SWEET MARRIAGE - 2 (IT'S BETWEEN YOU BOTH AND GOD)

“And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” – Ecclesiastes 4:12

If your marriage life has to last long it should include God, you and your partner. It’s between you both and God. You can’t live with your partner without God. At the same time you can’t leave your partner and live with God.  

I like a beautiful verse which is in Genesis 2:18, “And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone...”

Actually when God said that statement, man was not at all alone. God was with man. Then how come he will be alone? But yet God says man was alone and he should not be alone. Why?

Because God knows there is something missing. Though He knows that He was there with man, He thought that the man should need someone comparable to him. So God continued in the 18^th verse saying, “...I will make him a helper comparable to him.”

You have to understand that though God is with you, you have to live with your partner in the marriage relationship. Neither your partner nor God can be missed out in the marriage life. 

Once you have got into the marriage life it is very much needed that you have to stay with both your husband/wife and God. Marriage is a God centred relationship. If you try to put away your life partner out of your marriage relationship, surely God will not be there in the relationship because He is the one who told that it is not good to stay alone. 

I heard about a true incident that happened years ago. There was couple who were doing God’s work. As years progressed the husband could not love his wife truly. He thought that God was with him and so he decided to end the relationship with his wife. She did nothing wrong to him but yet he told everyone around him that she is not worthy to live with.

The wife was heartbroken and pleaded to him to stay with her. But he never listened to her. He thought God was with him. He threw her out of his house and applied divorce. As he left his innocent wife and applied divorce, God left him all alone. 

Jesus Christ heard the cries of that wife and gave her a new life and she lived happily. But the husband lost his family life, his ministry and everything. In the same city where he once lived happily, he stood without any blessing and lived miserably.

Today you might think that God is with you and so you can live even without your wife/husband. Or else you might think that you and your life partner are living happily and so you do not need God. Both the thoughts were terribly wrong. It will destroy your marriage life.

My dear young friend, Jesus Christ wants you to have a peaceful marriage life. For that you and your life partner have to stay closer with each other and with God. Remember that the Lord Himself has said that, ‘It is not good that man should be alone.’

Even in your life, Jesus Christ gave you a life partner because He knows that it is not good for you to stay alone. So do not try to leave your life partner at any cost. Stay together with your life partner and with God. You will have a blessed marriage life.

LIKED THIS A LOT (TAKEN FROM THE WEB)

LYRICS THAT TOUCHED MY HEART - 13 (HE GIVETH MORE GRACE)

  WRITTEN BY

ANNIE JOHNSON FLINT (1866-1932)

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,

He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;

To added affliction He addeth His mercy;

To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,

When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,

When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,

Our Father's full giving is only begun.

Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,

Our God ever yearns His resources to share;

Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing;

The Father both thee and thy load will upbear.

His love has no limit; His grace has no measure.

His power has no boundary known unto men;

For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,

He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again!

LOOKING BACK (WITH THANKS) - 5 (YOU WILL SEE GOD'S GOODNESS)

“You crown the year with Your goodness, And Your paths drip with abundance" - Psalm 65:11

Many years back on a particular day my father called me and my two elder brothers to his bedside. At that time he was suffering from a terrible skin disease which troubled him a lot. That particular disease had spread throughout his body and blood will ooze out from his wounds.

Neither he could lie down nor could he sit. The room in which my father stays will be filled with bad smell. If we have to apply oil to his wound it could be done only with feather of a hen. Such was his condition. I was a small boy at that time.

As his disease got worse, my father felt that he will die soon. Everyone thought like that and even we also feared that our father will die. As he felt that he will die soon, he called us to his bedside. We went near to him. From my birth, my dad loved me so much more than my brothers.

He told my brothers that he wished to see the goodness of his children but yet as he is going to die soon, asked them to take care of me at any cost. He told them that I was a little boy and I do not know much about the world. So he asked them to promise him that they will make me to study well and take care of all my needs. My brothers promised my father with tears.

My mother saw that my father is losing all his hope and so she used to comfort him at all times saying God will never leave us orphans. Slowly my mother made all of us to look to God for the life of our father. Everyone in our family pleaded to God to heal my father.

