Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Love causes growth
Ephesians 5:25-26 says, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word..." Likewise, wives should edify her husband as well. These actions of help and edification will help each of us to grow spiritually.
Marriage marks another stage in our lives and as married couples, we each grow from singlehood to marriage lives, other than the status growth, we are also challenged to take up more responsibilities unknowingly, especially responsibilities for the family. Both man and woman have our own individual role as married man and woman, and we have expectations for each other too. Even as we remind each other of our flaws and weaknesses, may we open our hearts and minds for God to use our spouse to make us more Christ-like, and may we be willing to learn and change for the better. Praise be to God. :)
Labels: love dare
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Love is fun
Today's passage is from Ecclesiates 9:9: "Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun.""God intends marriage to be pleasurable for both of you in many ways." It is not easy for newly weds like us as there has been a handful of disagreements for the past two months and we really need God's wisdom and guidance to do the right thing.Something to bear in mind is, "Being with the person you love the most was never meant to dissolve into mere duty and obligations... You were not born to bicker; but to bask in joy together." May we remember that whenever we need God's help, and may all of us be blessed with the happiness from above more than anything else.
Labels: love dare
Monday, March 18, 2013
Love inspires purity
When God created man and woman, attraction takes place. Man is attracted to woman, and vice versa. That is why God ordained marriage, and hence the saying in today's verse, 1 Corinthians 7:2: "Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband." Marriage keeps us sexually pure to one another. "Those who seek to satisfy their sexual desires outside of His design fall into the poisonous trap of sinning against their own body, their spouse, and God." Having said that, we should fully meet our spouse's needs as well, as by doing so, we help each other to avoid affairs, hence keeping each other sexually pure.
Here's today's prayer. Let us pray for ourselves and our spouse: "Father God, keep us faithful and pure in our marriage. Help us to guard against anything that threatens our intimacy, and bless the bond we have in our sexual relationships. In Jesus' name, amen."
Labels: love dare
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Love unites families
Today's passage is taken from Ruth 4:11-13: "And all the people who were at the gate, and the elders, said, "We are witnesses. The Lord make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel; and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the Lord will give you from this young woman."In the past, I thought that once we enter into marriage, we are to leave our family (see Genesis 2:24). Maybe I took it too literal. In fact, in today's passage, it reminds us that we're not only married to each other, it is also a family affair. I have a another set of parents now, so does my husband. This gives us every opportunity to shine and bear witness for God, as well as calling us to love and support this extended family of ours.
Like in every new friendship, we need time to get to know each other. This means we are bound to have frictions along the way. May we continue to be humble and seek God for wisdom and patience at every encounter. May the glory be God's.
Labels: love dare
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Love builds families
Another purpose of marriage is, it builds a family unit where a couple unites, bears children, and lives a life of Godly testimony especially for the children to pass on to the next generation. I would call this Godly testimony an Inheritance of the family.Today's key verse points us to Genesis 1:28: "Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
This is what God has intended for most of us. If we have been blessed to have a spouse, are we fulfilling God's calling if we have been blessed to multiply? Are we passing down the Inheritance to the next generation?
Labels: love dare
Friday, March 15, 2013
Love multiplies itself
Journaling these
devotions down make me internalise the message. Hence, although it is really
tough to update it as soon as I read it, I'll try my best to do it nevertheless.
Today's key verse is from Ecclesiastes 4:9 & 12, "Two are better
than one, Because they have a good reward for their
labour... Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand
him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken."
The author gave a very good illustration on how the power of two becoming one (a term I would like to call it) applies in our lives. He said that "a person hopping on one leg cannot get very far, very fast. But two legs joining together become the action of running - making you fasting and taking you farther. Two wings don't merely create balance; they enable the other to fly." Isn't it amazing how the power of two becoming one can be? In marriage, "a husband and wife working together offer a solid defence for their families against the influence of a godless culture.. By uniting in His name and agreeing in prayer, their intercession goes to another level. That's when one united with one has one." How powerful, how awesome.
Often, we belittle what we as a couple can do. In fact, when conflict arises, we do not even have faith to turn to God and to our spouse, and bow our heads in prayer. We are so prone to looking for our own solutions.
After today's reading, my prayer for my husband and I, and everyone who is reading this entry, is that we will remember the power of two becoming one. This power doesn't add; it multiplies and runs crazy like wildfire (of course, with God's help). ;)
Labels: love dare
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Love extends help
The reference passage for today is Genesis 2:18: "And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him." "Marriage is one of God's unique ways of showing both men and women that we're not all-sufficient in ourselves. We need our spouse and cannot fulfil God's plans for us without their help."Reading this sentence makes me ponder, what does God want us to fulfil as a couple? I believe at different stages of our marriage, there will be different obstacles we have to complete together, and we can only complete that race and win the prize if we work together. My prayer for my husband and I is, to learn and grow together in the Lord, to be self-giving and love God and the other more than ourselves. It is only when I'm selfless then would I be able to stretch out my hand and reach out to the Help I need.
