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 Previous issues are located in The Archive |
May, 2005 |
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CONSIDER
HIM… |
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TIME IS NOT OUR ENEMY BY MARILYN CONRAD Waiting
is something no one likes to do. It seems to be an irritating waste of
time. But waiting is not cause for irritability, frustration or wasted
hours. In God’s plan, waiting is productive time and carries rewards. God
often exhorts us to wait. In Psalms 37:7 we read, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” What God
commands us to do is different from the impatient, restless “killing”
of time we usually think of as waiting. Habakkuk
2:3 says, “For the vision is yet
for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though
it tarry, wait for it; because
it will surely come, it will not tarry.” Two
different words are used for tarry in this verse. The first one means
delay and the second one means to stop or hinder from coming to pass. So
the verse could read, “Though it delay, wait for it, for it shall not be
stopped.” The vision God has placed in your heart for your marriage may
be delayed, but wait for it, for it shall not be stopped. God
has an appointed time for your marriage to be healed. Meanwhile,
time was intended by God to be our friend, not our enemy. God tells us in
His Word to not fulfill the lusts of the flesh but to walk in the spirit.
When we walk in the flesh, time is our enemy—when we walk in the spirit,
time is our friend. God’s
plan for this time away from our mates is that it be good, productive
time. We know that one day soon our Lord Jesus Christ will return.
However, we are urged not to sit idly by, instead, we look forward,
expectantly, preparing for that day. In
like manner, we can use this time away from our mates to reach others. In
fact, it’s the secret for much of our own healing. When we stop looking
inward at our own hurts, problems and circumstances and begin to reach out
to others, healing will be the result. The principle of sowing and reaping
is in effect. I
would encourage you to get involved at your church. Sing in the choir,
teach a class, work in the bookstore, join an intercessory prayer group,
work in the kitchen, be a greeter or an usher. Find an area where help is
needed and meet that need. Perhaps
this time could also be spent furthering your education. One covenant
keeper was an assistant leader of one of our groups and she felt God was
telling her to go back to college and pursue her doctorate. Today she
teaches on the college level and has a healed marriage. Another
area to consider is leading a Covenant Keepers group. Write or call our
office for information. Many believe God will use them mightily when their
mates return and I’m sure this is His desire. However, the Word teaches
us that we must be faithful over little before He can entrust us with much
(Luke 16:10). Ministering to others by leading a group is sowing seeds for
the harvest you desire when your marriage is restored. |
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Marriages Will Thrive in 2005! |
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