Should You Say "I Do?" - Considering a Potential Marriage Relationship ~ by Amy Vest

 

"Can I get to know you?"

So you are looking to Jesus for your deepest fulfillment and purpose, you know why you want to get married, and now there is a guy interested in pursuing a relationship with you considering marriage.

What NOT to do: freak out, start planning wedding colors, and ask your friends to be bridesmaids.

{Take a deep breath}

Let's back up a little bit.

Yes, there is a lot that will likely take place between you knowing your "why" for marriage and having a guy pursue you.

In the past, we have talked a lot about purity, wholesome guy relationships, pointing all guys to Jesus, how to handle various situations, trusting God to bring the right guy, and more (including frogs) in video sessions.  I encourage you to watch them! (Links are at the end of this post!)

In this post we are going to be addressing once a guy who is truly a potential marriage partner comes into your life and is pursuing you with the intention of marriage.

It is serious, sacred, sweet stuff right here.

Let's just make sure we are on the same page:
~ God created marriage - and said it is good.
~ Marriage is a big deal - the most serious decision you will make next to surrendering your life to Jesus.
~ God has a perfect plan for you that He will work out as you follow Him - and you can be excited.

So let's look at considering marriage.

The Goal = To approach a relationship considering marriage in a way that glorifies and honors Jesus, honors and encourages one another in Jesus, and helps you determine if the Lord intends your relationship to end in marriage. 

(Stop and read that one more time.)

The goal is to make much of Jesus in every aspect of this process!

Every situation is different and the biggest goal is to look to Jesus, His Word, and His ways.  There are countless books on relationships and marriage.  There is so much more that could be said.  In this post, my desire is to give you some rock solid pillars and heart thoughts as you navigate these waters.

Taking steps in considering marriage is a beautiful opportunity in seeking to honor Christ and point one another – and everyone watching - to Him in a way that displays Jesus.

1) Follow Jesus.
God is love, the Author of love, and the Source of love.  Friends, we want HIM at the steering wheel of our love life.  He knows what is best for us, His glory, and the blessing of others.

He can lead you into a relationship, in a relationship, and out of a relationship.  You want to be where He leads you.

He can be trusted with your heart.  He alone has the answers.  He will lead you in His way.  While there are helpful tools in considering a relationship, founded on those, there are a million variables that we desperately need to look to Him to lead us on - and He will.

Jesus cares more about your love life than you do.

Pray, pray, pray.  Keep so close to His heart.  Look to Him every step.  Do it all for His glory. 

(As a sweet little note - You can fall in love for His glory!)

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Cor. 10:31)

2) Your heart attitude is crucial - Your heart condition is so crucial in this process.  When your heart is to honor, love, and obey Jesus and help the guy toward Him, it will influence your part in the relationship the most.  It is essential to keep lifting our heart to Jesus in this process and letting Him work.  We are dedicating a special post to this next week! 

"Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." (Proverbs 4:23)

3) Gifts of grace in considering a relationship - It is so powerful, protecting, and freeing to look at the gifts of our personal walk with Him, His Word, community, counsel, boundaries and accountability, serving and getting to know one another in a variety of settings. 
~ Protection - You are a treasure and you deserve to be protected!  It is wise, and so freeing, to have your dad - or a godly person who can fill that role, if you don't have a dad - act as your protector in a solid, wholesome, and gracious way.  Sending guys to him first for permission, an initial screening, and establishing a relationship is a freeing protection.
~ Basic boundaries - It is powerful to personally place boundaries that will enable you to honor and obey Jesus, protect and honor one another, and allow you to either enter marriage or part ways in a way that brings maximum glory to God, joy to you, and blessing to others.  Sweet friend, get them from Jesus and His Word - and own them for yourself!  This will lead you to embrace them when it is only you and Jesus - or if the whole world is watching!  Remember that He calls us to do things for our good and deepest joy in the long run.
This will involve determining boundaries for time spent together, where you go, what you do, physical contact, etc.  and then having a people who hold you accountable (more below).
Can I say a little word on the physical contact side?  A very basic concept that has helped me so much is, "When I am his, I am his.  When I am not his, I am not his."  Any guy who will not respect and protect your heart and purity is not a guy you want to marry - but rather flee from! 
Boundaries when received from Jesus and His Word are for your blessing - and establish freedom, trust, and blessing in the relationship.
~ Counsel - Just like in any other area of life, we need to be smart enough to realize that we are not smart enough to navigate this enormous decision on our own – especially if our head may be in the clouds a little.  Having a few wise, safe, trusted people who walk with God, love you, and want your best is essential in this process.  I cannot tell you the powerful gift this has been to me!
~ Community - It is so powerful to consider your relationship in a community people who know you, can witness your relationship, and can share feedback (support, caution, etc.).  We can be somewhat blind on our own.
~ Accountability - Wise people know they cannot go this journey alone - and especially in this situation that can be filled with blessing, but also temptation.  Staying accountable a mentor couple in the process will be powerful beyond words as you seek to honor the Lord and each other!

