Mercy Shown - Martin Wiles

God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Matthew 5:7 NLT

When my wife yelled, “Come here!” I knew something was wrong. 

I was napping in my recliner on a Sunday afternoon when she called for help. Since I was only twenty feet from her, I asked, “Can’t you just tell me what you want?”

But knowing who butters my bread, I went. She stared at a stack of Christmas decorations we had recently purchased at an estate auction. “Do you see these little things on this bag? Are they spider eggs?” I told her I supposed so, but if I sprayed them, they would be covered in poison. 

“I’ll just spray them with Febreeze,” she said. Soon, I heard another plea for help. When she sprayed, what looked like eggs immediately transformed into baby spiders. I quickly retrieved the Dust Buster, sucked them up, and emptied the contents in the yard. We were trying to show mercy—and preserve what we planned to sell--but it wasn’t easy. All we could imagine was these critters crawling on us at night and biting us. 

According to Jesus, we’ll be happy when we show mercy to others, and God will bless us in return. He didn’t say it would be easy, just that we’d be happy. Showing mercy to the spiders was challenging. Exterminating them would have been much easier. Showing mercy to spiders might seem insignificant—and a bit crazy--but the principle remains. It isn’t easy to show mercy to some people or in some circumstances. 

We can show mercy in numerous ways. While we must be careful of our motives when we demonstrate mercy to others, our obligation remains—and God gives us the ability to do it. 

When we think of the mercy God has shown by allowing his Son to die for humanity’s sins and the many ways he has shown us mercy when we didn’t deserve it, we can’t find excuses for not showing mercy to others—regardless of who they are or what they’ve done. 

When you’re tempted to withhold mercy for what might appear a good reason, remember God’s mercy.

Father, we praise You for the mercy that flows through us daily. Help us channel it to others.

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

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

Put the Past to Rest - Martin Wiles

Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT

She ran from her past, but she couldn’t put the past to rest. 

Frances and her sister lived with an abusive father. Their mother died when they were both very young. Their father molested them sexually and drank continuously. Finally, child welfare intervened and placed them with an aunt.

Frances’ restless spirit wouldn’t rest. She joined the hippie movement and all the accompanying activities when she was old enough. She drank to excess, experimented with all types of hallucinogenic drugs, and traveled the country trying to find herself. Occasionally, she showed up to visit her old childhood sweetheart, who still loved her dearly. He wanted to marry her, but she wouldn’t commit. She didn’t know it, but she was still running from her past, trying to make it disappear through unhealthy relationships and habits. 

One day, Frances decided to put her restless spirit to bed. She called up her childhood sweetheart and proposed to him. They married, but there wasn’t any happily ever after—just happy. Drugs and numerous sexual relationships had presented her with a sexually transmitted disease for which there was no cure. She died shortly after taking her vows. 

The apostle Paul gave the formula for putting our pasts to rest. It doesn’t happen through free sex, addictive substances, financial security, or through the hundreds of other ways we might try. We lay our past to rest through a relationship with Christ. Frances’ childhood sweetheart knew that, but he could never convince her until it was too late. 

Knowing Christ through faith doesn’t erase our past, but He gives us a different perspective. The baggage of past mistakes—self-inflicted or not--will always follow us, but it doesn’t have to haunt us. Christ forgives our past, present, and future mistakes and sins immediately when we ask. 

Who we are in Christ presently isn’t who we once were. Others may label us addicts, abusers, gamblers, or criminals. Christ labels us forgiven children. We may remember how terrible our past was, but Christ forgets it and gives us the ability to tell it goodnight. 

If you’re in Christ, put your past to rest so that you can get on with the present and future. 

Father, thank you for forgiving our past and giving us a bright future. 

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

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

Apple and Grape Salad

 

Ingredients

1 Red Apple (cut in chunks)

1 Yellow Apple (cut in chunks)

1 Green Apple (cut in chunks)

1/2 pound Green Grapes

1/2 pound Black Grapes

2 (10pk) miniature Butterfingers

4 ounces Cream Cheese (softened)

8 ounces of Sour Cream

1/2 cup Sugar

Directions
In a small mixing bowl, mix cream cheese, sour cream, and sugar.

Add fruit.

Pour into an 8 x 12 container.

Top with crushed Butterfingers.

Keep Refrigerated.

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

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

Tackling Life’s Trials - Martin Wiles

I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. Psalm 16:8 NLT

One took advantage of the situation; the other stepped up to the plate.

Watching a few middle schoolers traipse down the hall on crutches or with a limb in a cast isn’t unusual. In addition to the injuries, there are usually health-related issues as well. Students missing class for injuries or health concerns is typical; how they deal with it varies.

One particular year, two stood out. One had a broken limb; the other a health-related issue that kept him home for weeks. Normally, when a student has a broken limb, another student comes alongside them and carries their books. Not for this particular student. He didn’t even ask. He wrote the best he could with the hand he didn’t usually write with. Nothing was late or missing. The other student took advantage of his situation. Their responses are typical.

The psalmist confessed he would never be shaken regardless of what came his way. There was no need. The Lord was with him. The promise he held onto applies to every believer. When trials come—no matter the intensity, time, or shape—being shaken is unnecessary. But how we respond reveals much about our faith.

