How to Make Your Home a Marriage Sanctuary..... By: Jennifer Waddle

 How to Make Your Home a Marriage Sanctuary

By: Jennifer Waddle

“Each will be like a hiding place from the wind, a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.” (Isaiah 32:2)

In the first few verses of Isaiah 32, the Bible describes a king reigning in righteousness and princes ruling in justice. Those verses are followed by a beautiful description of the safe haven that is provided under their faithful leadership.

What if our homes became like that beautiful description? A sanctuary of safety would be cultivated by creating a shelter from life’s storms, a hiding place from the wind, and shade for our weariness.

For many married couples in today’s culture, and even in the church, the words marriage and sanctuary do not go hand in hand. After all, the term sanctuary is described as a place of refuge, retreat, and security. Sadly, many marriages do not fit this profile, nor do they foster a sense of sanctuary in their homes.

But don’t be discouraged. You can turn the tide of today’s culture and not only revitalize your marriage into a thriving, healthy state, but also make your home a place of retreat. 

If your home is a place you’d rather avoid, due to unsettled tensions, make every effort to turn it into a safe haven of peace and rest for your marriage. Here are a few practical ideas to make that happen:

• Don’t go to bed angry. “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath…” (Ephesians 4:26)
• Be honest without being hurtful. “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly.” (Proverbs 15:1-2)
• Receive your spouse warmly. “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:1-3)

No matter the current temperature of your marriage dynamic, you can make your home a sanctuary. To promote a sense of refuge and security in your marriage, choose one of the above areas and begin to create a home that is a beautiful haven. It may be one of the most important things you could do for your marriage and your home.

Your Father Gives Good Gifts..... Denison Ministries

 Your Father Gives Good Gifts

Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview: 

This week we’ll spend time simply stirring up our affections for God. God has designed us to see him, to know his character, and to let the truth of his goodness lead us into deeper relationship with him. Augustine wrote, “Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee.” In seeing God for who he is, our hearts are naturally stirred to find rest in his goodness. May your heart be stirred at the revelation of God’s wonderful character.

Scripture: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” James 1:17

Devotional:    

One of my favorite parts of God’s heart is his desire to give us amazing gifts. James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” Every good gift you receive is because God loves you. His love for you is so great that he looks for every opportunity to give you a gift. He desperately wants you to know that you are loved and valued by him. He so deeply wants you to know that he is not distant from you but, rather, is working in your midst to lead you to abundant joy, peace and life.

Matthew 7:11 says, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” I love how God has chosen to be known to us as a Father. And because God has chosen to reveal himself as a Father, we can more tangibly understand the love of God by looking to good earthly parents. God longs to bless you the way a good Father would. And at the same time he loves you more deeply and powerfully than any earthly parent ever could. Our heavenly Father far outdoes any example an earthly father give us. What gift are you longing for today? Do you long for friendship? Do you need a greater sense of being loved? Do you just need to know that he is with you?

God’s gifts may not look like a present you opened for Christmas last year, but they will be exactly what you need when you need it. If you need a friend, ask God for one! He’s promised you his friendship, and he loves to guide his children into community with others. Do you need to know you’re loved? God so longs for you to know the depth of his love that he sent his only Son to die for you! He’d love to pour his love out on you right now. Do you need to know that God is with you? Just ask for his manifest presence. Ask the Spirit to give you eyes to see all the ways he is working in your life. Ask God to reveal to you the ways he was, is and always will be with you. Do you need financial provision? Ask for the leading of the Holy Spirit in your finances! Ask God to provide for you what you need. Whatever gift you need from God today, his word promises in 1 John 5:15, “if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.” Your God hears you today. What’s more, he will respond to you perfectly.

