Tuesday September 28, 2010

Speaker: Ben Sigman

Theme: Shame

Weekend Music links on iTunes: Let the Praises Ring - Lincoln Brewster, Run - Hillsong - Jesus Culture, Let God Arise - Chris Tomlin, How He Loves - David Crowder

Read: I Corinthians 7:28, Genesis 2:23, Genesis 3:12, I Corinthians 13:5, Psalm 26:2, Philippians 2:13 

Think: This weekend Pastor Ben taught us about marriage myths and truths. One of the truths was that “Marriage reveals what’s in people”. Paul warned us in I Corinthians 7:28 that “those who get married… will have troubles” and during times of troubles we have opportunity to lean on God’s faithfulness or our own weakness. 

We have the earliest example of marriage troubles in the book of Genesis. In chapter 2 verse 23 God has brought Adam a mate so he would have a helper. Adam is excited and refers to Eve as “bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh”. But 13 verses later after God has caught them doing the one thing He told them not to do, Adam gets his chance to shine and own up to his responsibility but instead in Genesis 3:12 he tells God that the woman “whom you gave to be with me” made me eat the apple. 

Stress makes love hard. And hard times in relationships often include blaming others. But one of the things we said yes to in marriage as Christians was commitment and a willingness to examine ourselves. We should know what will be revealed in times of troubles, I Corinthians 13:5 tells us to examine ourselves. David asked God to examine him in Psalm 26:2. As we examine ourselves and allow God to reveal what is in us we must also trust Philippians 2:13 and God’s faithfulness to “work in us both to will and to do for His good pleasure”. 

Do: Before you face your troubles in marriage or in life, whether financial, in-law, parenting or communications make a list of what’s in you that you know God needs to work on.

Pray:  Father, examine me and show me what keeps me from managing my relationships and my life as You want me to. Please work in me today so that what is revealed in me when trouble comes is pleasing to you. 

The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.

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