To Forgive or Not to Forgive - Martin Wiles

For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT

To forgive or not to forgive, that is life’s dilemma.

Mickey had faced a lot in life. He’d had to forgive his first wife for walking out on him. So he wasn’t prepared for the words his second wife whispered one night in their bedroom: “I don’t love you anymore.” 

Mickey’s world also crumbled when he learned his wife had been unfaithful. Containing his anger took every ounce of energy he had. When his wife finally walked out, forgiveness was the last thing on his mind. When it became clear the marriage was not salvageable, he had to choose: forgive her and move on, or resent her and be miserable. 

God’s choice was similar. He created humans, placed them in a garden where all their needs were met, and gave them one prohibition. Shortly thereafter, they failed the test. He could assign them and their descendants a murky future or forgive them and provide a way for reconciliation. He chose the latter and made a path of reclamation that was foreshadowed by the skins he secured to cover their nakedness.

Thousands of years later, Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice that those first animal skins had symbolized. But why couldn’t God simply forgive without the gruesome suffering the cross demonstrated? The answer lies in the association between forgiveness and suffering. The first always entails the second.

Choosing to forgive entails suffering. If someone wrongs us and we choose not to forgive, resentment, hatred, anger, and plans for revenge will assume the place of forgiveness. We may think refusing to forgive hurts the other person, but we’re the one who suffers. Doing the opposite, forgiving, also involves suffering. 

Our willingness to forgive automatically brings suffering because we release someone from a debt they owe us for a wrong they’ve committed against us. Doing so goes against our human nature and brings pain. Jesus showed how to do it well. God allowed him to take on our sin so we could receive his righteousness. When we forgive others, we assume the pain they deserve to endure for hurting us. 

God forgave because he loves. He gives us the power to do the same. Let Him teach you how to forgive those who’ve wronged you. Failing to forgive leads to a life of misery.

Father, give me the grace and strength to follow your example of forgiveness. 

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What Can We Do with God - Martin Wiles

In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall. Psalm 18:29 NLT

Stephen Winter said, “Life is not ‘Hollywood’ perfect.”

Nathan found that out too. For fifteen years, he ambled in the wilderness, leaving God on the back burner. His marriage to his high school sweetheart was marred from the beginning when, on their honeymoon night, she said, “I miss my momma.” Six months later, she left him for a colleague. After a short fling, she moved in with another man. 

For three years, Nathan kept women at a distance. Then he decided to start fresh in a new town, where he met a young lady, fell in love, and married her two years later. He finally made his way back to God but watched this wife go through a mid-life crisis and leave him and their two children sixteen years later. 

Once again, Nathan wondered how God could have allowed it and how he would ever get through the mess he was in. But he did, and four years later God sent him a wonderful woman who pulled him out of his depression and repaired his broken life. He discovered he could do anything with God, but nothing without Him.

David the psalmist was a military man and a king, but he had faced his share of hardships on the way to his position—and still faced them. When the prophet Samuel came to anoint a new king for Israel, David’s father didn’t even invite him to the selection party and left him in the field tending sheep. Later, after becoming king, one of David’s sons led a rebellion, ran him out of town, and then topped off his insolence by sleeping with his father’s concubines in public view. But David made it through each tumultuous episode because he discovered he could do anything with God.

I’ve discovered what Stephen, Nathan, David, and many others have: life isn’t perfect just because I have chosen to follow God. God doesn’t promise it will be. He does promise, however, that with his strength, we’ll get through, that the trial will contain a seed from which we can learn valuable lessons, and that we’ll grow spiritually if we respond with trust instead of bitterness. 

With God’s strength, you can face whatever life throws your way. Trust him when the trials come. 

Father, help me meet life’s trials in your strength, not my own. 

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Seeing Life Clearly - Martin Wiles

For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7 NKJV

We stood gazing across the river at what our eyes couldn’t see clearly but couldn’t believe.

My daughter and I were backpacking. On our third day out, we came to a swinging bridge that crossed Horsepasture River. But as we looked at the other side, we noticed that a large pine had fallen across the stairway ascending the neighboring mountain—the mountain we had to climb. Without binoculars to view the situation up close, we had two choices: turn back or move on. We moved on.

What we couldn’t see from the other side was that the mess was passable—with a little ingenuity. Since my daughter was only twelve and skinny, she easily passed beneath the tree. I wasn’t so fortunate. I removed my pack, hugged the tree tightly, and shinnied over. Had I slid down the tree, I would have also slid down the mountain.