God’s gifts are much more life-giving than anything an earthly parent could give. He gives the gift of a beautiful sunrise because he knows you have a longing to gaze upon beauty. He gives the gift of his presence because he knows you need the peace that only he can bring. He gives you the gift of friendship because he knows you aren’t made to do life alone. He provides your finances because he cares about everything you need and desires to use you to bless others. Spend some time today reflecting on the amazing gifts he has given you. Thank him for his desire to bless you. Worship him because he is good. And open your heart to receive all the gifts your heavenly Father longs to give you today.

Guided Prayer:

1. Take a minute to reflect on all the good gifts you’ve been given by God.

2. Now thank God for everything you’ve been given. Thank him for your friends, family, job, church—anything that you love. Let thanksgiving stir your affections to know your heavenly Father more.

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

3. Now ask the Spirit to open your eyes and heart to see and receive all the gifts God has in store for you today. Often to know a gift comes from God, we must be in tune with the Spirit. For a sunset to tell us of God’s love, we must be sensitive to God’s presence in our lives.

Thanking God for what he’s already given us is a powerful way to position our hearts to be receptive to what he will give us in the future. Life is so much better when we acknowledge what God is doing in our midst. Knowing you are loved, liked and cared for is better than any material possession you could receive. You have a heavenly Father who gives amazing gifts. Celebrate his love today. And receive all that he longs to give you.

Extended Reading: Matthew 7

A True Servant..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 A True Servant

Dr. Charles Stanley

John 13:1-15

Do you equate success with wealth, acclaim, and power? If we measured by these standards, then Jesus, who was rejected by His community and didn't even have a house of His own, was a failure. But, of course, we know that's not the case. So God must use something other than these worldly goals to define success. In fact, Scripture is clear that Jesus Christ is our example--we should strive to be like Him.

So, what exactly was our Savior's mission? In today's passage, we see the answer through His actions: He came to serve. The disciples, wanting recognition and reward, were arguing about who'd be the greatest in heaven. In contrast, Jesus took off His outer garment and performed the task of the lowliest servant: He washed the dirty feet of His followers. The next day, Almighty God was crucified by His own creation. In allowing this, He offered salvation to all--even those who nailed Him to a cross.

Jesus deserved glory but chose sacrifice and pain. And He asks that we follow His example of service. With the exception of Judas, His disciples obeyed. In fact, they all faced great difficulty and most died brutal deaths because of their faith. But they willingly walked the path of humility because of what Jesus had taught them: "The last shall be first, and the first last" (Matt. 20:16).

How do you spend your resources and time? And which topics dominate your thoughts and conversation? These are a few indicators of the driving goals in your life. You may long for worldly recognition, but God has a higher calling for His children. Ask Him to foster a servant's attitude in your heart.

A Prayer to Seek God’s Presence on Difficult Days..... By: Kristine Brown

 A Prayer to Seek God’s Presence on Difficult Days

By: Kristine Brown

“Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!” (Psalm 105:4 ESV)

I stood just outside the automatic doors of the hospital, breathing in the fresh air and staring at the fountain centered in the courtyard. Earbuds in place, I held my phone and tapped the preselected worship songs I’d chosen for this day. The music, the fountain, and the gentle breeze helped me sense God’s presence while I waited for my loved one to have surgery at that very moment.

In the most difficult times of my life, seeking the Lord’s presence keeps me focused on Him instead of worrying about what’s to come. If I let my mind get carried away with worry, I struggle to feel God near me. But when I take the time to tune in to His goodness, I have an awareness that God is there. His presence calms my heart and reassures me that He is working on my behalf.

Psalm 105 opens with a call to praise, encouraging God’s people to: give thanks, sing to the Lord, rejoice, and seek His presence. Verse 4 proclaims, “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!” And when we do that, something miraculous happens.

Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” God revealed this amazing promise through the prophet Jeremiah— when we seek the Lord, we will find Him. What a sweet promise that is!

Staying aware of God’s presence continually as I waited at the hospital that day not only helped me through the waiting, it also filled me with comforting peace. I could rest knowing God was not just present with me, but with my loved one in the hospital, as well.

