Welcome to
Marriage in God's Hands.
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I'm Willie Lee, your host, and
my co-host is Wilma, my wife.
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Welcome. Today we're going
to talk about richer/poorer.
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So, let's being our
session with prayer.
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Thank you, dear Lord,
for all that You have done
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every part of our lives.
And we ask You to continue to
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be with us as we experience
each part of our lives to come
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and what we will share today.
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Lord, because you are a God
for everything and all things,
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we thank You
for your consistency
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and we are thankful that You can
be with us through all things.
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And we praise you!
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In the name of Jesus
we pray, Amen and Amen.
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Well you can tell by the scope
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of our subject today
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that there's a ring of
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familiarity about that.
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I don't know if you are one who
had a traditional marriage vow
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or you had vows that were
other than what we just said:
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richer/poorer.
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But you can recall, those of
you who were in somewhat of a
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conscious state during that
time, that during the wedding
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ceremony when it's time for the
vows, those are familiar words.
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You have heard them
said on many occasions,
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and we have heard them
said on many occasions.
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And they were part of ours
as well, and I didn't think
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seriously about what
richer and poorer meant.
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But maybe we do need to stop and
think about that a little bit.
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Well I think most people think
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richer and poorer means money.
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Because in our society, that's
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what richer and poor has
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always referred to: wealth.
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And so when people say that
I take you in richer and poorer
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and most people think the richer
part, certainly not the poorer
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part. Because, after
all, who wants to be poor?
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Well, when I looked at our bank
account when we got married,
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I knew there was
no richer involved.
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I was hoping that maybe
that was in our future, but...
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I definitely
knew the poorer part.
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But at the same time,
I don't think I remember
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in our household of
thinking, as we were growing up,
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that we were poor.
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Even though we
didn't have a lot of money,
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and even though
money was not necessarily
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something to be missed or to
be desired when we were little,
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you don't think about
money so much when you're small.
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Other things occupy your
mind. But as you grow older and
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you begin to understand that
others have different things
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or more things... then
richer and poorer becomes
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a little bit more meaningful.
And when you have to handle
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your own budget in your
own household, then for sure
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you don't want to fall
into that trap of thinking
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"I'm poor, " but it does come
to us that sometimes there are
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poorer times than others
in many different ways...
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including financial.
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And I think that when you
begin to look at what God's Word
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has to talk about when we
think about richer and poorer,
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um-hmm - that maybe
it gives us a better view
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of what God is talking
about and what that means
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in the line of
Christian marriage.
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And Proverbs 15:16 says in
The New Living Translation:
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"There is treasure in
the house of the godly. "
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And by treasure?
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Is it talking about financial
wealth or gold or silver?
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What kind of treasure do you
get from that particular saying?
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Well, there may be gold
and silver... but I don't think
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that that's what
God had reference to.
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I think He's talking
about treasure being joy,
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peace, and happiness that
comes because God abides there,
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and that that is
most significant.
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You know, when you
begin to look at God's Word
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and you begin to look
at what's really valuable,
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you think back to what happened
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when people shared
their wealth. Um-hmm.
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And they showed all
their wealthy things - yes -
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and they didn't
share how God blessed. Ahh.
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Well, you know when you look
at the other part of that verse
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I know in the King James
Version it also mentions there:
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"But in the revenues of
the wicked is trouble. " Ummm.
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So the opposite of having
treasures or having something
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that is rich is having trouble.
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And maybe we need to re-focus
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and look at that as far as
how God looks at the household
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that's built on faith...
the household that's built
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on the things that God
possesses and shares with us.
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And I think that as we
moved into our marriage -
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and look back - that we
had a richness that we felt.
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Even though we
didn't have things or money,
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we had a richness.
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And some of those
things were very meaningful.
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Well, you know, as I think about
that first house we lived in,
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It was a very small house;
it was less than 1,000 sq. feet.
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Like a small apartment
- a very small apartment -
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on a lot of land. But I
can remember many joyous times
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we spent with each other.
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We opened our
house to lots of people.
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Um-hmm. It was an open door.
