A Life that Understands When to and When Not to Give

If Eve had first given herself to the Lord then she would not have given the forbidden fruit to Adam. Eve was deceived because her priorities were not in order. A girl will always give the wrong thing to a guy if she does not first give herself to the Lord. She may give her heart to a guy before the time to do so or she may give her body to a guy before the appropriate time because she has not first given her heart and body to the Lord. If she does either then she will be hurt. It is not “if she will be hurt” but it is “when she will be hurt” because she has not walked in God’s ways. The Lord says that “Blessed is the person who fears the Lord and walks in His ways”. Fear the Lord means that a person respects the Lord and what He says and does it. Walking in His ways means that a person will walk through life according to how the Lord tells us to walk. The Lord teaches us His ways because He does not want us to get hurt. When we are stubborn and think that we know better then God then we will always get hurt. When we do not listen to the Lord but we listen to others then we will be hurt. The Lord has no hidden agenda. The Lord loves each person and wants the best for them. He knows how to do life because He is the author and creator of life. If you want to do life right and be happy then you must follow what He says.

And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. I Timothy 2:14

Eve was deceived because she listened to the devil and did not remember what the Lord said and “it sounded good”. She reasoned within her heart. She listened to a lie and she responded to a lie and did what was wrong. She brought destruction to herself. Doing right is like swimming upstream. It will not just happen. You must be pro-active. You must set your heart to do what is right and then go about doing what is necessary to fulfill what is right.

Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding; Proverbs 2:2

Understand that if you give your heart and body to the Lord and seek to walk in His ways that He will guard your heart and your body until the time is right for you to give it to your husband on your wedding day. The Lord loves you and He does not want to see you get hurt. Trust Him with what is most precious to you. The Lord will Himself put pressure on your husband to treat you right and the Lord will deal with your husband severely if he does not treat you right. Let the Lord be the One whom you trust first and foremost of all.

for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. II Timothy 1:12b

Just because a female offers a man something it does not mean that he should take it. If he loves himself and if he loves her then he will not take what is not his to take. He is sinning just as Adam sinned when he took what he knew that he should not take from Eve. Women are easily deceived and might think that something might be good to give but the man is not deceived. He knows that it is wrong. The Lord will judge him. The woman is doing wrong also and she will be judged by the Lord as well, but often the outcome will be bitterness toward men or bitterness towards her husband. Either for the man or for the woman it is not good to give or take physically before marriage and both are sowing the seeds of discontent and trouble in their marriages, whether they marry each other or each marry someone else.

A Life that Is Powerful

Jesus Christ led the most powerful life of all because His life and death changed the world. What makes a life powerful or in other words, full of power? Power comes from giving up our “own” power and submitting to the One who has all power. As Christians, we have no power of our own to do good. We can do nothing apart from Him.

John 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

However, in Christ we can do all things.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Only God is good and so the only good that we can do is through His power. However, His power is all we need to change the world.

Mark 10:18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.

All power belongs to the Lord and He has given us the opportunity to be His power for good and to change the world just as the world has been changed through Him for many generations.

Matthew 6:13b For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’

There is none like the Lord. He is great and He is the Almighty One.

Jeremiah 10:6 There is none like You, O Lord;
You are great, and great is Your name in might.

A life of power for good is filled with the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. These are the two sources of power that the Lord has given us. Out of our innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.

John 7:38,39a He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive;

Jesus has power and Jesus is life. All authority and power is His. When we receive Jesus Christ then He gives us the power to live the Christian life and to keep His commandments.

Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

The Word of God is the power. We have no power in our words or opinions. Jesus Christ has called us to share His Words with the world and it is the power of His Words that changes the world.

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

The gospel is the answer to the needs of all mankind. Once people hear and receive the Gospel then their lives are changed for the good and the goodness of the Lord starts to influence all those around them. Even if it is a small light then it still can light up the darkness. Once there is the light of the Gospel somewhere then it starts to spread to others until the entire area is on fire for the Lord. It only takes a spark to get a fire going. People are drawn to the light.

Isaiah 56:8b “Yet others I will gather to them, to those already gathered.”

