Chapter 2

“The Mystery of Father’s Will”

Lord, we surrender our hearts unto you. Delight yourself in the works of your own hands; for your works are real, and true, and eternal. All things are possible with you, Abba, Father.

 Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

 I John 1:1 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard with our ears, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and which our hands have handled, of the Word of Life (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show to you that eternal life which is with the Father, and was manifested to us). That which we have seen and heard we declare to you so that you may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and his son Jesus Christ.”

I was praying one morning when the Spirit brought back into my remembrance that which I had been taught concerning the word “covenant”, that it basically meant a mutual agreement between two or more parties with all having specified obligations to perform. But as I thought more on this, an alarm went off in my heart to question this definition because it seem to be tempting me that my obligation was for me to perform the same works that the Lord had just corrected me of. So I asked the Lord what my obligations were as specified in the New Covenant; and he immediately answered me and said, “Believe! If you ask me to do the works, believing what you ask, then I will do all of the works for you. Only believe!”. Then the Spirit of the Lord began to quicken such like verses as these to me:

I Peter 5:7 NKJ “Casting all your care upon him, for he cares for you.”

Jeremiah 33:3 NKJ “Call to me, and I will answer you, and I will show you great and mighty things which you do not know.’”

Proverbs 16:3 NKJ “Commit your works to the LORD, and your thoughts will be established.”

Philippians 2:13 “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

I Thessalonians 4:9 ASV “But concerning love of the brethren ye have no need that one write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.”

Proverbs 20:12 NASB “The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the LORD has made both of them.”

Deuteronomy 30:6 NKJ “And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.

When the Spirit had ceased quickening these verses to me, my eyes were then opened to see that the one thing that they all in common was that they described the works that God himself, and only he, is able to do in us. I had read all of these verses before, but my eyes had never once been opened to see that these were the verses that describe the works that God desires for our faith to be accompanied with. Then the Lord said to me, “Your belief is measured by that which you ask for me to do for you. If you ask nothing of me, then expect me do nothing. If you ask little of me, then look only for me to do little. If you ask much of me, then look for me to do much for you. It is as it is written, that he who sows little reaps little, and he who sows much also reaps much. If you believe little, then I will do little, but if you believe and ask much of me, then I will do much for you.” I then began to write each one of these verses down on a note pad, and put that pad in my prayer closet; and every time that I went to pray, I would pull that pad out and ask the Lord to perform his words for me.

Galatians 6:8 NASB ^“For the one who sows to his own flesh (who makes he scriptures the works of his own hands) will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit (allows for the Lord to do the works) will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

The more I considered what the Lord had taught me, I just became astounded at how easy and simple this walk really was. But I was also aware that the only reason that it was easy was because the Lord had opened my eyes to clearly see and understand the meaning of just one verse, James 2:20; and it changed the entire direction and focus of my walk with the Lord. So now here I was, a list in my hand of verses that detailed what works the Lord desired for me to pray and ask for him to do for me. That certainly seemed simple enough for me to do, and I felt like I was now on easy street. For a time, the fellowship and communion the Lord had restored to me was so wonderful that I felt like I was in the garden of Eden with him. But I then began to encounter a problem that I had never encountered before, and that was the enmity of the carnal mind; thoughts that by nature oppose God, and are impossible to subject themselves to the Lord. When I walked in the faith that stood in my own power, having been deceived by my own understanding, there was no reason for any adversary within to contend with me because I was already walking in darkness. But now that I was walking in the light, here came the enmity of my natural thoughts, tempting me to turn back into the place where darkness would once again be my only reality.

Nahum 1:11 “There is one come out of thee, that imagines evil against the LORD, a wicked counselor.”

All of sudden, whenever I intended to go into prayer, it was like a flood of thoughts would come into my mind trying to reason with me that there were other things more needful and pressing for me to do than to pray. Yet, I knew that if I yielded to these counsels, and did pray, and went to take care of these things of myself, then the presence of the Lord would not go with me, and I would not at all be blessed in any of those things. Even when I resisted those counsels and made it into prayer, it was like another wave of thoughts would then try to tempt me with unbelief or doubt that Father would perform anything for me that his word says that he will. I think that this was the first time that I had ever really encountered an adversary and enemy coming so strongly into the thoughts of my mind to contend with the instructions that the Lord had given to me. As I thought about it, I was not so surprised that Satan would come to contend within me because the Lord had told me that the works that he desired to do would be in my heart and my mind; so where else would the battlefield be except in those very places. The Lord then told me that prayer is always the first thing that the adversary of my enemy will always seek to attack first so that may cut the lines of communication me and my God. It is not me that my adversary is afraid, it is God. No prayer, no God.

