Saving Marriage: Beyond Constitutional Amendments

In response to same-sex marriages in some states, many are pushing constitutional amendments to preserve the traditional marriage relationship. But it will take much more if marriage is to be saved.

by John Miller

And I now pronounce you husband and wife!" These or similar words have long marked the union between a man and a woman in marriage, the time-honored institution that has been the bedrock of stability for society.

When several judges and other government officials in some American states broadened the definition of marriage to include same-sex unions last year, thousands of couples took vows to legitimize their relationships. Conservative Christians and others cried foul. The traditional meaning of marriage, they insisted, must be preserved. The consequences of changing marriage would be dire, they warned, including the destruction of the traditional family, staggering health-care costs, impair-ment of religious freedom and suffering of children.

Their opponents called them hypocrites. Could both have been right? Let's examine what the Bible teaches and compare that to the current efforts of professing Christians to save marriage. You may be surprised by what we find.

Same-sex relationships: What does the Bible say?

The biblical position on same-sex marriage is not difficult to understand. Moses, under God's inspiration, wrote: "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination" (Leviticus 18:22).

The apostle Paul reaffirms the unacceptable nature of this lifestyle in his letter to the Corinthian church: "Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders . . . will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-10, New International Version). Unless there is real repentance, the ultimate penalty remains the same: "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).

Some Corinthian church members had repented of and forsaken these unacceptable lifestyles. "And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:11, NIV, emphasis added).

The Bible clearly states that "marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled" (Hebrews 13:4). There is permanence and social stability in the exhortation, "Man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh" (Ephesians 5:31). This family unit has been the basis of social and economic stability for millennia.

That is in serious danger of changing if proponents of same-sex marriage have their way. Still, the matter is far from settled. The conservative political base in America is actively pursuing legislation and constitutional amendments at the state and federal levels to preserve the traditional meaning of marriage.

However, recent studies, even within the ranks of this conservative base, indicate that marriage is in much deeper trouble than one might first expect. The advent of same-sex marriage may be more symptomatic of the moral mind-set of the nation than merely a legal issue. Stated bluntly: Marriage is under assault from many sides, and it will take more than a constitutional amendment—much more—to save it.

Declining support for biblical standards

Consider these statistics: 52 percent of those who profess to be "born-again" Christians do not believe divorce for reasons other than adultery is a sin. They are just as likely to divorce as non-Christians. And 49 percent of born-again Christians believe cohabitation—men and women living together outside of marriage—is morally acceptable. Only half of Protestant pastors have a biblical worldview. Only 1 in 10 born-again teenagers believes in absolute moral truth.

These statistics, compiled by respected religious pollster George Barna, are quite an indictment against today's religious establishment. Clearly, the larger Christian community has failed to integrate basic tenets into daily lives. A profession of Christian belief does not ensure the practice of Christian principles and standards. Sadly, marriage has little chance of surviving in such an environment.

Interestingly, Paul's letter to the Romans, which describes homosexual relationships as "vile passions" (Romans 1:26), has equally strong words for those who deliberately oppose the behavioral standards revealed in God's Word. "For the wrath of God," Paul declares, "is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them . . ." (verses 18-19).

To suppress the truth, Paul maintains, is deliberate "unrighteousness" that blinds their thinking and reasoning. "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting" (verse 28).

Paul lists a number of "unfitting" behaviors that debased minds produce, including sexual immorality, pride, lack of spiritual understanding and deceit (verses 29-31). What is worse, according to Paul, these individuals "not only continue to do these evil things, they applaud others who do them" (verse 32, New Century Version).

What can be done?

Clearly, society at large and a huge number of professing Christians have lost their way. What then can be done?

If marriage is to survive, the undiluted Word of God with respect to marriage must be taught today with the same force it was given in the first century by the apostle Paul and others. Mincing the Scriptures to fit contemporary and ungodly perspectives will not save marriage.

Neither will preaching "old-time damnation" that evokes only fear and emotion but produces little or no sustainable change. What society needs is a clear delineation between right and wrong—plain and simple so people can make informed moral choices.

The uncensored Word of God has an amazing capacity and authority to give clear direction. It becomes, as King David said, a "lamp" to our feet that guides us down a safe path in our journey through life (Psalm 119:105).

