Husbands, Love Your Wives

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.”

 ~Ephesians 5:25

I’ve always found it amusing that in the Bible wives are not once commanded to love their husbands; they are commanded to show respect for their husbands. On the other hand, husbands are commanded to love their wives. Not just love as in having feelings of affection for, but to love her the way that Christ loved the church. An all-encompassing, sacrificial love - Agape love.

In a biblical view of marriage, a man has an enormous job as husband. He is to be head of his household the way that Christ is head of the church. He is to be the leader of the wife and the children. Not just in a sense that he has to work and support them, which he is commanded to do as well, he is to be a Christian leader and to teach his children the ways of the Lord, and make sure they grow up with a biblical view of life honoring the Lord God. He is to be a shining example of Christian love, and a shining example of a Biblical husband to his wife. He is to be an outstanding member of society and the church; a man that other men look to for direction and to emulate as a husband.

In 1 Timothy 3 there is a list of qualifications for men to oversee the church. It begins with “he must be the husband of one wife” then continues:

"temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well (vv. 2-4)." These are the qualifications a man must have in his own home before he is able to hold any position in church.

This seems like a contradiction to everything that we see going on in the world because everything from God is absolutely contradictory to everything of the world. God has a plan and an order for our lives, including our married lives. When we step out of God’s will and into the lies of the world, we can see the reason for divorce, domestic violence, child abuse, drug addiction, and alcoholism.

God does not allow for a man to be violent for any reason, especially not with his wife and children (Colossians 3:19, 21). Domestic violence is one of the only two reasons allowed for divorce. A man must also support his family. In today’s society, that seems to be lost on a good majority of men. 1 Timothy 5:8 says a man who doesn’t support his family is “worse than an unbeliever.”

Being a husband and father is a huge job filled with immense responsibility. Neither role is to be entered into lightly or without the knowledge that it is a commitment to the Lord for life.

From Shine His Light by Marie McGaha

DWB Publishing  © 2017 

Read Isaiah 1-6 

A Truckers Wife

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”

~Colossians 3:23-24

My husband is a truck driver, which isn’t an easy life… not for him or for me. Up until a year ago, he was often gone for weeks at a time and only home a week in between. He spent the first few days sleeping and eating, while I spent those days doing his laundry and getting him ready to go out again. Now he leaves on Sunday and gets in on Friday, so we see each other more often, but since he doesn’t get in till after noon, he’s tired and we turn in early. Saturday is our day to go do something together, like hike the mountains, take the dogs to the river, or go fishing. But I still spend the rest of the day doing his laundry, cooking, and getting ready for him to leave on Sunday. It’s stressful for both of us but it’s the life we’ve chosen. I don’t always like his choice of career because he’s always gone or getting ready to leave, which puts the brunt of homelife on me. From taking care of animals, planting the garden, mowing the lawn, to the rest of the usual housewife duties, it’s all on me. On top of the fact I own my own business, I have a lot to do. But the most important job I ever took on was Nathan’s wife, and the reason he does his job is me. And his job makes my life possible. We are a team in every aspect of our lives and we under-stand that one of us without the other would be devastating to us both. We have a symbiotic relationship, that is, it’s mutually beneficial but it’s so much more. Our relationship is not based on each other simply as human beings but on the idea that when we married, we entered a covenant with God, believing each of us was the person God set aside for us alone, to spend the rest of our lives with, and to be together forever with God in Heaven when this life is over.

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me (John 15:4).”

Relationships fail every day. But relationships where God is first, will always survive the hardships of life. It’s not easy giving your life over to another person, trusting them completely, depending on them, and always being there for them. But when you trust God, you trust His plan for your life and trust that the person He brings into your life as a husband or wife, is the perfect person for you. Yes, it’s hard work. Yes, there can be obstacles to overcome. Yes, there will be disagreements and even arguments. There may even be days you feel like giving up but when the Lord is the head of your household, there will be a way to get over the hurdles. God is a family man. He loves us, He loves our spouses, He loves our children. He even loves our mother in-laws. God loves our relationships and when we love Him with all our being and put Him first, our marriages will be blessed and beautiful.

“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8).”

