"And don't be wishing you were someplace else or with someone else. Where you
are right now is God's place for you. Live and obey and love and believe right
there. God, not your marital status, defines your life." (1Cor 7:17a, MSG)
I have encountered so many people who complain about their jobs, even their new
ones. They were tired of their former bosses, but now, they find themselves in
new nightmarish situations. "Had I only known!" They mutter. There are some who
find their new jobs fulfilling, but all of this negativity could be avoided if
we would all simply ask our Heavenly Father for direction before making
decisions: "Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." (John
16:24b, NIV2) It's a simple promise that will ensure that we don't make the
wrong choices. We ask and our "joy will be complete". It's that simple.
The same is true about meeting our future spouse. We should ask our Father for
direction: "Is she/he the one?" Ask and we will receive beyond doubt.
Be aware that some will try anything to break up our marriages. If we keep on
focusing on our Father, instead of wandering into temptation, we will avoid
heartbreak. Our spouses are still the ones we are married to. If there is
tension at home, it generally because we don't spend enough time with one
another. There again, we can ask our Father for direction, so that our marriage
will be a witness to everyone around us.
When we celebrated our 25th anniversary, six years ago, many of my wife's
colleagues were surprised. "Wow! You have been married so long!" They, too,
wished this could be possible. "With man this is impossible, but with God all
things are possible." (Matt 19:26b, NIV2)
When I was sixteen, I wondered if I would ever get married. I was extremely shy.
When any girl showed any interest in me, it made me run in the opposite
direction. One day, I asked my Father about this, and He answered me in a dream.
I dreamed about my future wife, and boy, she was so pretty. When I woke up I was
filled with joy.
As the years went by and I didn't meet this girl, I eventually forgot all about
that dream. Amazingly, my shyness disappeared, and though still self-conscious, I
started to date; however, I never found the "one" to be my wife.
When I was offered a job at a college in Washington State, my Father came
through again, telling me that I would meet someone very special from Los Angeles.
How could this be? I was moving to Washington State!
During registration in September, my future wife signed up for one of my
classes. When I saw her, I had the feeling I had seen her before. Strange! How
could this be possible? We became friends, and I soon discovered she was from
Los Angeles. The rest is history. It was only some years later that I remembered
my dream, and it's then that I realized why, on that first day I met her, I had
the feeling I had seen her before. I had seen her in my dreams!
I have never regretted marrying her, for she is my one and only, and she will be
until the day I die. This can be possible to you as well. It all starts with a
prayer.
Did you have a dream?
Rob Chaffart
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door
will be opened to you." (Matt 7:7, NIV2)
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
messages. HTML and plain text versions available.
The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.