The supreme authority

God is the supreme authority. His authoritative instructions are written down for us in the Bible. Jesus Christ, God's incarnate Son, acknowledged, recognized and submitted to this authority.

The prophet Isaiah, in a widely recognized messianic prophecy, foretold the Messiah's attitude on this matter. "His delight is in the fear of the LORD," the prophet explained (Isaiah 11:3)—centuries before Jesus Christ so eloquently expressed the prophecy's fulfillment: "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work" (John 4:34).

Jesus consistently acknowledged the supremacy of God in everything He did: "I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me" (John 5:30). His life's work demonstrates His unwavering commitment to yield to the will of the Father in word and deed.

The yielded mind or attitude of Christ, which Paul exhorts us to emulate, is at the foundation of what it will take to save marriage. This attitude cannot be constitutionally legislated; it must be sincerely embraced by each individual.

Jesus Christ recognized God as the only supreme authority and source for universal truth. "Your word is truth," He declared (John 17:17). This universal truth provides timeless principles to direct our lives. Jesus taught His followers that "you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).

Recognizing, yielding to and ordering our lives according to universal truth revealed by a higher authority is clearly being out of step in our self-determined society. The notion that yielding one's will to God is a delight and that embracing and living within the restrictions of God's law brings freedom is scoffed at by today's freethinkers.

Sadly, this attitude of self-determination, standing in stark contrast to the teachings and example of Christ, has infiltrated the professing Christian community. When half of pastors surveyed lack a biblical worldview, is it any wonder that their constituents fail to recognize that divorce "for just any reason" (Matthew 19:3-6) is not biblically justifiable? Or that they don't see unmarried cohabitation as morally unacceptable? Or that teenagers don't believe in absolute truth?

Without a biblical worldview based firmly in the Scriptures, even pastors unwittingly suppress the truth. And their parishioners reap the predictable consequence described by Paul.

Clearly, if marriage is to be saved, a lot of work must be done on the home front—among professing Christians. It must begin by moving beyond simply professing Christ to actually practicing what He taught—delighting, as He did, in the laws of God, which are an expression of love.

God is the author of marriage

Make no mistake. Marriage derives its definition and authority from God rather than from contemporary cultural ideas. Jesus Christ explained the original intent of marriage: "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate" (Matthew 19:4-6).

These words of Christ, spoken nearly 2,000 years ago, should give us encouragement because His perspective remains unchanged. In a society with ever-changing values, Christ's definition of -appropriate moral conduct, including that relating to marriage, remains the same. From the beginning, marriage was intended by God as a union between a man and a woman.Even in Jesus' day, many had lost sight of the true meaning of the marriage bond. Apparently it was common to divorce one's wife "for just any reason," a concept Jesus was asked about in Matthew 19:3. When He disagreed, even His disciples were surprised. Their initial response was, "If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry" (verse 10). That response is indicative of the tendency of human beings to ignore God's instructions and drift away from the way of life He has revealed to us.

Paul explained to the Romans that those who had suppressed divinely revealed truth "did not like to retain God in their knowledge." Hence, "God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting" (Romans 1:28). These words are strong, but also very instructive. When people reject God, bad things happen.

Consider how we got to the present moral crisis concerning marriage. In the 19th century those who "professed to be wise" dispensed with the Creator in favor of the Darwinian theory of evolution. This shook the foundation of the purpose for marriage. Without a Creator the institution of marriage had lost its moral foundation.

The sexual revolution of the 20th century dispensed with the permanence of the marital relationship in lieu of newfound sexual freedom. And finally, it appears that those "professing to be wise" wish to redefine or dispense with marriage altogether by sanctioning all types of sexual relationships between same-sex and multiple partners.

Paul explained the pattern in his message to the Romans. First there is the rejection of creation in which "His invisible attributes are clearly seen." Then God gives them over to a "debased mind," which results in all kinds of depravity from sexual immorality (adultery, fornication, etc.) to "vile passions," defined by Paul as homosexual activity. Rejecting God as our Creator distorts the mind.

Marriage doesn't come with a divorce clause

Marriage was intended by God to form a union that transcends all human relationships. A man and woman are to become one flesh, and what God has joined no one is to trivially separate. Contrast God's intent with the accepted practice of our current culture where divorce is an accepted and easy exit strategy to the marriage covenant. Prenuptial agreements even define the terms much like a termination clause in a business contract. However, this permissive view is incompatible with sound Scriptural teaching.

