Love is all consuming. It is an intentional heart posture that is filled with the presence of God.
1 John 4:16 (NKJV)
16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
God is everywhere. He is with the sinner as well as the saint. He is in all things, and moves through everything. He sees all, hears all, and knows all. We cannot hide from Him. Once we receive Jesus in our hearts, we become aware of His presence. His Spirit then dwells in us to guide and comfort us through our journey of life.
Psalm 139:7 (NKJV)
7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
With that being said, there is a difference with God being everywhere and us being in His presence. To be in His presence is to know Him intimately. It is resting in a place of safety and love. It is being filled with His Joy. This fullness can only be found by intentionally pursuing His fellowship.
Exodus 33:14 (NKJV)
14 And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Psalm 16:11 (NKJV)
11 You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
God wants us to look for Him with all of our heart. Sometimes we can’t see Him in our situation but He promises that if we seek Him then we will find Him.
Jeremiah 29:13 (NKJV)
13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
I believe marriage is the same way. After all, it is supposed to mirror the relationship that Jesus has with us. Sometimes we get too comfortable being around one another. We go about our day routinely knowing that our spouse will play their role and we will play ours. We are together in the same location, but we haven’t spent time in each other’s presence. This is a dangerous place to be in. God gave us covenant to become one flesh. When we lose intimacy (emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually) with one another, then we become frustrated, doubting, bitter, just to name a few.
When Adam and Eve sinned, God never left them. They were the ones that separated themselves from God’s presence. They didn’t resist temptation and were ashamed to be in the presence of God.
Genesis 3:8 (NKJV)
8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
Sin always leads to separation. We open ourselves up to sin when we stop pursuing each other’s presence. If we are no longer communicating with our spouse the enemy will send a “good” listener. If we are no longer affirming their purpose, the enemy will send an “encourager”. If we are no longer being romantic, the enemy will send a “flirt”. There is always a counterfeit to look good as a replacement in times of weakness. We must actively pursue each other and recognize when “something” is off. There is never an excuse to break covenant with our spouse and each one is accountable for their own actions. I am just saying that not pursuing the presence of our spouse can open a door of sin that they may have a hard time resisting to open.
The good thing is that there is always hope. Even when we fall short God provides a way of reconciliation.
Acts 3:19 (NKJV)
19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,
We have to be quick to repent. We must seek God’s forgiveness and that of our spouse as well. Even in the “little” things admitting that we are wrong will open the door to healing and forgiveness. We must be humble towards each other and recognize when we are wrong. We must be compassionate towards our spouse and see their hearts as God sees them. Isn’t this what Jesus exemplified? We must dwell in the love of our spouse just as we bide in the love of Jesus and He in us. This is what love is.
John 15:9 (NKJV)
9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
We come into God’s presence by thanking, praising, and blessing Him.
Psalm 100:4 (NKJV)
4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
If we are feeling disconnected to our spouse, we can reconnect by doing the same. When we thank, praise, and bless our spouse we are opening a door to intimacy. It shows that we are actively pursuing their presence and not just their existence!
Matthew 18:20 (NKJV)
20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
When we submit to one another to glorify the Lord, He is also with us. Therefore, who can then separate us! When we stay in God’s presence, there is a 3 fold cord that holds us together.
Love is….. an active word. Love is…. the Word being active!
Today let love be active in your marriage. Thank your spouse, praise your spouse, and bless your spouse. Get into their presence and choose to love them how God loves them!
1 Corinthians 13:4-7(NKJV)
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Father, we thank you for Your presence. We thank You that You first loved us so that we may love You back. We thank You for the example of Love that Jesus has given for our marriage. Forgive us for not pursuing the presence of our spouse. Help us be intimately and actively in Love. Let us experience joy, rest, and fullness in our marriage. Let the Word be active in our love for one another. Give us creative ways to thank, praise, and bless our spouse. Help us always be quick to repent to receive Your refreshing. We want to abide in You and also with each other. Let us be known by our love. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!