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People enjoyed
coming to our house;
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we enjoyed sharing what we had.
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And I think that if we
were to look back on those times
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early in our marriage, that was
a joyous time not only for us
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but it was a treasure because
it was an open door for us,
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for our friends, for our family,
and it was great treasure.
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Well, I think if we
start with where we started.
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We started with the Lord.
We started knowing that our
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purpose for being in this
world and our purpose in life
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was going to be to work
for God, on behalf of God.
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So... we took that seriously.
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And I feel... and from
the experience that I have had
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with you... is
that we had a treasure.
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Just looking forward to
and having new things unfold
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every day and people and
things come into our lives,
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but our marriage was increasing
in those opportunities
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to share together. Whatever
we had, we shared mutually,
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and that was a rich experience.
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And sometimes, though, marriages
go through poor experiences
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because it says "for richer
or for poorer" which means that
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when you don't have the
richness of that relationship
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there are times when there's...
for whatever reason...
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there's a removal of that
relationship that takes on
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that special hue and that
special glory and it tarnishes
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a little bit, and you
go through a poor time
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when you have to fight
through some difficult periods.
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Well, yes, and
we've had those as well.
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I think that one of our poorer
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times was when we lost our son.
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And I think that that was a
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poorer time. We had to struggle
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through that. And yet
and still it turns out
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that because we had those
times before, we had friends.
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They, in turn, became treasures
because they held us up.
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And that is part of the riches.
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That's part of the
riches that helps you through
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the poor times.
You have something that
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you would say even if you are
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looking at finances,
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something for a rainy day.
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Lay aside
something for a rainy day.
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Your mother often says that:
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"Well you know, I just
need to keep something aside for
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a rainy day. " So those
rainy days, those poorer times,
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those difficult periods of
time, when you have that which
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you have built and treasured,
it comes back to bring you the
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comfort and the joy - and
the assurance - that there is
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something at the
end of this dark period.
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Something that is to be
realized even though you cannot
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see the end, that
it's going to come out OK.
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And maybe that's what
Ecclesiastes 4:9 through 12
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is talking about - OK - when
it says "Two are better than one
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because they have a good return"
- ahh - "for their work. "
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Yes. "If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
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But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up.
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Also, if two lie down
together, they will keep warm.
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But how can one keep warm alone?
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Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
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A cord of three strands
is not quickly broken. "
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So the Word of God gives
us, then, a formula, doesn't it?
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It does. And the formula
talks about the various things
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that happen when you
have a friendship in marriage.
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You know, I think it
would be a very poor thing,
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a very difficult thing or a
troublesome thing, if you were
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in a marriage with someone
who was not your best friend.
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That you had to go somewhere
else to find a best friend.
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And I haven't had to do that!
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And I think that's a good thing.
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I know that my best
friend is right there with me
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in my marriage. And you have
been a best friend to me so that
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even in those times when we
were alone, moving around to
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different areas of the
country and we may not have been
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close to family or
close to those we consider
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our good friends, we
could always turn to one another
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and find a comfort and a
strengthening and binding up of
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whatever we needed in
our friendship as well.
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And that's why marriage must
be more than just an emotional
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tie that is based upon
sexuality. It must have a mutual
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relationship of friendship that
is offered one to the other.
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I guess that's why I
am typically a spectator
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and not an
involved person in sports.
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But I have learned at
least to understand football
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so that I can watch and
be intelligent and I know
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what's going on. So,
you remember those times
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when we only had
one channel? Oh, oh, OK!
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I'm trying to figure out
where the football comes from.
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Well - OK - there was the
time when we lived in an area
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where we only had one
channel and you liked football
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and I was clueless. But
thank you for being patient
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enough to teach me.
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Well, thank you for
watching the game with me
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and knowing that that is
something that we could share
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together on those Sundays
when things were slowed down
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a little bit for us. But
gaining that appreciation
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for one another when you are off
to yourselves and knowing that
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you have someone to share those
moments DOES make it special.
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And that's what
marriage is about.
