We sometimes resent that our life isn’t what it once was - Or perhaps the “sameness” of life has caused us to be discontent, pushing us to wander this world and seek what it has to offer.
Have you heard the phrase "Someone who has broken down the fence wanders endlessly"?
Surely, there must be no harm in searching for the meaning and purpose of our lives - but there is a serious danger when we do it alone, following our heart's desires and lowering our guard.
We can be easily attacked by the "roaring lions" and eventually become lost.
In Jeremiah we read that our hearts are crafty - they cannot be trusted.
Jeremiah 17:9 NLT
The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?
Jesus also said that nothing good comes from our hearts.
Matthew 15:19 NLT
For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander.
We MUST NOT follow our heart, but instead guard it, for everything we do flows from it.
Don't break or lower the fence we are in.
We must guard it.
We must stay alert.
How? Let's unfold some stories from the book of Genesis and learn from them.
1. GENESIS 24: A Wife for Isaac
Genesis 24:39-40 NLT
“But I said to my master, ‘What if I can’t find a young woman who is willing to go back with me?’ He responded, ‘The Lord, in whose presence I have lived, will send his angel with you and will make your mission successful. Yes, you must find a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father’s family.
This story serves as a reminder of the firm FAITH of Abraham's servant in choosing a spouse for his master's son.
CAREFULLY obeying all instructions given by his master, Abraham.
First of is, it must be from his father's family, not to mention how long the journey from Canaan to Haran is and the possibility that there will be no woman willing to go with him and marry Isaac.
- Yet this servant believes what his master believes in - that surely God will make his journey successful.
We cannot settle for less in choosing the one we will going to marry.
Someone we choose to love or pour our energy and focus into will surely affect our walk with the Lord.
It is very important that we mustn't let our hearts be captivated by those who are not in the family of faith, even if the search and waiting are long, or there is no assurance that we will meet our future spouses or not.
Don't settle for less or compromise with our values as Christians, following our heart's desires, thinking there's no harm in trying, or bargaining with the Lord, because the truth is that issues will arise later on.
The Bible says in Proverbs,
Proverbs 14:12 NLT
There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.
Let's save ourselves from the unnecessary pain that wrong relationships might bring.
It may start well, but it surely will not finish well.
Like Abraham's servant, we must also believe our Master in Heaven - that His will is the best and He has our best interest at us.
2. GENESIS 26: Isaac caresses her wife Rebekah
Genesis 26:8-10 NLT
But some time later, Abimelech, king of the Philistines, looked out his window and saw Isaac caressing Rebekah.
Immediately, Abimelech called for Isaac and exclaimed, “She is obviously your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” “Because I was afraid someone would kill me to get her from me,” Isaac replied.
“How could you do this to us?” Abimelech exclaimed. “One of my people might easily have taken your wife and slept with her, and you would have made us guilty of great sin.”
What we can learn from this story is the importance of spending time with our spouses, and this is not just a simple time; it is a time that ONLY a husband and a wife can SHARE.
The truth is marriage will not always be a sweet walk together, but a little mix of everything.
Its inertia is not to grow close together, but with the demands of life - kids, bills, chores - it may drift apart if we are not intentional in guarding and taking care of it.
Isaac caressing her wife Rebekah is a reminder that we must keep putting spices in our marriages.
Honoring it by honoring our marriage bed - don't stop "flirting" with our spouses, invest in each other.
Date each other once in a while.
Laugh together.
Surprise each other.
Tickle each other.
Enjoy each other, have fun!
King Abimelech had an interest in Rebekah, but when he saw how Isaac was intimately touching his wife Rebekah, this made King Abimelech stop his desire, and it saved the marriage of Isaac and Rebekah.
Let's not be ashamed of showing our affection to each other in public from time to time.
Let's talk about our spouses in front of our friends, officemates, relatives, churchmates even acquaintances.
Share their photos, and show some moments together in the open.
Don't hide them.
Let us not be too comfortable and complacent with our marriages - marriage is work, and love is an action, a choice, and a commitment.
For new and especially mature Christians, we all know that the Bible is our compass - its counseling is usually in the form of a warning, exhortation, and instruction.
Let's guard our hearts by listening to the scriptures, asking God to align our hearts with His.
Staying alert by being fervent in our prayers to the Lord, sharing the troubles and concerns of our hearts with Him, and asking for protection from the attacks of evil.
1 Peter 5:8 NIV
Be alert and of sober mind.
Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
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