I was thinking … What picture does the world see of Christian brides? Why do we portray a picture of failure and equality with the world in our marriages? Statistics say there is no difference in the divorce rate between Christians and non-Christians. Can God work in a Christian marriage to make it joyful? If God has saved us (wretched women that we are – frail, fragile and depraved) and promised to take us to heaven for evermore, can He not work in our marriages? 

I was thinking … When Christian marriages fall apart, I am so saddened. When I consider His love, all-power, wise, faithful and just attributes, I am saddened that these hurting women are not willing to allow Him to restore what the locust have eaten. Sadness. His attributes tell me that He knows the whole picture. He is making the crooked straight. He is fitting it all together even the messes I make. What an awesome God. What picture do I want the world to see? What do you think? See more in Drawing Close for Brides under  Brides today.

Sitting with a young new bride, watching her soften as she acknowledges these truths, hearing her make public announcement that she will trust God for her marriage and hear of her willingness to learn to be the bride God has called her to be, it is joy unspeakable to my ears and heart. I pray faithfully for these brides. Psalm 18:20 tells us that God blesses our tiniest obedience. Imagine this beautiful picture.

I was thinking … what a testimony for the world to see Christian marriages trust God for the issues that are challenging all around because we live in an evil world. Let’s not give up. Let’s live in hope not as the world hopes but hope in our wonderful all knowing loving God.  What picture did the world see yesterday? What picture will they see today? Comment.

Psalm 8:1,3a,9 (NAS) God’s greatness

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth, who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens! When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers…, O Lord our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth.

His greatness (majesty) exceeds that which creation can reveal. He tells the ocean how far it can come on shore. He changes the king’s heart.

When we begin to understand God’s attributes – Love, Supremacy, Sovereignty, All-Powerful, Good, Omniscient, All-Wise, Omnipresent, Immutable, Faithful, Holy, Just, and so much more, we know that in God’s greatness we can trust Him. We can trust Him even in our marriages.

Oh, how awesome His sovereignty! His way is perfect. He sees the whole canvas finished. He knows the story from beginning to end. What man does for evil, He will make for good.

In His sovereignty He is in control over the crooked and the straight of life. “Consider the work of God; who can make straight what he has made crooked? In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider; God has made the one as well as the other” (Ecc.7:13-14).

Myrna Alexander in Behold Your God says the “straight” might be viewed as the smooth of life, when it seems that things are fitting together nicely. The “crooked” is when things are still fitting together, but you don’t know it! There is the “crooked” that God causes and the “crooked” that we create for ourselves and God allows.

When we pray, “Oh Lord, bless this mess,” Romans 8:28 says He has! Our living Father, who is in control of everything, has worked even our mistakes into His plans for good!

I ask myself:

1. Am I willing to trust God with my marriage?
2. Am I willing to trust Him with the seemingly crooked of life?
3. Am I willing to seek God first for my plans and eliminate the “messes” I so often make?

Marriage is “Joy unspeakable and full of glory.”

God is good! Nahum 1:7

I was thinking … There have been so many times I have responded wrongly, angrily, bitterly, harshly, unkindly, and – just not as kind as I would to a girl-friend. Why do I hurt the one I love, the one I shouldn’t hurt at all? I was thinking … I should run to my sweetheart and seek forgiveness. I am always guilty of some part of the disagreement. Always, if only as much as a tiny grain of salt. Why is it so hard to ask forgiveness?

Oh that is wretchedly hard. I was thinking … Men are OBJECTIVE. Woman are SUBJECTIVE. Our feelings come first. We think beyond the comments or statements. Can you help?  Forgiveness by Nancy L. DeMoss has helped me see through my selfishness to this truth. See more in Drawing Close for Brides today.

Psalm 7: 3,4,8b,17 [NAS] A godly friend

… O Lord my God, If I have done this, if there is injustice in my hands, if I have rewarded evil to my friend, or have plundered him who without cause was my adversary…vindicate me O Lord according to my righteousness and my integrity that is in me… I will give thanks to the Lord according to His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD MOST HIGH.

When Scriptures speaks of “friend,” “one another,” “other,” “brother,” as a married woman, this is referring to our husband. That is powerful and humbling. The first person we are to be kind and courteous to is our own man – not literal neighbor or brother – but our husband.

Think about the times we have responded wrongly, angrily, bitterly, harshly, unkindly, and – just not as kind as we would to a girl-friend. It would behoove us to run (not walk), run to our man and seek forgiveness. If our guilt (our part) was as tiny as a grain of salt, ask forgiveness for that part.

Example: “I was wrong in the way I responded to you. Will you forgive me?”

These simple words (hard to say) will help to restore what the locust has eaten. Remember God blesses according to our tiniest bit of obedience (Psalm 18:20).

Men are OBJECTIVE. A fact is a fact. He has a more detached viewpoint. He sees things and events as they are in themselves and doesn’t make more of what is said. Woman are SUBJECTIVE. Our feelings come first. We are more attached. We make much of things and events and what they mean in relationship to ourselves. We think beyond the comments or statements.