00:12:15.14\00:12:16.46
And when you have those vows,
00:12:16.56\00:12:18.41
and I don't know
which vows you used,
00:12:18.51\00:12:19.98
but did you share a vow
with each other that says
00:12:20.08\00:12:24.01
"for richer for poorer "
00:12:24.11\00:12:25.47
"for those good
times or in bad times "
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or "in difficult
periods of time? "
00:12:28.40\00:12:30.56
And it's really
not all about money.
00:12:30.66\00:12:33.32
And,
unfortunately, this world is.
00:12:33.42\00:12:36.21
So, we need to back off of
that a little bit and look at
00:12:36.31\00:12:39.09
the other things
that God has given us.
00:12:39.19\00:12:40.63
And we are going to share a
little bit more - yes - of that
00:12:40.73\00:12:43.30
as we go along
today in our program.
00:12:43.40\00:12:46.76
But we want you to
sort of talk with each other
00:12:46.87\00:12:50.19
and bring back some
memories of those time periods
00:12:50.30\00:12:55.94
when you and your spouse
went through some poorer times
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and the richness of your
previous experience or your
00:13:00.38\00:13:04.72
friendship or the
richness of the binding together
00:13:04.82\00:13:08.12
as cords together that
would not break under stress.
00:13:08.22\00:13:12.34
Those are the things you want
to recount and add to your list
00:13:12.54\00:13:16.91
of things that show
that God was rich with you
00:13:17.01\00:13:20.37
during richer or poorer.
00:13:20.47\00:13:22.19
And then we are going to
continue with our discussion
00:13:22.39\00:13:24.41
in just a few
moments. So stay close by
00:13:24.51\00:13:27.03
and let's enjoy
our discussion today.
00:13:27.10\00:13:30.62
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Welcome back to
Marriage in God's Hands.
00:14:14.79\00:14:17.69
We've been talking about
the expression and what it means
00:14:18.00\00:14:21.94
to our marriage
00:14:22.04\00:14:23.07
when we say "richer or poorer. "
00:14:23.17\00:14:26.96
And we want to make sure
that you are with us on that.
00:14:27.16\00:14:31.44
And maybe you have discussed
some things in your relationship
00:14:31.54\00:14:34.91
where you have
relied upon the richness of
00:14:35.01\00:14:38.31
your married
relationship, your friendship,
00:14:38.41\00:14:41.28
God's presence in your
home, to make your home richer.
00:14:41.38\00:14:45.51
Not necessarily by
monetary means... even though
00:14:45.71\00:14:49.12
God provides for
that, doesn't He?
00:14:49.22\00:14:51.35
He does. And I think that if you
00:14:51.55\00:14:54.39
come to your marriage with a
00:14:54.49\00:14:56.32
generous spirit, then God can
00:14:56.42\00:14:58.46
bless you with wealth
because He only blesses
00:14:58.56\00:15:03.39
those who have a generous heart.
00:15:03.50\00:15:05.23
And like we often say:
"God won't give it to you
00:15:05.43\00:15:08.45
unless He can
get it through you. "
00:15:08.55\00:15:10.93
So, marriage is that way, too.
00:15:11.13\00:15:13.94
Sharing who you are with
others enriches your marriage.
00:15:14.14\00:15:18.90
Not keeping it all to yourself.
00:15:19.10\00:15:21.61
You know, just me and mine.
00:15:21.81\00:15:23.59
And we sit down at the
corner like I did with my
00:15:23.79\00:15:26.80
boyhood friend,
and we got his toys
00:15:26.91\00:15:31.47
and he went to one corner -
I went to the other corner -
00:15:31.57\00:15:34.74
and the big pile of
toys sat in the middle
00:15:34.84\00:15:37.23
no one played with,
but we chugged our own toy.
00:15:37.33\00:15:39.96
That's not a very good feeling
00:15:40.16\00:15:42.50
if you take what you
have and go to your corner.
00:15:42.60\00:15:45.75
So, marriage is about sharing
the good things God has given
00:15:45.95\00:15:51.51
and provides and taking
that word. And I think that's
00:15:51.61\00:15:55.47
the word that we are
trying to take to other couples.
