“Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. 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.” (Proverbs 5:18-19).
When God gives a man a godly wife to be his helpmate, he should rejoice in her all the days of his life. When a man and woman marry, they make a covenant before God and men to love, honor and cherish one another until death separates them. They become one flesh when they unite in sexual union, and a spiritual bond is established. “Therefore
shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24). “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” (Matthew 19:6). God hates divorce, and he hates when men mistreat their wives and take them for granted. In Israel, during the time of the prophets, men divorced the wives of their youth so that they could marry younger wives. (This is not a new occurrence.) “The Lord hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.” (Malachi 2:14). These men dishonored their wives and themselves by not cherishing the gift God had given them. “Whose findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord.” (Proverbs 18:22). There is nothing wrong with enjoying the sexual pleasures that God has ordained for husbands and wives; however, we should not view our wives as mere sexual objects for our own gratification. God instructs husbands to be ravished always with her love and to love her as Christ loved the Church. This kind of love is unconditional and eternal. God enables us to have this kind of love for our wives.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Desiring God's Wisdom
“Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman: That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.” (Proverbs 7: 4-5).
Wisdom and understanding must be embraced and held dear to us if we are to continue our quest toward godly manhood. There have been many times in my life when I outwardly professed a desire to gain godly wisdom and understanding, but inwardly, I was scared to receive it. What if I couldn’t live up to what God expected? What I feared the most, though, was how God’s wisdom and revelation would affect my status quo. I was in a comfort zone in my spiritual walk, and although God prodded me and encouraged me to take a step of faith, He didn’t push me off the cliff. God wants nothing more than to give us His wisdom, but He requires that we ask of Him and He will give it liberally. “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” (James 1: 5-6). Wisdom and understanding will keep us from temptation; they will give discernment to help us see with spiritual eyes; they will expose the hidden agendas and motivations of others; they will reveal the consequences of giving into temptation; they will show us the way out that God always provides. We desperately need wisdom and understanding from God, if we are to stay on course in our journey. May we ask God for these gifts in faith and use them judiciously.
Wisdom and understanding must be embraced and held dear to us if we are to continue our quest toward godly manhood. There have been many times in my life when I outwardly professed a desire to gain godly wisdom and understanding, but inwardly, I was scared to receive it. What if I couldn’t live up to what God expected? What I feared the most, though, was how God’s wisdom and revelation would affect my status quo. I was in a comfort zone in my spiritual walk, and although God prodded me and encouraged me to take a step of faith, He didn’t push me off the cliff. God wants nothing more than to give us His wisdom, but He requires that we ask of Him and He will give it liberally. “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” (James 1: 5-6). Wisdom and understanding will keep us from temptation; they will give discernment to help us see with spiritual eyes; they will expose the hidden agendas and motivations of others; they will reveal the consequences of giving into temptation; they will show us the way out that God always provides. We desperately need wisdom and understanding from God, if we are to stay on course in our journey. May we ask God for these gifts in faith and use them judiciously.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Men of Integrity
“He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.” (Proverbs 10:4).
When someone is deceitful in their business practices, it is usually because they are trying to get ahead. The practice of imbalanced scales was popular in Biblical times. If you bought a pound of flour, an underhanded vendor might give you fourteen ounces. Over the course of an entire day, he could have an entire sack of flour available to sell the next day, as a result of cheating his customers. God says that although ungodly men use such deceptive tactics in an attempt to become rich, they will become poor instead. A man who is honest in his business practices will become rich financially, but more importantly, he will become rich in integrity, character and faithful customers. In Strong’s, the word slack is translated not only as deceitful but also slothful. “He becometh poor that dealeth with a [slothful] hand.” As men of God, one of our primary responsibilities is to provide for our families. We are not to be lazy and indolent, expecting God to feed us by the ravens, spiritually speaking. God does not often supernaturally intervene when He has given us the tools and abilities to provide for ourselves. Even though there are occasions when divine intervention is necessary, God expects us to use the resources He has given us. “Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.” (Proverbs 19:15). Paul told the church at Thessalonica: “If any would not work, neither should he eat.’ (II Thessalonians 3:10). Godly men, be responsible; be honest; be diligent; be determined and be men of integrity.
