Month: March 2024

Who’s Your Husband?

by Ms. Rita's Minute

There is much that has been said about the definition and role of a husband in a marriage. A woman’s husband is her lover, leader, provider, protector, and companion. Her role as a woman is to respect and submit to her husband in love. Not to mention, biblically, we are to submit to one another. Ephesians 5:21 tells us that we should submit ourselves to one another in reverence to Christ, right before verse 22 which tells wives to submit themselves to their own husbands. Therefore, it would be most wise for a woman to know the man she plans to marry possesses these qualities before she marries him. Though there is only a certain level of familiarity a Christian woman can have with a man to whom she isn’t married, there are signs that reveal these characteristics in his behavior during their friendship.

Moreover, God has provided the union of a man and woman to be fruitful and multiply humans on the earth. Yet some women and men have chosen not to marry or found themselves without a spouse for various reasons. When this is the case, we can place our faith in all those promises that God has given us regarding His commitment to take good care of us as a husband would. He gives us those responsibilities that are ours and His in having a successful marital relationship. The Bible is full of God’s wisdom on maintaining successful relationships whether between a man and woman, the Father and His own children, a worker and supervisor, relatives, or neighbors.

The Lord references a love and marital relationship with Him in the following verses:

Isaiah 54:5/ESV
For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called.

Hosea 2:19/ESV
And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy.

Hosea 2:16/ESV
“And in that day, declares the Lord, you will call me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal.’

Revelation 2:4-5/ESV
But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

1 Corinthians 11:2/ESV
For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

I find these scriptures to be amazingly special in how He has redeemed us and made us worthy to be called His own spouse. To see one’s self as a wife to the creator of the universe is beyond pleasing to my imagination. It causes me to question if I really know what this means. This union with God is a truth stated in His scriptures to be taken seriously, but takes some consistent study and prayer to really understand and get it settled in one’s heart.

Should one desire to prepare for marriage, what better head start than to cultivate one’s marriage with God? Learning to show Him the love, honor, and respect He deserves, which also entails doing that toward others can sometimes feel like a lifelong journey to master, but by God’s grace, we can do it!

These things can’t be accomplished without gaining sufficient knowledge and familiarity with the Lord and His ways, as with anyone we might desire to marry. What do they value, or believe? What do they love or hate? How do they feel about us and how do they relate to us? What can we do to show love and respect toward them? All of these things take time and patience to garner.

Nevertheless, while seeing my Lord as my husband is a beautiful thing, I feel I relate more to being a princess or queen in my Father’s kingdom, a daughter of the Most High God, learning and growing in the victory He’s provided me; staying close to my Dad, knowing He’ll protect and provide for me forever.

So, if you have no earthly husband, understand that as a believer redeemed by the blood of Christ, you have a husband whose name is God among so many other names. In carrying out His role as Father, He is also a husband to us and we can depend upon Him to fulfill His role excellently in that manner. Further, Ephesians 2:6 tells us “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.” Hence, let’s be joyful in not only knowing the King but also seeing ourselves as married to Him.

Eradicating the Thieves of Joy

by Ms. Rita's Minute


Throughout life, many opportunities will be presented to steal the joy the Lord has provided. It may be something simple that is uniquely or commonly irritating. Or it may be a larger, jarring circumstance that may cause frustration, worry, and fear. These things seek to take the comfort, delight, and confidence we have in the Lord and replace them with doubt, anxiety, and discouragement.

I love Isaiah 41:13: “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” What great comfort we have in this verse, remembering according to Galatians 3:29, “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” So, with confidence, we can put faith in these words to apply to us as well as Israel.


Joy comes in reading what God reveals about himself and our relationship with him as his children. This is why we must make time to familiarize ourselves with the truth of the scriptures to strengthen our faith. We need to know the God whom we can rely on and what He’s promised us. Do the scriptures not tell us that He is our provider, avenger, refuge, strength, help, fortress, healer, counselor, etc.? All of these things and more should bring us great joy in facing any circumstance or just living our day-to-day lives. We should never forget that the Creator of the universe is always with us and promises to never leave nor forsake us.

Jude 1 reminds us that the Lord is able to keep us from stumbling and to present us before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy! Further, Romans 12:12 tells us to “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”


It will be a great advantage for us to schedule some time each day to engage with the Lord through the reading of His word and prayer realizing that according to Acts 2:28, He has made known to us the paths of life; and will fill us with joy in His presence.

So, let us not allow anything or anyone to steal the fruit of joy God has provided us through His Holy Spirit. We are greatly blessed!

How To Live Well

by Ms. Rita's Minute

As we’re coming upon a new spring season, I’ve considered a few scriptures that I believe the Lord downloaded to me regarding living well:

Agree in Prayer with a Prayer Partner

 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.” ~Matthew 18:19/NIV

The Bible tells us that God hears the prayers of the righteous. However, the Lord himself makes known the power in a prayer of agreement in this verse.  Whenever possible, take some time to pray in agreement with someone else about your desires or concerns, remembering Ecclesiastes 4:9, “Two are better than one…”.  

