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.

READ FULL STORY HERE

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.”

READ FULL STORY HERE

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. 

I've been watching Kdrama lately after almost 6 yrs of stopping myself from it.

I still got butterflies in my stomach with all the love stories I watched and made me wonder what bible love stories feel like and look like.

What can we get from them?

What can we learn from God about them?

And so here they go.

1. Isaac and Rebekah

Genesis 24:62-65

Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev. 

He went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching.

Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac.

She got down from her camel and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?”

“He is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself.

Genesis 24:67

Isaac brought her into the tent of her mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her;...

Love at first sight.

Although Isaac and Rebekah had not met each other before they got married they were able to love each other their entire lives because they chose to.

This may tell us that love is more than just a feeling, it is a commitment - A decision.

Their relationship shows us that marriage is deciding to love a person and that we can rely on God to keep us going and loving each other to the end even when differences and difficulties arise in the marriage.

2. Jacob and Leah

Genesis 28:1

So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. Then he commanded him: "Do not marry a Canaanite woman"...

Genesis 29:23

Laban took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her.

One of the very important principles in entering into a relationship is that we should look for a spouse from among God’s people and that our parents' blessing must also be sought.

Their wisdom shouldn't be disregarded.

If we get involved with unbelievers, with someone who has a different faith from ours we will have to deal with the differences in beliefs and values.

Worse, we might even follow theirs and abandon the Lord.

1 King 11:2

"You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods." Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.

1 King 11:4

As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God... 

3. Hosea and Gomer

Hosea 1:1

When the Lord first began speaking to Israel through Hosea, he said to him, “Go and marry a prostitute, so that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution.

Hosea 3:1

The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.”

If there's anything we can learn from Hosea and Gomer it is that we all marry imperfect people - a sinner.

God's love shines brightest through us when marriage is hardest.

We cannot stay in the marriage unless we truly love and fear the Lord.

Their love story displays what it means to be chosen, forgiven, and treasured by God.

Since every marriage is a union between two sinners, forgiveness will be a constant guest. 

It should always be welcome when it is knocking and celebrated when it prevails.

4. Joseph and Mary

Matthew 1:18-19

Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.

Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

I think this is a picture of "when love and respect kiss each other".

Though Joseph might found himself as the offended party, he did not make a big deal out of it by getting the attention to himself.

He has no plan of disgracing Mary publicly nor looking for sympathy of people towards him.

His love is kind and while he might felt angry and disappointed, in his anger, he did not sin.

While these stories might not give that same feeling of excitement and romance to our bones - these for sure are kind to last because it is God who wrote them.

It is the picture of the gospel.

How Christ loves his bride, the church.

Ephesians 5:25

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her...

Furthermore, did you know that the Bible itself even began and ended in a wedding?

The picture of God giving Eve to Adam and Jesus Christ welcoming His bride, the church.

Genesis 2:18

The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

Genesis 2:24-25

That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.

Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

Revelations 21:2-3

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

People may plan all kinds of things but the Lord's will is going to be done.

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with Spirit.
Speaking to one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;

Always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father.

In my distress, I called upon the Lord,
Yes, I cried to my God;
And from His temple, He heard my voice,

And my cry for help came into His ears.

...Thus the Lord was moved by prayer for the land, and the plague was held back from Israel.

History merely repeats itself.

It has all been done before.

Nothing under the sun is truly new.

Sometimes people say, "Here is something new!" But actually, it is old; nothing is ever truly new.

In this world, we will have troubles but Jesus overcomes the world.

I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;

From where shall my help come?

My help comes from the Lord,

Who made the heaven and earth.