Flashback Friday - Martin Wiles

Dedicated to the Cause

She started in middle school and continued through high school-even when she couldn’t breathe.

My daughter loved all sports but was only involved in two-cross country and track. As soon as school was over, the team assembled for stretches before beginning their daily 5K or 3.1 mile run. She loved the “highs” and anticipated the competitions. I don’t recall her ever winning a meet, but she diligently prepared and usually finished near the top.

In high school, things changed. Asthma episodes suddenly pounced after she ran only a short distance. Her running days appeared over. Read more...

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Hungry for God - Martin Wiles

Oh, that you would burst from the heavens and come down! How the mountains would quake in your presence! Isaiah 64:1 NLT

“You’re like a chipmunk.” A work associate was the first to say this, but others had implied it with various comments. And I do stay hungry most of the time. At any given time, you may see me walking or sitting around with something in my mouth. My wife blames my incessant eating on a tapeworm. I’ve never been tested, but my appetite and weight maintenance make me a perfect candidate. 

Until I reached my late thirties, I could eat as much as I wanted and never worry about the number on the scale rising. Then things changed. I still eat often, but the amounts are smaller because the number on the scales will rise if I don’t. 

Unfortunately, much of what I hunger for isn’t always healthy: Little Debbie snack cakes, fried foods, Krispy Kreme doughnuts, potato chips. If I hungered more for the healthier foods, the scales might remain steady…or move in the opposite direction.

Isaiah hungered for his people to turn back to God. He didn’t want to see them taken into captivity as punishment for their sins. He also hungered for God to act by righting the wrongs he witnessed around him. He hungered for the right things…godly things. 

What I hunger for reveals my life philosophy, much like the foods I hanker after. When I crave—and eat, the wrong types of food, the chances of me having health related issues increase. If I hanker for the wrong things in life—things not in God’s will, my spiritual health will suffer. I’ll miss opportunities God sends and make decisions that will take me down paths outside of his plan. 

When I hunger for God, I’ll seek him. Through prayer and worship, I’ll hunger for him to speak. My prayer will be, “God, show me the right decisions to make,” or “God, how do you want me to use the gifts you’ve given me?” 

Are you hungering for more of God in your life?

Prayer: Father, we long for Your presence to fill our souls so we’ll never hunger for anything else as a substitute.

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Flashback Friday - Martin Wiles

Pressured To Share

Series: Perfected By Pressure
Sharing is now one of my favorite things to do. But this wasn’t always true.

Like most people, I had items I didn’t mind sharing, but there were some things reserved just for me. Special books. If I had more than one copy, I’d share, but if not I wouldn’t. Favorite pens. I’d loan them but would also make sure they were returned. 

Seems silly now that I think about it, but our selfish natures often require God’s pressure so we’ll open our hands. Read more...


Maggie is a teenager who chooses love over a dream. Nominate my book for a Kindle Scout contract. Click to preview & vote. http://ow.ly/Qc3UP 

Encouraging Tweet: Suffering for standing for right makes you a partner with the greatest Man who ever lived. 

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Flashback Friday - Martin Wiles

Childish Reactions

“I used to go to that church, but the last preacher they had. . . .” “Mr. ________ used to come regularly, but he and Mrs. _______ couldn’t see eye to eye on _________, so he . . . .”

Sometimes we act our biological age; sometimes we don’t. Two-year-olds act like two-year-olds. Temper tantrums, selfishness, testing authority. It goes with the territory. But when fifteen-year-olds behave identically, something’s amiss.

The same holds true with our spiritual reactions. We tend to act out where we are spiritually. Read more...

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Grow Up - Martin Wiles

You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. Hebrews 5:12 NLT

Life had taken a sad turn. My job of six years was now gone. Searching for a job became a discouraging challenge. Months went by before a call finally came from a school district 40 miles away wanting to know if I’d be interested in working as a teacher’s assistant. At this point I was willing to try anything. Little did I know the children I’d be working with were autistic. Their bodies were the normal size for their age, but their actions weren’t. Only one could go to the bathroom by himself. The others wore diapers. At their age, they should have been talking, but all they could do was make sounds. When other kids were watching movies and playing video games, they wanted to watch Barney the purple dinosaur. Normal children their age could feed themselves, but these children had to be spoon fed like babies. 

The recipients of this letter had been believers for many years. So long, in fact, that they should have known God’s Word well enough to teach others. But they couldn’t. They were still babies. They needed children’s Bible stories when they should have been teaching others the meat portions of God’s Word. They needed bottle feeding instead of spoon feeding. 

