Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Marriage’ Category

Where Is He, Lord?

Posted in Devotional, Encouragement, Faith, God's Faithfulness, God's Goodness, God's Provision, Humor, Inspirational, Love, Marriage on March 15, 2012| Leave a Comment »

This beautiful spring weather means that love will soon be in the air. I am reminded of the times at Bible College, when the young girls would anxiously flirt with their soon-to-be boyfriends, hoping all the while to attain their “MRS degrees” — which simply meant they were looking to add the letters Mrs. to the front of their names.

I, on the other hand, was quite content to spend my time cooped-up in my dorm room in “Geritol Hall,” studying and dreaming of my future ministry to the deaf. And yes, the students really did call my floor “Geritol Hall.” Those of us assigned to that floor were not over-the-hill by any stretch of the imagination, but we were the “old maids” who had more important things to do than search for a husband.

Funny, that’s often the time that the LORD brings one around. Like many happily married couples, my beloved and I weren’t the least bit interested in a relationship when ours first developed. We were both quite a bit older than the typical Bible college student, and not as easily distracted with thoughts of love and marriage –our focus was on God, and the pursuit of His call on our lives. Yes, ours was a “safe” friendship because neither of us wanted anything more.

We did not meet by chance; it was divine providence. I’ll leave that story for another time, but suffice it to say that my ineptitude for music appreciation class, coupled with the LORD’s (very temporary) sabotage of my car, placed my beloved and me on the same church bus at the same time. And there you have it, the start of a beautiful, purely platonic, friendship.

Eventually, I began to desire marriage again –something that I had completely suppressed after the bitter sting of hurt and betrayal. But who would I marry? At that time, my beloved had become my very best friend and confidante. Between classes and study sessions, we were nearly always together. And, we met daily for personal Bible study and prayer; yet it never even occurred to me that the love of my life –my soul mate- was right in front of my eyes.

Then something strange happened. One morning, while praying atop a mountain peak, the LORD spoke very clearly to my heart, and said it was time for me to marry. Later that evening, at the conclusion of a worship service, there was an invitation for those seeking a spouse to come to the altar for prayer. I quickly dove over the bodies already kneeling at the altar and said, “Here am I LORD –send him!”

I told the other ladies in “Geritol Hall” that I was getting married. Of course, they laughed and needled me when I confessed I didn’t have a clue as to who my soon-to-be spouse was. Apparently, you’re supposed to have a fiancé in order to receive an MRS degree. Call me crazy, but aren’t Bible College students supposed to have faith? I did.

Granted, I’m not always the brightest bulb on the block, so I remained clueless for awhile longer about the identity of Mr. Right. In fact, while eating lunch with him, I would occasionally look over his head and ask, “Where is he LORD?”

I thought the headaches I was having at the time were due to too many tedious hours of reading, but looking back, I suppose it is possible that the LORD had been –as my beloved often said- “beating me severely about the head and shoulders” until I figured out the obvious.

I’m not even sure when it happened, but one day the bulb turned on, a little brighter, and I realized that I was very much in love with my very best friend. And he realized that he was in love with me too. There would be one less old maid in “Geritol Hall” by the time the fall session started. Praise the LORD!

Words cannot even express how thankful I am for my wonderful husband. I know with utmost certainty that the LORD hand-picked him for me, and I for him; no two people are more perfectly suited for each other than we are. My beloved and I have been blissfully married for almost 22 years now, and we are still best friends. However, I’m not saying this to be boastful.

I simply want to remind you, dear reader, that God’s blessings are always before us, whether we see them or not. After all, blessings come in many different packages. At the end of an “uneventful” day, you might be tempted to think that nothing special happened. In reality, however, God may have prevented you from being in a fatal car accident, kept your child from harm, zapped that tumor you didn’t even know you had, and blessed you in a hundred other invisible ways.

Knowing this, we need never look around and ask, “Where are you, LORD?” We need only praise Him and say:

Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation (Psalm 68:19).

Read Full Post »

Wedding or Mudding?

Posted in Devotional, Encouragement, Faith, God's Faithfulness, God's Provision, Inspirational, Marriage, Obedience, Preparedness, Purity, Religion, Spiritual Hunger on February 16, 2012| Leave a Comment »

A week or so before my wedding, my mother called to tell me she was planning on missing the big event because she and her husband wanted to watch a local mud truck pull. Granted, my mother has never been a typical loving parent, but a mud truck pull –seriously?

Still, I wasn’t really all that upset. I had grown quite accustomed to her disregard for my life –which was always her choice not mine. My youngest sister, on the other hand, was upset. She had always longed to see our family become “normal” even though we all knew deep down that would never happen. Somehow, she convinced my mother that weddings trumped mud pulls; and missing my wedding might be something she would eventually regret.

At the last minute, my mother made the decision to pop into the church just long enough to view the ceremony and swap a few hellos. She did leave as quickly as possible to pick-up her husband and head to the mud, but I’m glad she came anyway. There is just something special about having your mother at your wedding, even if you aren’t close.

