How to Love the Overlooked and Forgotten - Martin Wiles

But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. Matthew10:29 NLT

The peeping alerted me that something was amiss.

A mother bluebird had hatched several nestlings in a birdhouse outside my office window. As I worked, I enjoyed hearing their peeps as the mother and father bird made numerous trips to feed their young.

But on one day, the peeping differed. I looked outside, thinking the babies had flown the coup. And they had, except one who languished on the cement porch. I quickly scooped up the hatchling and returned it to the nest. But mom and dad never returned. I saw them flitting around in the yard, but they ignored the peeps of the abandoned baby. Although I tried feeding it insects, it was dead when I arrived for work the next day.

In warning his followers about the persecution on their horizon, Jesus reminded them that not even a sparrow falls without his knowledge. He loves the least. I thought of the verse when I opened the birdhouse and saw the dead baby. My heart broke as I realized sin was the reason this scenario had gone awry. God didn’t want the nestling to die.

Loving the least is rarely easy. I thought of the Andy Griffith episode where Andy’s son, Opie, adopted a nest full of baby birds and nurtured them until they were ready to fly. His attempt succeeded; mine failed. But at least I made the effort.

Although animals aren’t created in the likeness of God as people are, and though they don’t have immortal souls as humans do, they are still a part of God’s creation, which he expects us to care for. Many years ago, God entrusted Adam and Eve with the care of his creation. His instructions to them have been passed to all earthly inhabitants.

But loving the least extends beyond animals and the environment to people as well. We are God’s highest creation, made in his image. It may be easier to hobnob with those in places of importance who can scratch our back in return, but God wants us to love the least, too. Those in dire straits. Those who can’t fend for themselves. Those to whom life has handed a tough hand of cards.

Learn to love the least, not just those who can help you in return.

Father, create in my heart a love for all people and for everything you have created.

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Changing Seasons - Sophia Widholm

He hath made every thing beautiful in His time.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 KJV 

I enjoy the changing seasons. Summer drifting into fall. Winter fading into spring. Each transition brings a fresh aspect of seasonal beauty to life. But what about those seasonal changes that aren’t fixed in a calendar year? Those transitions that aren’t between spring and summer but are stages in life. 

Solomon said God makes everything beautiful in His time. From God’s perspective, changing seasons of life are beautiful and appropriate just like seasonal changes on the calendar. But sometimes we struggle to embrace those transitions. 

Some, like me, enjoy having a routine. It’s steady. It’s familiar. When life gets a little crazy, that routine helps us feel secure. And once we’re secure, we don’t want to readjust. But sometimes God asks us to step forward with Him into something new. Just like the seasons, God makes every change He brings into our lives have a proper time and place. Trusting His wisdom in choosing when that time and place is helps us overcome the fear of changing. 

Growing up in the Appalachian foothills, I had a love-hate relationship with Georgia summers. I relished time away from schoolwork, but loathed the smothering heat and stuffy days. Over time, though, I realized I could appreciate summer—not because I loved everything about it, but because God created it to have a special place among the seasons. 

Learning to enjoy every season of life requires a willingness to trust the Lord’s wisdom in leading us there. 

Is God leading you to a new stage? Are you hesitating in fear, resisting the next step? Ask God to help you see the beauty He sees in that season and to give you the courage to step into it. 

Father, help me to see each season as a beautiful gift from You. Help me to trust Your timing and wisdom. Thank You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Sophia Widholm is a professional writing major who wants to use her words to edify other believers. When she is not at college, she enjoys baking sourdough bread and taking walks in the North Georgia mountains. She is considering ways to serve the Lord after graduation through writing.

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.

Fed by God: Words That Nourish the Soul - Martin Wiles

Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things. 

~Psalm 81:10 NLT

When I heard the chirping, I knew their mouths were full. But they couldn’t receive words that nourish the soul as I could.

After settling into my new position as pastor of a small rural church, I placed a few things on the office building’s front porch. Among them, a bird house. Within a few days, a mother bluebird began building her nest. I looked from my office window as she carefully selected materials and brought them to the house. When she started entering the house, I knew she had laid her eggs.

