DSI
6. Nourishing and Cherishing_
Nourishing the food necessary for growth, health, and good condition.
Cherishing, protect and care for (someone) lovingly
To NOURISH is to give or supply someone with something which develop growth and improve the condition of another person. Also to CHERISH is to protect and take care of someone lovingly and carefully.
God sent His servant the prophet Ezekiel to tell the Israelites this word,
And then I came by. I saw you all miserable and bloody. Yes, I said to you, lying there helpless and filthy, “Live! Grow up like a plant in the field!” And you did. You grew up. You grew tall and matured as a woman, full-breasted, with flowing hair. But you were naked and vulnerable, fragile and exposed. I came by again and saw you, saw that you were ready for love and a lover. I took care of you, dressed you and protected you. I promised you my love and entered the covenant of marriage with you. I, GOD, the Master, gave my word. You became mine. I gave you a good bath, washing off all that old blood, and anointed you with aromatic oils. I dressed you in a colorful gown and put leather sandals on your feet. I gave you linen blouses and a fashionable wardrobe of expensive clothing. I adorned you with jewelry: I placed bracelets on your wrists, fitted you out with a necklace, emerald rings, sapphire earrings, and a diamond tiara. You were provided with everything precious and beautiful: with exquisite clothes and elegant food, garnished with honey and oil. You were absolutely stunning. You were a queen! You became world-famous, a legendary beauty brought to perfection by my adornments. Decree of GOD, the Master.
Ezekiel 16:6-14 The Message bible.
God is showing us an example of Cherishing by informing us that He begun when the relation when the lady was not worthy and God made worked on her until she became a legendary beauty and the world looked were amazed by her beauty. That is the same PURPOSE FOR MARRIAGE THAT EVERYONE WE ARE MARRYING IS A PERSON THAT YOU WILL PREPARE AND DISPLAY TO THE WORLD. THIS IS NOT ONLY FOR MEN ALSO WOMEN as the bible states in Proverbs 31:21-24, the bible says that it is the woman who is making the clothes and Her husband is honoured at the gate of the city. Which mean that her husband is a respected person in the community because of her. V26 the bible says that when she opens her mouth is wisdom and law of kindness. Which means she is also capable of being a leader, NOT A GOSSIP.
Christ also did something as Paul states it
Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ’s love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They’re really doing themselves a favor—since they’re already “one” in marriage.
Eph 5:25 – 27 the Message
The other purpose of marriage is THAT THE COUPLE SHOULD BE BETTER, BEAUTIFUL OR HANDSOME AFTER MARRIAGE. Paul said that “…You might sanctify it with washing of water by the Word”. Marriage as I mentioned to you should be the FIRST CHURCH. This is to help us, AS WE ARE NOURISHING ONE ANOTHER BY THE WORD, AS WE HEAD TO HEAVEN. God designed marriage to be the BEST AND THE FIRST PLACE TO GET ENCAURAGED AND ALSO TO BE THE FIRST PLACE TO BE BUILT SPIRITUALLY EVEN BEFORE YOU GO TO CHURCH.
Example is a couple Paul never failed to mention NOT ONE PERSON BUT A COUPLE Even Luke mentioned them as a couple not as an individual.
Act 18:2 And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla,…..
Act 18:26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them,
Rom 16:3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:
2 Ti 4:19 Salute Prisca and Aquila,
As we have read all these we have realised that AS IT WAS PURPOSED FOR TEAMWORK IN COMPLETING THE UNION, IT IS ALSO THE BASIC FOUNDATION FOR HUMAN SOCIETY. That is why the best person to advise you better in any leadership capacity is your spouse because this is the person who knows you in and out. This person knows your weaknesses and strengths and so that will help him/her to give a proper advice.
The bible has enlighted us that God also cherished Israel and His bride and also it and THIS SHOULD HAPPEN WHEN WE ARE IN MARRIAGE. MARRYING IS NOT A RIGHT TO NEGLECT OR IGNORE YOUR SPOUSE. That is why we should be very careful before we get married. There are people who get married for the purpose of sex and after getting it for 3 months to six months she/he is satisfied with you. Because the first month he/she is doing it everywhere and anywhere, everytime and anytime. After that he/she will be satisfied and it will remain now an obligation or by demand because he/she was satisfied. This is why we need to know these PURPOSES BEFORE WE GET MARRIED TO HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT WE ARE GETTING OURSELVES INTO.
YOUR WIFE SHOULD BE BETTER THAN YOU MARRIED HER, YOUR HUSBAND SHOULD BE BETTER THAN THE WAY HE MARRIED YOU, because is GOD’s PURPOSE for marriage. SO PEOPLE TAKE THEIR WIVES AS SLAVES OR SECOND CLASS CITIZENS IN THEIR LIVES.
There are some cultures that WHEN ONE WANTS TO BECOME A LEADER THEY OBSERVE YOUR MARRIAGE YOU CHERISH YOUR HUSBAND OR YOUR WIFE. How do you live with them and lastly YOUR SPOUSE OPINION ABOUT YOU WILL MAKE PEOPLE APPOINT YOU OR NOT.