Growing up is fun but challenging and difficult as well. Many times I’ve wished I could return to the younger years when Mom and Dad took care of everything. Growing up in Christ is no different. Physical growth happens naturally; spiritual growth takes effort. I won’t grow if I don’t try. Doing so requires I be countercultural. I can’t sand with the grain because according to Jesus most of the grains are going in the wrong direction. Through spiritual disciplines such as prayer, Bible study, meditation, and fellowship with like minded believers, I train my conscience to be sensitive to the pricking of God’s Spirit. This takes time, but the reward is that I’ll grow up in Christ and be used in ways I wouldn’t be had I remained a babe. No longer will I be blown about by every new teaching that comes along. Neither will I find myself continually falling to the temptations of Satan. I will have matured. 

What’s your spiritual age? 

Prayer: Prod us, merciful Lord, to grow up in our faith walk so we can be useful instruments of Yours.
(Photo courtesy of morguefile and tangle_eye.)

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Throwback Tuesday by Martin Wiles

WELCOME TO THROWBACK TUESDAY...BECAUSE WE BELIEVE EVERY DEVOTION IS WORTH A SECOND READ. 

Bird Talk

It was a warm March morning when he appeared outside my office window. 
A soft chirp caught my attention as I was trying to write and worry simultaneously. I peered out the window and noticed a male black capped chickadee. My wife had stuffed a maple syrup can with cotton and placed it on a patio table for decoration. I watched as the small bird hopped from one boll to another, stuffing cotton in his beak between chirps. Occasionally he would pause and glance my way as if to say; Take note, God provides for the nest I’m building. Read more...

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Tired of Corn Flakes by Martin Wiles

They were the breakfast of champions…at least for her. Every morning, my great grandmother would pour a bowl of Kellogg’s® Corn Flakes, slice a banana over them, and douse them with milk. Then she’d sit down for what she never tired of.

I never cared much for Corn Flakes. Bland and tasteless…unless I added a little sugar. Even then I’d tire of them quickly if I had to stomach them every morning. But I’m that way with most breakfast foods. After a few days of the same thing, I’m ready for a change.

Apparently, I’m not alone. God’s people once tired of their breakfast menu too. All we ever see is this manna! (Numbers 11:5-6 NLT) The Israelites had a wider variety of food in Egypt, but they also had slavery as dessert. God’s Corn Flakes were good for a spell, but now they wanted diversity. So God provided a little meat…so much in fact that they vomited it up. Manna probably seemed pretty enticing after thirty days was up.

This was a simple case of “I know what’s better for me God.” Sounds amazingly familiar. If I thought about it long enough, I could conjure up a few times when I followed their pattern. “Here’s what I need God,” and “Here’s what I don’t need.” Trouble is, I don’t know what’s spiritually best for me without God’s assistance.

So I’ve made a pact with God. He sends what he knows is best, when he knows it’s best, for the amount of time he knows it’s expedient, in what form he knows suits his purposes, and I’ll take it without complaining…at least most of the time.

What God has in store for you is always better than anything you can imagine. Learn to take what he gives as a presentation of his awesome love.

Prayer: Father of mercy and grace, help us accept Your gifts even when they’re not what we’d prefer.

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Better World…Better Body by Martin Wiles

At twelve he quit school to plow fields with a mule.

He had no choice. His father died of cancer and his mom and siblings needed care. With an uncle’s assistance, my grandfather kept the farm going. He didn’t know what it was to use a tractor, so long after his farming tenure ended, he still sang; Oh, the old gray mare, she ain’t what she used to be.

According to the apostle, the old gray mare isn’t the only thing that’s changed. The world and our bodies have too. We ourselves…groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (Romans 8:23)

No one knows how long the world or Adam and Eve existed before sin’s entrance, but things deteriorated drastically when they decided to disobey God.

God’s perfect world was tainted and now longs to be what it was previously and will be finally. Nothing endures. What we don’t dispose of is destroyed by rust, the elements, insects, or other humans. Natural disasters are common. Our bodies fare no better. In spite of our best efforts to prevent it, they reflect results of the aging process and are often afflicted by disease. Eventually, death overtakes them.

But there’s good news. God will redeem the world and our bodies. We have the responsibility of caring for both because God created both. Caring for His world and our bodies honors Him and reminds us who we are accountable to.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help us develop habits that enhance our health and the environment.


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Training For Excellence-Maintaining Our Energy Level by Martin Wiles

Series: Training For Excellence

I was in my late thirties and overweight. Something had to be done. So I thought, “Why not run?” And I did.

