Conquering Depression - Martin Wiles

I lift my hands to you in prayer. I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain. Come quickly, Lord, and answer me, for my depression deepens. Psalm 143:6-7 NLT

Many people experience small bouts with it at winter’s onset; others do battle with it more often. 

SAD—or seasonal affective disorder—was first named by Norman Rosenthal and his colleagues at the National Institute of Mental Health in 1984. Symptoms include oversleeping, overeating, difficulty waking up, lack of energy, trouble concentrating, and withdrawing from friends, family, and social activities.

SAD and other types of depression can result from medical, self-inflicted, circumstance-related, or Satan-instigated sources. Conquering it is possible, but how?

Consult the proper Source. David’s present depression was circumstance-related and Satan-instigated. God anointed him as Israel’s king, but prior to assuming the role, he faced jealousy and life-threatening tactics from the sitting king. He found himself running for his life.

God is our ultimate emotional healer when we’re depressed. Our efforts toward restored health should include praying for guidance, searching his Word for comfort, socializing with those who share our beliefs, and confiding in trustworthy Christian acquaintances. When God directs—and when conditions warrant--we may need to visit a medical professional for counseling and/or medication.

Admit helplessness. Depression often brings with it feelings of “darkness” and confinement, as if lingering under an ominous cloud that neither dissipates nor delivers rain.

I’ve taken a few cave tours in my lifetime. While I enjoy pondering underground structures, one part makes me nervous: when the guide turns off the lights. What if they don’t come back, or what if the flashlight batteries die and he has no extras? Darkness is eerie; absolute darkness is nerve-racking.

David was a darkness expert. He slept in it as a young man while tending his father’s sheep, and he hid in it in a wilderness cave because a jealous king wanted him dead.

Helplessness isn’t easy to admit. We’re more likely to have an attitude of “There’s nothing I can’t conquer.” But like the addict who must confess their addiction before help can be effective, so conquering depression involves admitting to God we’re helpless to overcome without his assistance.

Examine our relationship with God. Charlie was a good girl. Although her father rarely darkened the church doors, her mother made sure she and her brothers attended. When a teenager, she accepted Jesus as her Savior at a church revival and after graduation married her high school sweetheart. They soon entered full-time Christian ministry.

But somewhere along the way, Charlie changed. Her love for church dwindled, and her new friends led her down roads taking her away from God. She began experimenting with sinful behaviors, which accelerated her downhill slide. Eventually, Charlie walked out on her family.

David once ventured into forbidden areas after becoming king and discovered what Charlie did: sin never delivers what it promises. He attempted to enjoy life with lies, sexual immorality, and murder—but inherited only depression and God’s discipline. 

Disobedience can be a major cause of a believer’s depression. Anytime we choose to walk away from God, an emotional struggle develops. If not quickly settled by confession and repentance, our emotional war will be lost to depression. Sin always takes us farther than we want to go, keeps us longer than we want to stay, and costs us more than we want to pay.

If depression threatens, start by taking it to God.

Father, draw me to you when the dark clouds of depression hover over me. 

*These issues vary greatly from individual to individual, so it's impossible to address every need. If you or someone you know suffers from mental illness, seek professional guidance.  

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.

The Hiding Place - Martin Wiles

For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory. Psalm 32:7 NLT

One sheet and four kitchen chairs made a perfect hiding place.

Lovey was my maternal grandmother’s half-sister. My memories of her are fading, but I recall her playing with my cousin and me. One of our favorite activities was making a tent. We did this by taking a sheet and spreading it over four kitchen chairs. Seems like an easy enough exercise, but if the chairs weren’t positioned correctly, the entire thing would collapse. 

After we constructed our tent, my cousin and I went in and sat down. Being young boys, we probably giggled and talked. We were in our hiding place … safe from the world. Though anyone could have easily discovered us by looking beneath the cover, we didn’t see ourselves as exposed. 

God was the psalmist’s hiding place. Someone he could run to for protection when his enemies were fast upon his heels. Someone who comforted him when it appeared others had turned against him. 

I’ve experienced other-than-honorable conditions in which I tried to hide from God. Mainly when I intentionally sinned or engaged in other shameful behavior. Rather than confessing, I tried to hide as Adam and Eve did. Hiding didn’t work for them, and it didn’t for me either. God’s convicting Spirit worried me until I made things right with God. 

God would rather we hide in him for more honorable reasons. When life—or others—has frustrated, disappointed, betrayed, or angered us, we can hide in him for comfort. 

We can hide in God’s love. It’s unconditional. Nothing we do or say can make him love us more or less. He loves us consistently—though this doesn’t relieve us of the need to live according to his standards. 

