Wednesday, April 9, 2014
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Jim was a partner with us in some of our radio outreach to young people, and he's a man who refused to be stopped with his limitations. He was blind. In fact, he launched a pioneer program in his area that was planned and hosted by young people. We talked to Jim and we got some incredible news. He had just come through surgery with his very own medical miracle. He woke up from that operation with some of the sight restored that he had lost years before. And he told us how beautiful the mountains were, and especially how beautiful his wife was. He said, "I finally see my wife for the first time in 16 years!" What a breakthrough!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Eye Transplants for Lovers."
My friend, Jim, finally has eyes to see his wife. It's a breakthrough that many more men need to experience. One of the great love stories of the Bible is the story of Isaac and Rebecca. The credit for a lot of that goes to the man of the house. Listen to some of the verbs that describe Isaac's relationship with his wife.
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Genesis chapters 24, 25 and 26. Verse 67 in chapter 24 it says, "She became his wife and he loved her." Then in chapter 26, "The king looked out the window and 'saw Isaac caressing his wife, Rebecca.'" But the greatest insight of all is in this word from Genesis 25:21, "Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was barren. The Lord answered his prayer and his wife became pregnant."
Isaac was a husband that prayed for his wife, and things began to happen in her life that seemed impossible. If you're a husband, maybe you can think of things in your wife's life that just seem to be humanly impossible. But praying for her might bring about a miracle in you as a husband, too; the same kind of miracle that happened to my blind friend, Jim. God could give you eyes to see your wife as you've never seen her before or you haven't seen her for a long time. There's a lot of power in being a praying husband.
Most of all, when you spend time with God praying for the woman you love, you begin to see her with new eyes. You begin to see what God sees when He sees your wife, and that's the starting point for being the kind of sensitive, caring guy that God made you to be; for being the haven for which the heart of a woman truly longs.
Things may be great between you and your bride right now, or maybe they're tense. Maybe you're struggling. Maybe things are breaking down or drifting apart. Whatever the situation, your love will grow on your knees asking for God's perspective on your wife. Ask Him to help you see, not just her deeds, but the deep needs that are behind her deeds, the affection deficit, the attention deficit, the stress of having to handle too much without you, the frustration of not really being listened to.
You can also ask God to help you hear her heart, not just her words; to show you what might be hurting her, or crushing her, or causing resentment in her. Also ask God to show you your wife's language of love. What things could you do that would make her feel really loved? Don't be surprised if it involves some sacrifice, like Jesus' life-giving love for us.
You can tell a woman who is being loved by a man who spends time with God on her behalf, and on his own behalf as a husband. Because that woman is radiant, she's positive, she's at peace because a man - a man like you maybe - asked God to give him what sometimes only God can give - eyes to see who this woman really is; how beautiful she really is or maybe could be with more of your love.