“Above all things,” the psalmist exclaims, “You have exalted Your Name and Your Word!” (from Psalm 138:2b NIV, sentence arrangement mine)
While we definitely fail sometimes to put this statement into as much of a daily practice as we ought to, our desires and aims should still reflect such a high priority for praising God for all that He is and to read His Word often. It is foundational to having a Christian home that grows in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ! (2 Peter 3:18)
In this post, we thought we’d tell you a bit of our love story… 🙂 🙂
Joy met a certain young man along with a number of other people while attending her first year at a different university in a different city. Her health was not adequate to remain in the city for school so she returned home again for a couple more terms (and that meant distance education and long commutes with her mom). The college-and-career group at that church was praying for her and she did meet partway for a special Christmas dinner with them that November. Rob decided to sit at the same table of friends. A few weeks later, a little letter came in the mail for Joy… from HIM! It was signed at the bottom that he was praying for her and then copying out 1 Peter 5:7 at the bottom.
In the months that followed this start of our correspondence, each letter we wrote to each other had a Bible verse at the bottom of it. The next fall when I (Joy) returned to full-time school again, we re-met. A few months later, we began e-mailing, attending prayer meeting together at church, and then, dating from winter onward. Each note or card or e-mail still had a Bible verse on it and we decided to also memorize Scripture together on a number of dates as we walked. These are special memories. ♥
What baffled me back then was “why” me? Why did HE offer his simple and sincere friendship to me?
I was reminded that God too, has written a love letter…. to people that He seeks a relationship with, people who don’t deserve His grace. And so we love Him because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19)
May we choose to live that life of love and show by example that God is living in us! (Ephesians 5:1)
A Christian marriage is strengthened when the couple reads from God’s Word and pray together daily. This is one of the best tips either of us has shared over the years since we began our Christian home together. (A Christian marriage is when both of you are committed Christians – each of you individually have surrendered your life to Christ and continue to.)
A family is nurtured when the children learn from God’s Word daily as well. If you think of it, it is pretty hard to pray at the end of the day in a family group if you’ve been mad at someone there earlier and I think this has motivated our children to truly keep being sorry to one another when they squabble and consider the needs of their sibling(s) because they really do want to keep this kind of love in our home.
We hope you are also regularly reading God’s Love Letter – the Bible – in your home! Whether it’s before your children ride the morning bus or before you start your school lessons at home or at a supper meal or at bedtime or whenever is an appropriate time for your family, don’t miss out on this time of knowing God more!
It is the one of the sweetest things you can include every day! (see Psalm 119:103)
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
John 3:16-17