Godly Wives: Love’s Destiny (By Rebecca Lim)

A guest post. Godly Wives is a space where women talk candidly and honestly about real issues in marriage.

When my husband asked me to be his girlfriend, the first reply that I gave would have thrown off any guy or probably scared them away, “Is this for real and serious? Are we headed for marriage?”

I knew in my heart that if it was not headed in that direction, it would not be worth my time.

Life is precious and short and I knew that there was a purpose to life, my life. More importantly, I knew that God had given me a destiny to fulfill and there was no time to waste on a guy who just wanted to date for fun.

According to Webster, destiny is defined as “what happens in the future”. When 2 people come together, there is love. We love because He first loved us. He loved us so much that He gave his only begotten Son, so that we may have a future. And so I believe that we love for a purpose, we love for what happens in the future. Out of Adam’s ribs, God made Eve, a helpmate for Adam. They were one flesh, their destinies intertwined.  And their main purpose on earth: to take care of the Garden of Eden.

And so I wondered and wondered, and wondered about my destiny, about his destiny.

My husband and I are two very different persons from completely different worlds. He is extroverted, I am introverted. He is extravagant, I am thrifty. He is happy-go-lucky, I am a deep thinker. His world was one of overflow and supply, my world was one of lack and demands.

And so we thought and we talked, and prayed about our destiny.

We were both interested in different things. He loves playing music in a band while I am terrified of the stage. He loves children, I was averse to them but I loved reaching out to the youths.

We tried serving together and serving apart. We joined the worship team and the youth ministry together. While he was in the army, I became a social worker. When I became children’s art educator, he became a youth worker. Now I am serving God as a stay home mom, he is serving God in the cell group. And now we both believe we are heading in the same direction.

Our wedding day felt like a full-day dinner and dance event. I’d never smiled so much in my life. At the stroke of midnight, all the glamor and glitz was over. We packed up, and the carriage turned back into a pumpkin. Yet marriage is more than just the ceremony, more than the daily routines. I refuse to believe that life just goes back to normal. There is a greater purpose in becoming husband and wife. In this race towards destiny, we are running towards the finishing line. My husband is the captain of the team and we are running side-by-side. Sometimes he may be running the hurdles and I’m just running along. At times he may be running in front, leading the way. Perhaps in certain instances, we may be running the 2-legged race together. But the ultimate goal is the same. We know we want to bring up our children with kingdom values and we hope to inspire other children and youths with kingdom values too.

So just take a step into God’s loving arms together as a couple. Rest at His throne of grace. Be empowered by His truth and reach out to what He has destined for your lives.

 

Rebecca, together with her wonderful husband Shem and kiddos Nat & Noe, live on the tiny red dot island of Singapore. She used to be a social worker, an art educator, and is now a SAHM who is working from home part-time. When she is not earning her keep or running after her kiddos, she loves making stuff for the home and family. Find more of her writing at Jarful of Plenty.

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A Word in Season: Desert Exodus

“So many of my people are lost in self-pity. They are bound and trapped, unable to come out of their pain and inward-looking misery. I want them to come to Me. Turn their eyes from their hurting hearts and look to Me. Only My Love can heal them and set them free.

Now is the time for the people of Singapore to arise and shine, for I am doing great things in the land. I need my people to stand up and be strong. I need them to throw off the shackles and be free to undertake the tremendous mission that I am releasing even now. They need to break through their own natural defenses. Only they can choose to do so.

My people, why do you complain and say, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”? Do you not know? Have you not heard? I AM the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. I will not grow tired or weary, and My understanding no one can fathom. I give strength to the weary and increase the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in Me will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

These are days of great darkness and trials, and I know that many of my children have been hurt. I know that they are buffeted by waves and storms that have left them weary and discouraged. Come to Me and you will be safe. I will never let you go. But you have to choose. Choose Me, don’t push me away and shut me out with your own defenses.

Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most of my people will grow cold. The wickedness all around you can cause you to be hurt, afraid, disappointed, angry and confused. These emotions, if allowed to linger in your heart, will cause your heart to grow cold even to Me.

Beware that bitterness does not take root in your heart. But let My love fill you, because Love conquers all. Let Me satisfy your heart. Let Me be everything that you need. In these times of turbulence, I am the only unshakable constant.

Do not condemn yourself – you are only able to love to the measure that you have been loved by Me. You don’t have to strive; just come to me each day and ask Me to establish and root you in My love. All you have to do is ask. Ask Me for a revelation of how wide and long and high and deep is the love that I have for you; ask for a revelation of this love that surpasses human understanding. Only then will you be able to be filled with the measure of all the fulness of Me. Then you will find that the heaviness, hurts, and fear can no longer hold you down.

This is the secret of why death could not hold Jesus in the grave – My perfect love conquers all.

Arise. Arise and shine. For these are the days of the greatest revival the world has ever known. Many of you say, “Revival is coming.” I tell you now, “Revival is here. Revival has come, and it will keep increasing in intensity until even the world cannot deny it”. It will be as undeniable and as massive as a tsunami wave hits a nation. And the knowledge of My glory shall cover earth just as the waters cover the sea.

