HACKED BY NESAS_0DAY

Category: Devotion

  • How to pray for other Christians

    How to pray for other Christians

    Series: Colossians (Part 2) By Rosie Moore.

    When you pray for other Christians, what do you say? Have you ever felt that you don’t have the words to express yourself? Join the club! Sometimes the best I can come up with is, “Lord, please bless the whole family and keep them safe!”

    In our intercessory prayers, it’s easy to succumb to nebulous platitudes which lack original thought, or to resort to a litany of one “gimme” after another. One of the ways to avoid shallow and vague prayers is to pray Scripture back to God, allowing the Bible to guide us as we express our own thoughts and situations. If our prayers are based on Scripture, we can be assured that they will be pleasing to God. Today, let’s look at Paul’s prayer for the Colossian Christians in Colossians 1:3-12.

    Praying Scripture.

    In this prayer, Paul says that since he heard of their conversion, he and Timothy have prayed non-stop for the new Christians in Colossae. In his prayer, Paul gives us insight into what we should most desire and therefore ask for when we pray for our Christian family and friends. Paul provides five petitions which we can personalise as a model for our own prayers:

    3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, 7 just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf 8 and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.

    9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:3-12).

    1. A prayer of thanks.

    Paul starts by expressing thanks to God for their faith and changed lives after responding to the gospel preached faithfully by Epaphras (Col 1:3, 12-14). He specifically mentions the Christians’ love for all the saints. Thanksgiving for the gospel and its transformative power in the life of a believer changes our perspective and sets the scene for other requests and petitions.

    Specifically, Paul thanks God, “the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” for rescuing His people from one kingdom and transferring them to another. Divine rescue from the “domain of darkness” reminds us of the horrific danger that every lost person is in before God made us saints in the kingdom of his loving Son (Col 1:12-14). Paul is boasting in the Lord for redeeming a group of people who were totally incapable of rescuing themselves from a kingdom marked by fear, slavery and darkness. He is boasting in the cross.

    It’s important to start our prayers by expressing thanks to God for the cross, because we often drift into shortsighted, insular petitions that are focused on day-to-day problems and self-centred desires. A prayer of thanks lifts our eyes beyond the ceiling to see that the greatest privilege a believer enjoys is our deliverance from the slave market of sin by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus. We can never thank God enough for the gift of salvation and the blessings attached to our status as forgiven saints in Christ.

    In his prayer of thanksgiving, Paul is reminding the Colossians that they are now ruled by different values and priorities, since they have become heavenly citizens and co-heirs in God’s household. They are now people of light, not darkness.

    1. A prayer for knowledge.

    Next, Paul prays for his Christian friends to know God’s will and grow in spiritual wisdom and understanding (Col 1:9-10).

    Here, Paul is not praying for mere head knowledge, nor for some divine download or special revelation reserved for super-spiritual, elite Christians. Paul is praying for the faith and practice of ordinary Christians to be one and the same, for consistency between their creed and deed. He is praying for practical wisdom in those who know God. In verse 10, Paul prays for a knowledge of God that translates into four specific outcomes:

    • A life worthy of the Lord Jesus.
    • A life which pleases God in every way.
    • A life of good works and fruitfulness.
    • A life which is forever growing in personal relationship with God.

    This prayer teaches us that when we pray for Christian friends and family, we should pray that their knowledge of God would lead to sanctification and fruitfulness in their lives. After all, didn’t Christ say that righteous works are the supernatural fruit of genuine saving faith (Matt 7:16)? We are saved not by good works, but for good works. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph 2:8-10).

    Paul expressed a desire that the Colossian Christians be deeply changed from the inside out, because he understood that the greatest good of the Christian life is not the absence of pain, but Christlikeness (1 Thess 5:23-24). In his book “The Discipline of Grace”, Jerry Bridges writes that this is the goal of sanctification:

    “The goal of sanctification is likeness to our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 3:18 that we “are being transformed into his likeness”. In Romans 8:29, he said that God “predestined [all believers] to be conformed to the likeness of his Son”. Christlikeness is God’s goal for all who trust in Christ, and that should be our goal also. Both words, transformed and conformed, have a common root, form, meaning a pattern or a mould. “Being transformed” refers to the process; conformed refers to the finished product. Jesus is our pattern or mold. We are being transformed so that we will eventually be conformed to the likeness of Jesus.”

    If sanctification is God’s purpose and priority for our lives, we ought to pray for a Christian to embrace his complete identity in Christ in the rough and tumble of life. For no gap to arise between a believer’s talk and walk. For redeemed sinners to rest in God’s provision as they struggle against stubborn sins. For a believer to keep on repenting and keep on believing the gospel they first heard. For a brother or sister not to be a forgetful hearer of the Word, but an obedient doer of the Word (Matt 5:24-27; James 1:21-22.)

    In view of the many Christians living in habitual sin and the recent exposure of celebrity megachurch pastors, perhaps Christians ought to pray less for the “blessed” life and more for the “transformed” or “holy” life.

    1. A Prayer for power.

    In Colossians 1:11-12, Paul prays for God’s power to strengthen the Christians. Wouldn’t every Christian love to be struck by a lightning rod of God’s power? But again, notice the reason why Paul prays for divine power on their behalf.

    Divine power is not a means to personal gain, fame, and fortune. Nor is it an escape button or an excuse to “Let go and let God”. God’s power is needed so that the Colossian Christians would develop four character traits to live a fruitful Christian life:  Endurance and Patience, combined with Joy and Thanksgiving. Only the Holy Spirit who lives within and empowers us to become like Christ, can develop godly character where it is lacking in us. “The one who calls you is faithful, and He will do it” (1 Thess 5:23-24).

    1. A prayer for endurance and patience.

    Do you, like Paul, pray for the Holy Spirit to develop endurance in fellow Christians, particularly when they are facing adversity? (Col 1:11) Another word for endurance is perseverance. Perseverance produces proven character (Rom 5:3-5).

    Perseverance of the saints is an important doctrine. In Hebrews 12:1, the writer instructs believers to get rid of everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles, to run the race of faith with perseverance. Mature believers are characterized by perseverance (Titus 2:2) which is demonstrated in doing good and in prayer (Rom 2:5-8; Eph 6:18). When speaking about endurance and patience, the Bible uses words like discipline, strive, work out, train, flee and pursue (Luke 13:24; Phil 2:12; 1 Tim 4:7; 2 Tim 2:22). The Christian life is not a passive ride. It requires great endurance.

    And so, when we pray for each another, we need to ask God for the power and patience to endure. As sinners, we are prone to look for the easy way out, and our unredeemed flesh is attracted to simplistic formulas for instant godliness such as “Just let Jesus take control”. These formulas fail because they promise victory apart from the daily grind of self-discipline, which produces endurance over a lifetime. There are no shortcuts to spiritual maturity. It requires Spirit-empowered endurance and patience.

    Patience is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22-23), not a virtue that comes naturally to most of us. We are commanded to learn patience (1 Thess 5:14; Psalm 37:7; James 5:7-8), as it pleases God (1 Peter 2:18-20). Paul says that we are to be “joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer” (Rom 12:12). In a world of instant gratification, we need to pray for patient endurance to grow in one another.

    1. A prayer for joy and gratitude.

    “…being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 

     Do you pray for fellow Christians to have joyful, thankful hearts, regardless of their circumstances? A joyful heart is a gift from God, not something we can muster up on our own (Gal 5:22). It is a joy energized by the Holy Spirit (1 Thess 1:6). This is the kind of happiness that is not dampened by suffering or hard circumstances (Habakkuk 3:17-18; James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:3-9).  And if Paul is anything to go by, this kind of joy is the fruit of investing in the lives of others (Phil 2:1-18).

    It is only the Holy Spirit who can empower us to “rejoice in the Lord always” (Phil 2:17-18; 3:1; 4:4; Psalm 32:11).

    And so, like Paul, let’s pray for one another without ceasing (Col 1:9), using the deep prayers in Scripture to guide us in our requests. Paul’s prayer in Colossians chapter 1 is a God-given template for this purpose. Let’s remind ourselves that we are nothing and can accomplish nothing without prayer. It is also the greatest gift we can give one another.

    “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstance; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess 5:16-18).

     

  • A true Christian

    A true Christian

    Series: Colossians (1)

    The Apostle Paul starts his letter by reassuring the first century Colossians that they are genuine Christians (Col 1:3-5). He describes three signs that prove God’s supernatural work in their lives. The signs of genuine Christian spirituality are faith in Christ Jesus; love for their fellow Christians; and hope in the world to come. Faith, hope and love are the timeless fruits produced by all genuine Christians throughout the centuries.

    It is encouraging for us to know that the gospel we have received is the same message that the Colossians received from Epaphras, a faithful church planter and evangelist. This gospel will continue to bear fruit and grow in all soils, in every generation, and under every climate. The gospel keeps growing and producing a harvest around the world, because it is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Anyone who adds or subtracts from the gospel that Paul, Epaphras and the original apostles preached is peddling a counterfeit gospel. We cannot divorce the gospel from its historic roots.

    What Paul writes about authentic Christians and the true gospel throughout his letter to the Colossians will either assure us that we are the real deal, or alert us to the fact that we are not. It will also make us more discerning to recognise false teachers who push new ideas that are foreign to historic Christianity.

    3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, 7 just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf 8 and has made known to us your love in the Spirit...(Col 1:3-8).

    Faith, love and hope.

    The triad of faith, hope and love is found in many of Paul’s writings (1 Cor 13:13; 1 Thess 1:3). Paul is clear that these abstract nouns are not just open to our own interpretation. Jesus Christ is the object of our faith. Our Christian brothers and sisters are the object of our love. Heaven is the object of our hope (Col 1:4-5).

