Tag: Living Happily Ever After: Devotions From Time Of Grace

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1st Marriage 2nd Marriage ZZ

Pray for the children

‘How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!’ Psalms 133:1(NLT)

Ever heard of what happens to pastors’ daughters? I have. And it freaks me out. The other night I snuck into my daughter’s room and knelt at the side of her bed. Her pigtails poked out as her little face snuggled into a sea of stuffed animals. I smiled. And I prayed. Because I know it’s coming. With big girl height and big girl teeth come big girl desires. As much as I want to threaten every boy who talks to her with the thickest leather-bound German Bible I can find, I know I can’t. That’s how pastors’ daughters go wild. 

So what do I do instead? I pray. I pray for the boy who will one day catch her eye. I pray he knows God. The God who gives. The God who forgives. The God who died so he could live. And I pray for his parents. I pray they show him what happens when Jesus is at the center, when a guy leads by asking, “How can I help?” I pray, and then I go to hold the hand of the woman who worships with me every day. I think of the psalmist’s words, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people [including husbands and wives] live together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1).

Could you start praying today? For your son or daughter? Your niece or your nephew? The little kids you give high fives to at church? Maybe you can help lead them to the only place that truly is happily ever after—the presence of God.

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1st Marriage 2nd Marriage Devotion for Men ZZ

What every wife wants

‘For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. ‘ Ephesians 5:23(NLT)

What does a woman want? As a dude, I would be completely unqualified to answer that question. But I’m a Bible dude, so I actually know. Husbands, future husbands, brothers who have sisters, are you ready to write this down? 

Guys, what every woman wants is . . . God. Remember back in the beginning when God created the first woman. What did he do first? He created the man and then gave the man his Word. The Word about worship, about the garden, about God. This is what it means for the husband to be “the head of the wife” (Ephesians 5:23). He is the leader in the seeking-God project! His job is to share the Word with his wife, to tell her about God, to grab her hand and lead her to the source of eternal love. 

Flowers are fine, but only God never wilts; His grace never falls like dead petals on the kitchen table. Marble countertops are great, but only God is the rock that can support her soul through stress and kids and cancer. Vacations are fun, but only Jesus can give rest to her soul, a rest she doesn’t have to work for, pay for, a rest that never ends. Deep in her heart is a longing to be loved, and God will always love her; a longing to do something that matters, and God promises every cup of water she gives to the kids in Jesus’ name will not be forgotten. We are temporary men who can give temporary gifts. But, by God’s grace, we can lead her to the eternal God. That’s really what a woman wants.

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1st Marriage 2nd Marriage Devotion for Women ZZ

What every dude desires

‘Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” ‘ Genesis 2:18(NLT)

Every wife’s plan should be to satisfy her man. No, the male supporters of Time of Grace did not pay me to say that. In the beginning, when God made marriage, he had a plan for every wife to satisfy her man. Listen to this: “The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him’” (Genesis 2:18). Told you. God created the first ever wife to satisfy her man. How so?

Well, what help did her husband need? He needed help seeking God. That’s why God made woman. The woman, unlike all the animals, had a soul that sought God, a soul divinely designed to seek God and be supremely satisfied in him. 

Wives, what your husband needs is not a home-cooked meal or a new truck or more sex. What he needs is God. That’s the only thing that will satisfy his soul. And we husbands forget how to be happy so quickly. We get tricked into thinking if only we had more (fill in the blank). And we waste our lives pursuing what won’t satisfy. But you can help us. Help us see the glory and power and plan of God. Help us see our worth, no matter what our net worth. Help us see our riches in heaven. Help us remember everything is temporary, but God’s mercy endures forever. Because what every dude desires is God. That’s how a wife can help her husband live happily ever after.

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Dating ZZ

Three ways to date

‘Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.’ Matthew 6:33(NLT)

Whom should a Christian date? Many single Christians wish a God-fearing, funny, compatible, thoughtful, beautiful person would plop down from heaven. But it’s not always that simple. So, whom should you date? If you are seeking God with your heart, your soul, your mind, your strength, your wallet, your worship, your body, your babies, your everything, perhaps the key to dating is to find someone who is seeking the same God.

Imagine it this way. You’re holding hands with your new special someone and up there’s Jesus. And you want to run to him, to seek him, to be near him. But Mr. Special doesn’t like Jesus. He kind of likes calling his own shots, deciding for himself what’s right and wrong, true or not. Picture your pulling this way and his arm pulling that way. Or imagine your man just standing there. He’s not against Jesus, but he’s not really for Jesus. He won’t try to drag you away, but he’s not running toward him. Picture trying to drag him to Jesus. Or imagine holding hands and running to Jesus, in love and toward the One who is love. Seeking God together. He might be new to church. She might not know Peter from Paul. But now you have one common direction. Sound beautiful? It is.

Remember Jesus’ amazing words: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). That’s the wisdom God wants you to remember when you set up your next date.

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1st Marriage 2nd Marriage ZZ

Happily ever after?

‘Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. ‘ Philippians 4:11-13(NLT)

Getting to happily ever after is complicated. No disrespect to Disney, but a good relationship is not that simple. It’s not (1) love at first sight, (2) slight misunderstanding that causes tension, (3) defeat the fill-in-the-blank villain, and (4) live happily ever after. Sorry, I’ve seen too many grinning wedding couples grimace in divorce court to believe that.

That’s why I love the Bible. Because the Bible gives us a better script for happily ever after whether you’re married, single, or divorced and a realistic view of finding true love, lasting happiness, and a deep contentment whatever your relationship status. Listen to what Paul, a single follower of Jesus, once wrote: “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:11-13). Paul learned the secret to happily ever after. Notice the word learned. This isn’t something we know by nature. This isn’t obvious. It’s a secret that must be learned by God revealing it to us.

What’s the secret? Jesus. Through Jesus we are always and eternally loved, cherished, pursued, accompanied, forgiven, befriended, and desired. Through Jesus we have someone who cares, who listens, who wants to help us with our problems. That is the truth—in all the complicated ups and downs of singleness, dating, divorce, and marriage—that leads to happily ever after.

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