There is more on this area and more specifics in considering a marriage relationship in this VIDEO.

Remember the goal of all this is to honor Jesus, each other, and your future spouses - so that whether it ends in marriage or not, Jesus is glorified and we are pushed closer to Him!

"Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety." (Prov. 11:14)

4) Getting to know the real person.  Coming soon we will have a post specifically helping you to look at the guy you are considering to help determine if he is who God is calling you to marry.  Here are a few basics in considering the relationship:
~ Ask important questions - What is their walk with Jesus, vision for life, calling, past, perspective on marriage, roles, children, raising and schooling children, church, finances, etc.?  It is SO critical to talk these through and make sure they are on the same page BEFORE marriage vs. hardship after marriage.  Do NOT even consider a relationship with someone who doesn't know Jesus - you don't share the very purpose in life!  "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?"  (2 Cor. 6:15)
~ See each other in different settings - serving, with family, playing sports, stressed, etc. vs. only when dressed up and sitting down to talk. So much more is revealed about them - and you - in these times!  Remember most of your married life will be spent in the daily moments.
~ Giving the relationship time and walking through different seasons together - There are things you learn as a relationship grows over time and you walk through different seasons and situations with them.  For example, you learn a lot about someone when you walk through suffering with them.  Give a relationship time - it is a life-long decision! Your job may change – lots of things in life will change – but this life-long covenant you make before God “til death us do part” is a BIG DEAL!  Think it through. Pray it through. Take as much time as you need to know if it is God’s will for you.
~ Be yourself - Be the real you, instead of who you think the guy wants you to be.  As you are who God created you to be, the guy can get to know you as you really are - and the same with him.

Remember you will be two imperfect people pursuing Jesus together - but, your key is looking at their heart, the path they are on, and the fruit in their life - and if Jesus is calling you to join your lives together on the same path after Him.

5) Trust how the Lord leads you is for the best.
As you look to Jesus, He will make it clear - and you can know that is for your very best. 

If He leads you to marry the guy you are considering, you can embrace seeking to glorify Him in marriage with all of your heart.
If He leads you away from the relationship, whether you see the reason now or not, you can trust. 

I have seen over and over again the perfection of His ways, protection of His hand, and trustworthiness of His heart in my own experience and the experience of others!

(Please remember this - just because a guy is the first one to pursue you, does not mean that he is the one God is calling you to marry - or that no one else will ever come!  Trust Him, leave it in His hands, and follow!)

I just love the quote, "God gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him."

Friends, there is a lot more that could be said.  I wanted to give you some more solid heart grounding advice.  You can read the Word, Christ-centered relationship books, listen to messages, and ask godly counsel for more.  Pray through this.  Talk it through with your parents and godly mentors.  Receive from the Lord the approach He is showing you to take for His glory and your good.  I am praying for Him to guide you.

It ultimately boils down to these questions:
~ Could we effectively love, seek, grow in, and serve Jesus together?
~ Is Jesus calling us to love, seek, grow in, and serve Him together?
~ Is this the man Jesus is calling me to love and to give my life for for the rest of my life?

In every step, it takes much prayer, staying close to Jesus, being in His Word, listening to good counsel, and seeking to follow and glorify Jesus in every step you take.

As you follow the One who is Love, as you consider human love, He will lead you in His perfect plan for you.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."  (Proverbs 3:5-6)

--------------------------------

If you want some more thoughts on relating to guys in a pure way before marriage and considering a relationship, you can watch this video! ~ Power of a Pure Heart and Single Focus

Why Do You Want to Get Married? ~ by Amy Vest

“Why, why, why, why, why???”

I want to play the toddler for you in this post - You know, the stage where they ask "Why?" about everything?  I want to keep asking "Why?" and help you to ask "Why?" as you consider marriage!