In a study released in September 2004, pollster George Barna found that "although many Christian churches attempt to dissuade congregants from getting a divorce, the research confirmed a finding identified by Barna a decade ago (and further confirmed through tracking studies conducted each year since): born again Christians have the same likelihood of divorce as do non-Christians."

The divorce rate for professed born again Christians was "statistically identical to the figure among non-Christians." This should not be so. Christ makes it clear that He expects those who would be His followers to follow a different standard; to be the salt of the earth and light to the world (Matthew 5:13-14).

Could it be that the light among the professing Christian community has been so dimmed by a mediocre attitude toward commitment in marriage that the current calls to abolish or prohibit same-sex marriage are justifiably viewed by its proponents as hypocritical?

Jesus Christ expects His followers to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven," He said, "but he who does the will of My Father in heaven" (Matthew 7:21).

All sex outside marriage is sin

The New Testament puts sex outside of marriage between heterosexual partners in the same category as sex between same-sex partners—sin! Sin with enormous physical and spiritual consequences! In New Testament parlance such sins are against the body. Paul says: "Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body" (1 Corinthians 6:18).

With the proliferation of sexually transmissible diseases these timeless words of Paul ring true. Millions have literally died because they "sinned against their bodies" by engaging in elicit sexual behavior.

Paul reveals a different purpose, a higher standard: "Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body . . . Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not!" (1 Corinthians 6:13-15).

For a genuinely committed Christian, the human body is much more than a sex object. "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit . . . and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Premarital sex is no laughing matter

The movies might depict that first fling as fortuitous fun. The high school social scene makes sex the ultimate expression of passion. Some see it as a test of manhood. Adults giggle at these youthful indiscretions.

These attitudes simply highlight our contemporary moral state. According to the New Testament, premarital sex, as with extramarital sex in general, is no laughing matter: "fornicators and adulterers God will judge" (Hebrews 13:4). Strong language yes, but strong dilution requires a strong antidote to be effective.

Sex outside of marriage brings all kinds of undesirable consequences, not to mention spiritual alienation from God. Movies, music and popular culture suppress this truth and even millions of professing Christians suffer from the consequences these promiscuous lifestyles bring.

Marriage preservation begins with you

Marriage is vital. Marriage is a God-ordained institution that must be preserved or the cost to our society will be incalculable. But if marriage is to survive, more is required than constitutional amendments—much, much more.

Action is required on the home front. Those who still believe in the institution of marriage must shed cultural influences and practice what they proclaim to believe. They must embrace the challenge to preserve marriage by preserving it among their own ranks. No constitutional amendment is required to do that!

All of us need to put on the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5) and embrace the truth about marriage as delivered by God through His prophets, Jesus Christ and His apostles. We can only change the world one family at a time. So let's get started today. GN

Transforming power of God's spirit.

Scripture tells us that we, too, need to undergo a transformation—a change, with God's help, from "the old man" to "the new man," a human being "renewed in knowledge" and "created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness" (Colossians 3:9-10; Ephesians 4:22-24). In this lesson we discuss this remarkable change, made possible by the transforming power of God's Spirit.

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect."—The apostle Paul (Romans 12:2, New Revised Standard Version)

Few creatures can rival the beauty of the monarch butterfly. Its stunning oranges and black are an astounding sight, a delight to the eye.

But the monarch doesn't start out that way. Before it reaches maturity it must undergo a series of remarkable transformations. Starting as a half-millimeter egg, the butterfly-to-be grows inside the egg for several days before it reaches the larval stage, when it begins a time as a bright-yellow-green striped caterpillar. In this stage it repeatedly molts, adding a new skin and shedding the old so it can continue to grow. It is then ready for the next stage of its life as a chrysalis, or pupa.

In this stage the caterpillar hangs upside down, usually from a twig or branch, and encases itself in a protective cocoon. Here, over about 10 to 14 days, it undergoes yet another amazing transformation. At the end of this stage its protective shell becomes transparent, and a majestic adult monarch butterfly emerges.

Its metamorphosis complete, the butterfly starts its new life. The new creature is vastly different from what we saw before. As it matured it changed in many ways. It transformed into something far different. Its end result is far different from its beginning.

