Michelle McKinney Hammond - Secrets to a Mans Heart

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS

EUGENE, OREGON

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Verses marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Verses marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Verses marked MSG are taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Verses marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Verses marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinoise 60188. All rights reserved.

Cover photos -slav-, Duncan_Andison / iStock

Cover design by Knail

SECRETS TO A MANS HEART

Copyright 2015 Michelle McKinney Hammond

Published by Harvest House Publishers

Eugene, Oregon 97402

www.harvesthousepublishers.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

McKinney Hammond, Michelle.

Secrets to a mans heart / Michelle McKinney Hammond.

pages cm

ISBN 978-0-7369-6487-6 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-0-7369-6488-3 (eBook)

1. Men in the Bible. 2. Femininity in the Bible. I. Title.

BS574.5.M36 2015

248.843dc23

2015014553

All rights reserved. No part of this electronic publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any otherwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The authorized purchaser has been granted a nontransferable, nonexclusive, and noncommercial right to access and view this electronic publication, and purchaser agrees to do so only in accordance with the terms of use under which it was purchased or transmitted. Participation in or encouragement of piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of authors and publishers rights is strictly prohibited.

To all the women who strive to hear the hearts of their men,

but sometimes their own heartbeats drown out their mens voices.

There are so many great men in my life, and I celebrate them all. You know who you arethe list would be far too long for this page. However, there are a few I must note:

My two wonderful fathers: George K. A. Hammond and William McKinney

My archbishop: Nicholas Duncan Williams

My spiritual father link: Pastor Aaron Fruh

My big brothers in faith: Pastor Ghandi, Pastor Agu, Pastor Tony Rapu, Pastor Ituah, Pastor Yemi, Pastor Fiifi, Pastor Kofi

These men have impacted my life in ways far too profound to note here. Their lives have spoken far more than their words. They helped me know that great men of integrity really do exist, and there is hope for a woman like me to have lasting love with a man who truly knows and loves God.

I am grateful for you. Thank you.

Contents

The question is often asked, What do men really want? The answer has remained the same through the years even though situations and circumstances have changed. Its fair to say that there is nothing new under the sun, and that when God created Adam He didnt break the DNA mold. Men still have the same desires. Their hearts beat for the same things: love, honor, and women who have their backs against the odds.

And so it began in the beautiful Garden of Eden. Man and woman walking in divine harmony. Communing with God and with each another. No strife, no misunderstandings, no struggles. They were so in tune with one another they didnt even notice one anothers nakedness.

[Enter stage left the serpent.]

After the fall, what was once as natural as breathing became hard labor. The apostle Paul, when comparing the love of a husband for his wife to the love Christ had for His bride (the church), called the union a mystery. Relationships, platonic or romantic, never seem to be free of drama at some point or another. They test the core of our humanity. They reveal what we are truly made of.

And yet these same relationships, when healthy and God-centered, reveal the heart of God toward us. We get an inkling of how He feels when we love and adore Him or ignore and reject Him. The difficulties we face in relationships can always be traced back to how closely we are walking with God. He wired us to reflect His nature, His emotions, and His character. But because our human capabilities fall far short, He uses relationships to shape and mature these qualities in us. Though the fall of mankind disrupted the original plan God had for our relationships, He is in the restoration business. Can utopia be achieved again? No, not until we are one with God in heaven. But I do believe we can experience greater joy in our earthly relationships if were willing to do the work to achieve it.

God loves us, and He understands us. (And yes, He loves us even when we do things He doesnt like.) This understanding gives Him the willingness to extend grace toward us. This is why Gods Word encourages us to get understanding over all things. Understanding enables us to give grace to the people in our lives and paves the way for deeper communication and harmony. Thats what this book is all about: gaining a better understanding of a mans heart.

Men want the same things women want. To be loved. Treasured. Honored. However, they esteem these things using different expressions than we typically do. Yes, men and women are different. Our needs are different. Our strengths are different. Perhaps that is why God created Eveto balance His creation of Adam. Men and women are different yet equally powerful when we come together according to Gods design. Together man and woman become a power couple when they wield their God-given gifts correctly. Relationships are not contests between the sexes, as much of the world has made them out to be. The original design was always about partnership , about experiencing the victories of life together .

An Intriguing ResourceMen of the Bible

Ive often wondered how the men of the Bible felt about their relationships. Consider what transpired between David and Bathsheba, for instance. Or Samson and Delilah. How did these women win their mens hearts? What made King Ahasuerus putty in Esthers hands? Why did Pontius Pilate listen to his wife and wash his hands of condemning Jesus to crucifixion?

If we sat down to talk with these men, what would they tell us about their relationships? About the women in their lives? What would they like to say to women of today regarding love? What secrets and insights about men does God reveal to women through His Word? That is what were going to explore together as we journey back in time and take a peek into the lives and loves of men of the Bible. Well discover how men feel and how they share their hearts, their dreams, their stories, their cares.

Read, learn, and apply, my sister. Heed their stories and then write your own.