I encourage you to think of marriage as God does.

Most people get married with honourable intentions. They anticipate a life-long partnership in life, love, faithfulness, peace, harmony, and joy. However, as we all know, the statistics of marriage failure are alarmingly high. However, in God’s immutability, marriage is still His ultimate human relationship. He designed marriage as the supreme union of 2 people for life. His design is perfect, His intent and purpose are perfect, and His means of fulfilling the purpose is also perfect.

Unfortunately, the human participants are imperfect; flawed, even damaged and scarred. Sometimes spouses are wired wrong and programed incorrectly by worldly standards and painful history. Indeed, the human participants represent the greatest challenge to any marriage. In spite of the world’s best efforts to present alternative living arrangements as being equal to marriage, it’s failed miserably with devastating and far reaching consequences.

The Dream Marriage

No passage of Scripture offers such a clear definition of marriage as Malachi 2:10-16. Malachi presents five distinctives of marriage.

1. Marriage is a Sanctuary Relationship.

   Mal 2:11 …the sanctuary of the Lord, which he loves. Marriage is a relationship set apart from all others as unique, distinctive, and pure. It’s an oasis relationship. A place of recovery and rest from the business and bruises of life. One where forgiveness, acceptance, and patience are mutually appreciated and practiced. Where trust does not bring to remembrance the pains from past relationships. Where the guilt of past abuses and failings are not transferred to your present spouse who is trust-worthy.

2. Marriage is a Faith Relationship.

   Mal 2:10,11,14,15,16 … you have been faithless… (5 times in the negative form). Faithlessness is the violation faith. A faith relationship is one of belief in the other, of loyalty, support, benevolence, and love in action. It’s a relationship of interdependence, of emotional, spiritual and physical intimacy. One where living is done openly, without second or hidden agendas. Where there is no manipulation, no dictating of terms, no ultimatums, and no revenge. Where there is transparency in love, softness in passion, grace in strength, and mercy in generosity.

3. Marriage is a Companion Relationship.

   Mal 2:14 …she is your companion (partner). God’s intention was that marriage benefits, compliments, and completes the individuals in the coming together of a man and woman in marriage. This is a relationship that recognises and lives in the commitment of a distinctive partnership that functions best with the absence of selfishness.

4. Marriage is a Covenant Relationship.

   Mal 2:14 …your wife by covenant. God is a covenant making and keeping God (1Ki 8:23). A covenant is a morally and legally binding agreement – it’s entered into by the exchange of promises, vows, and commitments. Marriage is a 3 way covenant: 1 man, 1 woman, and God. This covenant relationship grows out of the clarity and certainty of the commitment made to each other. A love relationship that’s intertwined, mutually submissive, serving for the security, wellbeing, pleasure, and betterment of the other.

5. Marriage is a New Identity Relationship.

   Mal 2:15 Did he (God) not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union… God makes two individuals into one – both physically and spiritually. This is a divine working of the Holy Spirit, even in the lives of unbelievers. The amalgamation of two lives into one new identity, a relationship that abandons strict individuality in preference of a “we” attitude. One where selfishness is surrendered for the betterment of the other.

Today, be encouraged to think of your marriage as God thinks of it, for His glory and your blessing.

 

See God as the Greatest Giver

We often think of someone who is a giver as having human inconsistencies and failings. However, God is the greatest giver of all, with no mortal limitations, no imperfect motivations, and with no questionable intentions. His giving is selfless, merciful, and expressive of love in ways that the recipients would normally never consider.

As a father, I can’t imagine handing over one of my sons to suffer the judicial penalty for someone else’s crimes. Yet, that is precisely what God did, “who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all” (Romans 8:32). We, who were the guilty sinners, happily living indifferent to the Lord of glory, happily indulging in sinful attitudes and behavior without giving a second thought. Yet, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

James G. Small, published a hymn in 1863 titled; “I’ve found a Friend, oh, such a friend”! Verse 4 tells the Christian love song;

Naught that I have mine own I call,
I’ll hold it for the Giver,
My heart, my strength, my life, my all
Are His, and His forever.

Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have the greatest story to tell. They’ve abandoned all of self, and gained all of Christ. They’ve relinquished the momentary, decaying pleasures and treasures of this world to invest in the eternal wealth of Heaven. They have recognised that this is only possible through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and dependence upon Jesus suffering the death penalty on the cross that belonged to them. Like Paul, Christians can say “the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

The Gift of Understanding

The apostle Paul, drew the Corinthians attention to the fact that “God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’, has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). What an awakening this is, for us to be recipients of this breath-taking gift, the realisation that we have access to Almighty God through Jesus Christ. This realisation was not cooked up by ourselves, it was not inherited from past generations, it was not induced by any internal philosophical process, and it was no pushed on us by any religious organisation. No, it was placed within us by God. Not only so, but spiritual understanding was given for the sole purpose of equipping us to perceive the glory of God in the person of His Son the Lord Jesus Christ.

Earlier Paul wrote to the same Christians in Corinth of his response to God for the way in which the Lord had treated them. Paul said; “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus” (1 Corinthians 1:4-6). Thanks for what God has and continues to do in others’ lives is the right response, even when we may not understand all the details. We are to be thankful that others are recipients of God’s grace and that they too have been given the understanding of who Jesus Christ really is and what Christ has done for them.

Today, be one who sees God as the greatest giver, particularly in other’s lives. Encourage someone else by telling them that you can recognise God’s work of giving in their life. Then, be thankful with them!

 

I wish to encourage you to be an encourager of others

Most of us go through periods when it seems there is no-one at our side to encourage us. No-one to sympathetically listen, no-one assisting in directing or inspiring, no-one to sooth our souls with wise council and prayer, no-one aiding us to persevere for Jesus Christ. In a world where there is so much negativity, pain, and disheartening, God’s children should stand out by their words and deeds of encouragement of others.

When the Lord was instructing Moses regarding Israel entering the Promised Land, Moses was to “charge Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him” (Deuteronomy 3:28). The Lord’s words were to be used by older Moses to uplift, equip, and inspire young Joshua for the life of leadership and difficulty that lay before him.

In the New Testament, the Greek word used for ‘encourage’ means to call near to comfort. Tychicus was a man known for just this. The apostle Paul used him on at least two occasions to deliver letters with the purpose of informing, comforting, and uplifting the saints. “So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts” (Ephesians 6:21-22. cf: Colossians 4:7-8).

The nature of encouragement

The wonder of encouragement is that it comes in packages as diverse as the human characters delivering it. It’s a sweetness, a lightness of spirit that uplifts and rejuvenates the other. It’s a character quality that God desires all his children to be good at; “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). The better we become at it, the more we are to aid our recipients at passing it on, discipleship through encouragement.

There is to be a sense of divine liveliness in our encouraging words and body language, as we “admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all” (1 Thessalonians 5:14). There is a great sense of purpose as we give to others the realisation of hope and support that we find in the Lord Jesus Christ. Our efforts to encourage are not wasted when fueled by faith in the working of the Holy Spirit to nourish and rejuvenate the recipients we get along side of.

When watered with prayer, encouragement becomes far more than frivolous words said in jest. Christ centered prayer as we encourage, aligns our intentions with the heart of God. We don’t encourage others merely for selfish purposes, rather we do it to implant and foster a growing relationship with the Lord of Lords.

For the Christian, encouragement is expressive of God’s love from within (Rom 5:5). A love that’s quick to welcome, even quicker to pardon offense (Col 3:12-13), but never tolerant of evil that corrupts and brings disgrace to God’s name (Jas 1:19-20). God’s love grows out of His mercy, then, through us, His grace is carried to others directing them to holiness (Jas 3:17). What a privilege is ours, to be enabled by God to encourage others on behalf of the Lord Jesus (Col 3:17).

Today, be an encourager of others for the sake of Jesus Christ, and for the blessing of your recipients. Sow the seeds of selfless love in Jesus place. Call others with the words of Jesus, to follow Him at any cost. Pray the life changing power of the gospel with those who have no hope of eternal life apart from personal faith in the Saviour of all mankind – Jesus Christ.

 

I wish to encourage you to applaud God’s wisdom

It’s easy to applaud ourselves for being wise in our own eyes. Typically, worldly self-appraisal ends with a hearty pat on the back, and thumbs down to God. Mankind is masterful at conjuring up ideas that appease his own ideology of what he or she wants God to be like. Often, man’s wisdom manufactures a god which accepts us the way we are, and is accommodating of all things self-indulgent.