00:15:55.57\00:15:57.45
That's why we do this ministry.
00:15:57.55\00:15:59.16
We have found the richness
of the love of God in our
00:15:59.36\00:16:03.20
relationship, and we
want to share it with others.
00:16:03.30\00:16:06.56
And we hope that you are
willing to do the same thing
00:16:06.66\00:16:09.11
with what you
have received from God.
00:16:09.21\00:16:10.73
Well, I think it's
also important, particularly
00:16:10.93\00:16:14.14
in this day and time
when we find there are so many
00:16:14.24\00:16:18.43
unmarried people
living together. And secondly,
00:16:18.53\00:16:22.84
so many people saying
"I'm not going to get married
00:16:22.94\00:16:25.60
because I don't see
any happy marriages "
00:16:25.70\00:16:28.09
that it's important for people
who are blessed with a joyous,
00:16:28.19\00:16:31.83
happy marriage to go out and
share that with other people.
00:16:31.93\00:16:35.53
To show them what God
can do with two people
00:16:35.73\00:16:38.53
who are so very different, and
that God can bless a marriage
00:16:38.63\00:16:42.70
and that He can
make it GO and GROW.
00:16:42.80\00:16:45.58
Well, there's one other aspect
that we haven't talked about
00:16:45.78\00:16:48.70
that we have been able to
experience a certain richness
00:16:48.80\00:16:51.33
because God has kept us
from going completely to the
00:16:51.43\00:16:55.38
poor house... as the
old folks would say...
00:16:55.48\00:16:58.13
and allowed us to exist in a
manner in which we had enough
00:16:58.93\00:17:04.84
from day to day.
Isn't that what He did with
00:17:04.94\00:17:06.54
the children of Israel when they
walked though the wilderness?
00:17:06.64\00:17:09.20
There was never enough that they
could call themselves prosperous
00:17:09.30\00:17:13.13
and rich with money,
but they were never without
00:17:13.23\00:17:15.58
what they needed to
make it through a day.
00:17:15.68\00:17:17.71
But God gave us something to
share with more than just other
00:17:18.94\00:17:23.08
married couples. There
are some singles that God
00:17:23.18\00:17:26.49
puts in this world because
by either divorce or death
00:17:26.59\00:17:31.86
or separation of some sort
or either not getting married
00:17:31.96\00:17:36.02
some people are single in life.
00:17:36.12\00:17:38.42
And we have taken the
opportunity to reach out
00:17:38.62\00:17:41.86
for some of those that
were single and bring them into
00:17:41.96\00:17:44.85
our marriage and into our
home to help them feel welcome
00:17:44.95\00:17:48.80
and to help give them a
place where they can say
00:17:48.90\00:17:52.20
they, too, are part of family
even though they don't have
00:17:52.31\00:17:55.74
another self like we
have enjoyed with each other.
00:17:55.84\00:17:59.05
But I don't think
that it's been one-sided -
00:17:59.25\00:18:02.89
um-hmm - because
I've seen the opportunity
00:18:03.09\00:18:05.54
then for our
children to be blessed
00:18:05.64\00:18:07.82
because we both come
from rather small families.
00:18:07.92\00:18:12.07
And so it's extended our family
and so our children have a lot
00:18:12.17\00:18:16.01
of aunts and uncles
that they wouldn't have.
00:18:16.11\00:18:19.66
So it's been a
blessing on both sides.
00:18:19.86\00:18:22.43
Well, a lot of people don't
understand this thing about
00:18:22.46\00:18:24.80
aunts and uncles. In
some cultures we accumulate
00:18:24.90\00:18:29.15
aunts and uncles that are
surrogate because we like...
00:18:29.25\00:18:33.38
they give us a family
feel and they are there for us.
00:18:33.48\00:18:36.48
We call them aunts
and we call them uncles
00:18:36.68\00:18:39.13
even though they are not
related by blood. Exactly.
