If you suffer, even a little, from obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), the smallest thing out of order can upset you. I have to deal with this daily, and it can be overwhelmingly frustrating when my wife, April, is the source of something not being “just right.”
In the realm of things that are wrong in the world, to get upset over something minor that she did is probably stupid of me. For instance, not lining up the dishes perfectly in the dishwasher. The way she does it will still get them clean, but to me, they should be lined up.
So, who is right? I hoped that she would understand my issue and change her behavior, so I won’t get unsettled. However, after being married to her for six years now, I don’t think that will happen due to the issues she faces.
I was praying, asking God, “How do I deal with this issue and others that are similar?” My flesh wanted to show her how wrong she is in loading the dishes. It was also expecting her to change. But as I prayed, I heard in that still small voice, “Who told you she is wrong?” “Umm, Satan?” I thought. As if how she loaded the dishwasher was a sin. I realized at that moment, this is my issue, and I shouldn’t say anything to her. It’s a good thing April doesn’t read my blog posts!
Then I got to thinking, Does God expect us to be perfect? He does expect us not to sin. But He also knows that free will can lead to wrongdoing. Us feeling ashamed for what we have done.
She replied, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either. Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.” John 8:11 (NET)
7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. 8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” 10 He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.” 11 “Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?” Gen. 3:7-11 (NLT)
And here is why I should not say anything to April:
Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing. 1 Pt. 3:8-9 (MSG)
The devil is our accuser. He is the one who will tell you that you are naked. He wants you to feel ashamed of what you have done wrong. He also wants you to believe that whatever you have done is too great for God to forgive. Scripture tells us that God is faithful and just to forgive us if we confess them. (1 Jn. 1:9) Jesus is your defense attorney who reminds his Father in heaven that his death on the cross paid the price for your sins. So, don’t listen to the lies of the devil. You are worthy of God’s grace, mercy, His love, and forgiveness.
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Image generated via AI.
There is a new movie being advertised, “How to Train Your Dragon,” and for some “old-age” reason I heard, “How to Train Your Wife!” I know, right? I have no idea what caused such a brain fart to occur. I mean, is that even possible? And God help the husband who dares try! He will probably be speaking soon to the law firm of “You Dumb Butt” and “It’s Over!”
But seriously, what if your spouse needs “tweaking?” How does one go about it?
Our spouse is our helpmate, but if you cannot agree on an issue, what do you do? April allows me to be the head of the household. When it’s the other way around, people get hurt, and not just in the immediate family. She knows if we cannot agree, I will make the final decision. Now, this is not to lord over April, but she knows that I am accountable to God for the decision that was made. A position not to be taken lightly.
A few years ago, she revealed her secret as to how she gets (sometimes) what she wants or what she thinks is best for us. She doesn’t get mad, kick and scream, or give me any attitude at all. What she does is, she prays. She goes to God and appeals to him to speak to my heart. She asks Him to guide me and lead me as I do my best to lead our family. She knows that I know how to hear the voice of the Lord, and when I do, I have no problem changing my decision. And I certainly want God’s help. I know I definitely need it!
April commented the other day, “I pray every morning for God to change me.” What she meant was to help her in the areas of life where she struggles sometimes. I replied to her, “Maybe God likes the way you are or the way He made you?”
If there is a way to train your wife or husband, I would say it is through prayer. It’s a loving, gentle approach to changing someone. I have heard several testimonies of women praying, sometimes for years, without giving up for God to change their husbands. Don’t quote me on this, but I think Miss Kay of Duck Dynasty fame is such a woman. Not only did God change her husband, Phil, but his change also affected an entire family and perhaps countless others!
Thank you, God, for praying wives. Perhaps I should change the title to “How to Train Your Husband.” Encourage us all, Lord God, to pray without ceasing when the person or situation requires change. I, for one, am so grateful for change.
13b-18 Live together in peace, and our instruction to this end is to reprimand the unruly, encourage the timid, help the weak and be very patient with all men. Be sure that no one repays a bad turn by a bad turn; good should be your objective always, among yourselves and in the world at large. Be happy in your faith at all times. Never stop praying. Be thankful, whatever the circumstances may be. If you follow this advice you will be working out the will of God expressed to you in Jesus Christ. 1 Thes. 5:13b-18 (PHILLIPS)
The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]. Jam. 5:16b (AMPC)
I once thought my thirst couldn’t be quenched, but that was before. Before I met the man who out of him I drew living waters. I’m getting ahead of myself.
