Good morning, Beloved!
I hope and pray this finds you and your families well as we move toward the new year. As I have my "coffeetime with Jesus" (a good strong cup of Sumatra coffee sits beside me as I type) this morning, meeting with Him in His Word and in prayer, this thought comes to mind, "Do not take for granted the gift of a spouse, but instead be intentional to care for and nurture your relationship with him/her."
As followers of Christ, relationship is our task because it is through our love for one another that the world will know we are His disciples (John 13:34-35). If this is true, that relationship is our task, our relationships will certainly be a target of our enemy who wants to steal, kill and destroy. So, let us be on guard and not unaware of his schemes against us; particularly against our marriages.
Why not find a way, even a small way, to cherish your spouse today? Surprise him/her in some small way to let them know how thankful you are for them and how much you cherish them.
Let's ask God to help us through His empowering grace to be very intentional in cultivating, nurturing and growing our relationships with our spouses this year. Ask God how you might cooperate with Him in that this year. Is there a good book to be read together? Is there a marriage conference or seminar to go that would be helpful? Is there something fun in your area of the country you've been meaning to do together but have gotten to yet? Is there healing prayer or counseling that would be a blessing for some?
To paraphrase the great prayer of Evan Roberts in the Welsh Revival, "Lord, do whatever you need to do in our marriage, so that you can do whatever You want to do through our marriage."
God bless you this year, my friends. May this be your best year yet. Do not be afraid of the success that the Lord wants to give you, the success of bearing Kingdom fruit like never before. And do not be unaware that even as You have a loving Father who wants good things for you, your family, and your church, you and I also have an enemy who wants us to miss out on those things. Let us be first and foremost focused on God, but also aware of the enemy's schemes. Let us not give him even the slightest foothold in our marriages, or any other relationships in our lives, to distract us and detour us from the plans of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for us.
Don't settle for less!
In God's Unshakable and Extravagant Love,
Mike
Great word, Mike.
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