I woke up this morning with my blog on my mind. I started writing a blog article yesterday, but never completed it. So my mission this morning, since I had the day off, was to finish the blog I had already started. Well, a discovery I made this morning totally shifted my direction, so here I am writing about a message concerning my marriage that was written in 2014. What I found proves you shall have what you say!
The first thing I wanted to do before working on my next article was to finish folding my husband’s clothes. One of those new responsibilities I have now since I’m married. Well, I always had to fold clothes, but not this many. The large basket of clothes has been mean muggin’ me since Saturday so I decided I would put the stares to rest today, reluctantly. I grabbed the basket and set it on the couch. I found some post it notes and a business card on top of the dryer when I retrieved the clothes basket, so I placed them on the bar stool counter adjacent to the living room. I happened to place the notes and card in the exact location where I keep my work notebook, which has all my notes from work in it. I immediately noticed my notebook was not in its place. Instantly I thought to myself where is my notebook? I need to find it. If I didn’t have it in its specific location, there was a good chance I would leave tomorrow morning without it. The first place I needed to look was the office. My husband had just cleaned the counter top off and whenever he does that he puts my notebook in the office somewhere. I began to rummage through the papers and books that were laying on the desk. The desk was covered with a little bit of everything. My husband and I were in the process of re-organizing the office and the closet in that room, which meant stuff was all over the place. My search was unsuccessful. I haven’t found my work notebook yet, so when the hubby gets home you already know what I’ll be asking him.
Although my search for my notebook turned up empty what I did find on the office table amongst the rubbage was an old notebook I use to write in. I thought to myself, “hmmm… I haven’t seen this old thing in a while let me take it with me”. Before I continue with this story, let me stop right here to say that sometimes we have an agenda or plan on our mind so we go out on a search for it, but what we end up finding may not be what we wanted or expected, but instead it’s what we needed. Sometimes God has to put us where He wants us to be. It was a divine set up that I found this old notebook and you will soon see why. Perhaps your singleness is also a divine set up.
As I walked down the hallway back to the living room where my chore was waiting on me, I decided to flip through the notebook to see what was inside. The very first page I opened up to was a page with writing on it, which didn’t seem important until I saw the date on the paper. It was dated July 29. I did a double take and confirmed that it did say July 29. You’re probably wondering why would this date be so significant to me. Well, July 29th caught my eye because this was the day I got married this year. My husband and I tied the knot on July 29, 2017. What I saw next really blew my mind. The first line under the date said this, “a wedding without Jesus won’t be successful or fulfilled.” After reading that I took a seat on the couch and began to flip back through the pages to see what year this was written. I was trippin’ y’all. I couldn’t believe I wrote a passage about a wedding on my actual wedding date. I finally found the beginning page of this prayer journal I had begun, which was dated from year 2014! The journal was titled “I Must be Obedient” and under the title I wrote the following instructions for myself:
Read a scripture and pray on knees alone in a quiet room
No cell phones on at this time
No social media (fasting) 7days
Write scripture in this book/journal
Say/speak out loud what we want to come to pass
This was incredible! This clearly shows I was going through a season in my life where I was being called to deepen my relationship with the Lord. This particular season was getting me postured for marriage. Now that I look back, it’s so obvious that everything I went through before I met my husband prepared me for my husband. I want you to be encouraged because you are also going through a season, and what you are going through is designed to get you ready for your husband. There will be glory after this.
The most miraculous part about the discovery I made today was that it was prophetic. Now I’m going to share with you what the rest of my journal entry included. The scripture came from John 2: The wedding at Cana, (1) “The next day there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, (2) and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. (3) The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus’ mother told him, they have no more wine.” I’m sure we all know how the rest of this story goes. Jesus ends up turning water into wine, which was his very first miracle to perform.
I would also like to point out what the Holy Spirit revealed to me during this particular bible study/prayer session on July 29, 2014. Before each study session I would start the session with a prayer and on that particular day I wrote down what the Holy Spirit was saying to me. I was truly convicted by what He revealed. A voice from within said, “I’m waiting for you to stop wanting to make marriage your God or idolize it and to change the mindset of marriage as being the ultimate relationship you will ever have.” Ouch!!! If that doesn’t convict you then I don’t know what will. The Lord was revealing to me that my priorities weren’t in order. Now that I have matured in the area of marriage and relationship, I see that God wanted me to get my priorities straight and I heard Him loud and clear. I saw the sinful nature of my actions and thoughts. I was so obsessed with getting married and finding a husband that I had forgotten that getting married was not my most prized relationship, my relationship with God was my most prized relationship. Imagine the supernatural things that could take place if we spent just as much time and effort into seeking a relationship with God as we do with seeking a mate or marriage. The truth was I thought and strategized about how to get married, how to be found, and how it would happen so much that my mind was consumed with my earthy husband that I had neglected by heavenly Father. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you (Matthew 6:33). So, ask yourself who are you seeking more? Your husband or your Savior? Remember your Lord and Savior already knows who your husband is, where he is located, and when he will arrive, so doesn’t it make sense to seek the Father more and more. He has all the answers! Quit stressing yourself out trying to figure it all out. God has it under control. The date you will meet your husband has already been fixed, all you are doing is keeping your faith and walking to it. The process you are going through is building a testimony. Let that be perfected so you can one day do what I am doing, which is to tell the world that by faith you believed the day would come and it did! Because I didn’t give up I’m able to share the story and testimony that almost broke me down. That same story that I almost ended prematurely I am sharing with you today. So please keep that in mind. It’s not all about you, but it’s about Jesus and Him being glorified! Amen!