Read Song of Solomon

© 2018 Marie McGaha

Reckless Raging Fury

“There's a wideness in God's mercy 
I cannot find in my own 
And He keeps His fire burning 
To melt this heart of stone 
Keeps me aching with a yearning 
Keeps me glad to have been caught 
In the reckless raging fury 
That they call the love of God…”

The Love of God by Rich Mullins, 1985

The above song is one of my favorites. I don’t think Rich Mullins ever did a song I don’t like but this one strikes a chord within my soul. My grandmother was a minister and I grew up hearing about God’s love, salvation, mercy and grace but the life that tossed me about was a striking contrast to what Grandma said was true. Not only was it confusing to a child, it got worse as I got older and saw more of the world and less of what Grandma called truth. The world was a careless, unloving place full of pain and sorrow and God was a concept so far away, I couldn’t fathom His existence on any plain, much less as a loving father. But somehow, that “reckless raging fury” of God’s love found me and pulled me out of the sea of misery that tossed me around for so many years. I can’t tell you how or why without giving the same answers my grandmother did—God loves us no matter what we do, or how we let Him down, and when God calls our name, everything changes.

“’Behold, at that time I will deal with all your oppressors. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. At that time I will bring you in, at the time when I gather you together; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,’ says the Lord (Zephaniah 3:19-20).”

All of us feel like outcasts sometimes, and we’ve all done things we are ashamed of but the thing with God is, He has seen every evil thing we’ve done, and He still loves us. God is the only One we never have to prove anything to. We don’t have to dress a certain way, talk a certain way, wear make-up, or do anything to try and impress Him the way we’ve had to do with the people in our lives. God knows the innermost secrets, the hidden things we wouldn’t dare tell a living soul because we know they would kick us to the curb if they knew the real us. But long before we come to the point of confessing our sins to God and accepting Christ as our Savior, He already knew our innermost secrets and the darkest thoughts we’ve had. Yet, He doesn’t care. He loves us anyway, with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3), and the wideness of God’s love is immeasurable, incomprehensible, unbelievable, and all-encompassing. His compassion for us is beyond measure and His love is truly a “reckless, raging, fury” because there are no lengths He will not go to, no depths He will not sink to, and no sin He will not forgive in order to have us by His side.

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:35-39).”

Read Ecclesiastes 5-7

Weekend reading Ecclesiastes 8-11

 © 2018 Marie McGaha

Hook, Line & Sinker

“Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and He tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death.”

~James 1:13-15

I like to fish. When I was a kid, we didn’t have a lot, including fishing poles, so we made our own out of tree limbs, tied line to the ends and caught grasshoppers for bait. Fish couldn’t resist those grasshoppers in the water struggling to escape the hook. The water was so clear, we could watch the fish swim toward the grasshopper, bump it, then open their mouths and swallow. As soon as the grasshopper disappeared, we jerked our poles to set the hook, and then ran up the bank, dragging that fish out of the water. We don’t need no stinking reels! Years later, I thought of how I was like those fish, so focused on the grasshopper, they didn’t see the danger of the hook. That’s how sin gets us. We see something, want that thing, think about it, and go after it without considering what might happen once we have it. We can want something—drugs, sex, money—so badly that we go after it without thinking about the hook hidden beneath.

“And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil (Luke 4:1-2).”

The gospels tell the story of Jesus being tempted in the wilderness by the devil. He was shown food and riches and all He had to do was bow down and worship satan. Of course, that sounds ridiculous because Jesus already had everything satan offered. He knew who He was and didn’t have to prove anything. He couldn’t be tempted to show off to the devil a little bit either, which is what I think the devil wanted. The devil knew who Jesus was too, but he couldn’t resist trying to get the better of the Son of God; satan does the same thing to us. He isn’t too concerned with those who don’t know the Lord personally, his target is those of us who do. He wants us to fail, he wants us to look at our situations, and at what we don’t have, instead of at Jesus, who gives us salvation and everlasting life. He wants us to look at the bait and forget about the hook. The devil can only tempt us when we let our lusts and desires take control but if we keep our focus on Jesus, He will always stand between us and the devil.

“Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change (James 1:16-17).”

Read Ecclesiastes 1-4

©2018 Marie McGaha

Delight In the Law of the Lord

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night (Psalm 1:1-2).”