I guess you might call me a strong-minded woman. I mean, others have. So what if I think of something and want to do it or say it? But some people, especially most men, have a real issue with that. I don’t understand why women have to be quiet in some places and, especially, around men. We’re just as smart as they are! Being like that has always gotten me into a lot of trouble. Even when I was a young girl growing up at home. I stood up to my father and challenged his teachings. That frustrated him to no end. He would even tell me, with my mouth, that I would have trouble keeping a man if I could even find one. My mother tried to change me, but I am also very stubborn.
Well, it turns out my father was right. I guess the men I married all thought they could change me after we were married. I certainly didn’t try to hide who I really was. There couldn’t have been any great surprises. I would think they all had to know what they were getting into. Perhaps they thought they were up for the challenge, but I have seen that when a strong woman challenges a man, it just drives him crazy. The man will usually either respond by trying to reason with me, get mad and walk away, or strike me. I don’t put up with that last response at all. I always tell them, “You just made a horrible mistake. Don’t ever do it again.” Of course, they don’t appreciate being told this either. I begin to think I should have been born later in time. I’m hoping women are treated differently at some point.
Husband number one: After I got married, he told me he was going to train me to be a proper woman. I had to laugh. I told him, “You know what I was like, so if you didn’t like it, why in the world would you marry me?” He replied by saying, “I thought sure I could change you.” I taught him that women like me don’t want to be trained. We want to be understood and accepted for who we are. I was only with husband number one for five months. We were arguing about what I should be doing around the house, and after an hour or so, I guess his tolerance level had been maxed out, and he struck me. I did stop talking. Instead, I gathered what I could hang on to in my arms and left the house. I went over to my girlfriend’s house. We talked about what had happened. She agreed with everything I had told my husband but suggested that life would be easier if I just kept my mouth shut and did whatever he asked me to.
He asked me to come back without even apologizing for what he had done. Foolishly, I did. Things were okay for a while, but then another argument came up. After he hit me for the second time, I told him I wanted a divorce. I got the piece of paper, but that was it. I guess he thought I would come crawling back to him if I couldn’t make it on my own. Ha! I’m cute, I thought. I’ll get by.
Husband number two: I tried to be more careful with the second man. I gave him more time to get to know me. I told him I was never going to change, and he said he accepted that. He courted me well. He would buy me nice things to wear. He would also buy jewelry. Fine gold necklaces and earrings. He traveled a lot. This is where he would get a lot of the gifts that were somewhat exotic for me. By that, I mean the things we didn’t see around here. It seemed as if he would buy me something after every trip. I told him he didn’t need to, but he always said he enjoyed showing me how much he loved me just as much as he liked telling me he loved me. And wow! He knew how to use words to express his love. The man’s tongue must have been as smooth as a nicely made clay jar. I think his ability to speak smoothly is what made him a successful businessman.
We did get married, and things seemed to be going well. I was happy with this man, and he seemed pleased with me. Perhaps this relationship was working because he got frequent breaks from me. He could get away from my stubborn personality and my unbridled mouth.
I learned from my girlfriend how to keep the house. I also learned from her that I should fix one of his favorite dishes for dinner on the days he was due to return home. I began thinking I had finally found a man who accepted me. We both settled into the rhythm of the relationship. We had even started to talk about children. Then, one day, I discovered a woman’s scarf in his dirty laundry. I knew it wasn’t mine, but I didn’t want to believe for even a moment that it belonged to another.
What is this? Why is it here? Where did it come from? These were the questions that I couldn’t answer, and I seriously doubted he would answer them. On the day he returned, I had the scarf around my neck. The look on his face answered all of the questions I had wondered. He stood there and gazed at me for a while. Then he bravely told me the truth. He told me he had another wife in another town. The town where he did most of his business. He assumed the lavish gifts would keep me quiet and help me never to question where he was and what he was really doing. He also admitted that I was a very strong woman and that he had never liked it, but that he enjoyed my beauty and my playful side, and that was why he married me. Then he spoke the real truth when he informed me that his trips gave him the breaks he needed from me.
Naturally, I was crushed. Life seemed so good. When he came home from his next trip, he handed me divorce papers. At least he was nice about it. He allowed me to take anything from the home I wanted or thought I would need. He gave me money, too. I didn’t want to live with a man whose heart was divided, but I wasn’t strong enough to ask him for a divorce. Perhaps my strength as a woman was fading. I was with him for two years.
