17 Sep OBTAINING FAVOUR OF THE LORD
A Christian sister rang me on my mobile phone recently and asked me to give her the verse in the Bible that says, “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD”. I told her it is found in Proverbs 18:22. That same day I started meditating on that particular verse and the troubling question that came to my mind was why is divorce the norm rather than the exception in our society today? Marriage or divorce is not a subject that I like to discuss but the situation today leaves me with no other option than to discuss about it and by God’s grace I will do so here.
The Scriptures says that , “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing ,and obtaineth favour of the LORD”(Proverbs 18:22).This is a simple and clear truth and for ever God’s word is settled in heaven (Psalm 119:89)For He has magnified His word above all His name(Psalm 138:2b) and hastens His word to perform it(Jeremiah 1:12b) For as it is written, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mind: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11)
For the sake of clarity before I discuss this particular matter let me define ‘matter’. Matter is defined as physical substance in general, as distinct from mind and spirit ;( in physics) that which occupies space and possesses rest mass, especially as distinct from energy “All physical bodies in the universe are made of matter: galaxies, stars and planets, rocks, water and air. Living organisms like plants, animals and humans are also composed of matter”. However despite the fact that a husband and wife are humans yet I am not discussing only of their physical aspect here but also of their mind and spirit because the heart of the matter here is a matter of the heart and you are admonished to, “keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”(Proverbs 4:13)
WHY IS DIVORCE THE NORM RATHER THAN THE EXCEPTION IN OUR SOCIETY TODAY?
The answer is very simple because the man never found a “help meet for him’(Genesis 2:18) nor ‘the bone of his bones ,or flesh of his flesh’(Genesis 2:23).Though they are married and they are living together but she is only with him physically as a matter but not spiritually as a matter of the heart and therefore the marriage is not a blessing from the LORD because of a truth , “The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich ,and he addeth no sorrow with it” (Proverbs 10:22) but any marriage not from God cannot make you rich because, “…A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven”(John 3:27)
The scriptures says that God will not withhold any good thing from you if you walk uprightly (Psalm 84:11b) and a wife is a good thing but you must understand, “ that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps’
(Jeremiah 10:23) and it is only God that can lead you in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake (Psalm 23:3b) and if you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour you are automatically reconciled to God and is made the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20-21) and as result God will direct your steps (Psalm 37:23) and keep you from falling (Jude 24) and you will walk uprightly daily.
As you walk uprightly God will not withhold any good thing from you for as is written, “If ye then ,being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?”(Mathew 11:7)
Concerning marriage the Bible says that, “So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever hateth his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it even as the Lord the church”(Ephesians 5:28-29)
The simple truth is that if you hate your wife then you hate yourself for it is hatred that leads to divorce but the reason is legally termed by the society most times as, ‘ irreconcilable difference’. The “div” in divorce simply stands for divide or division while the ‘orce’ stands for force. That means division by force. For divorce is nothing else than a division backed by the force of the law. A divison of marriage and consequently the family.
BIBLICAL EXAMPLE OF “A GOOD THING”
Let me give you a Biblical example of a “good thing”. Concerning Zacharias and Elisabeth it is written,
“And they were both righteous before the God,walking in all the commandments of and ordinances of the Lord blameless And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren,and they both were now well stricken in years” (Luke 1:6-7)
Elisabeth barrenness did not make Zacharias to divorce her or to marry a second wife or to go and have an extra-marital affair because he was looking for a child.
He knew that extra-marital affair is nothing else than adultery and the sixth commandment says, “Thou shalt not commit adultery”(Exodus 20:14).Zechariah found a good thing and that good thing was Elisabeth and how can one let a good thing go when it also brings the favour of the Lord?
The barrenness did not make any of them to stop serving God with the whole heart, for they both knew and believed that the word of God is the final word and cancels any barrenness in the life of Elisabeth for it is written, “Thou shall be blessed above all people, there shall not be male or female barren among you or your cattle”(Deuteronomy 7:14) and though they were well stricken in years God blessed them with a son for Elisabeth conceived and gave birth to John the Baptist.
No child after getting married all these years and your wife has reached menopause? No problem it is not permanent for it is only a ‘pause’ and the dictionary defines pause as , ‘a temporary stop in action’ .However my question to you is that which report do you believe? The report of the medical doctors who admits that they can only cure but God heals or the report of God Almighty who not only heals but also, ’quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were”(Romans 4:17b) I believe God and believe His word, I also trust God and trust His word.
THREE IMPORTANT FACTS IN LIFE AND MARRIAGE
It is very important that you must note these three facts in life and marriage from the book of Ecclesiastes chapter three
Number 1:
“For every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
For Elisabeth I can say that the period of Elisabeth barrenness was her ‘lockdown season’ and it lasted for years but it never made Zechariah quarrel, hate and divorce her but rather brought him closer to his wife for as it is written, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”(Amos 3:3).