This Psalm continues to tell us that if we obey verses one and two, we will be like a “tree, planted by rivers of water,” and we will “bring forth fruit.” What is this fruit? It is what comes from being obedient to the Word of God. It brings about love, joy, peace, faith, kindness, patience, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). These are the attributes of Jesus, and we are to strive to be like Him, “whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked (1 John 2:6).” Our first priority then is to pray that we become more like Jesus, with the same attributes, and to keep His commandments.

Psalm 4 is a prayer for safety of the faithful. When praying Scripture, pick one or two verses that speak to you, and pray them back to God.

“There are many who say, “Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!”  You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound. In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety (Psalm 4:6-8).”

In these verses we see the following truths:

1)   The Lord will show us good and not harm

2)   The Lord’s face is light that shines upon us

3)   The Lord puts joy in our hearts

4)   The Lord gives us peace

5)   The Lord provides our safety

Praying this Scripture might go like this:

“Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your Word and promises to show me good and not harm. I pray you will shine the light of Your face upon me, and put joy in my heart. Thank You for Your peace in my life, and for providing safety for me and my family. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.”

Prayers don’t have to be long and involved, especially when we first begin praying Scripture. Short prayers are just as effective as long, drawn out ones. Being repetitious and droning on in our prayers doesn’t impress God. It is the fervent prayers of a righteous man that availeth much (James 5:16).

From "Keys To The Kingdom" by Marie McGaha © 2018 
Available from Dancing With Bear Publishing Fall 2018

Read Proverbs 21-31

Very Good

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”

~Genesis 1:1-2

When I was a kid, the series Star Trek was the greatest sci-fi show on TV, with the most up-to-date special effects. People disappeared in the transporter, we saw the Enterprise fly through the stars at warp speed, and of course, we saw really strange people and creatures from other planets. Sometimes, the planets were inhospitable and wouldn’t support life as we know it, so the crew moved on. Of course, it didn’t take long for technology to leap forward and when I watch the old Star Trek episodes now, the special effects seem so antiquated they’re something we laugh about. We can take what is already there and turn it into something better, something brand new and more efficient but we can’t take nothing and turn it into something. Only God can do that. When God’s Spirit hovered over the face of the waters, He didn’t think it was inhospitable or that nothing could ever come from it. God looked at the waters and thought, I can make dry land. I can make light. I can take some of that dirt and form a human being. And that’s exactly what He did. But He didn’t stop there, He formed that human being from a pile of dirt and then, He did something remarkable, He breathed His own Spirit into that pile of dirt and gave it life. That pile of dirt became the first man—a living, breathing, moving, thinking person. And God said it was “very good.” Up until then, everything created was called “good” but man and woman were “very good.”

“He (Christ) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together (Colossians 1:15-17).”

However, man and woman weren’t the point of Creation. Christ has always been the point of Creation, the point of all that ever was or ever will be. We were created for the Creator, to partake in His glory and dominion but never to be above who He is or what He’s done. But the problem is that we like to be first. We like to be at the top. We like people to look up to us. We like people to think we know everything, can do everything, and never fall down. The truth is, we like to feed our egos with the adoration of others and that’s a trap that will keep us from seeing the truth of God in our lives.

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in Him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In Him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in Him (Colossians 2:8-15).”

Read Proverbs 11-20

©2018 Marie McGaha

Fortitude and Strength of Character

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, Who forgives all your iniquity, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, Who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.”

~Psalm 103:1-5

David had a lot of ups and downs in his life, some of his own doing, and some due to the jealousy of others. He often found himself alone, abandoned by his friends, and pursued by his enemies. David gave in to his own fleshly desires on occasion, he whined and complained, and sometimes, he felt like giving up. I think we can all identify with David in one way or the other. I know I can. But the what I take away from David’s life isn’t that he sinned and did stupid things that caused a lot of pain in his life and the lives of others, but that David always, always came back to God with a contrite heart and repentance. He never let foolish pride stand keep him from confessing his sins and asking forgiveness. To me, it takes more courage to admit you’re wrong and in need of forgiveness than it does to commit those sins in the first place. In fact, I think committing sin only takes pride and a lack of humility. When I was living according to the flesh, it didn’t take any courage at all to sin. In fact, I think sin shows a serious lack of fortitude and strength of character. Standing up and saying, “I was wrong, and I’ve sinned against Jesus Christ, and made a mockery of all He did on the Cross,” takes a whole lot more guts than living with sin does.

