A Woman Shall Encompass a Man

“How long will you gad about, O you backsliding daughter? For the Lord has created a new thing on the earth — A woman shall encompass a man.”
— Jeremiah 31:22

It is rare in today’s world to find a verse in the Bible where interpretations are so disagreed upon as that of this verse. Early Biblical theologians attributed this verse to the coming of the virgin Mary, but the vast majority of theologians today discredit that interpretation. I’m no theologian. I’m just a man who reads the Bible and shares what I find in its words. So, here is my opinion… and you know what they say about opinions.

I’m the worst planner in the history of mankind. I’ll never forget the day I proposed to Wendy. Most men fret over this day, plan, find a romantic spot, get people to witness and film, but, unfortunately for Wendy, she did not find such a man.

We were sitting on the couch in her parents’ living room watching TV. I was laying down with my head in her lap. I asked her, “Have you ever thought about getting married?”

She responded with something along the lines of, “Yes, but I want to finish college first. Maybe go to California and try acting or something. Then, maybe, I’ll be ready for marriage.”

I listened, hesitated, then said, “You want to get married?”

She instantly responded, “Yep, sure do!”

Then, the thought hit me, I had better figure out how to get a ring.

I took a job green-breaking horses, mending fence and building roping dummies for Edd Farabee just outside of Levelland, TX. He was a stern man. His wife often had breakfast, lunch or even dinner ready so we could keep working. He was a fair man. More than that, he was generous. He gave me the money to buy the ring and let me work it off. He also tremendously impacted my life and character.

I think about this story often. My wife deserved better. She deserved more planning, consideration, romance… just more! Instead she got me.

The Bible often refers to believers as the bride of Christ. He was a much better planner than me. He loved us. He pursued us into the darkest regions of the world. He had a plan. That plan led to Him laying down His life on the cross. It included descending into hell, rising again and offering the engagement ring of life to all.

For most men (and, in today’s world, sometimes women), that is the scariest moment of their entire life. That eternal moment after “popping” the question and waiting for the answer. It feels as if everything in life is determined by that moment. All the chips are pushed to the center of the table. We are all in and have no control over what comes next.

I believe this is the moment of Jeremiah 31:22. The passage is a prophecy verse of what is to come. It anticipates all the preparations and workings of Christ in order to issue the proposal to His bride of eternal life. Throughout all of the Old Testament God chose His people. He made the decision. However, under the New Covenant, He created “a new thing on the earth.” The death and resurrection of Christ was a proposal to His hopeful bride, but we would have to choose Him.

Make no mistake, Christ awaits in earnest expectation of your answer. All of His love is focused on you. Everything He has done has been for you. He planned the perfect moment. He paid up front for everything. He is offering everything He is to you. And He awaits your response.

He awaits for the woman to encompass the man! For you to accept Him, accept His life into yours, and to come alive with His presence in your life. For everything you are to be built around Him. He awaits for you to accept Him and become His bride.

If you have not made this decision, know He eagerly awaits. His love is true. And reach out to me or someone you trust to share in this moment.

Maybe you already have done this, but don’t miss the word “encompass”. It means to completely surround. It is the idea of every aspect of your life revolving around Him. He is not calling us to walk hand-in-hand. He is calling us to allow Him to live through every aspect of our lives.

Sometimes, I feel as if I’m walking this road still trying to pay off the cost of the engagement ring. I fail to see that Jesus has already paid for it all. The only thing left for me to give is myself. I’ll be honest, it is scary to give all. I want to see how the relationship works out first. But it doesn’t work, unless I give all. Everything I am in exchange for everything He is!

I’m challenged with identifying what I’m holding back? Will I, as a bride of Christ, encompass the man? Allow everything in my life to revolve around Him? I know He earnestly, patiently and lovingly awaits my response in this moment. How will I respond? How will you?

© 2025 Warren Martin. All rights Reserved.

Anxiety: The Dark Cave

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
— Philippians 4:6-7

Winston Churchill once said, “When I look back on all theses worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had a lot of trouble in life, most of which had never happened.”