 

 

 

A Life that Understands the Need to Know the Truth

Understanding What Causes Wrong Responses

The Lord made women to be responders. If a woman responds to a lie then her response will be wrong every time. When she listens to lies, not only will her response be wrong but she will find herself confused. The Lord is not a “God of confusion”. God is a God of truth and “He is the Truth”. There is not much in the world today that is truth so a woman must seek out truth. When she learns truth then she will be able to identify lies. Most lies are the truth that has been distorted or tweaked. They are counterfeit “truths” and not truth at all but “look” like the truth and may “sound” like the truth. They may seem to make sense at first but the end is destruction. Satan is a liar and the father of lies. His plan for all people is destruction. Satan is a destroyer. He wants to destroy you and any love relationship that you have the opportunity to have. Satan wants to destroy marriages and families. He wants to destroy children. Often at first, the devil will “question” the truth to put doubts in people. The devil wants people to doubt God’s great love.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” Genesis 3:1

Understand the Need to Know and Listen to the Truth

Eve should never have engaged in conversation with the devil. If you talk to a liar then you will be lied to every time. If a person will lie then they will be unfaithful. Never be friends with a liar and if a man is a liar have nothing to do with him. Love is trust and you will never be able to trust him. God’s Word is truth. You must know God’s Word with all of your heart. God’s Word is what will teach you the truth in every area of life. God’s Word will keep you from getting hurt. God’s Word is life. Read God’s Word every day and memorize verses. Get a friend to help you. Eve added to God’s Word and Satan was able to take advantage of her error. Do not add to God’s Word and do not take from it. The Bible says, “wise men store up knowledge”. Even if you do not understand it then ask God for understanding.

The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:2-5

Understand that the choice is your choice also, whether you will choose God and His truth or choose Satan and his lies. One choice leads to life and the other choice leads to death. Adam and Eve chose Satan over God. They chose to listen to the lies of the devil rather than the truth of God. They died. God does not lie. Do not lean on your own understanding. The tree, that God had forbidden them to eat of, looked good to Eve, but it was the snare of death. She brought death to herself and death to Adam. She exchanged happiness for sorrow and sadness. She exchanged peace and security for fear and anxiety. Happiness does not “just happen to those who are lucky” but happiness in life comes from making the right choices. There is only one right choice to make and that is to live God’s way, for His way is a way of life, peace and love. Many a woman has brought destruction to her own life, home and family because she trusted in herself rather than in God.

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” Genesis 3:6-10

Adam and Eve became afraid because they had done wrong and hid themselves from God and His love. We make our choices and our choices make us. Make sure you make the right choice in life. Your happiness and love will depend on it.

A Life of a Witness

The Lord has given to His people one of the greatest privileges known to man and that is to be a witness of God’s faithfulness and lovingkindness to the world. God’s people are to let the world know how incredible loving, faithful, powerful and all knowing our Almighty God is. There is none like Him and those who know Him are His witnesses.

Isaiah 43:10 “You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“And My servant whom I have chosen,
So that you may know and believe Me
And understand that I am He.
Before Me there was no God formed,
And there will be none after Me.

There is none to compare with Him and when we know and believe and understand that He is God and there is no other then we can not keep it to ourselves. It is the greatest privilege to share with everyone and we will never tire of talking and praising Him. However, only those who know and believe and understand Him can witness who He is. He makes it very clear what our role is and who He is. He is God and we are witnesses.

Isaiah 43:11,12 “I, even I, am the Lord,
And there is no savior besides Me.
“It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed,
And there was no strange god among you;
So you are My witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“And I am God.

You will never understand who the Lord is and it may seem foolishness to you until you know Him. When you know Him then you can believe Him and when you learn to live by faith then you will understand Him.

Genesis 15:6 Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.

We don’t see Him but we believe in Him and through faith we come to know Him and the outcome of our faith is the salvation of our souls.

I Peter 1:7-9 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

Those who refuse to believe in God will never see Him and will never come to know Him. They do not believe in Him because they refuse to listen to His Word.

II Kings 17:14 However, they did not listen, but stiffened their neck like their fathers, who did not believe in the Lord their God.

Faith comes from hearing the Word of God. Our hearts are hardened because of our stubbornness, but the Word of God softens and quickens our heart so that we might believe.

Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

When you are a witness of who the Lord Jesus Christ is, that He is God, there is another witness that also confirms this fact. You are not alone. Although you can not see this witness, His testimony is true.

John 15:26 “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

The Lord has sent the Holy Spirit to witness also so that by the testimony of two witnesses every fact is confirmed.

II Corinthians 13:1b Every fact is to be confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

This is one of the reasons that it is important that God’s people are faithful witnesses because His Spirit is also working in the hearts of the nonbelievers and is testifying that what you are saying is true. Be faithful to the end and you will see a reward.

Revelation 1:5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood—

Jesus Christ has gone before us and was faithful to the end, which was death on the cross, but the Father, who was faithful raised Him up from the dead and Jesus now sits at the right hand of God. Those who have gone before us are watching us from heaven. Run with endurance the race that the Lord has set before you so that one day you will join the faithful cloud of witnesses.

