A Life that Understands Who Rules Your Husband

Understanding that Every Man Has One Who Is His Ruler

No man is a law unto himself but every man has One over him who is his head and rules him. The sooner a man recognizes who his Ruler is and submits himself to his Ruler’s laws then the happier he will be. The Lord made every man to be a king but the Lord says that He is the Ruler of the kings of the earth. No matter how much honor, position, rank and authority that a man is given in this life there is still One who rules over him and is his authority. The Lord Jesus Christ is Ruler over every man and He is the head of every family. Someone may well ask, “What if the man does not recognize the Lord Jesus Christ as his authority and ruler?” The answer to that question is that Jesus Christ is the Head of every man and home and whether a man or husband recognizes the Lordship, authority and rule of Jesus Christ, it does not change the fact that Jesus Christ is Lord of all. A man will be miserable and have sorrow in one form or another if he does not submit to Jesus Christ. He will have even greater misery if he mistreats his wife or his children. If a wife or child has put their trust in Jesus Christ and is being mistreated by their husband or father and cries out to the Lord Jesus Christ then the Lord will come and protect them. The Lord is ultimately the One whom we trust and He is very effective in dealing with an unruly husband or father. A wife who trusts in the Lord can submit to her husband because God is greater than her husband and promises to exercise His power in dealing with her husband if her husband does not love her and live with her in an understanding manner.

Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, Ephesians 5:22-25

But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. I Corinthians 11:3

Understanding What Both Husband and Wife Need to Do

There is an order of authority in the home. It is for our protection and provision. A person under authority can always go to the one who is their authority for protection and provision. With authority comes responsibility. The higher the authority then the greater the responsibility. The Lord is the final authority of which we are all under. However, His provision comes through the one whom He has given the responsibility to. Jesus loved His own who were in the world and He loved them to the end. The Lord has called the husband to love his wife in a sacrificial expression of love. This means that he is to die to himself and his desires in order to love his wife the way she needs to be loved. He is to live with her in an understanding manner. The Lord meets the one who wants to do life right and the Lord will teach the husband how to love his wife and when he becomes a father then the Lord will teach him how to love his children. In a similar way, a woman is to look to the Lord and He will teach her how, as a wife, she is to respect her husband and submit to him and as a mother, how she is to love her children. This is much easier to do if her husband loves her. The greatest thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother with a Christlike love. The greatest thing a mother can do for her children is to respect and honor their father. When children grow up in a loving home where the parents love the Lord and love each other then the children will learn to love and respect others also. The children will feel loved because when parents love each other then they will love their children. A person’s relationship with their spouse is an expression of their relationship with the Lord. Do not say that you love God if you do not love your spouse and your children.

If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. I John 4:20

If you want to see the Lord act on your behalf then you must do what He says. He will protect you and He will very severely deal with your husband if he is not treating you right. If you are under God’s authority, which means, that you must live under your husband’s authority and submit to him then the Lord will act on your behalf. The Lord says that He will not hear a man’s prayers if the man does not love his wife and treat her right. The Lord says that He will not accept the husband’s worship if he mistreats his wife. The Lord says that if a man does not provide for his family then he is worse than an unbeliever, who will spend eternity in hell. The Lord says that there are some serious consequences for the husband and father who does fulfill his God given responsibilities. However, the wife and the children will not see God’s love unless they are doing what they ought to be doing. The Lord is the head of every man and the husband is the head of his wife and children. The wife needs to submit to the husband and the children need to obey their father. When they are submissive and obedient to the Lord then they need to cry out to the Lord if there is anything wrong. He will hear their cries to Him and answer them.

For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands; just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear. You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered. I Peter 3:5-7

“This is another thing you do: you cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and with groaning, because He no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. Yet you say, ‘For what reason?’ Because the Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Malachi 2:13-14

A Life that Has a Refuge

A refuge is a safe place. We all need a refuge. The Lord has a refuge for the Christian lady where she will always be safe. It is very important for a young lady to understand this truth. The Bible says that the Lord keeps us and the devil can not touch us.

I John 5:18 He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.

If a young Christian lady is any danger it is very important that she runs to the Lord. She must speak the name of Jesus Christ in her situation. People have to block out God in order to do evil.

Proverbs 18:10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe.

Pour out your heart to the Lord. He will come to you. Seek refuge in Him.

Psalm 62:8 Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.

