Doing Things the Right Way - Martin Wiles

So Sarai took her servant, an Egyptian woman named Hagar, and gave her to Abram so she could bear his children. Genesis 16:1-2 NLT

Turning the handle the right way produced gas flow; turning it the wrong way produced nothing.

Having a gas tank on his property was essential for my maternal grandfather. After all, he was a full-time farmer who lived twenty miles from a gas station. Getting fuel from the tank took a little know-how. And I didn’t. But my cousin, who lived next door, taught me. 

The large fuel tank was equipped with a pump and a large handle. The handle had to be reversed three or four times to prime the pump. Once primed, the pump handle had to be turned in the opposite direction. When done correctly, fuel flowed into the gas tank.

God’s plan entails a right and a wrong way. God promised a son to Abraham and Sarah. Both were elderly and past the age of having children. Abraham believed God’s promise; Sarah laughed at it. Sarah also suggested a plan to help God after the promised heir didn’t arrive quickly enough. Sadly, Abraham agreed. A son was born, but it wasn’t the son of promise.

God has a plan for each of us, as well as a world plan. He had a specific direction He wanted me to travel. I did, but not initially. At the same time, I’m not a robot. God gives me free will, enabling me to thwart his plan, at least to a degree, just as Abraham and Sarah did.

Since God is all-powerful and all-knowing, He can work around my goof-ups. He allowed me a few years of rebellion, during which I made many stupid mistakes. He also allowed Abraham and Sarah the opportunity to do it their way.

God’s love leads him to bless us in spite of our periods of disobedience. He blessed me with extended opportunities and gave Abraham and Sarah another chance to do things the right way. God works within the confines of our free will to bring about his purposes and plans.

Of course, when we ignore God’s plan, he will send discipline and punishment. Altering or temporarily postponing God’s plan can bring the same. God has a perfect plan and a permissive plan. And some parts of God’s plan are simply non-negotiable—like the Second Coming of Christ.

Make sure you are doing things the right way as they relate to God’s plan for you.

Father, give me the faith I need to do things your way.

I invite you to try my book A Whisper in the Woods 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.

Full-Service God - Martin Wiles

He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfied every need there is. Acts 17:25 NLT

We called them filling stations, and for good reason.

When I was young, filling stations were places where everyone went to fill their vehicles with fuel. But they were quite different than today. They were full-service stations. When a customer pulled up to the pump, an attendant came out, asked how much fuel the person wanted, and then filled the tank for the customer. While the tank was filling, the attendant checked the oil level, cleaned the front windshield, and checked the tire pressure.

Later, convenience stores with gas pumps became popular, but they weren’t full-service stations. Customers pumped their own gas—self-service, we called it—which made prices cheaper. But we lost that one-on-one interaction, and we drove around in vehicles with dirty vehicles, low oil, and low tire pressure. To compete, full-service stations had to add self-service pumps. Gradually, full-service stations moved toward extinction. I can still remember when the last one in my area closed.   

As Paul walked the streets of philosophical Athens, he noticed a plethora of gods. One was even entitled “To the Unknown God,” just in case they missed one. Paul told them about a “full-service” God. He was the one they didn’t have a name for.

Self-service is the name of the game these days, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with doing something ourselves if we can and if it saves money. We can probably Google it or find directions on YouTube if we don't know how.

Some things, however, require full service. On these occasions, we need the full-service God Paul preached about. Salvation is one of those things. We can’t save ourselves, be good enough, or work hard enough to meet God’s standards. He must apply his grace and forgiveness to our lives.

As God fully serves us, he also wants us to serve others fully. This implies serving with the right motives on every occasion he gives the opportunity. Wrong motives will creep in if we don’t depend on his direction and strength as we serve. We may even gravitate to thinking we no longer need him—or that we can create service opportunities without his input.

Don’t become your own god. Depend on a full-service God.

Father, may I always recognize my dependence on you. 

Tweetable: Do you serve a full-service God? 

If you enjoyed this devotion, please share it with your friends. 

I invite you to try my newest book, Life's Many Moods: A Collection of Poetry, in eBook or paperback. Throughout the years, poets have expressed emotions in various ways through the picturesque method of poetry. Click on the title above to order your copy today. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Flashback Friday - In the Nick of Time - Martin Wiles

In the Nick of Time

We were riding on fumes, a check was in the mail, but it wasn’t in our box. 

Four days had passed since the business manager told me the payment for my article was placed in the mail. My wife was anxious, and our car was thirsty. Unfortunately, I gave the wrong mailing address.

When we discovered the error, the investigation began. The address I gave was in our subdivision, so my wife was able to secure the cell number for the resident. Sure enough, she had received my check but didn’t know us and was about to shred it when my wife called. We were able to retrieve the check, deposit it in the bank, and satisfy our car’s thirst. Read more...

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.

Doing Things the Right Way - Martin Wiles

So Sarai took her servant, an Egyptian woman named Hagar, and gave her to Abram so she could bear his children. Genesis 16:1-2 NLT

Turning the handle the right way produced gas flow; turning it the wrong way produced nothing. 

Having a gas tank on his property was an essential for my maternal grandfather. After all, he was a full-time farmer who lived 20 miles from a gas station. Getting fuel from the tank took a little know-how. And I didn’t. But my cousin, who lived next door, taught me. 

The large fuel tank was equipped with a pump and large handle. To prime the pump, the handle had to be reversed three or four times. Once primed, the pump handle had to be turned in the opposite direction. When done properly, fuel would flow into the gas tank. 

God’s plan entails a right and a wrong way. God promised a son to Abraham and Sarah. Both were elderly and past the age of having children. Abraham believed God’s promise; Sarah laughed at it. Sarah also suggested a plan to help God after the promised heir didn’t arrive quickly enough. Sadly, Abraham agreed. A son was born, but it wasn’t the son of promise. 

God has a plan for each individual as well as a world plan. He had a specific direction He wanted me to travel. I did…but not initially. At the same time, I’m not a robot. God gives me free will, giving me the ability to thwart His plan—to a degree, just as Abraham and Sarah did. 

Since God is all-powerful and all-knowing, He can work around my goof-ups. He allowed me a few years of rebellion, wherein I made many stupid mistakes. He also afforded Abraham and Sarah the opportunity to do it their way. 

God’s love leads Him to bless us in spite of our periods of disobedience. He blessed me with extended opportunities, and He gave Abraham and Sarah another chance to do things the right way. God works within the confines of our free will to bring about His purposes and plans. 

Of course, when I totally ignore God’s plan, He will send discipline and punishment. Altering or temporarily postponing God’s plan can bring the same. God has a perfect plan and a permissive plan. And some parts of God’s plan are simply non-negotiable—like the Second Coming of Christ. 

Are you doing things the right way as it relates to God’s plan for you?

Prayer: Father, give us the faith we need to do things the way You instruct. 

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.