Now that I have that out, let me share the rest of my prophetic journal entry to you. The reason why I say its prophetic is because what I spoke came to pass! I went on in my journal to say “When we invite Jesus in/into our wedding he then has the opportunity to change things and work miracles”. This is so unbelievably true, just like in the scriptures, Jesus was invited to a wedding and because He was invited the opportunity arose for Him to step in and He performed a miracle. We have to invite Jesus into our love life, into our heart, and even to our wedding. I believe the day I wrote this passage in 2014 I spiritually invited Jesus to my wedding. I unknowingly sent out a spiritual invitation and 3 years later the wedding took place. Thank you Jesus for being my supernatural wedding planner! The next point in my journal was as follows, “Leave it up to man and you will run out or run dry.” That is what happened at the wedding. John 2:3 states “The wine supply ran out…” When things are left up to us we often come up short, but even in our shortcomings God still arranges things so He can step in and prove why He is the almighty God! It wasn’t us that made a way it was Jesus!
The next two points on my list went together and they stated, “In order for change to take place you must be filled first to the brim. Once you’re filled, walk it out and change will be inevitable.” This is seen in verses 7 and 8. Verse 7 states that Jesus told the wedding servants to “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars were completely filled to the brim Jesus then instructed them to “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” Somewhere between the drawing out and the point they made it to the master of the banquet the water was turned into wine; therefore, we must become filled with the love of Jesus and His Holy Spirit and by faith we need to be obedient and walk forward. No matter how unusual his command is we must carry it out and I guarantee, at some point, the thing we desire and lack will be in front of us!
Another exciting thing about this passage in the bible was the reaction of the banquet master. My next journal entry touches on this and it reads, “The master was impressed that the best wine was brought later and not first. My best will also be brought later and not first.” John 2: 9 states, “and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine… Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, ‘Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.’” Isn’t this encouraging! What God has for you hasn’t been brought to you yet. That means the best is yet to come! That should give you hope. The people you’ve encounter so far on your journey aren’t the best and you know it because you have been settling for less. The best choice for you may come later, and that’s ok. Somethings are just worth waiting for. Give Jesus the opportunity to turn your man into a husband. He is still water, but when he gets to you He will be the best choice wine!
During the first real conversation I had with my husband he asked me what my favorite scripture was. I told him one of my favorite scriptures was “The last will be first, and the first will be last (Matthew 20:16)”. I love this scripture because it reminded me that although I felt last sometimes especially in the area of marriage, I would soon be first. All my friends were getting married or they at least had a boyfriend, but I was single. I was always single. So remember my friends, it may seem like everyone else is ahead of you, but when God is in control, your position in line is strategic and He will elevate you at the appropriate time and He will bring the best to you.
My very last point in my journal was a declaration I made, and that declaration has come to pass! I spoke these words out loud, “Jesus will be glorified and my faith will be strengthened.” In my article “What It Took to Get Here”, I gave a very detailed explanation on my spiritual reasons for wanting to be married after God revealed them to me. I mentioned that I wanted God to get the glory out of my marriage and that was my purpose for getting married. I’m here to tell you God answered my prayers! When he brought my husband into my life my faith was strengthened. God had ultimately proved Himself faithful to me, and as a result I trusted Him even more. This is how God works. He will show us his love by being faithful to His word so when the promise comes to pass we will see that we can trust Him at His word. Our faith ultimately is strengthened in this beautiful cycle. Our relationship with God begins to deepen and that is what He wants!
Finding this journal entry today was a blessing to me because it showed me how miraculous our God is! Three years ago, I wrote an entry about inviting God to my wedding and how I knew my best would be brought to me later. Three years later, to the date of that journal entry, I married my husband. I didn’t know on July 29, 2014, that on July 29th 2017, I would actually be partaking in my very own wedding where Jesus had a front row seat! I Give our Lord and Savior all the praise and all the glory for what He has done. He used my singleness to bring Him glory. How excellent is our God! How perfect He is in all His ways. I believe God will do the same for you just as He did for me. I know you don’t know when your husband is coming, and that may be hard to deal with, but I want you to keep trusting God. Invite Jesus to your wedding and watch Him show up.
Love,
If He did it for me, He will do it for you