He will be a shield to all who take refuge in Him. Don’t go where you should not go but if you find yourself being attacked in your thought life or by the accusations of others then go to the Lord and call on His name. He will help you and be a shield for you to extinguish the fiery darts of the evil one. If you are in physical danger He will be a shield for you. Nothing can touch you unless it first comes through Him.

Psalm 37:40 The Lord helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, Because they take refuge in Him.

He is a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.

There are many verses in the Bible about the Lord being a refuge for the Christian. However, unless we believe them they do not help us.

Hebrews 4:2 For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.

If we take His Word and believe what He says then we will possess His promises. They will become ours and we will have faith, hope and courage.

Hebrews 6:18 so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.

The book of Hebrews was written to the Christians whose homes had been taken from them and they had to flee Rome during the times of the early church. They were able to persevere under very trying circumstances only because they put their hope in Him.

James 1:12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

We are not to shrink back in the day of trial but we are to take refuge in Him and persevere so that we shall not be ashamed. It is the little trials that prepare us for the bigger trials. The Lord is a present help in time of trouble but you must call on Him.

Hebrews 10:37-39 For yet in a very little while,
He who is coming will come, and will not delay.
But My righteous one shall live by faith;
And if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him.

But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.

Faith is taking refuge in Him and believing what He says is true. When our faith is strong then our courage is strong and we are able to persevere. Discouragement means that we have lost our courage. The Lord says to be strong and courageous. He is coming again and His reward is with Him and for all who were faithful.

 

A Life that Understands that Your Husband is a King

Understanding God’s Design for a Man to Be a King

The Lord made every man to be a king. A king is a ruler and God made men to conquer and rule. A man needs a queen to share in his kingdom. The most important decision that a man makes, other than where he will spend eternity, is who will be his queen. An excellent wife is the crown of her husband. If he chooses an excellent wife then he will have far more advantages in life to conquer and rule. An excellent wife will be a wife that he can trust. She will only do him good and will not cause him grief. She will have his best interests in her mind and do what is right. She will give him honor. An excellent wife will not seek to get her own way but she will seek to do her husband’s will. She will not manipulate him or keep secrets from him, such as, how she spends money, where she goes and who she talks to. She will not talk about his struggles, weaknesses or faults with other women (not even with her mother). She will not correspond with other men. Her husband will be able to trust her completely and he will be able to delegate responsibilities to her. He will listen to her advice for she will have his best interests at heart and not have ulterior self-seeking motives. She will understand that a children’s glory is their father and she will teach their children to honor their father and she will not ever criticize him to their children. She will not ever say, “don’t tell your father”. If there is a question as to what to do, then she will say, “let us ask your father” and if he is not available then she will know her husband well enough to know what he would want them to do. An excellent wife will recognize her husband’s right to rule.

An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, Proverbs 12:4

Understanding How a Man Becomes a King

A man first learns to rule well by ruling his wife. This is not a bad thing but it is a good thing because it is her protection. She was deceived in the garden by the Serpent’s beauty and charm. She is still easily deceived. God made husband and wife to be joint rulers and she is also a ruler but her husband rules over her. God rules over the husband. If she will trust God then she can learn to trust God through her husband. The Lord will protect her from harm if she will trust the Lord. The Lord’s provision for protection for females is first their father and then their husband. They must stay under their God given authority. If they get out from or go against their God given authority then it is only a matter of time before they will be violated. After a man rules his wife then he rules his children. An excellent wife helps him to be king in their home. She teaches her children to obey their father, not only through her words, but through her example. When a man rules well in his household then he believes he can conquer in the world. He can face each day with confidence.

To the woman He said,
“I will greatly multiply
Your pain in childbirth,
In pain you will bring forth children;
Yet your desire will be for your husband,
And he will rule over you.” Genesis 3:16

Men are very different from women, not only physically, but psychologically. When a man is pleased with a woman then he will give up to half of his kingdom. He wants a queen who will share in his glory. He is looking for a trustworthy woman to love and one whom can give himself to and all that he has. If you become that excellent wife then you will have no regrets. Your husband and children will praise you and your works will praise you also. You will be a success and your husband will be a success also.

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.
Give her the product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates. Proverbs 31:28-31

A Life that Recognizes Mr. Right

A young lady will often wonder how she will know when she meets the one for her. There are three M’s in a young person’s life. They must go in a certain order. Master, mission and mate. For a young man they must go in that order but for a young lady she must choose who her master will be and then the mission and mate will go together. There is only One who is the Lord of lords and if she chooses the Lord Jesus Christ to be her Master then He will choose all of the other decisions for her and they will be the right decisions…so the man that she marries will be Mr. Right for her. His mission will become her mission so her mate and mission will go together.