“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be dominated by anything. Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by His power (1 Corinthians 6:12-14).” 

We were given free will and can choose what we do, when, and with whom but that doesn’t mean it’s good for us. In free will, we can also choose that which will save our lives not just here on earth, but for eternity. Our lives were bought with a hefty price and when we honor our lives, we are honoring God. When we make the choice to accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are also making the choice to give up the world around us. No one can ride two horses with one saddle. We can either live in this world as a testimony to what Christ did for us, or we can live as if the world is all that matters. And with either choice, we have chosen the consequences—eternity with Christ, or eternity without Him. When we choose Christ, we are choosing to live a life that takes courage, conviction, fortitude and strength.

“Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does (1 Peter 4:1-6).”

Read Proverbs 1-10

©2018 Marie McGaha

Liar, Liar

“And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.””

~Genesis 3:8-13

When my kids were little, I heard a lot of excuses, and I heard a lot of blaming. It was always someone else’s fault no matter what happened. Or they flat out lied to me, even when I caught them doing something. But passing the buck, making excuses, and lying goes all the way back to the beginning of mankind. It’s part of our nature to want to share the blame and therefore, share the punishment. Adam and Eve did it. They stood face-to-face with God Almighty and straight up lied to Him! Every time I read that portion of the Bible, I’m struck by their audacity to lie to God’s face but one day, I read that and thought, wow, we are still lying to God’s face. Every single one of us lie to God’s face every time we deny that we need His help, His grace, and His forgiveness. Every time we blame someone else for our situation, we are lying to God. I’m not saying others don’t affect our lives, but we are ultimately responsible for our own lives and how we live them. We might follow the crowd but that doesn’t make it right. We make choices every single day that affect how our lives are going to be tomorrow and there’s no one to blame but ourselves. We are all big fat liars who don’t want to take responsibility for ourselves. It’s just so much easier to wallow than it is to stand up and say, “It’s my own fault. I did this. I’m the one who messed up my life.” There is no action that does not have a consequence, good or bad. Choose the action, and you are choosing the consequence.

“Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are His delight (Proverbs 12:22).”

I’ve lied. I’m just as guilty as everyone else. But what I came to realize it that lying does nothing good. It doesn’t help, in fact, it just digs a bigger hole that gets deeper and deeper until you can’t climb out. Lies hurt the one being lied to and the one doing the lying. Lying erodes the very foundation of every relationship we ever have. And those lies always come to light one way or another. To me, lying is just not worth the trouble. Another thing I’ve discovered is that the truth is a lot more fun. People seem geared to handle lies but the truth will throw them for a loop. But lying to others is one thing, lying to God is impossible. God sees all, knows all, hears all, and every time we lie, it breaks His heart. And there is no room for liars in Heaven.

“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator (Colossians 3:5-10).”

Read Psalm 119

Weekend reading Finish Psalm 119

©2018 Marie McGaha

Walk of Faith

“As it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.”

~Philippians 1:20-26

For a law abiding citizen, I’ve spent a lot of time in prison. My late husband was in both state and federal prisons, where I met and married him and spent the last four years of his stretch in visiting rooms all over the country. The feds like to move their charges around a bit. One of my sons is in the federal system, and is also moved around quite often, but never close to me. Sometimes I think it’s a conspiracy to keep us as far apart as possible. I don’t get to see him often. I have also worked as a drug and alcohol counselor in the prison system, and I’ve been involved in prison ministry, so I’ve seen prison from every side. But no matter how much prison I’ve seen, I’ve never seen it the way the Apostle Paul did. There was no judge or jury, no three hots and a cot, no visiting days, TVs, weight piles or boneyards. It was a dark, dank cell with rats, insects and a prisoner chained to the floor. There was no early release or parole, and prisoners often died from disease or malnutrition, unless the governor of the province released them. But Paul, bound and chained to the floor never lost his joy. Instead, he dictated letters to be sent to the churches he established so the congregations wouldn’t lose heart over his situation. He knew sheep scatter when the shepherd is gone. He also knew that no matter where he was, Christ was with him. His only goal in life was to see Christ glorified and preach the gospel. Imagine if today’s prisons were full of prisoners like that!

“Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel (Philippians 1:27).”