Just as my daughter and I couldn’t see the full picture from where we stood on the other side of the river, we typically can’t see all aspects of life’s journey either. Nor could the greatest missionary who ever lived. He said he walked by faith and included all believers in the journey. Faith helps us see that the real picture isn’t as frightening up close as it may appear from a distance.

With faith eyes, we can see God’s plan. His plans for us are good. He wants to bless, not harm. His plans have a purpose, and if we pursue his plan, we’ll live a more abundant life than we could possibly find through power, possessions, or pleasure.

With faith eyes, we’re reminded that spiritual warfare is taking place. God wants us to enjoy his best while Satan wants us to pursue his plan. The first brings lasting joy and peace, while the second brings only temporary satisfaction—along with eternal torment.

With eyes of faith, we can see that the victory is won. Christ assured the final victory on Calvary’s cross. By relying on his Spirit’s power, we can win every spiritual battle we encounter.

And with the eyes of faith, we can believe there’s a way through every one of life’s trials. God has the path mapped out and will point us in the right direction when we ask.

When your way appears blocked by life’s obstacles, God can help you see the real picture.

Father, help me see life as it really is—not as it often appears. 

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Puddled by Puddles - Martin Wiles

He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me, For they were too strong for me. Psalm 18:16-17 NKJV

Spring showers caused them to pop up everywhere.

My maternal grandmother called them mud puddles, and she knew all about them. Living in the flatlands of South Carolina, I saw them after spring and summer rains. Water crawled into roadside ditches, fields, potholes, and low places in dirt driveways until it had time to soak into the ground. 

And as the puddles waited to be absorbed into the dirt or for the sun’s heat to suck them into the atmosphere, my cousin—who lived beside my grandparents—and I waited nearby to play in them when the rain stopped. 

We knew nothing finer than removing our shoes and wading in mud puddles or running through them—at which point our entire clothes got wet. Since the summers were hot and humid, the water on our feet and bodies felt exhilarating until our grandmother pulled us away from our game. 

Our dalliances in the mud and water meant she’d have to wash clothes—and us. And who knew what might lounge beneath the water’s surface. Ringworms or other parasites, jagged glass, and tin cans come to mind. All recipes for a trip to the doctor or the emergency room. 

As our grandmother drew us from our trysts in the shallow puddles, so the psalmist said God drew him out of many waters, which represented his enemies’ attempt to harm him. 

For the believer, opposition comes naturally. It’s explained by the presence of light and darkness. We walk in the light while those who ignore God choose darkness. According to Jesus, these two things don’t mesh. One will always oppose the other because light exposes darkness’ dastardly intentions. 

Although opposition is unfavorable, God is sovereign over any opposition we face. Even if it brings unfathomable consequences or ends in our demise, he still controls it and is forever greater than any opposition we face. 

Opposition also confirms our identity. Jesus said if his enemies persecuted him, they would also torment his followers. The truth of his statement decorates Christian history.  

Comforting, however, is the thought that one day all opposition against the truth will be brought under the full authority of Christ’s reign. Believers living in the new heaven and on the new earth won’t experience it because God will eliminate all forces of sin. 

Puddles of opposition may be numerous, but God will deliver us from them all. 

Father, thank you for the privilege of suffering for your name. I am comforted in knowing that you will deliver me through or from the puddles of opposition. 

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The New Family - Lynne Phipps

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families. Psalm 68:5-6 NIV

After my horse Frank’s mother died, he was very lonely. They had spent ten years together and formed their own family unit. Now, she was gone. He moped about for weeks and seemed to lose all interest in life. When let out of the corral onto our fenced acreage to graze, he was fearful and stayed close to the corral. We had three goats as well, plus a pack of dogs, but he shunned their company. 

Not until our property was threatened by a grizzly bear did things change. The goats needed protection, and Frank realized that only he and the dogs could provide it. At that moment, he chose to join the canine pack and confront the grizzly, who, knowing he was outnumbered, fled into the forest. From that time forward, Frank moved out of his grief and into a strong relationship with the goats and the dogs as his new family. 

God cares when we grieve. He cares when we find ourselves alone in life, due to any number of circumstances. He knows the hole that has been left in our heart when loved ones are lost and the depression which can so easily overtake us amidst such loss. He knows, and he cares. He cares so much that he does something about it: He sets the lonely in families. This is a promise. Like Frank, however, we need to embrace the new family he sets before us.  