Two weeks later, I knew the eggs had hatched. I heard small intermittent chirps. As the days passed, the chirps grew louder. I peeked out of my window and saw little mouths extended from the small hole as mom and dad bluebird hung on the outside of the birdhouse, stuffing food between those eager beaks. When they had filled their mouths, they flew off again to retrieve more food. It seemed the little birds couldn’t get enough.

Deliverance from Egyptian slavery was a landmark point in Israel’s history that God didn’t want His people to forget. After reminding the psalmist of this rescuing, God told him to open his mouth, and he would fill it with good things.

I’ve missed good things from God on countless occasions because I didn’t open my mouth. Somewhat like not getting things I could have had from God because I didn’t ask. When Jesus knocks, we must open; if we want, we must ask; and if we desire good things, we must open our mouths.

God is filled with love and mercy. He has wonderful plans for his children. He desires to give us more than we have, but he has conditions. Opening our mouths is one. As the baby birds eagerly received their parents’ food, we must accept what God offers. He offers instruction and encouragement from his Word. We’ll never go hungry or wrong when we receive it. He offers daily guidance from his Spirit. We’ll never make a wrong turn when we take it. He gives abundant opportunities. We’ll never regret taking them. All we must do is open our mouths.

Open your mouth, and let God fill it with good things.

Father, I yield my mouth to you and ask you to fill it with the good things you have in store. 

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.

Look for the Buried Treasure - Martin Wiles

And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. Ezekiel 36:26 NLT

I walked by it numerous times but never knew it was there.

As I stood by our front door, waiting on my wife, I saw one of the many squirrels scampering through our neighborhood subdivision, doing what squirrels do. Except for a few oaks, our neighborhood had no nut-producing trees. I often wondered what these squirrels constantly buried.

I observed him scooting about our small front yard on this particular day. Suddenly, he stopped at a particular place, positioned his tiny front feet for digging, and got to work. Within seconds, he had unearthed a pecan, which he promptly placed between his front teeth. Our yard held a buried treasure I knew nothing about.

We find a buried treasure of greater importance in the innermost parts of everyone who follows Jesus Christ. Ezekiel prophesied of a time when God would give the Spirit in a new way.

God’s Holy Spirit is every believer’s buried treasure. It is not buried in that it cannot be located but in the sense that the Spirit is an untapped resource for successful living for many. Just as buried treasure does no one any good as long as it’s buried, the indwelling Spirit doesn’t either if we don’t tap into his power.

God gives his Spirit the moment we trust his Son as our Savior. If we unearth the power of his presence, he will provide unexplainable comfort when we need it. Since life is tough and regularly tosses bombshells our way, we need this comfort regularly. His comfort is a feeling deep inside that everything will be all right because God loves us and is in control.

God’s Spirit also strengthens us to keep going when times are tough, when others oppose our work for God, and when disappointment and depression zap our energy level.

A further advantage of God’s buried treasure is the gifts he gives for work in God’s service. Our work for God would be impossible to complete with any notable track record without his Spirit awarding us with callings, talents, and unique gifts.

Unearth the power of God’s buried treasure.

Father, thank you for the presence and power of your Spirit, who gives me the authority and strength to do the work you’ve called me to do. 

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Take a Daily Bath - Martin Wiles

A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet to be entirely clean. And you are clean. John 13:10 NLT

As I sat at my computer writing in the early morning hours, my wife hollered, “Come quickly.”

Although we lived in the city, a few months ago, an opossum came waddling between the privacy fence surrounding our backyard and made himself at home rummaging around in our yard. He was petite. I saw him again a few weeks later, trekking atop our privacy fence. He was much larger then.

On this particular morning, my wife discovered his hideout. A small patch of brush and trees separates our subdivision from the one behind us. One of the larger trees had a hollow, and he had made it his home. He sat upon a strong limb in the early morning light and bathed himself, much like a raccoon or cat.

On one occasion, Jesus washed his disciples’ feet to teach them about serving. When he came to Peter, Peter refused. He thought it was beneath the Messiah to perform such a menial task. Jesus explained that though Peter didn’t need to wash all over, his feet still needed washing. After all, people in this period walked the dusty roads barefoot or in sandals.