I am a problem solver, not a time manger. In other words, if it isn’t a problem today, I’m not working on it. I wait until it becomes a problem and then I solve it. Many have tried to reform my ways. I once tried to utilize a day-timer to control my time. The day I caught myself entering events that had already happened into my day-timer I realized it wasn’t working for me.

I thrive under stress. Most people do everything they can to avoid stress, but I intentionally allow stress to drive me. I become more clear in my thoughts. I work faster and usually better. Without stress, I would be like Leonardo Di Vinci, who worked on the “Mona Lisa” for 14 years and died with it unfinished. It is just the way I’m wired. There are problem solvers and time mangers. I am the former. If you force me to be the later, I will be miserable.

However, my way of life comes with a tremendous amount of worry as well. Schedule a meeting with me and I will have played through every possible question you could raise and calculated my answers before the meeting even begins (but sometimes I’m surprised by a question). As a consequence, many of the moments I have lost in life are to worries and fears that never came to be.

We all do this to some extent, but I excel at it. Many are the nights I have worked in my mind throughout the dark hours to find solutions to problems which never even come to be. However, I also recognize it is what has given me an edge in my career. I have the solution before the meeting. I have an answer before the question is asked. Unfortunately, I also have the worry before there is a need to worry.

I recognize I’m a captive in Plato’s cave of forms. The light cast shadows of things in the world, but they are not the things themselves. I know they are not real, but simply shadows of things that might be real and usually they are distorted. I calculate, strategize and plan for all the possibilities. But I am still bound in the dark cave of anxiety!

One of the hardest verses for me to comprehend is Philippians 4:6-7, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

How do I handle this verse? Time management doesn’t work for me. In fact, it doesn’t reduce worry for anyone. I have worked with many time mangers in my time. I hire them to compensate for my weaknesses, and they worry as much as I do. I worry about what needs to be done today, they worry about what we are not planning for in the future. But worry is worry and it leads to anxiety. I’ve come to realize the key is not in how you schedule your day. It is not in how much time you plan or don’t plan. The key is in where you place your trust. Is it in yourself? Or is it in the Lord?

“Be anxious for nothing…” is not a determination on how you should plan your day (because you can’t plan everything). It is a determination of reliance on Christ. The directive is simple, take everything to the Lord. He wired you the way you are. He knows your strengths and weaknesses. He knows the answers.

It is not a matter of time management or problem solving. It is a matter of reliance on the Lord. That doesn’t mean everything will work out great in the world. It doesn’t mean you can wait till the last second on everything and God will make it wonderful. It also doesn’t mean if you spend years planning something it will come off without a hitch, or even work at all. It simply means, as the verse says, you will have peace and God will guard your heart. It will be okay regardless of the outcome.

I believe we should always do our best! Not because God demands it; our best is nothing compared to His perfection. Rather, our best is what is best for us. It is what enables us to become everything God called us to be.

If you are a time-manager, be the best! If you are a problem solver like me, be the best! But whatever you do, don’t think for a moment that you are alone and everything is dependent on you. Understand, we serve our living Lord. He is perfection. He is everything. He sustains us when we succeed or fail. Therefore, do not worry. Cast your cares upon Him. Go do your best, and trust Him to work through your life. We only see shadows in the dark cave of anxiety, but He is the true light. He has already done everything necessary for our acceptance. Trust in that truth.

Don’t get me wrong, I struggle with worry and depression often. It comes with how I’m wired. You may be like me (at least at times). I also know, when I struggle, my eyes are squarely focused on my abilities or lack there of. I’m consumed with me. Those are the moments I need to refocus my eyes on Christ. It is only when I focus on Him I can be “anxious about nothing.” Where is your focus today?

© 2025 Warren Martin. All rights Reserved.

Jesus Wasn't Nice

“Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘Lord, help me!’ But He answered and said, ‘It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.’”
— Matthew 15:25-26

Hang in here with me on this one. Let me be clear: Jesus was kind, loving, compassionate and passionate, but He wasn’t nice. Neither should we be nice. Let me explain.

From my earliest memories, I have been encouraged to be nice. At home. In Sunday School. At public schools. And in life. I think most mom’s would take it as a badge of honor if their children were considered to be nice. Unfortunately, or fortunately, my mother was not among those who could claim that “honor.” I was a lot of things, but nice wasn’t one of them. I ruffled feathers a lot. However, I always wrongly felt shame from this. I knew what people meant, and it was with good intentions. Yet, words matter and so do subtle differences when standing by your values.