    The triad of faith, love and hope is a basic and full description of the genuine, spiritually alive Christian. Since we cannot manufacture these qualities, Paul is describing the lifestyle and values of a person who has heard, understood and responded to the whole and complete gospel.

    Faith in Christ.

    Are we known by our faith in Christ alone?

    Faith cannot exist without a genuine spiritual work of grace as it is the Holy Spirit who leads us to put our faith in Christ’s atoning death on our behalf. It is the Holy Spirit that keeps us trusting in Him and living the life of faith. The Christian life is a journey of faith from beginning to end.

    It is not enough to say, “I believe in God”, or “I believe in a higher power.” Those whose faith is in Christ Jesus acknowledge the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ as the one true God (Col 1:3). Everything we receive from God is “in Christ”. “In Christ” is a phrase repeated throughout Colossians, because our faith makes no sense outside of Christ’s life, death and resurrection. Through faith, our old self died and was resurrected to new life with Christ.

    Love for all the saints.

    Are we known for our love for fellow Christians?

    This kind of love is not a warm feeling or selective in its application. We cannot look inside of ourselves for this love. Our actions of love towards our brothers and sisters (whom we can see) reflect our love for a Saviour (whom we cannot see). It is a love generated by the Holy Spirit (Col 1:8).

    In Jesus’ parable in Matthew 25, He describes the simple acts of mercy we can do every day which do not depend on our wealth, ability or intellect. They are practical acts of love freely given to sisters and brothers who have deep and basic needs, whom Jesus describes as the least of these. Love for all the saints glorifies God by reflecting our love for His Son, who loved us when we were most needy and powerless to help ourselves.

    “Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mind, you did for me” (Matt 25:37-45).

    This kind of love is foreign to the world, which generally only understands love for family, friends, and our own ‘tribe’. Even a selfless unbeliever cannot share this unique love for all the saints because it is the Holy Spirit who binds children of God from different national, cultural and ethnic backgrounds into a unique fellowship of believers. We are part of a community of beloved saints, the church, a fellowship which transcends natural barriers. Later, Paul writes, “Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.” (Col 3:11)

    As a Biblical counsellor, one of the greatest joys in my work is witnessing how God moves the hearts of Christians to love other Christians in practical ways. I have seen substantial debts of a widow being paid off by a Christian couple who have not seen her for twenty years. I have seen meals being delivered month after month to a Christian sister with cancer. I have seen disciples of Christ forgiving the inexcusable sins of the past, with eyes focused on Jesus. These acts of love are powerful proofs that the gospel is true.

    Christ himself said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). The way we love the family of Christ demonstrates who and whose we are. It is the fruit of a true Christian (1 John 4:7, 11).

    Hope laid up in heaven.

    Faith and love are only ours here and now because of the hope laid up for us in heaven. In a footnote on all my emails is one of my favourite quotes on hope. “Hope is not defined by the absence of hardship. Rather, hope is found in God’s grace in the midst of hardship. Hope is found in his promise to give us a future”  (Stuart Scott). The absence of hope is one of the saddest features of our generation, which has come to expect immediate gratification rather than future joy.

    Without the gospel promise of an ultimate future, absolute justice and complete redemption, a world where there will be no more tears, nor death, nor anguish, nor grief, nor pain (Rev 21:4), we have no basis for hope, especially amid hardship. But our foretaste of fellowship with God and all the saints here on earth is just an appetizer before the unimaginable blessings reserved for the future, ‘laid up’ in heaven for us. Although we experience many of the benefits of Christ’s victory on the cross in the here and now, we live with expectancy for what awaits us in heaven. The best is yet to come. We may mourn now, but joy comes in the morning.

    Yet, like the Gnostics who tried to deceive the first century Church, many false teachers today would like us to concentrate on subjective experiences in a search for “fullness of life” and the secrets of God. They want us to believe that if our faith is strong enough, we can be free from sickness, pain and suffering in this life. Bethel even claims that they have seen angel feathers in their church. They present the simple gospel as just a foundation for the Christian life, but then offer a more complete and enriched form of Christianity for the spiritually advanced.

    But Paul reassured the Colossian Christians that there are no first and second class Christians. They understood grace in its true meaning and simplicity, and this was enough. They had heard and received the true gospel, which was growing, bearing fruit and increasing across the known world (Col 1:6). Even twenty-one centuries later, Paul’s words encourage ordinary Christians to remain confident in the productive seed of the gospel, as it is written down and explained in Scripture.

    Gospel harvest.

    This gospel seed that Epaphras preached to the Colossian Christians is still being scattered across the world today by faithful Christians, regardless of opposition. It can seem to us like secularism is growing and people are leaving the church and the faith, but globally, that is not the case at all. The number of true Christians is steadily growing and the number of atheists is stagnant. Every time you invite a friend to church, tell someone about Jesus, or share something you’ve read from the Bible, you are scattering the seed of the gospel.

    According to the 2022 Status of Global Christianity report, with a 1.17% growth rate, almost 2.56 billion people identified as a Christian by the middle of 2022. By 2050, that number is expected to top 3.33 billion. The gospel seed is growing and bearing fruit most rapidly in Asia and Africa, where persecution is rife.

    Moreover, with Christianity spreading throughout the world, more non-Christians now know a Christian than ever before. In 1900, only 5,4% of non-Christians could identify a Christian they knew. That percentage has risen to 18.3% today. By 2050, it is expected that 20% of non-Christians will know a follower of Jesus and have the opportunity to hear the gospel from them. The spontaneous expansion of the church to every people group in the world is due to the explosive power of the simple, true gospel message. It is, in Paul’s words, “the grace of God in truth.”

    The heart of the gospel is about God’s merciful offer to rescue us from our sin in Christ and bring us into relationship with Him. It is not that we strive to manufacture faith, love and hope, but that Christ in his sheer kindness and goodness, died to make us his faithful, loving, hope-filled servants. Faith, love and hope are the three bountiful fruits that continue to be produced by faithful Christians today. Like a fertile seed, the gospel will continue to spread across the world, filling the earth with those who follow Christ and glorify God in Him. “For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Hab 2:14).

     

     

  • Honey for the Heart

    Honey for the Heart

    The Bible is like honey for the human heart. I will always remember how my dad read the Bible to me every night before bedtime. He did not pick and choose random quotes that he thought suitable for a child, but simply read Scripture as a narrative, picking up each day where we left off. It was the sweetest time of my day. The way he read the words, asked me questions and connected it to our lives showed me that Scripture was credible and alive to him. It also showed me that he cared for me. The Bible was not just an old book to take to church once a week, but an infallible source of truth, wisdom and comfort for all of life. Those treasured moments of shared reading were a nutritious treat, sweeter than honey.

    In Psalm 19, David meditates on the limited parts of God’s Word which he had in his possession—the Torah. He delights in God’s infallible Word, not as a set of rules or shackles to keep us from having fun, but as God’s gracious self-revelation to us. This is the beautiful poetry David wrote after contemplating how God reveals Himself to us through the skies:

    “The law of the Lord is perfect,
    reviving the soul;
    the testimony of the Lord is sure,
    making wise the simple;
    8 the precepts of the Lord are right,
    rejoicing the heart;
    the commandment of the Lord is pure,
    enlightening the eyes;
    9 the fear of the Lord is clean,
    enduring forever;
    the rules of the Lord are true,
    and righteous altogether.
    10 More to be desired are they than gold,
    even much fine gold;
    sweeter also than honey
    and drippings of the honeycomb.
    11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
    in keeping them there is great reward.

    12 Who can discern his errors?
    Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
    13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
    let them not have dominion over me!
    Then I shall be blameless,
    and innocent of great transgression.

    The God who speaks.

    When I consider that the Bible was written by over forty human authors over a timespan of fifteen hundred years, it crosses my mind that God was not obliged to speak to us. He could have chosen to remain silent, leaving us in our ignorance and confusion. But instead, God went to great lengths to speak to us through words that show us who He is, what He’s like, and how we can know Him.

    God’s Word is tangible proof that the Creator of the universe loves us and wants a personal relationship with us. He befriends us through this extraordinary collection of inspired books that we call the Bible, which David called the Law. It’s as if He welcomes us into his mansion of delights through the front door of his Word. He beckons us to come in and taste his words of truth.

    But familiarity breeds contempt. We risk losing awe when we become too used to seeing the Bible collecting dust on our bookshelves, or when we’re in the habit of consuming only what pastors, Bible apps and podcasters have mediated for us. Sometimes we need to take a step back and remind ourselves of what God’s Word is and does, so that we will be excited to read the raw text for ourselves.

    What Scripture does and is.

    David says that Scripture revives the soul and makes the simple wise (Ps 19:7). It gives joy to the heart and enlightens the eyes (Ps 19:8). When we take time to read, digest and obey it, the Bible is more valuable than any treasure money can buy. It’s more wonderful than any pleasure invented by man (Ps 19:10). Scripture is perfect, trustworthy, right, pure, true and righteous. Best of all, it teaches us to rightly fear the God who made us (Ps 19:9).

    Moreover, because the Bible is God’s standard of right and wrong, it warns and convicts us of sin (Ps 19:11-13). Every word of Scripture is flawless (Ps 12:6; 119:60; Prov 30:5-6; John 10:35). It speaks to all areas of life and knows no cultural or age barrier. It is eternal and always relevant (Ps 119:89; Isa 40:8; Matt 24:35).  Jesus himself affirmed that God’s Word is truth (John 17:17), so when properly interpreted, the Bible will never lead us astray.

    We can trust Scripture as reliable because it is breathed out by God, and God is altogether trustworthy (2 Peter 1:20-21). These are extraordinary claims to make about any book, especially one that has been read and loved for millennia. But like honey, the Bible needs to be savoured and digested. It is not a medication to administer or a snack to wolf down.