Husband number three: After going through what I did with the first two husbands, I wanted to fight back. I wanted to hurt a man. Any man. I wanted to show them that a woman could play with one’s heart just as easily as they could. I went hunting for the right one. I would talk to them to see if they would expose any weaknesses. I wanted to learn if they were really in love with their woman or with her just for play. I wanted to try to find a man whose heart was wicked. One whose love would be untrue. I’m sad to say it didn’t take long.
I found a shop owner who seemed to be the kind of man I wanted to hurt. He was married, had several children, a high position on the town council, and a successful business. He had a lot to lose. As a bonus, I got to know his wife. A woman who thought she was the queen of Sychar, the town I lived in. She would so easily speak ill of anyone for any reason. I knew if I could pull this off, it would be a major victory.
I knew I would have to be very subtle in my plan to seduce him. I would have to start small. I would have to hold my tongue at times. Instead of my usual way, I would have to say words that a man likes to hear. I would have to list in front of him his greatness, his wealth, his status, and his power.
I put my plan into action. I would go by this man’s shop at first every other day. I would hope that on the days he didn’t see me in the flesh, he would see me in his mind that his thoughts would be turned to me. That the thought of me would begin to consume his mind. I noticed that, as I flattered him, he would look at me differently than he would at other women shopping. He would smile. I could see my plan working.
Then I started going there every day. Each visit seemed to last longer and longer. I held back from expressing my views and opinions. I complimented him on how smart he was and how he appeared to be extremely wealthy. I could see that, with each day and with each conversation, he was buying my act. And oh, how I made him pay!
It wasn’t long before he asked me to enter his shop via the back door. In the back room, he talked very seductively to me, and then he got comfortable enough to touch my arm or hold my hand. Then, one day, he leaned over and kissed me. He wanted to go further, but I told him, “No.” I informed him that if he wanted more, he would have to get a divorce first and then marry me. He let me know he was married. After weeks of playing around, I told him he needed to make a decision. Either her or me. Four days went by before he told me of his decision. He picked me. I couldn’t believe it.
It took what seemed like forever, but we got married, and I moved into his house. His previous wife was furious. She, really, was the one that started the rumors around town about me. She called me a home wrecker. My new husband told me not to let it bother me, but it did.
It was time for “Act 3” after I got him to trust me totally. I took most of the jewelry he gave and sold it. I took most of the clothes he had bought me over to my girlfriend’s house. Then, I hid whatever money I could get my hands on. When I had done all of this, I told him I wanted a divorce. He was devastated. As a result, he lost his position on the town council. He had to sell his business. His ex-wife wouldn’t come back to him. His children despised him. The feeling of victory didn’t last long enough.
Husband number four: This man was much older than the previous two. In fact, he was a lot older than I was. He was old enough to be my father, and he was a friend of my father’s. That is how I first met him. My father had invited him over to celebrate one of our holidays. At first, it felt really odd to fall in love with an older man, but I was drawn to him by his smile, and he was so funny. He made me laugh a lot. I always felt good when I was around him. He seemed as if he didn’t mind me for who I was, either. Maybe I made him feel young. I think, honestly, as people get older, they only get upset about the things that really matter. Somehow, they have figured out how to overlook the small things. Whatever it was, we seemed to work, and so when he proposed, I said, “Yes.”
Life was good with this man. Because he allowed me to be me, I found myself wanting to please him. For the first time, I felt like a man listened to me. He may not have always liked what I said, but he let me speak my mind. Occasionally, he would counter what I had said, but the difference between him and other men is he let me finish what I was saying first. I guess with him, I saw his respect and love. He would also ask me what I was thinking or what I thought about a particular subject. He would even engage me in matters of government. No man had ever done that before. I really loved this man. I think that is why his sudden illness and death took such a toll on me.
He had gotten sick, it seems, overnight. I had the physician come to our house, but it turns out there was nothing he could do. He gave me some powder, and I was instructed to mix it in water. I did this faithfully, but it didn’t seem to work. He passed away within a week. He left me lots of wealth, but I lost more than anything money could buy. I had lost love. I missed him so much. We had no children together, so I couldn’t share my grief with anyone who loved him as much as I did. My mourning lasted well over a year. Others tried to console me. I would smile and say, “Thanks.” But then when I was alone again, the hurt would come flooding back in.