In this our nation we have leaders that the day they became leaders or became successful they started NEGLECTING THEIR SPOUSES. We have people that they become Reverends and Apostles and Bishops that they start NEGLECTING THEIR MARRIAGE SOME END UP MARRYING NEW WIVES AND GETTING NEW HUSBANDS BECAUSE THEY HAVE BECOME GREAT.
This is why it is important that before a person Get married or marries they should Know their calling and Giftings, because the devil always likes to play a game in the beginning you marry a person with whom your calling is completely parallel to his/hers and this will bring challenges in your marriage and the ISSUE OF
1. COMPANIONSHIP will not work well because each and everyone is pulling the marriage towards their own way.
2. COMPLETENESS, you will NOT BE COMPLETE one another because each and everyone of you MOVING TOWARDS THEIR OWN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.
3. CHERISHING wont be easy because YOU CANNOT DEVELOP A PERSON TO BE BETTER when he/she is moving towards a different direction.
ALL THESE PURPOSES OF MARRIAGE ARE WHAT THE DEVIL ALWAYS WANT US NOT TO BE ABLE TO WORK ON BECAUSE HE KNOWS WHEN A COUPLE IS CALLED OR MENTIONED LIKE Priscilla and Aquila, MARRIAGE IN THE RIGHT PROCESS, LIVING IN HOLY MATRIMONY AND THEIR BED IS UNDEFILED, HIS KINGDOM IS IN DANGER AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS PROPAGATED VERY WELL.
Peter after direction wives and husband in marriage spoke this to all of them together. 1 Peter 3:8-12
Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing.
Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good,
Here’s what you do:
Say nothing evil or hurtful; Snub evil and cultivate good; run after peace for all you’re worth.
God looks on all this with approval, listening and responding well to what he’s asked. But he turns his back on those who do evil things.
This is and instruction for every spouse not specific on a particular thing but this is what we call nourishing and cherishing.
“SO TO CHERISH AND TO NOURISH IS TO MAKE YOUR SPOUSE DEVELOP, PHYSICALLY, INTERLECTUALLY AND SPIRITUALLY. WHICH ANOTHER PURPOSE OF MARRIAGE
7. Enjoyment
The state or process of taking pleasure in something, the action of possessing and benefiting from something.
Gen 2:25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
After God presiding over the first wedding the bible says that they both were naked, the man and his wife, AND WERE NOT ASHAMED. This begins the issue of enjoyment and intimacy in the bible. They WERE NAKED AND WERE NOT ASHAMED. Which means it is pleasurable to see your spouse NAKED. Before we go any father the issue of NAKEDNESS is something that has brought a curse in ones life, Like Ham saw the nakedness of his father in Genesis 9:22-23, while his brothers covered their father’s nakedness and he walked out with a curse even though his father drunk. The book of Leviticus 18:6-19 has talked of everyone you should NOT UNCOVER THEIR NAKEDNESS but the bible here was telling us THEY WERE NAKED AND NOT ASHAMED, WHICH IN SHORT IS TELLING US THAT THEY WERE ENJOYING THEIR NAKEDNESS BECAUSE IT WAS HOLY WITHIN THE MATRIMONY. So when we talk about Enjoyment that is part of enjoyment because it is not sin. Although NOWADAYS SOME OF ARE BEING NAKED FOR EVERY PERSON while some ARE MARRIED AND OTHERS HAVE NOT GOTTEN MARRIED, so we need to be careful.
Nah_3:5 Behold, I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts; and I will discover thy skirts upon thy face, and I will shew the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame.
The verse above God is talking to Nineveh and telling Nineveh that I WILL SHEW NATIONS THY NAKEDNESS THE KINGDOMS THYS SHAME. SHAME ALSO ALWAYS GOES WITH NAKEDNESS UNLESS YOU HAVE ULTERIOR MOTIVES. So the bible has ORDAINED MARRIAGE FOR ENJOYMENT BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT TO SEE ANYBODY NAKED EXCEPT YOUR SPOUSE.
Solomon in Songs 4:1-7 and 7:1-10, was admiring his bride and this was when she was naked because in 4:7, he stated that You are all beautiful, my love. There is no spot in you. You can only see spot where there are no clothes. This means someone is NAKED COMPLETELY TO ADMIRE HER THIS WAY. He mentioned a few parts of the body which are
Paul was telling the Corinthians as stated in 1 Cor 7:1_……it is not good for a man to touch a woman. And ….et every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband._*
So looking at this context Paul is telling the Corinthians that no man should touch a woman which means that THERE SHOULD BE NO PLEASURE OF TOUCHING ANYONE IF YOU ARE NOT MARRIED. Solomon also said this in Prov 6:29 No he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent. This happened with Abimelech in Genesis 20:1-7, when God said to Abimelech “I PROTECTED YOU FROM TOUCHING HER” why because whe should only be touched by her husband who is a prophet.