Genesis 2:18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”

The word suitable in this verse means literally “corresponding to”. Cor means heart and respond means that she will first respond to His heart, which is his spirit and soul. Her spirit will respond to his spirit and her soul will respond to his soul. The physical is secondary and will happen in the marriage. The Lord made the female to be a responder and not an initiator in her relationship with a young man. She must learn how to respond to his heart. One of the ways that you will know that you have met the one for you is, “do you respond to his heart?” It is crucial that there is no physical relationship at this point because the physical deceives us and we can not see clearly. If you are a Christian, then he must have a heart for the Lord.

II Corinthians 6:14 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?

Next, is he a committed Christian? You will want a committed Christian. Only a committed Christian can love with the love of Christ. Utmost importance to you will be if you are loved.

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,

Does your father approve of the young man? Your father is the one who gives you to the young man to cherish, provide and protect. A young lady is never on her own. She goes from the authority of her father to the authority of her husband. Just because something is legal in the laws of the land it does not make it right. In the Lord, you are under your father’s authority until you get married. What if your father is not a Christian? It does not matter. He is your father and the Lord has commanded you to honor him. What if you do not have a father? Then the Lord says He will be a father to the fatherless.

I Corinthians 7:38 So then both he who gives his own virgin daughter in marriage does well, and he who does not give her in marriage will do better.

As you go in the direction of God’s will, it will become clearer and clearer.

Proverbs 4:18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until the full day.

The young man may be the right one but it is not the right timing. If you have doubts about either then wait on the Lord.

Ecclesiastes 3:14 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.

The Lord wants His peace to rule in your heart. He wants you to know His will. Seek Him and ask Him to give you wisdom.

James 1:5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

Learn to pray about everything. You will need to do this in your marriage so the sooner you learn to pray about everything then the smoother your life will be.

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

The peace of God will be with you when you learn to let your requests be made known to the Lord and the God of peace will be with you when you learn to focus on Jesus Christ, for He alone is true, worthy of honor, righteous, pure, lovely, of good repute, excellent and worthy of praise.

Philippians 4:8,9 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Someone once said that if you walk around with your eyes on the Lord then you will bump into the one for you. Keep your focus on Him. He can bring the two of you together.

 

 

 

A Life that Understands the Need to Be Wise

Understand the Source of Wisdom

The Bible says that if a person is wise then they will experience the wonderful and sweet fruit of wisdom, which is love, purity, peace, gentleness, mercy, knowledge, honor, riches and life. However, if a person is not wise then they will experience the bitter fruit of not being wise, which is a broken heart, jealousy, envy, much grief, regret, guilt, shame, loneliness, bitterness, ignorance, a hard life, dishonor and death. There is nothing that can compare to wisdom. Wisdom gives life to life and keeps a person from experiencing the snares of death. Wisdom is available to all and whoever finds it loves his own soul. He who does not find wisdom neglects himself and brings grief to himself. Wisdom is more valuable than riches, honor, and power, for without wisdom all of these other things can destroy a person. A person may gain the whole world but without wisdom then he will never be satisfied and will only want more. Wisdom is a gift that comes from God. A person who is not a Christian can read God’s Word, which is the Bible, and receive knowledge but not wisdom. Wisdom is the illumination of knowledge to know what to do for a desired good result. Many people want wisdom without God but wisdom only comes from God. A nonChristian can only have knowledge and knowledge usually makes arrogant. It is when we humble ourselves before God that He will give us wisdom. Wisdom is necessary for true success. The success of the world will ultimately destroy a person if he does not get wisdom. It is only the Lord that gives riches, honor, power, etc. without sorrow.

Blessed is a person who finds wisdom,
And one who obtains understanding.
For her profit is better than the profit of silver,
And her produce better than gold.
She is more precious than jewels,
And nothing you desire compares with her.
Long life is in her right hand;
In her left hand are riches and honor.
Her ways are pleasant ways,
And all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are those who hold on to her. Proverbs 3:13-18

Understand that Wisdom Is the Instruction for Life

Wisdom belongs to the Lord, who is the author of life. Wisdom is how to live life right so that you will be successful and experience great joy and gladness. Wisdom is protection from pain and wisdom is instruction on how to gain what is good. Most people ultimately learn wisdom from either experiencing the pain that comes from not doing wisdom or they experience the happiness that comes from doing wisdom. Wisdom is how to do life right. We recognize when life is done right but often we do not know how to do it for ourselves. We can see if someone has a good marriage but often we don’t know what to do to have a good marriage. We can see if another’s children are excelling in life but often we struggle with getting our child to do well. Wisdom is not elusive to the one who seeks God. The one who does not seek the Lord will not ever find wisdom. He may find knowledge but he will not receive wisdom. He will only know the pain in his heart of not doing wisdom. Wisdom belongs to the Lord and He gives it to those who know Him. The knowledge of God is understanding and the one who has understanding will also have wisdom.

Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding, But in the heart of fools it is made known. Proverbs 14:33

If you will only ask the Lord for wisdom then He will give it to you. It is one of the few promises that the Lord gives to all, to whoever will ask Him for wisdom, that He will give it and give it generously. The Lord wants to help you. The Lord loves you. He is waiting for us to come to Him. If you are struggling in an area then go to Him and ask Him for wisdom.

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1:5

Get wisdom. Humble yourself before the Lord and acknowledge Jesus Christ as the source of true wisdom. You will be glad. Scoffing is turning our back on the Lord and on His ways. When we act according to our understanding or the bad counsel of others then we are the ones who suffer. God does not delight in your pain but He delights in the one who comes to Him, even if it is to avoid pain. Taste and see that the Lord is good. It is the kindness of God that leads us to repent of following our own thoughts and wanting to go our own ways. He loves you and His ways are good and kind.

If you are wise, you are wise for yourself, And if you scoff, you alone will bear it. Proverbs 9:12

A Life that Lives Above Circumstances

There is a promise in the Bible that is an amazing promise and it is one that says if you do a certain thing then you will ride on the heights of the earth. This means that you will live above the circumstances of every day life. However, as with many of His promises, there is a condition. What does the Lord require of you to live this incredible life?

Isaiah 58:13,14 “If because of the sabbath, you turn your foot
From doing your own pleasure on My holy day,
And call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable,
And honor it, desisting from your own ways,
From seeking your own pleasure
And speaking your own word,
Then you will take delight in the Lord,
And I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;
And I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

The Lord established the Sabbath commandment at the beginning of creation when the Lord Himself rested on the seventh day of the week. Was He tired? No, the Bible says that the Lord God does not get tired.

Isaiah 40:28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable.

The Lord was setting the pattern for work and for life by His example. He does not only teach us but He shows us how to live life. He gave us a day of rest because He is good. He did not make man for the Sabbath but the Sabbath for man.

Mark 2:27 Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.

Often people will say that they wish they had a day where they did not have to do anything. He has given us a day every week to rest and become refreshed in our relationship with Him. It is not “family day” or a day that we can do things we want to do and because we enjoy them then it is not considered work. No, rather He makes it very clear that we are not to do our own pleasure or live life our way. We are not to seek our own pleasure or speak our own words but we are to honor Him by honoring His holy day. He says that if we do this then we will ride on the heights of the earth.  Holy means that it is set a part for Him.

Revelation 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day,

This is the Apostle John speaking. Since Jesus Christ rose again from the dead on Sunday, the first day of the week, Sunday became the Sabbath day for the Christians after the resurrection. Sunday became the day that was set a part from the other days of the week so that they might get together and worship the Lord and rest.

Deuteronomy 5:12-14 ‘Observe the sabbath day to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant or your ox or your donkey or any of your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you, so that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.

The Lord considered the setting aside one day a week and not doing any work so important that He made it one of the Ten commandments. You will find that if you will keep this commandment then the quality of your life will become much better and you will also “take delight in the Lord”, as He promises.

Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.

One of the beautiful characteristics of the Lord is that He does not make you do anything. You don’t have to obey any of His commandments. However, because He is so incredibly good He promises a reward if we delight ourselves in Him. He will give us the desires of our heart.

 

 

 

 

A Life that is Revived

Sometimes it feels like “life” has been drained from us rather than feeling like our life is overflowing. How can our life be revived? How can we live life to the fullest rather than living a life that is drained and feeling weary emotionally and physically. Depression and anxiety weighs a person down and drains them of the little energy that they feel that they have. When one is depressed then everything in life seems difficult. Anxiety can also paralyze a person and that brings on further depression and stresses. How can a person live life without being “distressed” or “stressed out” or “depressed” or “down in their spirit”? How does a person become revived and strong again on the inside?