If grief has us in its grips, we don't have to despair. We can cling to God’s truth: He sets the lonely in families. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, saves those who are crushed in spirit, and binds up their wounds. Healing is happening even now, though it may not feel like it. One day at a time, the darkness will recede a little more. The light will begin to shine as we trust and cling to him who loves us and will never leave or forsake us.  

When our hearts are ready, a new family relationship that God is even now preparing will come our way. It will never take the place of what we have lost, for nothing ever can. It may even be far different than we could ever imagine, but it will be good and right and lovely. It will meet the need of our heart and grant us the joy, companionship, and love that God knows we each crave, long for, and need. 

Ask God now to prepare your heart to accept the good gift that, in his time, will come your way.

Thank you, Lord, that you heal the brokenhearted and save the crushed in spirit. Thank you for promising to set the lonely in families. Prepare the hearts of the grieving from the loss of family to accept the good gift of new family relationships you will bring their way. In Christ’s name, amen.

Lynne Phipps and her family live on a small hobby farm in the heart of Alberta, Canada’s farming country. She has been writing devotions for forty years and never tires of the spiritual correlation the Holy Spirit blesses her with. He uses normal everyday events and the behaviors of the multitude of glorious creatures He has brought across her path to point her to the truths of God. Lynne is a devotion writer for VineWords: Devotions and More, Christian Devotions, and Love Lines from God. 

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Tools of the Shed - Martin Wiles

But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. Acts 9:15 NLT

Dad’s first woodworking project began in a small storage shed.

Dad pastored churches full-time, but his hobby was working with wood. He took up the hobby while pastoring a country church in the lower regions of South Carolina. Since the congregation was small, he had more time on his hands than normal. A small storage shed out back where yard implements and the lawnmower were kept became his first wood shop. And his first projects were wooden picture frames on which he glued outdoor scenes. 

By the time Dad retired, he had purchased a large shed and filled it with all sorts of woodworking tools. Table saws, band saws, planes, routers, sanders, and drill presses. Anything he needed for a project. Also hammers, screwdrivers, pencils, screws, nails, and dowels. And when he finished for the day, he returned everything he had used to its place. Eventually, his small projects evolved into larger ones, such as bedroom suites, tables, and China cabinets.

As Dad had special tools, so did God: Paul. But Ananias wasn’t excited when God told him about this special tool. Ananias knew him as a persecutor and killer of Christians, not someone friendly to religious folks. What he didn’t know was that God had changed Saul’s heart and would use him as a tool to spread the gospel across the known world. 

Similarly, as believers, we’re all special tools in God’s shed, each with a particular purpose. Dad didn’t use a saw to hammer a nail, nor did he use a hammer to drive in a screw (although Mom might). And he used the drill press to drill holes, not to cut wood. 

God gives us tools that match our personality and his plan for us. Many of Dad’s tools outlasted him and were passed down to my middle brother. God also used Paul until he died and wants to do the same for us. 

In the latter years of his woodworking hobby, Dad began stamping his name on what he made. Tool companies do the same. Older tools manufactured by popular companies are valuable because of their name. God has also stamped his brand name on believers, giving us value and use for a lifetime. 

Let God help you discover the tool you are so you can get busy with the work he wants you to do.

Father, thank you for using me as a tool in your Kingdom work. Help me to be faithful in the work you assign. 

If you seek hope and healing because of hurts you have faced, then Hurt, Hope, and Healing 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.

Death Pangs - Martin Wiles

The ropes of death entangled me; floods of destruction swept over me. The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death laid a trap in my path. Psalm 18:4-5 NLT

The thought of experiencing it unnerved me—even though I claimed to be prepared.

While a pre-teen, the fear of dying haunted me. As a nine-year-old, I had accepted Jesus and knew He had a place for me in heaven, but I feared what I had to experience to get there: death. 

A few years later, relatives began dying. First, my paternal grandfather’s unhealthy living habits finally caught up with him. A couple of years later, he was followed by both of my great-grandparents. Soon after, the remainder of my grandparents died. Now at retirement age, I have only one parent remaining and no in-laws. 

