Iron Sharpens Iron

Seek Him with All your Heart

The past week has seen several men come to www.encouragingmen.org for help in restoring their marriages. For several days I have prayed for these men and a hedge a protection around them and their spouses. I too have been there searching for answers to know how God wants me to lead you and teach you.

Monday morning started off with me praying for words that would lift spirits for the road ahead for restoration. As I listened to a program on the foundation of marriage and family, he was preaching out of Genesis. As I listened, I thought about what God was telling me to pass along to men for encouragement. The next program was dealing with adversity in your marriage. By now it was pretty clear that God was trying to get a message to me. And sure enough, the next program relayed the same message.

Where do you begin is the main question? Most men, like me want restoration right now. For the most part, I can tell you that you are here because God wants you back in a relationship with Him. When I look back at my situation, I see a man that was jerked to his knees and humbled. It took some time before my walk was on solid ground with a relationship with the Lord. Each day, I have to pray for that strength to stay on my rock.

Yesterday, I heard a preacher mention Deut. 4. I wrote that scripture down. I felt it was important to pass along to the men that have filled out the marriage evaluations this week. I wrote down all the names from the website. I begin creating a spreadsheet. There were seven names. Each man had various situations that had created the same problem within their marriages. Each desire restoration with their spouse.

In the Book of Deuteronomy chapter four, Moses is addressing the people he led out of Egypt before they are to cross over into the land they were promised. There are several verses midway through the chapter that also applies to your situation.

29 But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. 30 When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the LORD your God and obey His voice 31 (for the LORD your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them. (Deut. 4:29-31, NKJV)

Men read this verse and take heart. I know that some of you are hurting and things seem hopeless and some are saying there is no way your wife is coming back. You are in distress. Read the above scripture and search with all your heart. Did you know when Moses led the people out of Egypt and they wondered in the wilderness for forty years, that the “Land of Milk and Honey” was only 40 miles away! 

I can not tell you how far away your “Land of Milk and Honey” is from you. But I can tell you that God has a plan for you. You are here to start a journey with the Lord. Each of you need to take on a joyful heart and take stock in faith that will allow you to get up out of bed, place your feet on the ground and make the devil say “Oh Crap! He’s up! Satan has been working a long time to destroy your marriage and he doesn’t play fair. Start your day off with putting on the full armor of God spoke of in Ephesians. Go to the book of Proverbs and Psalms and read the chapters that line up with today’s date. (Ex. 12-6-2011 read Proverbs Chapter 6, Psalms Chapter 6, 36, 66, and 96,126). Here you will find words of wisdom and prayer. Then start reading the Gospels. Read the books from the encouraging men website and they will serve as your road map through the scriptures. 

Most of all become MEN! Become LEADERS and FOLLOWERS of Christ first! Then you can lead your wife, children and family! Prepare for battle! John Wayne said it best in the movie “The Cowboys” when he said “And gentlemen come with grit teeth, because this is when school really begins!”

Stand Firm!

1 Corinthians 15:58"Therefore, my dear brothers—stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."

God Bless Your Trails,

Coke

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