We can hide in God’s power. Nothing life throws at us is more powerful than God. Lions, bears, and an angry king were not more powerful than the psalmist’s God, and life’s present enemies aren’t more powerful than God’s power to deliver us. 

We can also hide in God’s salvation—not from life’s trials and tribulations, but from sin’s power. Through the forgiveness offered by Christ, we can enjoy the assurance of God’s forgiveness and acceptance. No more do we dwell under condemnation. 

Let God teach you to hide in him—not from him or in anything else. 

Father, thank you for the comfort of hiding in you for salvation and from life’s trials. 

If you seek hope and healing because of hurts you have faced, then Hurt, Hope, and Healing 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.

A Collision of Raindrops and Sunshine - Anita van der Elst

When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth. Genesis 9:16 ESV

As my husband and I drove out of a nearby hillside neighborhood, we saw it in the distance. The unmistakable arcs and colors of a double rainbow. But not a surprise to see since a sudden rain shower had come while the sun shone brightly at the same time. A collision of raindrops and sunshine. 

I wanted to capture a picture of it on my phone, but the foliage was too thick, so down the hill we went, chasing those rainbows. The result was a lovely image of two rainbows, one slightly fainter in vibrance, shining against a dark blue sky.

Reading this promise from God, it occurs to me that when I see the rainbow, he and I are seeing it at the same time, an activity we do together. We are in relationship. The rainbow draws my attention to him. 

God promised never to send another flood to punish wrongdoing. However, our sins remain a barrier between God and us. In paying for our sins by dying on the cross, Jesus made it possible for us to be in relationship with God. We are forgiven and washed clean. In rising again, Jesus defeated death forever. A collision of justice and grace.

Now, instead of seeing my sins, God sees me through Jesus. The light of Jesus shines from my heart, and because of Jesus, God promises eternal life in heaven with him forever. 

Make sure you have entered into that relationship with God through trusting in Jesus. 

Anita van der Elst finds joy in creating with words, believing God gifted her with the desire to do so. Married to her best friend, Edward, since 1976, she is a proud mom of four adult children and Oma to three of the most delightful grandchildren ever. Other joys in her life include bringing beauty to Facebook through photos she takes on her iPhone, exploring the state parks in the PNW, facilitating a small group of women, and participating in a Bible study.

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.

What's Involved in a Sit-In - Martin Wiles

But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Hebrews 10:12 NLT

He pulled up a chair, sat beside me, and raised his left arm in the air.

Our church was hosting its first craft fair. A good number of vendors signed up, set up, and enjoyed interacting with customers—along with selling them products. I sat at a table near the entrance, hosting my first book signing. As my wife talked with the various vendors, a gentleman from our church took her seat beside me, raised his left arm, and smiled.

“What are you doing?” I—along with others who stopped by—asked.

“Sitting in for your wife,” he responded.

My wife had undergone carpal tunnel surgery the day before and was supposed to be sitting with her arm elevated. But she wasn’t being a good patient, as usual, so our friend decided he’d show her how a sit-in was supposed to be done.

Although no more than a young boy in the 1960’s, I remember another type of sit-in. The kind where minority groups, whose rights were being violated by governmental laws and society’s traditions, sat in various stores and other locations. Had I chosen to sit with them—or sit in their place—I would have faced the same retaliation as they did.

The biblical writer, however, introduces another type of sit-in—one that also had consequences but wonderful results. This sit-in occurred after Jesus died on the cross, was resurrected from the grave, and then ascended back to heaven.

Jesus sat in my place as my friend did for my wife, but with a big difference. His sitting in her for her had no effect on the swelling in her arm. She was still walking around with it dangling in the wrong direction. Jesus’s sitting in our place has the potential to alter our current life situation and eternal state. His sit-in was substitutionary, which means he took our place.

If we choose, we can avoid having to pay for our sins and be eternally separated from God. We can be released from condemnation and live with confidence, peace, and joy. But we must accept the effects of Jesus’s sit-in by confessing our sins, putting our trust in Him, and claiming him as our Savior.

Don’t try to sit in for yourself. Accept the sit-in Christ made for you.

Father, thank you for allowing your Son to sit in on my behalf. 

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.

Accepting God’s Will - Martin Wiles

Kings’ daughters are among your noble women. At your right side stands the queen, wearing jewelry of finest gold from Ophir! 

~Psalm 45:9 NLT

Being told to submit wasn’t as easy as the process itself.

