Respect

Wow!

¹⁶ As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart.

¹⁷ They brought the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings ^{f]" style="font-size: 0.75em; line-height: 0.5em; ">[f]} before the LORD. ¹⁸ After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD Almighty. ¹⁹ Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes.

²⁰ When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, "How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!"

²¹ David said to Michal, "It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD's people Israel—I will celebrate before the LORD. ²² I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor."

²³ And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death."

After my last post, I went on and read this.... I'm ashamed that I've probably felt this very same way before. I'm ashamed that I would look on my husband, whom I love, yet am called to respect, and have thought "look at you, how could you?". Do you see what God did to her? He struck her barren. Michal is the daughter that was given to David after he struck down Goliath. David had gone all the way back to Saul's camp to retrieve her. After the disgrace of Saul's death, he saved her from this same disgrace. Wow! I pray that I will never again be so disrespectful to my husband. God knows his heart and God has purpose in everything. When I read this text I am struck how ugly Michal seems. I can only imagine David coming and being so excited saying "Honey! Did you see?? We brought the ark back! Can you believe how good our God is?!" and then Michal turning to him with look of disgust and basically telling he is an idiot. How sad that moment must have been for David.

Lord,

I pray that I will remember how this text made me feel. I pray that I would never disgrace my husband by my thoughts or words. I pray I would never again judge my husband. show me how to respect him the way You have ordained for me to respect him. Give me a heart of gentleness, patience, kindness and goodness (particularly towards my husband whom I love).

In Christ's worthy name,

Amen!!!

I've been reading through David's life in both I Samuel and II Samuel( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Samuel%2010&version=NIV) and am struck by the practice of polygamy. Can you imagine? It's hard for a man to try to make us happy and love one wife, how miserable for those poor women . I can't imagine a life in which I am treated like an object with one purpose only. I Samuel talks about David's first wife Michal (Saul's daughter) that David must have cared something about, because after Saul gave her to another man, David went back after her. Or, women were basically like property then , so David just wanted what was rightfully his. Then, there was the wife of Nebal, Abigail, who David married after killing her husband for his greed. There were many, many more, including Bathsheba, that David married after basically raping her and having her husband killed. When I compare my married life today with that of these woman, I count myself as truly blessed!

I love my husband passionately, which I believe God made us as women to do. I, at times, find the respect part what I struggle with. I can't imagine desiring my husband and easily respecting him as King, however having little to no relationship with him and/or sharing that intimate relationship with many other women.

What can I learn from the wives of David? I guess, first of all, I can learn to look on my marriage with a sense of gratitude to God that He allowing me to be part of a monogamous marriage. Second, I can learn that we all have issues in our relationships, none are perfect, and that I need to seek out the good to dwell on each and every day; rather than dwell on the parts I'd like to change. Third, I need to learn how to truly be a servant to him. Of course, I mean a servant in the biblical sense of the word, not the earthly way we so often think of (treat) a servant. And lastly, I can learn how to respect my husband through all circumstances, even when I don't understand his ways (or His ways) or agree with his reasons.

God's Word truly is new every morning. I'm so thankful I live in a country that (for today) allows me the freedom to read my Bible openly, write a blog about Christ on a public forum, go to church and worship as boldly as I choose.....I pray that for today, I will show God how grateful I am.

Colossians really rocked me today. Sometimes I wonder if God is just shaking His mighty head thinking when will they ever get it. It would be like us watching our precious children continuously running into a wall, crying and begging us to help them. We would look at them and say "I've already told you a hundred times, just don't run into the wall, sweetie."
God made peace with everything in heaven and on the earth by means of Christ's blood on the cross, including us; yet, somehow we constantly drift away from Him. We don't take the time to worship Him, we rush through our days relying on ourselves and not on Him (well of course, unless something bad happens, then we go to Him), we spend our money the way we want without first asking God how it would be better used to further His Kingdom, we speak to our spouse the way we want with whatever words we blurt out, rather than asking God to guide our words and actions so that our husband will see Christ in us.... You get the picture.... Then we wonder why we are in the mess we are in.
God tells us "in Him lay hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Yet, we go about seeking wisdom from the world and knowledge through our own ways. He has given us His Word and in America we have the freedom to have an hundred Bibles if we so choose, we can read it at work, in the car, at the public park, wherever, but we so often don't even take the time to read and meditate on His Word that will unveil true wisdom and knowledge to each of us.
If only I could/would read Colossians 3 every day, even memorize the whole thing, maybe I could find true peace in my life. We are raised to new life in Jesus. We don't have to be stuck where we are, we are NEW with Christ. We should be thinking about the things of Heaven not Earth. How many countless minutes do I spend worrying about the things of this world. If only I would keep my eyes up and not on what's all around me, I could save a lifetime of stress. If only I would put on my new nature every day and allow myself to be renewed without dwelling on the hurts of yesterday or the tasks left undone, then (and only then) could I truly clothe myself with tenderhearted mercy (think of a marriage where when things are going sideways you have mercy rather than discord or defensiveness), kindness (think about a marriage that repays hurt with loving kindness), humility (think of a marriage where we are more concerned about being humble before our husband rather being justified), gentleness (think of a marriage that we only are gentle, always, no matter what the circumstance) and patience (think of a marriage when despite the fact that we've asked 3 times to take out the garbage, we instead have the patience to just leave it there and trust God that if it is really that important our spouse will take it out). And then above all else, if I would just clothe myself with true, unconditional love each and every moment of each and every day, then (and only then) will we have the peace that comes from Christ ruling in our heart.
I give thanks to God, our Father, who gives us His Word each and every day. It truly is new every morning. I've read these scriptures a good hundred times before now, but today God spoke new wisdom and understanding to me. Until I can wrap my arms around these principles and unconsciously portray each of these attributes, I will not be where God wants me, thus my marriage will not be where I want it to be.
Take heart, God is HERE, He is speaking to each of us and He so desperately desires we just put our trust and hope in Him, and not the world.
Serving Him today.....