Jesus Christ heard our prayers and he healed my father miraculously. Once my father thought that he will die soon and he will not see any good things that are going to happen in my life. That was his thought. But Jesus Christ intervened and changed his life.

Day before yesterday my dad travelled nearly 500kms alone at his age of 63 to see the child gifted by God to us. To see the God given daughter he travelled that much distance. He came and stayed at my wife’s place for couple of days and he returned back after blessing my child. 

Even at the age of 63 Jesus Christ is protecting my dad with good health. Once I feared that my dad will die at my young age itself. But God gave life to my father and He enabled him to see all the goodness that is happening in all his children life. Jesus Christ is leading and protecting him even at this age. 

When I gave my God given daughter into the hands of my dad, my heart moved with tears thanking God for healing my dad giving life to him and enabling him to bless the daughter He has given to us. 

As I look back and remember those tough days, I thank Jesus Christ for bringing us out from those tough paths with great joy and happiness. He is a God who crowns the year with His goodness. Indeed He filled our life with His goodness. With all of my heart, I thank Jesus Christ for the miracle He did in our life. 

My dear young friends, even today you might be going through a tough path. Do not get discouraged. Look to Jesus Christ. He will fill your life with His goodness and joy. You will be blessed abundantly.

I SAID, "GOD, I AM NOT WORTHY" JESUS CHRIST SAID, "MY DEAR CHILD, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH" (A OPEN HEARTED LETTER TO JESUS CHRIST)

“What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?” – Psalm 8:4

Lovely Lord, when I see the little daughter that you have given us, the only question that is getting raised in my mind is, “Who am I that You are mindful of me?” There were so many who have no food, shelter, job, studies and good life. You have given me all these. But what I have done for You?

I have did my best to put Your Name to shame in so many ways but yet You lifted me through Your grace whenever I did something wrong. 

I did so many things against You. Actually You are the One who should have left me when I committed those sins. But I could not understand why so many humans hated me and left me all alone. When they did that, I had no qualities to put it in front of them to defend I am good. If I could not do that with ordinary men how could ever I defend myself in front of You, who is so Holy. Though You are the only One I had in my life, I thought you will be the next to leave me. 

To my surprise You had never left me. You stood by my side and through Your amazing grace You loved and lifted me. There were times I prayed to You to punish and kill me but You behaved like You had never heard those prayers. I was looking at my past but You looked at my future for which You has so many plans.

You were my only comfort on those days. All I pleaded to you was death but You carried me softly in Your gentle arms. Slowly You healed all my wounds. So many times I thought about my mistakes and felt ashamed but not even once You spoke to me about my past wrong doings. You had forgiven me through Your blood and You made me to stand for Your glory. You are my comfort and joy.

One fine day, I thought I should not ask You any more blessings because I felt I was not worthy to ask You anything. When my parents started to find a bride for me, I gave everything into your hands and waited for Your will. 

I had no expectations for I know You are the only One who knows what is best for me. Though waiting for two years seems to be a longer period, You gave Your strength to withstand all kinds of temptations. Though at times I hurried to take wrong decisions You stopped me and put me in the right path.

You proved that You are the only One who knows what is best for me and at what time I should get the best by giving me a wonderful wife at Your Own time. Many closed ones came to our marriage and went but You never left us alone. You took the position of Father and to this day You are doing everything for us. 

When troubles and problems came, You were our shelter. When pains and sorrows filled, You were our joy. For the past two years, You were leading and protecting us in Your path with peace and joy.

Many people think that we are a best couple and so only we are having a good marriage life. They might not know that we are having a peaceful marriage life because we have with us the best God who is a best Father and Shepherd.

I never pleaded much for a child to You. But yet my wife cried to You to give a baby soon. You know the thoughts that I had in my mind at that time. One day my wife told me that she is pregnant. I could not believe that at all. Your love and grace was far much beyond my understanding. 

As days progressed many loved ones who prayed for us told that God will give us a son. You know that my desire for several years was to have a girl baby. Once I had a faith that You will give me a girl baby but later I felt that I was not worthy to have one and so I forgot that desire. 

