Martin Wickens
Speaking the Truth in Love
-
Enemies
“Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time. (9) And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch…
-
Clarity
(18) Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. (19) And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest…
-
My Times in Your Hands
“My times are in thy hand…” – Psalm 31:15 David trusted God with each day, and with all his days. The individual days and the collected days of his life he knew rested in God’s hands. David, who had been a somewhat forgotten son but chosen of God and anointed by His prophet. David, who…
-
Mocked
“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” – Proverbs 20:1 “Wine in the Bible is basically grape juice.” “Strong drink is worse than wine.” “The way it’s made makes the difference.” “God told Israel to buy “strong drink”. “Is it a Christian liberty?” “Does it mean to…
-
Wounded
“The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?” – Proverbs 18:14 In 1949 Joseph Campbell published a book titled, “The Hero with a Thousand Faces”. He posited that the most loved and enduring of myths from throughout history and around the world all shared the same, fundamental structure.…
-
Grey
“The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.” – Proverbs 16:31 Almost every generation will find itself in conflict with the previous generation. This conflict may vary in intensity and the field of conflict may change, but it occurs again and again. It seems the greater the…
-
Broken
“A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.” – Proverbs 15:13 When we have joy in our heart it shows. We can see a person has joy by the look on their face, the sound of their voice, even in the way they walk. The joy of…
-
Integrity
“A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight. (2) When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom. (3) The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.” – Proverbs 11:1-3 When I worked for Tesco I witnessed the company increase…
-
Wisdom
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” – Proverbs 9:10 The Book of Proverbs offers wisdom for every arena of life. Multiple times it impresses on the reader the importance of God’s wisdom, contrasting it with the foolishness of man. It often states that…
-
Infinite
(4) He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. (5) Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite. – Psalm 147 This Psalm has long been a favourite of mine. Verse 4 originally caught my attention because it shows the greatness of God and the smallness…