Expect the Unexpected - Martin Wiles

Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. 1 Peter 4:12 NLT

Ominous clouds threatened as my wife and I eased into the parking space. We did not expect the unexpected. 

Hot, humid weather had peppered the previous week. Pop-up showers increased by the day. But on one particular evening, I had a wedding to officiate. A few rain showers had already passed by earlier in the afternoon, and I hoped for fair weather since the reception was outside.

Shortly after we pulled into our parking space, large pellets of rain began to fall. As the winds increased, I anxiously watched the reception tent. Although a few odds and ends blew away, most things stayed in place. They had expected the unexpected. The tent was securely staked. Long, heavy tablecloths clung to the tables. Wrapped utensils kept the napkins from blowing away. Apart from a bit of trash and dirt blown in by the wind, the reception went on as usual despite the earlier storm.

Peter speaks of another type of storm: persecution. And early believers were facing their share of it. They might have been surprised, but they shouldn’t have been. After all, Jesus had been persecuted and told them they would be as well.

When we remember the impact of sin on people and the world in general, we will no longer be surprised by the trials we face. People infected by sin will behave in harmful ways. Sinful natures are responsible for physical and verbal abuse, crimes of all sorts, divorce, financial mismanagement, and elder abuse. The list is endless. The infection of sin can also make nature misbehave. Tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, etc.

But not all trials are caused by sin or sinful people. As long as they don’t violate God's nature, God, too, can send trials. The Bible is adorned with stories that show how he did just that. The difference is that God’s trials are beneficial. When we respond to them with a positive attitude and draw closer to him for wisdom and guidance, we grow spiritually, and our faith is enhanced. Remaining in a close relationship with Christ helps us survive and even thrive when the unexpected comes along.

Don’t let the unexpected blow you away. Remain grounded in Christ.

Father, when the trials of life come, may I find my anchor in you. 

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Settling for Less

And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. James 4:3 NLT

We settled for less because we didn’t know we could have had more.

My wife and I sat across the table from a couple I’d soon help renew their wedding vows. Since we hadn’t seen them in quite some time, we enjoyed catching up on each other’s lives. Most of the conversation centered on grandchildren. Then we finalized the details of the renewal ceremony. They had been together for twenty-five years and wanted to celebrate. When the waitress stopped by, we placed our orders. My wife ordered her usual: chicken fingers.

When our meal was over, I heard the husband whisper to the waitress, “Bring me the check.” My wife and I both protested, but to no avail. Then being the comic she is, my wife quipped, “I should have ordered ribs.” Our host replied, “You should have.” We settled for less when we could have had more.

Obviously, we’re not the only ones who do that—and not just with a meal someone buys for us. James indicates that our entire lives experience paucity simply because we don’t ask God to make them any better or because our motives are tainted.

Lack of faith that God can actually deliver what we want or need will result in living without those things. God wants us to ask to demonstrate our dependence on him. He’s promised to give us those things we need to survive and do his will, but he wants us to request them, nevertheless. When we bring our prayers and supplications to him, we experience a growth spurt in our faith. He doesn’t need the info; we just need the practice. He will give us the courage to step out in faith to do whatever he instructs us to do.

Living with less also occurs when we ask for things outside God’s will. Learning the difference between wants and needs is essential if we want to receive the things we pray for. We have the ability to know God’s mind. What he wants to give us are life essentials—food, clothing, and drink—and the things we’ll need to accomplish his plan for our lives. All we have to do is ask.

Don’t settle for chicken when you can enjoy ribs.

Father, increase my faith so I won’t settle for less than you want to give me. 

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The Invitation - Martin Wiles

When the banquet was ready, he sent his servants to notify those who were invited. But they all refused to come! Matthew 22:3 NLT

Never had I received such an invitation.

“Uncle Martin, would you marry me?”

I knew I was my niece’s second choice, but her first choice was unavailable. My Dad—and her Papa Buddy—had died eleven years prior. Had he still been alive, he would have received the call. 

“Of course, I will.” 