    What a gift!  As receptive readers, if our thinking is daily corrected, renewed, warned and trained to see as God sees, we will be transformed through Scripture. It will thoroughly equip us for every good work that God has in mind for us (2 Tim 3:16-17). It doesn’t get more comprehensive that that.

    Sources of wisdom.

    God has not left us to flounder in our foolishness but has come to us offering wisdom. As Solomon wrote, “Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice” (Prov 1:20). When Jesus became flesh, “He became to us the wisdom from God” (1 Cor 1:30). And because the Bible is all about Christ from beginning to end, it is the only reliable source of wisdom. It is a firm foundation on which to build our lives.

    Biblical wisdom is in stark contrast to cultural ideologies, the internet, AI and social media, even Church tradition. As Paul warned the Colossian Christians, he warns us too: “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ” (Col 2:8). If we build on the foundation of human wisdom, rather than on Christ and his Word, we will be as precarious as a house built on sand (Matthew 7:24-26).

    If the last ten years have shown us anything, it’s that overuse of digital media produces a sickly tree with dry leaves and shrivelled fruit. This is because the internet creates endless content which is shallow, alluring and ever-changing. Like a giant Nutri-bullet blitzing a smoothie of Fanta and sweets, it leaves consumers with a stomach ache, feeling empty, anxious and addicted. Our brains crave more and more, but mere content cannot satiate our appetite for what is real and true.

    We live in an age of information gluttony but wisdom malnutrition. Information is constantly changing, while our brains are overstimulated and distracted. Research shows that our smartphones are making us increasingly unhappy, lonely and mentally ill. Even our physical health is suffering. Souls are more weary and desperate for revival than ever.

    In contrast, David likens the Bible to a stream of water that nourishes a fruitful tree (Psalm 1:2-3). It contains the eternal wisdom of God, the Logos, who became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ ,“in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col 2:3), “a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory (Col 2:7).  Without the Jesus of the Bible, we will have no salvation, no truth to anchor us, no wisdom for life.

    Unlike a stock response on Chat-GPT or a Tik-Tok video, God’s wisdom is not something that we can download in seconds. Wisdom is accumulated over time and experienced by those who have found the hidden treasure of the gospel and diligently apply God’s Word to their lives, day-after-day, year after year (Matt 13:44-46). Wisdom comes to those who “receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21). Wisdom will grow in you only if you  are humble enough to let the Bible instruct you, contradict you, and show you where you’re wrong.

    Honey for the heart.

    Having read the Bible from childhood and seen how powerfully the Holy Spirit ministers to people’s hearts through its words, I am convinced that whatever is written in Scripture is wiser and better and truer and lovelier and more powerful than anything we can invent by our own wisdom. I have been amazed by stories of unbelievers who felt drawn to read the Bible and were born again as the truth dawned on them. Because it is God’s breaking news of the gospel, it is honey for the heart.

    For those with a deep longing for God and his eternal wisdom, there is a way to flourish in an increasingly unstable and malnourished culture. We need to become hungry Bible readers again, convinced that “Christ is the meat, the bread, the food provided by God for [our] soul” (John Owen). We need to become confident doers of the Word, because we love God and long for our lives to be shaped by His wisdom.

    Like honey, which makes everything else taste better (think tea, porridge and toast), we need a steady stream of God’s Word to transform how we see everything else. Let’s treasure the nourishing honey that God has given us, by delighting in His Word, meditating on it and memorising it, because that is how we will taste and see that the Lord is good (Ps 34:8). Let’s diligently teach it to our children, because God tells us this is good (Deut 6:6-7).

    Wisdom that saves.

    Of this we can be confident: When God’s Word goes out in the power of the Holy Spirit, it is a sword that pierces (Heb 4:12-13); a mirror that reveals (James 1:23); a seed that reproduces (1 Peter 1:23); a fire that consumes and a hammer that shatters (Jer 23:29). It is milk that nourishes (1 Peter 2:2); a lamp that illuminates (Ps 119:105), and a living stream that supports human flourishing and fruitfulness (Psalm 1:2-3). Because it contains the message of the cross, it’s the only wisdom that saves and transforms (1 Cor 1:18-21). No internet feed, ideology or human wisdom can accomplish any of these things.

    “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate” (1 Cor 1:18).

  • Trusting the Promises of God (Part 2/2)

    Trusting the Promises of God (Part 2/2)

    Series: Don’t waste your waiting.

    During a season of prolonged illness in my own life, I got to a place where I wondered if I’d ever be healthy again. Discouragement and depression set in. However, my turning point came when I actively searched Scripture and started memorising God’s promises as if my life depended on them. As I spoke these promises of God’s faithfulness out loud, praying them back to God and believing them for my own circumstances, the thick cloud of despair was gradually replaced by a cocoon of hope and trust. Unlike us, God never makes a promise that He doesn’t keep. His promises are dependable and true, because they are founded on His unchangeable attributes and sovereign power. God cannot lie.

    In part 1, we saw that God’s promises are rooted in the salvation which Jesus achieved for His people in His life, death, and resurrection. The apostle Paul wrote to the Christians at Corinth, “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God” (2 Cor 1:20). The whole New Testament affirms that Jesus is the Promised One of the Old Testament (Luke 24:25-27). Since Jesus is the fulfilment of all God’s promises to His people, we need to understand and trust those promises through the lens of the cross.

    Ten Promises you can bank on.

    One of the greatest treasury of God’s promises is found in Romans 8. I have crystallised ten promises from this chapter. Read the chapter on your own as we record, personalise, and believe God’s promises together.

    # 1. God has declared me “not guilty”!

    I am forgiven, not condemned (Rom 8:1) God declares this verdict, not me. I can trust this promise because Christ’s perfect sacrifice on the cross has turned away God’s wrath for all who have repented and believed in Him. It has nothing to do with me! This means that I can get off the performance treadmill because justification is a once-for-all time event and entirely God’s work. However bad my day may be, however unworthy I may feel, whatever accusers may throw at me, my sin has been fully paid for. Jesus, my righteous advocate, speaks forgiveness and acceptance, not accusation and shame. “Not guilty” is God’s Truth, not just ‘my truth’.

    # 2. God has set me free from the bondage of sin and death!

    I am now under new management, no longer ruled by the selfishness of Adam, but by the Spirit of God (Rom 8:5-11). “Free” is my permanent status. Although I still sin, I’m no longer helplessly in its grip. I’m no longer a slave to my sinful nature (Rom 8:2-4). This promise matters, because it assures me that I have been redeemed from sin’s power and penalty. Therefore, I can put off sin and put on a life of righteousness (Rom 8:13). My previous Master’s wages were death (Rom 8:6a) but my new Master’s wages are life and peace (Rom 8:6b). I am not the person I once was. I am slowly changing day-by-day.

    # 3. God’s Spirit lives in me to sanctify me.

    This promise matters, because I know that I cannot conquer sin on my own, but the Holy Spirit empowers me to live a fruitful and faithful Christian life, which pleases God (Rom 8:2-3; 9-11). Like a new navigation system, the Holy Spirit helps me to think, speak and act as Christ directs (Rom 8:5). Like a skilled surgeon, the Spirit enables me to surgically remove every sin that resists Christ’s lordship (Rom 8:12-14). Without the Holy Spirit leading me, I would have no desire nor power to conquer sin. Without Him, I would be on a trajectory of death. But because He lives in me, I am on the side of life (Rom 8:13).

    # 4. The Holy Spirit is a foretaste of heaven.

     The Spirit who breathed spiritual life into my dead soul and raised Jesus from the dead will surely do for me what He did for Jesus! He will give me a glorious new body on the Resurrection Day that has been promised to the living and the dead (Rom 8:11). I will rise to sin no more. Having tasted heaven, I long for the feast, but the hors d’oeuvres is the guarantee that the feast is going to follow.

    When I don’t have the right words or strength to pray, God promises that the Spirit will pray with me and for me, according to His will (Rom 8:26-27). So when I bring my requests to God, I can be sure that He will always do what is best. What blessed assurance the Holy Spirit gives me!

    #5. I am God’s adopted child.

    This promise means that I’m no longer a cringing, fearful slave seeking to impress or appease God with my performance (Rom 8:14-17). I can give up on virtue-signalling. Fear-based religion has given way to faithful relationship with a good Father. I’m in line for all His treasures and can approach Him as Abba, daddy. I have all the privileges and responsibilities of a legitimate child in His family. One of these privileges is the Holy Spirit, who reminds me daily of who and whose I am. The Holy Spirit is my inner witness who signed my adoption order and assures me of my Father’s love.

    #6. Present sufferings are a prelude to glory.

    God promises that present suffering is a price for being identified with Jesus (Rom 8:17). It can also be traced back to the Fall, because “we know that all creation has been subjected to frustration because of the sin of Adam” (Rom 8:20). But we will share in Christ’s glory too! (Rom 8:17-18) The two are not even comparable. “Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

    If I truly believe this promise, I cannot be complacent or discouraged. When I face trials or pressures to conform to the world, I am assured that glory is not just a place to which I go, but also a condition that is being revealed in me. My transformed body awaits me, but so does the perfection of my character, so that Christ will be admired and glorified in those who trust Him.

    #7. The curse will be lifted!

    God has promised that better things lie ahead. In my lifetime, I have never seen such physical, emotional, financial, social and relational suffering in people. For many, hope is lost. But when brokenness is all around, a believer’s anchor is the promise of final redemption, a day when God’s children are openly announced and the curse of sin is finally lifted. My hope is the climax and completion of my salvation. Sin and suffering will be replaced by glory! (Rom 8:19-25)

    Paul says, “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?” (Romans 8:24).