In this post, we are going to cover the “Why?” of marriage.

When your life is lived in, from, and for the greatest Love Story (Jesus and the Gospel), your mission in life and decisions should increasingly flow from that, also.

When we think about marriage, we need to ask, “Why do I want to get married?”  We need to know the “why” before we consider the “who”, “when”, and “how”.  When you have prayed and thought this through with Jesus and your perspective and goals are in place, then you are in a better frame of mind to be considering who the Lord might have you marry.

Ask yourself:

"Why do I want to get married?"

Stop and think about that for a moment.

Why do you really want to get married?  What is your goal in a relationship and marriage?

Let's take it a step deeper:

"What is my "Why?" in life?"

You were created for your life to be about Jesus, our relationship with Him, growing in His likeness, and sharing Him with the world.

Let your “Why” in life determine your “Why” in marriage.

When your goal in marriage is to know, become like, and serve Jesus more together, it brings purpose and stability as you consider a relationship.

Let's look at why (Yes, another "Why"!):

If your ULTIMATE goal is:
~ "He makes me happy" - he may make you happy today - but, he is a sinner who some days will make you sad (and you will do the same for him), no matter how much he loves you.
~ "He is cute" - try going to a nursing home and see what will matter in 50 years - if he was cute, or if he was like Jesus.
~ "I will be satisfied" - marriage can bring so much joy to your life, but only Jesus will satisfy you.
~ "_____________" - You fill in the blank.

But, WHY?
~ Why lay down your life for the other person?
~ Why serve one another?
~ Why be faithful in sickness and health?
~ Why?

It has to be about something bigger than you.

It must be about Jesus and His glory.  In this you are the most deeply satisfied, He is glorified, and others are blessed.  These three things always go hand-in-hand.

When the days are sunshiny and happy, or when the going gets tough - you are united around something deeper.

If you are united around this deeper purpose, it brings a solid foundation to your marriage - and draws you deeper in your relationship with one another as you grow closer to God.

The deepest, most joyful marriages have this as their uniting factor - a desire for Jesus and His glory.

Fairytales paint it as – “Happily ever after.” If your goal is only personal happiness, you will not always find it.  Marriage is about something SO MUCH MORE than our personal happiness! It is about Jesus and His glory - in our lives, potential marriage, and the world.  This comes in marriage as we point one another to Jesus, encourage each other towards growth in Him, extend grace and forgive when the other makes a mistake, serve and support one another, and join as a team to declare the Jesus we love most to the world hungry for Him.

Marriage is going to help make you holy, as well as happy.  To give you a way to minister, as well as receive a meaningful relationship.  To advance His glory, as well as receive His love through a person.

God designed marriage to bless you, sanctify you, and use you as a team for the Kingdom.

This question of "Why?" has been so powerful to me.  As I have pondered this with Jesus, it has brought such clarity in thinking about and considering relationships.
My "Why" for marriage is: Companionship with someone with whom I can seek Jesus, love Him more, grow in Him, and pour out our lives to make Him known.  My theme verse for my “Why” is this: "Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together!” (Psalm 34:3) 

I want Jesus, His will, and His glory more than anything - whether it means marriage or singleness.  I trust that if Jesus has marriage for me, He will bring it and He will make it clear! 

He will make it clear to you, too, friend.  Know your "Why?".  If He has someone for you, you can trust Him to bring your lives together for the purpose of loving, following, seeking, and serving Jesus more together than apart.  (More on these topics in the coming posts!

I pray you are excited as you look at this vision of what life and marriage are about.

So I close as your toddler friend asking, "Why?, why?, why?"!

I strongly encourage you to really think about your “Why” for desiring marriage.  This will bring powerful clarity as you live life and consider a relationship. 

We will look at some practical ideas for considering marriage next week!

Have a wonderful week finding fulfillment in Jesus and looking with Him at your “Why?"!

I Am So Glad You Are Here!

Sweet Friends,

This is just a little note to say - You are so loved and I love having you here on the blog!  I am so grateful for this sweet place on the internet to gather and share encouragement in knowing, loving, and living for our Jesus!  What a gift!

Wherever you are today, may you know that you are loved by Jesus, His plans for you are beautiful, and nothing compares to a life lived in Him!

This is a cyber-hug that I wish I could give you in person.  (((HUG)))

Have a beautiful day soaking in Jesus' love for you.