The apostle Paul, a well-educated man by worldly standards, asked three rhetorical questions in his first letter to the church at Corinth. To which he then gives multiple probing answers; ”Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?  For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God  through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:20-24).

Here’s the point; despite humanity’s many marvellous accomplishments; we still haven’t produced a single way of entering into a right relationship with God which is acceptable to Him. The fact is, for the most part, mankind ignores God, wishing Him out of existence. While the world applauds indifference toward God, we Christians applaud God who; “being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4-5). Our gratitude flows from realising that God did not respond to our state of spiritual deadness with indifference. Rather, loving mercy motivated God to step into this world through His son Jesus Christ, to accomplish what mankind could not, and has no desire to accomplish.

God’s wisdom is different to ours

We praise God that He initiated a means of restoration that depends totally upon His actions through Jesus Christ. Consequently, mankind can only enter into the benefits of Christ’s accomplishment buy faith, dependent trust in what Jesus has already achieved on the Cross of Calvary on their behalf.

Believers applaud God’s wisdom which is opposite to man’s impotent religious efforts (Isaiah 64:6). God placed our many sins which separate us from Him, in the body of His Son (1 Peter 1:24). God then gave full vent to His righteous indignation against our sin, punishing it in His Son, resulting in the only appropriate reward for sin – death (James 1:15). God now tells the world; if you believe this, trust in this, rely upon this substitutional judgement of your sin in His Son, you shall be saved from receiving that judgement yourself (John 3:18). You shall be set free from the inevitability of certain and eternal death as the appropriate reward for living a life based on the personal wisdom which God says is foolishly unacceptable.

Self-righteous, worldly thinking stumbles over what it perceives as the foolishness of Christ’s substitutional death. But for those who believe in Jesus’ substitutional death, there is forgiveness of sin, there is peace from God, there is joy of restoration with God, and there is certain hope of eternal life. Praise God for His wisdom!

Today, applaud God’s wisdom! Speak well of the Saviour! Live your appreciation through obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ! Live your faith in God’s Son!

 

I wish to encourage you to be glad in the Lord.

Jesus Christ gives us many reasons to be glad, thankful, and joyful. While gladness may be kindled by many things, for the believer it is primarily set alight by all things God. King David recognised this when he said; “I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High” (Psalm 9:1-2).

God’s supernal majesty, along with His extraordinary deeds, fired David into praise, thanks, and worship, all giving expression of his gladness. “Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure” (Psalm 16:9). David’s gladness flowed from his inner most being, radiating out the realisation of security, so that even his body was physically aware of it. Gladness in the Lord positively affects our entire being, as Solomon makes clear, “A glad heart makes a cheerful face” (Proverbs 15:13).

Counter to worldly thinking about self-image, self-importance, self-love, self-forgiveness, self-motivation, and all other self-philosophy, we who love and trust Jesus Christ happily acknowledge our weaknesses and vulnerabilities rather that deny them. For us, the Lord’s reassuring words to Paul remain true today; “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, we agree with Paul’s response, “I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

When rebellious sinners return to the Lord repentant, we gladly respond as the brother of the prodigal son was exhorted, because it’s “fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found” (Luke 15:32). The salvation of another should propel worship with great joy, because we understand the eternal value of a rescued soul in God’s sight.

A Cautionary Note

With gladness comes the cautionary note concerning how to treat those who mistreat us; “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles” (Proverbs 24:17). When we’re glad in the Lord, His mercy effects our responses to others, even our enemies, who we are to love and pray for (Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:35). Being born again in Jesus Christ, indwelt by His Holy Spirit, we recognise that we’re blessed “when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven” (Matthew 5:11-12). “Rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed” (1 Peter 4:13).

Regardless of circumstances, and in spite of personal pain or sacrifice, the believers priority is that Jesus Christ is exalted, and in this we are the most glad! The Lord declares; “Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, ‘Great is the LORD, who delights in the welfare of his servant!‘ To which we respond, “Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long” (Psalm 35:27-28).

I encourage you to show your gladness in the Lord today. Believers should not be secretive or shy, put timidity behind you, radiate the wonder of sins forgiven and the security of knowing the free gift of eternal life. Speak well of the Saviour today, for “Your name, O LORD, endures forever, your renown, O LORD, throughout all ages” (Psa 135:13).