Running requires training the body to endure, and I was preparing to run 5K races. Winning wasn’t in the mix; I just wanted to finish. I ran several times each week, but too much weight, bad knees and shin splints slowed my gait. I ran for a while-and even finished several races, but eventually relegated my exercise to walking. I quickly learned that maintaining one’s energy level is vital if running-or any other vigorous exercise, is your forte’.

Running in God’s venue requires high spiritual energy levels also. Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us (Hebrews 12:1 NLT).

Jesus’ stint in the wilderness demonstrates the importance of maintaining soaring spiritual energy levels. Satan waited until he had fasted forty days before tempting him. Charles Stanley, pastor of First Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia, uses the acronym HALT and says we should never get too hungry, angry, lonely or tired.

Maintaining intense spiritual energy through prayer, Bible study, faith sharing, meditation, and corporate fellowship are noble practices, but so is maintaining healthy eating habits and pursuing positive emotional states. Ancient philosophers struggled with whether humans were mind or matter or a combination of both. Our bodies are single entities erected with physical, emotional and spiritual components. Low energy levels in any one area can affect all three. Excellent living requires the diligent training of our entire body. Let God show you any areas of low energy.

Prayer: Almighty God, energize us physically, spiritually and emotionally that we might effectively accomplish Your work.

Spiritual Better Than Physical by Martin Wiles

Series: Living Life To The Fullest

At 6’ 4,” 200 pounds, his nickname was appropriate.
James George Janos-a.k.a. Jessie “The Body” Ventura, was a professional wrestler from 1975 to 1986. He took the stage name to match his “bleach blonde from California” character and also to coincide with his villainous role. But his impressive physique couldn’t shield him from blood clots in his lungs that ended his in-ring career.

I admit it. My shape may be somewhat affected by my sweet tooth and occasional enjoyment of junk food, but my eating and exercise habits are overall healthy. While I don’t run five miles a day or spend hours at the “Y,” neither am I a couch potato. 

Our bodies are God’s creations. I’ve not always been overly pleased with my body’s shape, but God didn’t consult me when he engineered it. I can minimally alter it by exercise and healthy eating, but I can also shorten its lifespan by a lack thereof. While physical health is important, spiritual health is more so. Paul says, Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you (I Corinthians 6:19)?

We can sport impressive physical figures and have deteriorating spiritual builds. Spiritual disciplines keep us in excellent spiritual shape just as exercise and healthy eating keep us physically fit. Healthy doses of prayer, Bible reading and meditation, corporate worship and regular contact with other believers keep us spiritually robust. Physical beauty doesn’t seep below our skin’s surface, but spiritual excellence goes to the soul. While poor health can signal sinful choices, it’s possible to be genetically unhealthy and spiritually vigorous. Live a full life by maintaining a healthy physical body, but pay even more attention to your spiritual frame.

Prayer: Remind us Lord Jesus that enemies of our bodies are enemies of our potential.

Nutrition From The Wrong Place

I do it every time I visit the grocery store even though I know better.


Unhealthy and healthy food. I buy it all. Chips, burgers, fries, fudge, brownies, cake, ice cream, and my favorite, Little Debbie’s. But also veggies, meat, and fruit.


Forty was the year of change. Prior to this I could eat as much of what I wanted without it affecting my body’s shape. Suddenly metabolism slowed causing my chest to fall and protrude in my stomach. Belts, shirts and coats shrunk in the closet.


All food has some nutritional value, and even enough of the healthiest food (anything with no taste) fills the stomach. But while momentarily satisfying, unhealthy food also clogs arteries, increases pounds, raises blood pressure, and causes strokes, heart attacks and diabetes.


It may seem the prophet is challenging us to select healthy foods, but the meaning is deeper: Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare (Isaiah 55:2).


Healthy and unhealthy foods provide only temporary filling. Within a few hours, the stomach growls, food aromas tantalize and every restaurant invites. But there is food and drink that once consumed completely satisfies. The prophet offered it, and Jesus later proposed he was it. (John 6:35)


The offered food is not literal but consumed through a relationship. Once devoured, it will presently and eternally satisfy beyond any food’s capacity. I still crave healthy and unhealthy food and eat both-just in smaller quantities. But I’ve learned spiritual food is more important. I can eat as much as I want and never gain a pound. Nor will it will clog my arteries or make me more susceptible to stroke and heart attack. And it will put a smile on my face and peace in my heart.


God enables us to choose what completely satisfies.


Prayer: Father, when we’re tempted to eat what won’t satisfy, fill us by Your presence.