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

 

 

 

A Life that Understands Importance of A Pure Heart

Understanding What It Means to Have A Pure Heart

The Bible says that God looks on the heart but man looks on the outward appearance. If we could see everyone’s heart then none of us would be desirable because all of our hearts need purifying. However, the Lord, who made us can see the truth in us and can also cleanse our heart. We need to have a pure heart. There is something very refreshing about a person with a pure heart. When a person does not have a pure heart then the Bible says that they are double minded. They are not sure what they want and they are very hard to please. The word “integrity” means that there is oneness within the person. There soul and spirit is integrated into one. A person with a pure heart is a person of integrity. When Jesus Christ comes and lives within a person then He gives them a new heart and He begins to transform them into a person of integrity. A person of integrity can be trusted. They have no hidden agenda. A person with a pure heart will always point you upward in the right direction and will cause others to want to be pure. They will raise the standard wherever they go and often will not even be aware of it. A man that finds a wife with a pure heart will always be blessed. She will be faithful to him and do him good all the days of her life.

                Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26

Understanding How to Get a Pure Heart

A wife who has a pure heart is more precious than jewels to her husband and if he is wise then he will value her greatly. However, only the Lord can purify our heart. It does not matter what you have done in the past. A pure heart is not necessarily an innocent heart. A pure heart is a new heart that the Lord gives to all who come to Him in humility and whoever will call on Him to cleanse them and purify them. He can and wants to restore your purity. Ask Him to cleanse your heart. Read His Word and you will find that His Words are pure and they will cleanse your heart. If you had a dirty hand and you were to put your hand under a spigot of flowing water then the dirt would be dislodged and your hand would be cleansed. The Word has cleansing power. Read God’s Word every day and keep reading it and do what He says. If there is something to give thanks to Him about then give Him thanks. If there is something to confess then confess to Him what you have done wrong. He loves you and will cleanse you and give you a pure heart.

You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. John 15:3

The best preparation for a relationship and marriage is to become the person that God designed you to be. The way that happens is by spending time with the Lord and allowing His Word to transform you. He will give you very much and the only things that He will take away are the things that would hurt you. Next to spending time with the Lord is spending time with friends who will point you to the Lord. Ask the Lord for friends with a pure heart. You will know when you meet someone with a pure heart because their heart will reflect your heart and you will not be deceived (for the heart is more deceitful than all else) but will see how dirty your heart is. Our tendency is to think that we are doing okay but that happens when we are around people who do not have a pure heart. One of the first steps to a pure heart is to acknowledge that our heart is not pure. All of our hearts need cleansing. It is sweet when we have no ulterior motive with others but we can love them with a pure love. That is the kind of love that makes a marriage great because it is God’s kind of love.

As in water face reflects face, So the heart of man reflects man. Proverbs 27:19

A Life that Abides in God

If you really want to soar in life then you must learn to abide in the Lord and let His Words abide in you. This is the way of the victorious Christian life. There are no shortcuts and once you learn to abide in Him then you will want nothing else than to live in His presence.

John 15:4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.

We can do nothing apart from Him and when we learn to abide in Him then we realize that He is the One who does the work while we rest in His power, faithfulness and love. Our striving to be fruitful is futile apart from abiding in Him.

John 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

This is a very simple truth. Abide means to live in. Your abode is where your home is. When you abide in the Lord then you make your home in His Word and His Words make their home in you. When you talk about His Words it will be as easy as telling someone about the things in your home. Since you see them everyday they are not strange objects to you so, in the same way the Lord’s Word will become as familiar to you as the objects in your home. When you share His Word with others then you will feel right at home and you will forget your fears and shyness. It will become the joy of your heart.

Jeremiah 15:16 Your words were found and I ate them,
And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart;
For I have been called by Your name,
O Lord God of hosts.

You will find that as you abide in the and before the Lord then lovingkindness and truth will preserve you forever.

Psalm 61:7 He will abide before God forever;
Appoint lovingkindness and truth that they may preserve him.

You will also see that you have an incredible promise of answered prayers when you learn to abide in Him and His Words abide in you.

John 15:7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

You may wonder how do you learn to abide in Him and His Words abide in you. Begin by putting His Words in your heart and having them live there. At first it may seem hard but it is as simple as eating food. It is a skill that you learn how to do and then you will find yourself doing it often just as you eat food on a regular basis. Memorize the Words of Scripture so that they stay in your heart and then think about and pray over them. This will become almost second nature to you and will bring you much joy and strength as you learn to rely on His Words rather than your own understanding. Then do what His Word says to do. As you learn to follow His instruction through His Word then you will abide in His love.