00:18:39.23\00:18:42.04
But they cause themselves to
be related because they don't
00:18:42.14\00:18:44.52
mind - exactly - being a part of
our family in a secondary tier
00:18:44.62\00:18:49.45
of family membership that's
outside of the blood that flows
00:18:49.55\00:18:54.17
within us but now the
blood of Christ then joins us
00:18:54.27\00:18:58.19
one with the other.
00:18:58.29\00:18:59.75
But there is a
richness in sharing with others.
00:18:59.95\00:19:02.75
Um-hmm. And in opening your home
and in opening your marriage.
00:19:02.95\00:19:06.11
You've got to feel
safe with your mate
00:19:06.21\00:19:09.66
in order to invite someone
else, be it male or female,
00:19:09.76\00:19:13.10
into your
marriage to be a friend.
00:19:13.20\00:19:17.07
A lot of marriages
don't have that blessing.
00:19:17.28\00:19:20.22
They are not rich with
the assurance of Christ
00:19:20.42\00:19:23.78
and the assurance
of one another's love.
00:19:23.88\00:19:25.36
And I think that
we have done that.
00:19:25.46\00:19:26.72
That we can be safe with
each other and invite others in
00:19:26.82\00:19:30.27
without feeling like that person
is going to take away from me
00:19:30.37\00:19:33.72
anything if they
are here in our home.
00:19:33.82\00:19:36.81
Don't you think probably that's
a safe thing for us to say?
00:19:37.01\00:19:40.49
Oh, I think so. I
can think of a number of
00:19:40.70\00:19:43.94
my friends who are single and
female who have called and said
00:19:44.04\00:19:48.99
"I'm getting ready to buy a
new car" - or what have you.
00:19:49.09\00:19:52.01
"Could your husband come
because people respect you more
00:19:52.11\00:19:55.95
if there's a male along.
" And you trotted along to
00:19:56.05\00:19:59.18
be the male figure, and
I'm very comfortable with that.
00:19:59.28\00:20:04.88
And they are very comfortable
with calling and asking.
00:20:04.98\00:20:07.21
And I think that that's a
part of the blessing of having
00:20:07.41\00:20:10.64
that extended family circle.
00:20:10.74\00:20:12.89
And I know that it has
been important now that
00:20:13.09\00:20:16.12
we only have a parent
between us and it happens to be
00:20:16.22\00:20:20.23
my mother. So, I think
that that has been a blessing.
00:20:20.33\00:20:23.88
Well those are blessings
because we have a generous God.
00:20:24.08\00:20:28.47
And there's a text that
is here that we want to share
00:20:28.57\00:20:33.34
about that generous
God and what He does.
00:20:33.44\00:20:35.74
It says: "It won't be
long before the generous God
00:20:35.94\00:20:39.75
who has great
plans for us in Christ,
00:20:39.85\00:20:42.42
eternal and glorious
plans they are, will have you
00:20:42.52\00:20:46.49
put together and on
your feet for good. "
00:20:46.63\00:20:52.04
So no matter what's going on
today, God has plans for you.
00:20:52.24\00:20:55.84
So if you're going
through a poorer period,
00:20:56.04\00:20:58.39
He has a time in which He is
going to put you up on your feet
00:20:58.49\00:21:02.52
and make it firm. And He
says... the final word says...
00:21:02.62\00:21:06.15
"He gets the last
word. Yes, He does! "
00:21:06.25\00:21:10.03
And that's I Peter 5:10 and
that's The Message Paraphrase.
00:21:10.23\00:21:14.43
God does get the last word. When
you include Him in your lives,
00:21:14.63\00:21:18.37
then you don't have to be
concerned because God will
00:21:18.47\00:21:22.23
always step in and reveal His
plan and give you and end that
00:21:22.33\00:21:27.31
was better than your beginning.
00:21:27.41\00:21:28.85
Yes. And the wonderful
thing about our God is that
00:21:29.05\00:21:32.10
He promises that He can do
above that which you can ask
00:21:32.20\00:21:35.52
or imagine. And that's one of my
00:21:35.62\00:21:38.15
favorite passages of scripture.
