Ezer Kenegdo
January 19, 2024
Faith
January 19, 2024
Faith
As a married man there is nothing in this world that triggers me more than my wife. There is so much injustice at times that I question my own sanity. Our Ezer Kenegdo (worthy opponent) as Eve is described in Hebrew is just that, our opposite. At times I feel opposed around every corner, especially when there is a treat around that corner for me. As I sit here and reflect on my relationship with my wife when times are tough, when the valley of darkness has no end, I often catch myself in those moments without the Armor of God. All the Fruits of His Spirit in me have wilted and I’m back in the hole with another chain wrapped around my neck. This past weekend I found myself in one of those holes, it wasn’t deep, and it was different than past holes. This time I was more of an observer, perhaps my viewpoint has changed to that of the Holy Spirit. I saw myself in a familiar old pattern and found myself asking, “How can I sanctify my thoughts in this moment” I have been churning this over in my mind and of course the answer is prayer. The bigger question is, how do we move from sanctification to glorification?
I think the answer may lie in Matthew 1 18-25:
This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
A friend of mine brought this up to me today and it’s put marriage into a whole new perspective for me, one that may enable His Spirit in me to move from feeble attempts at sanctifying my thoughts when triggered to glorification of thoughts when triggered. Imagine being Joseph, never having slept with your wife to find out she’s pregnant with a son that technically isn’t yours. I mean, come on. I would really struggle to not lose my mind and not be triggered every single time I saw her. To make matters worse, he didn’t even consummate their marriage until AFTER Jesus was born. He cared for her, tended to her needs, supported her and raised Jesus; a son that was not his. When I try to put myself in Joseph’s shoes, in his time, when things were so radically different, where public disgrace for divorce or childbirth out of wedlock would equate to an A-List actor in Hollywood publicly claiming their love for Jesus. Instant societal cancellation. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. He acted on a revelation from the Holy Spirit that wouldn’t bear fruit for another 30 years. Can you imagine? When I try to imagine; I think I may have second guessed the dream that convinced me to stay with Mary.
Sanctification of thoughts in every moment, I’ve concluded at this stage of my spiritual journey is impossible. However, from the vantage point of the Holy Spirit, looking down at me in the pit of darkness; I realized through His Living word Glorification may be possible. I don’t know if Joseph found Glorification for that massive chain, but I think that through faith in His Spirit in him it was possible. Before Christ, Satan’s largest chain around my neck was my failure as a husband and father. The difference between me and Joseph is my son was born of my seed, his was not. While we don’t really know what happened to Joseph, or if he even witnessed the resurrection; in the most pivotal moment of his life, he chose faith. The darkest and longest of valley’s we could imagine as a man and Joseph walked it.
Glorification happens THROUGH His perspective in us, not in our perspective in a situation. Verse 20: but after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. Let that sink in. This dream filled Joseph with the Holy Spirit, and he became the first man of Christ in that moment. He chose to believe, to have faith and to serve His Glory. My worthy opponent, my Ezer Kenegdo, my Proverbs 27:17 is Yolanda. She sharpens me like no other, sometimes through Christ and sometimes not. Through His Word, in praise of Him and in prayer to Him I give him all the Glory for what was, what is and what is to come because we are here to serve Him, and in Him we will find our Salvation and Glorification. WWJD.