Husband number five: About a year went by when I began feeling my heart had room to allow the love of another man. I truly missed the way my last husband accepted me and loved me. I missed his soft touch. I missed him brushing my hair. I missed him. I wondered if I would ever find another like the one I had lost. I decided it was time to look for another.
I put myself out there again. I met a couple of men, but they didn’t even come close to the kind of man I had. Then, one day, my girlfriend mentioned someone to me. I was skeptical at first. I hung out with him for a while. I didn’t disclose to him that I thought he was cute. I figured the longer I could hide my growing feelings for this man, the more I would see his true nature. He did seem to accept me. He was kind. He was hard-working. I told my girlfriend I liked him. Then I told him.
We got married the following month after a holiday. Everything seemed to be going well. It’s funny, after what I’ve been through with men, that I find myself trusting them so easily. Now that I was older, I had calmed down a bit with my mouth. Also, I had accepted what a woman in my time was supposed to do around the house. My girlfriend was proud of me.
The first sign of problems was when my husband told me he had lost his money belt. He said he needed to pay for some things at the market and asked me where I kept the money my last husband had left me with. I paused, and he yelled, ‘’What? You don’t trust your husband?’’ I thought about it some more, and then I told him where it was. I had the thought one can’t have real love without trust. So now he knew. Then, about two weeks later, he told me he had taken some so he could invest in a really promising business deal. I begin to get suspicious a little.
A month later, I asked him one evening how that business deal worked out. He first asked, ‘’what business deal?’’ Then he said, ‘’O yeah. That one. Real good. Really good. In fact, it’s so good I may need to borrow more until the first deal really gets going. You know, up and running. On its own feet, so to speak, but I promise you will get so much more back in return.’’
Six months later, I realized I hadn’t looked at the place where I had kept the money for some time. I couldn’t believe what I found. Nothing! Absolutely nothing. Everything was gone. All of the money. All of the precious jewels. Everything my past husband had given me. Gone. I just sat there on the floor and cried. I was sick to my stomach. How could I be so stupid? How could I have trusted him with so much? What did he do with it all? There was enough there to last both of us a lifetime. I was still lying there on the floor when he got home. He looked at me and said, ‘’I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that. Those business deals didn’t work out after all.’’
I looked up at him with my soar bloodshot eyes and said, ‘’Tell me the truth. I deserve to know the truth.’’. He was silent for a long time, and then he said, ‘’I lost it all gambling.’’ “How could you?” I replied. Then, it all became clear to me. He just put up with me and married me for the money he suspected I had. He knew my previous husband and knew he had been a very successful businessman. Then, I learned another truth. My husband had lost his job several months ago. I was devastated. Needless to say, we got divorced.
The boyfriend: I needed help now to live. I was not able to survive on my own after my wealth was wiped out. Things were bad for me. Not only did I feel like a failure, I had to put up with the talk around town. People would stare and make comments whenever I walked by. They acted as if they thought I couldn’t hear them, but they knew the truth was I did. Their words hurt, but I just kept my head down and would keep going.
Because I became a social outcast, I found it less hurtful to draw water from the well at noon. The hot sun hurt, too, but at least it kept its commentary concerning my life to itself. My new life wasn’t the greatest, but I managed. The day-to-day duties kept my mind occupied most of the time. Then one day when I went to the well this man was there. I knew he was a Jew. Then he did the oddest thing. He spoke to me. You see, in my day, a Jew did not speak to a Samaritan. He asked for a drink of water. Then he said, ‘’Woman if you knew who I am, you would ask me for a drink.’’ I looked at him kind of crazy like and said, ‘’The well is deep, and you don’t even have a means to draw the water.’’ He went on to say, ‘’The water I speak of comes from within me. If you drank of it, you would never thirst again.’’ I certainly wanted some of this water, for I was so tired of hauling it. I asked him for some of this living water. He then told me to get my husband and come back. I wasn’t sure what to say.
After realizing this man didn’t know me or my reputation, I felt safe telling him that I had no husband. Then, the most amazing thing happened. He looked at me with tenderness and said, ‘’That’s nicely put. For you have had five husbands, and the man you are currently living with isn’t your husband.’’ I responded by saying that he must be a prophet. Then we talked about which mountain to worship on, and he informed me that one day, it won’t matter where you worship God, and even better, it won’t matter what you are called. That the only thing that will really matter is your heart. If you worship God in spirit and in truth. I wasn’t sure about all of this. I told him that, and I informed him that one day, the Messiah would show up to set it all straight. He then told me, ‘’I am He.’’
