Who Gets the Credit?

 

Our Father of glory gives us the spirit of wisdom and reveals to us the knowledge of Himself. He opens the eyes of our understanding and gives us hope for our inheritance in Him. He also imparts to us His power to accomplish His will for our life. This power is as mighty as He gave to Christ to raise Himself from the dead (Ephesians 1:17-21).

 

From His first advent to earth, as a baby in a manger, Jesus then grew into a man. He accomplished great miracles and gave God all the glory for using Him in them according to God’s plans for Jesus (John 17:4-5). When Jesus returns to earth as King in His second coming as a conquering hero, His glory given to Him by our Father God will fill the whole earth (Habakkuk 2:14). 

 

At that time, every tongue on earth, in heaven, and under the earth in hell shall confess that Jesus is Lord of lords for the glory of God our Heavenly Father (Philippians 2:11). We too can look forward to the glory of the Lord settling our reward on us for living in His will for our life (Isaiah 58:8).

 

God’s Word encourages a husband to love his wife as Jesus loves His Bride, the church, and sacrificed His life to pay our sin debt (Ephesians 5:25). In eternity, God will reveal to us what is a mystery now – the riches of His glory for us is Christ in us (Colossians 1:27). God loves those who love Him (Provers 8:17).

 

God carved our name on the palm of His hands, and He keeps us safely inside the walls He built around us (Isaiah 49:16). He promises that when we ask, we receive; those who seek Him, always find Him; and we have the door opened for us when we knock (Matthew 7:7-12).

 

The consequence of sin is death, but God sent Jesus to redeem us from an unholy lifestyle and to present to us His gift of eternal life (Romans 6:23). We find the solace and salvation we seek on this earth in God alone. He is our glory, the Rock of our strength, and our ever-present Refuge (Psalm 62:7). 

 

Prayer:

Father God, thank You that we are precious in Your sight when we are honorable in thought, word, and deed, as well as when we love You with our whole heart (Isaiah 43:4). You gave us Jesus as our door, and when we enter in, You save us from our self, give us Your eternal life, and provide for all our needs. Satan is the deceiver, and the father of lies. He comes like a thief by the darkness of night to kill, steal, and destroy us (John 10:9-10).

 

The life that we enjoy in Your daily presence is full of abundant peace, joy, wisdom, love, and strength. Thank You that Jesus is our good and faithful shepherd and that He gave His life for us, His sheep (John 10:11). When we labor and have a heavy load to bear in life, You give us rest. As we take Your yoke on our shoulders, rather than one of our own making - with the load of doubt and cares and our own plans, we find true rest for our ladened soul. 

 

Thoughts for the Day:

When we receive Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins, believe on His name, and walk in His Spirit, He gives us the power to become His adopted children. God’s yoke is easy, and His burden is light - not only because He is yoked with us to pull the load, but also because He leads us to work in His timing and way.

- John 1:12; Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus' Divine Life in Us

 

As authentic Born Again Believers, we have the divine life of Jesus within us (2 Peter 1:3-4; Galatians 2:20). Out of His presence within us flows rivers of living water (John 7:38). As we walk in the Spirit, we no longer carry out the desires of our flesh, because we follow Him one step at a time throughout our day (Galatians 5:15-25).

 

We Christians tend to compartmentalize our life into work, family, play, and lastly, we worship with other Believers, but only if we have the time, we are not too tired , if it is not raining or snowing, or we do not have out-of-town family visiting with us. When we view God as way up on His throne in heaven, it is easier to compromise our thoughts and behavior. 

 

However, the reality of the Christian life is that Christ lives within us (Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:3-4; Acts 17:28). If we partake in some activity that would grieve the Lord, we cannot separate our self from Him to experience it. He must endure our most sinful acts from within us. We drag Him right down into our pit of degradation. 

 

This realization puts a whole new perspective on our thoughts, words, emotions, and activities. God intends for our entire life to be lived as a form of worship to Him. He equips us with His wisdom and ability to perform the work, which He created for us to do before the beginning of time (Ephesians 2:8-10). 

 

Paul exhorts us to do even the most mundane things, such as eating and drinking, for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). We do not withdraw from life in order to worship Him, even though worshipping Him is the main focus of our life. We unashamedly live in devotion to God. We exist as a praise to His name (Hebrews 13:15). 

