I was praying the other day, lead to thoughts of marriage. It seems that many Christians are having trouble in their marriages. I wanted to see what Papa would have me pray about and look to in the scriptures. The following is my view on what I heard Him say:
I was drawn to Ecclesiastes. Solomon exploring the 'world' around him and finding it lacking much, seemed to be what Papa was leading me to. "Vanity of vanities. all is vanity.", he says. I was focusing on that portion of the scripture. I asked what Papa was saying. I believe He was pointing out that we look to things that bring no fruit to our lives, to fulfill it. An idea that has been around for many years.
Laying that thought over the 'relationship of marriage', I realize that the enemy has another back door through which to steal, kill and destroy us, as individuals and in our marriages.
If we are looking to our spouse as a vanity, they will never be able to give us what we need or fill our love banks. Solomon was looking for wisdom, for the meaning of our lives and for strength to survive. He didn't "find one man or woman in a thousand worth his while. Yet (he) did spot one ray of light in this murk: God made men and women true and upright; we're the ones who made a mess of things." - The Message.
And there is the lie that the enemy would have us believe. That those things would be found in a man or a woman ... a spouse. We make messes of things on our own, so how can we find what we need to be fulfilled and feel satisfied in another who messes things up?
I am not saying that our spouses cannot fulfill certain things in us: What I am saying is that EVERYTHING needs to be found in Papa first. My strength, my answers and my meaning in this world is found in Him. In His life, death and life again!
The things that my spouse can give me need to be coming through and from that place in them that is satisfied and fulfilled by Papa too. Therefore, when we fail each other - and we will - we are safely kept from falling because we are kept under His wings.
On the other hand, I also felt that Father was pointing out to me that the things He intended for us and our marriages were forgotten by some. That the intentions of the King that knows all, were deemed untruths and possibly not good enough anymore. That trust was gone. Trusting that even through hard times, He has control and we are always in His hands.
To quote a section of a friend's poem,
"The earth trembles
And even as the pain intensifies
The brokenness reveals a greater glory
A magnificent surrendered beauty
That will not die."
Sometimes, we don't want to wait for the greater glory ... the pain is too much. So maybe we find ourselves looking to other things that fulfill and make us feel happy again. Those things though that we find, are not what Papa intended us to have. They are counterfeit.
I found a section of the Wedding Feast Parable interesting. Matthew 22:2, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain King who arranged a marriage for his son ..." The idea of an arranged marriage, here in the West, sends most of us into a state of fear. What of my choice? My feelings? My love?
Isn't this though what Father does with us if we are surrendered to Him? He arranges us in a life that we may or may not understand at times. We may have to get used to things being a certain way. We may not understand the path ahead. Sometimes we may not even feel happy in the situation He has us in. But we continue on because ...
We
Trust
Him
Along with praying, I received a picture from Papa. It was of a sink that used to be filled right up. The drain has been pulled though and it is empty now.
If this is you, I ask you gently but urgently to look to the Father to put that plug back in and to have Him fill you up again. Look to Him for everything you need and seek Him for the trust you need to get through the hard times.