I ran back to town and started telling everyone, no matter what they thought of me, about this man at the well who knew everything about me. I challenged them by saying, ‘’I think this man is the Messiah! He was able to tell me everything about my life.’’ They all went out to see him for themselves.
I realized later in life that I was made the way I was for that very moment. In other words, I was not afraid to speak out loud to anyone. I was not afraid to express my views, beliefs, or convictions. After the day that went well, I never missed an opportunity to share with anyone about the Messiah, this man named Jesus.
(The actual account can be found in the Bible. John 4:1-42)
If you have never had your own encounter with Jesus Christ, know that you can. He is waiting for you to accept his offer of forgiveness for your sins. With that begins a relationship that brings hope, encouragement, comfort, and guidance with the added bonus of eternal life. Along the way, you can ask for help with anything. Problems in life, relationships, and healing. Having a relationship with Jesus is the best thing you will ever do with your life. God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are real. So are heaven and hell. There are no other alternatives. Encounter Jesus and change your life.
Have you ever sat and listened to someone share with you what is exciting news to them, but it triggered an odd feeling inside you? Something seemed off, not right.
April shared with me an event happening soon for a friend. As she told me the whole story, I started sensing a disturbance in the force. I mean, I felt sick in my spirit. In a moment, I saw what her friend was about to experience if they continued going down the road they were on. I could see the stops along her journey. Painville. Lied to Junction. Can’t Trust Street. It’s as if I was the one holding the map looking ahead.
In the days since, as I have been praying for them, I have felt so sick and have been grieving for them. They’re a nice person and don’t deserve what they are about to get.
April even shared that they quit talking to another friend because that friend raised all the “Red Flags” that are a part of their venture. April’s friend wants to be loved so badly that they are willing to accept Satan’s substitute instead of waiting patiently for the one God has for them.
There are two things I have observed in life: 1) You can never talk anyone out of getting married. 2) You can never talk anyone out of getting divorced. Once they have made up their mind to do this thing, they will begin to tell themselves they are doing the right thing even if it is not true! Yes, they will lie to themselves.
So what can one do? Yes, you can pray for them. You can intercede like crazy, but the better thing to do is join up with at least one other person and pray together.
I knew of a young woman who wanted to get married so bad she was willing to fly to Malaysia and meet the guy who was promising her the world. The challenge was this: she couldn’t pay for the flight herself or for her stay there while getting to know him. He said he would pay.
The problem was Malaysia is the second worst country for sex trafficking. Her father was okay with her going because he was greedy and wanted a portion of the money she would make in the high-paying job her boyfriend promised her. What happens is that when the woman clears immigration, the boyfriend demands the passport as collateral until the trip is paid back, which never happens. I knew in my spirit if she went, we would never hear from her again. So, a friend of mine and I prayed long and hard. After a few weeks, the whole deal broke down, and she didn’t go. Today, she is married to a lovely man, has a young son, and is living a good life.
I knew in my spirit the evil forces were defeated because two people prayed in unison.
“Take this most seriously: A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven. What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.” Mat. 18:20 (MSG)
1 1-3 Job was a man who lived in Uz. He was honest inside and out, a man of his word, who was totally devoted to God and hated evil with a passion. He had seven sons and three daughters. He was also very wealthy—seven thousand head of sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred teams of oxen, five hundred donkeys, and a huge staff of servants—the most influential man in all the East!
4-5 His sons used to take turns hosting parties in their homes, always inviting their three sisters to join them in their merrymaking. When the parties were over, Job would get up early in the morning and sacrifice a burnt offering for each of his children, thinking, “Maybe one of them sinned by defying God inwardly.” Job made a habit of this sacrificial atonement, just in case they’d sinned.
6-7 One day when the angels came to report to God, Satan, who was the Designated Accuser, came along with them. God singled out Satan and said, “What have you been up to?”
Satan answered God, “Going here and there, checking things out on earth.”
8 God said to Satan, “Have you noticed my friend Job? There’s no one quite like him—honest and true to his word, totally devoted to God and hating evil.”
9-10 Satan retorted, “So do you think Job does all that out of the sheer goodness of his heart? Why, no one ever had it so good! You pamper him like a pet, make sure nothing bad ever happens to him or his family or his possessions, bless everything he does—he can’t lose! Job 1:1-10 (MSG)
The portion of these verses that jumped out at me was, “You pamper him like a pet, make sure nothing bad ever happens to him or his family or his possessions, bless everything he does—he can’t lose!”
