Fresh Manna© by Pastor Tim Burt
http://readfreshmanna.blogspot.com/

Matthew 18:19 (NIV) “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.”

The Power of Two. Oh the power of two. If husbands and wives only realized that there is strength that God makes available when two people join together in unity in His will. The potential is so great! God didn’t leave Adam alone. To the contrary, Genesis 2:18 says, “And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” From that point there was greater power available to Adam and Eve together than to each on their own. They were able to appreciate and praise God together. They were able to work together, have children together, and have dominion together. This wasn’t as domestic partners. No in the garden from the very beginning, Adam said, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” Genesis 2:24 (NIV) Eve became His wife in the garden. They moved over from being two individuals each capable of accomplishing good things, to a husband and wife that would become one flesh, one in spirit and purpose.

What does that mean, “one flesh?” It means two people joined together in God and by God to be covenant partners working together toward a life that reflected God’s love, His will, and His purposes in the earth. They get on the same page as they adapt to one another. They worked together as a team that loves and respects and honors each other. They seek and lived out God’s will for their lives together. He meant a husband and wife that would have and raise children together, to do so with His help and in the love and nurture taught to us by His Word. The man would take and execute that lead not abdicating it to his wife. He would take delight in leading his family in knowing the Lord and His ways. He would learn it. Impart it. He would model it. This was the very reason that God chose Abraham as the one He would make a covenant with. Because He knew that Abraham would teach and lead his children and posterity to know the love and ways of God. In Genesis 18:19 God says, “For I know Abraham, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.”

Concerning His wife He would rightfully give place and respect and honor to his wife’s place of gifting, ability and instinct that would benefit their lives, their marriage, and their children. Together they are “one flesh” and together they are complete and fulfill God’s will. They are not in competition against each other. They would “with one mind” glorify God in the earth. (Romans 15:6)

Of course this cannot happen in it’s fullness if two people are married that are not equally yoked in the Lord. Being equally yoked was and is one of the most important boundaries of God. 2 Cor. 6:14 says, “Don’t team up (be unequally yoked or in partnership) with those who are unbelievers. How can goodness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?” Why is this so important to God? Because when two are living and working together, compromise is a part of life and becoming “one flesh.” God does not want compromise concerning His will. Throughout the Bible we see those that violated this and married those that had foreign god’s or beliefs. They always led God’s people to backslide and pull away from His will. Even Solomon, the wisest and most powerful man outside of Jesus Christ, backslid from God because of unequally yoked wives. Nobody is above playing with fire without getting burned.

When you do have two people that have and are working toward growing in the Lord together and pursing God’s will and their life goals together, you have the forces of Heaven to help you and that same strength to encourage and defeat every adversarial opposition that would come against you. As today’s Fresh Manna verse says, “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:19-20 (NIV)

Understanding this, you can see why the enemy of our souls and life does everything he knows to get us off on the wrong foot lusting after the opposite sex, becoming unequally yoked, and working toward breaking up marriages. There is no power on this earth as threatening to him as the marriage and family that knows, loves, and lives for God. Not only will they be blessed. They will influence others toward God eroding Satan’s efforts and adding souls to the Kingdom of God.

This may sound outdated for today’s society but I assure you it is not.

Renee and I knew we were equally yoked and the right person for each other when we got married even though we were young, stubborn, in many ways immature, and all the baggage that goes with that. It would have been easy to cave in and quit as we got weary from fighting and learning to get along. But, there were a few things that the Lord made mandates in my heart – things I had to execute without excuse that kept us from blowing each other up in those early years while we were growing up and maturing. I’ll tell you what they were and still are tomorrow…

For today, remember that the great and very real benefits of walking together with God in love and purpose is the increased power of prayer and all it yields in blessing! “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.” Matthew 18:19

Published by Pastor Tim Burt
Copyright© 2007 Tim Burt, All rights reserved.