I am so glad we get to love Him together!

Will you take a moment and say "Hi" in the comments below?  I'd love to "see" you today!

Cheering for you!

With so much love for you in Jesus,

Amy Vest

A Relationship of Love with Jesus ~ Amy Vest

"God is love." (1 John 4:8)

There is no greater love in all the world.

The One who IS Love, Who showed us what love is, and invites us into the greatest Love Story of all time - Jesus.

"By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us." (1 John 3:16)

The greatest Love Story of all time begins, thrives, and ends with Jesus.

And He is inviting you into this Love Story.

Jesus died a cruel death on the cross to save you from the sins that separated you from God, and He offers you forgiveness and a new life in Him.  When you trust Him to save you, turn from your sins, and give your life to follow Him - He washes you from your sin and makes you His own, His Bride.

At that point, you enter into His Love Story - the story of God drawing man to Himself.  From this place, He beckons you to embrace a deep relationship with Him.

Only in Jesus you will discover the deepest longings of your heart satisfied.  There is nowhere else you can find this fulfillment.  God created you with these longings and only He can fill them.  No human - or success, money, etc. - can ever satisfy these deepest longings.  Only Jesus can.

"He satisfies the longing soul..."  (Psalm 107:9)

Jesus calls you to know Him, to receive His love, and to walk in true satisfaction in Him.

If you will open your heart to Him and His love, you will know the fulfillment for which you were created and life will become an adventure of love with Jesus.

Jesus becomes your very purpose. He becomes the reason you live, breathe, get up in the morning, love, work, and dream.


He is calling you to this - will you answer?

From this place of satisfaction, joy, and purpose in Jesus, you will be in a much better place to consider marriage, if that is what the Lord has for you!

He is the Love we were created for – and that all other God-given loves flow from and are a picture of this Love.

Start with Jesus. If you are not satisfied in Him, you will never be truly satisfied with what you think you want in a relationship, marriage, or anything else.

When you get to know Jesus, He captures your heart and you can't help but love Him and want more!  It is hard to love someone you don't know, right?

Listen to just a glimpse of Who He Is:
He keeps drawing you to Himself - relentlessly pursues your heart.

He is the love that will never let you go.
He is the perfect Love and He loves you.
He gave His life for you. "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."  (John 15:13)

He is always with you.
He will never leave you. “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)
He can comfort you like no human can.
He will love us forever. "I have loved you with an everlasting love..." (Jeremiah 31:3)

He is so amazing!  Knowing Jesus more will absolutely transform your life and love for Him will come naturally.  I can say this from personal experience.  He both satisfies you and makes you thirsty for more of Him!

How can you get to know Him more?

Here are a few ways that you can cultivate that love relationship with Jesus:
(There are so many more by clicking HERE.)
~ Keeping Him first priority in your heart, thoughts, actions, and time.
~ Walk through the day with Him.
~ Share your heart with Him in prayer and listen for His voice
~ Read His love letter to you - the Bible.
~ Get to know Him - Keep a journal of Who He is as you grow to know Him in His Word.
~ Soak in and live secure in His love.  He loves you!
~ Love Him in return - in your heart and obedience.
~ See all of life as an opportunity to know Him more.

~ Have reminders of Him - You know how couples or close friends have special reminders of their relationship?  As I was getting closer to Jesus, I wanted something to remind me of Him, His love, and my relationship with Him.  He gave me heart shaped things as a reminder.  This has been such a powerful reminder of His love - often He will send something heart shaped just when I need it!  Just yesterday I was walking into an appointment and looked down to see a heart shaped leaf.  Remembering Jesus, His love, and my relationship with Him changes everything!

This is a love relationship that deepens and matures through the years - just like any beautiful relationship - and it lasts forever.  A relationship is always 2 sided.  Jesus is pursuing you - you just must respond and walk with Him!

This is a reality - Jesus and His love are the only love that will never fail you, always be there - in every season of life!

This love relationship with Jesus being your purpose, satisfaction, and identity - results in security, fulfillment, and joy.

From this Love, you can embrace the other lesser human loves - including a spouse. You will find that they have more meaning, stability, and true love, because they are founded on Jesus.

I just love how in the 1st and 2nd Commandments the Lord calls us to first love Him and then love others next.  As we receive His love and love Him in return, we are then able to love others with the love we've received from Jesus!

