We had our grandchildren at the house for a visit a while back and that day I prayed to the Lord and asked Him to give me a lesson to teach the children in that day. I closed that thought and left it in His hands as I moved on with my normal routine. After my morning prayer with the children, I made the bed. This is a discipline that I have started for myself and continue to follow each day. The children and I carried on with our day, playing outside and doing the usual things we do when they're at our house. Later that evening after everyone was showered from the days play, I gathered the children for the evening prayer. After our prayer, Zander hopped on the bed and asked me why Boopa had more blanket than I did. There it is the lesson I asked the Lord to give me for the children. He just presented it to me by prompting Zander with a question that has a deeper significance than blanket size. I realized this was my opportunity to teach the children why I make the bed the way I do, and what it symbolizes in our marriage bed, in our home, and in the Kingdom of God.
Our bed has one large comforter on it, then two more blankets, one on my side and one on Jeremy's. I used to carelessly place the blankets on top, and smooth them out with no thought of their position. They overlap, so it was just however I made the bed that day as to whose blanket overlapped the other. On that particular day quite a while back, I was made to acknowledge the positioning of the blankets and on this day my blanket was overlapping Jeremy's, so it appeared that I had more coverage than he did. From that day on, I made sure that my blanket is under his, and that his cover is always over me.
I muster the little one's attention and explain to them the headship of Jesus, the husband, and the wife to the children. In little people language, I teach them about how the Lord set an order for everything and how Boopa was over me, but under Jesus. I point out that Boopa does not actually have more blanket than I do, it just appears that way because his blanket is over mine. We have the same amount of coverage, but there is an order to that coverage for God's purpose. I told them that Boopa's blanket represents him covering me, and not me covering him in the alignment of God's order. They seemed to understand and quickly ran off into the living room. I thanked the Lord for giving me the lesson I prayed for earlier, and I went to tell Jeremy the Lord answered my prayer.
This morning as I was making the bed, I was reminded again about the order of the blankets. In God's way, He showed me that when something is under something else it does not mean that the thing on top is more valuable, but to recognize the one that is underneath is actually holding the other thing up. The one that is under, supports the one on top. Without that help, what is on top will fall. I honored my husband when I began to position the blankets in this way, and the Lord has seen this act and honored me by showing me my significance. My blanket may be under, but my heart has been raised up by this. I am filled with His beautiful revelation and loving mercy as He shows me, I am not less, but a necessary support in His order.
We have recently been coming under a spiritual attack. This is not new territory for us. Any time we build and move forward with God's call on this tribe, I get headaches, and I start to feel it in my body. The enemy tries to cause division between Jeremy and me, and overwhelming exhaustion tries to hinder any kingdom movement. We see the fiery arrows and pray and fight even harder for God's protection. The enemy has no new moves, so we recognize him every time, like an unwelcome stench in a holy place. This is only temporary until he sees he cannot thwart what God has ordained, and we are only strengthened as God allows this pressing for preparation into our call. Our son told Jeremy yesterday he knows why the enemy attacks me the way he does. He is aiming for the neck.
"Ezer Kenegdo" is a Hebrew phrase that appears in Genesis 2:18 of the Bible and translates to "helper as his partner" or "corresponding to, when you relate to face-to-face as an equal." The word Ezer is used 21 times in the Old Testament and always means a superior or an equal. Kenegdo means, "alongside him, opposite him, or as his match." (Google it) I encourage you to go and research this yourself. You may find yourself in the word, and that's a good place to be found. Other interpretations of Ezer Kenegdo are, "A lifesaver, warrior, and a man's perfect match." I cannot count the number of times I have told Jeremy, "I am here to help you." He is the head, but I am the neck, and you can't breathe or function without the attachment at the base that holds the two together. God is our rock, our attachment, our base. He is the one that knew that man needed a helper and created Eve from man. Then the Lord said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him." Genesis 2:18
In the perfect design that our heavenly Father ordered, the husband covers his wife. Our husband is our covering because He is our protector, co-heir, and co-kingdom builder with us in Christ, and we are his helper in kingdom building. The role of the husband as a provider is heavy, but God gave him a suitable helper to hold him up and that is your role ladies. You are not just under, you are support. Bearing up the weight of the head, is the role of the neck. The two move as one and are dependent on the other to function. There is only one way this perfect design works and that is by acknowledging that God is the source of the strength to the body. It is His design, His ordained structure, so obedience and respect for the design is the only way it functions properly. "But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a woman is her husband, and the head of Christ is God." 1 Corinthians 11:3
I still place Jeremy's blanket over mine, and I feel blessed to have that extra coverage at night.
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