Nice by definition means simply “to go along to get along.” If you look it up in the dictionary it will say something along the lines of “pleasant, enjoyable, satisfactory.” Who wouldn’t want that? However, originally “nice” comes from the Latin word nescius, meaning “ignorant” or “unaware” and originally meant “foolish” or “stupid”. Over time it changed in meaning to refer to someone who was dressed well, then to someone who simply went along to get along with whatever was happening. Eventually, it became a social positive when it originally began as a social negative.

Someone who is nice never causes a disruption or problem. They go with the flow, live and let live. We were never called to be such a person. Jesus wasn’t nice. You don’t crucify people who are nice, because they would go along with whatever you wanted.

Jesus regularly called out the religious leaders of the day saying things like, “Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?” (Matthew 23:33) Not nice!

He drove the money changers out of the temple with a whip (Matthew 21:12-17). Not nice!

He also met a Gentile woman who worshiped Him and begged for Him to heal her daughter. To which He responded, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” (Matthew 15:26) Not nice! He basically called this woman a dog and her child a little dog. Why? His ministry was to the children of Israel. She was outside of His mission.

However, her response, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master’s table” showed her great faith! Jesus’ kindness, compassion and love responded to this show of faith and He granted her desire. Her child was healed from that “very hour.”

The difference between kindness and niceness is extreme. Niceness will always share with people what they want to hear. It doesn’t ruffle feathers. Kindness always shares the truth. It shares what people need to hear, even if it ruffles some feathers. Kindness cares more about the well-being of the recipient than your own reputation. Jesus was kind, He wasn’t nice.

Does it make a difference? Yes! It makes all the difference. It doesn’t matter if you ruffle feathers or not. It only matters if you are acting out of truth, kindness, love and compassion; or not. It matters whether you are doing it for your own interests; or in the interests of those to whom you are speaking.

Ephesians 4:15 tells us that we are to be “speaking the truth in love.” We are told not to conform to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). We are to be in the world, but not of it (John 17:14-17).

Jesus had a mission to the children of Israel. His apostles had a mission to make disciples and take the message to rest of the world. We each have a personal mission as well. Do you know yours? Have you sought out God’s will and purpose for your life? Or are you constantly being sidetracked by the world with what seems to be nice and proper?

We were called to “stand firm!” (Galatians 5:1) We are to do so by being kind, compassionate and to act in love. We are not called to be nice. We are not to go along just to get along. We might ruffle some feathers, but you are in good company because Jesus wasn’t nice either. The word “nice” is not used in the Bible. Nor is the idea of being nice. The only translations that utilize the word nice do so with its middle meaning speaking to how someone is dressed or looks, not how they act.

We are called to stand firm. We are called to be bold. We are called to be kind. We are called to be compassionate. But we are also called to be the bearers of truth no matter what the consequences. We are called to share truth to the benefit of those we speak to; and God is able to speak that truth through our lives.

Grace demands the acceptance of everyone in every situation. However, grace is not grace without truth shared in love. Without truth, we are simply enabling others (and ourselves) to persist in degradation. Grace is truth and acceptance.

I am challenged to evaluate where in my life I’m trying to be nice so people will like me, instead of being kind, compassionate and bold about the truth. There are many instances of me going along to get along. I’m challenged this week to stand firm! Be bold! And focus on sharing grace: truth with compassion, acceptance and kindness. How about you?

© 2025 Warren Martin. All rights Reserved.

That's Terrible! You've Gotta Try It!

“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”
— James 1:14-15

As a teenager, we took a family vacation to the Coca-Cola Museum in Atlanta, Georgia. I remember three things about the visit. First, Coca-Cola was originally made utilizing coca leaves for flavoring which allowed for the probability of cocaine being in the product until 1903. Second, Asa Candler, who bought the recipe for Coca-Cola for $238.98, ended every sales meeting with the song “Onward Christian Soldiers” as they marched out to work. And third, the expression, “Ugggh! That’s Terrible! You’ve Gotta Try it!”

