Message: God's Will and Your Spouse
Time: Genesis is the first book and Moses is credited as authoring. The book spans 2400 years of time. It was originally written in Hebrew.
What the Lord is Saying: It is not a mystery in my life that I make things more complicated than they should be. And perhaps many of us do this. When I was first trying to figure out what I would do with my life, I was waiting for a lightning bolt or writing on the wall. As I think about the journey, I took, it was often based upon reason and choosing what I thought was the best decision at the time. There was constantly some level of wondering as to whether I had made the right decision. When I think also of Pamela and marrying her. I do believe I received a lightning bolt in that I had a dream about her and it was clear in that dream that she was the one I would marry. I think up to that point, I wasn't really thinking much about her, so maybe I needed that wake-up call. But for the most part, simply knowing that she was a Christian and a friend of the Lear's was good enough for me. It was really in our courtship that I began to know better the soft heart she had for the Word of God and studying it.
This study today mentions that the lightning bolt experiences, even the one mentioned here in Genesis 24, but these sort of occurrences should not be what we are waiting to happen before we marry. Instead, it mentions general principles:
- Is the potential spouse a believer (2 Corinthians 6:14 - Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?) - For me, I know this was #1 on my list. I had dated a gal after high school that wasn't a believer and that was a problem in the relationship. Even dating someone of a different denomination for me was an issue with the next person I dated. Her faith was there, but she did not bridge that faith to living her life as much.
- Are these individuals that one can submit to, if a woman, or love deeply and lead, if a man (Ephesians 5:22-33)? I think in the love department, this comes down to being attractive to a person. Maybe at first I wasn't and then grew into this. But I could tell that she was sensitive to a man being a leader.
- Is the potential spouse not a relative to whom God would prohibit marriage (Leviticus 18)? This one did not seem like a concern ever.
- For a woman, is the potential husband a hard worker who will provide (I Timothy 5:8 - But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.)? For the man, is the potential wife prudent (Proverbs 19:14 - House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.)? - Pamela had dreams, was fun to speak with, and had a good upbringing. I could see this and she read God's word and was careful about its application in her life.
- Do you enjoy one another's company (Ecclesiastes 9:9 - Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun.)? - I think this is part of attraction and spending time together. This was also something I immediately enjoyed with Pamela. I always think of sitting at Furr's Cafeteria and listening to her talk.
So these are basics that come about after initial attraction I think, at least for me. And another reminder to me that God has set up parameters for our lives without decreeing specifics.
Summary: We are to be guided by wisdom and the principles of Scripture in both choosing a vocation and a spouse.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for Your guidance and helping me through all these years discern my future work and my wife. You work through my wife continually and she is the best partner for me. I seriously don't understand why you are so good to me, but I am so thankful. Please guide my children to make decisions that honor you.
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