Together with the lessons for the past two days, I would sum it up with today's and call it "The Purpose of Marriage". Love offers companionship; love brings completeness; love extends help: the passages from these chapters tell us that God created man and woman to be one so that we will not be alone, and we need each other to fulfil the duty God has for us as a couple. How beautiful!
Labels: love dare
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Love brings completeness
Genesis 2:24 says that in a marriage, "...a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." Marriage makes two persons become one, and hence, neither one should live without the other. And this is despite the differences the two may have, we are "designed to experience oneness" in our diversity. Lord Jesus, bond our hearts together in marriage. Teach us what it means to live as one. In Your name we pray, amen.
Labels: love dare
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Love offers companionship
Genesis 2:18 says "And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him." God created humans for companionship. His intention of creating Adam is never for him to be lonely, and hence Eve was formed. As a spouse, we have "the opportunity and responsibility each day to eliminate the sense of loneliness inherent in your spouse... Love builds bridges between lonely hearts to make you close companions for life." And this is what a marriage filled with love is called for.Labels: love dare
Monday, March 11, 2013
Love walks with God
Loving God is obeying and doing His word. "People who are not pursuing an intimate relationship with God are significantly limited, left to rely on their own feelings, thoughts, and efforts." Then, the people around us, especially our spouses, will have to deal with out negativity.The key verse today is John 13:35: "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." This is the result from walking with God - People will see Jesus in us. Walking with God is so essential because we need His guidance to deal with every situation. It is human nature to do things according to our own ability and especially if we know how to go about doing it, God is often forgotten. My prayer today is to be mindful of God, and to pray to Him in every situation, giving Him thanks and praise. Marriage is a triangle - the tip of it is God while the other two points at the base are the husband and wife. It is only with the guidance from the top that the union of the two will be blessed. Amen.
Labels: love dare
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Love keeps God's commands
John 14:21 says "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." Loving God is obeying His words. It involves our entire being - thought, value and action - to be influenced by His words. It also includes the way we treat others. "... How you love and respect your mate reveals every day the sincerity of love and respect for God." May God make this sentence stick in our minds and teach us to love others like how He loved us. Amen.Labels: love dare
Saturday, March 09, 2013
Love is most when God is first
Today's title is similar to yesterday's, but it is the crux of our relationship with others. 1 John 5:1-2 says "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments." "Everything in life takes on new value and meaning when it becomes an instrument for you to love out your love for God. Rather than placing yourself at the centre of your relationships, all your energies and assets should be tools for worshipping Him."
As we abide Christ's love, the love we have for our spouse will increase in the outflow. Let us remember that "We love Him because He first loved us. If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also." (1 John 4:19-21).
Labels: love dare
Love is best when God is first
Apologies for not updating yesterday as I did the devotion rather late. Matthew 22:37 says "Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’" This is our priority - to put God first. It it when we put God first then we will receive the things He has intended for us to own, including love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control (see Galatians 5:22-23). This also mean not putting other persons or things as more important than God. And this is what worship is about. We are "made in His image and unwisely designed to express love in ways the rest of nature cannot." What an awesome privilege.
Labels: love dare
Thursday, March 07, 2013
Love is fertile soil
Ephesians 3:17 says "...that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love..." Love is a ground where individuals have the opportunity blossom. Like what has been mentioned in the Parable of the Soil (see Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-34 & Luke 8:4-18), the seed that falls on good soil will bear more fruits.The key ingredient for this success is the good soil, that is, love. "When you provide safe, loving soil for your spouse to grow in, they will more likely to flourish with confidence, knowing they are valued and secure." We have to be mindful that we are sinful by nature - we tend to think we are better than others. But how would we feel if we were the ones being belittled? As we don't want others to do the same to us, why do that to others in the first place? Let's seek to edify one another, and create a loving environment for others, our better half especially, to grow in.
Labels: love dare
Wednesday, March 06, 2013
Love is your job description
According to the book, love is the primary responsibility in a marriage. In fact, it is the key to every relationship - with your parents, siblings, friends, etc. People enter into a relationship, not just marriage, with hopes to be loved. "But ironically, people rarely take their focus off themselves so they can meet this need in others. Selfishly, we may even overlooked our own spouse." After a quarrel or feeling angry with my husband, I would reflect and conclude that I got angry or upset because I see my need of greater importance than his - I want him to articulate clearly so that I will not misunderstand; I want him to let me know in advance so that I will be mentally prepared or not caught off guard, etc. It's all about ME. It is true that when our spouse deserved our love the least, it is also when they need it the most.
