Martin Wiles - VineWords Devotions and More

Making a List

Then they plotted among themselves, “Let’s choose a leader and go back to Egypt!” ~Numbers 14:4 NLT Making a list and checking it twice—or three or four times—enhances productivity. I’m the king of list-making. I’ve been making lists since I was young and never outgrew the practice. Since I have a good memory, jotting down things is probably unnecessary, but I feel more confident when I do. I jot down what I plan to accomplish weekly on my calendar—of which … Continue reading →

Hearing the Alarm

These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead. ~1 Timothy 4:2 NLT Why I set one, I’m not sure. Hearing the alarm was something I never did. Alarm clocks. I’ve had them all—from wind-up to battery-operated to electric. When I first bought an alarm clock or what kind it was, I don’t remember, but I do recall the wind-up one with two large bells on top. I bought that one because I loved hearing a clock tick, … Continue reading →

Deserting the Desert

Deserting the desert is the easy way out. My greatest lessons came where I didn’t want to dwell. Although I’ve never visited a desert, I’ve seen pictures. A desert is a geographical place that receives less than ten inches of rainfall annually. Sticking closely to the definition, Antarctica is the world’s largest desert, and the second is the Arctic Desert. But we usually associate the desert with heat. According to that definition, the Sahara Desert in Northern Africa would be … Continue reading →

God in the Seasons

Only two remained. I would soon see God in the seasons. As I sat on my old antique porch glider, I watched as two hummingbirds fought over the lone feeder, hanging just outside my den window. Just a few days before, I had cleaned all my feeders but only put one back in the backyard. And just a few weeks before, a dozen hummingbirds had created a war zone in the back and side yards as they vied for nectar … Continue reading →

Keeping Cool

A hot-tempered person starts fights; a cool-tempered person stops them. ~Proverbs 15:18 NLT “I’d like to take ya’ll to lunch. Would that be okay?” I had no idea I was about to get a lesson in keeping cool. When the email invitation arrived, I felt excitement creep over me. I enjoyed our In-Service day since I needed time to catch up on grading papers and do a few other writing projects. But since we only had a few parent-teacher conferences scheduled, … Continue reading →

Lugging Luggage

Now turn from your sins and turn to God, so you can be cleansed of your sins. ~Acts 3:19 NLT As I turned the corner and squinted at the gate numbers, I knew I wasn’t finished lugging luggage. My wife and I and another couple were on our way to Nova Scotia, Canada, for mission work. With an hour layover in Chicago, we imagined we’d have time to catch our breath before our last leg of the flight. The terminal … Continue reading →

Jeremiah Wasn’t a Bullfrog

I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. ~Romans 12:1 NLT I tried to tell him Jeremiah wasn’t a bullfrog, but he wouldn’t listen. One of Three Dog Night’s more famous songs—that wasn’t supposed to be—was “Joy to the World.” What made it famous was the opening line: “Jeremiah was a bullfrog.” As a child of the … Continue reading →

The Art of Contentment

I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content. ~Philippians 4:11 NKJV Four months and several medications later, my wife finally discovered the art of contentment. A casual walk around a local college’s track with our grandson brought on what she hadn’t been troubled with in quite some time: PVCs (premature ventricular contractions). A visit to the doctor and an EKG revealed numerous PVCs. The doctor issued several options: take medicine, have an ablation, implant a pacemaker, or … Continue reading →

From Outsider to Insider

Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. ~Ephesians 2:11 NLT Sometimes, we must live without others’ acceptance. We can’t move from outsider to insider. My family and I were always outsiders. Not because we were weird, unsociable, or had bad habits but because we hadn’t been born and raised in the town where my father pastored. Most others in the church were lifelong residents and related. Oh, we were loved and appreciated, but if it came … Continue reading →