Covenants...

I am really meditating on a concept today. Whenever the Lord tells me to write here, I will heed His call. He asked me to write on this concept. The issue that has really stirred my heart is the issue of covenants. First of all, I love that word. In my mind covenant means permanent, decision, a determined purpose, solid, and so, so much more. I pray earnestly that my marriage will be a covenant between my mate, the Lord, and I. I pray that my future family will share a covenant relationship. I believe with all my heart that the concept of covenant is best demonstrated in the form of relationship. Right now, the most important covenant relationship that is in my life is my realtionship with God. I fervently pray that someday soon a marriage covenant will be added to my life, but I will wait patiently and expectantly for that to come in God's good time when He knows I am ready and that my mate is ready to embrace it. Covenants are all over scripture. I just really like the idea of covenant. The most beautiful thing the Lord is teaching me about covenant right now is that covenant relationships take lots of time and commitment to develop, mature, and bear rich and lasting fruit. God is teaching me how precious covenant relationships are. He is also showing me how very rare covenant relationships are in our society.

I believe this society holds such a cheap view of the relationships in the sacred institutions of marriage and the family. This society has demeaned the immeasurable value of these two gifts of God. It is my firm belief that these two gifts hold such blessing that they should be held in the highest esteem in this world. Marriage and family are two of the richest gifts of grace there are to enjoy in this world and in this life. God meant the marriage covenant and the blessings of family to deepen our dependence and intimacy with Him. I believe the marriage covenant is a lesson in holiness. It is a place to extravagantly love, serve, honor, and cherish a partner and a friend given by the hand of the Lord to bring us into deeper and higher places in His character and His ways.

I hope this is a tool of encouragement and blessing.