As Pure as Water - Martin Wiles

But you are pure and cannot stand the sight of evil. Will you wink at their treachery? Habakkuk 1:13 NLT

With most of the world’s rivers, streams, lakes, and oceans too polluted to safely drink from without purification, we looked at one that was 98% pure. I could not imagine being as pure as water.

While on vacation, my wife and I visited Forbidden Caverns near Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. As we descended more than three hundred feet to the lowest point of our tour, we saw flowing water. A river that came from somewhere high above and snaked through cracks and openings in the cavern to flow into the bowels of the earth.

Looking at the water, I could tell it was different. Moonshiners and Native Americans once used it to ply their trade and survive in the wild. And without harm. Our guide told us why. The water was 98% pure. One could drink it without risk of harm—no need for filtration.

God’s purity, however, is greater than the cavern water. Throughout all sixty-six books of the Bible, God is proclaimed as pure—100 percent. Pagan gods were untrustworthy and not always after the best interests of their followers, but the God of Israel was different. Not an iota of evil is attached to his character. He expects His followers to adhere to the same code of conduct. Trouble is, I’m not pure. Nor can I be by my own power.

Polluted water can be made drinkable by filtration. While hiking and backpacking, I’ve drunk from many questionable water sources, but I protected myself by filtering the water. When it comes to my nature, I can’t do anything to make it pure. I can try turning over new leaves—and I may do well temporarily--but I can’t make myself good permanently. Bad attitudes, foul language, greedy thoughts, and lustful looking will creep in.

God must have known He was requiring something we weren’t capable of since he sent his pure Son to do for humanity what we couldn’t do for ourselves. When we accept what Christ did on Calvary’s cross, we’re given his righteousness, his purity. God considers our sin debt paid, not because we paid it, but because his Son paid it for us. God has filtered us by the blood of Christ and made us 100 percent pure. 

Don’t try to be good so God will accept you. Instead, accept God and let him change your nature.

Father, I thank you for doing for me what I could never do for myself. 

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Spirit Clouds - Martin Wiles

The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. John 3:8 NRSVUE

A much-needed vacation took me to the mountains of Tennessee. I found myself nestled in a cabin high in the Great Smoky Mountains. Each morning, I sat on the porch, admiring the handiwork of my Creator, listening to the birds and turkeys, feeling the gentle breezes, and watching the sun rise above the distant peaks.

One morning was different. The sounds were the same, but the sun didn’t immediately appear. Instead, dark storm clouds marched through the valleys and hopped over the mountaintops. After dropping their cargo in the form of light rain showers, they gave way to wisps of white, dainty clouds that flittered west to east and south to north. As I watched these spirit clouds, I thought of God’s Spirit.

In Greek, the same word is used for spirit and wind. Although I can see the effects of the wind, I cannot see the wind itself. Nor can I view God’s Spirit—only His workings in the lives of people, myself, and the world.

Like the clouds, God’s Spirit is often silent. We hear no audible voice—just a small but effective nudge within our spirit, guiding us in the right direction or to the correct decision. At other times, God’s Spirit is loud. We don’t have to wonder if it is him speaking to our spirit. His voice comes through loud and clear, as clouds that bring vociferous claps of thunder and downpours of rain.

The work of God’s Spirit can be obvious, such as when he brings a change in our lives that is evident to others. Or his work may not be so obvious, as when he slowly changes us from the inside out. Changes that take months, or even years, to ripen to maturity.

As I witnessed the spirit clouds comfort me on that early morning, so my spirit is calmed by knowing that God is always present with me in the form of his Spirit, giving me wisdom and guidance for every decision in life. The clouds went where God sent them, and he never sends them in the wrong direction.

Learn to listen for God’s still small Spirit voice. Then act on what he guides you to do.

Father, thank you for guiding my steps through the still small voice of your 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.

God of Second Chances - Abigail Skelton

And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Matthew 28:20 NRSVUE

When I was in high school, I loved God and wanted everyone to know Him. Yet after a few weeks at a secular university, I became intimidated by the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20). I still loved God, but how could I “make disciples of all nations” when I found it hard just to share my faith with my peers? Over the next few years, I prayed for coworkers and attempted to bring some spiritual depth to my conversations—when I felt like it—but ultimately, I graduated feeling like I hadn’t made the most of every opportunity. Fortunately, God is a God of second chances. 