When someone is deceitful in their business practices, it is usually because they are trying to get ahead. The practice of imbalanced scales was popular in Biblical times. If you bought a pound of flour, an underhanded vendor might give you fourteen ounces. Over the course of an entire day, he could have an entire sack of flour available to sell the next day, as a result of cheating his customers. God says that although ungodly men use such deceptive tactics in an attempt to become rich, they will become poor instead. A man who is honest in his business practices will become rich financially, but more importantly, he will become rich in integrity, character and faithful customers. In Strong’s, the word slack is translated not only as deceitful but also slothful. “He becometh poor that dealeth with a [slothful] hand.” As men of God, one of our primary responsibilities is to provide for our families. We are not to be lazy and indolent, expecting God to feed us by the ravens, spiritually speaking. God does not often supernaturally intervene when He has given us the tools and abilities to provide for ourselves. Even though there are occasions when divine intervention is necessary, God expects us to use the resources He has given us. “Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.” (Proverbs 19:15). Paul told the church at Thessalonica: “If any would not work, neither should he eat.’ (II Thessalonians 3:10). Godly men, be responsible; be honest; be diligent; be determined and be men of integrity.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Pride
“These six things doth the Lord hate; yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A PROUD LOOK, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood.” (Proverbs 6: 16-17).
The Lord hates a proud look because it is outward evidence of an inward sickness. Pride is a disease that consumes our very souls. It affects everything: how we perceive God, how we interact with Him, how we treat our fellow man, how we respond to difficulties in life and how we think of ourselves more highly than we should. A proud look reveals that we feel that we are better than others. This attitude angers God, because in doing so, we exalt ourselves above others. Make no mistake, the Lord said that He will abase those that exalt themselves and exalt men who humble themselves. (Matthew 23:12). Jesus spoke these words to the Pharisees, who considered themselves to be the religious and holy elite of God. However, Jesus called them hypocrites, fools, blind, serpents and generations of vipers-among others names. Oftentimes, our perception of who is holy and God’s viewpoint is strikingly different. “The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” (I Samuel 16:7). God knows if we are truly humble in heart or if we have false piety. Godly men, the Lord hates a proud look. Pride will prevent us from becoming the men He intends for us to be. Pride will keep us from treating others with grace and mercy, and it will cause us to keep our eyes focused on ourselves instead of on the Lord.
The Lord hates a proud look because it is outward evidence of an inward sickness. Pride is a disease that consumes our very souls. It affects everything: how we perceive God, how we interact with Him, how we treat our fellow man, how we respond to difficulties in life and how we think of ourselves more highly than we should. A proud look reveals that we feel that we are better than others. This attitude angers God, because in doing so, we exalt ourselves above others. Make no mistake, the Lord said that He will abase those that exalt themselves and exalt men who humble themselves. (Matthew 23:12). Jesus spoke these words to the Pharisees, who considered themselves to be the religious and holy elite of God. However, Jesus called them hypocrites, fools, blind, serpents and generations of vipers-among others names. Oftentimes, our perception of who is holy and God’s viewpoint is strikingly different. “The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” (I Samuel 16:7). God knows if we are truly humble in heart or if we have false piety. Godly men, the Lord hates a proud look. Pride will prevent us from becoming the men He intends for us to be. Pride will keep us from treating others with grace and mercy, and it will cause us to keep our eyes focused on ourselves instead of on the Lord.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Out of the Heart the Mouth Speaks
“Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.” (Proverbs 4:24).
Once we become followers of Christ, there will be many aspects of our lives that need to be cleansed. Old habits have to be abandoned and mental strong holds that we have built for years have to be torn down. Many of these negative areas are miraculously demolished at the moment of our new birth; but other quirks in our personality are still frustratingly apparent (often to others as well as us). When I surrendered my life to the Lord, certain shackles and strongholds in my life were immediately broken, while in others areas I continued to struggle. One of the most obvious areas in need of transformation was my temper. I had possessed an out-of-control temper since I was a child. It took several years of constant work by the Holy Spirit before transformation occurred in this aspect of my life. One area I see many Christian men struggle with is the mouth. We are to put away a froward (contrary; ornery; stubborn) mouth, and perverse (corrupt; degenerate; wicked) lips put far from thee. “The mouth of fools poureth out foolishness” (Proverbs 15:2). We have a responsibility to control our mouth. When our heart is not right with the Lord and our spiritual life is stagnant, our mouth is the first to give us away. Our speech becomes peppered with complaints, bitterness, murmurings, resentment, pride, contempt and anger. Godly men, we must keep our mouths in constant check and allow the Holy Spirit to tame our tongue.
Once we become followers of Christ, there will be many aspects of our lives that need to be cleansed. Old habits have to be abandoned and mental strong holds that we have built for years have to be torn down. Many of these negative areas are miraculously demolished at the moment of our new birth; but other quirks in our personality are still frustratingly apparent (often to others as well as us). When I surrendered my life to the Lord, certain shackles and strongholds in my life were immediately broken, while in others areas I continued to struggle. One of the most obvious areas in need of transformation was my temper. I had possessed an out-of-control temper since I was a child. It took several years of constant work by the Holy Spirit before transformation occurred in this aspect of my life. One area I see many Christian men struggle with is the mouth. We are to put away a froward (contrary; ornery; stubborn) mouth, and perverse (corrupt; degenerate; wicked) lips put far from thee. “The mouth of fools poureth out foolishness” (Proverbs 15:2). We have a responsibility to control our mouth. When our heart is not right with the Lord and our spiritual life is stagnant, our mouth is the first to give us away. Our speech becomes peppered with complaints, bitterness, murmurings, resentment, pride, contempt and anger. Godly men, we must keep our mouths in constant check and allow the Holy Spirit to tame our tongue.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Watch Your Step
“My son attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.” (Proverbs 4: 20-22).