 

This causes us to forsake sin and its consequences, live as a Biblical testimony of a Christian life, and continually worship Christ in us with our body, soul, and spirit. God in Christ abides in us by His Spirit, who dwells in our spirit and imparts His life into our thoughts, emotions, body, and choices (Romans 8:6, 10-11; Colossians 3:3-4). 

 

Prayer:

Father God, thank You that Your Spirit within us is Your guarantee that we belong to You as Your adopted children (Ephesians 1:14; 2 Corinthians 1:22). We start out our Christian life by desiring to control our own existence rather than to submit to You and to love You above all else. We refuse to submit to Your will, ways, and timing for each moment of our day, and we make our own plans. However, we quickly lose this lifestyle as we gradually adopt a way of living that focuses on worshipping You. 

 

If we are converted, we can claim You as our Father; however, if we continue to live in unbelief, apart from faith in Jesus and His redemption (Ephesians 1:7-14), we are not Your children. We prove our love for You by obeying Your commandments (John 14:15-31), trusting in You with our whole heart (Proverbs 3:5-6), and walking in Your ways (Deuteronomy 5:33). We know we are a Christian as we allow Jesus to live His life in and through us (1 John 2:3-6). 

 

Thoughts for the Day:

Happy is the person who does not cave in under the temptations of satanic forces, the world, and our own fleshly desires. We look forward to the promised crown of life that God assures us is ours if we love Him, and we walk in His timing and ways. God’s Spirit keeps us from seditious thoughts and actions that lead to an eternity in Hell’s flames rather than in the glories of Heaven in God’s presence. We know we are a Christian as we allow Jesus to live His life in and through us.

- James 1:12-16; 1 John 2:3-6

 

 

A Good Marriage - Rebounding Does not Always Mean to Bounce Back

 

The practice of rebounding occurs during basketball, but also during dating relationships. It is used to describe a new association, which occurs by ricocheting from the door slamming shut on a past relationship. The person who is rebounding falls for one of the first people to give them attention after their separation from their mate or date.

 

They quickly form a commitment without consulting the Lord. This is tragic. In new relationships, we should take our time and seek the Lord's will in them. We need to pay attention to every red flag that pops up during our interaction with this new person. It is far better to live alone than to shackle oneself to someone, which is not God’s will for us (Proverbs 21:9, 25:24; Proverbs 17:1). 

 

We need to spend quality and quantity of time with any new person. Carnal attraction is the main reason many people choose a mate; yet, this often wanes with familiarity and will not sustain a long-term relationship. If we do not develop a friendship and a genuine caring connection, our new union may not support us over the years ahead. 

 

We will end up in another devastating circumstance or heading for divorce court all over again. Instead, we can use our time as a single person to minister as the Lord directs us, to join group activities to cultivate new friendships, and to work in church ministries to meet people who share our common bond of faith. 

 

God may take longer than we would like to help us meet someone new, because He wants to work out issues in our personality and soul, which need healing first. If God wants us married, He will bring along a new mate in His timing. If we do not meet anyone new, then it is pretty clear that God prefers us to be single at this time. 

 

He does this so we are better able to minister to Him, and to those He has for us to come in contact with, and to be open to the needs in our family, neighborhood, church family, and community. As we focus each moment on walking in God’s will for us, He will prevent rebounding in our life and we will find fulfillment in our relationship with Him.

 

Prayer: 

Father God, sometimes divorce is inevitable, especially in cases of infidelity or if our partner is determined to leave us. Please help us to focus on our relationship with You in our times of grief and solitude. Remind us that watching romantic movies and reading novels will reinforce our feelings of loneliness. Keep us from rebounding or using addictions to fill the void in our life. Joy and contentment in You will ease our feelings of isolation and disappointment.

 

We want to live, move, and have our being in You, rather than in human companionship. We desire a deeper intimacy with Your Trinity than to ignore You and fill the void in our life with the first person who shows interest in us. The deeper we delve into Your Word, Your people, and Your ministries, the less lonely we will feel and the more Your joy will fill our heart. 