One of the central displays in the museum was a tasting room. You could grab little cups and take a sample of products from around the world. As a teenager, this was gold. Unrestrained access to caffeine. All was well right up until someone tasted a beverage from another part of the world that was not meant for the American palette. They loudly exclaimed, “Ugggh! That’s terrible! You’ve gotta try it!” The response; everyone in the room had to try it. Much to the same conclusion.

There is something about human nature. We have a need to “experience” what others do, both good and ill. You might think this is just a childish attribute, but it is not. It is human. Just this past week, my wife and I were at a football homecoming parade. Complete with bands, floats, horses and candy galore. My grandkids talked my wife into trying a sour candy just to see her reaction. Her response? Find another one and force me to try it too.

Human nature is such that we want to experience everything; and when it goes badly, we tend to want others to experience it too. Or at least be around others who have experienced it. Why? It comes from the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the “knowledge of good and evil.” We desire knowledge. We desire experience.

But our conscience is there to guide us, right? What is a conscience? By definition it means “with knowledge.” God didn’t create us with a conscience. We chose that for ourselves by desiring the knowledge of good and evil. Our conscience is malleable. What was unconscionable 20 years ago is the status quo today. It changes with the times.

However, God’s word does not change. It is as true now as at any point in human history. Which is why our verse today warns us, “…each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.” Nothing could be more relevant in our culture today. We have a whole generation (and I would argue, generations) who value an “experience” over all. They save, plan and pull out all the stops to have an experience.

There is nothing wrong with an experience. The problem comes when we feel we need to experience ALL things to accurately evaluate what is “good and evil.” You don’t have to experience anything that is contrary to God’s word to know it is evil.

Far too often we want to hear and communicate with people who have gone through what we’ve gone through because they understand us. We parade people across the church platform that have done everything wrong under the sun and found salvation and regeneration. I praise God for them, but why are we so interested in them? I would much rather hear from a person who was tempted as I have been tempted but withstood the temptation in faith. I want to hear from the person who has walked the straight and narrow where I fell into the gutters. That is person I want to learn from and hear.

Yet, we are addicted to experiences we believe to be unique, counter-cultural, rebellious, on the fringe and bold.

As Earnest Shackleton’s supposed famous ad to recruit men for the doomed Antarctic expedition stated, “MEN WANTED for hazard journey, small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful, honor and recognition in case of success.” In accordance with the legend, more than 5,000 men—and “three spotty girls”—applied for the chance to join him. The fact that this legend persists without question enforces the true desires of our heart to experience something, anything that makes us stand out at all costs.

However, the problem is we are looking for an experience in the wrong place: the world. The greatest experience in all of creation is available to us in this moment. A divine experience. Supernatural. And trust me, it is unique, counter-cultural, rebellious, on the fringe, bold and the greatest experience you can have as a human. It is a relationship with Christ. The living Lord. The creator of everything that exists!

This greatest experience of all eternity is not a walk among rainbows and flowers down happiness lane. It is fraught with danger, uneasiness, challenges and is only navigable by the boldest of heart. It can feel terrible at times. However, it is also a path filled with joy, love, acceptance and a divine relationship. It is a path you will never have to walk alone.

God gave us the desire to experience that which is greater than ourselves. He did so in the hope we would seek Him. If we seek that experience in anything other than Him, it will lead to sin and death. However, when we seek it in Him, there is nothing more glorious you could possibly experience.

My challenge this week is to evaluate what experiences I’m longing for? To prayerfully consider what is the root desire of those experiences? Then, rather than try to find fulfillment in the world, turn to Christ and ask Him to meet those desires in my life. No greater experience exists than being a child of God, a joint heir with Christ, His beloved and favorite child!

So, if I need to push you and challenge you to give it a go, in a way that often motivates most people: It’s terrible! You’ve gotta try it!

© 2025 Warren Martin. All rights Reserved.