A few years later, I found myself back in the same college town, alongside a group of young adults who visited the campus and held fun events for the students. This group of young adults invited the students to dinners or coffees and listened to the students’ spiritual journeys, which were often nonexistent. Yet, much to my surprise, I learned that most students liked discussing their beliefs. From these chats, over ten chose to turn their lives over to Jesus. I was floored.

In retrospect, I wish I’d put more effort into sharing my faith when I was a student. I could’ve easily asked other students questions about their moral upbringings. And even if I’d been mocked for my beliefs, this life is short-term in the grand scheme of eternity. Being teased by someone is nothing compared to the real persecution that Christians suffer around the world.

Students across the country are surprisingly open-minded, ready to discover themselves and live their own lives. And frankly, a lot of students are severely lonely. Knowing Jesus is the absolute best antidote. 

Perhaps you have any college kids in your life. Or you may live in a university town and are looking for ways to encourage students during this busy back-to-school season. You might be surprised to find that college ministries love older staff on the teams as well. And ultimately, no matter where you go or what you do, God goes before you and is with you always. 

Never forget God is a God of second chances.

Father, thank you for giving me more than second chances. 

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.

All Things to All People - Martin Wiles

I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. 1 Corinthians 9:22 NRSVUE

Trying to be all things to all people can be exhausting. Our good friends had moved from Colorado. The wife was a native of Colorado, the husband a native of South Carolina. When Jan’s mother-in-law sent her to the store to get a loaf of bread, she assumed it would be an easy mission. After all, who doesn’t know what bread is?

A few minutes later, Jan called. “I don’t see any loaf bread.”

“You mean, the store is completely out of bread?” her mother-in-law replied.

“No, I see plenty of bread. There is just no loaf brand.”

I’m with Jan. In the neck of the woods where I grew up—the lower regions of South Carolina--bread was just called bread. At the most, I might say I was going to get a loaf of bread, but never did I refer to it as loaf bread. Since bread is cooked in loaves, calling it loaf bread seemed redundant. Then again, I didn’t grow up in Upstate South Carolina, where that’s a familiar term, just like hose pipe. I always knew it as a hose or a garden hose. After all, they are hoses, not pipes. Of course, I have sayings my wife, an Upstate girl, isn’t familiar with either.

As an early missionary, Paul probably also faced unfamiliar customs and terms. His goal was to find common ground with people, at least as much as was possible, without compromising the gospel message he preached.

Having grown up in church, I’m familiar with a host of “churchy” words others who haven’t grown up in church might find foreign—words like justification, sanctification, glorification, millennialism, vestibule, pulpit, and sanctuary. And the list goes on.

Like Paul, our mission is to share God’s love and offer of forgiveness with all people—regardless of nationality, race, language, culture, or social standing. Doing so means learning their language so we can modify, but not compromise, our Christianese. Then they can understand what God has done for them in Jesus Christ and accept his forgiveness. Otherwise, they will go on their merry way, not realizing how much God loves them or how much they need him.

Learn to find common ground with those who don’t know Christ so you can point them to his marvelous, gracious love.

Father, let me love others even as You have loved me. 

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.

What Speech Reveals - Martin Wiles

The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences. Proverbs18:21 NLT

I never knew what might erupt from our second-oldest grandson, but we have noticed what speech reveals.

Near the beginning of one summer, he developed a case of strep throat. My wife and I noticed a rash on his face. Then, later, he opened his mouth wide for some unknown reason, and my wife noticed white spots covering his throat. At the pediatrician’s office, they swabbed his throat, diagnosed him with strep, and gave him an antibiotic. One week later, his little younger brother was diagnosed with the same, so the pediatrician suggested we bring Levi back to make sure his strep had cleared up.

While on the way, he asked his mom, “Are they gonna check my toes, Mom?”

“Your toes?”

“Yeah, I need them to check my toes because these Crocs hurt.”

Curious as to what he was talking about, our daughter asked, “Baby, are your shoes too small?”

"Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about,” he said.

Kids may say the darndest things, but I’ve been known to say some things as an adult that I regretted. Wise King Solomon got it right when he pronounced the tongue as an instrument of life and death. While I can’t literally bring someone to life or end their life with the instrument in my mouth, I can cause them to live or die in other ways.

This grandson is known for saying strange things. But since he can’t invent stuff he’s never heard, we know he has heard them either on the television, iPad, radio, a DVD, or—perish the thought--from us.