David didn’t fear old age because he wasn’t old. Instead, a jealous king dogged his trail. David was running for his life, hiding in caves and in the wilderness. Death always seemed near, but God preserved his life. King Saul didn’t kill him—but was killed himself—and David was made the next ruler.

Only a very few welcome the thought of death. Regardless of how tough circumstances might be or how intense the pain of disease or other body ailments, most don’t wish for death. Rather, we pray for healing or for God to soothe the debilitating situation. But the healings of diseases and the removing of stressful situations won’t stop death. Barring the return of Jesus Christ, we will all experience it. 

We can live peacefully while at the same time knowing the pang of death is just around the corner. Doing what I did as a nine-year-old is the first step in facing the death pang: asking Jesus to forgive our sins and committing ourselves to be his follower. This act removes the condemnation we’re under and takes care of the sins for which we’re responsible—all of which keep us out of heaven.

Knowing we’ll immediately enter heaven upon death is also comforting. We won’t have to lie unconsciously in the ground until Christ returns. The apostle Paul said to be absent from the body was to be at home with the Lord. Jesus told the thief on the cross who begged for his forgiveness that he would be with him in Paradise that day. 

When you make things right between you and God, you no longer must fear death’s pangs. 

Father, thank you for taking away the fear of death when I trust in you as my God. 

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.

The Hiding Place - Martin Wiles

For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory. Psalm 32:7 NLT

One sheet and four kitchen chairs made a perfect hiding place.

Lovey was my maternal grandmother’s half-sister. My memories of her are fading, but I recall her playing with my cousin and me. One of our favorite activities was making a tent. We did this by taking a sheet and spreading it over four kitchen chairs. Seems like an easy enough exercise, but if the chairs weren’t positioned correctly, the entire thing would collapse. 

After we constructed our tent, my cousin and I went in and sat down. Being young boys, we probably giggled and talked. We were in our hiding place … safe from the world. Though anyone could have easily discovered us by looking beneath the cover, we didn’t see ourselves as exposed. 

God was the psalmist’s hiding place. Someone he could run to for protection when his enemies were fast upon his heels. Someone who comforted him when it appeared others had turned against him. 

I’ve experienced other-than-honorable conditions in which I tried to hide from God. Mainly when I intentionally sinned or engaged in other shameful behavior. Rather than confessing, I tried to hide as Adam and Eve did. Hiding didn’t work for them, and it didn’t for me either. God’s convicting Spirit worried me until I made things right with God. 

God would rather we hide in him for more honorable reasons. When life—or others—has frustrated, disappointed, betrayed, or angered us, we can hide in him for comfort. 

We can hide in God’s love. It’s unconditional. Nothing we do or say can make him love us more or less. He loves us consistently—though this doesn’t relieve us of the need to live according to his standards. 

We can hide in God’s power. Nothing life throws at us is more powerful than God. Lions, bears, and an angry king were not more powerful than the psalmist’s God, and life’s present enemies aren’t more powerful than God’s power to deliver us. 

We can also hide in God’s salvation—not from life’s trials and tribulations, but from sin’s power. Through the forgiveness offered by Christ, we can enjoy the assurance of God’s forgiveness and acceptance. No more do we dwell under condemnation. 

Let God teach you to hide in him—not from him or in anything else. 

Father, thank you for the comfort of hiding in you for salvation and from life’s trials. 

If you seek hope and healing because of hurts you have faced, then Hurt, Hope, and Healing 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.

Engraved by God - Martin Wiles

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me. Isaiah 49:16 NIV

The pages revealed to whom it belonged and under what circumstances. 

Mom received a call from her niece. They had cleaned out my aunt’s house and discovered some things that might interest Mom. Although never a lover of old or sentimental things, Mom took them. 

The items included four funeral home books for deceased relatives, newspaper clippings, family pictures, and two Bibles—both of which had my aunt’s name handwritten inside, along with the names of those who gave them to her and when. One of the two had her name engraved on the outside.  

After checking the giver’s name, I wasn’t surprised by the engraving. When I was eight years old, Mom and Dad—and I—had given my aunt the Bible for her birthday. Dad followed this pattern of engraving a name on the outside of a Bible for his entire lifetime. Every Bible he ever owned—and that was a multitude—he had his name engraved on the outside. The inside page with the handwritten name might be lost, scratched out beyond recognition, or torn out, but the name on the outside would remain. The Bible belonged to him. 