Like most children, I chafed at times under my parents’ authority. I accepted that they were always right, but as I got older, I questioned some of their rules and regulations. Dad was a preacher, but how did that relate to my being forced to go to church? And there were occasions when I was convinced my parents were wrong, yet they never apologized when I brought it up. During my period of rebellion and questioning, I tired of hearing, “As long as your feet are under my table, you’ll do as I say.” Though the hippie within me often rose up, I accepted their will until I moved out.

The Bible is filled with stories of individuals who willingly and unwillingly accepted God’s will. God told Noah to build a large boat, and he did. He told Abraham to leave his hometown, and he did. He commanded Jonah to preach to the Ninevites, but he ran. He instructed Samuel to anoint David as the next king of Israel, and he did. Now David was that king because he accepted God’s will.

That some choose to rebel against God’s will enforces what the Bible teaches. God has given us free will. He is sovereign and has decreed certain things will happen, but in some unexplainable way, we still have the freedom to make choices that take us away from his plan.

Though God allows us to refuse His will, he encourages us to accept it. His will is best. Choosing him over Satan is wise, as is choosing heaven over hell. Choosing the abundant life he offers is better than choosing the temporary pleasures of sinful activities. As his child, when we choose to depart from his will, he sends conviction along with discipline. For Jonah, it was three days inside a large fish’s stomach.

Accepting God’s will takes intentionality. Our sinful, fleshly nature prompts us to go the other way. And God’s will often takes us away from the comfortable and familiar, as it did Abraham and Moses. Yet, it’s better to be uncomfortable and anxious and be in God’s will than to remain where we are and miss his blessings.

When you discover God’s will for your life, accept it and leave the consequences to God.

Father, make your will known to me, and then give me the courage to accept it. 

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.

The Cure for a Sin-Sick Heart - Martin Wiles

No, it’s because of your wickedness! There’s no limit to your sins. Job 22:5 NLT

“Have you anointed her and prayed for her healing?”

My wife suffers from various physical ailments—too many, in fact, for her years. She has undergone numerous surgeries to remove tumors that could have turned malignant. Then came surgeries to repair hernias, remove a gall bladder, remove plantar warts, and repair carpal tunnel. She still suffers from herniated disks in her back and neck. To top off these issues, she suffers with fibromyalgia, degenerative arthritis, and neuropathy. Every trip to the doctor seems to entail another medicine or a further diagnosis.

Had my wife lived in Job’s time, she would certainly have been classified as a notorious sinner by any number of pious church folks. Although a righteous man—declared so by God and himself—Job faced real accusations, not hypothetical ones. Several fair-weather friends accused him of sinning against God. Why else would he be afflicted by boils and have lost most of his family and possessions? Even his wife told him to curse God so he could die and get his miserable life over with.

Job, however, maintained his innocence, and at the end of the story God corroborated his testimony. Sickness is the bane of living in a world tainted by sin. The world God originally created was free from sickness—and all the other results of sin—and the new world he will create at the end of time will be identical.

While sickness came when sin entered the world, all sickness is not the result of individual sins. If this were true, my wife would be one of the greatest sinners in the world—when, in fact, she is quite saintly. God can and does use sickness as a means of disciplining or punishing those who revel in willful sin, but having a cold, flu, COVID, or some other illness or disease doesn’t necessarily mean we’ve committed a particular sin.

When my friend asked whether I had anointed and prayed for my wife, I answered, “Yes.” But she hasn’t been healed. Just as sickness is not always the result of sin, so God doesn’t always choose to heal our sicknesses when we ask. He is sovereign. We must trust his plan.

If you’re sick, examine your spiritual life. If it’s in order, pray for healing, but leave the results to an all-wise God.

Father, we entrust our health-related matters to you. If sin is the cause, convict us. If it’s not, then give us the courage to trust you and endure. 

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.

The Bully - Lynne Phipps

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith. 1 Peter 5:8-9 NIV

I once happened upon a situation where a person was extremely angry with their dogs. They yelled, hollered, and chased after them in a threatening manner. They tried to get the animals to move from one area to another. The dogs were terrified and had scattered in different directions, desperately trying to flee from the bully’s path.

One of the frightened creatures, spotting me, ran to my side and huddled against my leg. Having seen where their owner wanted them to go, I spoke quietly to the little canine and walked toward the designated area. The pup followed. As I approached the assigned area, I called the other dogs over to me as well, speaking in a positive voice. All the dogs responded and were soon safely out of the bully’s way.

Fear kept these dogs from hearing their owner’s loud and angry voice. Dogs respond to tone and attitude more than words. When I introduced the right tone and attitude, they listened and obeyed.

