Lying lips are extremely disgusting and hateful to the Lord; but they who deal faithfully are His delight. Prov 12 v 22 AMP Comment Being truthful is not fashionable or interesting and considered naïve. However God delights in truth and aligns it with faithfulness – being full of faith. God intends us to be transparent with Him. He sees all and...
Stolen waters are sweet (because they are forbidden) and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. But he knows not that the shades of the dead are there! Proverbs 9 v 17-18a Comment Keeping secrets from our partner is dangerous. However innocent a friendship seems, if we start to conceal or relish having secrets from our spouse it signals DANGER. We often...
Over the holiday season we’re going to be looking at the book of proverbs and how we can use use this book’s wisdom in our marriage. The reverent fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight and understanding. For by Wisdom shall your days be multiplied and the years of...
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.’ Matthew 18:21-22 NIV Comment Have you ever drunk rat poison? I have. Anne Lamott famously wrote, ‘Not forgiving is like drinking rat poison...
(Addressing her shepherd…) “ Tell me – O you who my soul loves, where you pasture your flock, where you make it lie down at noon…..” Song of Songs 1:7 Comment I remember lunch times at college when I would always have half an eye looking out for the guy who is now my husband. The excitement if I caught sight...
Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give...
Don’t grieve God. Don’t break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted. Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God...
Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift. Ephesians 4:9 MSG Comment My ability to control what I say is at best …. random. I wish I were better at making each of my words a gift for my wife…. a gift to help her...
Scripture Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry—but don’t use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don’t stay angry. Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life. Ephesians 4:26-27 MSG Comment I was rather relieved when a wise friend told me that it was OK to be angry,...
What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ’s body we’re all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself. Eph 4:25 (MSG) Comment Continuing our walk through The Message’s paraphrasing of Ephesians we come to this encouragement to...