 

Thoughts for the Day:

Listening to Christian worship and hanging out with the Body of Christ, as we focus on God's will for our life, will help to fill our soul with God's peace, joy, and love. We find rest in the shadow of God’s wings, contentment in His will, and He works out His divine nature in our personality as we focus solely on Him. Our soul will fill with a stronger unity with God’s Trinity within us, and we will find more contentment in our union between Him and our spirit than with any person we could ever meet.

 

Patience’s Perfecting Work

 

Impatience is a component of our “fight or flight” response given to us by God. Our thoughts or self-talk is triggering a fear or frustration. Patience is one of the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). It allows us to remain calm in the presence in our life of frustration, disappointment, suffering, distress, etc. 

 

We step away from our negative thoughts and reflect on our concern as we ask God for His wisdom in this setting. Reflection will interrupt the stress cycle and keep us from feeling impatient. Once we identify the source of our thoughts and feelings, we can apply grace and compassion to the person or condition and realize patience is perfecting us as we trust in God alone.

 

In years past, the most noted quote was, “Do not pray for patience!!! You will only get more tribulation.” I bought into that philosophy because I noticed this was true in my life. So, I stopped praying for patience. Recently, God showed me the details of how patience actually perfects us (James 1:2-4).

 

I want to be perfect as God is perfect (Matthew 5:48), so I started using every frustrating experience to change my focus from the aspects of the circumstance to God using the incident to allow patience to perfect me. I really love what is happening in my life ever since I started this new habit. 

 

Synonyms for “patience” are forbearance and endurance. We gain these benefits not by self-restraint or controlling our self, but in patience perfecting us. When we also allow God’s Holy Spirit to sanctify us with more mercy and compassion, we start to see what is happening to others in every situation that is causing our impatience to get triggered.

 

Then we show love and acceptance toward the person and/or situation. Patience allows us to wait on the Lord as His Spirit sanctifies our soul – our thoughts, emotions, and choices. We choose to be calm and to rest in the Lord as we trust Him to work in our life. We center our thoughts, emotions, and actions on Him and His direction for these moments of our time.

 

Prayer:

Father God, teach us to find joy in every situation we encounter during the day (Philippians 4:4-8). Remind us that the issue may test our faith in Your faithfulness, teach us a lesson we need, or allow patience to perfect us. In times of ill health, doctor office waiting periods, long grocery lines, waiting on a person or an appointment, dealing with an active child, etc. we need Your patience in our soul, and we look forward to these issues now that we see Your design for them.

 

Show us how impatience impacts our physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental stability, but how patience keeps us healthy in body, soul, and spirit. We trade irritation and worry for serenity and composure with the help of Your Spirit within us. Remind us that patience and prayer allow us to rejoice in the hope You set before us (Romans 12:12). Help us not to get weary in our service to You, but to remember that in Your time, we shall reap good things if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9). 

 

Thoughts for the Day:

We cannot perfect our self as God is perfect, but He gives all of us patience as a tool for perfecting our soul. In setting goals for our day, it is better to consult the Lord for His plans for us, rather than to make our own to-do list and run with it. Life’s issues are often inconvenient, impractical, unrealistic, and time-consuming, but these are great times to submit to patience and to feel her working perfection in our soul.

- James 1:2-4; Proverbs 3:5-6

The Pleasures of Prayer

 

 

If we sit before the Lord in our spirit, and wait on Him, He rewards us with the most intimate experience known to mankind. We connect spirit to Spirit and find more fulfillment than we are capable of discovering in any other earthly relationship.

 

Our whole outlook, world view, and goals in life change for the better. We are converted by His Spirit and by the blood of the Lamb, we place our hope in unseen things, we no longer stive for worldly acclaim, and we are totally led by God’s Spirit (Psalm 131:1-3; Romans 8:14; Galatians 4:6).

 

Our soul – our thoughts, choices, and emotions – takes on the persona of a little child as Jesus encourages us to become (Matthew 18:3). We are vulnerable, playful, trusting, and adoring in our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Our soul is like a little child within us (Psalm 131:2).

 

God calls us to come boldly to His throne each moment of the day (Hebrews 4:16). We talk freely and with unfiltered and honest words to our Lord, without flowery requests and hidden agendas. Accepting our weaknesses as a sign of our humanity releases us from the shame associated with our mistakes (2 Corinthians 12:8-10).