Scripture tells us that we, too, need to undergo a transformation—a change, with God's help, from "the old man" to "the new man," a human being "renewed in knowledge" and "created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness" (Colossians 3:9-10; Ephesians 4:22-24).

FAITH THAT MOVES "THE MOUNTAIN"

" The Mountain represents Jesus the Christ, and His kingdom,
not your problem "
For too long now we have been looking at problems that are bigger than us as mountains, and they appear as mountains if you focus on them. When you focus on the problem God looks small, when you focus on God the problem looks small. The truth is your problem is a speck of dust, and maybe even an illusion, but Jesus and His Kingdom are the Mountain. God takes us into the "Faith Zone" by allowing us to face situations that are bigger than us so that we can see demonstrations of His love, by His power.

An important lesson about faith is given to us by Jesus in (Matthew 17:14-21 NKJV) And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. "So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him." Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me." And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. "However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."

A mustard seed was one of the smallest known examples that Jesus could use as an illustration during that time. Jesus was not teaching that they needed more faith, but rather where to place their faith. The disciples had some faith or they would not have tried to cast the demon out in the first place. But their faith was in themselves, they asked, "Why could we not cast it out?” They failed to recognize that even with the authority that Jesus had given them to cast out demons, that it was actually Jesus doing the work. Supernatural events are accomplished by His power not our own. "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. (John 14:14) Jesus told them, “However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting”. So what is important is what moves God to intervene in a situation.

Since faith as small as a mustard seed will move a mountain and nothing will be impossible, just a little faith focused in the right direction will cause God to move in a situation. Their focus was on themselves and the same was true with the father of the boy who came to the disciples first.

But when the boy's father came to Jesus and asked for His mercy and compassion, Jesus was moved, which caused the demon to move out. The story is also recorded in (Mark 9:22-24 NKJV) "And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." {23} Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." {24} Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" Even a little faith in God's compassion, mercy, and grace will move Jesus and the whole Kingdom of heaven to intervene in the situation. True faith is directly related to knowing God, His will, and His love.

This faith in God's compassion and mercy, His grace, moves the Mountain, which is Christ and His Kingdom. Which is greater, to be able to say to Mount Everest move from here to there and have it obey you; or to be able to move the Creator of the universe to intervene in a situation through prayer, and faith in His compassion, mercy, and grace?

The resources of the Kingdom of heaven are listed in Hebrews chapter 12. Mount Zion is used to symbolize the Kingdom.

(Hebrews 12:22-28 NKJV) But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven." Now this, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

All Christians go through times of shaking, when the Lord causes us to refocus on Him, to become more dependent upon Him. These are times that are faith is refined into pure gold. The things that are shaken are physical; the things that will remain are spiritual. It is time to focus on things that we cannot see with our physical eyes, but only with the spiritual eyes of our heart. (Hebrews 11:3 NIV) By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. (Hebrews 11:1 NKJV) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

In the book of Daniel there is another example of Christ and His Kingdom symbolized by a mountain. Daniel's interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream is recorded in Daniel chapter two. It tells of four great kingdoms on the earth and then a final kingdom that destroys all the other kingdoms, which is the Kingdom of God, a Kingdom without end.

(Dan 2:35-36) "Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. "This is the dream. Now we will tell the interpretation of it before the king. …(Dan 2:44-45) "And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. "Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure."

In the passage above it is obvious that the stone cut out of the mountain without hands that grows into a mountain that fills the whole earth is referring to Christ and His Kingdom. Several times in the Bible Jesus is symbolized by the term Rock, or Stone. In the above passage Jesus is the stone, God the Father is the Mountain, which Jesus came out of. Christ Kingdom then grows into a Mountain that fills the whole earth.

Christ is expanding His Kingdom on earth through His body, the church. We are part of the Kingdom, the kingdom is in us, and we are in the Kingdom, (Luke 17:21). When the gospel message of Jesus Christ is received and believed by a person they are added to the Kingdom. Everywhere that we take the gospel we are advancing the Kingdom of God until it covers the whole earth. (Matthew 24:14 NKJV) "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Another place where “mountain” symbolizes the expanding kingdom is in Isaiah 2:2. And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. We are in the last days now. Peter told us in Acts 2 that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was the prophecy of Joel chapter 2 being fulfilled. (Acts 2:16-17) But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh… The last days are the days of the expanding Kingdom of God and then the end shall come.