Steer Clear of Covetousness

It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud. ~Proverbs 16:19/ESV

It’s quite evident throughout scripture that God is generous and often blesses his people with abundance. However, when faced with the option of wealth with arrogance versus having little with contrite contentment, go with the latter.

Guard Your Journey

The highway of the upright avoids evil; those who guard their ways preserve their lives. ~Proverbs 16:17/NIV

In the Bible, the Lord has shown us the path we should follow.  We should be alert to the directions He gives us for our individual lives and see them as important guideposts toward fulfilling our destiny for Him.  The protection or security of our lives is influenced by how we safeguard our ways. It is healthy to assess from time to time where we are in our walk with Christ and make adjustments according to the wisdom and knowledge we’re given by his word and Holy Spirit.

Avoid Evil Influences and Behavior

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.  Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.  For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.  Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them. ~Ephesians 5:1-7/NIV

This passage is pretty explicit about the type of behavior we should shun–works that aren’t congruent with a Christ follower.  Walking in love is God’s way. Moreover, in Romans 13:10 we see that “Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

Embrace the Grace God Has Given Us to Live a Holy Life

So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.

Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. ~Romans 6:11-14/NLT

It is an awesome privilege that God has given us to be able to live free from the control of sin in our lives.  Though it may at times seem like an impossible task, scripture speaks differently.  We have power over our actions, and the option to choose good over evil. We are no longer considered slaves to sin but are free to live the godly life that God expects from us. It’s called grace.  He’s given it to us to live for His glory.  We are now loose, able, and at liberty to exercise God’s righteousness in our behavior, versus letting sin control how we live.

Resist the Urge to Shrink Back

…“But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.”  But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved. ~Hebrews 10:38-39/NIV

As believers we live by faith which means we are confident of those things we hope for, those things we are unable to tangibly see.  We trust God’s work and word in our lives and we don’t recoil or retract from what we know to be truth.  Apparently, to do so could bring about tragic consequences.  So we remain vigilant in our faith as it is crucial.

I Finally Met a King

by Ms. Rita's Minute

Think of the greatest king who ever lived. I’d say he is Jesus who still lives–King of all kings. However, I imagine the mightiest earthly king, apart from Jesus, having the largest army with well-stocked weapons to be used as necessary. In addition, I envision a palace full of all kinds of wealth and decor that would make one gasp for breath at its luxury.

(Image: Wikipedia – King Cyrus)

I imagine he’d have thousands of subjects and horses so tall, confident, and gorgeous to behold. In addition, I visualize he’d have the very best of tailored attire and jewelry made of the finest metals and stones I’ve never personally seen. Yet Jesus remains greater than any earthly king. He is the chief of royalty, King Yeshua!

(Image: Sergeant Rupert Frere, Royal Logistic Corps, 2016)

Moreover, when I think of the reality of Jesus and his authority as King of all Kings, my heart faints with repentance as I know I have not truly honored him as the awesome true king that He is with the reverence He deserves. Jesus is not just a friend, buddy, acquaintance, homey, or man upstairs. He has been given all power and authority and has a name above all names–Jesus!

Understanding who the King of Kings, the Son of God, is and His connection to the Father who created all things, with the Holy Spirit of greatest power, makes me shudder at the thought of His greatness. Can we even truly comprehend it?

In His dwelling place are riches beyond our imagination. Surely this current earth pales in comparison. Imagine the greatest beauty He’s already created on Earth and throughout the universe. Yet He will create new heavens and a new earth and the old will pass away. Isaiah 65:17 says, “See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.” Further, scripture shows us in Revelation 21:1 where the Apostle John said, “Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.”

(Image: NASA via PICKYL)

Thankfully, His kingdom is now at hand and we also pray, as Jesus instructed, that His kingdom come and will be done on earth, just like it is in heaven. Do we really know what that means? To see the earth manifest Jesus’ kingdom in this way would be amazing, to say the least. The greatest blessing we could receive would be His kingdom on this earth, everyone doing and being as He desires. as he rules and reigns supreme as Lord.

A really neat thing is that we, the body of Christ, His family, as those who truly love him are heirs to his kingdom. Romans 8:17 tells us that “if we are children, then we are heirs–heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ if indeed we share in His sufferings so that we may also share in His glory. But just how did he suffer? Being lied to, rejected, mocked, betrayed, tempted, not believed, defamed, beaten, made to carry a heavy cross, and dying on that cross.

(Image: Guard the Doors/DeviantArt)

Our suffering may not be to the extent of some of these things, yet we must all take up our own crosses and follow Jesus. It certainly does not mean we will be accepted and praised by society for doing so. Yet He promises never to leave nor forsake us and we’re encouraged that greater is He that is in us than He who is in the world.