Paul wanted the people to continue their walk of faith whether or not he was present. The same thing Christ wants of all of us. We cannot physically see, hear or touch Jesus Christ, but we can see, hear and touch Him through the Holy Spirit, in our inner being, in our own spirits. He is alive and real, living within our spirits through His own. It’s a mind-bender but it’s the coolest thing I’ve ever experienced. When we get that into our minds and hearts and understand the full implications, we can rejoice like Paul. No matter what happens in this life, the important thing is that Christ is glorified in our lives. In prison? Death of a loved one? Cheated on by a spouse? Talked about by a friend? Left behind by the crowd? Fired? Got a failing grade on a test? It doesn’t matter. Is Christ glorified in your life by what you do no matter what’s going on? That’s the important question and the only that matters. Life sucks. It sucks bad. Life will knock you down, jump on top of you and beat the crap out of you. And when you try to get up, it’ll kick you in the face. But that isn’t important either. What’s important is when you were on the ground, was your manner of life worthy o the gospel of Christ?

“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:9-14).”

Read Psalm 131-150

©2018 Marie McGaha

The Potter's Hands

“This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ‘Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.’ So, I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so, the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the word of the Lord came to me.  He said, ‘Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?’ declares the Lord.”

~Jeremiah 18:1-6

When we come into this world, we are like the clay in the potter’s hand waiting to be molded and shaped into a vessel that God can use for His glory. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy for us to be molded as it is clay, and it also has to do with who is doing the molding. We don’t always get an experienced potter in life. Sometimes, we get an untalented potter without a clue as to what they should do with the clay in their hands. Sometimes, we wind up with the chore of molding ourselves into some semblance of a productive human being. It can be a rough start for many of us.

I wasn’t raised by Ozzie and Harriet and we didn’t live like The Brady Bunch. We were more like Married With Children without the humor. I was always envious of those Brady kids though, with parents who were kind, loving, and understanding; siblings who were helpful and considerate, and a maid to do the cooking and cleaning. I would’ve killed to have Alice in our house! Even though we are products of our childhood, and we don’t always get the skilled potters as parents, we can still come out of it in pretty good shape.

“But when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now, we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known (1 Corinthians 13:10-12).”

The Amplified version of this verse reads:

“But when that which is complete and perfect comes, that which is incomplete and partial will pass away. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now [in this time of imperfection] we see in a mirror dimly [a blurred reflection, a riddle, an enigma], but then [when the time of perfection comes we will see reality] face to face. Now I know in part [just in fragments], but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known [by God].” 

Only God sees things as they are. He sees us for who we can be in Him, not for all the mistakes we’ve made in our lives, not for all the names we’ve been called, and certainly not for the dim view we have of ourselves. He sees us through the lens of the blood of Jesus Christ. God sees us wrapped in the light of His glory, flawed human beings who have been saved by grace and justified by His Son. If we could only take a moment and look into the mirror and see what God sees in us, we would have a completely different take on who we are and what our true worth is. 

Look into the mirror and repeat God’s words in Jeremiah: “Can I not do with you, (insert your name here), as this potter does?” Let the Potter mold and shape you from the inside out. You are what the Lord says you are, and no matter what has been said about you, or to you, it's what God says that matters. Be the clay in God's hands, take the shape He wants you to have and you'll become a beautiful piece of art.

“The Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have continued my faithfulness to you (Jeremiah 31:3).”

Read Psalm 120-130

© 2018 Marie McGaha

God's Grand Design

“Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it.”

~Song of Solomon 8:6-7

Being in love is a heady feeling, which is why people pursue love. It’s why writer’s write songs, poetry, books, and movie scripts about it, and singers croon about it. It’s something we all want and desire, dream of, and cry over. That feeling of falling in love, being in love, and searching for love is a driving force that has created a billion-dollar industry in dating sites. We want to fall in love and live happily ever after, yet, divorce is at an all-time high, infidelity is at an all-time high, and more people are living together without the benefit of marriage. So where did the human race go wrong when it comes to finding love? I suppose that is a question easier asked than answered.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).”