"'...you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself...’"  (Mark 12:30-31)


When you are fulfilled in Jesus, you don't need to look desperately anywhere for love.

Friend, it is so crucial to see this - Only Jesus can satisfy the deepest need for love in your life. He placed it in you to drive you to Him. No human possibly could. 

When you look to a human for fulfillment only Jesus can give, it makes them an idol, places unrealistic expectations on them, and sets you up for disappointment and relationship issues.

When you are satisfied in His love, you are able to share His love from a place of fulfillment - in all the joys, mistakes, and trials of life.  In this place you can receive another person's love receive love from them with gratitude, but not be dependent on it.  This places you in a secure place to consider marriage - and then pour out love in your spouse in marriage, if that is where the Lord leads.

"We love because he first loved us."

As in all of life, Jesus is first.

You are called to the greatest Love Story, friend.

Run to Jesus today for the love you so desperately need.

May you find your deepest joy walking in this relationship of love with Jesus - soaking in His love, fulfilled in Him, and loving Him. 

As you do, you will discover that He satisfies the deepest needs of your heart - and that there is no safer place for your heart to be than in His nail pierced hands of love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

A note:
There is so much more that could be said about Jesus and our relationship of love with Him!  Below are some video sessions on this topic, if you are aching for more:

~ Jesus is Your Best Friend - https://vimeo.com/59284885
~ A Relationship of Love with Jesus - https://vimeo.com/19587008

Post coming soon + a video to watch in the meantime!

Sweet Friends,

I am sitting here with the coming blog post... It is a post my heart wants to spend a little longer on before I post.  I'd love to have it to you tonight - I am so sorry for the delay! 

This video would be a perfect companion to the coming post:

Loving the Lord Videocast #2 - A Relationship of Love with Jesus from Loving the Lord Ministries on Vimeo.

Tonight I pray that you are resting well in His beautiful love and you have a beautiful day of worship tomorrow.

Please come back and visit the blog soon for the new post!

I am loving this verse tonight, "Yes, he loved his people, all his holy ones were in his hand..." (Deuteronomy 33:3)

You are loved by Jesus and me,

Amy

~ Final Videos Announcement ~

For our final videos in November and December, we will be posting some mini videos that Amy recorded spontaneously on her phone over the past few years.  We are excited to share them with you!  We hope they are a sweet encouragement to you as you daily walk with Jesus!

A Love Story for His Glory ~ Amy Vest

A Love Story for His glory.  We were all made for this.

Everyone loves a good love story.  As a little girl, I loved the fairytale love stories I would read in children’s books.  Those things have an attraction to us, because we were created for something like this – a beautifully deeper story that transforms every other part of our story.
  
In this post, I am going to give you an overview heartbeat of the material – and in the coming posts, we will look more specifically at certain points! 

The Big Love Story –

There is a bigger story than our earthly love story.  This story is the purpose of our lives and is the Love Story you are called to no matter what your earthly love story looks like.  All of your life and relationships will flow from where you stand in this Love Story.

The Biggest Love Story – The Gospel - God created people to be in fellowship with Him, bringing joy to man and glory to God.  But people sinned and broke our relationship with God.  God showed His powerful love by sending His perfect Son Jesus to earth to die on the cross for people’s sins and rise victorious – offering forgiveness of sin, a restored relationship with God, and eternal life in Jesus.  When we trust in Jesus to save us and give our lives to Him as our Lord, we become His - the Bride of Christ – forever.

This is the most beautiful Love Story of all time.  All of life and human love stories point to this.  Only when we grasp this Love Story will we be fulfilled, and be able to have the right approach to a human love story - lived in, from, and for this Love Story.

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

Love Relationship with Jesus -
Our Love Story begins and ends with Jesus.  We were created to find our total satisfaction in a personal relationship of love with Jesus.  He is the only place we find total satisfaction - It is simply not possible for a human, no matter how wonderful they are, to meet the needs God created that only He can meet.

I can tell you from personal experience that Jesus will fully satisfy the deepest longings of your heart.  Those deep longings that nothing else can fill were meant to draw you to Him.  When you find your satisfaction in Jesus, you realize that you have everything you truly need!

When we are fulfilled in Jesus and whole in Him, we are in a much better place for life and to enter a relationship pursuing marriage (and any other relationship!), if that is what the Lord has for us!