When the Lord began to speak into my heart that He is the Mountain, I said, "Lord show me in your word", I then began to see many places where God and the Kingdom are symbolized as a Mountain. But my biggest question was "Lord what about where it says that if we believe we can cast the Mountain into the sea, it seems disrespectful to throw you in the sea.?" When I asked this I immediately knew the answer. When you put a Mountain in the sea you make an island, the sea represents lost humanity, drowning in sin, bondage, despair, and hopelessness, and they need a Savior. We do not bring them a little lifesaver so they can float. But we bring them Jesus, the Mountain, where they can climb out of the sea, take refuge, and be safe from the storms of life. (Psalms 27:5 NKJV) For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.

(Mark 11:22-26 NKJV) So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. "But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."

Here is a list of some things that are important to God so that we can pray in true faith and see God move:

· Forgive everyone that has offended or hurt you, even in the slightest way. As the scripture above states God will not forgive you if you don't forgive others, it causes separation between you and God and He will not hear your prayer. Unforgiveness is also an open door for Satan to enter and cause division, which God hates. (Luke 6:35-36 NIV) But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. {36} Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

· Have a clean heart. (Psalms 24:3-5 NKJV) Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? {4} He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully. {5} He shall receive blessing from the LORD, And righteousness from the God of his salvation. (1 John 3:21-23 NIV) Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God {22} and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. {23} And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.

· Pray in God's will. (John 15:7 NIV) If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. When Jesus and His words are in us and guiding us then His will becomes our will, and prayers that speak forth God's will move the Kingdom of Heaven into action. Here are some things that you can do and pray for that will move all of heaven into action, for in these God delights. (Isaiah 58:6-12 NKJV) "Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? {7} Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? {8} Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. {9} Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.' "If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, {10} If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday. {11} The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. {12} Those from among you Shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.

· Call upon the Lord with a humble heart. (2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV) "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Humility always moves us closer to God, pride always moves us further away from God. (Isaiah 57:15 NKJV) For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

· Pray for God's compassion, mercy, and grace. (Jeremiah 9:24 NKJV) But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD. The Lord loves to demonstrate His lovingkindness, his justice for those that are oppressed, and to bring His righteousness into the hearts of people. These kinds of prayers touch God's heart and move Him into the situation. (Micah 6:8 NKJV) He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?

· Focus on Jesus, not the problem. (Matthew 14:29-31 NKJV) So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" Peter was able to walk on the water when he focused on Jesus, but when he began to focus on the physical situation it caused fear, which is doubt, the opposite of faith, doubt caused him to sink. Fortunately He knew where to look when things got really bad, and of course Jesus was moved with compassion to save him.

• Hope is faith without the confidence, the assurance. Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1). But even hope placed in the Lord and His mercy will move Him. (Psalms 33:18-22 NKJV) Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us, Just as we hope in You.
• (Colossians 3:2 NKJV) Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

STAYING CLOSE TO GOD

I believe this is going to be the year of the presence of God. People are going to, and many people have already begun to hunger and thirst for the presence of God in their lives. God will satisfy these desires with great manifestations and experiences of His presence.

There is one thing we all want, even if we do not realize it yet, and that is to be so close to God that we feel His presence. (Psalms 16:11 NKJV) You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. In God's presence we feel the most awesome pleasure that a person is capable of experiencing. We experience a full amount of joy that fills us to overflowing. It is like being bathed in warm liquid love that fills us from the inside and then overflows and covers our entire being. Nothing on Earth can compare to the joy and pleasure of being in God's presence, once you get a taste nothing else can ever satisfy you. (Psalms 34:8 NLT) Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who trust in him!

The definition of heaven is to be with God, the definition of hell is to be separated from God. The fear of the Lord is not to be afraid of God; it is the fear of being separated from God. (Proverbs 8:13 NKJV) The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate. (Proverbs 14:27 NLT) Fear of the LORD is a life-giving fountain; it offers escape from the snares of death. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil and sin because these separate us from God. (Isaiah 59:1-2 NIV) Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. {2} But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.

