Hating the Holy - Martin Wiles

Don’t give pearls to swine! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you. Matthew 7:6 NLT

As far as he knew, he was the only Christian in his office.

John was fresh out of college and had just taken a promising job in his hometown. Not ashamed that he was a believer, he quickly decorated his small cubicle with Christian décor. Imagine his surprise when his boss approached him and told him to remove it. The excitement over his new opportunity soon digressed as the antagonism against him progressed. The actions and words of his co-workers demonstrated they hated the holy. He stayed, though, and continued to cast pearls before them.

I’ve owned a few hogs in my lifetime. They are avid eaters and cared for nothing except food and slop to eat, dirt to root in, and a mud hole to wallow in. Had I thrown anything of value in the pen along with their food, they would have trampled it. Trying to give them what they didn’t care about would have wasted my time.

Jesus wasn’t giving a command to pig farmers. Nor was he teaching we shouldn’t share with those who are unreceptive. Instead, he warned about what to expect when we toss the gospel to those who aren’t interested . . . to those content with their evil ways.

Selfishness and contentment with filth are in a hog’s nature. But there is good in the hog when the dirt is washed away—everything, in fact, some say, except the squeal.

Changing a hog’s nature is almost impossible. Changing ours is impossible, too. Like the hog, we’re quite content to wallow in the filth of sin and disobedience. I, too, have cast pearls before some people who had no interest.

God, however, can give anyone a new nature—a nature that loves pearls and all things holy . . . a heart that drives us toward obedience to God’s commands rather than mud.

Wisdom is necessary to know where to cast our pearls. While everyone needs to hear about God’s love, allowing God to guide us helps us throw them where they will reap the most results.

If God has changed your hate for the holy, how can you cast that same pearl before others?

Father, give us wisdom to cast the pearl of the gospel where it will garner the most fruit. 

Tweetable: Do you love the holy? 

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Mastering Godliness - Amy Dagit

Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness. 1 Timothy 4:7 ESV  

One afternoon, I received an exciting email: my devotion had been chosen for publication. That night, I celebrated with my husband. We snuggled on the couch and toasted my achievement.

Fast-forward a couple of weeks, and the publisher posted my devotion on their website. I expected a few edits, but nothing I worried about. I navigated to the website and read.

My demeanor plummeted into despair. The final product gutted me. I thought the edits were heavy-handed. The editor had deleted my favorite word, and I felt my voice had been erased. I stomped upstairs, fell into bed, and cried while the voice in my mind reiterated the wrongs in the published devotion.

After drying my eyes, I walked downstairs, sat at my computer, and worked on another devotion. The Spirit quickly prodded me. I had not responded with godliness. Instead, I rejected God’s gift, grumbled rather than prayed, and  wallowed in the lies. I had forgotten my purpose was to reach others with God’s Word.

I am thankful for the Spirit’s nudge. I learned that godliness does not come easily. It requires immersion, practice, toiling, striving, setting an example, and checking ourselves.

Godliness entails our commitment to live according to God’s Word. When acting godly, we reveal God’s character to others and lead them toward eternity. And yes, others notice. But, of course, the opposite is also true. Our ungodly acts can push others away from the Father.

Think about your reaction to a situation that didn’t happen as planned. Did you respond with grumbling, take out your anger on a loved one, or believe the lies? Why not use the Bible to create a list of godly responses for unexpected situations?

Tweetable: How can you do a better job of mastering godliness? 

Amy Dagit is a writer and copyeditor from East Central Illinois. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. Besides editing and writing, Amy loves to travel and photograph. Her writing has been published in The Wanderlust Within, 50 Haikus, and Inkspirations Online. She blogs about editing, writing, and travel at amydagit.com.

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Meandering Monday - Walk Straight - Martin Wiles

Welcome to Meandering Monday, where we take a trip back to an earlier post and enjoy it again.

Mark out a straight path for your feet. Then those who follow you, though they are weak and lame, will not stumble but will become strong. Hebrews 12:13 NLT

Children are vulnerable.

Mine were. They believed anything I told them. After all, I was their dad, and surely, I wouldn’t lie to them. If I told them I could catch them if they jumped from the roof of our house, they’d believe it . . . and do it. I suppose I never realized the path I walked before them was so important. I just did the usual things any good parent should have done. Read them Bible stories, said prayers with them, taught them to say grace before meals, helped them with homework, cleaned the house, helped with cooking meals, worked in the yard, and helped others. As I reflect on those years, I now realize that in all things—large and small—I walked a path before them, setting an example. They were weak, and I wanted them to become strong adults.