    Hope is not an optimistic wish for utopia, but the absolute certainty of our promised home where there is safety, peace, and plenty for all God’s people. Sin will never enter its gates. “The glory and honour of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Rev 21:27). No longer will there be any curse. This promise is confirmed throughout the Bible (Rev 22:1-5; Isaiah 65:17-25; 2 Peter 3:1-10; Matt 24:29-31; Rev 21:1-4).

    Until this promise of redemption is fulfilled, creation groans to be free, like a woman in labour longs to give birth (Romans 8:19-22). We groan too (Rom 8:23). The whole creation yearns for deliverance when all our longings will be met in the new heavens and new earth, the home of righteousness.

    #8. All things are working together for good!

    Romans 8:28-30 is probably the most cherished biblical promise for good reason. God promises that without exception, He is working all things together for the good of His people and for His glory. All things are not just some things. What does this promise mean?

    It means that the sovereign God who subjected creation to frustration still rules over it– pain, mistakes and evil included. God is in control of all nations, shaping events and decisions to fulfil his will. God is working in the hearts of people and leaders to move them to fulfil his purposes. Even the weather and laws of nature are operating according to God’s direct will. Good or bad, everything is part of God’s plan for us, to conform us to the likeness of Christ, our elder brother in the great family of God. All who love God are included in this promise.

    This sweeping promise assures me that God never wastes pain. He uses all things to accomplish His purpose, for His glory and my welfare. Therefore, I can trust Him even when my heart is broken or my body is racked with pain. I can always trust Him in all things.

    This monumental promise is all of grace. Not everyone has been foreknown by God in an intimate and loving way. But everyone who has been called by the gospel has been justified and glorified (Rom 8:29-30). It’s all in the past tense, so it’s as good as done. Not one person on whom God has set His love will fail to arrive in heaven. If this promise doesn’t move us to worship, nothing will.

    #9. God is for us!

    Are there any four words that move you to gratitude more than these? No “trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword” can alter the promise that God is for his people and will not hold back anything from us (Rom 8:32). “He will freely give us all things”. (Rom 8:31-39). No if’s, but’s or maybe’s.

    No enemy or circumstance can breach this promise. If God delivered up the greatest gift of His own Son for me, how can I doubt that He will give me the grace, courage, strength, wisdom and steadfastness to live through my present trials? My faithful God will hold me fast.

    Promise #10. God loves us!

    Are there any three words more triumphant and affirming than these? (Rom 8:31-39). Who is going to condemn those for whom God’s Son has died? (Rom 8:34) God’s love is an unfailing and unconquerable love. It is especially precious to His own who suffer as sheep for the slaughter (Rom 8:36). No disaster or unseen forces of evil can separate us from God’s embrace or divert our path to heaven. None can cut us off from the presence of Jesus, whose nail-pierced hands and feet prove His Father’s great love for us. Not even death can sever this cord of divine love. Nothing can diminish God’s love for us because he has loved us in Christ Jesus from eternity. If I believe this great love is true, how can I ever be afraid?

    I pray that these ten great and precious promises will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus as you live out the Christian life. Write them down, meditate on them, memorise them, pray them back to God, so that you will be anchored by God’s sure and precious promises in the waiting room, before you see Him face to face.

    Prayer

    I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
        and in his word I put my hope.
     I wait for the Lord
        more than watchmen wait for the morning,
        more than watchmen wait for the morning. (Psalm 130:5-6). Amen.

  • Trusting God’s Promises in the Eye of the Storm (Part 1/2)

    Trusting God’s Promises in the Eye of the Storm (Part 1/2)

    Series: Don’t waste your waiting

    “The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving to all he has made. The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down” (Psalm 145:13). 

    Unlike us, God never makes a promise that He doesn’t keep. His promises are always dependable and true, because they are founded on his unchangeable character, moral perfection and sovereign power. God cannot lie. His promises are like a secure anchor for believers, providing security and stability even when circumstances are hard and hopeless. In contrast, false promises are disappointing no matter how firmly one believes them. They are like eating soup with a fork. You get a taste but no satisfaction.

    False promises.

    It makes me sad when sincere Christians cling for dear life to ‘promises’ that God has not made to them, instead of clinging to God’s Word which is always trustworthy. One woman told me that thirty years ago a man of God had prophesied over her and her husband. According to this alleged prophet, God had promised them that her husband would rise to become a prominent businessman, “a king among men,” a “leader in Christ’s kingdom.” He would have a mighty ministry.

    In reality, the man spent his working life earning a modest salary before being retrenched in his late fifties. He struggled just to make ends meet. He was not a successful evangelist or ministry leader by any stretch of the imagination, just a faithful husband, father, and friend. However, he and his wife remained ever hopeful that their “big breakthrough” was just around the corner. Sadly, disappointment set in because they lived their lives based on a false promise.

    In Leviticus, God warns his covenant people, “You shall not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.” (Lev 19:12). In their casual promises of healing and success, false teachers are no better than the false prophets of Jeremiah’s day, “prophesying false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds” (Jer 14:14). God takes it seriously when people put words into his mouth, especially false promises.

    Many false prophets also claim that they’ve deciphered God’s word in such a way that they can match their Bible with people’s destinies or world affairs. They pluck verses out of context, scattering them like confetti. This causes Christians to put their trust in some other place than Jesus and his Word.

    In the New Testament, the word ‘hope’ does not mean a sincere wish, but an absolute certainty. Unlike false promises, God’s promises have a 100% fulfillment rate. There are three distinguishing marks of God’s promises in the Bible.

    Three marks of God’s promises.

    Firstly, God’s promises bring about hope, perseverance and sanctification in the life of a Christian. God’s promises are never about our earthly glory or greatness, but about our godliness and growth, especially during suffering. God’s promises are not carnal. Like the persecuted Christians of the first century, we need to trust God’s “very great and precious promises” daily, as we seek to live a godly life connected to Christ.

    To the scattered Christians all over the Greco-Roman world Peter writes,

    “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” (1 Peter 1:3-4).

    Secondly, God’s promises are all about Him, not us! They are about God’s character and the wonderful things that He has done. They are based on His attributes, power, and glory, shown through mighty acts on behalf of His people. They are God-centric promises, not man-centric.

    Thirdly, God’s promises are anchored by the salvation which Jesus achieved for His people in His life, death, and resurrection. Christ is the thread woven through all God’s Old Testament promises (Isa 53; Isa 49:6; Gen 3:15; Gen 12:3). As Psalm 22 records, “They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn—for he has done it!” (Ps 22:31). Jesus is the Promised One of the Old Testament (Luke 24:25-27; 2 Cor 1:20). He is the anchor of all God’s promises to His people.

    Applying God’s promises.

    How can we go about trusting in God’s promises in our daily lives? There is no shortcut or hotline to heaven. We cannot read little bits of Scripture and take away inspirational promises. We must humbly submit to God’s Word daily and study it in context to understand the big picture of what God has done and is doing in the world. Since Jesus is the fulfilment of all God’s promises, we need to read God’s promises through the lens of the cross and the resurrection.

    Having said this, one of the habits that I have cultivated over the years is to write down and personalise God’s promises as I read through Scripture in my quiet time. I keep those promises in a box, to meditate on, memorise, and pray over so that I become an effectual doer of the Word and not a forgetful hearer (James 1:22-25). I want to stake my life on God’s sure promises and preach them to myself often, because I am prone to forget. When the waves of adversity break over my head and I am in the eye of the storm, I want to be anchored by God’s sure promises to His people. Christ and His Word is my only stable anchor.

    Memorising Scripture may seem like an overwhelming task, but if the passage is broken down into small sections, it can be memorised fairly easily. The rewards of having a special passage hidden in your heart will be worth the effort. It will be an anchor when your sails are torn.

    Every chapter of the Bible is full of God’s promises to all who have repented of their sin and trusted in the Lord Jesus, but Romans 8 is one of my favourites. Next week we will look at ten great and precious promises from Romans 8. Read the chapter on your own and join us next week as we record, personalise, and believe God’s promises together.

    Listen to “Eye of the Storm”.

     

  • Walk by faith and not by sight

    Walk by faith and not by sight

    Series: Don’t Waste your Waiting (Part 3/4). By Rosie Moore.

    “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.  This is what the ancients were commended for” (Heb 11:1).

    As children, many of us learned about the wonderful process by which a caterpillar morphs into a butterfly. One day the caterpillar stops eating and hangs upside down from a twig and spins itself a silky cocoon. Within the protective casing of the chrysalis, the caterpillar transforms its body, eventually emerging as a butterfly or moth with fully developed eyes, legs, antennae, and wings.

    Inside the chrysalis.

    With the naked eye, we can’t see what’s happening to the moth in its season of dormancy. But if we had x-ray eyes to see inside the invisible world of the cocoon, we would be amazed at the massive disintegration of tissue and rapid cell division. A powerful metamorphosis is taking place in the unseen world, but we only see the effects when a butterfly finally emerges.

    How can a follower of Christ be sure that our waiting is not wasted, but transformative instead? Hebrews 11 reminds us that God is doing far more than we can see in our difficult labours in this world. As we wait for Him, we are urged to put our faith in things not seen (Heb 11:1). Until the cocoon of this age bursts open and we finally get to see Jesus face-to-face (1 Cor 13:12), we must learn to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor 5:7).

    Things not seen.

    In 2 Corinthians 4 and 5, Paul gives suffering Christians bifocal lenses to see their ‘momentary troubles’ in the light of an eternal, invisible reality, so that they do not lose heart but are instead inspired to faithful service. Using words like ‘groan’ and ‘burdened’, Paul does not dismiss or minimize their present troubles (2 Cor 5:4). Rather, he urges them to fix their eyes on things not seen, as they eagerly await their glorified bodies and heavenly homes.