John 15:9-11 Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

As you learn to abide in Him and His Words abide in you and then you keep His commandments then you will abide in His love and your joy will be made full. Your cup will truly overflow. There is nothing in all this world as sweet as living in His love and it being a reality in your life. Your life will be an abundant life, overflowing and filled with much joy. This is the life that He came to give you.

John 10:10b I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

 

 

A Life Understanding How to Know the One for You

Understand How to Recognize the Man Who Is for You

“How do I know if someone is the one for me?” is a common question. That question is asked usually before a person meets the one for them because most people “know” when they meet the one for them. Before you meet the “one” for you, you will probably meet many who you will know are not the one for you. You and your future mate will be a good fit for one another. The man will be the initiator and the woman will be the responder. The man must take responsibility for the relationship and be the leader. Every woman longs for a man to be a leader but she must be willing to follow the man who will be the head of their home. If she does not respect the man and is not willing to follow the man then he is not the one for her. A woman must learn to be patient and wait for the man to initiate.

Understand The Importance of Trusting the Lord

The Lord tells us not to lean on our own understanding. We often think that there are certain things that we want in a man but most of what we think is important before marriage is not what matters as much after marriage. How a man treats his wife is the highest after marriage and how good looking he is goes down the list. Trust in the Lord with all of your heart. Go to Scripture and research what the Lord says about a loving and kind man who would be a good husband. Unless someone has received God’s unconditional love then they will never be able to love someone else with an unconditional love. The greatest need of a wife is to be loved.

I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him. Ecclesiastes 3:14

You will know when you meet the man for you because there will be nothing to add to him and nothing to take from him. It will not mean that he is perfect but it will mean that you will not say, “I really like him but…”. If there are any “buts” then whatever it is that makes you hesitant will come back to bother you later. Also, does your father like him and want you to marry him? A father can see aspects of a man that a young woman can not see. Do not marry a man if you have doubts. Wait. It is too big of a decision to go into with doubts.

A Life that Is Healed

We all need healing whether it is physical healing or emotional healing or healing in our relationships. We have all been bruised and the older we get the more bruises and battering we will get from life. What a comfort if we know the Great Healer who has great compassion on the broken and hurting. He is kind and He is gentle.

Isaiah 42:3a A bruised reed He will not break
And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish;

The Lord is the Great Healer and He wants to heal you of your broken heart and your bruised soul.

Exodus 15:26 And He said, “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the Lord, am your healer.”

When He brings healing to you then you will be filled with joy but first you must fear the Lord so that nothing worse may befall you if you caused the grief through not walking in His ways. The Lord will come to you with healing in His wings. Jesus is the sun of righteousness.

Malachi 4:2 But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.

Jesus went about healing when He walked on earth. He is God and has the power to heal.

Matthew 9:35 Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

He came to the sick and to those who realized that they needed healing.

Matthew 9:12 But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.

Are you broken and bruised? Has your heart been crushed? Do you need healing? Come to Jesus. When you admit your need for Him then you will see Him and experience His healing power.

Matthew 13:15 For the heart of this people has become dull, With their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes, Otherwise they would see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I would heal them.’

The Lord is closer to you than you realize. He is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalm 34:18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Sometimes the healing of the Lord will come through someone that He has called to pray for you.

James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

Sometimes we need healing because of our own sin and sometimes we need healing because of the sins of others. Sometimes we need healing because God has allowed something for His glory. Sometimes we may want healing but it does not come because the Lord has appointed something greater for us. Sometimes the healing is physical and sometimes it is our soul that needs healing. He went to the cross for our healing.

I Peter 2:24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.

Whatever it is and whatever you need, come to the feet of Jesus and lay it before Him. He cares for you. If He wants to heal He will and can but either way He will come to you if you will call upon Him.

I Peter 5:6-11 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.

The Lord wants you to prosper and He wants you to prosper in your spirit, soul and body.

III John 1:2 Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.

 

 

 

 

A Life with a Savior

There is no sweeter knowledge than to know without a doubt that you have a Savior who cares for you and will save you from downfalls, danger, destruction, distresses and depression. He came to save you and to be your Savior forever.

Matthew 1:21  She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.

Some of the first words that were spoken of Jesus Christ is that He would be a Savior and that He would save His people from their sins. Your failings or downfalls are your sins. They are how you have failed yourself, others and God. We have all sinned and failed in one way or another. We all need a Savior.