The nation of Israel needed reassurance. They had a habit of disobeying God, and God had a habit of punishing them. But better days were in store because they had repented. They would once again return to their homeland. 

Life is tough and filled with bitter disappointments. To us—just as he said to Israel—God says, “I’m engraved on his hand.” No one can steal us from His grip or erase the fact that we belong to him. Unwise decisions and sinful actions will bring his discipline, but the engraving stands. Willful, occasional sin may slightly obscure our name, but we’re still God’s children, and confession will once again bring out the brilliance of the engraving. 

And when it appears God has forsaken us, God has his ways of showing us the engraving and reminding us that we still belong to him. Our name’s engraved on his hand.  

Don’t fear life or the things it brings. Your name is engraved on the Father’s hand. He is loving, kind, gentle, and more powerful than anything the world can throw your way. 

Father, show me the engraving often so I’ll never forget to whom I belong. 

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.

The Frustration of the Unknown - Martin Wiles

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Philippians 4:6 NLT

After numerous doctor visits with no answers, my wife and I lapsed into the frustration of the unknown. 

The unknown began after a recent move. My wife lifted an item and felt a stabbing pain. Thinking she had pulled the mesh from a recent hernia surgery, we visited the general surgeon. After testing, he determined it was only scar tissue. 

Then, unexplained weight gain led to a trip to the emergency room and then to the cardiologist. Pills to reduce her fluid didn’t work. More tests followed. One revealed an enlarged spleen and liver. 

We re-visited the general surgeon who sent her to a kidney specialist. In the meantime, the cardiologist sent her to a gastroenterologist.

Weeks and months passed between the tests and doctor visits. Our frustration mounted as we waited for answers, trying not to imagine the worst. 

Paul could have also been frustrated by the unknown. Would he survive the persecutions or the trip to stand trial before the Roman emperor? Would his friends betray him? Instead, he did what he advised others to do.

Praying about the unknown is crucial. Every night, I prayed for my wife to have the strength to face whatever lay ahead and for God to give the doctors the wisdom to find the cause of her dilemma. 

Trusting is also important in times of the unknown. God promises never to let us down, regardless of life’s challenges. We can trust him to work things for our good—even things that appear bad. He has our best interests at heart. 

Additionally, believing God is sovereign helps control the anxiety and frustration level. If he isn’t, we have an even larger problem than the things causing our frustrations.

In my wife’s case, I believed God could guide the doctors to discover the reason for her health concerns and to give her the proper treatment. I also believed he could heal her without the doctor’s intervention, if he chose. 

Don’t let the frustration of the unknown lead you to doubt, anger, bitterness, or unbelief in a loving God. Instead, believe God loves you and has your situation under control. 

Father, we trust you to guide us safely into and through the unknowns of our lives. 

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Toys in the Tub - Martin Wiles

Late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath. 2 Samuel 11:2 NLT

Baths may clean us up, but sometimes toys in the tub get us into trouble.

Resting outside the bathtub in our spare bathroom is a plastic container with numerous bath toys: a rubber duck, a sailing boat, several balls, a bar of Ivory soap, and cars. The normal toys kids play with when they bathe. 

And when they were young, all our grandboys loved to play with them when they bathed. They loved the bubbles MeMe put in the tub. They hid the toys under the bubbles, then held them in the air and watched as the water squirted out, hollering and laughing. Occasionally, they splashed water on the floor, which drew a sharp rebuke from MeMe. 

King David also knew a little about bathing and getting into trouble. He wasn’t the one bathing. Bathsheba was, but he was the one who looked when he shouldn’t have. The play on words is interesting: Bathsheba bathing. Some suggest she bathed here on purpose because she knew the king’s practice of walking on his roof. Whether or not she intentionally provided the temptation, David fell into the traps of lust, adultery, lying, and murder. One year—and several consequences—passed before he finally confessed.

Our world is filled with play toys—not that we bathe with but that we encounter daily. Technological gadgets, possessions of all sorts, hobbies—and the things we need to enjoy them—sporting activities—and the money we can spend watching them—movies, video games. The list of play toys available to those who live in developed countries is endless. 

Some of the play toys are sinful—and others have the potential to be. Bathsheba’s bathing wasn’t a sin, but if she did it hoping the king would do what he did, then it became sinful. David’s accidental glance wasn’t a sin, but when he lusted and acted, it became one. Satan is a master at wrapping innocent things in sinful paper. 