 

When we diligently seek Him in prayer, we receive His protection in our vulnerability (Psalm 34:4;). We can trust in Him anytime we are afraid (Psalm 56:3). Our trials are often far beyond our human ability to endure, but we can rely on God to see us through each one with health in our body, soul, and spirit until He takes us home to Heaven (2 Corinthian 1:8-11). 

 

We bring every concern to God in prayer, because He cares for us. Although Satan roams around roaring and looking for prey to devoir, those who place their faith in the grace of God will enjoy fulfillment, strength, support, and authentication in His will and through the pleasure of positive results to our prayers (2 Corinthians 1:8-11). 

 

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for transforming our stress and fears with Your love, peace, and joy (Philippians 4:6-7; Psalm 29:11). As we steadfastly focus on Your face before us, rather than on our negative circumstances as we trust in You alone, You keep us in Your perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3). You shower us with Your wisdom as we seek Your guidance in every decision we are faced with in life (James 1:5; Proverbs 2:3-6; 2 Chronicles 1:10). 

 

We yoke up with You and give You all our burdens (Matthew 11:29-30). You sustain us, keep our head above the tumultuous waters, and helps us to stand firm and not to be moved (Psalm 55:22; 1 Peter 5:7; Romans 10:13). When we call on You to care for and bless us, we receive Your mercy and grace in every time of need (Luke 18:13). You miraculously deliver us through every trial (Acts 12:5-8).

 

Thoughts for the Day:

People who seek wealth often fall into a snare, and their foolish, harmful desires plunge them into destructive behavior and its consequences. This causes them to fall away from their faith in God and to reap grief and sorrow for themselves. However, those who trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, and will not be moved, but stand firm in our faith in Him through the trials of life and into eternity.

- 1 Timothy 6:9-10; Psalm 125:1

 

God’s Word is Light and Life

 

There is a disagreement between people today about whether Jesus was just a good man, or the actual Messiah promised in the Old Testament. When He was born as a baby in an obscure stable, He did not draw much attention. Only a group of exhausted shepherds were treated to witness this event by a host of heavenly angels.

 

Although several prophets foretold of these circumstances years before it ever happened, the world had no idea about God’s plan that unfolded during their day and time (Isaiah 7:14, 9:6; Micah 5:2). Neither does today’s world have much interest in this story, nor do they see the amazing provision that God gave us through Jesus, our Christ

 

At the time of His birth, Jesus was worshipped by the shepherds from the hills; and years later, three wise Kings saw the signs in the stars and followed one particular star to the home where Joseph and Mary and their two-year-old son, Jesus, dwelled. However, generations then and now ignore these prophetic words as well as the signs in nature.

 

Jesus told us while He lived his 33 years on this earth that He is our only way to Heaven, the source of all truth, and the means for us to abide in eternal life. He actually stated that no one can go to God except through Him. He also revealed that He and our Father God are one God (John 14:6-7).

 

Our Messiah explained it another way by giving us the example of Him as our gateway to earthly blessings as well as to eternal life. Jesus became our only true source of eternal life and true enlightenment when He took on the form of a human being and dwelled among us, so that we could witness the glory, grace, miracles, and truth that He displayed (John 1:4, 14, 17, 10:9).

 

Jesus’ death and resurrection provide us with redemption and life, when we believe in who He really is. Our body will go to the grave, but our spirit and soul will go through His portal immediately into Heaven without experiencing the anguish of death that unbelievers encounter (John 11:25; 2 Corinthians 5:8-9).  

 

Prayer:

Father God, thank You that we gained access by faith to Your grace on which we stand. We rejoice in the hope of seeing Your glory as we enter the door that Jesus opened for us to be saved and to have all our needs provided for us (Romans 5:2; John 10:9). We are eternally grateful that You offered an unencumbered highway for us to enter into Your way of holiness. 

 

It grieves us, as I am sure it grieves You (2 Peter 3:8-10), that foolish, prideful, rebellious people who wander this earth shall never find Your straight and narrow way to Heaven (Isaiah 35:8-9; Matthew 7:13-14). Thank You for Jesus revealing to us the way to join in an intimate union with You both now and throughout eternity (Matthew 11:27). We love You with our whole heart and soul. You are our whole life and our reason for living (Colossians 3:3-4).