Do you need to feel enveloped in God’s presence today? Let’s pray together and seek Him, even if we’re facing a difficult day ahead. We can tune into the wonders of His presence and see what a difference it makes. God is with us.

Let’s pray.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for being with me right now. I seek your presence, Lord. You are welcome here with me. Help me to sense that you are near as I praise you for who you are.

Your presence changes everything. It brings peace, strength, and comfort in my darkest times. Your Word also tells me that “in your presence there is fullness of joy.” (Psalm 16:11) I long for the kind of abundant life that I will only experience when I choose to seek you continually.

Thank you for promising to be with me always as I focus on you. God, whatever you have planned for my day, I will face it knowing you are right beside me. Help me to feel your gentle arms surrounding me. I know you are here, loving me, comforting me, and giving me strength. Thank you for the gift of your presence.

In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

The Problem with Perception..... by Sarah Phillips

 The Problem with Perception 

by Sarah Phillips

The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. - 1 Samuel 16: 7b

A few years ago, an acquaintance of mine mused, "Why are people like Paris Hilton so unhappy? They have no earthly excuse to be." It's human nature to look at snapshots of someone else's life and conclude that they somehow have it better than we do. Too many times I've allowed my perceptions of someone else's happiness to create discontent in my own world. I wonder, "God, why are you blessing them and not me?"

Not only is it tempting to make assumptions about those who've achieved worldly success, but I've caught myself and others making wrong assumptions about what it means to be a godly person, a "good Christian." I hear fellow believers say they feel small or inadequate next to some perceived spiritual giant or that they envy some gift or perceived virtue of another.

I recently came across a reflection from a young woman that gave me a fresh perspective on those I perceive to be "perfect." St. Therese of Lisieux, a Carmelite nun who lived in the late 19th century, was a model Christian very young in life. Yet, a few years before her own young death at 24, she reflected on how others perceived her in her autobiography Story of a Soul:

"I cannot say that Jesus makes me walk the way of humiliation exteriorly. He is content to humble me in the depths of my soul; in the eyes of creatures, I succeed in everything."

Therese expressed much discomfort in the compliments lavished on her because, as she so matter-of-factly states: "I remember who I am." She knew the intimate details of her faults even while others could not see them, and often felt the difference between her and the great Saints like Aquinas was as vast as a grain of sand at the foot of a mountain.

St. Therese wasn't alone in her discomfort of others' perceptions. Mother Teresa often tried to deflect attention because she knew she wasn't really the true source of her "success." Mother Teresa's personal letters revealed her own private periods of darkness laced throughout her extraordinary life.

Sometimes, the unseen crosses weigh us down more than any outward suffering ever could. There is so little we truly know about other souls -- only that which others are willing to share with us. This is why the comparison game is such a sham. It creates a toxic cycle of private shame and envy that isolates individuals in a world where we're all trying to "measure up" to fabricated standards. Jim Hancock, the author of Posers, Fakers, and Wannabes, expressed the dangerous game of comparison like this: "I judged what I knew about me by what I didn't know about them."

Life, of course, does not have to end with each one of us locked in a private world of faults and failings. Even with their interior crosses, both St. Therese and Mother Teresa knew they did not have to live a life of disconnection, shame or envy. They knew true inner peace rested with the only One who is perfect and yet, with full knowledge of our faults, loves us unconditionally.

Not only does God love us as we are, but He's ready to use even our failings for incredible good - perhaps even greater good than had we been "perfect." When we stop comparing and put energy towards building the most important relationship we'll ever have, doors open to a life greater than we could have planned or achieved on our own.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Americans are reportedly some of the loneliest people on the planet. Intimacy flourishes when we let our guards down and allow others to see who we really are, imperfections and all. Set aside a little time this week to strengthen a relationship with a friend or family member. Be open to talking about what's really going on in each others' lives so that you can build each other up in the faith.

Further Reading:

Luke 9: 46-48