Only God can give us the wisdom to play with the right toys and to keep them in the proper perspective. We can’t trust our own judgment. It’s skewed by our sinful nature and our propensity to gratify our selfish desires. 

God may not ask you to throw your toys away. He may simply want you to see them with different eyes or use them more productively. 

Father, guide me in using my toys so they won’t grab my attention away from you and more important things. 

If you seek hope and healing because of hurts you have faced, then Hurt, Hope, and Healing 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.

Club Benefits - Martin Wiles

Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:13 NLT

We had the clubhouse. All we needed were members. And after all, we had club benefits. 

My first cousin and his family lived next door to my maternal grandparents on a large farm. The closest neighbors were of another race, and, because of the prevailing culture at the time, neither he nor his siblings had much to do with them. He only played with other cousins, his siblings, or someone farther down the road with whom he went to church. Many of his games and ventures, he concocted himself. 

One of his ventures was building a clubhouse. He happened to be in the middle of his construction project when I made one of my periodic visits. Using scrap lumber from around the farm, we finished our small square dwelling and decided who would and would not be welcome. Somewhat of a mute decision since we were the only two around. Who could we exclude? And why would our membership rules matter if no one else wanted to join?

The early church began as somewhat of an exclusive club, too. When the Holy Spirit appeared on the Day of Pentecost, he indwelt only Jewish people. As non-Jews began believing and receiving the Spirit, some of the Jewish folks wondered whether they should let them into the club. An eventual decision by the church opened the doors to anyone, with a few conditions. 

God’s club is inclusive and exclusive. Everyone who wants to join is welcome, but there are conditions. God doesn’t want anyone to perish, but he also won’t allow just anyone in without an examination.

Confession of sin is one requirement. Christ assures us that if we confess him as Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved. Forgiveness hinges on confession and repentance and is our ticket into God’s clubhouse. 

Once in, we get to enjoy the benefits of belonging—forgiveness of our sins being one. God also offers an abundant life. The ability to live with peace and confidence regardless of what we face in life. We also have the assurance of God’s perpetual presence with us, guiding us in every life decision. When life is over, we transfer our membership from earth to heaven. A place where no hardship, pain, sorrow, sin, or death exists. 

No other club offers the benefits God’s does. Join today.

Father, thank you for offering club membership to anyone who asks. 

If you seek hope and healing because of hurts you have faced, then Hurt, Hope, and Healing 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.

Looking for Evidence - Martin Wiles

I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side. John 20:25 NLT

We were looking for evidence, and it was overwhelming. Yet, we followed something we feared.

Panthertown Valley is just outside Cashiers, North Carolina. But if someone is looking for a directional sign, they’ll be disappointed. But my brother and I had directions. Numerous trails run through more than 10,000 acres of protected land, and we planned to hike one of them.

As we made our way along the trail, we noticed scat. Since it was filled with berries, we knew which animal left it. Although we enjoyed the scenery, our eyes roamed our surroundings. Every noise made our hearts race and our eyes dance. When we reached the end of the trail, a tree with claw marks greeted us. A bear scratching post. We never saw Smokey, but the evidence convinced us he was near.

The evidence convinced us, but not Thomas. Jesus had been resurrected from the grave. Women saw him, as did some of the other disciples, but eyewitness reports weren’t enough for Thomas. He wanted to see the marks. So Jesus showed him. Then Thomas felt ashamed that he’d asked.

The evidence for God’s existence seems overwhelming to me—but not all agree. When I look at nature and how natural laws operate according to an unseen plan, I wonder how anyone could doubt, or even deny, the existence of a Higher Being. Theologians disagree over the methods God used to create. Did he initiate a Big Bang or perhaps use evolution as his process? Or was everything a fiat act of creation out of nothing?

Jesus showed Thomas the evidence he asked for and listened as Thomas shamefully confessed him as Lord and Savior. He should have believed without the evidence. God won’t appear to us and say, “Yes, I exist and created,” but he has given enough evidence to know he does and did.

The evidence at Panthertown Valley convinced my brother and me that a bear was in the area, whether or not we physically saw him with our eyes. The universe, along with a still small voice that speaks to my spirit, convinces me God exists, loves me, and wants to be included in my life. What I do with the evidence is up to me.

Evidence for God’s existence is overwhelming. Believe he exists and invite him into your life.

Father, I acknowledge you as the Creator and Governor of the universe and my life. 

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