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

The first step to living life to the fullest is to know that there is One who cares. There is One who is compassionate and cares about everything that we are going through. There is One who is full of compassion, meaning that He does not merely feel sorry for us, for compassion is mercy in action. Compassion is willing and wanting to relieve a person of their sorrow and troubles and acting on that desire by doing what is necessary. Jesus Christ felt compassion for people because they either did not have a Shepherd or they were living as if they did not have a Shepherd in their lives.

I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. John 10:14-15

Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd and the Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. If you want to truly live life to the fullest then you must have Jesus Christ as your Good Shepherd. If you are a Christian already, then the Lord wants you to follow your Good Shepherd. When a person has Jesus Christ as their Good Shepherd, then they will not continually be stressed out, anxious or depressed.

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; John 10:27

How does the Good Shepherd revive His sheep? Every person who is a Christian will probably feel a need for revival at some time in their Christian life. How is a person revived?

My soul cleaves to the dust;
Revive me according to Your word. Psalm 119:25

Revival comes through hearing God’s Word. This is how the Shepherd speaks to His sheep. His sheep hear His voice through His Words. The person wanting revival must spend time in God’s Word. God’s Word is the Bible. Even the angels obey the voice of His Word so how much more should His sheep, so that they may follow and obey Him.

Bless the Lord, you His angels, Mighty in strength, who perform His word, Obeying the voice of His word! Psalm 103:20

Not only will you be revived but you will be comforted through His Word.

This is my comfort in my affliction, That Your word has revived me. Psalm 119:50

It is the one who comes to Jesus Christ who is revived. When you draw near to God then He will draw near to you. As you spend time in His Word then pray and pour out your heart to Him. He loves it when you pray to Him and He will hear your prayer. The prayer of the humble is His delight. Humility is acknowledging our need for Him.

I am exceedingly afflicted; Revive me, O Lord, according to Your word. Psalm 119:107

Do not turn to other things for revival and comfort in your troubles and depression. It is easy to be tempted by other “fixes” but they do not fix your problems but often mask the symptoms and cause the problems and struggles to be ultimately greater. Other “fixes” are vanity, meaning that they are empty and can not permanently help. The Lord is the only One who is greater than your troubles and He can and wants to help the one who will come to Him. Turn your eyes to Him.

Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, And revive me in Your ways. Psalm 119:37

The Lord will revive you according to His promises. Seek the Lord and you will be glad. He will bring you out of your troubles. He will revive you.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; Psalm 138:7a

Ask the Lord to be your Shepherd. The Lord invites all who will come to Him to be one of His sheep. He takes care of His own. He is the Good Shepherd.

The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23

A Life that Keeps It’s First Love

The Lord wants us to stay “in love” with Him. If we are not careful we can leave our first love in our relationship with the Lord if we are a Christian. We can get so caught up with doing that we forget all about the loving. This is not only true in our relationship with the Lord but it is true in marriages.

Revelation 2:2-4 ‘I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

Notice that it says they had left their first love, not that they had lost it. If you lose something then you do not know where it is but if you left something then you can go back to where you left it. They had left their first love and were very very busy doing “good things” but not focusing on the One who loved them in the first place.

Revelation 2:5 Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent.

Remember when you first became a Christian and you were so grateful to Him for saving you and so hungry to read His Word. He wants you to return to your love for Him and your love towards Him.

I Peter 2:2,3  like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.

Have your quiet time with the Lord in the morning if you can. It does make a difference in your day.

Psalm 90:14 O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness, That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

Do you want to sing for joy and be glad all of your days? Again, an incredible promise. However, if this does not describe your life then why not try seeking Him in the morning first thing.

Psalm 92:2 To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning and Your faithfulness by night,

By faith we declare His lovingkindness in the morning and if we do this on a regular basis then we will find ourselves declaring His faithfulness at the end of the day. He is faithful to His children and He is faithful to His fulfill His promises.

Psalm 143:8 Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; For I trust in You;

Again, He wants us to see Him and hear Him. If only we will put our trust in Him.

I John 2:24 As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.

Never forget what you heard in the beginning of your Christian life which is that God loves you with an unconditional love, He has paid the price for your sin and wants to have a relationship with you. He loves you. He loves you. He loves you. He has forgiven you of all of your sins, the sins you did in the past, the sins that you are doing now and the sins that you will do in the future…past, present and future sins. There is no time with God because He is eternal. Abide means to live. He wants you to live in His love. That is why He calls you “Beloved”, because He wants you to “be loved by Him”. If you have “left” your first love then return to Him that you may be restored.

A Life that is Moral

Morality and immorality are opposites. Immorality is exchanging eternal values for  temporal values. Esau was immoral by trading his birthright for a meal. His birthright was his so why was his action immoral? His birthright was what had eternal value and the meal had temporal value.