I didn’t mind being second choice in this case. I was glad she thought enough of her old uncle to ask him. But when my wife and I received the invitation and learned where she and her fiancé planned to marry, our eyes lit up. 

That they didn’t plan to marry in a church didn’t surprise me. Not that they had anything against church. The marriage trend just happened to be away from churches and toward barns and other outdoor settings. Theirs would be held in a ritzy retirement town in the mountains of North Carolina. When my wife and I discovered how much the designated guests would have to pay to attend, our mouths dropped. We were glad someone was covering our cost. Otherwise, we would have had to decline the invitation. 

And the event would not merely be a one-day affair. The rehearsal would consume a half of a day, the wedding an entire day, and brunch a half of the next day before the new couple took off for parts unknown on their honeymoon. I’ve officiated at a number of weddings—and attended even more—but never had I attended such a fancy affair. I only hoped I could measure up to the expectations of the gala affair. 

Unfortunately, COVID happened, and my niece had to change plans. As fancy as my niece’s invitation was, God’s outshines it. Jesus compares it to a man who held a great wedding feast, but when his servants scattered about to tell the guests the feast was ready, the guests all made excuses as to why they couldn’t come. He then sent his servants to get anyone who wanted to come. 

God calls the wedding He wants us to attend salvation—our choosing to follow Jesus as our Savior. We don’t have to attend, just as I didn’t have to accept my niece’s offer to marry her and her fiancé. I could have concocted some excuse.

Accepting God’s invitation puts us in good graces with God and prepares us for a life and an eternity such as we could never imagine. An affair extravaganza. An abundant life. Life as it should be. Life as He created us to live. All God requires is that we accept His invitation. 

Don’t discard God’s invitation. The feast is one you won’t want to miss.

Father, thank You for inviting me to your grand eternity. 

Tweetable: Have you accepted God's invitation? 

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Time Changes - Martin Wiles

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 NLT

 

The front of the homemade booklet simply said: “We have one last gift.”

 

Christmas had come and gone. All our celebrations with family and friends were over, and my wife and I sat around on New Year’s Day, me enjoying my final few days off from work and both of us anticipating our New Year’s Day supper with my brother and sister-in-law.

 

“Chrissy texted. She and Devon are coming over,” my wife hollered as I readied myself in the next room for our trip to my brother’s house.

 

“Why now?” I asked. “We’re about to leave. They’ve had all day to visit us.”

 

Within ten minutes, my daughter and her boyfriend paraded into the house, and he presented me with a homemade folder. I already had an eerie feeling about this day, but now it was as if I knew. My wife had tried to set them up several years ago . . . to no avail. Neither was interested in the other or a relationship. Then, suddenly, three years later, they were dating—with no help from my wife in making their decision. Now, I was getting a booklet, and I had a sneaky feeling I knew what it said—especially since my daughter sat on the couch with one of her hands covered.

 

They had taken our two grandboys to the park—the same park Devon had taken Chrissy to on their first date. I had mentored Devon for several years, but I had never seen his romantic side. On this New Year’s Day, he took her back—this time to propose. And the surprise in the booklet is that they wanted my blessing. In ten months, I would have a son-in-law . . . one I would be proud to welcome into the family.

 

Israel’s history with God was checkered. A mixture of obedience and disobedience. More disobedience. But God had great plans for the nation—as He does for all who obey Him.

 

Although the verse in context refers to the nation of Israel, we can claim it as our own when we choose to follow Christ. God doesn’t create us, stick us on earth, and let us wander. He has a purpose for us . . . a plan. And He gives us gifts and talents and arranges our life circumstances so we can fulfill that plan in His time and way. He is just that sovereign. Although we are not puppets, God doesn’t respond to us. He is the potter; we’re the clay.

 

We can determine God's plan through prayer and the study of God’s Word. Then, with faith and the presence of His Spirit in us, we can carry out God’s purpose and enjoy the life He created us to live.

 

Time changes—and many changes occur throughout our lifetime—but each one can align with God’s plan if will seek Him. 