Familiarity it is said brings contempt but I must point out here that familiarity with your own body should bring love, cherishment and nourishment but because you don’t consider your wife as the flesh of your flesh you have contempt for her and it is this contempt that makes you to hate her and this hatred leads to divorce.
The lockdown period globally due to the corona pandemic is just for a season and it will not last forever. It is gradually coming to an end but the question is have you discovered the purpose for the season? Did it make you to understand, love, cherish, nourish and appreciate your wife more?
Anytime you send a person a Christmas card or read one with words like ‘the reason for the season’ written on the card then you should note that it simply means that “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”(John 3:16) and that for this purpose was the Son of God manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil .It written ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and for ever”(Hebrews 13:8) His ministry of salvation , deliverance and healing and work of mercy and grace is still available today so if you are not yet born again why not accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour because now is the acceptable time for the next second might be too late.
Number 2 :
“He hath made every thing beautiful in his time:…..”(Ecclesiastes 3:11)
God indeed made everything beautiful for Zacharias and Elisabeth as it is written
“After those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me ,to take away my reproach among men” (Luke 1:24-25)
Listen when God’s appointed time for you comes, He will break the gates of brass and cut the bars of iron asunder (Psalm 107:16) and He will turn again your captivity (Psalm 126:1) and remove all the clogs in the wheel of your progress. Then you will praise the LORD for His goodness and for His wonderful works in your life(Psalm 107:15).
For Elisabeth, God personally and permanently lifted up the lockdown season in her life because barrenness is a type of lockdown which simply translated means locking down the womb. God’s mercy lifted up that lockdown season in her life.
“Now Elisabeth’s full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her”(Luke 1:57-58)
God made everything beautiful in His time for them in the following ways
- He healed her womb and opened it
- Blessed her and her husband with a male child
- No miscarriage during pregnancy
- No complication during or after child birth
- The male child named John was not an ordinary child for as it is written“And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways”(Luke 1:76)
This is the acceptable year of the Lord, why not accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour now before the day of vengeance of our God (Isaiah 61:2).The day of vengeance of our God will surely come and it is a fearful thing to fall into the hand of the living God for our God is a consuming fire.
Number 3
“I know that whatsoever God doeth shall be forever: nothing can be put to it ,nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him”(Ecclesiastes 3:14)
Marriage is between a man and a woman and is meant to last while both spouses are alive and that is why the Scripture says, “And he said unto them,that which made them at the beginning made them male and female ,And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder”.(Mathew 19:4-6)
Zacharias and Elisabeth marriage lasted till the end, they enjoyed their marriage here on earth because they knew that , “For in the resurrection they neither marry ,nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven”(Mathew 22:30)
When you know the scriptures, and the power of God you will enjoy and celebrate your marriage regardless of the situation because you know that, “For with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37) and that He is beautiful in every situation.
If you know the scriptures you will not divorce your wife or marry a divorced woman because it is written:
“And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife except it be for fornication, and shall marry another,committed adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery” (Mathew 19:9)
Instead of divorcing your wife keep on forgiving .Jesus said unto his disciples
“Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee saying, I repent; thou shall forgive him” (Luke 17:3-4)
This simply means that you should keep on forgiving. Thanks be to God that Peter was interested in the number of times a person should forgive another per day,
“Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven time: but, Until seventy times seven”(Mathew 18:21-22)
7 x 70 = 490 times
Can your wife sin against you 490 times a day? If the answer is No, then why don’t you forgive her?
Always remember that it is written,
“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Mathew 6:14-15)
‘Whatsoever God doeth shall be for ever’, eternal life is for ever for the scripture says That,
“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36)
Why not flee from the wrath of God by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour today?
JESUS IS THE ANSWER
Jesus Christ is the solution to all your marital problem, you don’t have to divorce your wife for any reason but rather invite Jesus Christ into your marriage and this means that both of you must first accept him as your Lord and Saviour. He will do these things in your marriage for He will make your wife a virtuous woman and you will safely trust in her for she will do you good and not evil all the days of your life(Proverbs 31:11-12) for it is only Jesus that can bring a clean thing out of an unclean{Job 14:4)
- He will restore the love you have for your wife and will make it sweeter than the former (John 2:9-10)
- Your marriage will last till the end for it is written, “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead,yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believest in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”( John 11:25-26)
- She will no longer be carried away by vanity because she will know that , “Favour is deceitful, and beautiful is vain but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised”(Proverbs 31:30)
Only believe and invite Jesus Christ into your life and marriage today.
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