Psalm 38:18 “But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.

For the first time I realized the truth of that which Paul had said in Ephesians 6:10-13 ASV Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Wherefore take up the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand.” We all know that Jesus said that Satan was our adversary, but what I did not know was that he already has a strong ally in the enmity that dwells in the thinking of the carnal mind. Fears, reasonings, unwillingness, doubts, unbelief are just a few of the thoughts that come forth from that enmity to oppose any word that the Lord would speak to his people. What I was shocked to see was how strong and powerful these thoughts were when they would come to attack me just to keep me from asking and praying to the Lord. There were times that the attack in my mind was so great that all that I could do when I went to pray was just cry out and ask the Lord to help me pray, period. I would have never thought that something that seemed so easy could be become so difficult because of the opposition that would come from within.

Romans 8:6,7 AMP Now the mind of the flesh [which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit] is death [death that comprises all the miseries arising from sin, both here and hereafter]. But the mind of the [Holy] Spirit is life and [soul] peace [both now and forever]. That is because the mind of the flesh [with its carnal thoughts and purposes] is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God's Law; indeed it cannot.

Galatians 5:17 AMP “For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the [Holy] Spirit, and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other [continually withstanding and in conflict with each other], so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do.”

II Corinthians 10:4-6 “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; and having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.”

This battle in my mind lasted for some time. I have tried to resist my own thoughts in the past, but this was the first time in my life that actually went to battle against them, to keep my heart from surrendering to the doubts, the unwillingness, the fears, and the unbelief. I cried out, “Father, these thoughts are not from you, and they are not right for me to believe. Would you cast these imaginations from me.” Then one day while I was praying, the Lord asked me, “Mitt, what is harder for you to do, to continually try to do these works of yourself or to just simply ask for me to do them for you?” my first response to his word was that I knew what the result would be if I tried to do these works of myself, that I could expect for a separation to come from the presence of the Lord. I wanted no more part of that, nor to walk down that path again. I already touched that stove once. I became so focused on what I was not going to do that I really did not even hear what the second part of the word that the Lord had spoken to me. Then the Lord said, “Mitt, did you know that my Spirit delights only in doing my will? Did you know that my Spirit delights in performing every word of instruction that has ever come out of my mouth?” Even then, I still did not catch on as to what the Lord was trying to tell me. I just assumed that he was saying that if his Spirit was in me, then I should automatically delight in doing his will. Then after a few days, I suddenly received this revelation, “Wait a minute! If the Spirit of the Lord delights only in doing Father’s will, then why I am finding it so hard to pray? The Spirit of the Lord was certainly in Jesus Christ, but when he went in for prayer in the garden of Gethsemane, he cried out, “Father, not my will be done, but your will be done”. I then perceived that just because the Spirit of the Lord may be in us, it does not mean that we are automatically going to do the will of God.

Matthew 7:21 NIV (Jesus said) “Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

Matthew 26:38,39 NIV Then Jesus said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

The Lord then opened my eyes again to see more clearly that he has not called us to make us robots that have no will of their own, but he has called us to give us the freedom to choose whose will we desire to make our reality, either the will of man, which is to be his own lord and god, or the will of the flesh, which is the death that rules over the carnal mind, or the will of God. This choice awaits us daily, and all that he has asked of us is to choose. So I was preparing myself to battle against me doing my own will when the Lord suddenly opened my eyes to see that I was preparing my will to go to battle with…..my will. What a stupid thought, yet that was exactly what I was getting ready to do. Then the Lord brought back into my remembrance that which he had said to me, “Mitt, did you know that my Spirit delights in doing my will?” It was then that I finally realized what the Lord was trying to tell me, that this is not about me preparing myself for a battle against myself, a battle which I could never win, but it is simply about me asking the Lord for the gift of his Spirit; the free gift of the Lord that always delights in doing the Lord’s will. If we choose to do Father’s will, then we must be prepared to resist our hearts surrendering to the enmity of the carnal mind, and calling on the name of the Lord, asking for him to come and fight the battle for us.

II Chronicles 20:17 NIV “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.”

Deuteronomy 30:19 NIV “This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life (the thinking of the spiritual mind) and death (the thinking of the carnal mind), blessings (the works of God) and curses (the woks of man). Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.”

Psalm 40:8 NASB “I delight to do Your will, O my God, your law (Rom.8:2) is within my heart.”

