Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. Genesis 2:24.
God has ordained that there should be perfect love and harmony between those who enter into the marriage relation. Let bride and bridegroom, in the presence of the heavenly universe, pledge themselves to love each other as God has ordained they should.
Around each family there is a sacred circle that should be kept unbroken. Within this circle no other person has a right to come. Let not the husband or the wife permit another to share the confidences that belong solely to themselves. Let each give love rather than exact it. Cultivate what is noblest in yourselves, and be quick to recognize the good qualities in each other.
Affection may be as clear as crystal and beauteous in its purity, yet it may be shallow because it has not been tested and tried. Make Christ first and last and best in everything. Constantly behold Him, and your love for Him will daily become deeper and stronger as it is submitted to the test of trial. And as your love for Him increases, your love for each other will grow deeper and stronger.
If Christ indeed is formed within, the hope of glory, there will be union and love in the home. Christ abiding in the heart of the wife will be at agreement with Christ abiding in the heart of the husband. They will be striving together for the mansions Christ has gone to prepare for those who love Him.
Only where Christ reigns can there be deep, true, unselfish love. Then soul will be knit with soul, and the two lives will blend in harmony. Angels of God will be guests in the home, and their holy vigils will hallow the marriage chamber.
The sweetest type of heaven is a home where the Spirit of the Lord presides.
The Faith I Live By p. 252
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for JoAnn who has a concussion and MS. M
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Dear Friends,
My children and I have always been very close. As soon as they were born, I spent my time with them. As I went about my housework, I would carry them with me and talk to them, read to them, or sing to them. As they got older, we would talk and sing together. Often they would help me do whatever I was doing. Their “help” made the task take much longer, but we were together so I didn’t mind. They were learning skills that they would need in the years to come.
This closeness has lasted even now when they are grown.
Even as my children and I have a close and loving relationship, so our Father in Heaven yearns to have an even closer relationship with us. His Great Heart of Love longs for our loving response to His blessings that He daily showers upon us. He is waiting with longing desire for us to tell Him our sorrows, our joys, our hopes, our needs. We can tell Him everything—things we could never tell our earthly friends or family. He knows us so well. We cannot shock or surprise Him for He knows everything about us. Even the very hairs of our head He has numbered. (Matt 10:30) We cannot weary Him for He loves us more than He loves His Own Self. He never tires of our company, never pushes us away. Paul tells us, “Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus” 1 Thess 5:17,18
Moreover, He will speak to us if we will listen to His voice. “Thus saith the LORD…Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” Jer 33:2,3 Through His Holy Word, through His Holy Spirit, through meditating upon His mighty works, we may draw near to Him and learn of Him.
Our Loving Redeemer invites us, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matt 11:28-30 “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” Think of it! The Creator of all things in Heaven and earth desires to dwell in our heart, to mold us into His image that we may continue that closeness throughout all eternity!
Think of it! If we will let Him, He will reach down and take our hand and guide us every moment of the day. In His Arms there is comfort! In Him is safety! He is the Good Shepherd Who “giveth his life for the sheep.” John 10:11 Isaiah prophesied of Him, “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.” Isa 40:11 In Him we can have rest and peace and comfort! We can safely trust in Him no matter what is going on around us!
Our Great Rescuer desires to lift us up from the sins that ensnare us and give us a heart that is pure and holy. He promises, “I will put my laws into (your) hearts, and in (your) minds will I write them; And (your) sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” Heb 10:16, 17 John assures us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
“Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” 13:20,21
Rose
Blending of Two Lives