With rare exceptions, I, like the opossum, take daily baths. I feel cleaner when I do even if I’ve done nothing that day to get dirty. Oils build up on my skin. I may have eaten at a restaurant with sizzling smells or been junking in thrift stores.

Jesus, however, talked about a spiritual bath. The disciples had bathed when they trusted him as who he claimed to be—God’s Son. Once this is done, all our sins are washed away—past, present, and future. I don’t need a whole-body bath again, but I do need daily cleansing. My feet get dirty from walking through the world. The opossum didn’t jump in the lake; he just licked parts of his body.

My daily baths consist of confession for sins of omission and commission. I also apologize for missing opportunities the Savior has sent because I was too busy, selfish, or consumed by my own world. This daily bath keeps me on good terms with Christ and helps me hear him clearly when he calls.

Don’t neglect your daily bath.

Father, move me to daily confession so I can hear you clearly when you call me to ministry opportunities. 

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I invite you to try my newest book, Grits, Grace, and Grands, in eBook or paperback. If you are an editor who wants to hone your grammar skills or someone who just wants to improve your writing or speaking, this is the book 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.

Worth the Cost - Martin Wiles

Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. Luke 9:23 NLT

We saw the top, but wanted to see the bottom.

The COVID-19 pandemic, along with the stay-at-home or work order, made my wife and I pen sick. We looked for an outing that authorities allowed. Sure enough, hiking qualified—as long as we could find an open trail. But since we had just hiked two days prior, we needed a trail that accommodated our aching backs and knees. Pig Pen Falls and Lick Log Falls seemed to fit the bill since both rested on the same trail and were rated easy. 

My wife, I, another couple, and two of our grandchildren set out early one morning, looking forward to a picnic lunch and cool spring weather. The only part I wasn’t sure of was the last couple of miles to the trailhead. The directions said we had to lumber down a gravel road. We had just purchased a new van. We had previously traveled on mountain gravel roads and knew how unpredictable they were: narrow, dusty, gulleyed. But we wanted to hike, so we had no alternative. 

Our destination was Mountain Rest, South Carolina, just above Oconee State Park. The last leg of our journey took us down Nicholson Ford Road, a gravel road that started narrow but then widened. Maybe we were okay after all. 

We discovered a packed house when we reached the end and the trailhead. We weren’t the only ones tired of being home. I squeezed the van into the only remaining spot, and we donned our gear. Excitement spread across the grandboys’ faces as they anticipated letting out their energy and seeing waterfalls. 

Whoever rated the trail got it right. The only thing that slowed us down was roots. We began on the Foothills Trail for around one-half mile, then intersected with the Chattooga Trail. Just to the left lay Pig Pen Falls. A large rock made a nice resting and picture-taking spot, and my wife—the picture taker in the bunch—took advantage of the photo ops. 

During our rest stop, we met an emergency responder we had seen two days before. We asked about Lick Log Falls and smiled when she told us it was only five minutes down the trail. We had read it cascaded down a three-tier rock face. The upper two we could see from the trail, but the bottom tier required scaling down the mountain. I wasn’t sure our young grandsons—or I—could master it. 

Sure enough, we passed the top of the falls within five minutes. A little farther, and we saw the first two tiers. A few yards farther, we came to the descent trail—a steep trail littered with roots and fallen trees. An older couple approached. They had descended before, seen the falls’ bottom tier, and considered the view worth the trip down. We asked if the boys could handle it. They thought so. My wife didn’t. I did. As we began our descent, she stood on the trail and cried—a place she stayed until we returned. 

The sight from the bottom trumped the cost of all the aches and pains the descent cost me. I witnessed the bottom tier of the falls, took beautiful photos of them and the Chattooga River, and let the boys play in the sandy beach area. The climb back up to the trail challenged us more than the descent, but my wife’s smiling face and tear-stained cheeks greeted us. 

Jesus spoke of a greater cost than a trip down a mountain to see gorgeous waterfalls. His entailed taking up a cross—something He knew lay in His future and something He knew involved pain. Only His pain would be greater than anyone who hung on a cross. His entailed the pain of spikes and the pain of the world’s sins. 

