by Tim Challies

Marriage is under attack. Marriage has always been under attack. The world, the flesh and the devil are all adamantly opposed to marriage, and especially to marriages that are distinctly Christian. Marriage, after all, is given by God to strengthen his people and to glorify himself; little wonder, then, that it is constantly a great battleground.

I have been thinking recently about some of the foremost foes of Christian marriage and, really, the foremost foes I see creeping up to assault my own marriage. Here are 6 deadly enemies of marriage, and Christian marriage in particular.

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Candice is a busy wife to Matt and mom of Noah (5) and Tyler (2 going on 21). Candice also works part-time at our Rosebank Store of Christian Book Discounters. In her spare time Candice writes for her own blog and is a travel consultant.

A couple of years ago, my brother told me “There’s at least one miracle that happens every day in your life – you just have to be aware and look for them.” That’s stuck with me since then. 

It means even more to me now that I’m a mom. I feel like most days I get too caught up in the small stuff. Life just passes me by in a blur of cleaning, picking up, dropping off, feeding, washing, dressing, rocking to sleep, singing and the list goes on. I forget that when I take a step back, God is intimately involved in my life. So much so, that miracles are happening around me all the time. In the life of a mom (not just moms, anyone really), miracles happen all the time and believe me, miracles don’t have to be mind-blowing, outrageous and drastic.

Mine would list something like this and each and every one of these, no matter how trivial some of them sound, is miraculous in my life:

• The miracle of Noah sleeping through the night, without waking me.
• The miracle of Tyla putting her own shoes on – even if it’s on the wrong way, she’s getting it!
• The miracle that both my kids wanted to share today ~ much less refereeing!
• The miracle that both my kids brushed their teeth without me having to remind them
• The miracle that both my kids got into bed and they didn’t fight about which DVD they wanted to watch! Bliss!

 Then there are more serious ones:

• The miracle of having a sibling – that God intended Noah to have Tyla as a sister, and Tyla to have Noah as a brother. (And as a mom, the miracle of loving two kids equally);
• The miracle of child-like faith – that when my kids pray, like they did last night that the rain would stop, they truly believe it’s going to happen.
• The miracle of self-sacrifice. Next time you get to the end of the day and are just feeling like you’re at the end of yourself because you’re busy taking care of everyone else but yourself ~ think of that miracle. You’re willingly placing your kids/husband before you, without even knowing it. God gave you a natural ability to ensure their wellbeing before your own. Miracle!

If you’re aware of God’s constant involvement in your life, you’ll see it all the time ~ in the small things. Yes, He works in big things, course He does. But that doesn’t mean He’s not directly involved in the seemingly mundane, trivial little victories we as moms experience every day.

The other day, I was walking with Noah and Tyla to my mom’s house and there was a beautiful yellow daisy in our neighbour’s garden. Tyla says to me “Mommy, look! A yeyyow flower. Pretty.” And Noah says “God makes sure that flower gets water, Mommy, that’s why we have the rain.” Tyla says “Yes, Mommy, God looks after everyone. Even a yeyyow flower.” Now if God can look after a little daisy on a pavement in suburban South Africa, and be so involved in its wellbeing, why would He not be involved on a daily basis in yours ~ someone who is so precious to Him, made in His likeness, someone He sent His Son for? 

The thing about kids is, is that they look to bring God into everything. If it’s raining, it’s because Jesus is watering the plants. If someone is crying, Jesus can make them better. If they feel like they can’t do something, they say Jesus can help them do it. I’m trying to learn from my kids. God is here, with me on this unpredictable, sometimes-heartbreaking-but-always-worth-it, rollercoaster ride of motherhood and He gives me signs every day that He’s here. I just need to step back and recognize them.  

The miracle of motherhood should daily, just over-awe me. That God would give me two little people, who were created and formed BY GOD HIMSELF, and entrust them to my care. That’s mind-blowing. He didn’t give me my kids and leave me to raise them without Him. Yes, He entrusted them to me but He’s right there with me every day ~ He’s intimately involved in my life, as crazy as it is, on a daily basis.

He’s there. In the small things. I just need to look for Him. 

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Frank Retief was pastor at St James Church Cape Town for 31 years, having planted the church in 1968 with his wife Beulah.  He became the Presiding Bishop of the Church of England in South Africa until he retired in 2010.  Frank remains active in ministry through preaching, teaching , pastoral work & writing, and has authored a number of books.

No Answer

Luke 18 v 1.  “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up”.

For many believers it is a mystery why there are times when God just does not appear to hear their prayers, or to deliver them out of some great need. It can be very discouraging and spiritually frustrating when the Father who sustains the world and has promised to care for His own children, seems to bring no breakthrough for us. What is this all about?

In the bible passage alluded to today, Jesus tells a parable about a woman who needed some help against an adversary. She turned to the law, but the law let her down because the very one who should have protected her was unjust.

What did this woman do?

The answer is she persisted. The judge said “this widow keeps bothering me.” So finally he granted her request. I do not know why God does not seem to answer us immediately in our time of need. But what we all know is that our Father is not unjust, but just and caring. Listen to Jesus’ words in Luke 18 v 7. “Will He keep putting them off?” The answer is of course, no, he won’t. He will see that they get justice. Our problem is that we have the way God should answer our prayers, all worked out in our minds. But God has His own sovereign will, and according to verse 1 “We should always pray and NOT give up.” Keep trusting Him, even when there are no apparent answers from Heaven. He hears us. He is our Heavenly Father.

Prayer:

“O God my strength is exhausted. I feel discouraged and very low. Still I will trust you. You know me and you know my need. Amen”.

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• Are you feeling hopeless, discouraged, or even in despair in your walk with the LORD as a believer?
• Have you made mistakes and now have feelings of regret or shame?

You are not alone!  Of all people, the disciple and then apostle Peter can relate to your emotions and actions; he was devastated and wept bitterly after denying Jesus three times.  Yet, that was not the end of the story for Peter.  Christ forgave Peter and used him in remarkable ways as we read about the formation of and first thirty years of the Church through the book of Acts.

A friend recently sent me a devotional of encouragement based on the reality of HOPE in our lives.  The term HOPE, he reminded me, is used in the New Testament to mean “promise,” a reality of something good and assured.  Hope is not as many use the term today of just “wishful thinking.”

Pete Wilson, author of the small group resource Let Hope In (Bible Studies for Life, BSFL by Lifeway Publishing), writes that “we all have hope regardless of our past regrets and shame.”  The apostle Peter experienced HOPE as he was forgiven and restored in his relationship with the LORD.

You too can experience the promise and reality of HOPE in your life regardless of your feelings or your past choices.  If you are looking for a bible study without a video component, you may then want to try “Hope: Never Beyond Hope,” by J.I. Packer and Carolyn Nystrom.  This Christian Basic Bible Study is published by Inter Varsity Press and has sold over one million copies.  Packer and Nystrom add that “the hope of our salvation brings joy, energy, faithfulness, and a desire to be of use to God!”

Not only Peter but so many such as Martha, Samson, and more were used by God in their imperfections – so can you, no matter how bad we think you are.  Packer and Nystrom encourage their readers that “the bible was given to offer HOPE and encouragement through the testimonies of those that have gone before us.  Just as biblical characters were failed, biblical characters were redeemed.  And God wants to do the same for us.”

You are never beyond HOPE!  You have been redeemed and because of the Gospel, you can continue to be redeemed.

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