Luke 11:13 NASB “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"

 Then the Lord began to open the eyes of my understanding to see clearly how my works are nothing other than my will trying to perform the instructions that the Lord has given to us in the scriptures. I then saw clearly as to why all of these kinds of works had been such a burden to me because it is impossible for any man to delight himself in trying to do some other’s will, whether it be the will of God or the will of another man. He may outwardly appear that he is enjoying what he is doing, but his heart is inwardly filled with begrudging, murmuring, and complaining; at least my heart was. I found no joy in trying to love my enemies, or in trying to forgive those who had offended or hurt me. No wonder I had gotten into that dead and desolate place when I tried to please God by trying to do his will through the works of my own will. It is like I was trying to live someone else’s life that did not have the same natural desires or pleasures that I did. What an awful waste of a man’s life. I was so blind to see that this was exactly what I was trying to do, and there is no joy or life to be found when someone tries to live his life according to someone else’s will.

I Corinthians 27-29 NKJ “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.

John 1:12,13 “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Matthew 6:10 NIV “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

It was then that I understood what Jesus was doing in that garden, taking up his cross and dying to his own will and waiting on the kingdom to come in his heart that would allow for him to freely do his Father’s will. So I decided to do as Jesus did, pray that Father would receive the offering of my will, and then bless me with his Spirit that delights in doing his will. Up until this moment I had only seen the enmity that inhabits the carnal mind as being the unbelief, the reasonings, the fears, and the doubts that come forth to oppose the counsels of God; but now I was also seeing that my will should definitely be included in that ungodly group. The will of the man is full of his “best efforts” and “good intentions”, that which men naturally use in their attempts to please God, as well as other men. It is these works that surely seem like the right things for men to do to please God because this is what men do when they try to please other men. But the Lord then opened my eyes to see that man’s will is also accompanied with the desire for some manner of recognition for it‘s efforts, whether they be rewarded with glory, or praise, or honor, or money. And if that flesh does not receive recognition for it’s own “best efforts” or “good intentions”, these works of iniquity, then it feels rejected, or disappointed, or hurt, or offended.

Matthew 7:21-23 “Not every one that saith unto me, “Lord, Lord”, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works?” And then will I profess unto them, “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

This is the iniquity of man, those works of self-righteousness that come forth when the instructions of God are joined together with the will of the flesh. Do we not all have that natural desire that seeks for our own recognition when we do these things? Do we not all have that desire for some kind of recognition when we put forth our “best efforts” and “good intentions”? How did Cain respond when the Lord did not recognize or receive his sacrifice? The works of iniquity, are not they the sacrifices that one makes to please others through the works and efforts of his own will? In some instances, I have even wondered if we do not even feel like we must receive some kind of recognition for our efforts and deeds as though our own works is what makes our Christianity purposeful, real, and true. In other words, do we look for that which is real and true from the works of iniquity?

Matthew 23:27,28 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

Philippians 2:21 ASV “For they all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ.”

When the Lord began to open my eyes to see these intents in my heart, this horrible thought then came into my mind. I have heard several serial killers when asked why they killed all the people they did answer that question by saying, “I wanted to make a name for myself; I wanted recognition”. Is this desire for recognition so deeply entrenched in the heart of man that he thinks that he must go to this extreme just so that he can make his life real and true? Just how great is this desire within us that makes our lives seem so meaningless without some kind of recognition? Is recognition how that which is real and true should be measured? Every time they tried to recognize Jesus, he just somehow seem to disappear, as though he had no desire for that to happen.

If the will of man so desires it’s own recognition that it will even resort to these wicked works to obtain it, then to what lengths will it’s desires go to receive recognition from God for the works of iniquity? I suppose one only has to look at Jesus himself, and how the hypocrites treated him because he preached against the works that men do to satisfy their desires for their own recognition and glory. In the end, did they not treat Jesus in the same manner as the serial killer treats his victims? Did they not treat Jesus in the same manner that Cain treated Able because God would not accept or recognize the sacrifice that he brought forth according to his own will? Cain was a man that God directly spoke to in his attempts to get him to repent, but Cain felt so disappointed that he just killed his brother because he got from God the recognition that he wanted for himself. Why was it so hard for him to repent rather than to think that he must kill his own brother? When do men get envious or jealous of others but when they see others get some manner of recognition that they want for themselves. Is this the reality of this world? I suppose then that every man’s will is his own world of reality and truth. Now my eyes were being opened to see why no works of the flesh will glory in the presence of God, because they are only done to satisfy desires, and they are not done out of love.