00:21:38.25\00:21:40.49
And here it says: "He gets
00:21:40.69\00:21:42.06
the last word. " That's right!
00:21:42.16\00:21:43.69
How exciting to know that!
00:21:43.79\00:21:45.62
And to know that if you've
got your hand in God's hand,
00:21:45.82\00:21:49.40
that He's going
to get the last word.
00:21:49.50\00:21:51.59
And His word is
always the best word.
00:21:51.69\00:21:53.63
So that increases
also and reveals what
00:21:53.84\00:21:58.07
the richer/poorer is about.
00:21:58.17\00:22:01.60
God is always there,
and there can never be
00:22:01.80\00:22:05.34
a part of you that can ever
00:22:05.44\00:22:08.08
be given away. God would not
00:22:08.18\00:22:10.25
allow anything to happen to you
00:22:10.29\00:22:12.41
because you are His child
00:22:12.51\00:22:14.13
and He's got plans for you.
00:22:14.23\00:22:15.45
And when you are a part of
His life as a married couple,
00:22:15.55\00:22:19.27
then He's got His
hands around both of you.
00:22:19.37\00:22:21.29
Remember that
sacred circle? Yes.
00:22:21.39\00:22:22.94
It brings glory to God
for Him to prosper you.
00:22:23.14\00:22:26.77
It speaks well of Him for there
to be that joy, that contentment
00:22:26.97\00:22:32.21
in your life. I
Timothy 6:6 tells us that.
00:22:32.31\00:22:36.63
It says: "Yet true
godliness, with contentment,
00:22:36.73\00:22:40.59
is itself great wealth. "
00:22:40.69\00:22:44.13
We don't often look
at contentment as wealth.
00:22:44.33\00:22:47.09
But you watch people who
have a lot of material wealth
00:22:47.29\00:22:52.11
but yet lose health
or don't have friendships
00:22:52.21\00:22:55.84
or have difficulties in life
in which they don't know God.
00:22:55.94\00:22:59.80
And so, there's not contentment
in having the wealth of the
00:22:59.90\00:23:04.14
world. But to have a wealth
of relationship with God...
00:23:04.24\00:23:07.58
God provides that
happiness and peace that comes.
00:23:07.68\00:23:10.88
Well, I think also
couples need to realize
00:23:11.08\00:23:13.86
that you cannot spend
your marriage and your time
00:23:13.96\00:23:18.67
in your marriage in competing
with whoever and whatever.
00:23:18.77\00:23:23.29
Yes. That a marriage is spent
in developing a love for each
00:23:23.49\00:23:27.02
other, a love for Christ,
and in building a family.
00:23:27.16\00:23:30.90
And that's what
true contentment is.
00:23:31.10\00:23:34.23
In being happy in
what you are blessed with
00:23:34.43\00:23:37.71
and with each other,
and not looking around
00:23:37.81\00:23:40.82
to see what other people have.
00:23:40.92\00:23:42.80
And too often in our society
we're comparing ourselves with
00:23:43.00\00:23:47.33
other people... not in
being happy with what we have.
00:23:47.43\00:23:51.67
So, instead of
filling your life with things
00:23:51.87\00:23:55.22
and concern about
procuring or storing up
00:23:55.89\00:24:01.02
or hoarding things, it's
better to allow the freedom and
00:24:01.12\00:24:06.93
contentment to come
because God provides you with
00:24:07.03\00:24:10.17
one another and will provide
your coupleness with everything
00:24:10.27\00:24:14.51
that you need to be rich in the
things that are most important
00:24:14.61\00:24:20.43
that you can take from this
earth to the heavenly kingdom.
00:24:20.53\00:24:23.66
Definitely. And while
you are sharing each other
00:24:23.86\00:24:28.95
then share what you
have with those around you.
00:24:29.05\00:24:32.44
Because the Lord promises
you that you'll never run out
00:24:32.64\00:24:36.72
because He is the source.
00:24:36.82\00:24:38.76
And, just as He
provided the children of Israel
00:24:38.96\00:24:42.08
with manna every day
sufficient for their needs,
00:24:42.18\00:24:45.63
He will take care of you.
