Son 2:3-7 (MSG) As an apricot tree stands out in the forest, my lover stands above the young men in town. All I want is to sit in his shade, to taste and savor his delicious love.
Well, born again or not, there is a strong desire that comes with falling in love.
If you like, speak in tongues till tomorrow, this desire will not go.
But what can be subdued is lust that often wants to tag along, like Lot tagged along with Abraham.
Yes, the desire will not go, because there is nothing wrong with the desire, it is the fulfillment of the desire at the wrong time that gets us into trouble.
So, all you want when you fall in love is to sit down in each other’s shade, with feelings of wanting to taste and savor the delicious love.
The Strong Desire That Comes With Love
I felt like that. She felt like that. But we waited. You can wait as well.
No matter how intense the desire is, do not taste that love before the wedding.
Tasting love and consummating your love before the wedding is like stealing a lump of hot meat from the pot of stew before it is ready.
Your taste bud gets burnt and you can lose your sense of taste, which ultimately leads to tasting more pot of stew that doesn’t belong to you!
If you have already started doing this as singles, then there is a clarion call this morning to stop and now get yourself onto unnecessary problems that are never part of your destiny!
The Strong Desire That Comes With Love
For married couples, you are licensed to sit in his shade, to keep tasting, relishing, and delighting in each other’s love! What is forbidden here is looking outside for pleasure. You are now married, you can admire others but shouldn’t desire them.
You now need to focus on the one you have married and pleasure one another. To look outside is not only greed and covetousness but also lust, which your maker frowns at! Dear husband, dear wife, FOCUS!
In this devotional, we will explore the secrets to finding and maintaining a lasting love, for both singles and married individuals.
Love is a universal desire, but where and how do you find it, and once you have it, how do you keep it alive? Let’s delve into the keys to a successful and enduring relationship.
1. Finding Your Ideal Partner
Proverbs 19:14 (AMP) tells us that, “House and riches are the inheritance from fathers, but a wise, understanding, and prudent wife is from the Lord.”
In essence, a truly wise and prudent partner is a divine gift.
Seeking Divine Guidance
Your journey to finding a life partner begins with building a meaningful relationship with God. To secure a prudent spouse, you must first establish a strong connection with the Divine.
It is only logical that if you desire a wise and understanding partner, you must seek this through your relationship with God.
Choosing Wisely
The Bible suggests that there are both prudent and foolish individuals. The choice you make will have a profound impact on your life.
To ensure you make the right choice, trust in God to guide your path. Remember, your choice of a life partner can either elevate or undermine your happiness.
Married but Unhappy?
If you’re already married and are facing difficulties in your relationship, don’t rush to judgment.
Sometimes, we may perceive our partners differently from their true selves. If you believe your spouse lacks prudence, consider revisiting your connection with God.
Seek His guidance and wisdom to navigate your marriage’s challenges and also seek therapy when necessary
2. Building a Harmonious Home
Proverbs 21:19 (KJV) advises, “It is better to dwell in the wilderness than with a contentious and an angry woman.”
This verse underscores the vital role a wife plays in creating a peaceful atmosphere at home.
Creating a Home, Not Just a House
A woman possesses the unique capacity to transform a house into a loving and serene home. It is within her power to set the tone for the entire household, making it a welcoming and pleasant place.
Avoiding Destructive Behavior
When a wife displays contentious, nagging, or angry behaviors, she risks driving her husband away.
Such actions can lead to a strained and unfulfilling relationship, pushing the man to avoid spending time at home.
It is crucial for both partners to create a loving and supportive environment.
The Importance of Understanding
Men often deal with internal struggles and decision-making processes differently from women.
They might choose to remain silent when faced with dilemmas. Instead of pressuring them to speak up, grant them the space and time needed to find a resolution on their own.
Respect his silence as he contemplates his choices.
For singles, addressing anger is crucial. Frequent displays of anger can discourage potential partners.
Men are generally logical and will consider how anger issues may affect their future together. It’s essential to work on anger management and self-improvement.
Seek Wisdom
The book of Ecclesiastes 7:9 (MSG) advises, “Don’t be quick to fly off the handle. Anger boomerangs. You can spot a fool by the lumps on his head.”
Anger has the potential to destroy relationships. Remember that anger can hinder the growth of a God-ordained love affair.
In conclusion, the key to finding and keeping the love of your life lies in building a strong relationship with God and fostering a harmonious home environment.
By seeking divine guidance and practicing understanding, you can ensure a long-lasting and joyful partnership.
Addressing anger issues and working on self-improvement are essential for singles looking to embark on a successful relationship journey.
Today is my birthday! 51 today! God has been really good! I want to express my appreciation to all our followers and partners over the years, God will continue to honour and bless you in Jesus’ name!