In our journey to become godly men, we are always aware of the big pit falls that hinder us in reaching our goal; however, we fail to realize that it is our failure to be faithful in the little things that becomes our undoing. As we neglect the fundamentals and foundation of our walk with the Lord: prayer, spending time in the Word, fellowshipping with the Lord and other believers, we cease to feed our spirit man and the carnal man takes over. For men, the eyes are the gate to our souls. In Psalm 141:8, David said: “But mine eyes are unto thee, O God the Lord: in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute.” He also states in Psalms 101:3: “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes.” David instructed his son Solomon not to let God’s truth depart from his eyes. As we meditate on God’s Word and the ways of God, the Holy Spirit writes these truths upon our hearts. They are there for us to draw upon when we need them. Men of God, we must be faithful in the small things. As we go about our daily activities, may God help us to be constantly aware of the things we allow access to our souls.
In our journey to become godly men, we are always aware of the big pit falls that hinder us in reaching our goal; however, we fail to realize that it is our failure to be faithful in the little things that becomes our undoing. As we neglect the fundamentals and foundation of our walk with the Lord: prayer, spending time in the Word, fellowshipping with the Lord and other believers, we cease to feed our spirit man and the carnal man takes over. For men, the eyes are the gate to our souls. In Psalm 141:8, David said: “But mine eyes are unto thee, O God the Lord: in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute.” He also states in Psalms 101:3: “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes.” David instructed his son Solomon not to let God’s truth depart from his eyes. As we meditate on God’s Word and the ways of God, the Holy Spirit writes these truths upon our hearts. They are there for us to draw upon when we need them. Men of God, we must be faithful in the small things. As we go about our daily activities, may God help us to be constantly aware of the things we allow access to our souls.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Peaceful Sleep
“When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.” (Proverbs 3:24).
The first bedtime prayer my mother taught me was: “Now I lay me down to sleep, I prayer the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.” I had a sweet communion with Jesus as a young child. Because of my family’s example and a religious upbringing, I knew about the Lord from the time I could talk. When I was nine, my pastor introduced me to Jesus, and I began an intimate relationship with Him (I even saved a place for Him in my bed each night, so that he would have somewhere to sleep). As a child, I used to be afraid of monsters under my bed, and I would run and jump up onto my bed, so the monsters couldn’t grab my feet. Once I got on the bed, I knew I was safe because Jesus could protect me. The Lord wants us to have that same confidence in Him as adults (only we no longer have to fear the monsters). Nevertheless, adults continue to face their own bogey-men at night: depression, worry, anxiety, lust, fear, etc. The Lord is able to deliver us from our fears. He wants us to sleep peacefully under the protection of His wings. In Leviticus 26:6, God tells the Israelites: “I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land.” My mom used to say: “Sweet dreams” to me every night before I went to bed. The Lord will make our sleep sweet when we turn our fears over to Him and allow Him to fight our demons. Then we can be like Jesus on the Sea of Galilee; we can sleep peacefully in the mist of the storm.
The first bedtime prayer my mother taught me was: “Now I lay me down to sleep, I prayer the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.” I had a sweet communion with Jesus as a young child. Because of my family’s example and a religious upbringing, I knew about the Lord from the time I could talk. When I was nine, my pastor introduced me to Jesus, and I began an intimate relationship with Him (I even saved a place for Him in my bed each night, so that he would have somewhere to sleep). As a child, I used to be afraid of monsters under my bed, and I would run and jump up onto my bed, so the monsters couldn’t grab my feet. Once I got on the bed, I knew I was safe because Jesus could protect me. The Lord wants us to have that same confidence in Him as adults (only we no longer have to fear the monsters). Nevertheless, adults continue to face their own bogey-men at night: depression, worry, anxiety, lust, fear, etc. The Lord is able to deliver us from our fears. He wants us to sleep peacefully under the protection of His wings. In Leviticus 26:6, God tells the Israelites: “I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land.” My mom used to say: “Sweet dreams” to me every night before I went to bed. The Lord will make our sleep sweet when we turn our fears over to Him and allow Him to fight our demons. Then we can be like Jesus on the Sea of Galilee; we can sleep peacefully in the mist of the storm.
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