“He satisfies the longing soul…” (Psalm 107:9)

Relationship and Marriage – the why and the how -
When your life is lived in, from, and for the greatest Love Story (Jesus and the Gospel), your mission in life, decisions, and actions will flow from that – as well as the way you consider a relationship.

When we think about marriage, we need to ask, “Why do I want to get married?”  We need to know the “why” before we consider the “who”, “when”, and “how”.  When you have gotten before Jesus about this and your perspective and goals are in place, you are in a better frame of mind to be considering who the Lord might have you marry.

Taking steps in considering marriage is a beautiful opportunity in seeking to honor Christ and point one another – and everyone watching - to Him in a way that displays Jesus.

It is so powerful, protecting, and freeing to look at the gifts of our personal walk with Him, His Word, community, counsel, boundaries and accountability, serving and walking through hard places together.

In every step, it takes much prayer, staying close to Jesus, being in His Word, listening to good counsel, and seeking to follow and glorify Jesus in every step you take.

“Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together!” (Psalm 34:3)

You and Your Life -
Look at you before you consider a guy – get before Jesus and know whose you are – His, who you are – both your identity in Christ and who He has created you to be, and where He has called you – your purpose in life.  This is so essential to know as you consider who you will commit to spend your life with!

As you walk in love with Jesus and live in these realities, the right kinds of guy will be attracted to the Jesus in the real you.

And remember  - The single you will be the married you.  (Character, habits, relationship patterns, etc.)

The Guy You Consider -
Once you know your purpose in life, who you are, and why you would marry, then you are in a much better place to consider who you will marry.  
As you do, it is important to look at the key things in a guy you know God would have you consider – What are his walk with Jesus, his character, his beliefs, his mission in life, his goals for marriage and family?
Knowing both of these things helps you keep a more level head when considering guys who pursue you.

One of the best pieces of marriage advice I’ve ever received was this, “Marry someone who loves Jesus more than you - Then he will love you well.” 

The Story for His Glory -
Let us keep in mind our purpose in living, singleness, relationships, and marriage – to know Jesus and to make Him known.  You can – and must - do this at every stage. 

God is the Author of the most beautiful Love Story of all time and can be fully trusted with your life and the area of your human love story.  Let God write every part - what He does is always best. 

You are called to take part in the greatest Love Story of all time.  Whether it involves a human love story or not, you are called to be fully loved, satisfied, and filled with purpose as you embrace Jesus and His love every day you live.

As you walk closely with Jesus, embracing life with His love wherever He calls you, with the goal of making much of Him - it will be a Love Story for His Glory.

And you will have a happily ever after.

Love Story and God's Glory ~ Blog Series Announcement!

Dear Friends,

I am so excited to announce to you a new series that we will be covering in the days to come!

Since Loving the Lord Ministries began over 10 years ago, many of you who were at the very first conferences are reaching the ages where you are in the place of considering marriage and a potential spouse.  As I have had the joy of talking with many of you about this topic individually - and attending some very Christ-glorifying weddings - it seems like this is a topic that would be so good for us to cover!

My heart is so full of anticipation about this series and the opportunity it gives us to look to Jesus!

So, this is the plan - Next week you can watch for a post that will give an overview of this topic and then each week of November we will cover each of the 5 points in more depth.

It will be such a joy to look at this beautifully serious area of life and rejoice in the Lord's incredible heart in it!

He loves you.
He has the best for you.
He - the Husband of your soul - has the very best plan in store for the area of your earthly romance - as a part of the greatest Love Story of all time.

I want to give you a little clue - The years that you have invested in seeking Jesus, deepening your relationship with Him, allowing Him to grow you in Him, and living for His glory are priceless pieces of this sacred topic.

More soon.  In the mean time, have a beautiful week soaking in Jesus' matchless love for you!

Grateful to be loved by Him together,
Amy Vest

"We love because he first loved us." ~ 1 John 4:9

P.S. For those of you who are either too young for marriage, or are already married, I trust that you will find this series encouraging in either looking ahead, or in mentoring those in your lives in this phase.  Most of all I trust you will be encouraged because this all is about something so much bigger than earthly marriage - the very purpose we were created!

Life-changing Faith ~ by Amy Vest

What would your life look like if you truly believed God?

Think about that for a moment.

What would your life look like if you not just said that you believed God, but truly believed in the depths of your heart that He is all that He says He is, that His Word is Truth, and that He will fulfill all of His promises - and then acted on the reality?  How different would your life look?