Now, after twenty-plus years, I still feel occasional bouts of sadness at never having experienced a real relationship with my mother. I had wanted that all my life. And though she would disagree, I tried over and over to draw her heart to mine. It just never happened.

This makes me think of the parable in the 22nd chapter of Matthew:

Jesus answered and spoke again in parables to them, saying, The Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who made a marriage feast for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast, but they would not come. Again he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “Behold, I have made ready my dinner. My oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the marriage feast!”‘ But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise [another to his mud pull]…..

The king’s Son is an obvious reference to our Lord Jesus Christ. He longs to have relationship with all of humanity and draw their hearts to His, as His bride, but so many people disregard the invitation because they are more interested in doing their own thing. Others think that just popping into church once in a while will suffice, even though they are not really in relationship with the LORD. However, making an appearance in the natural, is not enough! Salvation is an issue of the heart. The parable explains that those who rejected the invitation to the *marriage feast  will be utterly rejected themselves. However, it further elaborates that those who wish to attend must be wearing a proper wedding garment.

And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (vss. 11-15).

What is the wedding garment? The garment is the salvation found in Jesus Christ by acceptance of His atoning death on the cross for your sin, and subsequent obedience to His Word. Only the true bride of Christ wears this garment. They alone will be able to attend the marriage supper.

I’m not trying to sling any mud here, but there are lots of folks out there who will never attend the marriage supper because they are more interested in pursuing their own pleasures and activities. I truly hope, dear reader, you are not among them. Time is short, but it’s not too late. Why risk a last-minute decision? If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your LORD and Savior, there will never be a better time to do so than now. And there is no greater source of joy than knowing with certainty that you will be ready for that glorious day when we will be united with our bridegroom, Jesus.

*Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God….” Worship God! (Revelation 19:7-10)

Read Full Post »

Second Place Love

Posted in Devotional, Love, Marriage on January 18, 2011| 4 Comments »


Imagine how you would feel if at some point during your engagement your fiancé said to you, “I love you and I can’t wait to marry you, but there is something you should know. I love someone else more, and I always will.” Mine did. Then he handed me a cassette tape and asked me to listen.

I quickly hurried to my dorm room. With fumbling hands and pounding heart, I turned on the cassette player. My thoughts whirled during the brief music intro, then I listened to the following words:

I’ll sing you a love song cause you came to my mind.
It’s not a typical love song, cause it’s one of mine.
When I say that I love you, you know that it’s true;
even though you’re number two.

It’s not that I love you less than best,
For each day I love you more and more and more.
But there can only be one first place in my heart,
And you know who that’s for — The Lord!

I know — Jesus is number one in my heart
so second place will have to do for you.
But I’m counting on spending the rest of my life
in love with the two of you…. (©Mickey and Becki Moore)¹

My heart leapt for joy! My prayer had been answered. I know that many people, when praying for their future spouse, offers the Lord a check list of things they desire in a mate. I only asked for three things (that he wouldn’t snore was one of them) and left the rest up to the Lord and His infinite wisdom.

Number one on my list was that I be my husband’s second place love. I prayed that he would be a godly man who loved the Lord even more than me and that he would forever do so. Not only did the Lord grant me that desire, but he confirmed it through my loving fiancé when he handed me that tape.

The Lord has such an incredible way of dropping us little ‘love notes’ which say “I heard you and I have answered your prayer.” And His timing is perfect. When Mickey and Becky Moore recorded Love Song for Number Two back in the seventies, they didn’t know the Lord would use it to confirm my prayers a decade later, but He did.

A few days ago, my friend announced her daughter’s wedding date. Kati is the same age as my daughter so that unhinged me a little, being that they are both so young. But I have to face facts; my daughters are now young women who will marry one day in the near future and I must be ready. My prayer for my children is, and has always been, that they also marry godly spouses who love the Lord even more than them; because I know that the very best marriages in the world are built on godly foundations.

If you are reading this blog and you are single, but plan to marry one day, please believe me that the very best place to be is in second place. If the Lord is number one in your spouse’s heart he or she will naturally love you the way God intended.

Finally, never forget that as much as you and your spouse love each other, God loves you both even more. He wants you to have a healthy, happy marriage and it will be if the Lord is in the center of it …
a threefold cord in not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12).

****************

[You may enjoy the song here: Love Song for Number Two]

[¹Moore, Mickey and Becki.  Album: Love Song for Number Two. Maiden Music. P.O.Box 2492 Charlottesville, VA. 22902. (434) 293-5400     http://www.mickeyandbecki.com/music.php]

Postscript: My husband doesn’t snore. I told you, God answers prayers, and boy and I glad!

p.s.s. If you are planning to marry and you recognize that your spouse is a priceless gift to you from the Lord, the following song is great for God-centered weddings:

Read Full Post »