PRAY BEFORE YOUR YES

Don’t Marry Anyone Who Does Not Know Where He Is Going.
Matthew Henry was a minister and, as usual, was quite poor. The girl he courted was the daughter of a rich man, the heiress to considerable fortune.Her father objected to the marriage. “ You see” he argued with his daughter, “ he may be a great scholar and an excellent preacher, but he is a stranger; we do not even know where he comes from”.“True”, replied the girl, “but we know where he is going, and I should like to go with him”.She won her father’s consent and married the preacher, who becomes well known for his excellent detailed commentary of the entire Bible. Although written nearly three centuries ago, it is still sold in quantities today. (The Sword of the Lord, April 22,2005).

Marriage is an institution created by God. God formed a man, gave him life with some responsibilities, (for there is no relationship without responsibilities) although He created the animals’ male and female, but helpmate was not given. What does that means, “ it is honourable, safe for a man to be engaged in one labour or the other before marriage, at least income that will take care of two for now”. Friend are not authomatic, they are cultivated, friends may contribute money, family may stay by you, but after marriage, would they continued to contribute for you? The bible says, “ But if any provide not for his own and especially for those of his own house, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel” (1 Timothy5:8). …but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. (Genesis 2:20-25)Every married man or woman would never forget how he/she met his/her spouse. Some sees by themselves, some were recommended, some were given out to a friend son so that the friendship could be more stronger, others were even given to a friend for one reason or the other, the central issue here is that one met the other. There are some other lady that are bold enough to approach the man by themselves. The one that could not, behaves one way or the other for the man to get the massage.

Why Do You Say Yes?

There is always a proposal or wowing which ever you are convenient with. What are the those things you considered before you say YES? i.) Beauty? Beauty is vain, for aging will take beauty away one day, we change everyday, so when no beauty, there might be hatred, intolerance, unnecessary complaint. Beauty is winds; there is no way to contain it.ii.) Race? White or black, the colour of our blood is RED, black blood, may be used to save the life of white. The terrorist attack shows how we scale through all those barriers when we are attacked.iii.) Intelligence or Degrees? Good, I love sharp mind also, but, people sometimes lost their memories. Do you discover that the children of nowadays are more intelligent than ours? If not in other parts of the world at list I can see them here in Nigeria. Aging will not let her maintain that level of intelligence.iv.) Money? There are wings on every money, the ones in your pocket, the ones in the bank. The ones converted to shares, options or bonds. Money answers all things, but money cannot save in the day of wrath.v.) Family background, it will be boring where one of the parties lacks true love. Some married to royal families, only God knows what they had at the back of their mind then. But latter they discovered that, they could not cope, to hell with the title without rest of mind.vi.) True love. Love bears long, and is kind; love envies not; love vaunts not itself, is not puffed up, It does not behave itself unseemly, seeks not her own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil; rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails! (1 Corinthians13:4-8).

Wrong Motives for saying Yes.
We don’t overlook things that we are not pleased with in relationship.

“ I will not tell him, so as not to offend him” (Then be ready to bear the consequence)

“ I will continue the relationship so that his friends or relations will not say am the cause”

(Then be ready to suffer in silence)

"Although I have caught him with other ladies, but I use sex to tie him down”

(You want to be a fornicator to keep man?) Marriage is honourable in all and bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge”

“ I know he is not born again but I will make him converted to my faith” (Then be ready to make shipwreck of your faith).

It took my wife four years before she could say YES. I waited for those four years because I sought the face of the Lord. He showed me whom He prepared for me. If not of the strong conviction, I would not wait, that long. But thank God that I waited. A lot of “options” came from loved ones, but I know whom I believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep me till the end.You have to be careful when someone recommends a lady or a man to you, pray and open your eyes, the decision to do what they told you lies heavily on you, because whatever your decisions, you will leave with it, the one introducing may not know as much as he ought to know, so pray watch and use your brain. Some are lucky; some have a bad story to tell. Watch.
No doubt, there have been ups and down, behaviour differences, (you would not see many things when you have not married) but we just have to make it work.

It is a marriage brought together by God that will last. There will be problems, even in the will of God. The Israelites were from the land of bondage to the Promised Land, there was a time no water; they were bored with certain food. But God was there, and He saw them true. Even if we have chosen wrongly God can still help us to keep our homes, children, he can change our heart to what will make us be happy.

Does anyone want to go out of a marriage, that is not our intention when we say YES. Or do you have alternative options then? Why don’t you tell God to help you? Am sure what ever he says will be for your own good. We often think, if we get another person, things might be better, it may, and it may not. Repent first, ask God to forgive you and take whatever broken pieces He could find in you marriage, and make it beautiful.

A True Story.

A friend was dating a lady, he is a banker while the lady was schooling then. They have been having sex together, the guy mentioned marrying her (although he was not willing for he was looking for virgin to marry), and the lady said no way. “Why”? Asked the guy. “Because you are a Muslim” was her reply. Few months later she said she had thought over the marriage issue, that she was willing to overlook the religion aspect as long as the guy will allow her to go to church? Is that true love?

Can we know how you met him? What was it like? We can even pray for you without telling him/her. Am sure there are men/women who should be able to tell you what to do.
Be blessed.

Dad Oladimeji