The church came into existence on the Day of Pentecost, not many days after Jesus’ ascension. He charged the early church with a worldwide campaign. For it to be effective, they needed to follow the straight path of obedience and morality.

As a parent, I didn’t want to mislead or confuse my children. I also wanted them to see how a mature adult should behave. Hopefully, I accomplished all three. As a Christian, I’m an example to other Christians who connect with me regularly. Misleading or confusing them is a severe matter with which God won’t be pleased.

When we love God with all our hearts—and show it by actions—we’ll give those in our circle of influence a straight path to follow rather than a crooked path. Acting out our beliefs in behavior should show a clear line of demarcation between right and wrong. Just as an adult should no longer behave in childish ways, so our Christian walk should evidence maturity and growth.

What type of example are you setting for those in your circle of influence?

Prayer: Father, enable us to be an example to those you place in our path.

Tweetable: Are you walking straight? 

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Meandering Monday - Walking into the Holy - Martin Wiles

Welcome to Meandering Monday, where we take a trip back to an earlier post and enjoy it again.

Then there was a curtain, and behind the curtain was the second room called the Most Holy Place. Hebrews 9:3 NLT

Before the contestants were three doors—or actually curtains—Door 1, Door 2, and Door 3.

Which one to choose was the gamble. Monty Hall co-created and co-produced the original television show Let’s Make a Deal. Contestants played various games and were offered chances to trade their winnings for the possibility of something more valuable.

The Big Deal came at the end of each show, and the top winners were offered the chance to trade their prizes for what was behind one of the doors. Those who took the chance could possibly win the Big Deal of the day, which might be a car, boat, vacation, furniture, appliances, or any combination thereof. Some were pleased with their choice after the curtains opened while others wished they had kept their original winnings.

Two rooms comprised the tabernacle God instructed Moses to construct after the Israelites left Egyptian slavery: the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. A curtain separated the rooms. Ordinary priests were allowed in the first, but only the high priest could enter the second—and that only once each year. The Ark of the Covenant, which represented the presence of God, resided in this sacred room. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest confessed the sins of the people and begged for God’s forgiveness.

Happily, no doors or curtains presently separate us from God. The curtain of the temple was torn from top to bottom when Jesus died on the cross. Our sin debt was paid, thereby removing the barrier between us and God. Now we are priests in our own right. God gives us the privilege and loving invitation to enter boldly and confidently into his presence as often as we desire. His guidance, love, and listening ear are available regardless of the time or our location.

Nothing separates us from God’s love unless we voluntarily or rebelliously erect it. How often are you walking into the holy?

Prayer: Father, thank You for making it possible for us to enter Your presence at any time and any place. 

Tweetable: Where are you walking? 

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Throwback Tuesday - Sober Thinking - Martin Wiles

Sober Thinking

We were on our way to eat South Carolina Low Country barbecue, hash and rice when he pulled out in front of us and began driving erratically. The driver swerved from side to side, barely missing several head-on collisions. Several episodes of veering off the road made us cringe as we imagined the vehicle turning over.

These and other irregular actions made us pronounce the driver drunk, but we may have been mistaken. He could have been texting or high on drugs. Perhaps his passenger was having a medical emergency, and he was doing his best to get them to a hospital. Read more...

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Flashback Friday - Martin Wiles

Those Dangerous Leftovers

I enjoy leftovers, but left over for too long they become dangerous . . . even deadly.

Leftover defines itself. Generally speaking, the word refers to food. In my opinion, some foods are tastier as leftovers than when originally cooked. But food left over for too long can spoil and in turn spoil one’s stomach. Read more...

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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.

At 95 years of age, you’d think she’d eat like a bird. But not this nursing home resident. She’s one of our church’s shut-ins who recently 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 elderly people’s appetites change. Some who were healthy eaters now eat just enough to get by—or don’t and dehydrate. Others experience a change of taste buds. Whereas they once ate healthy food, now they want sweets. 

But 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 a person is old enough to know the difference between right and wrong, God begins to create a spiritual hunger in their souls.

This explains why all people groups in history have worshiped something. It might have been the elements of nature or wooden or stone objects that represented their gods. Yet they worshiped. 

What I do to satisfy this hunger is crucial.

Turning to nature or man-made idols won’t satisfy my appetite. My idols have never been constructed of stone or wood, but I have formed them in the shapes of sports, hobbies, work, and relationships. That was before I reached the point when I had a hunger for God…to know Him better…to serve Him fully. I discovered no thing, person, or relationship could properly take His place. The ache in my belly can only be satisfied by loving God with all my heart, soul, spirit, and mind. 

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

Prayer: Father, create in us a hunger that only You can satisfy.

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