    “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 “For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (2 Cor 4:16-18).

    So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, 3 because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4 For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

    6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 For we live by faith, not by sight (2 Cor 5:6-8).

    As a culture, we are obsessed with optics. But to live by faith and not by sight, we need to topple the idol of focusing on only what can be seen, felt, praised, and noticed, in the here and now. With eyes of faith, we will see that “the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus” (2 Cor 4:14). The reality of the resurrection is why Paul says “we are always confident.” Paul’s heavenly perspective changes everything.

    Because of Christ’s bodily resurrection, followers of Christ are being inwardly renewed by the Holy Spirit day-by-day (2 Cor 4:16). Our sanctification is even more real and wonderful than the caterpillar’s transformation in its silky cocoon: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Cor 5:17).

    As a Christian, it is easy to lose heart and quit, but Paul says effectively,

    “This cocoon you’re in is not all there is! It’s just a temporary shelter, a flimsy tent. Open the flap and you’ll see a whole world out there—a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. So, don’t let fatigue, sickness, persecution, or suffering force you off the job! Don’t let your current situation cloud your lenses! There is a purpose in your labours. Your weakness is allowing the resurrection power of Jesus to strengthen you moment by moment. It is keeping you from pride. It is proving your faith to others. And as you persevere in obedience, the Holy Spirit is transforming you into the likeness of Christ! Look and see the metamorphosis taking place in the cocoon.”

    A 19th century pastor, James H Aughey once wrote: “As a weak limb grows stronger by exercise, so will your faith be strengthened by the very efforts you make in stretching it out toward things unseen.”

    Troubles are a gift. They are opportunities to stretch our faith towards things unseen. Knowing that we will live forever with God in a place without sin and suffering enables us to live above the groans and burdens of this temporary tent. Death is only a prelude to eternal life with God, and we have this eternity in us now.

    This is especially true for God’s children in uncertain and painful times. We will become like Jesus to the extent that we focus on the unseen person of Christ and his resurrection power to transform our lives. After all, didn’t God unleash the greatest blessing the world has ever known when Jesus was raised from the dead?

    No bumper sticker faith.

    “Walk by faith and not by sight” may sound like a bumper sticker for those living a life sheltered from pain, trauma, and loss. But nothing is further from the truth. This is no platitude.

    A friend of mine with cancer is stretching out her faith towards the unseen truths of the gospel, as she trudges through the anguish of chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, and an uncertain future. Despite her suffering, she is walking in the faithful confidence of 2 Cor 5:6-8. Jen is a picture of ‘good courage’.

    Nigeria is currently the most persecuted nation on earth. Every day a hundred million Nigerian Christians are walking by faith and not by sight, as many among them are terrorized, stripped of their livelihoods and face abduction and sexual violence.  2 Cor 4:16-18 is not a platitude, but a life and death reality.

    Living by faith and not by sight is not about ignoring the difficult afflictions we endure, nor convincing ourselves of something that isn’t true. It is not about claiming fake promises of prosperity that God has not given us, nor about ‘manifesting’ a bright future for ourselves. Rather, it is about training our hearts and minds to see that our afflictions are producing for us “an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Cor 4:17).

    Living for the unseen is actively trusting in God’s sovereign purposes over all things for our good and his glory, even while “hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down” (2 Cor 4:8-9, Rom 8:28). We may not see what God is doing, but we know that “the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself mighty on behalf of those whose heart is whole toward him” (2 Chron 16:9). “No eye has seen a God besides you, who works for those who wait for him” (Isa 64:4).

    Living by faith is trusting that through the labours inside the cocoon, God is transforming his people into the likeness of Jesus, to make us fit for our eternal home (Rom 8:29; 2 Cor 5:5).  He is faithful to complete this work of transformation. “The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it” (1 Thess 5:24).

    When followers of Jesus actively walk by faith and not by sight, we begin to see that we can’t lose. Whether alive on earth or alive with Him in heaven, we’re in the cocoon of a God who is perfectly sovereign, infinitely wise, and always faithful. There is great victory in this certainty (2 Cor 5:8; Rom 8:37).

    In just a little while.

    Our motivation in the waiting room is to draw courage and patience from things unseen.

    Our goal in the waiting room is to persevere in pleasing God, as we trust his faithful character and promises (2 Cor 5:9).

    Our wait will surely be rewarded when we finally see Jesus face-to-face. He will come “in just a little while,” but in the meantime, the righteous will live by faith.

    “The righteous will live by faith”: “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 

    37 For, “In just a little while,
        he who is coming will come
        and will not delay.”

    38 “But my righteous one will live by faith.
        And I take no pleasure
        in the one who shrinks back.” (Heb 10:36-38).

    Join us next week as we camp on the third step in the waiting room— “A month of promises you can depend on.”

     

  • Pray expectantly

    Pray expectantly

    Series: Don’t waste your waiting! (Part 2)

    I waited patiently for the Lord;
        he turned to me and heard my cry. (Ps 40:1).

    At this moment I am praying for several situations and people that I care about deeply. Like the Psalmist, I am waiting for the Lord and asking Him to intervene. I am not certain of the outcomes, but I do know that God does not want me to waste my waiting by becoming fretful, fearful, or impatient. Godly waiting involves persistent, expectant prayer, as well as trusting God’s answer when it isn’t the answer we long for. Even if delay appears senseless or painful, God has a purpose for everything that he allows in our lives. Waiting for the Lord is good!

    In last week’s devotion, Don’t waste your waiting, we ended with three practical steps we can take in the waiting room. Today we will camp on the first step:

    Pray expectantly.

    Prayer is a peculiar privilege and gift that God gives to every Christian. By ‘peculiar’, I don’t mean strange, but rather distinctive and special. Some view prayer as a formal or mystical experience, whereas the Bible describes it as speaking sincerely to God, through Christ who has given us access. It is one of the wonderful blessings of our adoption into God’s family. As Jesus said, our Father is ready to give good gifts “to those who ask him” (Matt 7:11; Luke 11:11-13).

    When the Lord taught his disciples to pray to God, he told them to address him saying, “Our Father in heaven” (Matt 6:9). Jesus said, “When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.” (Matt 6:6). Prayer is not babbling or mindless repetition (Matt 6:7). We do not have to rehearse our prayers before they are perfect enough for God and others to hear, because prayer and pretentiousness do not belong in the same sentence (Matt 6:5).

    God has designed prayer as an everyday “means of intimate and joyous fellowship between God and man,” a sweet communion every Christian can enjoy whether we are outgoing or shy, eloquent or faltering with words. Prayer is simply opening our hearts and speaking sincerely to God. “Prayer is the breath of the soul, the organ by which we receive Christ into our parched and withered hearts” (O’ Hallesby).

    Because of the relationship with our heavenly Father, we have no need to become anxious about our daily needs, for “your Father knows that you need them” (Luke 12:29-30). What wonderful words of comfort Jesus spoke immediately afterwards: “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).

    Since God eagerly delights to share the fullness of the kingdom itself with us, it makes perfect sense to pray expectant, hopeful prayers. We can approach the throne of grace with confidence that the Creator of the universe is our heavenly Father, eager to hear our requests and bless us from his generous provision. We can pray patiently, as we wait on our powerful, wise Father to act for our ultimate good and his glory.

    Devoted to prayer.

    One of the most striking features of the book of Acts is the early church’s devotion to prayer (Acts 2:42). These first century believers recognised that they could not survive a single day without God’s wisdom and help (James 1:5). Hence, believers were marked by a persistent commitment to pray corporately, throwing themselves on the providential care and power of God (Acts 1:14, 24; 4:24-31).

    Our needs are no different today. If a church congregation or life group does not commune with the Lord through prayer, both individually and corporately, we will be spiritually weak and apathetic. That’s why the Bible calls us to pray fervently, expectantly, constantly and without doubting (Luke 18:1; Eph 6:18; Col 4:2; 1 Thess 5:17; James 1:6-8).

    Constant in prayer.

    In Romans 12:12, Paul summarizes the Christian life in the soil of this troubled world: “Rejoicing in hope, patient in affliction, constant in prayer.” This is a powerful triad to orientate us in the waiting room of life.

    In the context of chapter 12, the joy, hope, and patient prayers of a believer are rooted in our union with Jesus. It is only because Christ carried our sin on the cross that a believer can be constant in prayer, knowing that God hears and cares for us (Matthew 6:6-13).

    Jesus himself was constant in prayer. His own dying words were prayers to his Father, “Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34). “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34) “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46). Christ prayed to his Father until his final breath.

    You may be relieved to know that the Greek word translated as “constant” does not mean a 24/7 prayer marathon! Being constant simply means being faithful, persistent and persevering in prayer. Paul is calling us to be devoted and habitual in talking to God, not random or occasional.

    We cannot be constant in prayer if we are a prisoner to our emotions, praying only when we feel like it. If we choose to pray to God regularly, our feelings eventually follow. Prayer will always be crowded out by noisier demands and distractions unless we plan our time and place to pray.

    John Piper fleshes out Romans 12:2:

    “God is, of course, available any time. And he loves to help any time. But he is dishonoured when we do not make time in our day to give him focused attention. All relationships suffer without regular focused attention. Paul is calling all of us to a life of regular, planned meetings with God in prayer in which we praise him for who he is, and thank him for what he has done, and ask him for help, and plead the cause of those we love, including the peoples of the world.”

    I love the ACTS acronym I was taught as a teenager by Youth for Christ, as it guards against me-centred prayers:

    A–Acknowledge God.

    C–Confess your sin.

    T–Thanksgiving.

    S–Supplication (Ask).

    When we ask, we can expect that God will answer.

    Habakkuk’s expectant prayers.

