What an intense, crazy, and amazing year this has been...
Last September, after I lost my job, I felt led to start this blog, and called it "Marriage-Miracles", because God miraculously healed my own marriage and He gave us an amazing testimony of the power of His love and forgiveness to share, which has encouraged many people over the years.
Over the last few months much of what was on my heart to write about has not specifically addressed marriage, although the content certainly can have application to marriage, in that I tend to deal with topics such as selfishness, sacrifice, and forgiveness. However, I've had an increasing sense of urgency that leads me to look at and consider the bigger picture in life, and not just at marriage issues.
It's time to change things up a bit.
As words can carry great meaning, I have for several months, contemplated the title of this blog, and was concerned that the title, "Marriage Miracles" may have been a potential hindrance to people who are single or divorced. I don't want anyone to feel excluded and have seen this happen in some Christian circles where there is such a heavy focus on families and marriages, that single or divorced people tend to feel slighted, or left out. That is not, nor has it ever been, the intention of this blog.
So, after much careful deliberation, I decided to change the title of my blog to "Love Never Fails." The title is universal. No one is excluded from receiving the freely available gift of God's love through Jesus Christ the Savior.
Also, even though there is a desperate need for encouragement, help and resources for people who are struggling in their marriages, we, as followers of Christ, have a much Bigger Picture to consider, as sojourners who are only temporarily on this earth.
It is my strong, personal conviction by what we read in the pages of Scripture, as well as the personal trials and experiences we have had, that we truly do have an unseen Enemy who the Bible says, "Only comes to steal, kill and destroy."
And from our experiences, and from those of many other people—some of whom are living broken, defeated, joy-less lives—we believe that most people are living like they do not believe that their Adversary even exists.
The Bible says,
"Your adversary the devil, roams about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."
But, if we're being honest about it, most of us are on spiritual auto-pilot, carrying on in "business-as-usual" lives, like we don't believe that we truly are at war—as if we don't really have an unseen Enemy who actually comes to steal, to kill and to destroy.
Part of my focus go-forward in this blog, will be to consistently remind my fellow followers of Christ that we do indeed have an Enemy who never sleeps—who only comes to kill, to steal and to destroy.
And that we must spiritually fight for our marriages, for our children, for our families—for our lives. As my friend Craig has often reminded me, this is life or death.
But, praise God, we are not in this alone.
God's Word says that we are to be strong and courageous and to not be afraid, because our God is with us wherever we go. He will never leave us or forsake us. And He sent His Holy Spirit—the Comforter—to strengthen and protect us, and to bring to our remembrance all the things that Jesus has said.
Truly, if God is for us, no one can be against us.
Another revolutionary truth that I was recently encouraged by, is that our hearts are good—our hearts do matter to God.
Yes, in the Old Testament, it does say (of unrepentant man), “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" (Genesis 6:5, Jeremiah 17:9).
But that's not the end of the story.
Not by a long shot.
Fellow Christian—your heart is good.
For all those who truly have been Born Again—by the blood and Spirit of Jesus Christ—He has given us a new heart—the deep innermost place within us where God now dwells, in all those who have freely invited Him in and received Him as Savior and Lord.
God has given us a new heart and a regenerated spirit:
"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you." (Ezekiel 36:26)
However, our Enemy tries to constantly accuse us and condemn us, trying to get us to buy into his lie that our hearts are still continuously wicked. But that is a lie, and Satan is the father of a lie.
The old sinful nature—the flesh—is wicked, and it wars against the spirit. The two are contrary to one another. But the same power—the same Spirit, who raised Christ from the grave—dwells in you and in me, for all those who are in Christ.
"He whom the Son has set free, is free indeed." (John 8:36)
Your heart is now good, and your heart truly does matter to God, if indeed Christ dwells in you by faith.
You are not in this alone.
—God is Love, and Love Never Fails.
P.S. the URL for Love Never Fails is still:
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