I have mentioned it several times in many posts, but if you missed it, let me do it again. When a man is devoted to God and living for Him, typically, he has a good life. God blesses him, and even when something may try to defeat him, God comes through and takes care of the issue for him.
April has a friend who announced last week that they are getting married. I only heard a part of the conversation while I was working on our house. But as I was listening, I started getting a bad feeling in my spirit. It was the gift of “discernment,” telling me that their fiancé was not the right person for them.
Today, April shared with me more about what she heard from another friend about their friend’s fiancé. Can you say, “Red Flags?” It’s sad that the friend would “settle” for Satan’s substitute rather than wait for the person that God has for them. If this friend would commit all their ways to God and delight themselves in Him, I would dare say that God would bring the right person into their life soon, knowing the desires of their heart. If they get married, they are setting themselves up for a lot of pain and heartache.
One can never go wrong living for God. Putting Him first in your life and asking Him to lead you and guide you. He will. I know because His word is full of scriptures that say he will.
Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”
True delight in Him causes us to take our sights off of what we want in order to long for what He desires. The command to delight in God appears amidst this list that King David penned in the Psalms as the antidote for his fretting people:
Most of us have either heard or said traditional wedding vows. There was my nervous cousin who said, “Till death do we fart.” Of course, we all laughed, especially me and my father. At least until my mother rib punched both of us. His twin brother kept shaking as he tried to maintain his composure.
In case it has been a while, here they are:
“I, ___, take thee, ___, to be my wedded husband/wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.”
Some of us would prefer these vows:
“I, ___, take thee, ___, to be my wedded husband/wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for richer, and in health, to love and to cherish, happily ever after.”
But life isn’t a fairy tale, and there are ups and downs. Do you realize that after you accept Jesus into your life, you become the Bride of Christ? It’s true.
One of the Seven Angels who had carried the bowls filled with the seven final disasters spoke to me: “Come here. I’ll show you the Bride, the Wife of the Lamb.” Rev. 21:9 (MSG)
Let us celebrate, let us rejoice, let us give him the glory! The Marriage of the Lamb has come; his Wife has made herself ready. She was given a bridal gown of bright and shining linen. The linen is the righteousness of the saints. Rev. 19:7-8 (MSG)
So here is my point to today’s blog post: When we accept Jesus, we enter into an intimate, personal relationship with Him. In sickness and in health. For richer and poorer. For good days and bad days. He helps us get through all the days of our life. But here is the best part: we don’t separate at death but actually come face to face for eternity!
She did it again. Her husband got angry. “How rude and inconsiderate for her to change her plans without considering me.” He needed sleep and wasn’t feeling well, but now he would have to stay awake waiting for her to let him know when she was ready to come home so he could give her a ride.
Love cares more for others than for self.
“I’m so tired of this!” he thought to himself. “I want to end this marriage!”
Love never gives up.
Love never looks back but keeps going to the end.
He stewed for a while. Then he started complaining to God about it.
Love doesn’t fly off the handle.
Love doesn’t keep score of the sins of others.
“I wish I had a wife that would treat me better. Help out more around the house. Do the things that aren’t obvious but still need to be done,” he murmured.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
“I don’t treat her this way!” he thought.
Love doesn’t strut.
Doesn’t have a swelled head.
Then, God started soothing his soul and whispering into his spirit, “She knows you’re mad but doesn’t truly understand why.” “She’s not wired like you.” “She hasn’t grown in that way yet.” “She didn’t do this to spite you.” “Her motive was pure.”
Love takes pleasure in the flowering of truth.
It puts up with anything.
“Yeah, you’re probably right, God,” he thought. He knew he needed to break the silence because she struggled in that area. Before going to bed, he left her a note in the kitchen expressing his love for his wife. Then, as he went off to sleep, he prayed for her. The man ultimately imitated his heavenly Father and became the King of Hearts.
Love trusts God always. Love always looks for the best.
My wife, April, starts her work day early in the mornings. Sometimes, due to the number of pending orders to get out, she has to be there by 4 AM. The other day was one of those mornings. Because I drive her to and from work, I also have to get up early.
“I would like mornings better if they started later.” Garfield
I certainly agree with Garfield. So, as a result, I do not have the best demeanor that early. As is usually the case, now I can’t even recall what April did that I chose to get upset about. I dropped her off without a proper “Goodbye” and proceeded home.