God designed marriage; it is a covenant between one man, one woman, and God. When God is removed from the equation, love and marriage no longer have the meaning they were intended. God is god of all—over all, above all, in all, around all, through all. And when we remove God from any part of our lives, chaos ensues. We see it all around us today in all parts of our society. God was removed from our schools and governments and the end result has been disastrous. There is no longer a clear-cut idea of right and wrong in society or in our personal lives. So, if society can’t handle life without the clear presence of God, how can we expect to handle our own lives without His presence in every aspect, including love and marriage? Our threefold cord in marriage is God, husband and wife. Remove any one of those members from the marriage, and it falls apart. We must be all in when it comes to our marriages—100% in the marriage 100% of the time because marriage is God's grand design.

“You husbands must be careful of your wives, being thoughtful of their needs and honoring them as the weaker sex. Remember that you and your wife are partners in receiving God’s blessings, and if you don’t treat her as you should, your prayers will not get ready answers (1 Peter 3:7).”

In a godly marriage, the husband is expected to do the heavy lifting in supporting his family, being a godly leader, showing his family how to live instead of telling them one thing and doing another. The husband is to follow Christ’s lead in loving and caring for his family, and when he does that, the wife and children will follow that lead. The contrary is true, if a husband is not leading by godly example, whether he knows it or not, he is still leading his family and they will follow the path he’s on. A man who abuses his wife will have children who learn that abuse is acceptable. Those children are likely to become abusers, bullies, and violent people, while those who are raised with love will likely become loving, caring people who put others’ needs before their own. Love is a learned concept just like everything else.

“Be beautiful inside, in your hearts, with the lasting charm of a gentle and quiet spirit that is so precious to God. That kind of deep beauty was seen in the saintly women of old, who trusted God and fitted in with their husbands’ plans (1 Peter 3:4-5).”

God created everything in perfect harmony, including our marriage relationship. Each husband is to love his wife and lead his family with caring and concern. Wives are also leaders in the family, a different kind of leadership role, but no less important. Women are to be gentle with their husbands, follow his lead, and to be kind and loving to her family. While men are leaders of the family, it is often the wives who are the spiritual backbone of the family teaching the ways of the Lord by what she does and how she expresses her love to her family. Women are gifted in ways men can never be, and while women may not have the physical strength of a man, they are gifted with stamina, endurance, strength of mind, courage, and fortitude. In the same way that Christ is the head of the church, and church leaders lead the congregation, it is a representation of the family. God is a family man, the ultimate father to us all, and He leads by example—being kind, faithful, patient, loving, and never giving up on any of us no matter how far we wander. It is His plan for His family to follow His lead and model our lives in the same way.

“If I gave everything I have to poor people, and if I were burned alive for preaching the Gospel but didn’t love others, it would be of no value whatever. Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, never haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever truth wins out. If you love someone, you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him (1 Corinthians 13:3-7).”

Read Psalm 100-118

© 2018 Marie McGaha

Those Unseen Things

“May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.  His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence, by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”

~2 Peter 1:2-4 

I know a lot of people who worry about dying, even Christians, but that has never been one of my worries. I have never worried about the length of my life, or even wanted to live into my 90s or longer. To me, life has always been a burden I’d rather not carry; something fleeting and temporary that I’d just as soon not have to deal with. But I do feel blessed that I’ve lived as long as I have without killing myself. When I was young, I was pretty reckless and never gave much thought to the outcome of any given situation—the folly of youth, I suppose because when I look back at some of those situations with all the years of experience I’ve accumulated, I just shake my head and offer a thanks to God because I know He is the only reason I’m alive today. While that may sound like a contradiction, the difference is, in my youth I never gave a second thought to the eternal outcome of my actions, so I’m glad God did, and I’ve had the chance to ensure that outcome. And now I know that my length of days is solely in His hands, as is everything else in life.

“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).”

We are blinded to the truth of God by the things of this world. Whether it’s our own youthful folly, money, sex, drugs, or all the other things available to us in this life, we are all just hairless monkeys looking at something shiny. We want what we want when we want it and we don’t care who gets hurt or what the consequences will be. There is a veil over our minds when we don’t see the truth of God. We ignore the Bible, and we ignore the idea of eternal consequences. It’s easier to believe that this life is all there is, and death brings nothingness; or that we come back to try it all over again until we get it right; or that we become animals or insects that travel on to the next plain of existence, or any of the other dozens of fanciful ideas about what happens after this life ends. But the wisdom of this world is folly to God (1 Corinthians 3:19), and when we finally see the folly in our own thinking, that veil is lifted, and we see the truth of God. Our lives here are temporary and fleeting but at the end of this life is eternity. It’s up to us to decide where we will spend it.