 

Thoughts for the Day:

God is not careless with His promises, even though many think He is neglectful for waiting so long to return to earth as He promised. He is persistent toward us, and He is not willing for anyone to perish in the eternal flames of hell, but that everyone ever born will have time to put their faith and trust in Him and to receive His free gift of eternal life.

- 2 Peter 3:8-10

The Role of Humility

 

 

Humility is a vital part of readiness for salvation. When we think we can save our self, or that we can better control our life than anyone else, or when we do not want anyone telling us what to do because we want to live according to our own desires, we miss out on what God has in store for us both now and in eternity (1 Corinthians 2:9).

 

God’s Word advises us that if we live in strife, stress, and boastfulness, this is a futile lifestyle; but to live with a lowliness of mind, and when we esteem others better than our self, we are abundantly blessed in every way with all the goodness of God (Philippians 2:3). 

 

When we are of the same mind, respect others regardless of their looks or financial status, and do not rely on the human wisdom that comes from self-deception, God honors us (Romans 12:16). He prefers to see the hidden motives of our heart coming from the gem of a meek and quiet spirit (1 Peter 3:3-4).

 

Shame always follows pride, but wisdom accompanies meekness (Proverbs 11:2). When we humble our self before the Lord God, He lifts us up and gives us praise, blessings, and honor (James 4:10). As the elect of God, we are holy and loved by Him, and His Spirit provides us with mercy, kindness, meekness, and patience toward others (Colossians 3:12). 

 

Our pride eventually shames us and causes us to reap satanic attacks on our body, soul, and spirit. Yet, humility and honoring the Lord bring us graciousness, physical blessings, and a fulfilled life because we trust in the Lord (Proverbs 22:4, 29:23). We humble our self before the Lord, and He exalts us in due time (1 Peter 5:6).

 

Prayer:

Father God, we are wise and given Your knowledge when we walk before You in meekness and with the good deeds You inspire us to perform (James 3:13). Haughtiness brings destruction, but humility brings us honor and Your good graces (Proverbs 18:12). It also helps us to get along with other people, to have compassion for our self and others, to love the unlovable, and to have an attitude of modesty and courtesy toward others (1 Peter 3:8).

 

Jesus advised His apostles to desire to be last, rather than to fight to be first, because the contentious and prideful will be last and the servant of all (Mark 9:35). Through Biblical examples we learn that You choose the lowly of mind to bring about good from the impossible, and to serve as vessels for Your honor and glory (1Corinthians 1:28-29). Remind us to do what You require of us: to be just, and merciful, and to walk humbly with You (Micah 6:8).

 

Thoughts for the Day:

As we call on the name of the Lord, humble our self and pray, we will seek God’s face, and turn from our self-centered lifestyle. Then, we will hear from God who forgives our sins and heal us (2 Chronicles 7:14). When we take up God’s will for our life and learn from Jesus’ example of meekness and humility of heart, He gives us His yoke instead of the one we chose, which lightens our load of sorrows on this earth (Matthew 11:29-30).

Escaping the Bonds of Depression

 

 

Depression is a debilitating negative emotion. Many people need medication to survive the ravages of depression on our soul. Yet, these chemicals cause side effects in our body that negate their benefit for our soul. If we dissect depression, we can see the underlying issues that we may be able to tackle without medical intervention.

 

Symptoms of Depression:

·      Irritability and moodiness

·      A lack of restorative sleep

·      Low motivation and energy

·      Shame over our past; Fear of the future

·      Intense grief over a major loss

·      No interest in our appearance or activities

·      Decline in concentration and memory

·      Binging or starving our body

·      Anxiety and panic attacks

·      Harming our self physically in an attempt to lessen our emotional pain

 

One of the main contributors to depression is anxiety. We entertain lies from Satan, and our own human fears as if they are happening now - when most likely they will never occur at all. Worry weighs us down, but encouraging our self and others lifts us right up out of the depression (Matthew 6:27; Proverbs 12:25). 

 

Grief over a major loss is another source for deep depression. During these times, essential oils or herbs can help to keep our soul strong until it recovers from this loss. Of course, medication is also available via a doctor’s prescription, but side-effects are a real problem. 

 

In my bouts of depression as a Melancholy, I learned that it attempts to overcome me when I put my trust in something or someone other than God. If we commit our thoughts, words, and choices to God, He always rescues us from troubles and gives us access to His power, authority, and wisdom (Proverbs 3:5-6; Psalm 34:17, 37:5, 55:22).

