Rejoicing in Hope: First Aid for Marriage

Rejoicing in Hope: First Aid for Marriage



Do you see the progression here? Rejoicing in hope -> patient in tribulation ->  continuing steadfastly in prayer (Romans 12:12).


Hope can save lives. A person without hope is at risk of suicide. A person with hope—even a glimmer—finds reason to want to go on living. 


The Hebrew word for hope is tiqvah (Strong’s 8615*), pronounced teek’-vah. Its literal meaning is cord. Its extended meaning is expectancy—something that’s longed for and eagerly anticipated. 


The scarlet cord that Rahab placed in her window was a tiqvah cord. It literally gave her and her family the hope of being rescued from death when Joshua conquered Jericho (Joshua 2:12-18).


Rahab had recognized that God was with the Jewish people and knew it would be futile, even deadly, to oppose them. Therefore, she protected and helped the Israelite spies who had come to stake out the city of Jericho. When they left her home, which was on the city wall, they instructed her to put a scarlet cord in the window. When the Israelite army approached the city, they would see the scarlet tiqvah and rescue those inside. On that infamous day, when the ancient city of Jericho fell, only Rahab and her household were spared. The walls of Jericho came tumblin down and no one else survived.


Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, “Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (NASV). 

Internet photo

Many like to relate this passage to marriage. In a marriage the husband and wife are each represented by a strand of cord and are wrapped together making a stronger two-strand cord. If they are followers of Christ and invite Him into their married life, they have a three-strand cord—Jesus being the third strand. The strength of that marriage is then supernaturally multiplied. 


In my own experience, when Jesus was invited into our marriage, its strength was multiplied. My husband was not a Christian when we got married. Yes, we were unequally yoked together and, no, I don’t recommend that kind of marriage. Our early years were filled with trials, hurt, and discontent. Many marriages would not have survived what we went through. 


Finally, when my husband got born-again, becoming a Christ follower, things changed dramatically. Jesus became the third strand in the cord that held our marriage. He brought hope and renewed love into our relationship and our home. I no longer suffered under the dark cloud of concern that our two sons would become victims of a broken home. 


Though I sincerely thought there was little hope for our marriage, I continued to hope we would make it. I remember thinking, “If something doesn’t change, a year from now we will not be together.” 


Because I knew my God, I found reason to rejoice in the small ray of hope. With God’s help, I was “patient in the tribulation.” When a friend challenged me saying, “How’s your prayer life?” I recognized it was lacking. That’s when I began to continue “steadfastly in prayer.”


It was at about that time I read the chapter titled, “Love Your Husband to Christ,” in Beverly LaHaye’s book, The Spirit-Controlled Woman. I could see that my waning love for my husband needed a boost and that my prayer life needed to intensify. For the sake of our children, I asked God to help me in both of those areas—and He did. 


It was evident to me that my love for him, which began to grow, was beyond my own capacity at that time. And that unconditional love gave me a greater unction to pray for him. In less than a year, it happened—we were no longer unequally yoked. 


If you lack hope in any area of your life, I want to ask you this question: “How’s your prayer life?” If it’s lacking, get it in gear. “The effective prayer of a righteous man (or woman) can accomplish much” (James 5:16b). [Parentheses mine]


Let the tiqvah cord from God—the hope and expectancy of good things—come into your spirit because He is well able to make a way where there seems to be no way (Isaiah 43:19).  


With Him, hope gives us the power to look up (Luke 21:28); gives us the strength to go on (Psalm 46:1-3); and makes a way when circumstances are bleak (Hosea 2:15). Follow Paul’s instructions in Romans 12, which includes rejoicing in hope, being patient in tribulation, and continuing in steadfast prayer. 


Honoring God and following godly instructions will always yield good results. I'm not saying everything will then be perfect, but the end result will be for our good. I’m sure glad I took Paul's advice over forty-five years ago. I hope you will too.


©Copyright 2019 Connie Wohlford


* “Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary,” Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Crusade Bible Publishers, Inc., Nashville, TN - 1890, page 126.

LOVE: The Perfect Bond of Unity

LOVE: The Perfect Bond of Unity  

The Apostle Paul deeply loved and had great concern for other followers of Jesus in the fledgling first-century church. He wrote many letters of encouragement and instruction to those who were young in the faith.

In Paul’s letter to the house church in Colossae he reminded the members of their life-changing experience in Christ Jesus when he said, “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:1-2 NKJV).

He then exhorts them to rid themselves of sins and vices unbecoming of Jesus and His character. The next few verses list several “do nots” and then he transitions to point out some Christ-like virtues, we should strive to attain.

Paul had been informed of issues which were causing division among the members. He had addressed some of those matters earlier in his letter. Now in Colossians Chapter 3, he was speaking about personal relationships among the believers.

Have you seen or experienced disagreements or personality clashes within your church fellowship? I dare say that if the congregation was made up of human beings, your answer is, “Yes.”  

