"You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you." - Song of Solomon 4:7

Friday, November 26, 2010

On a Certain Subject

Jacqueline Kennedy as a bride

   Proverbs 18:22 in the Message paraphrase says, "Find a good spouse, you find a good life--and even more: the favor of God!" This scripture is obviously true, but the thing about this translation (and I’m not saying it’s flawed) is that you really don’t ever have to and shouldn’t ever spend your time looking for a spouse. The more that you study the Word of God in its entirety on this subject, the more that you begin to realize that God has your life planned out for you and that at the right time will draw you and your mate together - by His Spirit. This is why Song of Solomon exhorts us to not stir up love before the time is right. We are to allow Him to direct our steps and guide our every decision. Psalm 139:16 says, “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” Every single moment of our lives has been planned by God, the Master Planner. Romans 12:2 in the New Living Translation says that the Lord’s Will for us is “good and pleasing and perfect.” Jeremiah 29:11  says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.’ (NIV)” God has nothing but good in store for us. Proverbs 4:18 tells us that the path of the righteous “shines ever brighter.”
            Proverbs 14:12 tells us that, “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.” True life is found in the Word of God. For something to be alive, it must be quickened by God and have its root in Him. The relationships in your life must be ordained by God in order for them to be full of the life of God. I remember one of my favorite preachers saying she didn't want anything if she made it - in other Words, she wanted everything in her life to come from God as a result of her obedience to Him. Think about Abraham. When Abraham was trying to have a son, he impregnated his wife's maid Hagar. That son was named Ishmael. Ishmael was born out of Abraham's earthly attempt to bring God's Word to pass. Any time we get impatient and take a situation in to our own hands and try to make things happen in our own strength, it ends up a failure. I don't know about you, but I don't want anything to be an Ishmael in my life. I want it to be an Isaac. I want it to be a result of my obedience, faith, and trust in the Lord.  I want it to be straight from God. That is why it is so important to listen to Psalm 37 verses 5 and 7 in the Amplified Bible when they say to, “Commit your way to the Lord [roll and repose each care of your load on Him]; trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) also in Him and he will bring it to pass…Be still and rest in the Lord; wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him.” If you give your life over to God and His Will for you, you’ll never have to worry about anything. Be patient rest in Him. Follow His voice. Listen to and obey the direction of the Holy Spirit on the inside of you. Colossians 3:9-10 says that God will “give you complete knowledge of His Will and…spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit.” Listening the God’s voice on the inside of you is what will allow you to know which decisions (and the best decisions) to make. If you completely give your romantic life over to the Lord and obey Him, you can never go wrong. You’ll never have to worry if the person that you’re in a relationship with is only after you for your money, looks, reputation, last name, personal connections, or anything else. You’ll know that what you’re doing is right and the very best thing for you because you’re obeying the Voice of God, and your relationship with that person will begin to bear fruit. This is made clear in Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His Will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” When you take the path that the Lord has laid out in front of you, it opens the door for him to “give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart. (Ps. 37:4, AMP).” This is why I don't believe in dating. God has so much for His children, if they'll only submit to Him. You don't need to experiment with your own choices or try to force something to work. You don't need to enter into a relationship with someone "just for fun." Protect the anointing within you. Especially teenagers and young adults: right now you are in a forming time in your life. You don't need someone to distract you from God, or badly influence who you are and whom you'll become. God is placing things within you. He is molding you and shaping you into the person whom He wants you to be.  Separate yourself unto Him, and He will prepare your for your reward. I encourage you today to listen to the voice of God and draw near to Him, because when you draw near to Him, and your desires begin to match up with His desires, you’ll be more than on your way to receiving every good gift in your life.

Much love and blessings,
Kate


Photo Attribution: By Toni Frissell (Library of Congress[1]) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

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