If we go about our business in the presence of trials as if it’s just another ordinary period—as the student with the broken limb did—our faith will change. Our spiritual walk with the Lord will mature, our faith will develop, and our dependence on God rather than ourselves will get a lift. Trials will turn us more toward God rather than others or ourselves. We’ll remember we can’t handle life on our own. We need more than friends, family, and acquaintances. We need God.

The only other choice is to do what the other student did: milk the system. We can get mad at God for allowing these circumstances into our lives and refuse to spend time with Him in prayer or any other way. We can depend too much on others at the expense of God and perhaps end up in co-dependent relationships. Or we can do nothing and have our own pity party.

Trials test our faith and form our integrity. Tackle the trials that come your way, knowing God is on your side and willing and able to help.  

Father, I thank You that Your strength is enough to enable me to conquer any trial. 

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

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

Cast Your Cares - Martin Wiles

Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55:22 NKJV

She wasn’t any good at rod-and-reel casting because she never did it. Instead, my maternal grandmother was a cane pole caster. Weather permitting, she fished every time she got a chance, but she didn’t take a rod-and-reel. She cut cane that grew in the swamps around their farmland and made her own fishing poles. 

Occasionally, when I’d fish with her, I’d take along a rod-and-reel. She’d dip her poles near the boat, and I’d cast my line into the middle of the lake. I can’t ever remember catching anything with my rod-and-reel. I knew how to cast, but I undoubtedly wasn’t casting in the right place or with the right lures.

Another type of casting has also been difficult for me. The kind the psalmist refers to—the type where I take my cares and anxieties and throw them to God. Although the Bible assures me God cares for me and doesn’t want me to be anxious over things occurring in my life, I tend let my feelings win out too many times. I forget God’s promise to sustain me.

Whatever cares I have, God has them too. If I’m His child, He’s concerned about every detail in my life. He’s even concerned about those who aren’t His children. His love reaches to all, but especially to those who’ve chosen to follow Him.

How God can handle all the cares we hold onto at any given moment is beyond understanding. But, after all, He is God. He’s the sovereign ruler of the universe. He controls, guides, and sustains. All those traits equip Him to shoulder whatever concerns us. We can only handle so much before we have a nervous breakdown, emotional burnout, or turn to substances to help us get through. But if we’ll let God handle those things, we won’t have to experience any of that.

Trying to handle our cares shows a lack of trust in God. He never tires of us casting our cares on Him. Unlike my casting, which never resulted in anything, casting on God always has results. We’ll reel in His peace, comfort, wisdom, and guidance to face whatever causes our anxiety.

Try casting God’s way. You’ll never be disappointed.

Father, I cast my cares on You, believing You are able to give me comfort and peace, regardless of my circumstances. 

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

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

Watch the Snacks - Chrissy Wiles Harrison

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 NLT

I generally try to make the best decisions with the food in our house. But let’s be transparent. That doesn’t always happen.

For instance, my toddler was once a really good eater—fruit, yogurt, granola/fruit bars, meat, vegetables, etc. Recently, however, he’s discovered junk food. We will blame this on a mixture of holidays and grandparents. He wants junk for breakfast, junk for lunch, and junk for dinner. You name it. Gummies. Marshmallows. Jellybeans. Goldfish. Fruit roll-ups.

His addiction has become a daily battle—one that overflows to the older two kids. And, honestly, even to the two parents in the house, too, because, hey, when it’s right there in front of us looking so tasty, it’s what we choose. Every. Single. Time. We mumble, “One piece won’t be a big deal. Sure, you can have that. Just this one time.” Thennnn, it becomes more than once. And the battle is brutal. Have you ever fought a toddler? They are such sweet villains.

But moving on . . .

Junk food is just one example of how these sweet little people in my house like to test the limits we’ve set for them. Another is screen time—what they are allowed to watch. And their words. And the people we let them be around.

We compromise. And it has made me think about how this resembles sin. When we allow sin to hang out in front of us, we make it easier to make the wrong choice—to compromise. When we keep junk food visible, it is much easier to choose it than the healthy stuff.

Our job as parents is to protect and teach our kids while they are under our roof. To create boundaries and teach them boundaries for themselves. To help them know the difference between what is good for them and what is too much.

We must watch their eyes—our eyes. We must watch the stuff we put in front of us—food, entertainment, relationships. The list is endless. We must constantly be on guard—to show them the way, to watch the snacks.

Make a plan to watch those snacks for yourself—and for the ones you love.

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

Chrissy Wiles Harrison is a homeschooling mom who shares her home with four rambunctious boys, one husband, and a small pooch—and loves every minute of it.  

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

Veggie Salad

 

 

Ingredients

8 ounces of macaroni noodles

8 ounces of peas and carrots drained

8 ounces of canned corn (drained)

1 small jar of pimento (drained)

1 small sweet onion (chopped)

1 small bell pepper (chopped)

1 teaspoon sugar

10 sweet pickles (chopped)

Salt and pepper

Directions
Add miracle whip and mix to taste.

Better served the next day.

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

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.