Hebrews 12:16 that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.

If we do not wait for God’s timing then we are also godless. Esau would have gotten some food but he could not wait.

Isaiah 64:4 For from days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear,
Nor has the eye seen a God besides You,
Who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him.

The Lord has far more for you than what you can see or have heard of if you will only wait for Him.

Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,

He can even do more than what you can think of if you will only trust Him and wait for Him.

James 1:16,17 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

Do not be deceived and listen to the lies of the devil that come out of the world or that even come into your thoughts. The Lord wants to give you good things and perfect gifts.

Isaiah 55:8,9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.

Learn to think His thoughts and learn His ways. His thoughts are revealed to us in His Word and that is also how we learn His ways. He has given His Word to us. It is His revelation of who He is. It is the only way that we know the only true God. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us through Jesus Christ.

Deuteronomy 29:29 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.

He wants to teach us His ways and He wants us to observe His Words, by observing He means to study, know and obey them.

Psalm 25:4 Make me know Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths.

Are you thinking His thoughts and learning His ways. It is a lifelong process and the more we know His ways then the more we will know Him and experience His good gifts. That is why the Lord says over and over again in His Word that the ones who keep His commandments and follow His ways are blessed. Morality is keeping His ways and being obedient to His Words, which are eternal values. Immorality is doing what you want to do and satisfying your flesh, which are temporal values.

A Life with a New Start

There are many people in the world who would give anything to start life all over and do life differently. The older you get the more you realize that many of the decisions you made were not good. We can either learn truth from respecting and acknowledging the truth and benefit from it or we can continue on in our own ways and suffer from our ignorance of the truth. When we learn truth the hard way then it is called pain. We are not the better person because of the pain that we went through but we are a better person when we learn truth. How much better life is when we learn wisdom and truth before we make poor decisions that will ultimately bring us much pain and grief. Whenever we respond to a lie or deception then our response will be wrong every time. Every decision that we make in life is either a response to the truth or a response to a lie. When we respond to a lie or deception then the outcome is pain. How often has someone said, “I was so deceived” or “I should never have made that decision”.

There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. Proverbs 16:25

When we respond to truth then the outcome is peace, contentment and much happiness. When we know the truth then we will be able to identify the lies when they come along. The lies that say that if you do this or that then you will be happy. There are many lies that communicate a deception of happiness but the end is death to the soul, which is the heart of your emotions and happiness. It is in your own heart that you will know and feel the pain of any foolish decisions. Foolish decisions bring depression, anxiety and grief to the heart of the person who has made them.

Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding, But in the hearts of fools it is made known. Proverbs 14:33

A person does not have to go through life learning the hard way. There is a way that gives happiness without the pain of death to the soul. There is One who will teach you the truth and guide you into making decisions based on what is good and what is right. There is One who can give you a truly wonderful life, for He is life.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. John 14:6

Jesus Christ came to give, whoever will come to Him, an abundant life. He came to take away our pain. He came to give us a new start. He came to save us and teach us His way which leads to a good life. He came to take away the bad and to give us the good. He came to forgive us of all of the bad decisions that we have done. He did not come to judge us but to save us. He came to love us.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. John 3:16-17

This love and this life is available to any who will come to Jesus Christ and who will call on Him to become their Lord and Savior. He will not turn away anyone who comes to Him. He accepts all, no matter how many bad decisions they have made. He forgives all.

for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13

If you have never come to Jesus Christ then there is no better time to come to Him than now. He will forgive your past and give you a new start in life. He will make you a new person. He will forgive all of your sins: past, present and future and you will become His child. You will find rest for your soul and find the peace and contentment that you long for in this life. You will also receive eternal life for in the life to come.

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

When you come to Him then ask Him to be your Lord and Savoir and He will receive you into His family. When you receive Him into your life then you will become His child. You will belong to Him forever.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12,13

This is what it means to be born again into the family of God. You will live forever in His love and will want to love Jesus Christ the rest of your life, for you will experience what it means to become a new person in Christ and to have all of your sins wiped away…for now and for all eternity. You will begin to experience life in a new way.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. II Corinthians 5:17

Jesus Christ came to give us an abundant life. This gift is available to all people of all nations. God shows no partiality. His love is for all. If you have never experienced God’s love in a personal way then today can be the day of your salvation and the day that you begin to live an eternal and abundant life through knowing the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. You will not be disappointed.

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.” Romans 10:9-11