"For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another..." - 1 John 3:11. Love is the core of Christianity; it's the reason for Christ's sacrifice. Being a Christian, love should be the motivating force in whatever we do. Of course, we, humans err. We need time to learn and grow. Thankfully, with the grace of God, we will be able to achieve that someday. In the meantime, we should ask the Holy Spirit to guide us to put others before ourselves, be more conscious of our behaviour, and thus, avoid being ugly, and be thankful for the people around us - especially our spouse.
Lord, teach me to love my husband in a way that meets his needs and honours you. In Jesus' name, amen!
Labels: love dare
Tuesday, March 05, 2013
Love is the business of men
Before the men exclaimed, "What?! What about the women?" I'm going to state it clearly that although the passage's highlight is on men, women do hold equal responsibilities but in different areas.Firstly, let's look into today's passage from 2 Timothy 1:7 "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." God equips us with His power, love and wisdom to handle everything that comes our way (see 1 Corinthians 10:13). This promise is for all of us, regardless of our gender. But today's passage focuses on the fact that love is not just about feeling, and definitely not a woman's thing. Love will make a man risks his life and give up everything for his loved ones. One great man who gave up His all is Jesus - He gave up His royal throne in heaven, His served sacrificially and died for our sins... "Real men embrace this love as the driving force to boldly do what boys dreamed of." - how well said.
Likewise for women, love makes us sacrifice for our family - time, attention, respect, career, and even our lives. Ladies, what sacrifices have you made out of love? In what extend will you give for your love one?
Labels: love dare
Monday, March 04, 2013
Love simplifies
Today's verse is Romans 13:8 "Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law." This law Paul was talking about refers to the second commandment after the greatest, that is, love your neighbours as yourself (see Luke 10:27). This is a result from the love for God. Loving others "transforms our behaviour for the better and defuses evil intentions like light dispels darkness"; we will encourage the other instead of "tearing them down". "When you focused on love, you will naturally demonstrate patience, tenderness, and kindness." Let's get right with God before we can get it right with others.Labels: love dare
Sunday, March 03, 2013
Love is the key
Today's key verse is from 1 Corinthians 13:13 "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."
Love is fundamental to the success of marriages but it is not just feelings. Love is a decision: "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). "Love-driven marriages endure and work through even the toughest issues without giving up; when love takes over, it compels us to humbly apologise and take full responsibility for our failures, then to fully forgive where out spouse has failed us. Over and over again."
Reflecting what had been mentioned above, I have a lot to improve... To be patient with my husband; to always be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger (James 1:19); to always be supportive and not putting the blame on him; to respect him as a person and as a head of the household... and many, many more. And I need God's help to do these. May God continue to help me and you to become a loving person. Amen!
Labels: love dare
Saturday, March 02, 2013
Love is life's motivator
This is the title to Day 2's reading, and the key verse from 2 Corinthains 5:14 "For the love of Christ compels..."While reading today's passage, one sentence which caught my attention goes like this: "When love invades your heart, you are empowered to endure deeper pain, willingly pay a greater cost, run risks to your reputation for the sake of another." When you have really loved, you will truly understand this sentence. Thank God for His love and for letting me found my better half, for it is at home where the exemplification of love begins.
Today's passage encourages us to replace "love" with our name in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." Doing that makes us go "woah!". It is really scary and too bombastic for us. But all things are possible if God and us are willing. We are thankful for that and hope that one day, when we read the passage in the same manner again, everyone will not hesitate their Amen!
Labels: love dare
Friday, March 01, 2013
Love Dare
It's been some time since I last blogged. Nevertheless, God has been very faithful, and I'm thankful that my faith in Him is still strong. Praise the Lord!Many things happened since my last post in November 2011. We got married (as mentioned in one of my earlier posts, I moved into his parents' place, and as a wife, I've been trying to make dinner every weekday. And as newly weds, there are many things we have to learn and to be accustomed to. One of the things is, we've been trying to start our devotion together. It was when I stumbled upon this book called "Love Dare" from the movie, Courageous, that somehow I knew, this is it! :)
We started our Day 1 today, on a new month. Titled "Love is the greatest of these", the key verse is taken from 1 Corinthians 13:2: "And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing."
Love is the essence of Christianity. God loves us that He is willing to sacrifice His only Son to die on the cross to redeem our sin. This love bridges all barriers and breaks us from all bondage; this love removes all sin and brings us to God; this love calls us to be His children.
The devotion ends with this week's dare: 'Begin praying this week: "Lord, teach me what real love is and make me a loving person."' Even though we know that real love is the kind of love God has given us, let us open our hearts and be teachable, and allow God to mould us to be a loving person. And when you ask according to His will, He hears us (1 John 5:14). Amen!
Labels: love dare