Galatians 5:24 “Those that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and desires….26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory…”

Matthew 6:1,2 “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.”

James 4:5 NKJ “Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?

In the years that I walked in my self-righteousness, when I thought that I could please God with my “good intentions” and “best efforts”, there were a couple of verses that I really hated to read. One of those verses was John 15:5 where Jesus said “Without me, you can do nothing”. Nothing? I do not think so! Every time I read that verse, I could hear thoughts within me saying, “This cannot be true; I am going to prove Jesus wrong.” To me, what I was hearing Jesus say in this scripture was like the words that I have heard others speak to me since I was a child, telling me what I could not do. These types of words did nothing strengthen my resolve to prove that I could do what they said I could not do. Of course, when I allowed for this attitude to come forth against what Jesus said in this verse, it just led me strait into my wilderness, separating me from the presence of God. All of his peace, his joy, and his life just seem to disappear altogether from me. So when the Lord corrected me with his understanding of James 2:19,20, I also became more agreeable with that which Jesus was saying in John 15:5; not completely, but far more than I previously had.

It was then that I asked the Lord just what he meant by saying that a man could do nothing without him. The Lord then answered and said, “You can do nothing to please God without me. I am that Spirit that delights in doing Father’s will. I am the Spirit of the Son of God. I am the Spirit of adoption that brings you into Sonship. I am he who Father said, “This is my Son in whom I am well pleased. I love my Father and my Father loves me, and all things that I see my Father do, that is what I do because I love my Father. I do nothing for my own glory or to satisfy the desires of my own will, but all that I do, I do that my Father may be glorified in all things. I am the Son who could do nothing to please Father of own will, but always sought for his Spirit that delighted in fulfilling Father’s will. Without me, you cannot please Father, because I am what allows you to delight in Father’s will. I am the gift from God for all those who seek to do Father’s will. I am the Spirit of the son that comes forth in the sons of God, in all those who my Father is well-pleased with.”

John 5:30 “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.”

John 7:18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.

Romans 8:29 NASB “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.”

Ephesians 1:5 “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.”

Philippians 4:13 NKJ “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

When the Lord finished speaking this word to me, I then asked, “Lord, I do not even know what your will is, but it just seems like to me that your will is oppressive. What is your will?” Of course, I was still thinking that the Lord was going to require me to fulfill his will through the works of my “best efforts”. The Lord then answered and said, “I came into this world so that you might have life, and that you might have it abundantly. This is my will for you.” Immediately this answer quieted all my foolishness imaginations. I had never once considered that the will of God could be something so wonderful as abundant life. Then the later on the Lord added this, “You do not understand what life is. You think that when you get your will, or when everything goes your way, or when you satisfy your pleasures, or when you feel safe and secure that you have just experienced what life. I tell you that is not life because I am life. I am then nature of life. I the tree of life that is full of the fruits of love, and joy, and kindness, and faith, and gentleness, and mercy, and truth, and peace, and goodness. The fruits of life identify my nature; and my nature is that which is comes natural to me. I am the good tree of life that bears no evil fruit. You cannot find any corrupt, or dead, or rotten fruits in me. My will is for you to bear the fruits of life. Father has given you your destiny; and your destiny is that you should be conformed to my image. I am life. My will if for you to have life. My will is for life to come natural to you, not that which comes to you when get your will. I am the Spirit of adoption that raises you from the dead so that you might have life. Fulfill your destiny. I have called many, but only a few will find life because only a few desire to fulfill their destiny, to be like me. I am life. My life is your reality, now and for eternity.”

Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Romans 8:6 “The carnal mind is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”

Matthew 7:13-20 ASV “Enter ye in by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many are they that enter in thereby. For narrow is the gate, and straitened the way that leadeth unto life, and few are they that find it. Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. By their fruits ye shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but the corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

Ephesians 5:15-17 NIV “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.”

I greatly rejoiced and I felt such peace, having received from the Lord this clear vision as to what the destiny is that the Lord has called each one of us to. I was overwhelmed with the reality of this truth, that the almighty God actually calls us for the purpose of raising us up to be his son. I rejoiced in knowing that my destiny, my vision, and my calling, were all the same thing: to be conformed to the image of the Son of God, through the Spirit of life that is in Jesus Christ. I felt so alive to the calling of my destiny because I not only knew what it was, but because I also knew that it was not going to come forth by any of my “best efforts” or “good intentions”, but by the power of my God; my Abba, Father with whom all things are possible. I had such peace walking in this new faith that actually allows for the Lord to be my God and do great and mighty things for me.

Romans 8:2 NASB “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.”