Lincoln's Corpse

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
— John 10:10

“In the fall of 1876, just 11 years after his assassination, there was a plot to steal President Lincoln’s remains from Oak Ridge Cemetery and hold them ransom in the Indiana Dunes.” — National Park Service, Department of the Interior, United States of America

Election Day, November 7, 1876. Three men (Jack Hughes, Terrence Mullen and Lewis Swegles) enter Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois under the cover of election chaos to steal President Abraham Lincoln’s body. Little did the others know that Lewis Swegles was an confidential informant of the Secret Service. However, the Secret Service was not there because of Presidential security. They were tasked, at this point in history, with the security of the Treasury Department and were on the trail of a counterfeit plot undermining currency in the United States.

In October 1876, a prominent engraver for Chicago counterfeiters named Benjamin Boyd was jailed at the nearby Joliet penitentiary. This threatened the operations of Irish-American crime boss Jame "Big Jim" Kinealy. In turn, he recruited Jack and Terrence for a plot to steal the body of Abraham Lincoln. They were to steal it, transport it 200 miles to the Indiana Dunes and hide it. At which point, a ransom call would be made for $200,000 and the pardon of Benjamin Boyd.

Jack and Terrence couldn’t keep their mouths shut at the saloon. Swegles joined the team shortly after and alerted the Secret Service who were working with the Pinkerton’s Detective Agency to stake out the tomb. The criminals successfully broke into the tomb, moved the coffin and then sent Swegles out to get the wagon. Spooked in the downtime, Jack and Terrence fled the scene. They were arrested 10 days later in the same saloon where they spilled the beans in the beginning.

The authorities were unable to prosecute Jack and Terrence on charges of stealing a corpse, as there was no 1876 law against it in Illinois. Instead, they prosecuted them on the crime of stealing a casket valued at $75. Jack and Terrence were sentenced to 1 year in jail for their crime.

My point to the story, besides I love history, is the low opinion most people will feel towards Jack and Terrence (I used their first names to keep it more personal). The appalling idea of stealing a national hero’s corpse for ransom towards furthering nefarious acts. What were they thinking? Often times, we are no better.

How many times do we try to negotiate, barter, trade with and attempt to hold God at ransom through the death of His Son? We understand the forgiveness that comes through the cross. We appreciate all our sins were in Him on the cross. So, we are tempted to wager with God. I will do “X”, if you will do “Z”. I will give up “A”, if you will give me “B”. Just let this happen and I promise… Look at the good I’ve done, isn’t that worth… Help me, and I will be good. I promise, I’ll never ask for anything else again!

Negotiating with God in this way is no better than stealing Lincoln’s body. You won’t be charged with desecrating His corpse, for no corpse exists. At best, you are wagering on an empty tomb, i.e. a hole in the ground and nothing more.

Jesus said in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” His death was for the world, but it did not save the world. It is only His life that saves those who believe in Him.

If a man dies of cancer, he has two problems. Cancer and Death. If you cure the cancer, he is still dead. If you bring him back to life, he will just die of cancer again. To save him, you have to cure the cancer AND give him life. The same is true for all of us. We are dead in our sin. We needed a cure for sin: the cross. But we also need LIFE.

You cannot negotiate with God to be “good enough.” You cannot trade with God to find an acceptable path to heaven on your own. Forgiveness is there for all. But, you need life. Not yours. His life.

Jesus said in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” There is only one trade you can make to receive that gift; you must trade your life for His. No other trade is acceptable.

Everything else is an attempt at theft; no different than the crime boss’s attempt to steal Lincoln’s corpse. It’s just an attempt to keep your own world with God’s forgiveness. It doesn’t work that way. However, God will not condemn you for stealing a meaningless coffin. Neither will He accept anything less than the perfect life of His Son. Forgiveness is essential, but life was the purpose. It is only found in Christ.

My challenge for this week is to evaluate where I’m trying to negotiate with God, rather than doing a divine trade of my complete life for His. He came that we might have life! I pray that I would seek the path of His life over creating a life of my own stealing coffins from the graves of dead men (no matter how great they might be). Salvation is not primarily a sin issue; it is a life issue. I’m not just asking if you believe God forgives. I’m asking: have you found life in Jesus Christ?

If not, I would love to connect with you. Please reach out!

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Postscript: Following this incident, Robert Todd Lincoln had Lincoln's body moved multiple times before being permanently interred in an iron cage under 10 feet of concrete below the burial floor of the Lincoln gravesite at Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, Illinois.

© 2025 Warren Martin. All rights Reserved.