James 1: 13-15
13 “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. “
I had a dream…
In the first part of the dream, I stood in the role of a wife. (In real life, I am presently unmarried). The man that was my husband Facetimed me. As we were talking, I could see in the dream that another woman that I was acquainted with called him. This girl was pretending to be my friend, but was jealous of me, and secretly desired my husband. She did not know that I could see that she was calling him behind my back. My husband picked up her call and left me on the line, and though he knew I was still on the line, she was unaware. They spoke, and as they talked it was clear to me that he was speaking about intimate matters while being entirely oblivious to her feelings. This was all while I watched, and it was clear that he was very comfortable with the situation.
In the second part of the dream, I stood in the role of an observer. I saw a woman whose husband was very wealthy. He was able to woo her because of his money, he would buy her plenty of expensive gifts and shower her with riches. He did not do this out of love, but out of a desire to distract her and to placate her while satisfying his conscience. In the night, while she was busy admiring her furs and pearls, he would go to secret orgies. I saw him in a place with many men and women, and they were all naked. And as orgies go, everyone would have sex with one another. In one scene, I saw a woman laid out upon a table that was full of food, as if she was a part of the buffet. Many men stood in a crowd around the table, and after one man would get off of her, another would quickly get on. Thank God, the Lord would fast forward through the actual acts, so I did not have to watch while they took place, but I still understood everything that was happening.
And then I woke up.
Proverbs 16:2
“All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight,But the Lord weighs the motives.“
In this dream, the Lord instructed me to issue strong warnings, first to men and then to women.
Men, especially those that are married, are being warned to be mindful of the motives of the women that they allow into their inner circle. They should be wary of allowing any form of intimacy, even nonsexual, to form with a woman that is not their wife. You may not have ill intent, and the situation may seem innocent to you, but it is a tool that the enemy desires to use to break your marriage and home in a moment of weakness. Even if your wife is fully aware of the relationship, it is your responsibility to set and maintain appropriate boundaries with members of the opposite sex regarding both physical AND emotional intimacy. The dangers of emotional intimacy were emphasized in the warning. Both physically and spiritually, you are the guard and gatekeeper of your home.
Ephesians 5:31: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”
Malachi 2:15: “…So guard your heart; remain loyal to the wife of your youth.”
Women, especially those that are seeking marriage, are being warned to be mindful of the motives of the men that are courting you. As women, we must also be mindful of our own motives. We must be careful about what we allow to motivate us when choosing a life partner. The substance of a man’s character should never be placed beneath material goods. There is nothing wrong with being pampered and spoiled (admittedly, I prefer it) but that should never be the reason we are lulled to sleep spiritually. When a man is courting us, we have to pray to God for discernment of his motives, regardless of how generous and sincere his actions seem.
Hebrews 13:14
“Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.“
Proverbs 28:6
“Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity, than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.“
Prayer: Dear Lord, as we are starting off the new year, please bring the relationships into our lives that will bear fruit. We pray for relationships that are full of peace, joy, and faithfulness. As we trust you for these relationships, both romantic and platonic, we pray for the discernment to be able to choose well. Purify our hearts and motives, so that we are not distracted by lust or vanity as we choose. Expose the motives of the hearts of the people we come across this year. Give us the wisdom, strength, discipline, and discernment to guard our relationships when we get them. For the relationships we already have, help us to keep those that are blessed and remove those that are hindering your plan for our lives. We love you Jesus, and we thank you for always wanting us to be equipped for success in the blessings you give us. Amen.