Our cross probably won’t be literal as Jesus’ was. The cost varies. For some, it might only involve being made fun of. For others, it might include jail and even death. But there is a cost. Our journey with Christ involves times of ease, times of difficulty, and times somewhere in between.

Regardless of the cost, the decision to follow Him is worth whatever it costs. And whatever the price, it won’t compare to the cost Jesus paid for us on the cross as He took our sins upon Himself. Anything worth doing or having is worth paying something for—and salvation is no different. Although salvation comes by grace and costs us nothing, we must willingly pay the price of serving the one who served us. And in the service lies a mixture of sacrifice, joy, and pain. 

No greater joy exists than following the One who gave His all for us. Take up the cross, and be willing to pay the price. The beauty, in the end, will be worth anything you pay. 

Father, make me willing and eager to pay the cost of following You. 

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

 

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Shelter in a Storm - Martin Wiles

The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Psalm 9:9 NLT

We had no reason to think we’d need shelter in a storm.

My brother, two children, and I had set out for an overnight camping trip on the Appalachian Trail. No sooner had we reached the gap where we planned to camp than the sound of thunder peeled through the mountain valleys. So, we quickly erected our tents.

Within minutes, the lighting popped, and rain poured. The only things separating us from danger were tall trees and the rubber mats we sat on. We knew an AT shelter sat a few hundred yards down the trail, but we were scared to venture out. After thirty minutes, the storm subsided enough for us to hightail it to the shelter. There, we spent the next four hours, listening as one storm after another marched across the mountains.

The psalmist pictures God as a shelter for those experiencing trouble. The AT shelter provided cover for us, but since it was only three-sided and as exposed to lightning as our tents, we weren’t much safer. The shelter didn’t prevent the storm from coming nor shorten its length or intensity.

Having God as a shelter doesn’t mean storms won’t come. In fact, I’ve experienced numerous life storms since I made him my shelter. But in the shelter, God strengthens our faith in him to protect us. He may not prevent the storm, but he will safely carry us through it.

While the shelter doesn’t affect the storm, being in the shelter changes our perspective. Our Shelter can lessen the storm’s intensity and duration if he chooses. The shelter is also the place where we’re reassured that God’s in control. He won’t allow anything in our lives that won’t form us more into his image. In the shelter of God’s arms, we’re safe—even if the storm takes our lives.

What shelter do you run to when life gets loud and dangerous?

Prayer: Father, thank You for being our shelter when the storms of life assault us. 

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God Cares - Martin Wiles

Series: Nature Lessons About God

Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! Luke 12:24 NLT

I heard their chirps and couldn’t help but care.

Several bird feeders linger in our front and back yards. One is an old stand ashtray. Easy to use because all I have to do is dump feed in it. Of course, it doesn’t keep out the rain, but convenience is nice.

On the side of the house hangs a pair of wind chimes with a little cup at the top where birdseed is placed. Each time a bird lands on it—or flies away—we hear music.

And hanging on our privacy fence in the back yard is an old slat chair on which I’ve placed a dish I fill with feed. Again, not waterproof, but convenient.

Near the feeder in the front, we’ve placed a small birdbath, suitable for washing off dusty wings or getting a drink of water. A larger one sits in our back yard. Squirrels usually frequent this one because of its size.

As I lounge around the house, I often hear the chirps of various birds: cardinals, wrens, sparrows. Either I have let the seed run out or they are calling their friends to join in the feast I’ve just delivered to the feeders. When I hear the chimes raging wildly, I know a squirrel is gnawing on sunflower seeds.

The cost of the seed is sometimes prohibitive, but I continue to buy it. I enjoy nature, but somehow I feel as if God expects me too. Yes, He will feed them if I don’t, but He also uses people to help Him care for His creations. I feel a sense of peace as I watch the wild things enjoy what I’ve placed before them. A sense of knowing I’ve done the right thing … that I’m aiding God in His work … doing what He expects of me.

But the picture grows. Jesus uses the picture of Him feeding the ravens to assure me He’ll take care of me—and all of His children. I don’t have to worry, just as the birds don’t have to worry. God may not care for me in the way I might imagine, but He will care for me nevertheless. In His way. According to His timetable.

