wouldn’t fulfill their earliest purpose. They serve merely as reminders.

The psalmist was discouraged. Enemy troops were tracking him, slanderers were stalking him, spies were spying on him, and his emotions were raging. Appealing to God helped calm his nerves. He reminded himself that God took notice of his situation and could bottle up his fears, disappointments, and sorrows. 

Whatever was originally stored in my bottles could be uncorked or uncapped and poured down the recipient’s throat. Pleasure or relief from pain resulted. God can take sorrow, discouragement, and disappointment and bottle them up. But He seals them so tightly no one can release them again. 

Life can be overwhelming. Sin taints the world so thoroughly that the results of it are bound to touch my life repeatedly until I die. A range of emotions result when they do. Emotions that can lead me in unhealthy directions unless I remember God hasn’t abandoned me. When I feel overcome with peace destroying emotions and thoughts, I look at my empty bottles and ask God to do what the psalmist did—bottle them up. Seal them tightly. Cork them completely. And then I ask Him to help me to see clearly what I can glean from the confined contents. 

Are you feeling overwhelmed by life? Ask God to bottle up the things that baffle you. 

Prayer: Father, we thank You that we can come to You with our petitions and pains and count on You to bottle them up so we can live with peace and purpose.

Looking for a wide selection of genres in Christian books at discount prices? Use coupon MWiles for 20% off. Click here to see selections.  

Thanks to all our faithful followers who are "sharing" our posts--please keep it up! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Help us spread God's encouragement through his love lines.