 

When we come to the understanding that nothing can separate us from the love of God – not even the powers of demonic forces – our faith grows by giant steps, and we enjoy more serenity than ever before (Romans 8:38-39). Jesus abides in us and with us as we trust only in Him, and our roots grow deeper into God’s love which helps us to withstand the fiercest of storms in our soul (Ephesians 3:17).

 

Prayer:

Father God, teach us that when depression hits, it is helpful to scrutinize the root cause of this overwhelming emotion. Then we can give the cause of this current pain to You in prayer, so we can gain Your understanding and intervention and power to overcome or resolve it (2 Timothy 1:7, 2:7. Remind us not to worry about the issues in our life, but to leave them in Your capable hands as we cultivate a more eternal mindset (Matthew 6:25).

 

We want to take Your yoke on our shoulders, rather than those of our own making. This allows us to find Your rest in the mundane and horrific issues of life (Matthew 6:33-34, 11:28-29; Luke 12:25-26). As we thank You even for the negative aspects of our life, You always give us Your peace in every situation, because You are with us at all times (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; 2 Thessalonians 3:16; Hebrews 13:5).

 

Thoughts for the Day:

God’s peace rules over our heart as we thank Him and rejoice in our negative experiences (Colossians 3:15; John 14:27; 1 John 4:18). As we hang out with Jesus as a branch on the Vine, we accomplish everything He calls us to do. He will bear much fruit for His Kingdom in us and through us (John 15:5).

Seeking God’s Face

 

When we gaze into the face of our beloved, betrothed, or spouse, we see love reflected between us. We read the intimate feelings we share in our expression, the focus of our eyes, and the smile of affection that fills our lips. We find solace from our pain, joy in our relationship, and a promise there of hope for tomorrow.

 

God calls us to seek His face (Psalm 27:8). His Word advises us to seek God’s face continually (1 Chronicles 16:11). We desire nothing more than to bask in His love and enjoy His presence, asking for little, but receive all our needs. Our problems fade into the distance as we seek His face.

 

We focus on Him and His will in our situation as well as His unconditional love for us rather than the issues that we face. We rejoice in Him (Philippians 4:4-8) regardless of how hopeless our problem seems to us at the moment. We do not rely on our human resources, but on His supernatural abilities, which we find as we seek Him alone.

 

God has a perfect solution to our problems, and sitting quietly in His presence allows Him to communicate His resolution to us. He shows us the way to go, the thoughts to think, the lessons to learn, and the intimacy with Him available to us every moment of our day. In His presence we find fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11).

 

Even if we have no clue as to how to find His face, when we sit quietly in His presence and enjoy His companionable silence, we touch the throne of God. He satisfies the longing in our soul to find peace, love, and joy in this world (Psalm 27:8). We need Him every hour, seeking the joy that we see in His face when He looks at us (Zephaniah 3:17).

 

We can stand in the holy place of the Lord when we have clean hands and a pure heart, when we trust only in Him rather than in idols of our own making and false gods perpetuated by those under Satan’s spell of lies and deceit. Then, we receive His blessings and our vindication as we seek His face (Psalm 24:3-6).

 

Prayer:

Father God, when we seek You rather than Your blessings, we find You. Sin no longer has a hold over us in Your presence. We abide in You as You dwell in us (Romans 6:14-23). You cleansed us by the blood of Your Lamb, and Your Spirit sanctifies us into the nature and character of Jesus.

 

When we sit in Your presence and worship You alone, praising You for who You are, and thanking You for all You do for us each and every day, we learn to rely on You rather than on our self or anyone else. You reward our dedication to You with a place in Your Kingdom when we pass from this life. You even give us victory and abundance each moment of every day.

 

Thoughts for the Day:

When we humble our self, turn from our sin, and pray and seek God’s face, He hears us from Heaven. He forgives us, heals us, and provides for us all of our needs (2 Chronicles 7:14). We will never abandon Him, because only He holds the issues of life (Psalm 73:25-26). We continually seek His face forevermore (Psalm 105:4).

A Good Marriage - Never Stop Dating

 

 

God wants to teach us not to dismiss our mate’s concerns, even if we see no value or importance in them, because if it distresses him/her, we need to take it seriously. If it is important to our mate, then it is of paramount importance to us. Our good friend, Bill, and my husband both call us – their wives - “My Bride.” 