Never doubt that God cares for you. When you do, just look at how He cares for the animals He’s created.

Prayer: Father, as You care for us, may we in turn care for what You have created.

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God Loves Variety - Martin Wiles

Series: Nature Lessons About God

O Lord, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your creatures. Psalm 104:25 NLT

Variety is the spice of life. And God must think so.

My brother and I made our way to a popular spring hiking trail just outside of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. As we meandered along the trail, we encountered a plethora of wildflower varieties. Some lay low to the ground, making the forest floor appear as if it had a layer of snow. Others reared higher. Some bloomed green, making them difficult to see. We happened upon a group of older people led by a guide who knew the various types of wildflowers, so we stayed close and listened.

On another occasion, my wife and I, along with another couple, found ourselves on the top of a mountain having lunch at a high-elevation picnic grounds. As we ate, squirrels scampered from tree to tree and ran along the ground, hoping picnickers would drop a few morsels. But these weren’t the squirrels we saw back home. I took a picture, loaded it into an app on my phone that identifies creatures, and discovered it was a red squirrel. Although they act somewhat like a gray squirrel, they look more like a chipmunk.

And the mountains always give us a glimpse of a different variety of birds. Birds I can’t identify by their sound or by their appearance.

Imagine if all the birds, other animals, and flowers looked identical. What a boring world this would be. Though he only lived in the Middle East his entire life, the psalmist noticed the variety of wildlife God had created and marveled.

The psalmist said God was a God of wisdom. And God is a creative genius. Some choose to credit evolution for the world’s variety of plant and animal life, but I choose to attribute them to an all-wise God who is bigger than any process, random or guided.

God also showed His wisdom by conceiving the plan of salvation. Who would have thought about letting salvation be purchased through His own Son? Why not let the variety of people He created work for their salvation … their forgiveness? Because we could never have earned it.

Although God loves variety, He didn’t create a variety of ways to gain salvation. Only one. By believing His Son paid for our sins and by accepting Him as our Savior. No variety of ways exist to Him. Just one.

Look around and enjoy the variety God has created. Then come to Him in the only way He has provided.

Prayer: Father, we worship You as a God of variety and for the spice it brings into our lives.

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The Changeless Among Change - Martin Wiles

Series: Nature Lessons About God

I am the Lord, and I do not change. Malachi 3:6 NLT

Each year, I go. And each year, I notice the same thing.

I love nature, and one of my favorite places to visit is the mountains. Mountains make their own weather, so the seasons there appear to be more concrete than in other areas of my state. If I go in the spring, I expect to see trees budding and wildflowers bursting forth from under layers of leaves left over from the previous fall.

If I make the trip in the fall, I expect to see leaves in various shades of color, some already having fallen off. I also anticipate seeing thousands of people who have come to observe the same things I have journeyed to view.

If I visit during the winter months, I expect cold temperatures, bare trees, and icy spots. Winter views trump those of other seasons because fronts have cleared out the humidity of summer and no leaves on trees block my view. I can also expect some roads to be closed due to inclement weather.

And if I travel to the mountains in the summer, I can anticipate hot temps, but not as hot as where I live. Flowers are alive with color, and the grass is rainforest green.

Regardless of what season I visit the mountains, I’ll find similar scenarios. That’s because God created certain conditions to accompany particular regions. And He says these seasons will remain until the end of time.

Through the prophet Malachi, God reminded the people of why He had not destroyed them despite their repeated disobedience: He was a God of grace and mercy. He had been in the beginning, and He would remain the same until the end of time and throughout eternity.

And God hasn’t changed. God gives forgiveness when we don’t deserve it. He restores us to a right relationship with Him when we don’t merit a relationship at all. He gives blessings we can’t earn, and certainly don’t deserve. His nature of mercy, love, and grace allow Him to do no less. When we fail Him, He doesn’t return the favor. He holds us up when we let Him down. He sustains when we don’t have the energy to take the next step. He enables us to move forward when we don’t know how.

God has never let His people down—and He never will. Trust the changeless nature of the unchanging God.

Prayer: Father, among life’s many changes, we are thankful that You never do.

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