Day 2 of this thing that is so not me, but I feel God calling me to do sooooo I'm hoping He'll write through my fingers. A Day in the Life is meant to encourage us married ladies. I know 99% of us are all going through, have been ,or will go through pretty much the same craziness in our marriages and I so badly want women to know they are not alone and their marriage is NOT over just because you aren't getting along. A friend of mine the other day told me her husband told her he didn't love her anymore. My first worldly thought is "What a jerk!!! How could you be so blind, don't you see how beautiful she is. You are one lucky jerk!", then I caught myself and remembered all of the times God has gently spoken to me and said "He doesn't mean it, that is his hurt speaking, or his pride, or his insecurities, etc." When I can get past my worldly self and get back to where God can whisper into my ear, I can so often get back to that place where God has called each of us wives, which is a place of respect. We all think, "How can I possibly respect my husband who just told me he doesn't love me?". I'm here to tell you, "WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!!!" I so vividly remember one day my husband had said something so ugly to me, I didn't know how to respond, so I just ran. When I finally came to my senses and realized I couldn't keep running forever (though I tried for a very long time-mentally obviusly not physically), I fell to my knees and asked God to please show me how to respect my husband.

I find it so interesting that God doesn't tell us women to LOVE our husbands. He tells us to RESPECT them. I think He tells us that because He knows we will always love even the unlovable thing/person, it is in our God given nature, to love and nurture. But, it is not so easy for us women to RESPECT. There are days I have to go back and google the word so I can remember what it means. Wikipedia says respect is "Respect denotes both a positive feeling of esteem for a person or other entity (such as a nation or a religion), and also specific actions and conduct representative of that esteem. Respect can be a specific feeling of regard for the actual qualities of the one respected (e.g., "I have great respect for her judgment"). It can also be conduct in accord with a specific ethic of respect. Rude conduct is usually considered to indicate a lack of respect, whereas actions that honor somebody or something indicate respect." Notice here that is says there is a specific action or conduct that represent the positive feeling/esteem. So it goes back, how we act towards our husband that reflects how we respect him.

Just the other night my husband was working on a project with my son. I knew he had not read the specific instructions for the project, however it was our fourth or fifth year doing the same project. I prayed that I would stay out of it, knowing full well that if I butted in it would show disrespect for my husband. I did really well for about 70% of the time. But, guess what?! I BLEW IT!!!! I meandered into the kitchen, listening to what they were doing and just couldn't hold my tongue. I blurted out "That's not how you do it. The instructions say........" Even now, 4 days later, I am still baffled at myself. I knew I shouldn't say anything, yet I did it anyway. What was the outcome, you say? Well, he stormed off, saying "If you want it done your way, you do it". I must say a part of me (that worldly part again) thought "well good, now I get to do it my way", but my real self was crushed. Why did I do that? Why didn't I hold my tongue? Why did I go into the kitchen? Long story-short. I came back and profusely apologized, acknowledging what I did was wrong and reminded him that I love him and was so thankful he was willing to help. Now, I'm still on the road to asking God to guide my every word, my every facial expression, my every gesture. I so deeply want to portray a spirit of respect for my husband, yet I let myself get in God's way time and time again.

Ladies, we will keep taking one day at a time. But I encourage you today, no matter where you are in your relationship. Pray for wisdom and for God to help you with those specific actions that reflect the respect that you have (or will have with God's grace) for your husband.

In His Service,

Me

Just a thought

Wow!!! I really feel that God is doing something here. He has brought me to such an amazing place in my life and I'm looking forward to sharing it here. Hopefully anyone who reads will be blessed, encouraged and their Faith will increase.
Today it the beginning of something great.