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Overview
“Forever in love” is the desire of all couples who are married or planning to be. But experiencing true closeness and staying in love for a lifetime doesn’t just happen without a little, or a lot, of God’s help! Forever in Love is a solid help to direct your heart and mind with 345 inspirational writings, addressing 12 keys for making a lasting difference. Themes such as Being True Companions, Accepting One Another, Living with Hope, Facing Hard Times Together, Growing with God, and more are daily guides to bond your souls. Each entry includes a key word for reflection and a Scripture. It’s a wonderful means for keeping the flame of love burning each and every day throughout a lifetime.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781400319558 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Nelson, Thomas, Inc. |
| Publication date: | 01/09/2012 |
| Edition description: | Gift |
| Pages: | 352 |
| Product dimensions: | 4.10(w) x 6.60(h) x 1.20(d) |
Read an Excerpt
Forever in Love
I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mineThomas Nelson
Copyright © 2011 Thomas NelsonAll right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4003-1955-8
Chapter One
Gold
All of the gold and silver in the world is not worth as much as the abiding true love of another. Give your love as a precious gift to a mate worthy of your care and affection.
* * *
Though you lie down among the sheepfolds, you will be like the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold. Psalm 68:13
Trust
Let your mate know that he or she can trust in your loyalty and fidelity. Trust is one key to a happy bonding of your love. Cultivate trust, and you cultivate a fulfilling and refreshing love life.
* * *
The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain. Proverbs 31:11
Homage
Paying homage will bring the shine of love to your mate's eyes. Don't be hesitant to tell of the beauty that is brought to your life by your beloved. Take every opportunity to compliment your loved one.
* * *
My darling, you are beautiful! Oh, you are beautiful, and your eyes are like doves. Song of Solomon 1:15 NCV
Honeycomb
Don't withhold the sweetness of love from your spouse. Accept the delights of love with an open hand. Enjoy and rejoice in the pleasures God has ordained in marriage.
* * *
My child, eat honey because it is good. Honey from the honeycomb tastes sweet. Proverbs 24:13 NCV
Virtue
Virtue is the foundation of a solid marriage. Let your mate know that he or she can safely trust his or her affection and love to you. Don't give in to the temptation to squander your love in adultery.
* * *
Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. Proverbs 31:10
Wandering
An affair begins with the eyes. Be careful not to let your eyes deceive you. The one you desire may look very attractive, but adultery results in ugly arguments, guilt, and devastation. What looks pleasant will turn sour and destroy.
* * *
Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind. Ecclesiastes 6:9
Garden
Love is like a garden. The seed of love is planted, but unless someone tends the garden, a strong plant will never grow. Love requires long, hard work. Today is a good day to start paying attention to your beloved.
* * *
Awake, O north wind, and come, O south! Blow upon my garden, that its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come to his garden and eat its pleasant fruits. Song of Solomon 4:16
Words
Words can build a relationship or destroy it. Let your words be those that build honesty and love between you and your beloved. Speak from your heart, and your love will be healthier for it.
* * *
Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones. Proverbs 16:24
Nighttime
May your nights be filled with the comfort of a binding love. Don't let the troubles of your day intrude upon the coziness of a night spent in the arms of your beloved.
* * *
Come, let us take our fill of love until morning; let us delight ourselves with love. Proverbs 7:18
A Seal
Love needs a seal set upon it. A seal says this love of yours is important to you. It says you will be true and faithful to your beloved. Love your mate with confidence.
* * *
Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is as strong as death. Song of Solomon 8:6
Act Kindly
Kindness builds love. Act toward your beloved in a kindly manner that seeks the good of the one you love. Show your love by thinking of your mate first—before yourself. You will find a reward beyond yourself. You will find a reward beyond your wildest imagination if your love follows this noble path.
* * *
Don't ever forget kindness and truth. Wear them like a necklace. Write them on your heart as if on a tablet. Proverbs 3:3 NCV
Forever
True love weathers every storm and outlasts every trouble. Make your love the kind of love that shelters you forever. Build a relationship with your beloved that will comfort you in your old age.
* * *
She is as lovely and graceful as a deer. Let her love always make you happy; let her love always hold you captive. Proverbs 5:19 NCV
Finances
Arguments about money can dim the pleasures you deserve to have with your beloved. Discuss with your mate how you both think your money should be spent. If you can both agree on a budget, your life together will be more mutually satisfying.
* * *
Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a wise wife is a gift from the LORD. Proverbs 19:14 NCV
Loving Sex
Loving sex binds a marriage together. Love your spouse unconditionally. Without reserve. Don't use sex as a reward for good behavior or as a threat to get what you want. Love each other abundantly and well.
* * *
The wife does not have full rights over her own body; her husband shares them. And the husband does not have full rights over his own body; his wife shares them. 1 Corinthians 7:4 NCV
One Mind
Seek harmony in your relationship with your loved one. Don't take detours to total agreement. Talk about your differences until there is full understanding. Do not be afraid of a healthy compromise. Live with your beloved in peace.
