1 Corinthians 7:9 But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.
In this passage, Paul is talking about one of the benefits of those who accept the calling of God to live a celibate life, dedicated fully to God. Paul was a single man who was able […]

Matthew 5:28 But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
In the Ten Commandments, we were taught that one should not commit adultery. However, when Christ came to this earth, HE did not destroy the law, but called us to […]

2 Kings 5:27 The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.
Gehazi the servant of Elisha committed a great sin when he ran after Naaman and obtained silver and garments for his personal use for the […]

Proverbs 18:22 Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favor of the LORD.
What is it about marriage that causes God to bestow HIS favor upon it? Jesus taught that from the beginning of time, God made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, […]

Proverbs 14:16 A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.
How do you respond to temptation? Do you run to temptation or do you flee away? Your response to temptation demonstrates whether you are a fool or a wise individual.
A fool is confident in his or her ability to […]

1 Corinthians 13:7 hopeth all things,
Love trusts. The word hope used in this passage means to expect or confide, hope for, and to trust. If you love someone, it means that you can confide in them and you trust that they will not violate that trust. In Proverbs 31, we are told that one of […]

Proverbs 12:4 A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.
In Proverbs 31, Solomon was instructed to find a virtuous woman for a wife. In that passage, we are shown the character traits that are found in a virtuous woman. This passage demonstrates one […]

2 Samuel 6:20 Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel today, who uncovered himself today in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself!
Paul tells us […]

Acts 21:5 And when we had accomplished those days, we departed and went our way; and they all brought us on our way, with wives and children, till we were out of the city: and we kneeled down on the shore, and prayed.
Paul was traveling to Jerusalem and he made a stop in Tyre. Paul […]

Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Paul was in Berea sharing with them the truth of the scripture. In Thessalonica, Paul had been driven out of the city because many of the […]

Acts 16:14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
Lydia was a religious woman. If you had asked her if there was a God, she would have […]

Acts 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
After the death of Stephen, because of the persecution of the church, the believers were […]

I Peter 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
God made men and women different. In this passage, we see the importance of understanding those differences and […]

Hosea 1:2 The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea And the Lord said to Hosea, Go take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of woredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord.

�Lord, you want me to do what?� You can just hear Hosea second-guessing the Lord trying to figure out if he heard the Lord correctly. God had spoken to Hosea and HE told Hosea to take a prostitute for a wife. God was preparing a life message through Hosea, and thus Hosea was required to marry a woman who had not been faithful. Hosea may have been faithful in waiting for the right woman to marry, but God was asking him to allow his life to be an example to Israel of God�s faithfulness and the children of Israel had strayed from their relationship with God.

Ruth 1:16 And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:

Naomi had sojourned in the land of Moab with her husband and two sons during a famine in the land of Judah. While she was sojourning in the land of Moab, her son married Ruth. Upon the death of her husband and both of her sons, Naomi determined that she was going to return to her home. Naomi sent the wife of her other son back to her people, but Ruth refused to go. When Naomi tried a second time to send Ruth away, Ruth declared that she no longer considered herself a Moabite but that she was going to serve the God of Naomi and was going to leave her homeland to minister unto Naomi.

Judges 14:4 But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the Lord, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

Samson had found a Philistine that he desired to marry. His parents attempted to talk him out of such marriage proposal because she was a foreigner. His parents probably did not approve for the simple reason that she was a Philistine and they knew that God had told them that Samson would begin to deliver the nation of Israel for the Philistines. However, Samson was persistent and his parent consented.

Scripture tells us that Samson�s falling in love with a pagan woman was part of God�s plan for Samson�s life. Samson was comfortable with the Philistine oppression. Although Samson had a special calling to start to deliver his people, Samson appears to not be preparing for that calling. Samson was more concerned about himself and not what God desired to do through him.

God allowed Samson to fall in love knowing that Samson would be betrayed and that his anger would start the chain of events that would build animosity between the Philistines and Samson. God had called Samson and HE needed to spur Samson to action. What Samson�s parents did not understand that this Philistine girl was a part of God�s plan.

Was it naturally God�s best for Samson�s life that he fell in love with a heathen woman? Naturally, it would have been better for Samson to be pursuing God�s plan for his life first. As Samson pursued God�s will, his priorities in a wife would have changed and he would have been looking for a wife that would have been encouraging him to fulfill God�s purpose in his life rather then a girl whose beauty appealed to his lusts.

Samson was not pursuing God�s will and God allowed Samson to do something that seemed unnatural and against the will of his parents. We know that God turns all things to good for those who love HIM and are called according to HIS purposes. Samson was called according to God�s purposes, and God was going to use this Philistine woman to drive Samson to HIS will of delivering Israel.

God has a perfect plan for your life. Are you pursuing God�s perfect plan? If you are pursuing God�s perfect plan, then God will not need to permit certain things to occur in your life to drive you to HIS will. It is always better for your to strive to do God�s will for your life rather then have HIM drive you to do HIS will.

Samson suffered a broken heart because he was not naturally pursuing God�s purpose in his life. You too may suffer needlessly if you do not seek to follow God�s will for your life. However, do not think that because you are following God�s will that you will not suffer. Suffering is a tool that God uses in your life to drive you closer to HIM. However, there is some suffering that you bring upon your own life because you are not following God�s will. By faith you should take the time to understand God�s will for your life and you should pursue it. Samson knew God�s will and yet he attempted to form an alliance with the same people he was called to destroy. You cannot expect God�s blessing upon your life if you attempt to pursue something that is contrary to God�s plan for your life

Ephesians 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

By faith you accepted Christ�s gift of salvation. Upon the day that you accepted Christ as your personal Savior, you opened the door to your heart and allowed HIM to enter. Now Christ abides in you. However, this is not a one-time thing. Christ does not enter your life once and leave. When you accept HIS gift of salvation, you are admitting HIM into your life to dwell with you forever. By faith you understand that salvation was not a one-time fire insurance plan but was instead a daily decision to have HIM dwell within you.

Hebrews 11:40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

Without the trials of your faith you cannot be complete in God. Faith is a significant part of your relationship with God. Without faith you cannot be called the child of God. Without faith there is no way that you can come to God and be born again.

The word perfect in this verse means complete, consummate, consecrate, accomplish, finish, and fulfill. Faith to the Christian is similar to a man and a woman uniting in marriage. God intended that both the man and the woman complement each other. The consummation of the marriage is just the start of the transition from two individuals becoming one. When we accept God�s gift of salvation, we become one with God. Like marriage, when we are saved there is a putting aside of our own burdens and a taking up of HIS burdens. It takes faith to believe that God is real, and the faith that it takes to become saved is what completes us in the eyes of God.