Just as sin separates us from God, Holiness brings us into God's presence. (Psalms 24:3-6 NLT) Who may climb the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? {4} Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies. {5} They will receive the Lord's blessing and have right standing with God their savior. {6} They alone may enter God's presence and worship the God of Israel.

When we first accept Jesus into our heart and accept His forgiveness of our sins, we feel Him cleanse our heart and we feel the freedom of being set free from sin. (James 4:8 NIV) Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Being clean and holy allows us to experience the presence of God. (Matthew 5:8 NKJV) Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.

If we are not always focused on God, and seeking to stay close to Him and in His presence then we can easily fall away by thinking about the things of this world. (1 Chronicles 16:11 KJV) Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually. We must continually seek God and His righteousness as our only source of all that we need and want. (Matthew 6:31-33 NIV) So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' {32} For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. {33} But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

When we do get distracted by the cares of this world and find ourselves separated from God by sin, then we call upon Him and confess our sins, and say we are sorry, and He forgives us and makes us righteous again. Then we have access again into His presence and our heart has joy and pleasure again. (1 John 1:9 NIV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Sometimes we also need to ask forgiveness from other people and tell them we are sorry if we have sinned against them and hurt them. (Matthew 5:23-24 NIV) "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, {24} leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

God wants us to demonstrate His love in our hearts to other people. (1 John 3:14 NIV) We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Whatever is not of love is sin. Whatever is love is from God. (Romans 13:10 NLT) Love does no wrong to anyone, so love satisfies all of God's requirements. (1 John 4:12-13 NLT) No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love has been brought to full expression through us. {13} And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. The Spirit of God in us is Love, because God is Love. When we feel compassion for each other and act in compassion toward each other that is God in us, that is proof that we live in God and He lives in us. The feeling of being in God's presence is the feeling of love. It is the best that we can ever hope for, long for, and seek after. When we experience the presence of God it is better than anything we have ever dreamed about.

(Psalms 68:3-6 NLT) But let the godly rejoice. Let them be glad in God's presence. Let them be filled with joy. {4} Sing praises to God and to his name! Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds. His name is the LORD-- rejoice in his presence! {5} Father to the fatherless, defender of widows-- this is God, whose dwelling is holy. {6} God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.

Promises to God Seekers

(Deuteronomy 4:29 NKJV) "But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.

(1 Chronicles 16:10-11 NKJV) Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD! {11} Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face evermore!

(1 Chronicles 28:9 NKJV) "As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.

(2 Chronicles 7:13-14 NKJV) "When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, {14} "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

(2 Chronicles 15:1-4 NKJV) Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded. {2} And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him: "Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. {3} "For a long time Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law; {4} "but when in their trouble they turned to the LORD God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them.

(2 Chronicles 26:5 NKJV) He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper.

(2 Chronicles 31:21 NKJV) And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered.

(Ezra 8:22-23 NKJV) For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, "The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him." {23} So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer.

(Psalms 9:9-10 NKJV) The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble. {10} And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.

(Psalms 14:2 NKJV) The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.

(Psalms 24:1-6 NKJV) The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein. {2} For He has founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the waters. {3} Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? {4} He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully. {5} He shall receive blessing from the LORD, And righteousness from the God of his salvation. {6} This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face. Selah

(Psalms 25:4-5 NKJV) Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. {5} Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day.

(Psalms 25:8-18 NKJV) Good and upright is the LORD; Therefore He teaches sinners in the way. {9} The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way. {10} All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth, To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies. {11} For Your name's sake, O LORD, Pardon my iniquity, for it is great. {12} Who is the man that fears the LORD? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses. {13} He himself shall dwell in prosperity, And his descendants shall inherit the earth. {14} The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant. {15} My eyes are ever toward the LORD, For He shall pluck my feet out of the net. {16} Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me, For I am desolate and afflicted. {17} The troubles of my heart have enlarged; Bring me out of my distresses! {18} Look on my affliction and my pain, And forgive all my sins.

(Psalms 27:3-5 NKJV) Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war should rise against me, In this I will be confident. {4} One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple. {5} For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.

(Psalms 27:8 NKJV) When You said, "Seek My face," My heart said to You, "Your face, LORD, I will seek."

(Psalms 27:13-14 NKJV) I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. {14} Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!

(Psalms 33:20-21 NKJV) Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. {21} For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name.