    In around 600BC, a prophet called Habakkuk poured out his heart to God in prayer about the intensifying evils he saw in the southern kingdom of Judah. He could not understand why a just and powerful God would allow evil people to get away with their unjust and violent crimes for so long. He was waiting for God to act and bring about justice in his nation.

    “O Lord, how long shall I cry for help,

    And you will not hear?

    Or cry to you “Violence!”

    And you will not save?” (Hab 1:2)

    Habakkuk prayed to the Lord for the whole of chapter 1. Then he headed for the lookout tower to watch for an answer to his questions.

    “I will stand at my watch
        and station myself on the ramparts;
    I will look to see what he will say to me,
        and what answer I am to give to this complaint” (Hab 2:1).

    A lookout tower is a powerful image of expectancy. It is the place where a watchman would peer into the distance, waiting and watching for whoever was approaching the city. Habakkuk knew that God alone had the answers and he wanted to be prepared to listen to His message.

    In his book, Fear to Faith, Martin Lloyd Jones writes: “If we pray to God, we must expect answers to our prayers. Do we in fact, after we have prayed, continue to look to God and eagerly await the answer? Are we like this man, Habakkuk, on his watchtower, expecting it to come at any moment?”

    But God’s answers to Habakkuk were not exactly what he had hoped for. The Lord says that He is raising up Babylon, an even more cruel and wicked nation, to take the faithless Israelites into captivity (Hab 1:5-6). After three long chapters of wrestling in prayer, Habakkuk chooses to rejoice in God and wait for Him to act, no matter what. He ends with a powerful prayer of surrender to a sovereign, faithful God. This is a prayer worth memorizing! It is a patient and expectant prayer.

    Though the fig tree does not bud
        and there are no grapes on the vines…
    18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
        I will be joyful in God my Saviour.

    19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
        he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
        he enables me to tread on the heights (Habakkuk 3:17-19).

    Wait patiently for the Lord.

    In an age of distraction and instant gratification, we can learn from Habakkuk’s expectant and steadfast prayers, especially when God’s answers were different from what he hoped for.

    Do we watch and wait for our prayers to be answered, or forget prayer requests at the back of a journal?

    Do we trust in the wisdom of God’s answer, whether it is Yes, no, or wait?

    Are we sceptical that God can and does bring good out of difficulties? We can’t receive what we don’t even believe (James 1:6-8).

    When we pray, God is doing a good work within us. We may not always like or understand his answers. We may not see his answer immediately, often not for a long time. But let us remain “joyful in hope, patient in affliction, constant in prayer” even when God’s answers seem delayed. God’s timing might be slower than we’d like, but He is powerfully at work even when things seem completely out of control or hopeless.

    Prayer from Psalm 40.

    I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he turned to me and heard my cry.
    2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
    out of the mud and mire;
    he set my feet on a rock
    and gave me a firm place to stand.
    3 He put a new song in my mouth,
    a hymn of praise to our God.
    Many will see and fear the Lord
    and put their trust in him.

    4 Blessed is the one
    who trusts in the Lord,
    who does not look to the proud,
    to those who turn aside to false gods.
    5 Many, Lord my God,
    are the wonders you have done,
    the things you planned for us.
    None can compare with you;
    were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
    they would be too many to declare.

    In Jesus’s name, Amen.

    Listen to “As the Deer”, a prayer inspired by Psalm 42.

    Helpful Books on Prayer:

    O’ Hallesby, Prayer. 1948, IVP.

    Sarah Ivill, The God who Hears: How the story of the Bible shapes our prayers. Reformation Heritage books

    Phillip Yancey, Prayer: Does it make any difference?

    J.C Ryle, Do you pray? Banner of Truth booklet.

    James and Joel Beeke, Developing a Healthy Prayer Life. Reformation Heritage Books.

  • Don’t waste your waiting!

    Don’t waste your waiting!

    Waiting reveals whether we truly believe that God is wise and His timing is perfect. There is no crucible like the waiting room to sanctify us and make us more like Jesus, our Saviour.

    But waiting on the Lord is not an easy activity for a believer. When God seems slow to act on our behalf, we may be tempted to take matters into our own hands, then look to God for his blessing. Alternatively, we may see waiting as a passive activity, like the period between writing an exam and getting the results. Fixated with the outcome we desire, we are blind to the valuable work that God is doing in us during the process of waiting.

    Godly waiting requires active dependence on the Lord and obedience to Him. It’s a spiritual discipline that we must practice. If we seek God in ways that honour and please Him, the waiting room will yield many benefits for a Christian. Moreover, God will be glorified in and through our waiting.

    Waiting in the Psalms.

    In many heartfelt prayers, David shows us how not to waste our waiting. He teaches us to wait with hope, patience and trust, as we continue to do the things that please God.

    Wait hopefully.

    In Psalm 130, David cries out to God from the darkness of trouble, as he waits for the Lord to act. As a night watchman waits for a dawn that he knows is coming, the Psalmist waits confidently for God’s mercy, unfailing love and redemption. He puts his hope in the truth of God’s word, not his own feelings or his circumstances.

    I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
        and in his word I put my hope.
    6 I wait for the Lord
        more than watchmen wait for the morning,
        more than watchmen wait for the morning (Ps 130:5-6).

    Wait patiently.

    In Psalm 37, David urges us to wait patiently for God’s justice, especially when we’re tempted to fret needlessly or take revenge. What should we do while we wait? Keep trusting the Lord, and do good (Ps 37:3); delight yourself in the Lord (Ps 37:4), and commit your way to the Lord (Ps 37:5).

    Be still before the Lord
        and wait patiently for him;
    do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
        when they carry out their wicked schemes.

    8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
        do not fret—it leads only to evil.
    9 For those who are evil will be destroyed,
        but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land (Psalm 37:7-9).

    Wait trustingly.

    In Psalm 33, David points to the object of our faith, as we wait. Our hope is rooted in who God is– His power, kindness, faithfulness and desire to bless his children. It is a hope based on solid ground, not wishful thinking:

    We wait in hope for the Lord;
        he is our help and our shield (Ps 33:20).

    Benefits of the waiting room.

    In contrast to instant ‘name-it, claim-it’ theology, the Bible describes many benefits of waiting that a Christian can embrace.

    The dependence of the waiting room will grow our prayer life, as we replace worry with trusting, thankful prayers (Phil 4:6). In a period of forced inaction and uncertainty, our hearts are quietened before a sovereign, wise and caring God. We learn to humble ourselves under the mighty power of God and cast all our cares on Him, waiting for him to lift us up at the right time (1 Peter 5:6-7). It is the place where we may experience God’s peace which exceeds anything we can understand (Phil 4:7).

    The desperation of the waiting room dares us to ask for great things in prayer, as Elijah did (James 5:17-18). But it is also the place where we become a living, breathing example of the phrase, “If the Lord wills” (James 4:13-16). Christ Himself showed us what this humble submission looks like in the waiting room of Gethsemane (Luke 22:42).

    Many years of waiting honed the perseverance, character and hope of a long line of Biblical heroes, including David, Moses, Job, Joseph, Paul, Esther, Hannah, Ruth, Abraham, Jeremiah, Mary, Daniel, Noah, Anna, Simeon and many others. Paul writes,

    “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Rom 5:4-6). It is in the hard process of waiting that we begin to know the Father’s love in a unique way.

    Tests of the waiting room.

    Of course, as in the case of all affliction, waiting doesn’t always produce good fruit in a believer. Waiting was one of the greatest tests that Abram and Sarai had to face after God promised them a son in their old age. But, instead of being willing to let God work in His own timing, Sarai suggested a sinful, wilful solution, and Abram agreed. Instead of waiting on the Lord, Sarah took matters into her own hands by offering her maidservant to Abram to produce a baby (Gen 16:1-2). Through her manipulation, she made herself God. The result was confusion, contention and division.

    And so, if our attitude to waiting is self-directed and presumptuous, we will be like the self- confident man whom James describes, intent on bringing his own plans to pass without taking God into account. His egotistical plans are described as “arrogant schemes” and “evil boasting”:

    Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil (James 4:13-16).

    Your own waiting room.

    In this season of your life, you may be waiting for God to restore justice, for crucial test results, or healing after many months of distress. You may be waiting for a spouse or a job offer after sending your CV to every contact you can think of. Or you may be waiting for God to save a loved one, restore a precious relationship, or turn your finances around. All the while, you are praying fervently for God to act.

    But God does not want us to waste our waiting. Godly waiting involves staying the course of faith even when we can’t see the hand of God at work (Heb 10:36-39). It involves resting in the Lord today, as we wait quietly for his daily mercies and compassions (Ps 62:5-6; Lam 3:25-26). It requires us to take one day at a time, and not borrow tomorrow’s trouble (Matt 6:34). And it also requires us to accept God’s answer when it isn’t the answer we long for.

    Fruitful waiting involves being faithful now in what God has called us to, even in small things such as work, singleness, taking care of children, undergoing treatment, or making every effort to find a job. Godly waiting involves obeying God’s Word and living holy lives, as we grow in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and wait for the world’s final redemption (2 Peter 3:14, 17-18).

    After all, every Christian is waiting for Christ to return and for all wrongs to be made right (Rom 8:24-25). Every day we’re alive is a waiting room of faithful stewardship that Christ has entrusted to us (Matt 25:23; 1 Cor 4:2).

    How can a follower of Christ ensure that our waiting is not wasted, but fruitful instead? Since most of us are action people and don’t like to stand still for long, here are some biblical steps we can take while in the waiting room—

    1. Pray expectantly.
    2. Walk by faith, not by sight.
    3. Trust in the promises of God.

    Join us in the next week as we explore these three steps.

    Prayer.