EVERYONE WHO IS READING THIS THAT BY ANY CHANCE HAS SEEN THE NAKEDNESS OF SOMEONE WIFE OR HUSBAND, YOU SHOULD REPENT AND ALSO IF YOU HAVE GONE FATHER BY TOUCHING ANYONES WIFE OR HUSBAND, YOU ARE REALY A DEAD PERSON. Gen 20:3, BECAUSE YOU ARE GUILTY, Prov 6:29. I AM TELLING YOU, YOU DON’T NEED A DREAM AT NIGHT LIKE ABIMELECH.
Heb 13:4 Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
The bible says very clearly that MARRIAGE IS HONOURABLE IN ALL, this is simple that MARRIAGE need to be honoured in everything, AND THE BED UNDEFILED, which means whatever is done on any BED WITHIN THE MARRIAGE IS NOT SIN. So within marriage there is no sin because even God honors that bed. By this we should know that there are things which God call abominations which should not be done in marriage like Sodomy or ANAL SEX WHICH IS AN ABOMINATION UNTO THE LORD, THIS SHOULD NOT BE DONE IN ANY MARRIAGE BED.
The bible continues and states WHOREMONGERS AND ADULTERERS GOD WILL JUDGE, this is a very powerful story because God is saying that any out of this MARRIAGE THERE SHOULD BE NO PROSTITUTING AND ADULTERY BECAUSE GOD HIMSELF WILL PRODUCE JDGEMENT The same as He did to Abimelech who took someone’s wife.
BY THIS I AM ASKING ANYONE HERE WHO HAS NOT MARRIED TO FOLLOW THE RIGHT PROCESS TO GET MARRIED SO THAT GOD WILL BE THE PROTECTOR OF THAT MARRIAGE IF THE MAN OR WOMAN DECIDES TO PROSTITUTE OR COMMIT ADULTERY BY TRYING TO DEFILE THE BEN. THEN GOD WILL JUDGE HIM/HER FOR WHAT SHE/HE HAS DONE. SO THE OTHER ONE WHO IS INNOCENT WILL JUST WITNESS THE JUDGEMENT FROM GOD. IF YOU ARE READING THIS AND YOU HAVE COMMITTED YOUR MARRIAGE BEFORE GOD AND YOUR SPOUSE IS DEFILING THE MARRIAGE BED JUST SIT DOWN AND SEE THE JUDGEMENT FROM GOD. BUT IF YOU ARE THE ONE DEFILING THE MARRIAGE BED, PLEASE, PLEASE AND PLEASE REPENT BEFORE JUDGEMENT FALLS ON YOU.
1Co 7:3-5 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
If Paul would have been alive now and speaking these words, I know the activists would have taken him to jail because the activists are saying there something called, WIFE RAPE OR HUSBAND RAPE. Paul in the v 4 says that THE WIFE HAS NO POWER OVER HER OWN BODY AND ALSO THE MAN HAS NO POWER OVER HIS OWN BODY. So this in simple if followed there should be no adultery because your belongs to another person who is your spouse and everything is bound by love which SEEKETH NOT OF HER OWN 1 cor 13:4-5.
In v 15 The bibles says DEFRAUD NOT ONE ANOTHER, The word defraud means, do not CHEAT SOMEONE, DECEITFULLY DENY SOMEONE SOMETHING THAT RIGHTFULLY BELONG TO HIM/HER. So this is something that everyone who is ENTERING INTO MARRIAGE SHOULD KNOW and the bible says that IF THERE IS AN ISSUE OF NOT HAVING SEX, THERE SHOULD BE A DISCUSSION AND AN AGREEMENT SHOULD BE REACHED. I have seen some people who are married and then they tell their spouses that I AM FATSING SO THERE IS NO SEX. But the bible is very careful it says that after the time for prayer is over, you should continue with the momentum SO THAT THE SATAN MAY NOT TEMP YOU FOR YOU INCONSISTENCY. SO THERE SHOULD BE CONSISTENCY the bible says.
Ecc 9:9 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, ………..
Solomon says “LIVE JOYFULLY WITH THE WIFE YOU LOVE…. This is enjoyment. In our media we have adverts for Condoms, and they portray a lot of JOY in using condoms WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO BE FOUND IN EVERY MARRIAGE.
There are some phrases in the media like, VILE NAIFEEL [The way i am feeling it], FUNGUA ROHO [Open your heart]. These are very intimate statement that have been repeated in the book of Song of Songs.
Son 8:6-7 Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.
LOVE IS A STRONG AS DEATH AND JEALOUSY AS CRUEL AS GRAVE.
“MARRIAGE IS ENJOYABLE”
Stephen is a born again Christian who loves the Lord. He is the founder and Director of [DSI] Divine Seekers International. He is Spiritually gifted in teaching and pastoring and called to develop others through writing, training, mentoring and teaching. A Husband, a father and also a mentor to many.