Just as this person’s dogs scattered and ran in fear, our enemy, known in the Word as Satan or the devil, also seeks to put us on the run by bullying us with fear tactics. He wants us to doubt God and his truth. He wants us to rebel against God, just as he did. Our enemy seeks to sow doubt in our lives regarding our faith, often when we are most vulnerable. 

When sickness, sorrow, economic crisis, natural disasters, relational difficulties, and the like assault us, the enemy of our souls roars in with his lies, seeking to steal the truth from our hearts. He desires to crush our view of God, bombarding us with doubts and fears concerning our situation. Amidst his rampage and our resultant fear, it becomes hard for us to hear our Lord’s calm voice. But God seeks to remind us of his ability to use all things for our good and grant us strength and wisdom to endure. 

Let us therefore learn to recognize our enemy and his tactics by studying the Word and committing it to heart. Then, on the day of attack, amidst the lion’s roaring, we can tune our ears to God’s still quiet voice of assurance and hope. He can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. 

Father God, when the enemy roars into our lives, teach us to stand firm and listen to Your still, quiet voice of hope, wisdom, and safety. In Christ’s name, amen.

Lynne Phipps and her family live on a small hobby farm in the heart of Alberta, Canada’s farming country. She has been writing devotions for forty years and never tires of the spiritual correlation the Holy Spirit blesses her with. He uses normal everyday events and the behaviors of the multitude of glorious creatures He has brought across her path to point her to the truths of God. Lynne is a devotion writer for VineWords: Devotions and More.

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.

 

How to Clean Fingerprints - Martin Wiles

WISHING ALL OUR FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS. 

Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean.” John 13:10 NLT

“Fingerprints all over the place.” Of course, how to clean the fingerprints involved another story.

My oldest grandson called the dirty storm door to my attention as he and his younger brother stood looking over the back yard. What he failed to mention was that both were the reason for the smudges. At the time, we kept them five days a week, so keeping the door clean was an exercise in futility—as it is now, since their number has grown to four.

“Handprints are more like it,” I snickered.

“You need to clean it, Pop,” he said.

A Type A personality like myself, he couldn’t stand dirt—or smudges. I walked by and left the door alone. Since we planned to move in a couple of weeks, I had even more reason to ignore the grimy handprints. But when I decided to clean the door—just before we moved—I didn’t replace the entire door. I just took out the window cleaner and cleaned the glass portion.

Jesus proposed a similar scenario to his disciples. They didn’t need to wash all over—just their feet. They were fully cleansed when they believed in him and decided to be his followers. Now they merely needed a daily sponge bath.

At nine years of age, I decided to do what these early disciples did—trust Jesus as my Savior. Dad explained the gospel message of how Jesus died for my sins. I believed and invited Christ into my life. In that moment, he cleansed me all over. Past, present, and future sins were washed away. The price Jesus paid on Calvary for humanity’s sins was applied to me.

But what about the daily fingerprints that come from putting our hands where they don’t belong—like my grandchildren? They won’t send us to hell because Jesus’ blood has covered them. They will, however, interfere with our spiritual vision as the fingerprints on the door clouded the view of the backyard. Confession will clear away the smudges. Our acknowledgement of our failures and sins is what Jesus referred to when he mentioned daily foot-washing.

Make confession a daily practice. Doing so is good for the soul and will keep your feet clean—and remove the smudges from the doors so interaction between the Savior and you can be open and transparent.

Father, keep me free from sin smudges so I can hear you clearly when you speak.

I invite you to try my book Grits, Grace, and God in eBook or paperback. If you want a daily dose of God's grace, 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.

What Is the Unforgivable Sin? - Martin Wiles

So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven—except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven. Matthew 12:31 NLT

For Hester Prynne in Nathanial Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, it was an A; for many others, it is a D. But what is the unforgivable sin?

In a Puritanical time period, Hester Prynne made the mistake of having a sexual relationship outside of marriage and getting pregnant. Town members condemned, ostracized, and forced her to wear a scarlet letter, A, on her breast.

When I was growing up, most of the culture didn’t look favorably upon adultery either, particularly in the Bible Belt. But there was another sin that most looked equally upon with disfavor: divorce. Even most who were not religiously inclined believed that two married people should stay together through thick and thin. Those who didn’t, for whatever reason, were treated almost like Hester Prynne.

In church life, which I knew a lot about, the divorced were looked upon differently. They may have been allowed to join the church—after all, they surely needed Jesus since they were divorced--but they were allowed to do little else. Teaching, preaching, serving as a deacon, and working with children. These were all out of the question. The church was glad to have their money, but wanted little else from them. They had committed what many believed was the unpardonable sin.