Discover God’s plan for yourself—even if it involves making changes.

 

Prayer: Father, guide us by Your Spirit through the time changes of life. 

Tweetable: How do you adapt to life's time changes? 

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Death of a Church - Martin Wiles

Upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. Matthew 16:18b NLT

I admired her beauty, but she had died.

A few weeks before Christmas, my brother and his fiancé married. They held the wedding at the church they attend. As my wife and I drove up to the church and then walked in, I marveled at her beauty.

Several pieces of antique furniture lounged in the foyer. Four swinging doors led into the sanctuary. An old pipe organ sat nestled in the front corner, along with a round piece of furniture that once contained water for sprinkling individuals at their baptism. Only six unadorned chandeliers hung from the ceiling, making pictures dark. Two rows of pews led to the front. Small slats of wood made up the walls and ceiling. All the wood was mahogany colored.

Everywhere I walked, the odor of old greeted me. But the folks from the church who gathered for my brother’s wedding weren’t from the original group. The original name outside was covered with a new name. The plaque on the outside wall said the church had been established in the late 1800’s—a Presbyterian church. But now, another group rented the building.

Since my sister-in-law originated from this area, I questioned her about the original church. She didn’t know what had happened. I suppose the older ones died and no younger ones joined to keep it open. Whoever owned the building decided to rent it out to another church group.

What a shame, I thought, that such a beautiful building, which a group of folks no doubt had sacrificed for and slaved over, would shut down because no one cared. But how fortunate that another group could come along and benefit from their sacrifices.

When a church closes its doors, how do we explain what Jesus told Peter in this verse? Was He wrong? Hardly.

Jesus knew nothing of denominations when He said the gates of hell would not prevail against His church. They didn’t exist then and won’t in heaven. Jesus referred to the church universal. The entire group of people who follow Him.

Despite persecution, misunderstanding, closed doors, and anything else that comes against her, God’s church will remain and grow until the end of time. Her work is fueled by God Himself, and no one or thing is more powerful than He is.

Take heart. Although individual churches may close, God’s church will march on triumphantly.

Prayer: Father, we thank You that what You died for will be victorious.

Tweetable: Will the church die? 

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Expect the Unexpected - Martin Wiles

Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. 1 Peter 4:12 NLT

Ominous clouds threatened as my wife and I eased into the parking space.

Hot, humid weather was the pattern for the past week, so pop-up showers had been increasing. On this particular evening, I had a wedding to officiate. A few rain showers had already passed by earlier in the afternoon, and I was hoping for fair weather since the reception was outside. 

Shortly after we pulled into our parking space, large pellets of rain began to fall. As the winds increased, I anxiously watched the reception tent. Though a few odds and ends blew away, most things stayed in place. They had expected the unexpected. The tent was securely staked. Long heavy tablecloths clung to the tables. Wrapped utensils kept the napkins from blowing away. Apart from a little trash and dirt blown in by the wind, the reception went on as usual despite the earlier storm.

Peter speaks of another type of storm: persecution. And early believers were facing their share of it. Though they might have been surprised, they shouldn’t have been. After all, Jesus had been persecuted and told them they would be as well. 

When I remember the impact of sin on people and the world in general, I’m no longer surprised by the trials I face. 

People infected by sin will behave in harmful ways. Sinful natures are responsible for physical and verbal abuse, crimes of all sorts, divorce, financial mismanagement, and elder abuse. The list is endless. The infection of sin can also make nature behave badly. Tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, etc. 

But not all trials are caused by sin or sinful people. 

As long as they don’t violate His nature, God, too, can send trials. The Bible is decorated with stories showing how He did just that. The difference is that God’s trials are beneficial. When I respond to them with a positive attitude and draw closer to Him for wisdom and guidance, I grow spiritually and my faith is enhanced. Remaining in a close relationship with Christ helps me survive and even thrive when the unexpected comes along. 

Don’t let the unexpected blow you away. Remain grounded in Christ. 

Prayer: Father, when the trials of life come, may we find our anchor in You.

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