Insights as a Married Man

I was recently looking through some old notes that I wrote years ago. I am sure that I was writing after hearing some sermons or reading from books, so the thoughts that I had I am sure are not original or even expressed in any original way. Nonetheless, they are thoughts that I think are profound and I have wanted to write them out for quite a while, even if they are nothing new. My next few posts will probably come from them.

Also, as a newly married man, I have discovered more and more sin in my life. I am far more selfish and lazy than I had ever imagined. I have a beautiful, loving and forgiving wife, but I am still astonished at my level of sin. My only hope is in understanding the nature of sin and the nature of God.

Sin is essentially running to the arms and beds of other lovers. They call out to us and beg us to come to them, promising greater happiness. But they do not truly satisfy. “You fill me with joy in your presence; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Joy? Pleasures? Yes! “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

That is how to fight sin! Sin makes promises but God makes better ones. God knows that we all desire happiness and deep joy more than anything else. He made us that way. He intends for us to find that happiness and joy in Him, not the things that the world offers which are poor substitutes. Only God will ever truly satisfy us and He does so when we trust Him to keep His glorious promises to be our Bread of Life and Fountain of Living Water. That trust is the essence of faith.

I need to remind myself of these glorious truths every day, every hour. I am so prone to settle for far less than what my heart truly wants. I am tired of settling for tin foil when gold is offered to me in God.

“May the God of peace fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

~The Apostle Paul, Romans 15:13