Right now I am sitting in my computer chair as I type.  While I can say that I believe that my chair will hold me up, I only prove my faith in it when I sit in it.  It is the same way with faith in God - we prove our faith when we step out and live in the reality of what we say we believe.

Faith takes God at His Word about Who He is and what He has promised.

Faith says - "God, I believe:
You are Who You say You are.
Your Word is Truth.
You will do what You say You will do."

If we really lived believing this, wouldn't it change our lives - and the world around us?

Faith begins at salvation where we embrace faith in Jesus, His death on the cross for our sins, resurrection, and redemption of our souls - relying on Him alone to save us, to cleanse our sin, fill us with His life, and make us His own.  "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,  not a result of works, so that no one may boast."  Ephesians 2:8-9

Then we live from that faith in daily life by relying on Jesus, His Word, His life in us, and grace to live life called to in Him until we see Him face to face.  "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."  (Hebrews 11:1)

This journey of faith in Jesus is a beautiful thing. The key in our faith is the object of our faith - Jesus.  You are only as secure as the one you put your faith in.  When your faith is in Jesus, you are as unshakeable as He is.  "And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God."' (Mark 11:22)

Stop and ask yourself, "Who - or what - is my faith in?"
God alone will never fail us.  Faith in God is a rock solid security to our soul.  All that He is - and all that He has promised - is a reality for you lean on in faith.

Faith in God overcomes feelings, circumstances, lies of the enemy, or doubts of others.  Faith does not say, "Look at my impossible circumstances." Faith declares to your circumstances, "Look at Who my God is!"

"My God is the One Who created the universe, is in control of all things, has all power, is forever faithful, knows what is best, redeems souls, loves me perfectly, will never leave or forsake me..."

This week I was reading a verse that stirs me in the core of my being, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?" (Jeremiah 32:27)  What is the answer? NO!  Nothing is too hard for You, Lord!  "For nothing will be impossible with God.”  (Luke 1:37)

Friend, this is the kind of faith we are called to live in every moment of our day!

Faith leads us to action.  It moves us from saying "I believe ________." to acting on that belief.  Faith says, "I believe Your promise to be all that I need, so I will not covet other things." and "I believe that Your Word is Truth, so I will not turn other places for my answers."

We have been called by God to living, active faith.  True faith in God inspires gutsy prayer, insane action, and deep joy.

This is the faith that inspired the  people we read about in the Hebrews 11 "Hall of Faith".  I strongly encourage you to go read it.  In this chapter is a beautiful reality that floods me with hope.  All of the people in this "Hall of Faith" were humans just like you and me - the thing that set them apart and enabled them to live the lives they did was a deep faith in God and His Word.  They were weak, imperfect people just like us who relied upon God and His Word instead of themselves, culture, possessions, or circumstances.  It is just as possible for you and me to live these lives of faith - because the God Who their faith was in is just as real today!

Every time I step out in faith - in small and enormous things - God proves Himself completely faithful.  He and His Word can be trusted, friend.  Even today I am leaning in faith on Jesus for some pretty big things - and am finding such peace in His faithfulness.  The more we have faith in God, the more we experience His faithfulness. " ...for we walk by faith, not by sight." (2 Corinthians 5:7)

God is waiting to meet you and work in and through your life in a way that only is possible through living a life of true faith in Him.

God:
Gives us faith
Tests our faith to prove it is real
Deepens our faith through life's joys and trials
Is honored by our faith
Uses our faith to point others to Him

Faith comes from God and points to God.

We will never believe perfectly this side of Heaven, but the greater our faith, the more we will experience God's presence, power, and provision in our lives.  Let's pray like those in Scripture did, '“Increase our faith!”'  (Luke 17:5)  '“I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)  These are prayers the Lord delights to answer.

This life on earth is our only time we need faith.  When we see Jesus face to face, we will no longer need faith - our faith will become sight and I know we
will wonder why we ever doubted Him.

I want to believe my God.  I want to live in faith in all that He is and has said.  I want that faith to propel me to do things that are only possible when He is Who He says He is and does what He promises.  I want to live a life of audacious faith that declares my God is all that He promises He is!  Don't you?
 
Here is a very practical part of this:

Will you rely fully on God and what He says today? When you live by faith in Jesus and His Word - both believing and acting upon that belief - you find a solid rock beneath your feet that will transform your heart and life, lead you to radical living for His glory, and keep you through all of eternity.
 