00:24:45.73\00:24:47.50
Isn't that what He says?
00:24:47.70\00:24:49.25
"Consider the
lilies of the field...
00:24:49.35\00:24:51.42
the sparrows... they
don't ever have to worry,
00:24:51.62\00:24:54.92
and I will take care of you. "
00:24:55.02\00:24:56.82
So, even though that applies
to a personal relationship,
00:24:56.92\00:25:01.86
it also applies to a
marriage relationship.
00:25:01.96\00:25:05.13
Because it's a promise that
God will keep your relationship
00:25:05.33\00:25:08.61
rich and giving - yes - if
you become that individual.
00:25:08.72\00:25:12.99
Remember, it's very important
that you establish your own
00:25:13.09\00:25:16.43
relationship with the
Lord as well as your mate.
00:25:16.54\00:25:19.64
Your spouse should
have their place with God
00:25:19.84\00:25:22.07
and their time
with Him as well as you.
00:25:22.17\00:25:25.55
And then when the
two of you are together,
00:25:25.75\00:25:27.83
God blesses the relationship
that you have with each other
00:25:27.93\00:25:30.97
even more so because
you enter it on a sacred
00:25:31.07\00:25:35.09
and very, very resilient cord...
silver cord of attachment
00:25:35.19\00:25:40.65
to God. And He does
give us silver cords.
00:25:40.75\00:25:44.42
They're not just
common cords, are they?
00:25:44.52\00:25:46.32
Not at all. They're very rich
cords that hold us together.
00:25:46.52\00:25:49.33
John 10:10 says:
"Don't worry about the things
00:25:49.53\00:25:53.61
on this earth. The
thief's purpose is to steal
00:25:53.71\00:25:57.05
and kill and destroy.
My purpose is to give them
00:25:57.15\00:26:01.62
a rich and satisfying life. "
00:26:01.72\00:26:04.23
God has made that promise.
00:26:04.43\00:26:06.22
We want to claim
that promise today.
00:26:06.42\00:26:08.66
Don't you want to claim
that promise for your marriage?
00:26:08.86\00:26:11.89
For your home?
Let's pray for a moment.
00:26:11.96\00:26:15.35
We thank you, dear
Lord, for the provision
00:26:17.38\00:26:20.22
that you have given and
provided us across the years.
00:26:20.32\00:26:25.00
And yet there are many who
are blessed by You, dear Lord,
00:26:25.20\00:26:29.05
because they reach
out to you continually.
00:26:29.15\00:26:31.14
We pray not only in thanksgiving
for your presence in our lives
00:26:31.34\00:26:36.25
but in the presence of so
many marriages that have been
00:26:36.35\00:26:40.12
generous on behalf of God.
00:26:40.22\00:26:42.61
And Lord, we know that You are
the constant source of blessings
00:26:42.81\00:26:47.74
and that as long as we trust
in You, You will continue to
00:26:47.94\00:26:51.45
bless us. Help us to
share everything that You give
00:26:51.55\00:26:55.31
with those with
whom we come in contact.
00:26:55.42\00:26:57.49
We pray this in the
name of Jesus, Amen and Amen.
00:26:57.69\00:27:01.99
We certainly hope that you are
joining us in prayer from time
00:27:03.38\00:27:07.44
to time and that your prayer
is about your relationship
00:27:07.54\00:27:11.42
as well as praying for us
and the many married couples
00:27:11.52\00:27:16.59
across this nation. We ask
of you to continue that support
00:27:16.69\00:27:21.71
and that prayer. And
also reach out and be generous
00:27:21.81\00:27:25.22
with others around you.
Let them know the joy and the
00:27:25.32\00:27:28.99
contentment and peace because
you have great wealth in Christ
00:27:29.09\00:27:35.01
in your relationship
for richer or for poorer.
00:27:35.11\00:27:38.49
May God keep His
hand in your marriage.
00:27:38.69\00:27:42.23
And God bless you to
continue to stay with Him.
00:27:42.33\00:27:45.98