* * *
Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 2 Corinthians 13:11
Judgment
Good judgment helps pave the way to a lasting and whole relationship with the one you love. Seek wisdom as you live your lives together. If you lack wisdom, ask of God and He will supply your need.
* * *
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment. Philippians 1:9
Savor
Love has a sweet savor. Enjoy the essence of the love you share. Be extravagant often, and give yourselves perfumes and ointments that delight the senses. Rejoice in the love of your hearts.
* * *
Ointment and perfume delight the heart. Proverbs 27:9
Lovemaking
Make love to your spouse with abandon. God has given you marriage for pleasure as well as for family ties. Enjoy your nights together as much as you cherish your days.
* * *
Marriage should be honored by everyone, and husband and wife should keep their marriage pure. God will judge as guilty those who take part in sexual sins. Hebrews 13:4 NCV
Actions
But actions behind your sweet words of love. Don't just say, "I love you." Show your beloved how much you care. Look for things you can do to please your mate—every day.
* * *
My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 1 John 3:18
Temptation
Do not yield to the temptation to take another into your arms. Adultery may seem a pleasant diversion, but the end result can be the death of a marriage. Be true to the one you love, and relish in your mate's uniqueness and beauty.
* * *
But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. James 1:14–15
Bonded
God is the One who joined you together with your beloved. He is the one who ordained marriage between a man and a woman. If you need guidance in your marriage—and you will—ask for it from the One who abundantly and freely gives.
* * *
And God said, 'So a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and the two will become one body.' So there are not two, but one. God has joined the two together, so no one should separate them." Matthew 19:5–6 NCV
Patience
Be patient in your love. Don't insist on returning a harsh word that has been spoken. Don't always try to make the last parting shot in an argument. Love your spouse even when your mate is not acting in love.
* * *
"For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?" Matthew 5:46
Uplift
If you feel you need strength to continue to love your mate, don't despair. God has promised to give His all-encompassing strength to those who ask it of Him. So be patient and prayerfully wait.
* * *
Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord! Psalm 27:14
Patterns
Develop godlike patterns in your life with your beloved. Ask yourself how God would like you to treat your mate. Never settle for less. Be kind; be patient; be filled with loving mercy.
* * *
"Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful." Luke 6:36
Conversation
A spouse's conversation can be like the sound of constant dripping water—nagging and irritating. Or it can gladden the heart like a bubbling stream. Let your words be ever pleasant.
* * *
In the same way, you wives should yield to your husbands. Then, if some husbands do not obey God's teaching, they will be persuaded to believe without anyone's saying a word to them. They will be persuaded by the way their wives live. 1 Peter 3:1 NCV
Growing Together
Goodness
God crowns each year of our life with His goodness. His mercy and love cushion us from life's hard blows. His care goes before us, and He prepares a way for us through all our days.
* * *
You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance. Psalm 65:11
Fruitfulness
As a new day begins, remember that God has brought you and your loved one together for a life of joy and fruitfulness. Don't settle for less.
* * *
They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing. Psalm 92:14
Families
Thank God for your friends and family. The bonds of love that draw you to each other are blessed by God. He wants you to rejoice in the ties of love He has given you.
* * *
God gives the lonely a home. He leads prisoners out with joy, but those who turn against God will live in a dry land. Psalm 68:6 NCV
Prayer
Prayer cements your heart to the heart of your beloved. Take time to pray with the special one you love. In praying, you draw near to the soul of the one who means so much to you.
* * *
"For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20
Choices
Love has its price. When you stand with your beloved, you cannot always stand with the rest of the world. But it is the willingness to make this choice that is a sign of true love.
* * *
So a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and the two will become one body. Genesis 2:24 NCV
Joyful
Embrace your beloved with a joyful heart. Be happy and delight in the smile, the kiss, and the love of the one who fills your heart. Let your joy shine in your eyes and be evident in the words of your mouth.
* * *
Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the Lord. Psalm 96:12
A Seed
Your love grows from a seed that God planted in your heart. No one succeeds in truly loving another unless God gives him or her the ability. It's God who makes your love flourish. Remember Him in worship and prayer.
* * *
Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. Psalm 92:13
Warmth
Lying in bed with your loved one keeps you warm through all of life's seasons. When you are together in your intimacy, you can forget the storms that rage outside. So draw near to each other and be warm.
* * *
Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Ecclesiastes 4:11
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Forever in Love Copyright © 2011 by Thomas Nelson. Excerpted by permission of Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
Learning to Love....................1Growing Together....................27
Comforting Each Other....................55
Accepting One Another....................87
Being Companions....................117
Working Together....................147
Being Known....................177
Living with Hope....................207
Facing Hard Times....................237
Growing with God....................267
Rejoicing in Abundance....................297
Building a Family....................327