1 John 4:16 (NKJV)
16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
God is everywhere. He is with the sinner as well as the saint. He is in all things, and moves through everything. He sees all, hears all, and knows all. We cannot hide from Him. Once we receive Jesus in our hearts, we become aware of His presence. His Spirit then dwells in us to guide and comfort us through our journey of life.
Psalm 139:7 (NKJV)
7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
With that being said, there is a difference with God being everywhere and us being in His presence. To be in His presence is to know Him intimately. It is resting in a place of safety and love. It is being filled with His Joy. This fullness can only be found by intentionally pursuing His fellowship.
Exodus 33:14 (NKJV)
14 And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Psalm 16:11 (NKJV)
11 You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
God wants us to look for Him with all of our heart. Sometimes we can’t see Him in our situation but He promises that if we seek Him then we will find Him.
Jeremiah 29:13 (NKJV)
13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
I believe marriage is the same way. After all, it is supposed to mirror the relationship that Jesus has with us. Sometimes we get too comfortable being around one another. We go about our day routinely knowing that our spouse will play their role and we will play ours. We are together in the same location, but we haven’t spent time in each other’s presence. This is a dangerous place to be in. God gave us covenant to become one flesh. When we lose intimacy (emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually) with one another, then we become frustrated, doubting, bitter, just to name a few.
When Adam and Eve sinned, God never left them. They were the ones that separated themselves from God’s presence. They didn’t resist temptation and were ashamed to be in the presence of God.
Genesis 3:8 (NKJV)
8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
Sin always leads to separation. We open ourselves up to sin when we stop pursuing each other’s presence. If we are no longer communicating with our spouse the enemy will send a “good” listener. If we are no longer affirming their purpose, the enemy will send an “encourager”. If we are no longer being romantic, the enemy will send a “flirt”. There is always a counterfeit to look good as a replacement in times of weakness. We must actively pursue each other and recognize when “something” is off. There is never an excuse to break covenant with our spouse and each one is accountable for their own actions. I am just saying that not pursuing the presence of our spouse can open a door of sin that they may have a hard time resisting to open.
The good thing is that there is always hope. Even when we fall short God provides a way of reconciliation.
Acts 3:19 (NKJV)
19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,
We have to be quick to repent. We must seek God’s forgiveness and that of our spouse as well. Even in the “little” things admitting that we are wrong will open the door to healing and forgiveness. We must be humble towards each other and recognize when we are wrong. We must be compassionate towards our spouse and see their hearts as God sees them. Isn’t this what Jesus exemplified? We must dwell in the love of our spouse just as we bide in the love of Jesus and He in us. This is what love is.
John 15:9 (NKJV)
9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
We come into God’s presence by thanking, praising, and blessing Him.
Psalm 100:4 (NKJV)
4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
If we are feeling disconnected to our spouse, we can reconnect by doing the same. When we thank, praise, and bless our spouse we are opening a door to intimacy. It shows that we are actively pursuing their presence and not just their existence!
Matthew 18:20 (NKJV)
20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
When we submit to one another to glorify the Lord, He is also with us. Therefore, who can then separate us! When we stay in God’s presence, there is a 3 fold cord that holds us together.
Love is….. an active word. Love is…. the Word being active!
Today let love be active in your marriage. Thank your spouse, praise your spouse, and bless your spouse. Get into their presence and choose to love them how God loves them!
1 Corinthians 13:4-7(NKJV)
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Father, we thank you for Your presence. We thank You that You first loved us so that we may love You back. We thank You for the example of Love that Jesus has given for our marriage. Forgive us for not pursuing the presence of our spouse. Help us be intimately and actively in Love. Let us experience joy, rest, and fullness in our marriage. Let the Word be active in our love for one another. Give us creative ways to thank, praise, and bless our spouse. Help us always be quick to repent to receive Your refreshing. We want to abide in You and also with each other. Let us be known by our love. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!
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