“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” – Psalm 16:11
These past two weeks have taken my wife and I from Texas to Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania – a seventh for me. Traveling has been a major enjoyment for my family. Each place we visit meets us with wonderful people just as much as we have been blessed to have here in Texas. There is good hope for our nation as we face an election year. Do not allow what you see to discourage your vote. Exercise your privilege and prayerfully vote in this upcoming election.
Thank you for praying for the young couple and their two little children in my last post. I received a message from the husband and things have changed for the better in their home. They have established a family altar, reading the Bible more and praying together as a family. Great things are in store for this family! Transformation is God’s business and He does it very well. To God be the glory!
Wednesday, February 10 is the first day of lent- a time that Christians prepare their hearts for the remembrance of the crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. May I encourage you to prepare your hearts for the new life of resurrection that will spring forth in your life during this lent season. This week also takes us to the weekend of Valentine’s Day. Traveling to the hill country, my wife and I will be co-teaching a Valentine’s Day seminar with longtime friends. Both of our families have grown together in our life journeys for the past twenty-three years. It is a blessing to have different ages of friendships.
Some of the things we will be sharing this coming weekend comes from Psalm 16:11. This scripture gives the foundation of having a relationship with God and how that opens up revelation, purpose and satisfaction. The same can be experienced in our earthly relationships; especially with our families- spouses and children. Since this is a Valentine’s Day focus post, let us examine the framework of how to experience what Psalm 16:11 talks about in our marriages. The seminar will feature practical examples and applications from our marriages-ours and co-teachers of the seminar.
1. Knowing: Husbands and wives it takes time to know your spouse. You cannot have the same information and understanding at one year of marriage as you would at ten years. Each day, gives both of you the opportunity to learn something new about your spouse that will enrich your relationship. The more you get to know each other in an enriching way, the deeper your love for each other becomes. My wife and I have a deeper love for each other than we did twenty-six years ago. This deeper love is due to the day-to-day knowing and understanding we have for each other. This is similar to what happens to our relationship with our heavenly Father. It grows day-by-day as we get to know and understand Him more.
2. Presence: Husbands and wives, it takes spending time with each other to enjoy the gift of each others presence. There is an essence that adds value to who you are and your relationship when you spend time together. Apart from the essential time spent together in prayer, doing things around the house or dinner times; spending intentional time with each other is vital to the health of your marriage. It takes managing your time well to make room to enjoy each others company. There is no magic formula. It takes calculated diligence similar to having a vibrant relationship with our heavenly Father.
3. Pleasures: Husbands and wives there are eternal benefits to your marriage. Apostle Paul makes a strong analogy of the way husbands should love their wives to how Christ loved the church that He gave Himself up for her. This does not mean that wives have no sacrifices to make; however the bulk of experiencing satisfying pleasures from your marriage comes from husbands loving their wives as Christ loved the church. One of the pleasures of marriage is having a satisfying friendship with your spouse. Are you best friends with your spouse? If not, you should be! In our relationship with our heavenly Father, we enjoy the pleasures of being His sons and daughters in addition to being His friends. It takes our relationship to an eternal perspective. This is what the forever life is all about and so should our marriages.
I encourage you to take this Valentine’s Day celebration past February 14th; instead celebrate your love for each other every single day of your lives. This deepens your relationship with a divine satisfaction and opens up new levels in all areas of your life. If you would like to join us for the seminar this weekend in the hill country, send an email to [email protected] for the address. We hope to see you there. God Bless you!
For The Cause of Christ,
Dr. Johnson Obamehinti
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