    Lord, we acknowledge that y0u are sovereign over all circumstances, and perfectly wise in your timing too. Thank you that Jesus is our High Priest who understands our weaknesses, for He faced all the same testings we do, yet He did not sin. And so, we approach your throne of grace with confidence. We humble ourselves under your mighty power, knowing that you will lift us up at the right time. We give you all our worries and cares, because you care for us. Help us to use our waiting well by holding firmly to what we believe and by finding rest in you alone. We do not lean on our own understanding, but trust you with all our heart and acknowledge you in all our ways. Whatever the outcome, we know that you will make our paths straight. In Jesus’ name.

    (Prayer based on Heb 4:14-16; 1 Peter 5:6-7; Matt 11:28; Prov 3:5-6).

  • A Wise Wife

    A Wise Wife

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    If you are a Christian wife, at some point you have probably felt confused in understanding your role, purpose and identity as a married woman. You may have succumbed more than once to the ‘comparison trap’ after scrolling through the glamorous posts of other wives who seem to have it all. I know I have.

    In the book of Proverbs, Solomon writes about two kinds of wives. One is foolish, one is wise:

    The wise woman builds her house,
        but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down. (Proverbs 14:1)

     Wise wives.

    A big part of being a Christ follower is growing in wisdom. Wisdom is not a one day game. It entails digging daily into God’s Word, and asking the Holy Spirit to renew our thinking and transform our ways. Ideally, the wisdom that a Christian wife needs to build her house is passed down from generation to generation, as well as through teaching and mentorship in the local church.

    Paul describes this kind of discipleship in his letter to Titus, a young pastor. Older women are called to teach younger wives how “to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, submissive to their own husband, so that the word of God will not be dishonoured.” (Titus 2:3-5) How many strong, wise women have inspired you in your role as a wife?

    Given the number of broken families and marriages around us, we can assume that few are building their houses according to godly and wise principles. Sadly, even Christian men and women have been more heavily influenced by feminist ideology than by the Bible. Like our ancestor Eve, we have been seduced by many lies of the Enemy, especially relating to marriage.

    Lies women believe.

    Here are ten lies (or half truths) that women believe relating to marriage. They are adapted from Nancy Wolgemuth’s book, Lies Women Believe and The Truth that Sets them Free).

    I have to have a husband to be happy.

    It’s my job to change my husband.

    My husband is supposed to serve me.

    If I submit to my husband, I’ll be a miserable doormat.

    If I submit to my husband, nothing will get done. I’ve got to take the initiative.

    I have a low sex drive and my husband must accept that.

    My children are my number one priority.

    I can’t control my emotions or help the way I am. My hormones made me do it!

    My work at home is not as important as my job outside the home.

    I have my rights!

    In contrast, here are four wisdom principles from God’s word to re-shape our thinking as wives:

    1. A wise wife stands on Scripture.

    A wise wife stands on the Scriptures that God has given to her as a married woman, instead of conforming to the pattern of this world. She knows that a human idea that contradicts God’s Word is “a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death” (Prov 14:12).

    Because a wise wife fears the Lord, she stands on the authority of the Bible rather than on cultural practices or her own ideas. She embraces God’s order and priorities for her life (Eph 5:23; Titus 2:3-5; 1 Tim 2:15; 1 Peter 3:3-6; Prov 31:10-31).

    A wise wife makes it her daily practice to “demolish strongholds and every pretention that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor 10:4-5). She allows no one to take her captive through “hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ” (Col 2:8).

    A wise wife allows God’s Word, not culture, to shape every aspect of her daily life, especially in how she relates to her husband, how she raises her children and prioritises her household. She is sanctified by the truth of God’s Word (John 17:17).

    2. A wise wife worships Christ.

    A wise wife knows that there is only one perfect husband, one Rock, and one Shepherd. His name is Jesus Christ! She clings to her Saviour when hard things happen in her marriage. Instead of dwelling on her husband’s shortcomings, she focuses on God’s unchanging promises and purposes. She fears the Lord before all else (Prov 31:30).

    She finds her ultimate companionship, hope, wisdom, rest and strength in Christ alone, knowing that marriage is a stewardship from Him and for Him. At the centre of her marriage is her relationship with Christ, and she actively depends on Him to meet her needs and be her source of truth and happiness. Like Mary of Bethany, she is first and foremost devoted to Jesus (Luke 10:38-42).

    And so, a wise wife doesn’t make an idol of her husband or demand from him the perfection that no human being can give. She knows that there is only one Saviour who can satisfy the aching abyss of her heart. She gains vital nourishment from Christ through regular Bible reading and prayer, the Holy Spirit’s guidance and comfort, wisdom from mature believers, and obedience by faith to God’s commands.

    A wise wife knows that no husband, no matter how diligent, can unfailingly meet her needs for love, security and companionship. No husband can live up to her ideals. No husband can be perfectly patient and compassionate as she pours out her 20 000 words to him per day! No husband can ever make his wife’s dream of a perfect, romantic love come true.

    Therefore, a wise wife does not try to control, coerce or cling to her husband, but realises that she is married to an imperfect man for whom Christ died. She gives her husband freedom to be Christ’s, loving and accepting him for who he really is, not as a means to an end. She does not place intolerable burdens on her man, but looks to Jesus to supply the perfect, never-ending love for which her heart was created.

    And even if a wife is married to a persistently bad husband, one of the most emotionally demanding and difficult situations, a wise wife does not depend on the quality of her husband’s love or leadership. God’s wisdom is still wise. The apostle Peter says that women who are married to ungodly husbands are to imitate Jesus’ attitudes and actions when the human leadership over Him failed and was unfair (1 Peter 2:21-23). A wise wife continues to look to Christ for her worth and identity, especially when her husband is not the man God calls him to be. She continues to entrust herself and her husband to a just God, while praying to win him over without words, by her godly life (1 Peter 3:1-5).

    3. A wise wife submits to her husband.

    Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Saviour. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything (Eph 5:22-24).

    A wife’s submission is a wildly counter-cultural idea, but we cannot simply reject what Paul says because it makes us feel uncomfortable. We need to surrender our cultural and family baggage as we seek to understand what submission means and doesn’t mean.

    Paul’s phrase ‘as to the Lord’ reminds us that submission does not mean obeying a husband who leads his wife into sin. In this case, she must obey her higher authority, the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 5:29). Nor does submission mean that a wife never shares her opinions or concerns with her husband. After all, she is his “helpmeet”, a valuable part of the husband-wife team (Gen 2:8).

    Eph 5:33 defines what submission is: A wife must ‘respect’ her husband, regardless of whether he is worthy of her respect. After all, Jesus is the only husband who is always worthy of our respect. A respectful wife makes her husband feel worthwhile, honoured and admired. She gets to know her own husband to find out what she can do and say to show him honour. ‘In everything’ (Eph 5:24) isn’t selective or conditional submission. It touches every aspect of our lives and calls on a wife to treat her husband better than he deserves.

    A wise wife confronts her husband gently and disagrees with him respectfully. She is not quarrelsome or argumentative, like a constant dripping on a rainy day (Prov 27:15-16; Prov 19:13; 21:9; 25:24; 27:15.)

    Peter describes the attitude of a “gentle and quiet spirit” that is of great worth to God (1 Peter 3:4). Submission is an inner quality of gentleness and respect that actively affirms her husband’s leadership in both action and attitude. Thus, a wise wife responds positively when her husband initiates.

    The Gospel is key to understanding submission. Submission stands against the backdrop of a wife’s submission to Christ (Eph 5:22), and the Church’s submission to Christ (Eph 5:24), and Christ’s submission to his Father (Matt 26:39). There is nothing subservient or humiliating about any of these three relationships. They are ordered and beautiful, having nothing to do with competence or unequal value.

    If a wise wife submits to her husband, as she submits to Christ, the logical question is, “How do we submit to Jesus?”

    We follow Jesus gladly. We learn from Him. We are led by Him. We make sacrifices for Him. We are vulnerable and open with Him. We invite Him to influence the direction our lives take.

    Ironically, what a wife wants most out of life—love, stability, peace, and God’s approval—comes through submitting to her husband in all these ways, not through resisting or controlling him. When submission is in response to a loving husband’s leadership, it is not burdensome, but more like a harmonious dance.

    Like all God’s commands, submission has many benefits. By imitating Jesus’s submission to His Father in heaven, a wife glorifies Christ. Secondly, submission is an opportunity for a wife to worship Christ, the ‘invisible man’ in the relationship. Thirdly, submission protects a wife. It is a shield against rude or manipulative people, and against interfering parents or extended family. Fourthly, submission shelters a wife from the stress of being responsible for a family. And fifthly, submission builds faith. Faith grows stronger in a woman who trusts God to guide her husband, rather than trusting herself to control him.

    Many problems in marriage come from this basic role reversal. A wife who refuses to submit becomes controlling or complaining, while a husband who feels disrespected may become more passive or tyrannical. Since men are wired to lead their wives, a submissive wife is a blessing to her husband and her marriage.

    4. A wise wife blesses her husband.

    A wife of noble character who can find?
        She is worth far more than rubies.
    Her husband has full confidence in her
        and lacks nothing of value.
    She brings him good, not harm,
        all the days of her life (Proverbs 31:10-12).

    Through all the risk and wonder, the joy and sorrow of marriage, a wise woman converts the biblical descriptions of love into action (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). After thirty-one years, I’m still finding it hard to do these few simple verses in my marriage. Love is not a feeling. Love is small acts of blessing, performed over and over again, to bring good to our husbands, all the days of our lives. The wise wife builds her house, day by day, moment by moment:

    A wise wife extends grace to her husband instead of criticism.

    She expresses thanks by ministering to his needs.

    She writes a letter telling him what she loves and admires about him.

    She guards her heart against tearing him down, in her words, thoughts or attitudes.

    She blesses him with the gift of lovemaking.

