Throwback Tuesday - Martin Wiles

Truth from the Storm

Thunder, lightning, pelting rain. We were experiencing the year of the storms. 

My brother and I and my two children were on an overnight hike on the Appalachian Trail. We reached our destination at noon and intended to set up camp and hike a few more packless miles. But our schedule was interrupted by a storm. No sooner had we’d driven the final tent stake into the ground than the rain arrived in sheets. Frightened by the dangerous lightning, we sat crouched in balls in our tents and watched the water pummel by. At the first sign of the rain’s slowing, we dashed for a nearby AT shelter where we huddled for the next several hours. 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.

My Fear vs. God’s Sovereignty - Norma Gail Thurston Holtman

He fills his hands with lightning and commands it to strike its mark. Job 36:32 NIV

The bulging notebook tells the story of my fear. Article after article about lighting facts and safety are crammed in until nothing else will fit. When my dad was killed by a bolt of lightning under a clear, blue sky, my fear spiraled out of control. I pulled my kids off soccer fields, refused to use the electric appliances, or take a shower during a storm. Talking on the phone is forbidden.

As a child, my dad sat with me in his lap, telling me how beautiful it was, explaining how it showed the power of God. Lightning striking two of my parents’ homes erased any fascination he managed to encourage. It is a terrible, fearful thing, and I try not to watch it.

Living on the side of a mountain at 7400 feet puts us in danger of lightning sparked forest fires. I was carried away with the beautiful view and never thought about the storms. 

An in-depth study of scripture convinced me only God controls the lightning, but it hasn’t enabled me to see its beauty. So little is under human control. However, acknowledging God’s sovereignty gives me peace. I can accept that God took my father to heaven via a lightning bolt, but I don’t take chances by being out in a storm. 

I have heard it said that God’s man, at the center of God’s will, is immortal until God is finished with him. Love of God and the desire to serve wherever He leads makes me lean on His protection. Believing He is all-powerful frees me from concerns for self. Stepping out of our comfort zone grows and matures faith.

John says perfect love casts out fear, and I believe God loves me perfectly. Stormy times in life cause me to depend on God in new ways, and lightning storms should do the same. Whatever gives me concern must be submitted to God and left with Him. I will only experience triumph when I am trusting in God with all my heart, no matter what my circumstances.

Just as the lightning comes from His fingers, so do the events of our lives. Step out in faith, and see what He will do.

Norma Gail’s debut contemporary Christian romance, Land of My Dreams—set in Scotland and New Mexico, released in April 2014. She has led weekly women’s Bible studies for 19 years. Her devotionals and poetry have appeared on ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, FaithWriters, and the New Mexico Christian Novelists. She is a former RN who lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 38 years. They have two adult children.

 ______________________________

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.