Example: After asking a couple to come to dinner, he says, “They said they couldn’t come.” We feel like something must be wrong and say, “Is everything okay? Have we done something to offend them? Why don’t they want to come?”

I ask myself:

1. Do I treat my husband as kindly as I do my closest girl friend?
2. Am I willing to go quickly and seek forgiveness?
3. Do I try not to take every comment or answer from another as a personal response to liking me?

Marriage is “Joy unspeakable and full of glory.”

God is good! Nahum 1:7

I was thinking … I wonder how much effort we put into our appearance when we were dating that handsome prince we now call husband? I wonder how much effort we invested in running to the door and greeting him with a smile when he arrived to picked us up for a date? I remember those days (ever so long ago). There was a kind of fragrance of anticipation in the air. “Ahhhhhhhhhh he’ll be here soon.” I was thinking … Many of us have forgotten the sweet moment of thrill when we saw his car pull up and he got out and walked up the walk (the red car is a 40 Ford – that is what he picked me up in). Ahhhhhhhhhhh. Do you remember? I was thinking … I wonder what we look like when he comes home now? As brides, we need to keep ourselves attractive. Men enjoy talking with women who are attractive. One woman I heard of dressed in royal colors and beautiful apparel. I was thinking about how I look when my sweetheart arrives home. I am not afraid of hat woman (that Proverbs 31 woman); she is my example of what I can practice to become. I want to glean from her. Do you? See Drawing Close for Brides

Psalm 6:8b,9 (NAS) A godly application

… for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping. The Lord has heard my supplication The Lord receives my prayer.

God never commands something of us without providing a way to accomplish His direction. He hears our weeping. He hears our prayers. His ways are not like our ways. His ways are  higher and wider because He knows the beginning and the end. He has been touched with everything we could possibly be challenged with, and He is our example in all things. Hence, He tells us we can come BOLDLY to the  throne of grace to receive mercy in our time of need (Hebrews 4:15,16).

We have a task to be our man’s helper-mate, a task to complement him in all he does (this complement is to come along side and assist him to do his best). We need to learn early to use our voice. Our voice is not whiny or nagging. Our voice consists of facts, thoughts, ideas, opinions and intuitions. No feelings!  Our husband’s  don’t generally operate on feels; they think. They like to know how long our talk is going to be. They need to know if they will need to “fix” it right away. 

We need to be a student of our man. Watch, look, listen, and research his ways. Be smart! Do our homework. We need to use basic communication skills when we have something to “tell” them. “I have something to say; it will take about 5 minutes. You don’t have to fix it today. Is now a good time?”

As brides, we need to keep ourselves attractive. Men enjoy talking with women who are attractive. The Proverbs 31 woman dressed in royal colors and apparel. Think about how you look when he arrives home. Don’t be afraid of her (that Proverbs 31 woman); she is our example of what we can practice to become. We want to glean from her.

I ask myself:

1. Do I look for ways to complement my husband?
2. Do I practice good communication skill when I need to use my voice?
3. Do I grimace each time I think of the Proverbs 31 woman?
4. Or do I strive to become like her?

Marriage is “Joy unspeakable and full of glory.”

God is good! Nahum 1:7

  I was thinking … How often do my words hurt instead of edify? I am ashamed at how often I catch myself saying something and wishing I could suck it back in. God’s words for us are always encouraging. We should practice thinking first before we speak. I want to do that. Do you (Ephesians 4:29)? How hard can it be? We desire to be spoken to softly and kindly. Why is it so difficult to do the same to another? Whew! Do you know the answer? Help! Check out Brides as I have begun again with the Why of Drawing Close for Brides. Drawing Close for Brides will soon be a part of the devotional entries for Mentoring Moments. www.MentoringMoments.org Enjoy.

Psalm 5:1-3,7,12 (NAS) Blessings of a Righteous Bride

Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my groaning. Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God, for to YOU I pray. In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; in the morning I will order my prayer in You and eagerly watch…but as for me, by Your abundant loving-kindness I will enter Your house, at Your holy temple I will bow in reverence for You…For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O Lord, You surround him with favor as with a shield.

Although not a command, it is good for us to come to the Bible in the morning. It reminds us that it is through His strength alone that we can be the wife – the helper-mate to our man. It is His loving-kindness that empowers us to “fit” into his ways.

The “teacup” represents an icon of who we are as a woman. It illustrates our appearance, personality, character, and community. We are not a mug to carry the heavy burdens of answering for the well-being of a household, but a specially- created, unique, different-than-any-other-vessel china teacup, given to our man to support and encourage him through our gentle and caring ways. “Fitting” into his ways becomes a joy and the home runs more smoothly when we are willing to do our work heartily as unto the Lord.

Ephesians 4:29 reminds us to let our words be edifying…always!