Jesus has called us to lives of faith in Him that declare He is all that He says He is.

Let's ask Jesus for deeper faith today, place our faith in Him, and step out to live lives that believe His every Word!

"...let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith."  (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Christ Alone ~ Video Message with Amy Vest

Christ Alone ~ Commencement Address (2007 edition) from Loving the Lord Ministries on Vimeo.

Join us for this powerful message that Amy Vest gave as part of a high school commencement ceremony as we discover the incredible joy found in living a life focused on, in, and to Christ alone!

"For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen." 

~ Romans 11:36

(A little side note - during this address, the students were having trouble hearing the speakers because of the sound system, so their facial responses may sometimes reflect this reality.)

Fullness of Joy - The Presence of Jesus ~ by Amy Vest

The presence of Jesus.

There is nothing like it in all the world.

"In your presence is fullness of joy." Psalm 16:11

The presence - the nearness - of the One Who is our Savior, our Friend, our everything.

When you know Jesus is with you, you know that you have all that you need.  For those who belong to Him, He has promised to be with you - forever.

"I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) - and then to usher is into His presence in Heaven forever!

This, my friend, is the only way we find true, lasting, and full joy - in the presence of the One we were created to know and Who "satisfies the longing soul" (Psalm 107:9) - Jesus.

Jesus is with you right now.

Stop and let that sink in.

Jesus is right there with you.  Wherever you are. 
I know some of you are probably reading this in a hospital room, at home, on the road, or in different countries.  Some of you are happy, some of you are tired, some of you are crying. 

Jesus is there. 

Stop and ask:

How does the reality that Jesus with with me change my life?
The reality that Jesus is right here with you will change everything, if you embrace it.

All that He Is, is right here.  This inspires awe, worship, security, fulfillment, and obedience.

 I love to whisper "You are here." in the midst of my days.
Some moments it is soaking in His presence under a starry sky or in my time of devotions, other times it is treasuring His nearness in times of deep pain or while babysitting a household of lively kiddos, and much of the time, it is embracing the everyday moments with the One Who is my life.

Life is beautiful when it is lived in the presence of the Beautiful One.  Painless?  No.  But, deeply beautiful, because the reality of Jesus colors everything I encounter.

The One Who Is:
The Bread of Life - meets me in my soul's hunger
The King of Heaven - is in control
The All-Sufficient Savior - is all I need
The Shepherd - is there to guide and nurture me
... and everything else He tells us He is in His Word - is with you. 

Jesus wants you to share life with Him.

Friend, you have the opportunity to live every moment with Jesus.

To walk with Jesus every moment.
To turn your thoughts into a conversation with Jesus.
To soak of the reality that He is in you and with you.
To allow His presence to impact all you do and touch others that are desperate for Him.

Feel it?
I want to make a little note for those of you who are more "feelers" like me.  The presence of Jesus is a reality whether you can feel and sense it or not.  There are times when His presence feels so near and other times when we cannot feel it and must stand on the truth of His Word where He promises, "I will never leave you or forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)  His presence is always just as real and unchanging, regardless of our feelings, ideas, or the circumstances of the world.

Miss it?
While His presence is just as real and unchanging, we can become distracted with less important things coming first in our hearts or minds, or believing those things will give the joy only His presence can give - or even seeking to hide from His presence (we can't - Psalm 139) because of the guilt of sin in our lives.  Listen to this beautiful truth, "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God..." (1 Peter 3:18)  Jesus died for our sins to take the punishment we deserve, make us right with God, and restore the relationship with Him that was broken by sin.  Our response must be to turn from our sin to follow Jesus, receive His forgiveness, and live in the joy of His presence!

Welcome it!
I love praying, "Jesus, thank You that You are here.  We welcome Your presence, Lord.  Please have Your way."  Think of how you welcome your best friend to your house. Is it with passive agreement? No. It is with shouts of joy, open arms, and a heart of love, right? Oh, friends! Welcome the presence of Jesus - with arms and heart wide open as far as possible to the One Who is your life.  When Jesus comes, there is always joy - fullness of joy!

Friend, Jesus is right there with you now.  He is present.  He is real.  He is ready to meet you.

Welcome Him with an open heart, soak in His presence, and share your life with Him each moment.

He invites us to a life lived in His presence - when we respond, we find joy, because we receive Jesus.