Photo by Connie Wohlford

Paul gave some directives to help elevate all the members and to bring the unity desired by God Himself. Paul wrote, “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful” (Colossians 3:12-15 NKJV).

In another version, verse 14 states: “And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity” (Colossians 3:14 NASV).

God’s command for us to love is paramount in His cosmic plan for Mankind. 

When asked for the greatest commandment, Jesus answered, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. ’This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31 NKJV).

Why did Paul say that love is above all other things? It’s because love is the bond of perfection. It is the bond of unity.

Bond is a strong word used to describe one thing being fused to another—thus joined securely. To love one another in this way is to be joined together unconditionally. This agap̵é love is spiritual and selfless, sacrificial and unconditional. 

It is through the grace given by the Holy Spirit that a person can have this kind of love and this is why the world (those who are not in Christ) does not understand it.

The word, unity, in Greek, is defined, “perfect, one who reaches a goal. Perfection or perfectness, completeness.”¹

So, can you see how agap̵é love among the members of a church fellowship, and among followers of Jesus in the body of Christ as a whole, can be such a force—a bond—that unifies and perfects?

Let’s ponder this love that is put into our hearts by God and imagine how it really could bring unity in the body of Christ. Would the church represent Christ well? Would the church attract more non-Christians? Would this church accomplish great things in the building up of the body of Christ? I believe we would agree that the answer to each of these questions would be a resounding, “Yes!”

As we grow in Christ-likeness we will grow in His kind of love for others.

Please join with me in prayer:

Lord God, I ask that You help me to love like Jesus loves. Even when I don’t see eye to eye with my brothers and sisters, help me to give way to Your Spirit to override my personal feelings and allow agapé love to spring up out of my heart—love that is genuine and unconditional. In this, I am doing my part to nurture the perfect bond of unity in the body of Christ. Thank You, Father, for the power of Your grace working in me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

©Copyright 2019 Connie Wohlford

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1. The Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible, 2008, AMG Publishers, Chattanooga, TN, page 2290.

Today – A Special Day for Jesus

Today – A Special Day for Jesus                  

Do you know what today is? <><> Yes, it’s February 3^rd. <><> And there are other things going on much more important than the Super Bowl.

It’s the anniversary of a special day for Jesus, at forty days old; a special day for Joseph and Mary; and THE VERY BEST DAY in the lives of an old man and an old woman.

Let me tell you about it.

If, in fact, Jesus' birthday is December 25th, then February 3rd would have been the day Joseph and Mary took Him to the Temple to be dedicated—forty days after His birth. 

The Gospel writer, Luke, tells of the miraculous event. My book, He Is The ONE, also tells the story along with a parallel donkey story, to help captivate children's attention. It also features full color illustrations by artist, Molly Keller.

I wrote this story because I wanted my grandchildren to know the wonder-filled account of Jesus' dedication. It’s one of my favorite Bible stories and one that is rarely shared. I did not learn it in Sunday School. I learned it as an adult when I simply read through the Book of Luke. 

You might want the children in your life to know this story as well. You can read it in the second chapter of Luke’s Gospel. (And you can purchase my book and also enjoy the accompanying illustrations.)

Here is an excerpt from He Is The ONE:

     “As Mary busied herself with preparations for their trip into The Holy City, she imagined what Jesus’ dedication would be like. She thought about the Jewish Law regarding the dedication of a first-born son. Now that Jesus was 40 days old, it was His time. According to the Law, every boy baby, who is the first child born in a family, shall be called holy to the Lord, and is to be dedicated to the Lord in a special way. An offering of two young pigeons or two turtledoves is to be brought to the temple and given to the priest.

 “So the little family made their way to Jerusalem to present Jesus to the Lord, according to the Law of Moses. *”    *Luke 2:22-24

When Joseph, Mary, and Jesus arrived at the Temple amazing and unexpected things happened. 

Many years earlier, God had told a man named Simeon and a woman named Anna that they would live to see their Messiah—the Promised One of Israel. On this special day, it happened. (As far as we know Simeon and Anna did not know one another.) 

When Joseph and Mary brought Jesus into the Temple court, the Holy Spirit revealed to Simeon and to Anna that He was the One. There He was, lying in the arms of His mother—this tiny forty-day old baby. To everyone else in the area He was just another infant being dedicated that day.

Here’s another excerpt from He Is The ONE:

     “The gospel writer, Luke, said that Simeon “took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: ‘Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your Word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.’” *   *Luke 2:28-33

Today in the United States is Super Bowl Sunday and we too will be watching the big game and chowing down on some fun food. But, let’s be mindful that before any sport the most important thing in our lives is our relationship with Jesus. Let’s learn all we can about Him and teach our children the amazing events of His life.

If interested in ordering a copy of He Is The ONE, ($10.50 + shipping + in VA, sales tax), contact me via email: author@conniewohlford.com.  Also, let me know if you want an info sheet about all of my books. Thanks so much and God bless you!

Thanks for reading my blog. Your comments are welcome.

©Copyright 2019 Connie Wohlford