As I heard the news that You have given a child to us, I waited outside the labour ward anxiously. I remember the moment in which my wife’s mother came out carrying a baby in her hands and said to me, “It’s a girl baby.”

You filled my heart with so much joy and happiness. You know that words can never describe my happiness that I had on that moment not just because the baby and my wife were fine but because of Your unending love that You have upon me.

Am I worthy Lord to have such a blessing in my life? What will I do for you for all the things that You have done so far and You are doing till this day? Who am I that You are mindful of me?

As I placed all this questions to you this day, You gave me just one reply. You said, “My Child, I love you so much.”

Thank You so much Jesus for Your love, grace, protection and blessings. I have only one desire: Take my life and use it for Your glory. Let Your light shine through my life. May I carry Your comfort for those who are desperately in need of Your blessing.

 Though I struggle to live a holy life, You know that I love you so much Jesus. From the day I was born to this day You are my comfort, joy and everything. Thanks a lot Jesus for everything and I Love you lots.

THE WALL - 25

WHEN YOU BELIEVE, YOU WILL SEE THE FULFILLMENT OF GOD'S PROMISE IN YOUR LIFE

“Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.” - Luke 1:45

 

The angel of God visited Mary and told her that she will get conceived and brings forth a Son and He will be great and will be called the Son of the Highest. Mary asked the angel that how it will be possible since she doesn’t know a man. 

The reply given by the angel of God is recorded in Luke 1:35. “And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God."

Many who lived on those days doesn’t know much about the Holy Spirit and His power but yet Mary believed the words came from the presence of God and she submitted herself to the hands of God saying, “Let it be to me according to your word.”

She knows that she will face lot of trouble when people around her know that she got conceived before knowing her husband. The word of God which was told to her was far behind her understanding. She was an ordinary girl who could not foresee in what way the Child that she is going to bear will make a change to the mankind but yet she believed the word of God spoken to her and she submitter herself into the hands of God. 

The outcome is she became blessed and all that was spoken to her got fulfilled. Let’s see another incident from the Bible in which a son of a nobleman got healed. 

There was a nobleman whose son was sick. As he heard that Jesus Christ had come out to Galilee, he went to Him and pleaded Him to come to his house to heal his son who is at the point of death. 

“The nobleman said to Him, ‘Sir, come down before my child dies!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go your way; your son lives.’ So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way" - John 4:49,50.

Actually the nobleman requested Jesus to come to his home to heal his son. But Jesus Christ promised him that his son lives and told him to return back.

What Jesus did was far behind the man’s expectations. He wanted God to come and heal but Jesus Christ spoke a promise. If I was there in that situation, I would have insisted Jesus again to come to my home to heal my son.

But what the nobleman did. He believed the promise of Jesus that was given to him and he went his way. As he believed God’s word, his son got healed.

You might have got a promise from Jesus Christ. It might be far from your understanding. The situation might look different. All you have to do is to believe in God’s promise. When you believe in His word and surrender your life to Him, you will see the fulfillment of His word in your life.

Recently in the beginning of this year when my wife got pregnant, Jesus Christ promised us that she will deliver the child in a normal way. I was actually afraid because my wife will not bear even a simple pain. We were alone for some 4 months in which she did all the work in house and in her workplace. Daily she used to travel few kilometers in bus and she never followed the diet given by doctor. As days progressed she got pain when she went for walking. So she stopped that. When she left for her native place in the 8^th month of her pregnancy, her sugar level was high and her weight also was high above the normal level.

I was afraid and situation also was different. But all that we did was we prayed claiming God’s promise. We were weak in faith but yet we believed the promise given by God and we prayed with His promise. Few weeks back by God’s grace we got a girl child from the hands of God through normal delivery.

My dear young friends, situations might be different. You might not understand the promise given by God to you. Sarah was barren when God promised Abraham that his generation will be of great number. It was far behind his understanding but yet Abraham believed. God fulfilled His promise in Abraham’s life.

Similarly Jesus Christ will fulfill all that He has promised you so far as you believe and surrender your life in His hands. You will be blessed as you believe His word. God bless you.