Love Your Wife Well

Love Your Wife Well! 

 Ephesians 5:25-28 NKJV

[25] Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, [26] that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, [27] that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. [28] So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.

(Please read the rest of the scripture at the link below.)

https://bible.com/bible/114/eph.5.25-28.NKJV

The standard by which We are to love our wives has clearly been set high, according to these verses. We are to love them as Christ loved the church and as we love [our] own bodies. We are to love them sacrificially and selflessly.

In order to love our wives well, we must be willing to make sacrifices for them. We must believe that their needs are just as important as our own needs. When we do this, not only do we love them well, but we also model the love that we have been shown by Christ.

God, help me to love my wife as I have been loved by you. Help me to put her needs ahead of my needs. Help me to have the strength to make sacrifices for the good of my wife. Help me to love her well. Amen! 

Be like a tree by the creek

 As I sit here at the creek bank and look up at the Hickorys, Sweetgums and Southern Magnolia Trees, I am reminded of what God says to Jeremiah about the hearts of men.

Jeremiah 17:5-10 NKJV

[5] Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the Lord. [6] For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, And shall not see when good comes, But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, In a salt land which is not inhabited. 

[7] “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. [8] For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit. 

[9] “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? [10] I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.

“The man who trusts in man” is the person who rejects God and relies on his own strength and ingenuity or who looks to other people for help and rescue. Such a person is cursed with a dried-up, empty heart. He is destined to experience hardship, distress, and eventual death. Conversely, the person who trusts in the Lord is richly blessed. This individual thrives, grows, and prospers, even in the heat of challenging circumstances.

In Jeremiah’s day, the nation’s leaders were trusting in man—their political allies—and leaning on “the arm of the flesh” (2 Chronicles 32:8). Borrowing from the wisdom in Psalm 1:3–4, Jeremiah likens those who trust in God to flourishing, well-watered trees. His warning not to trust in human resources echoes Psalm 146:3: “Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save.” Judah’s unbelief and rejection of the Lord would turn their lives and their land into a desert wasteland, but faith and trust in God would establish them as a firmly planted, thriving woodland.

Be like a tree by the creek! Trust and have Hope in the Lord always!

Without Excuse

 

What does it say? 

All people are without excuse before God. He will judge the world through Jesus Christ. 

Read Romans chapter 2 verses 1 through 29.

What does it mean? 

Paul described God's dealings with three kinds of people. Each is charged with high treason against God. The moral person tries to gain God's approval based on comparison with others, but he still fails to meet God's standards. The pagan, or Gentile, tries to escape judgment based on ignorance: However, God has placed the essence of His law in each person's heart. The religious person seeks God's favor based on knowledge of Scripture and religious practices. Paul says this person knows about God but doesn't have a relationship with God. Salvation and eternal life must be attained in Goď's way - through Jesus.

How should I respond?

Excuses - we all make them from time to time. However, everyone is without excuse for his or her sin before God. Do you identify with someone described in today's passage? Are you a good or religious person trying to make your good deeds outweigh your bad? Morality and religious tradition can't transform your heart. Salvation is internal and comes through belief in Christ alone. What excuses have you made to God this week? Submitting your heart to Jesus as Lord means not only knowing the truth but also obeying it without excuse.

Source: Youversion app bible plans.

Shepherding

SHEPHERDING

MARCH 11

"Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly--not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God." -1 Peter 5:2 NLT

As fathers, We have been put by God into a position that requires a high level of responsibility. He has made us shepherds of our families. But there is freedom in understanding that our flock is ultimately his. He is the chief shepherd who entrusted a flock to us, and it is our role to nurture and care for that flock.

As We disciple our flock, our motives matter; we can't be selfish. Our attitude matters; we must be willing. Our focus matters and shapes how We care for our flock. When our priority is our flock, the weight of responsibility can overwhelm us (Yes, Indeed). But if we shift our focus to God, the giver of the flock, we can trust that he will fill in where we fall short. When we trust the chief shepherd, who has called us into this role, we can eagerly serve him by caring for those entrusted to us. 

God, thank you for the flock you have entrusted to me.  As I disciple my flock, remove any selfish motives that are present. As I seek to serve you, instill a spirit of strength, courage, peace, joy, eagerness and everything i need within me so I can serve with freedom and joy. Amen!