(Psalms 34:3-9 NKJV) Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together. {4} I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. {5} They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed. {6} This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. {7} The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. {8} Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! {9} Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.

(Psalms 40:1 NKJV) I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry.

(Psalms 63:1-8 NKJV) O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. {2} So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. {3} Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You. {4} Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. {5} My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. {6} When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. {7} Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. {8} My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me.

(Psalms 69:32-33 NKJV) The humble shall see this and be glad; And you who seek God, your hearts shall live. {33} For the LORD hears the poor, And does not despise His prisoners.

(Psalms 70:4 NKJV) Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; And let those who love Your salvation say continually, "Let God be magnified!"

(Psalms 77:1 NKJV) I cried out to God with my voice; To God with my voice; And He gave ear to me.

(Psalms 78:34-35 NKJV) When He slew them, then they sought Him; And they returned and sought earnestly for God. {35} Then they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their Redeemer.

(Psalms 105:3-4 NKJV) Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD! {4} Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face evermore!

(Psalms 119:1-3 NKJV) Blessed are the undefiled in the way, Who walk in the law of the LORD! {2} Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart! {3} They also do no iniquity; They walk in His ways.

(Psalms 119:9-11 NKJV) How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. {10} With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! {11} Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You!

(Psalms 145:18-20 NKJV) The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. {19} He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. {20} The LORD preserves all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy.

(Proverbs 2:3-6 NKJV) Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, {4} If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; {5} Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God. {6} For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;

(Proverbs 8:17-19 NKJV) I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me. {18} Riches and honor are with me, Enduring riches and righteousness. {19} My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold, And my revenue than choice silver.

(Proverbs 28:5 NKJV) Evil men do not understand justice, But those who seek the LORD understand all.

(Isaiah 45:22 NKJV) "Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.

(Isaiah 51:1 NKJV) "Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, You who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, And to the hole of the pit from which you were dug.

(Isaiah 55:7 NKJV) Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.

(Jeremiah 29:11-13 NKJV) For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. {12} Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. {13} And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

(Lamentations 3:21-26 NKJV) This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. {22} Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. {23} They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. {24} "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him!" {25} The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. {26} It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the LORD.

(Hosea 10:12 NKJV) Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you.

(Joel 2:12-13 NKJV) "Now, therefore," says the LORD, "Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning." {13} So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.

(Zephaniah 2:3 NKJV) Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, Who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden In the day of the Lord's anger.

(Matthew 6:31-33 NKJV) "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' {32} "For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. {33} "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

(Luke 11:9-13 NKJV) "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. {10} "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. {11} "If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? {12} "Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? {13} "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"

(Acts 17:24-28 NKJV) "God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. {25} "Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. {26} "And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, {27} "so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; {28} "for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.'

(Romans 10:13 NKJV) For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."

(Hebrews 11:6 NKJV) But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

(James 4:6-8 NKJV) But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." {7} Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. {8} Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

(Revelation 3:20-22 NKJV) "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. {21} "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. {22} "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."' "

(Revelation 21:5-7 NKJV) Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful." {6} And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. {7} "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.

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Deuteronomy 4:29;1 Chronicles 16:10-11;1 Chronicles 28:9;2 Chronicles 7:13-14;2 Chronicles 15:1-4;2 Chronicles 26:5;2 Chronicles 31:21;Ezra 8:22-23;Psalms 9:9-10;Psalms 14:2;Psalms 24:1-6;Psalms 25:4-5;Psalms 25:8-18;Psalms 27:3-5;Psalms 27:8;Psalms 27:13-14;Psalms 33:20-21;Psalms 34:3-9;Psalms 40:1;Psalms 63:1-8;Psalms 69:32-33;Psalms 70:4;Psalms 77:1;Psalms 78:34-35;Psalms 105:3-4;Psalms 119:1-3;Psalms 119:9-11;Psalms 145:18-20;Proverbs 2:3-6;Proverbs 8:17-19;Proverbs 28:5;Isaiah 45:22;Isaiah 51:1;Isaiah 55:7;Jeremiah 29:11-13;Lamentations 3:21-26;Hosea 10:12;Joel 2:12-13;Zephaniah 2:3;Matthew 6:31-33;Luke 11:9-13;Acts 17:24-28;Romans 10:13;Hebrews 11:6;James 4:6-8;Revelation 3:20-22;Revelation 21:5-7