    She builds him up verbally, from the heart–

    “I’m happy to see you!”

    “Thank you for sharing your life with me.”

    “Let me know how I can help you.”

    “I’m so glad I married you!”

    “I thank God for bringing you into my life.”

    “Wisdom has built her house” (Prov 9:1)

    Prayer

    Lord, may your peace continually fill and surround our marriage. Protect us from the evil one, so that the devil may never gain a foothold in our home. Lord, I ask that you help me to bless my husband through all the days of our life together. Thank you for joining us together as one in the Lord Jesus. By the power of the Holy Spirit and the truth of your Word, give me wisdom, joy and grace, that I may respond to my husband according to your design for us. Lead me, good Shepherd, with your strong hand as I follow you moment by moment, that I may live each day in a way that pleases you. In Jesus’s name, Amen.

    Resources:

    Love that Lasts: When Marriage Meets Grace, by Gary and Betsy Ricucci.

    Blessing your Husband, by Debra Evans.

    10 Things I Want my Husband to Know…and how to tell him, Annie Chapman.

    The Love Dare, by Steven and Alex Kendrick.

    7 Things He’ll Never Tell You, but you need to know, by Dr Kevin Leman.

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  • A husband’s leadership

    A husband’s leadership

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    God has entrusted to mere men the awesome privilege and responsibility of loving, leading, nurturing, and cherishing an imperfect woman in the same way that Christ loves his church. A loving husband finds ways to let his wife shine and creates space for her to develop her strengths. He makes it easy for his wife to submit, follow and respect him. Jonathan Leeman describes how a husband is to view his authority in the home:

     “The husband cannot demand respect or submission! His job is to draw his wife towards oneness. He woos her in a compelling, loving, gentle, patient, understanding way. Song of Solomon gives us a picture of the compelling nature of a husband’s authority. You are to win your wife with the compelling power of your love for her and care for her and tenderness for her as you seek to rule the earth together, as God instructed in Genesis 1. How tragic it is when a husband uses his authority selfishly for his own gain. We are called to rule and lead like Christ rules—a beautiful, tender, gentle Saviour.”

    Lead like Jesus.

    “Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound, but I am referring to Christ and the Church” (Eph 5:31).

    God’s original plan envisages a husband who is a lifelong lover, leader, and learner.

    1. Lover. Loving his wife is by far the most important responsibility of a husband. Paul summarizes, “Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them” (Col 3:19). The beautiful gospel story is enacted when a husband truly, unconditionally loves his wife, over and over and over, daily laying down his life and his desires/needs/wants for her good.

    Paul likens a husband’s love to Christ’s love for the church: “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her” (Eph 5:25).

    A husband’s love is a choice (Eph 5:25a). His love embraces feelings, but does not depend on them. Just as Jesus chose to love us even though we were unlovable, a husband’s love ought to be unconditional. A husband’s love is also sacrificial. Christ’s example shows that love is about what a husband gives, not what he gets.

     A husband’s love is exclusive. Although a Christian man is called to love all people, clearly, he is to love his wife as no other. It is a unique love, like Christ’s special love for his church. A husband’s love is other-person focused, not self-focused (Eph 5:28-32). He is to treat his wife in the same way or better than he treats himself.

    Love is a perishable commodity.

    A husband may protest, “But my wife knows that I love her. Nothing has changed since I stood at the altar and swore undying love.” But love is a perishable commodity. Yesterday’s love must be renewed and expressed to your wife every single day. A husband who does not actively love his wife will wake up one day to discover a distant wife and a marriage that’s withered into a lifeless stick.  A husband who does not intentionally love his wife will progressively become more independent, critical, harsh, and self-centred.

    Do the things you did at first.

    Another husband may complain, “We’ve fallen out of love. We no longer even like each other.” But in Revelation 2:4-5, God accuses the first century Ephesian church of lovelessness, “You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the deeds you did at first.” The role of a loving husband is to do the things you did at first when your relationship with your wife was sweet and intimate. Keep doing those things for as long as you have life in your body.

    2. Leader. The husband is to lead his wife, as he submits to Christ. “But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God” (1 Cor 11:3). This is God’s order for the relationship. It has nothing to do with competence or equality. A godly husband needs to learn to lead his wife well. He cannot abdicate this responsibility by passively standing by and expecting his wife to take the reins, as Adam did in the Garden.

    3. Learner. A godly husband seeks to learn and know his wife deeply, so that he can love and lead her better. Peter writes, “Husbands, in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman, and show her honour as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered” (1 Peter 3:7).

    An understanding husband is an observant learner, not for the purpose of criticizing his wife, but in order to praise, encourage, and help her become the woman that God designed her to be. He takes joy in her progress.

    A dozen practices of a loving leader.

    1. Take the initiative and bear responsibility for important decisions. Never make an important decision without getting your wife’s input.
    2. Take an active role in teaching and disciplining the children.
    3. Be completely committed to your wife in thought, word, deed, and sexual purity. She should know that you are a man of one woman, and she is that woman! Make your wife feel cherished like no other.
    4. Do your best to provide financially (1 Tim 5:8), care for your wife emotionally, and provide what you know will be good for her. However, provision does not mean wealth and extravagance. It is better for your family to enjoy your presence than your presents.
    5. Bring out the best in your wife (Eph 5:26-27). Allow her to shine.
    6. Be actively involved in her spiritual life and provide spiritual leadership for the family. Do everything you can to help her see Jesus more clearly through the witness of your own life. Faithfully pray for her, that Jesus Christ may be glorified in her and that she might know his love and grace. As a couple, write down goals for how you want your marriage to honour God. Initiate devotions and encourage active service in church.
    7. Trust your wife (Prov 31:11). Love believes the best and makes the most charitable assumptions when she makes a mistake.
    8. Order your lives and finances so that she can focus her attention on her home and family (Titus 2:5). Relieve pressure from her shoulders.
    9. Regularly praise, encourage, and affirm your wife (Prov 31:28-29). Everyone responds better to praise that to criticism. Gratitude not expressed is not gratitude. Honour not expressed is not honour. Each time you say the words, “I love you”, you are expressing three profound truths: “I choose you. I am committed to you. I delight in you.”
    10. Show her tender affection with loving touches (holding hands, putting arms around her waist, kissing her goodnight (Song of Solomon 1:2). Affection expressed solely for sexual purposes is not affection.
    11. Protect her from attacks from outside (John 10:27). Be a good shepherd to her.
    12. Creatively find ways to nurture companionship and intimacy (Gen 2:18). Since God created marriage for lifelong, one-flesh union, a loving husband removes all obstacles to this unity. Plan date nights and share the happiest and saddest moments of your day. Find fun activities you both enjoy doing and schedule them into your week. Pray and read the Bible together. The saying is true: “Couples who play and pray together, stay together.”

    Five practices of a learner.

    1. A learner regularly reads good books on marriage to develop better skills. Other than Christ, nothing is more important to him than learning how to grow his marriage.
    2. A learner studies his wife’s unique personality, goals, joys, and frustrations. He creates a haven for his wife to share personal things with him. A wife will close down if her husband fails to give her his full attention; makes snide or flippant remarks; cross-examines her like a prosecuting attorney; or gives solutions to her problems but shows no concern for how she feels.
    3. A learner will notice his wife’s strengths, weaknesses, and pressures. A loving husband tries to understand the details of his wife’s life, to help and encourage her. He does not notice her faults to criticize her, but to stretch mercy over her failures.
    4. A learner finds out what makes his wife happy (Deut 24:5). In the Old Testament, a husband was not allowed to do military service for a year after his wedding, as he was to stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he married!
    5. A learner understands the obvious differences between men and women. A loving husband does not treat his wife as a male buddy. Most women feel loved when they’re pursued and when their husband initiates romance. A learner realizes that men and women are different sexually and communicate differently—men give summaries while women want the whole story! A learner honours these God-given differences.

    An honourable man.

    Peter wrote that if a husband dishonours his wife and doesn’t live with her in an understanding way, his prayers will be hindered (1 Peter 3:7). This is a sober warning to husbands. An honourable man treats his wife with the dignity normally reserved for someone above him in authority. Honour is not a highly rated characteristic in our culture, but it is highly regarded by God.

    An honourable man is considerate and humble in leading his wife. He is prepared to sacrifice his own comforts, privileges and desires for his bride, as Christ did when He gave up heaven to become a mere man, to lay down his life for his people (Phil 2:5-11). He has the same attitude as Jesus Christ, considering his wife as more important than himself.

    An honourable man values and cherishes his wife simply because she is a woman. There is something inherent in manhood and womanhood that requires men to treat women with gentle consideration, understanding, and protectiveness (1 Peter 3:7). Feminists may disagree, but male chivalry finds its roots in biblical truth.

    An honourable man does not raise his voice or use harsh or profane words with his wife. A husband who honours his wife listens patiently, speaks kindly, and expresses thanks and courtesy, even when he disagrees with her. As Solomon reminds us, “Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city” (Proverbs 16:32)

    A daunting task.

    “In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.  After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church—”(Eph 5:28-29).

    If you are feeling inadequate as a husband, this is a good place to be! God has indeed entrusted to mere men the awesome role of loving, leading, nourishing, and cherishing an imperfect woman in the same way that Christ loves his church. This is more than a daunting task; it is impossible in our own strength. But with God’s perfect love and limitless grace at a husband’s disposal, he can set out each new day seeking to trust, obey and glorify Christ in his marriage by loving, serving, honouring and leading his wife. No matter how inadequate a husband may feel, there is perfect sufficiency in God’s grace and his great and precious promises (2 Cor 1:20). Through Christ’s resurrection power, God has promised to give Christian men everything required to be honourable husbands and to build God-honouring marriages (2 Peter 1:3-4). In Christ, you lack nothing.

     

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