On the drive home, I remember the Holy Spirit whispering, “Watch Steven Furtick.” He comes on a local TV channel at 4:30 AM. I responded with a, “No! I don’t want to.” When I got home, I knew I needed to do as God instructed me, so I did. Sure enough, Rev. Furtick was delivering a message that had to do with attitudes. The word of God ministered to me as well as convicted me. I prayed and asked God for forgiveness and to help catch those situations before they escalated.
Later that morning, April texted me about something going on in our life. I responded with the requested information and included some humor with a “Love you!” After reading my reply, she texted back, “What happened? Your attitude is much better.” I wrote back, “God called a meeting.”
I don’t like it when my attitude gets out of alignment, but when it does, I am so thankful that God is right there and quick to make the necessary adjustments. That’s the work of a loving Father.
19-21 Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. God’s righteousness doesn’t grow from human anger. So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life. James 1:19-21 (MSG)
Figuring out life can be difficult at times, but as I have learned, it is even more challenging when your “money meter” displays, “LOW!” At least the “Fuel” light is not on, not yet anyway. When funds are abundant, it seems like you just do what needs to be done almost without considering the cost. The line between “want” and “need” gets dimmer. It’s easy, at times, to convince yourself that you “need” something that honestly is a “want.”
Whether you have a lot of money or not, it is always best to take your thoughts to the Lord. If He truly is the “Lord” over all things in your life, then decisions about how or where to spend should be guided by him. After all, those financial resources came from Him and are His.
The part of Him leading me I appreciate the most is in deciding what to buy, what brand, and what product. And at times, from where. I have found that if I feel uneasy about pulling the trigger on something, the best thing to do is wait.
“I am God, your God, who teaches you how to live right and well. I show you what to do, where to go. Isa. 48:17 (MSG)
Submit your plans unto the Lord. Trust Him to accept and hear your proposal and thoughts; what you have determined in your mind is good. It also is a good idea to talk about matters of life with your spouse. After all, they are to be your “helpmate.” And when they share their thoughts, be sure not to make fun of what they say. Their words and insights might just be what you need to hear; and who knows, it may very well be the words of the Lord speaking through them. Another source is with a trusted friend who you know walks with God. Finding a friend like that is like finding gold. Value them, express how much they mean to you, and appreciate them.
One of the hardest things on this journey we call, “life” is overcoming. It seems as if it will never happen. Either the hole of debt we have dug is too deep, or the struggle with the one we once loved hurts too much. Perhaps the sickness seems as if it will never get better. You know, all too well, what I am talking about, and so do I.
When Jesus taught the multitudes he would often direct their attention to nature to emphasize the point he was trying to make. He didn’t have a “whiteboard” or a “PowerPoint” presentation. He used what he had, and it worked!
To borrow this method from the great Teacher, let me show you some illustrations from nature about overcoming. Notice this Ferris wheel will someday be totally overcome by this growth in nature. It has probably taken a few years to get this to this point, but what one might of once thought was impossible, has become possible.
Consider this pile of rubble. One may make the comparison that this mess is similar to their own life. I know I once did, after making, what I thought, was a mistake that would end my service to God forever. Turns out, I was wrong on that point. In the midst of my personal, broken pile of a mess life, He slowly began to rebuild me and make me useable to him and others once again.
Then there is this tree. It found life close to disaster. It lives on the edge. Some may consider that exciting, while others would find it nerve-racking realizing that at any moment, a strong storm could come and it would lose its grip. The tree seems confident trusting the hold it has on the unmovable rock.
One can learn from this tree that finds itself so close to falling, so close to going over the edge, from becoming firewood. Burnt up and consumed, yet today, it stands tall. If we trust our “Rock and salvation” we too could stand tall no matter what storms may come.
Admire this flower. It bloomed and grew despite not being in a beautiful garden. It has no dedicated gardener to provide daily watering, plant food, or bend down and remove any weeds that may try to enter its territory. Yet it survives and fragrances the environment around it with a sweet smell.
Maybe you’re not currently living in a garden, and maybe you struggle to have your basic needs met. Take a lesson from this flower; bloom, grow and be a pleasant odor in your world.
With God’s help, you can grow and survive despite your past, or present situation. Regardless if you have a lot or a little. Make it part of your mind to be an overcomer. Set it in your heart and mind despite what may be today.
Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. James 1:2-4 (MSG)
brady, mark a. 