Born with a Purpose
We are all born with a purpose, so don’t sell God short. His plan is beyond our wildest dreams and will lead to peace. …
Continue reading →Martin Wiles
Martin Wiles is an author, pastor, English teacher, and editor who resides in Greenwood, South Carolina. He is the Associate Director/Editor for VineWords: Devotions and More and the Managing Editor for Christian Devotions. He is the Founder/Editor of the internationally recognized devotion site, Love Lines from God (www.lovelinesfromgod.com). He also serves as a freelance editor with several publishing companies. His most recent book is Don’t Just Live . . . Really Live (Ambassador International). He has also been published in numerous publications. He is the husband of one, the father of two, and the grandfather of six.
Awaken the Dawn
We can awaken the dawn in many ways, but incorporating some form of worship will change our perspective on the day. …
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Got It but Didn’t Want It
By the second day, he had figured out work was involved in this school thing. I dropped him off in his room and listened to him scream as I walked away. Although he soon quieted down, he was no more ready to go to school the following day than he had been the second day. He got what he wanted, but didn’t want it when he got it. …
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The Penny
While I was sitting on a bench in the park, I noticed the penny on the pathway. SEE THE PENNY As people hurried by, no one gave that penny a second glance. It was, after all, only a penny–small and insignificant and not worth the time to stop and pick it up. Staring at the penny, I thought, By the world’s standards, I am not much different than that penny. To the government, I am known as a social … Continue reading →
Taking the Chastisement
She knew what she’d done—and took her punishment willingly…
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Living like a Fog
Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. ~James 4:14b NLT No one said living like a fog was easy. The fog rolled in, but not because outside cold air collided with warm air. Our rented house reeked with age—constructed in the early 1900s. Although not exceptionally spacious, the ceilings boasted of their height, and the owner had decided to put only a tiny amount of insulation in the attic area. Summers proved pleasant. … Continue reading →
Can’t Entertain God
What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?” says the Lord. “I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle. ~Isaiah 1:11 NLT I’ve discovered I can’t entertain God. I suppose the first entertaining I did—other than as a child wanting attention—came at the first church I pastored. Someone concocted the idea we should have a womanless beauty contest, so a few deacons and I dressed as women, paraded before church members, and let … Continue reading →
Freedom to Fail or Succeed
By the time high school arrived, I’d lost all interest in school. The wrong kind of friends, followed by the wrong type of actions, took over. My parents continued to goad me to do my best, just as they had in elementary and middle school. I didn’t listen. Regardless of their efforts to push me forward toward a college education, I continued to slide backward with a don’t-care attitude…
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Sniffing Temptation
We call our little Chihuahua-terrier mix our cordless dust buster. Wherever we happen to sit to eat, she positions herself underneath our feet so she can retrieve any dropped crumbs. She particularly enjoyed standing beneath our daughter’s middle son when my wife kept him. Pig Pen, we call him—and for obvious reasons. The way he eats causes him to leave many crumbs behind. Sometimes, whole chunks of food. But, of course, our little mutt didn’t complain. …
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When God Forgets
When I was young, I had no trouble memorizing—anything, or a lot of things. Even in my twenties—while in college with a professor we called the “grocery list” professor because of the long list of items he made us memorize for tests—I sailed through the class with no problem, earning an A with ease. …
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