I Timothy 4:10 For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.

However, before He can become our Savior He must become our Lord so that we can become one of His people. The Bible says that Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Our original sin of wanting to be our own God must first be repented and forgiven and then He will save us from our many sins that destroy us. We need to come to the place in our life that we surrender control to Him. The original sin deceived us and we thought that we could control our life. We can not and will only make a mess. We need a Lord.

Romans 10:9-13 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Whoever will call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved and receive not only a Lord but a Savior. When you receive Him as your Lord and Savior then He also becomes your Shepherd.

Matthew 9:36 Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.

Distressed is another word for being stressed out and dispirited means that they were depressed. When you have the Good Shepherd then He will have compassion on you and save you from what distresses you and will life you out of your depression.

John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

The thief, which is the devil, comes only to steal, kill and destroy you. He will bring destruction to your life, your marriage, your family and your children but the Lord Jesus Christ, if He is your Savior then you will be an overcomer of these destructions through Jesus Christ.

I John 5:18 We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.

Nothing and no one can touch you that does not first come through your Savior if you have been born again. The Lord will keep you and the evil one does not touch you, if Jesus Christ is your Savior.

I John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

Have you believed yet in the Lord Jesus Christ? Have you surrendered your life to Him so that He might be in control? If you have already done this then are you living as if you don’t have a Shepherd and allowing life to stress you out and depress you? Trust Him today. He is the Lord of lords, the God of gods and Savior of the world. He is the Good Shepherd and He wants to love you and lead you in His way which is good. He will never leave you or forsake you.

 

 

 

A Life with a Great Marriage

You may not be married but if you want to get married one day then now is the time to be preparing for a great marriage. You may wonder how to prepare for a great marriage and if it is God’s will for you to even get married. It is God’s will for most young ladies to get married and it is God’s will that you have a great marriage. A wise woman starts building a great marriage before she gets married.

Proverbs 14:1 The wise woman builds her house,
But the foolish tears it down with her own hands.

It is by God’s wisdom that a great marriage is built. He is the Master Builder and when we build according to His plans the marriage will be great and it will stand during the storms of life. Many marriages are not built on the right foundation and so when the storms come they do not stand but fall and great is the fall with much pain to all.

Proverbs 23:3,4 By wisdom a house is built,
And by understanding it is established;
And by knowledge the rooms are filled
With all precious and pleasant riches.

By wisdom a great marriage is built and by understanding it is established and by the knowledge of the Lord the days and years will be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. Now is the time to prepare. Now is the time to get ready.

Proverbs 24:27 Prepare your work outside
And make it ready for yourself in the field;
Afterwards, then, build your house.

Since the Lord Jesus Christ is the Master Builder then He needs to be your Master or otherwise you will think that you know how to prepare and what to do. A great marriage begins with the Master Builder being your Master and you following His blueprint. His blueprint is His plans and instruction for life and marriage. Since he designed marriage then He knows what you need to do.

Luke 6:46-49 Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”

You must first learn what an excellent wife is and then you will have a picture of what you want to become. First of all, an excellent wife is a woman of great worth. She will be one that a man is willing to work for so that he might receive her as his own wife. This is important because a man appreciates what he works for and will cherish the woman for whom he had to work.

Proverbs 31:10 An excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far above jewels.

An excellent wife is a crown of her husband. A man wears his crown proudly, in a good way and it gives him the courage and strength to rule and succeed in the world. A wife who would shame him is as rottenness in his bones. The marrow of the bone is where the blood is made in the body and healthy blood means a healthy man. A wife who shames her husband cause the life to go out of him.

Proverbs 12:4 An excellent wife is the crown of her husband,
But she who shames him is like rottenness in his bones.

This is also important because a man has a tendency to fight with his conscience so if a wife is her husband’s conscience then there will not be harmony in the home but much contention. He would rather not go home at all and if he does then he would rather live in the attic.

Proverbs 25:24 It is better to live in a corner of the roof
Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.

Are you contentious and argumentative? Do you have to be right? Do you have to get the last word in? Do you feel like men “don’t get it”? Or do you believe that once you get married then you can change your husband? It would be better for you not to marry until these issues can be changed in your life. We can not change ourselves but the Lord can change us. He wants to change us and make us into that woman who fears the Lord and who will be a delight to our husbands. Life is sweet when it is done God’s way and this definitely applies to marriage. Begin now to prepare for a great marriage. It will be worth it. Your children will rise up and bless you and your husband also.

Proverbs 31:28-30 Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
“Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.”
Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.