A FREE MASTER CLASS
There is a free Master Class you don’t want to miss! One for Couples, and one for Singles Have you registered for the FREE seminar to celebrate my 51st birthday yet? Find details below and the steps you need to take! And the best part? It’s absolutely FREE
COUPLES:
Time: 8:00pm Date: October 13th, 2023 Theme: Strengthening Connection
Instructions: Create a cozy date night atmosphere where you and your spouse can fully immerse yourselves without interruptions. Prepare some delicious snacks and drinks. Make sure to have writing materials on hand for the practical workbook session. The PDF materials will be provided during the webinar.
This free webinar is the first class of the 7 Weeks Ultimate Marriage Course.
Topic: Strengthening Connection
Activities included: a. Watching a video together as a couple b. Workbook session c. Live session with Dunamis & Sophia
Join us for an exclusive online seminar, the first class of Pre-Wedding Counseling for Singles. Theme: Enhancing Communication Skills Date: October 14th, 2023 Time: 8:00 PM
This exciting event includes:
a. A captivating video presentation b. Interactive workbook session c. Personal guidance from the esteemed duo, Dunamis & Sophia
Are you ready to embark on this transformative journey? If you haven’t registered yet, don’t miss out and secure your spot now! Simply click on this link – https://forms.gle/dUKo3nTHDLa5zphY7
The webinar link will be sent to you prior to 8:00pm on Friday! Wishing you all the best on your path to self-discovery and meaningful connections!
Marriage wine can often dry up, turn sour, or simply lose taste. Relationships can lose the spark, the fun, and the glee!
Love can wane, can grow old, and can fast dissipate. Feelings are fickle, never with a forever status.
What do you do when love seems to wane, when the tummy butterflies have all rested their wings, love birds have no more songs, when his or her words evoke no more feelings, and the blushing, the dimples, and the smiles have all gone?
What do you do at such times?
You are in courtship and everything seems intense, but of recently, you are no longer excited.
You don’t even look forward to hearing from each other and yet you still have peace that you are in the right relationship.
You are married, and the marriage bed has gone cold.
Intimacy used to be a trip but right now it is a complete bore. You could almost be reading a novel while you are at it. And yet the Bible unequivocally advises that Pro 5:19 (KJV) Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.
What happened?
Here are a few things that could steal the wine off the marriage shelf, that could sap out and zap off every fun in the union.
What To Do When Love Wanes
1. When you allow pressures to stifle the pleasure
There will always be pressures, especially pressures from work. Wise husbands and wives learn to leave office pressures at the office and not bring them home.
For those in courtship, do not allow work pressures to swallow up fun communication times, times of bonding, and times of aligning the souls.
Decide to enjoy your courtship through vibrant communication and unhindered flow irrespective of the pressures that be
What To Do When Love Wanes
2. When you allow the hustles and bustles of life to steal your rest in God
Whether you like it or not, there will always be issues to deal with.
You must have a commitment to each other in a relationship or marriage to put each other first place after God.
3. When you refuse to spend quality time together
Love will wane when you don’t spend time with each other.
Nothing will ever replace quality time spent together enriched with destiny discussions and plans for the future.
Those times of fellowship can never be replaced with any other thing
For singles in courtship, this quality time must not be tainted with sexual sins.
With compromise, quality time will become dangerous time, bringing with it, damnation and guilt.
Skin Deep Or Real Thing? Sally is in love with George but George is not in love with Sally! It is not a good idea to be in love with the one that is not in love with. Outwardly, the relationship looks cool, like something you even want to envy, but it’s actually riddled with insecurities, endless quarrels and perpetual suspicion. The relationship is only skin deep!
The Johnsons who have been married for a while are great actors. They have been living in a cycle of strife, but they have learnt to put up appearances. All they are interested in is how people see them, not how God sees them. They are just going through the motions, their love is just skin deep and any little provocation would result in expulsion of deep seated magma within the crust of their hearts.
We have been looking at the book of Ezekiel for a while, and this morning, I want to show you an insight God gave me here which describes many relationships and marriages! Skin Deep Or Real Thing?
We looked at verse 7 yesterday. Today, we are looking at verse 8
Eze 37:8 (KJV) And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.
Sinews, flesh and skin came upon the bones! What an astounding miracle!
But there is a “But”
It says there is no breath in them! It was a miracle, but not complete!
This describes a lot of relationships and marriages. Just skin deep. Covered with sinews and flesh, but no breath. So it is still lifeless.
A little provocation, there is fight. A little correction there is strife for a month. A different opinion, there are tantrums, withdrawal, and silent treatments! Good and playful intentions are seen as an affront and disrespect. The couple is walking on egg shells!
That relationship or marriage has sinews, flesh and skin, but no breath! Skin Deep Or Real Thing?
What did God do? He didn’t give up.
He said again, Prophesy!
So you don’t give up at this stage. There is hope because it’s not completely dry bones again, at least there is sinews and skin now!
Pray this morning, that God will complete His work in your life, relationship and marriage in Jesus name! You may also use REVIVE day 5 to pray as that was what we discussed and prayed about. You will see the video below!
