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It was 10:00 a.m. the day before Thanksgiving. In just a few hours the doors to our inner-city church would open, and we would host our urban neighbors, many of whom were Native Americans, to a free Thanksgiving dinner.

We were making last-minute preparations when we heard a loud knock at the front door. Another interruption, we thought as we trudged toward the door. When we opened the door, we were greeted by two delivery men from Sears.

“Will you sign for this?” one of the men asked as he shoved a clipboard my way.

“Sure, what is it?”

“A freezer,” he answered.

“We didn’t order a freezer.”

“Someone did,” he said. With that, he and his burly partner pushed past me and wheeled a full-length deep freeze up the steep steps and into our church.
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She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan the day’s work (Proverbs 31:15).

If you’re a husband, it’s a good exercise from time to time to try and follow your wife’s schedule for a day. If she works an outside job, you’ll quickly realize that household chores don’t just disappear because she’s put in eight hours at an office. If she works primarily at home, you’ll soon discover how many roles she’s expected to play in just one day: banker, nutritionist, counselor, interior decorator, chauffeur, educator, and the list goes on and on.

Yet a wife’s work often goes unnoticed or unrecognized. Ingratitude is wrong, if not sinful. So what are two ways to express true appreciation for all the work your wife does on behalf of your marriage and family?
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But this is what you must do: Tell the truth to each other (Zechariah 8:16).

If you really loved me, you’d know what I was feeling.” “If I have to tell you what I’m thinking, I won’t do it.”

Have you ever said things like that to each other? It’s not uncommon for hurting spouses to expect their mates to know exactly what they’re feeling and why. It’s also very unrealistic. The truth is we can’t read each other’s minds. (Would you really want anyone to have complete access to your mental data files?)

The apostle Paul offers a wonderful alternative to the impossible task of reading minds: speaking the truth in love. He tells us to “put away all falsehood and ‘tell your neighbor the truth.’”

When we’re upset with our wife we should quit expecting our spouse to read our mind. Instead, we should say something like, “Dear, when you walked ahead of me through the mall, I felt unimportant to you.” Or, “when you criticized how I painted the eves, I felt unappreciated.” That will end the guessing game and let the reconciliation begin in your marriage. So what’s on your mind today?

—Bob Moeller
www.forkeepsconference.com

Adapted from: Marriage Minutes (Moody Press)

Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said,
“Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given
you the lives of all who sail with you.” So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in
God that it will happen just as he told me. Acts 27:23-25

The apostle Paul once found himself in a terrifying storm at sea in a ship filled with criminals,
mutinous sailors, and ruthless Roman soldiers. The sailors were about to abandon ship,
the soldiers were about to spear all the prisoners, and the boat seemed about to break up
like a matchbox underneath a truck tire. The despair and gloom on that ship was so thick
you could cut it with a chain saw and stack it.

Notice Paul’s response. He told everyone to keep up their courage because God had assured
him no one would drown. Why did Paul, at this time a prisoner, get a word from God when no
one else did? Because he belonged to God.

Can you say that? Can you say that your marriage and children belongs to the heavenly Father?
If so, you are a servant of God. And if you are His servant, you have every reason to be filled
with hope for this coming year. Not sure? Get on your knees and trust your lives, marriage,
and children to Him today.

By Bob Moeller
You can check out Bob Moeller’s books and conferences at www.forkeepsconference.com

“God opposes the proud but gives Grace to the Humble” James 4:6

Our financial plans collapse. We suffer unexpected setbacks in our career. We have a house that won’t sell. How can we explain such difficulties in life? They may have a number of causes. But one overlooked explanation is our pride. The Bible teaches us that God opposes the proud. When pride enters our heart, He blocks our advance, frustrates our plans, and lets us spin our wheels. It all adds up to God saying, “I’m not letting you go anywhere until you humble yourselves before Me.”
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