Snark & Sensibility

PLEASE WELCOME

MARTIN WILES

TO

HAVING THE PRIME OF MY LIFE

When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight. Jeremiah 15:16 NLT

I love to eat … the wrong things.

I remember when McDonald's first opened a restaurant in my hometown. Back when they still counted the number of burgers they served. Back when a hamburger was twenty-five cents and a cheeseburger was thirty cents. Back when I could still eat as much as I wanted—and still not gain weight. I loved all of their burgers, but especially the Big Mac and the cheeseburger. Then came Hardees and Burger King. I ate there, too, but nothing pleased my palate like McDonald's.

Pizza Hut also had an establishment in my hometown. On Saturdays, while I bagged groceries at the local Piggly Wiggly, my friends and I would head here during our lunch hour. We’d all share a nice juicy pepperoni pizza.

Then I fell in love with Little Debbie. Dad always said he hoped there would be ice cream in heaven. I hope Little Debbie has at least one manufacturing plant there. Anything Little Debbie produces, I love. Out of date? Doesn’t matter. Calories? Not so good. The fifty cent honey buns I’m fond of boast a whopping 350 calories.

But when you’re eating what you shouldn’t, who looks at calories? Doing so ruins the enjoyment. When Dad began having heart trouble, the doctor told him he needed to cut out his daily intake of ice cream. He said, “Doc, I’ve been eating ice cream all my life, and I plan to keep eating it.” And he did, although he did cut down on the serving size.

I feel the same way about the stuff I shouldn’t eat for health reasons. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve cut way back on the unhealthy foods I enjoy and focused more on eating healthier.

Some healthy foods I just can’t stomach. God’s Word isn’t one of them. Jeremiah devoured God’s words. They were like a fire in his bones he had to savor … and then deliver to others.

Sometimes, God’s Word is bitter, such as when it convicts me of an action or attitude I shouldn’t have. Or when it instructs me to do something I don’t care to do. But when I change and obey, God’s Word becomes as sweet as one of those Little Debbie items.

Enjoying a meal of God’s Word entails believing it’s inspired or authored by God. Otherwise, we’ll take it or leave it as it suits us. We need it to sustain our spiritual life. If we don’t eat a regular diet of it, we’ll dry up and miss out on God’s best. I never leave any of a Little Debbie when I’m eating one, and I shouldn’t of God’s Word either. All of it holds importance.

God’s Word changes our lives when we’re intentional about eating it regularly. Be intentional about making it a normal part of your diet.

ABOUT MARTIN WILES

Martin Wiles lives in Greenwood, SC, and is the founder of Love Lines from God. He is a freelance editor, English teacher, and author who has been published in numerous publications. He also serves as Managing Editor for Christian Devotions. The author of five books, his next book, A Whisper in the Woods: Quiet Escapades in a Busy World, is under contract with Ambassador International for release in December 2019.

ABOUT MARTIN’S BOOKS

Grits, Grace & God https://www.amazon.com/Grits-Grace-God-Heaven-Southern/dp/1645261379 Grits & Grace & God: Manna from Heaven Served Up Southern Style offers personal and practical insights for how God can take your challenges, loses, and setbacks and bring beauty from the ashes.

Grits, Gumbo and Going to Church https://www.amazon.com/Grits-Gumbo-Going-Church-Martin/dp/1798510375   Church seems to be all about obeying a set of rules—rules you can’t necessarily find in the Bible but rules the church folks expect you to obey. God, on the other hand, often has a different set of rules—ones sprinkled with grace and mercy. If you’re struggling with the real meaning of going to church and following Christ, then Grits, Gumbo, and Going to Church is for you.