I ask myself:

1. Am I willing to apply Ephesians 4:29 to my life with my husband today?
2. Am I willing to seek God today in being a wife fitting for my own husband? 1 Peter 3:1,5,6; Titus 2:5; Colossians 3:18; Ephesians 5:22,24,33b. I am glad that each of these passages says to fit into my own husband’s ways. 

Marriage is “Joy unspeakable and full of glory.”

God is good! Nahum 1:7

It is a challenge at times for the new bride to find time to read the Bible and have a meaningful word or phrase to encourage a close walk daily that she experienced before the veil was lifted. Some become discouraged and feel like a failure as a Christian wife. It has been my joy to encourage many brides to start small and regain the precious valuable meeting with her Lord and Savior on a daily basis – preferable in the morning. For these quick interludes in the Word, I am asking that she get up only five minutes earlier in the morning and make her way to the kitchen where she can privately once again unite with God through the reading of the Psalms. Discipline well worth practice.

 Dear bride, begin by laying a Bible on your kitchen counter in an area where you can see it every time you enter and in a place convenient to approach. If at all possible leave it there. For now, leave It open to the Psalms. If you are a “journaling” woman, keep it with you to write a word or phrase that really blesses you from the reading each day. If you aren’t a journaling woman, consider writing the notations on your daily calendar. The more kinetic energy we implore the more our finite minds may remember.

Consider that each morning you will read the focused verses and later when you have more time, you can return to the complete passage. But at least you are beginning your day with God’s Word fresh on your mind.

The Psalms encourage you because they speak to you and they speak for you. They can be your prayer as you read. By the end of the month, you will have read most of the first thirty chapters of Psalm. The next month you will begin with chapter thirty-one and do the following thirty chapters moving you through the complete Psalms.

It takes discipline to only read the suggested verses because you love reading God’s Word and you desire to have lengthy and full Bible reading as a result of love for your Savior. Consider that this brief reading is fulfilling your desire to be consistent in God’s Word daily. As you become adjusted to married life and develop a routine, you’ll be able to enjoy further study. These devotions are a stimulus to dig deeper as you transition to your new obligations discovered in marriage. You will have the Scripture and a practical application – a “my part” to encourage drawing close and coming boldly to receive grace.

My hope is that you will enjoy the adjustment in becoming a wife who experiences with joy unspeakable and full of glory, the pilgrimage of “fitting” into your husband’s ways. I am praying for you daily.

I was thinking … I tend to ask why a lot as I see professing Christian brides taking on the habits of the society they are so influenced by. The below writing is a brief portion of my passion for brides. Coming from a background of pain and sorrow, I want to encourage young brides to begin early to build and nurture the spiritual component of her marriage, knowing she can’t do anything thing to or for the husband but she can become the woman God created her to be and she can become more Christ-like. This is why I write the Psalm for Brides. I’m calling it “Drawing Close.” I welcome your comments, critiques and anything you want to tell me. If you aren’t familiar with the Psalms for Brides in my blog, please click on Brides and enjoy.  This is how it all began…

It is a challenge at times for the new bride to find time to read the Bible and have a meaningful word or phrase to encourage a close walk daily that she experienced before the veil was lifted. Some become discouraged and feel like a failure as a Christian wife. It has been my joy to encourage many brides to start small and regain the precious valuable meeting with her Lord and Savior on a daily basis – preferable in the morning. For these quick interludes in the Word, I am asking that she get up only five minutes earlier in the morning and make her way to the kitchen where she can privately once again unite with God through the reading of the Psalms. Discipline well worth practice.

 Dear bride, begin by laying a Bible on your kitchen counter in an area where you can see it every time you enter and in a place convenient to approach. If at all possible leave it there. For now, leave It open to the Psalms. If you are a “journaling” woman, keep it with you to write a word or phrase that really blesses you from the reading each day. If you aren’t a journaling woman, consider writing the notations on your daily calendar. The more kinetic energy we implore the more our finite minds may remember.

Consider that each morning you will read the focused verses and later when you have more time, you can return to the complete passage. But at least you are beginning your day with God’s Word fresh on your mind.

The Psalms encourage you because they speak to you and they speak for you. They can be your prayer as you read. By the end of the month, you will have read most of the first thirty chapters of Psalm. The next month you will begin with chapter thirty-one and do the following thirty chapters moving you through the complete Psalms.

It takes discipline to only read the suggested verses because you love reading God’s Word and you desire to have lengthy and full Bible reading as a result of love for your Savior. Consider that this brief reading is fulfilling your desire to be consistent in God’s Word daily. As you become adjusted to married life and develop a routine, you’ll be able to enjoy further study. These devotions are a stimulus to dig deeper as you transition to your new obligations discovered in marriage. You will have the Scripture and a practical application – a “my part” to encourage drawing close and coming boldly to receive grace.

My hope is that you will enjoy the adjustment in becoming a wife who experiences with joy unspeakable and full of glory, the pilgrimage of “fitting” into your husband’s ways. I am praying for you daily.