I need my children to arise and shine. Once they break out of their own defenses, they will be able to help many others out of their pain. They will then storm the prisons and set free the prisoners, find those who are lost, and bring light to those who are wandering in darkness.”

 

Verse references:
  • Isaiah 60
  • Isaiah 40
  • Matthew 24
  • 1 John 4
  • Ephesians 3
  • Habakkuk 2:14

 

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Who Is That Coming Out From The Wilderness?

Dear friends, after more than 3 months of silence, I am back at the computer writing again. I have lost count of the number of times that I sat at the keyboard, hands poised over the letters to type, a million things in my heart that I longed to say to you… and the words wouldn’t come. They couldn’t come. I was unable to bring words out of my heart to put into writing.

Maybe it was the hectic whirlwind of house renovation and wedding preparation (we got married last month, hurray!) that left me too physically and mentally exhausted to do anything more than drag myself into a hot shower and the comfort of my bed at the end of each day. Perhaps it was a traumatic experience with cyber bullying earlier this year which left me staggering under the weight of a volley of terribly wounding attacks on this blog, instagram, facebook, etc. It has taken me months to recover from the trauma and hurt of that period of time, and though I am at peace and have forgiven them, it left me afraid to write; because writing creates ripples and I definitely did NOT want to rock any boats. Maybe my reluctance to write was the inner workings of God turning the focus of my heart back to Him again. Or maybe it was just my heart crying out for time & space to be fully present in the many changes unfolding in my life.

I think it was all of the above, and so much more. But irregardless of its genesis, I was undeniably in a season of wilderness.

It was numbingly painful. I was frustrated and angry – with myself, with others, with God. I tried to pray, but was hopelessly unable to bring prayer out of my heart. I remember on more than one occasion lying flat out on my back, impotent and unable to utter anything to God other than a cry from my heart from months of pent-up frustration, “Lord, I have been wandering in the wilderness for so long.”

I cried out for help, but God turned His ear away. So it seemed.

So I stopped praying. I refused to worship, talk to God or about him, and I put my Bible away, shutting it out like a painful memory of rejection. I stopped trying to get into God’s good books.

BUT THEN…. He spoke to me this morning. He spoke to me. He spoke to me!!

Words of comfort, rebuke (but with SUCH love and tenderness), and a prophetic word for my beloved nation Singapore. *I will share the word I received in my next post.

It was like a gulp of fresh air after what seemed like an eternity of almost drowning. I felt like a mermaid who had been trapped on land for so long, and was finally released back into the ocean. A huge weight has been lifted off my heart, and though I know that I am not fully out of this season, I at least know that I am not alone. God has not forsaken me. He is not angry with me. He loves me!

But as I look back at this season of wilderness, and every other before, I can say with certainty that I wouldn’t trade it for a desert-less life. Because the wilderness teaches me so much.

It has taught me that God’s grace is not by my works, but it has also taught me to keep the faith even in adversity and shadow of darkness (Ephesians 2:8). It organized my life even though it also kind of threw it into disarray – it helped me to prioritize by seeing what really matters in life, it helped me to know that so much of human strife and time is wasted on what is futility and insignificant in the light of eternity, it showed me the things that are truly worth living and dying for. The desert uncovered the true heart of myself; I might have once thought that I was holy and a pretty good Christian, but not anymore. God uncovers more of me, and in doing so, reveals more of Him, so that I can truly say, “More of You and less of me Lord.”

Gladly will I admit that I am weak, for it says in the songs of the wise King Solomon, “Who is this coming up from the wilderness leaning on her beloved?”

Gladly will I admit that I am barren, for the prophet Isaiah declares, “More are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.”

Gladly will I remain in the wilderness for as long as I have to, because it shows me how jealously God loves me as He reveals through prophet Hosea, “Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her.”

In the wilderness God is all we have, and we realize that God is all we need – that’s where we go deeper into the heart of Yahweh and come to know the FULLNESS of God’s care.

The LORD is my shepherd – He is Yahweh Rohi, “The Lord my shepherd”

I shall not be in need – Because He is Yahweh Jireh, “The Lord will provide”

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters – He is Yahweh Shalom, “The Lord my peace”

He restores my soul – He is Yahweh Rapha, “The Lord my healer”

He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake – He is Yahweh Tsidkenu, “The Lord my righteousness”

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me – He is Yahweh Shammah, “The Lord is present”

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies – He is Yahweh Nissi, “The Lord our banner” (of victory)

You anoint my head with oil – He is Yahweh M’Kaddesh, “The Lord who sanctifies, makes holy”

My cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Verse references:
  • Isaiah 54
  • Song of Solomon 8
  • Hosea 2
  • Psalm 23
  • Matthew 5
  • Ephesians 2
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Idream of Eden. We were made for the Garden and the full pleasure of paradise. We got separated at Eden and we spend our whole lives searching for a way back into that secret paradise. All of life's pursuit + pain + questioning can be traced back to man's search for home. Our deepest instincts tell us that we are not home outside of this reality, and our souls will never stop searching until we return. Only there will we find rest and our true being. There, we begin to dream again the dreams that have laid asleep in our hearts all along.

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