When God Thunders - Martin Wiles

The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded amid the hail and burning coals. Psalm 18:13 NLT

We counted—1 1,000, 2 1,000, 3 1000—and then ran for cover. 

One church my father pastored was populated by farming families, one of whom grew hundreds of acres of watermelons. When the watermelon farmer offered me a part-time job in the afternoons, I accepted. 

The fields were shrouded with weeds as tall as I was. Humidity sweltered, and I sweated and choked for air as I heaved the watermelons onto the back of the farm truck. The midsummer climate made conditions perfect for afternoon thunderstorms. When we saw the first flash of lightning, we counted. Three seconds equaled a mile. If we didn’t get to 3 1,000s before we heard the clap of thunder, we ran for whatever cover we could find.

I’ve repeated the same procedure while hiking in the mountains. Thunder is the sound of lightning, and though the chances of being struck by lightning are slim, the chances increase when I’m in an unprotected environment. 

When the psalmist described God’s approach to deal with his enemies, he chose the sound of thunder. Thunder is frightening because of its association with lightning. And God’s power can be just as frightening or comforting—depending on whether I’m His friend or enemy. 

Thunder can be a low rumble or an ear-piercing clap. The first doesn’t normally frighten me, but the second sends me scurrying for cover. Hearing God can be similar. Sometimes his voice heard in my spirit is loud and clear, while at other times it’s barely perceptible. 

Unconfessed sin will keep us from hearing God, but sin isn’t the only thing that makes his voice sound like a rumble instead of a loud clap. Busyness, misplaced priorities, and selfishness can all play a part. 

Several conclusions, however, do bring comfort. God is continuously speaking to our spirits. Things in our lives may soften his whisper, but he speaks nevertheless. God wants us to hear him. When we don’t, we tend to do things our way, which leads us astray. Preparing daily to hear God is crucial. Beginning the morning with a prayer asking him to speak clearly and to help you hear clearly helps. Praying on the armor he provides is also a good follow-up (Ephesians 6:11-18). 

Do whatever is necessary to hear God when he thunders.

Father, enable me to hear you clearly when you speak from the heavens. 

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Help Wanted - Martin Wiles

The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few. Pray to the Lord . . . and ask him to send out more workers for his fields. Luke 10:2 NLT

I heard their help wanted plea, so I took the job. They needed help—and I needed more money.

Picking watermelons was one task I’d never undertaken. I had recently moved to a farming community where one of my fellow church members grew watermelons commercially. The owner had only one regular employee but hired extra hands during watermelon season. When he asked if I wanted to be one of the extra hands, I agreed.

Little did I know it would mean sweltering in one-hundred-degree temperatures in fields clothed with stagnant air. I also didn’t know I’d have to work bent over, rising only to toss the melon to the person waiting in the back of the farm truck that meandered down each aisle. After loading a truck, we’d drive back to the farmer’s home where an eighteen-wheeler waited. Here, we’d unload what we had just loaded. One summer was all I needed to realize we needed extra help.

The harvest Jesus spoke about wasn’t a nice crop of watermelons. Souls were on his mind. He was sending His disciples out into a world where the majority of the people were unbelievers. They had never heard of Jesus—which was possible since He’d only been around thirty or so years—or they had chosen to disbelieve He was the Messiah.

Every church could hang a sign over their doorway reading, “Help Wanted.” Most of the time, pay isn’t involved, but they need the help, nevertheless. While we have more means to preach the gospel message now than ever, the need to tell it is just as critical as in the first century. Technology helps us spread the good news faster and more effectively, but the world is still filled with those who need to hear and respond.

The disciples’ earlier decision to follow Jesus indicated their willingness to apply for the “Help Wanted” position. They would encounter opposition, ridicule, unbelief, and persecution. Some would be martyred. But they went, nevertheless. We should do the same.

Have you answered God’s help wanted ad? How can you share this ad with others?

Father, open my eyes to the harvest around me. Then give me the courage to go.

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Flashback Friday - Weary and Burdened - Martin Wiles

Weary and Burdened

I’ll never forget the summer I helped a local farmer pick watermelons. The workday at my regular place of employment ended at 3:20 p.m., so I had plenty of daylight to burn before dark. This particular summer I chose to spend those hours making extra money in the watermelon field. The late afternoon humidity—combined with soaring temperatures, was almost unbearable. Added to this were the weeds…some as tall as me, that prevented me from feeling even the slightest breeze sneaking through the baked field. Pick up, hurl onto the truck, pick up, hurl onto the truck. My actions were repeated for four hours every day. By the time I arrived home for a shower and bed, I could barely move. I was weary and burdened. Read more...

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