 

This reminds these men of our initial commitment, loving feelings, creative dating, and joyful relationship. They never forget that they can maintain the initial feelings of dating “their one” by treating our marriage with the same respect, resourcefulness, delight, focus, and planned activities that they did when they first dated us.

 

This way we stay connected with those deep regards, appreciation, inspiration, compassion, connection, priority, excitement, and dedication to play time that they used in order to pursue us in the first place. This relationship also helps us to maintain the spark between us that we initially fell in love with, before the demands of vocations, children, in-laws, bills, shared housing, prickly people, etc. robbed us of relaxed couple time.

 

Another issue we face in this modern world are the beeps, buzzes, vibrations, and rings of emails, texts, phone calls, and messages from various social media sites, work related issues, family, and friends that interrupt our immediate focus on our mate. 

 

Therefore, we need to leave our phone in the car and only take time to consult it after our date and before we actually go home, just in case there is some emergency that truly demands our attention at the moment. Focusing our time and attention only on one another is vitally important to the health of our marriage.

 

Continuing to dress up at home and on dates shows that we care about how we look. We went through multiple outfits prior to our initial dates because we wanted to astonish each other and add that “wow” factor to the impression we made. Living in the “wow” factor regardless of how many years we have been married will keep the home fires burning between us.

 

Relating with extra attentiveness, nurturing, patience, understanding, and commitment - more with each passing year of marriage  - ensures a loving, committed relationship. This makes our spouse feel like he/she really matters to us, and reminds us to make one another our priority, second only to God.

 

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for bringing our mate into our life. Instill in us the value of paying attention to any issues that arise between us, and to make time to rationally address and pray about them together before they escalate into an argument. Remind us that sweeping problems under the rug in order to avoid confrontation is never a good idea, because this only causes them to emerge at an inopportune time when we are tired or vulnerable. 

 

Remind us to keep You as the focus of our life, to consult You in every decision we ever make (Proverbs 3:5-6), and to consider the feelings of our mate in everything we think, say, and do. We prefer one another; but remind us not to neglect our self while doing this. Help us to communicate to our partner our personal boundaries, our preferences, our likes, dislikes, etc. This takes the guess work out of our relationship and keeps our focus on You where it belongs.

 

Thoughts for the Day:

Believing before marriage that we can change our spouse after we are married is a naive and deadly mindset. If we do not respect, enjoy, and accept each other as we are while we are dating, we will eventually face frustration that may turn to bitterness after marriage, because we will never successfully change each other. Loving one another in our respective “love language” will insure a more devoted relationship that lasts a lifetime.

The Backdrop for Prayer

 

 

“Silence is golden” was the main phrase in a song in my teen years. A mother, a factory worker, a forestry agent, etc. all know how refreshing a time of silence can be. Yet, many people avoid silence with every fiber of their being. 

 

Silence creates a space for us to face the thoughts and intents of our soul. Our negative self-talk surfaces during times of silence and can threaten us with shaming words from people in our past, our guilt over specific sins, the turmoil in our soul that we would rather ignore, discouragement that threatens to overwhelm us, etc. 

 

On the other hand, noise is distracting, puts us on edge, and is irritating after a while. Someone who talks all the time, who never stops to listen, and who carries on a monologue instead of a conversation is hard to be around for very long. We tend to avoid such people in order to maintain our sanity.

 

Some people prefer to live in a lively city, and we delight in sirens, loud laughter, honking horns, the ruckus of music, songs in businesses, the hours of TV or radio programing that we never turn off, etc. The cacophony and busyness feed our soul. 

 

Others prefer a quiet village or country scene where nature is our constant companion and quietude is commonplace. The forest is a quiet place with leaves rustling in the breeze, two limbs clapping together in the wind, a sprinkling of bird songs, and an animal screech echoing in the distance now and again. 

 

Some people find relaxation amid the green growing things all around us in nature. They enjoy this time for meditation on God’s Word or listening to His voice. This backdrop helps us to silence our soul to receive instruction from the Lord. We find a hope centered in God’s goodness to us (Lamentations 3:26-29).