II Corinthians 3:17 “Now the Lord is that Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”

When the Lord became the object of my focus, opening my eyes to see that it is his works that are to accompany my faith, then one of the first fruits that I saw as a result of this new faith was in reading the scriptures. In truth, I used to be fearful and dread reading the scriptures because I was always afraid that I was going to read of something that the Lord would require of me or command me to do that my “best efforts” and “good intentions” would not be able to perform. But now when I read the scriptures, I still remember what the Lord said to me, “My Spirit always delights in doing Father’s will.” So what is there to be fearful of? If I read a word concerning what the Lord requires, I then just simply ask for his Spirit so that I may delight in doing his will. I even started asking for his Spirit so that I can delight in waiting on him. The Lord also brought back into my remembrance another word that he had said before, “Mitt, I have given you the gift of my Spirit to help you. But know this, my Spirit will never surrender itself to do your will, for it only surrenders itself to do my will. Agree with my words, and my Spirit will perform all of my words for you.” Now I find reading the scriptures to be a joyful experience as well as an exciting adventure, asking the Lord for his Spirit to perform his word; for I know now that all such requests are in his will because they come from his words. His yoke truly gets lighter and lighter, and easier and easier; for my only obligation is to believe.

Matthew 8:13 NASB “And Jesus said to the centurion, "Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed that very moment.”

Job 23:14 “For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me; and many such things are with him.”

Seeing that I was having a hard time praying, I started asking the Lord for his Spirit to do his will, so that it might become a delight for me to pray. As I sit here typing out these words, I cannot even remember how it happened or when it happened, it just happened; that is, at some time after I started asking the Lord to help me to pray, my prayers began to turn more into meetings and conversations with the Lord. The Lord began to speak so much to me that I actually had to also use my note pad to write everything down that the Lord was speaking to me because I could not possibly remember all that he would speak to me. Oh yes, the enemy still seeks to distract me in his attempts to keep me from praying, but when I pray now, it is frequently becomes like the garden of his presence; the presence my enemy cannot enter into. The Spirit has taken that which my flesh dreaded and by his Spirit has made it a delight.

Luke 18:1 NIV “One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.”

Psalm 37:4 NIV “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

I also started praying and asking the Lord to send his Spirit so that I could fulfill the righteousness of his word that says, “Husbands, love your wives as Christ loves the church.” It was like as soon as I started asking for him to send his Spirit to do this, my eyes were opened to see how clearly foolish it is for me to try and love my wife as Jesus Christ loves her. The truth is, I really had no clue as to how Jesus loved her, but my “best efforts” sure made many attempts to do it, which all ended in failure. Who knows the length, the depth, the width, and the height of the love that Christ has for his church, or for his spouse? Again, my love for her began to grow in ways that I could not see at first. It was like trying to see how a child grows from day to day; you just cannot see it in that way. But if you have not seen that child over a few months, then you will see the growth after you have been separated from them for a time.

Mark 4:26-29 NIV also said, "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come."

There were two areas of growth in his love for my wife that were dramatic. First, as each day went by, my judgments and criticisms of her began to decrease until now they hardly exist at all. This came as no real surprise because I had once asked the Lord if he would explain what happens that causes one spouse to quit loving the other spouse. The Lord answered me rather quickly saying, “When one begins to judge the other with criticisms, accusations, comparing them to others, or finding fault with them, then their love begins to grow cold. Love does not judge; love just loves.” So I just kept praying, and the Lord kept working. Secondly, my care for her well-being became much greater than for my own well-being. We have now gone through a financial crisis and she had a very serious medical issue. In the medical issue, the doctors say that about 90% of the husbands of wives who have this condition will divorce their wives because of the amount of care they may require. I was stunned to hear this, for in the care of Christ’s love, such a thought could not enter. It was a great delight for me to care for her; and let me testify of this, when I was an atheist, there was no love unless all care was focused only on me.

They say that financial and medical problems are two of the biggest reasons for divorce, but the Spirit of the Lord has casts out all of that selfish reasonings. I will end up saying this about the love of Christ that he has put in my heart for my wife; no matter what she may face the rest of her life, she knows that she has a husband in heaven and a husband on earth that will never leave her, or forsake her, or cease from caring for her, because the Lord in heaven has given his love for her to her husband on earth. Not my will be done, (my own efforts for a good marriage,), but his will (the love that only comes through his Spirit) be done. Glory be to God for his faithfulness to his words.

Read CHAPTER 3                                                                           

For More Information:

Mitt Jeffords

Catsmittiv@aol.com