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).”

Read Psalm 89-99

© 2018 Marie McGaha

One Man's Weeds

“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in Heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

~Matthew 5:44-45

I like growing a garden. Having flowers around makes me feel better, and I like digging in the earth but one of the problems with gardening is you have to weed. Flowers and weeds grow together but I don’t think all weeds are equal. Some choke out what you are trying to grow, so they have to be yanked out regularly. But some weeds aren’t really weeds at all, like dandelions. My next-door neighbor has a little tool that goes into her lawn and plucks the dandelions right out, I let mine grow. Not only do they produce a pretty yellow flower, even if it doesn’t smell good, they also produce some very healthful and beneficial leaves and roots. And, if you’re so inclined, they make good wine. I like dandelion greens in my salads, they are chock full of vitamin A and iron. The root can be dried and used as a coffee replacement. One man’s weed is another man’s flower. I think it’s why we are to love our enemies and pray for those who  persecute us—we never know who’s a weed and who might be a dandelion.

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:34).”

In the Old Testament, the belief was “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth (Exodus 21:24).” If someone harmed you, you had the right to exact vengeance. Even though some still believe that today, Jesus said we aren’t to seek revenge but to love everyone the way He loves us. That is, we must remember that we were just as unlovable as anyone who has harmed us, and instead of exacting revenge, we are to pray for them. That being said, it doesn’t mean we have to be friends with people who have harmed us, but we do have to remember that prior to accepting Christ as our Savior, we, too, harmed others in some way. If each of us received what we deserved for the sins we’ve committed, we’d all be in hell. Thank God for sending Jesus Christ as the propitiation for our sins. There are enough weeds out there, but it isn’t up to us to decide which ones get plucked out and which ones are just dandelions.

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, 

then He will sit on His glorious throne. Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And He will place the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father,  inherit the kingdom  
prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me food, I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed Me, I was naked, and you clothed Me, I was sick, and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to Me.’  Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? And when did we see You a stranger and welcome You, or naked and clothe You? And when did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you did it to Me’ (Matthew 25:31-40).”

Read Psalm 69-72

Weekend Reading Psalm 73-88

© 2018 Marie McGaha

Before It All Ends In Tears

“So, we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”

~2 Corinthians 5:6-10

There’s no doubt that life is going to end, or at least life as we know it. Nothing lasts forever, especially not us. I liked watching a show called “1,000 Ways To Die.” The premise is summed up in the title, but the show was mostly about ridiculous ways people managed to kill themselves. I always thought I’d probably do something stupid that would end up with me on that show because I’m the clumsiest person around. One time, I knocked myself out with a piece of plywood and a chicken coop…. I woke up under the plywood, just my head sticking out, with the dogs on top of me, licking my face. My first thought was not if I had hurt myself, but instead, I was thankful I lived out in the boonies and no one saw me. At my funeral, people will not cry, they will be hiding behind their hands, laughing, whispering, “I can’t believe that’s how she died!” My husband has gotten to the point where he shakes his head and asks if my life insurance is paid up. I am not afraid of dying; of how I will die, maybe. But I am sure where I will go when I step from this life to the afterlife. I am not afraid of that because I know Jesus will be there to greet me, and so will many others that I miss every single day.

“But our citizenship is in Heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself (Philippians 3:20-21).”

When we know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we also know that this life is only useful so that we can know Him as Lord and Savior and hopefully, pass that knowledge on to others. In the long run, our short lives have a glorious ending. Our sick, weak, old bodies will be transformed into a glorious body, just like Christ’s resurrected body. We will be brand new, healthy, strong, with no aches or pains, and better than we could ever imagine in this life. What we call the end of life, is actually the beginning of our eternal life with Him. It is all going to end in tears one day, and while we may not know when or how, we can know what will happen after. There’s only two choices, remain in our sin and spend eternity in hell, or live for Christ and accept Him as our Lord and Savior and spend eternity in Heaven. For me, there is only one real, viable choice.

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:1-6).”

Read Psalm 60-68

©2018 Marie McGaha