 

Silence allows us to take an inventory of the negative thoughts and emotions in our soul (Psalm 4:4), as well as to reflect on our difficulties. This will help us to hope in the Lord as we yoke up with Him during each moment of our day (Matthew 11:29-30; 2 Corinthians 10:4-6). 

 

Prayer:

Father God, You alone are our wise God and all glory and honor belong to You (Psalm 62:1,5). We cannot obey You and follow Your peace in our spirit if we are not silent enough to listen to You (Deuteronomy 27:9; Ecclesiastes 5:2-3, 10:12-14; Proverbs 12:23, 30:32). In silence we can enter Your rest and wait on You to speak to us and to reveal to us Your will in each situation and decision we face (1 Corinthians 14:29-30).

 

In the silence of the night watches, we come face-to-face with Your divinity (Psalm 63:6, 119:148; Micah 7:16). You are our Redemption and Deliverer (Acts 11:18, 15:12). We give You the reverence that You justly deserve (Habakkuk 2:20). Teach us how to sit still and know that You are our only wise God and Savior (Jude 1:25; Psalm 46:10). We thank You for fighting for us as we remain silent and hopeful before You (Exodus 14:13-14).

 

Thoughts for the Day:

Prayer is a two-way street, a conversation between us and God. If we do all the talking, we miss out on God’s wisdom and impartation of truth. Sharing in companionable silence with our Father God gives us the opportunity to hear from Him about resolving issues in our soul. Our silence helps us to demonstrate to Him our faith in His faithfulness and encourages us to rest in His love, peace, and joy.

The Apple of God’s Eye

 

 

Human relationships are usually based on feelings, which draw us together. However, feelings may also sever the association, because of a lack of communication and any personal issues of feeling inadequate. We mentally interject words and thoughts into a conversation, which are not there, and then we over-react. We feel unloved, rejected, and misunderstood. Then, we just give up.

 

Authentic Christian relationships survive the plagues of the world, the flesh, and the devil, which attempt to drive a wedge between two people. There are no issues in a marriage, which justify divorce. A time of separation can free us from the circumstances of the moment and give God time to work out reconciliation between both mates. 

 

However, He never interferes with our free will, and our decisions may over-ride His will for our life. God wants to reprogram our thoughts, which are currently based on lies from the devil and our own insecurities, with His own words which tell us the truth about our worth and our victory in Christ. 

 

God chose us before the foundation of the world, so we have no need to feel deficient (Isaiah 43:10). There is not one issue in life, which can separate us from God's love (Romans 8:31-39). God builds us up (Acts 20:32), when people put us down. His right hand supports us (Psalm 63:8), when others reject us. He provides for us (Philippians 4:19), when Satan tries to steal from us, and kill and destroy us (John 10:10). 

 

When we are afraid, He redeems us and calls us by our name, because we are His (Isaiah 43:1). He loves us and considers us as precious in His sight (Isaiah 43:4). God engraves us on the palm of His hands (Isaiah 49:16). He gives us sure footing regardless of the situation we are living through (Habakkuk 3:19). God chose us as a holy, royal priesthood. 

 

Prayer: 

Father God, teach us to submit to You rather than to attempt to control our own life. Help us to bear the unsavory circumstances we encounter in this life and to be a witness for You through it all. We want to walk by Your Spirit on the narrow road to Heaven. Through Christ in us, help us to influence this generation, which is walking on a wide road that leads to destruction. Use us in our sphere of influence to point people to Jesus, so they will choose to end their life of negative consequences and reap Your blessings instead.

 

We love you and praise Your name forever. You are our strength, our rock, our fortress, and our deliverer. You are our source of salvation and our stronghold in times of trouble. We take refuge in You. We call on You, who are worthy of praise, and You save us from those who would bring us harm (Psalm 18:1-3). We give You all the praise that is worthy of Your name. Thank You for keeping us as the apple of Your eye (Psalm 17:8).

 

Thoughts for the Day:

We can rest secure in God, because He shields us all day long and carries us on His shoulders. Authentic Christians live in quietness and confidence, which is our strength. In Christ, we dwell in peace and safety forever, regardless of our circumstances. We are His special possession. We praise Him, because He called us out of darkness and brought us into the world of His wonderful light.

– Isaiah 30:15, 32:17-18; Deuteronomy 33:12; 1 Peter 2:9