Speech reveals what we’ve been influenced by, which means we need to tend to our environment. Spending too much time with seedy individuals, whether directly or indirectly, increases the risk that we’ll copy their behavior. And our behavior most often comes out in our words.

Speech also reveals our priorities. It’s natural to talk the most about what’s important to us. Since I love my family, writing, reading, and grammar, I tend to center my words on them. But since I love God more, actually the most, I should speak of him more often than I do anything else. Not to the point that I’m obnoxious, but regularly.

Remember that when you speak, others see your soul.

Father, may the words we speak reflect love for You and others. 

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.

God Hunger - Martin Wiles

God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. Matthew 5:6 NLT

Appetite doesn’t always diminish with age. Nor should God hunger. 

At ninety-five, one would think she’d eat like a bird. But not this nursing home resident. She was one of our church’s shut-ins who had found herself in the hospital. As I walked in, her daughter-in-law was busy feeding her a liquid diet composed of apple juice, chicken broth, and Jell-O. None of that sounded appetizing to me, but I hadn’t been five days without food as she had. “Apple juice,” she called, and her daughter-in-law put it to her mouth. “Chicken broth.” And the same response. Then, “Jell-O.” She continued to demand food until she had eaten or drunk every last bite.

I’ve watched many older adults’ appetites change. Some who were healthy eaters now ate just enough to get by, or didn’t, and dehydrated. Others experienced a change of taste buds. Whereas they had once eaten healthy food, now they wanted sweets. However, this elderly lady wanted the good stuff. She ate everything—and anything--they served her at the nursing facility.

As I watched her demand food to satisfy her hunger, I thought of this verse. Jesus addressed hunger, but he wasn’t talking about physical hunger. Spiritual hunger was on his mind. Physical hunger, in the extreme, leads to death, but spiritual hunger can lead to death or a healthier life.

From the time we are old enough to distinguish right from wrong, God begins to create a spiritual hunger in our souls. This hunger explains why all people groups in history have worshipped something. It might have been the elements of nature or wooden or stone objects that represented their gods. Yet they worshipped.

What we do to satisfy this hunger is crucial. Turning to nature or artificial idols won’t satisfy my appetite. I have never constructed idols from stone or wood, but I have formed them in the shapes of sports, hobbies, work, and relationships. That was before I reached the point where I had a hunger for God, to know him better, to serve him fully. I discovered that no person, thing, or relationship could properly take his place. The ache in our belly can only be satisfied by loving God with all our heart, soul, spirit, and mind.

Let God, and God alone, satisfy your spiritual cravings.

Father, create in me a hunger that only you can satisfy.

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.

Healing the Hurting - Martin Wiles

The crowds asked, “What should we do?” John replied, “If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.” Luke 3:10-11 NLT

God brought the saying to my mind; I never imagined anything would come of it, especially healing the hurting. 

Bimonthly, I changed the saying on the sign in front of the church. Since I was tired of trying to find unique sayings—and since we didn’t have anything special happening to advertise--I tried to listen for God’s still small voice. “Hurting people find healing here” came to mind. Appropriate, I thought. After all, churches should be places where anyone can come for emotional, spiritual, and even physical healing. 

A couple in our church who own a construction company had been remodeling our Sunday school area and feverishly trying to finish it before our annual Vacation Bible School. As they worked late one night, a stranger banged on the door. Wary at first to let him in since the stench of alcohol clothed him, they eventually decided to open the door. He wanted nothing but to talk. “You may have saved my life,” he said later when he left. 

Hundreds of years had passed since anyone had heard from a prophet of God. Then John the Baptist emerged from the wilderness. Not the kind of person you’d think God would send with an important message, but, then again, God often operates outside of the box. After destroying their trust in their family heritage as a source of salvation, John hears them ask what they should do. Share with others was his answer. Doing so would demonstrate love. 

Jesus parroted John’s message. As God’s representative, we must share his love with others. The only way we can do this is through tangible acts that touch their lives. Even those incapacitated by health ailments can carry on an active intercessory prayer ministry. Other acts might include supporting an orphaned child, encouraging missionaries serving overseas in dangerous areas, carrying meals to shut-ins, or teaching in a local church. 

Opportunities abound, but healing the hurting is a mandate we can’t ignore. Through acts of love, we validate our relationship with Christ to ourselves and others. When they see love in action, they will be more likely to trust the Savior we serve. 

Think of one way you can help heal those who are hurting.

Father, motivate me to reach out in love to those who are hurting.

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.

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.