God is a matchmaker by Derek Prince
Sounds interesting! I have to admit in my less optimistic moments I have worried that God has decided NOT to "make me a match"! I am trying to hold on to what I know... that God knows me better than I do, and knows what is BEST for me, and has a plan for me that even the stupid things I say and do can't thwart!
well don't get too pessimistic...Naomi....though at times I do the same..I won't encourage you to do that....I know it's not going to do us any good at all by thinking negative...
No, focusing on the negatives is just not helpful at all. We have a God who does want the best for us. That doesn't mean He'll simply give us everything we want, but He is able to give us everything that we need to sustain us, and that includes the emotional side of things.
The important hing is the remember that the one single relationship we have to get right above all others is the one with our heavenly Father. Being in His presence is where we can find comfort and peace while waiting to see what He has in store for us.
Just a short comment for the book: I feel more puzzled than I was before...I might stop reading for a while.
It correctly explained about God's design for men and women, It makes sense too when it mentioned the way how God put the woman Eve unto Adam's path, God put her unto his path, Adam did not look for Eve, God gave Eve to him. So that was God organizing whom he should have intimacy with. I agreed somehow...though for the men, they might think, oh wow...we do not have a choice in choosing the women...ha ha. And Derek mentioned that God will prepare the women and bring them to the men. I struggled in thinking, so..if I am not yet well-prepared for my man, then I have to wait a bit longer as well, as long as God sees me as 'ready' for my man. That struggles me a bit.
Also the story of Derek struck me as well, as I think he seems to be very sensitive to the Holy Spirit and I mean both him and his wife heard the voice of God about marrying one another. That sounds so spiritual to me, I have not yet come up to that level of hearing God's voice like that....so I am thinking...I am not yet well-prepared for my man.......
It frustrates me a bit, so that's why I feel, I might just stop reading at this stage....
Instead I would like to start another book from Jentezen Franklin on the Right people, Right Place and Right Time.
Just my opinion...... but to look at the story of Adam and Eve and say that it is a model for how Christians are meant to find their future partners does not sound right to me. If God hadn't put Eve in the garden then none of us would be here today. The fact is He HAD to put a women there for Adam so that they could go forth and multiply.
I'm certainly not saying God doesn't ever get involved, but I think its dangerous to say this is the way it's always meant to be. Just read through 1 Corinthians 7:25-40. This was written during a time of persecution of the Church, but nevertheless it is relevant. Paul talks about the choice of marriage. In particular from verses 35-40 he refers to choosing to marry or not. Surely if God was operating in the same way He did with Adam and Eve, there would be no choice. Either God put a woman there for the man or He didn't and there would be no choice involved.
As I said, I am NOT saying God never gets involved but you just can't take Adam and Eve and the model for everyone to follow. The instructions we ARE given are clear however. We are not to be unevenly bound (to unbelievers) and that we are to do what is right in the eyes of God in all things, and that means making our choices, even in partners, base on Christian morals. Certainly we can be led by the Spirit, but there could be any number of people God would be perfectly happy for us marry, aside from those special occasions (as in the example of Derek Prince and his wife) where God steps in and leads two specific people together.
Ok... babbled on a bit there so I should bite my tongue... errr keyboard and stop now.
I agree Richard, that there are possibly a number of people that God would be happy for us to marry.Of course finding a complete soulmate is pretty rare. There is choice, and the leading of God's spirit is all important.
After I finish the book I am reading by C. Caine, will buy the J. Franklin you mentioned. A few of my friends told me that its a good book.
I agree the Franklin book is good. Just a few other books to consider: "What to do until love finds you" and "Ending the Search for Mr Right" both by Michelle Mckinney Hammond. Some of it may seem to be addressing adolescence but the biblical references still apply to us older folk. I found both a good read and they made me stop and wonder if I am looking too hard and should I just sit back and make myself available for a Christian man to come along?
Here's another book that's a good read. "How to Get a Date Worth Keeping" by Henry Cloud (one of the Boundaries authors). It has the tag on the cover -'Be dating in six months or your money back'
He writes from his experience of ministering to singles over many years and shares a program he developed when he was being a dating coach to some singles.
He advocates active dating - that is - we need to be out their 'doing' rather than just waiting for God to bring some one along.
I have just received the book, started to read a few pages today.....sounds pretty cool, when I find the time, might post the quotes here that we can all enjoy it..