Interestingly, divorce is not what Jesus classified as the unpardonable sin. He had strong words for those who attributed his work to Satan—and told them he would not forgive blasphemy (unbelief)--but he never said the same about divorce. In the Old Testament, God said he hated divorce, but he never said it was unforgivable.

Divorce is detrimental. While some choose it, others have it thrust upon them regardless of what they want. Its sad effects meander through families, churches, and nations. But it isn’t the unforgivable sin. The Bible is filled with examples of God using people with all types of issues in their backgrounds—murder included. If God can use murderers like David and Paul, surely He can use someone who has endured divorce.

Telling or implying that someone is unusable because they are divorced is as sinful as the sin they claim the divorced person has committed. God is in the business of restoration.

Don’t allow anything in your past to keep you from being used by God.

Father, help me allow you to use my past instead of letting it imprison me. 

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.

Garden Conversations with the Creator - Martin Wiles

When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. 

~Genesis 3:8 NLT

Walking in the garden was a Sunday-afternoon tradition, but it was nothing like garden conversations with the Creator.

Edisto Gardens is located in Orangeburg, South Carolina, the only town the 250-mile-long Edisto River passes through. The river is one of only a few Blackwater rivers—so named because decaying vegetation falls into the river, giving it a black appearance. A smaller pond filled with fish and turtles idles near a rose garden where prize roses show off their sparkling blooms. Several paths meander on either side of the paved road, snaking through the middle of the gardens. Moss-covered oaks keep most of the garden shaded. Several small covered sheds provide a place to rest for those who want to sit and admire the beauty.

When I was a small boy, my paternal grandfather took me there every Sunday afternoon. It was our alone time. We stopped in the sheds so I could read the names of those who had disobeyed park rules and carved their names in the wood. We ambled along the river’s edge to the waterwheel. It served no purpose but continued turning as if it did. And my granddaddy held my hand as I walked along the rock wall, trying to maintain my balance. Spending time in the garden with my grandfather was always enjoyable.

Walking in the cool of the Garden of Eden with God must have been even more enjoyable for Adam and Eve. Wondering how two people could walk with God—or questioning whether he was physically present —misses the point. They had garden conversations with the Creator. How long this continued before the tempter showed up, we can’t be sure. I suppose growing older interrupted my walks with my grandfather. Disobedience did for the first couple.

God wants nothing more than to enjoy these garden walks with us. It begins when we accept what Jesus did on Calvary’s cross, and it continues through the spiritual disciplines of prayer, Bible study, and fellowship with other believers. Sin, misplaced priorities, busyness, and any number of other things can disrupt our garden walks, but they don’t have to.

Although God expelled Adam and Eve from the garden, he still walked with them when they confessed and sought reconciliation. He’ll do the same for us when we copy their behavior.

Don’t let anything interfere with your garden conversations with the Creator.

Father, thank you for your willingness to walk with me daily. 

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.

Flawed but Functional - Martin Wiles

For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. Deuteronomy7:6 NIV

Sin had ensnared another victim. He was flawed but functional. 

I listened as the newscaster gave a piecemeal report. The leaders of a noted mega church were meeting behind closed doors. The pastor had planted the church sixteen years before on a college campus. From a small start, it had grown into a mega church with numerous satellite campuses. Thousands flocked to its campuses weekly. The following morning, I listened to the newscaster again. This time, the news was grimmer. The pastor had been accused of alcohol abuse and asked to step down.

Had church leaders polled church members for advice on how to handle the situation, they would have received a wide variety of opinions. Some would have wanted him to stay, some to leave, and some to take intermediary actions between the two extremes. What would happen to his ministry was also up for grabs. Opinions of those in leadership positions would determine whether he ministers again.

Though God proclaimed his Old Testament people as holy, they were often anything but. They dabbled in the pagan worship rites of their neighbors while trying to worship God simultaneously. Their repeated pattern was faithfulness followed by rebellion. Flaws decorated their lifestyles, just as they did the pastor of this mega church.

Flaws are inevitable. I was born with a flawed nature. Christ gives me a new one at salvation, but he doesn’t immediately perfect me. I’ll have to wait for heaven to experience that. In the meantime, I’m flawed like the Israelites and the pastor—and all people. I journey toward experiential holiness, but flaws keep me from reaching it in this life.

But the news isn’t all bad. We may be flawed, but we’re still functional. Though this pastor abused alcohol and had to step down, God can give him power over his addiction and use him again. God used the Israelites despite their rebellion. King David committed adultery, murdered, schemed, and lied, but God still found room in his service for him. And God has continued to use me, even though I’ve made many missteps into areas I should have avoided.

You may be flawed, but you are still functional in God’s service.

Father, thank you for using me even when I fail to be all you want me to be. 

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.