TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Proverbs 5:1-14
Pay attention to my wisdom, listen well to my words of insight, that you may maintain discretion. - Proverbs 5:1
TODAY IN THE WORD
When Montreal, Canada, was chosen as the site of the 1976 Summer Olympics, the city estimated that its Olympic facilities would cost $300 million. But according to the Wall Street Journal,labor disputes and soaring construction costs left Montreal $1 billion in debt when the Games were over.

Sometimes, it’s hard to anticipate the true cost of things. That’s the way it is for people who allow themselves to be lured along the path of lust and adultery. Our study of marriage would not be complete without a biblical reminder that Satan and his forces are out to attack and destroy our marriages.

The writer of Proverbs did a masterful job showing the surprising, and bitter, payoff that comes from sexual sin. The pursuit, or even the fantasy, of a sinful affair may involve exhilaration at first, when the sin seems as sweet as honey and as smooth as oil. No one ever said sin wasn’t pleasurable.

But the sweetness soon turns bitter, and the sinner’s life wastes away in groaning, ruin, and bitter regret. Sin’s pleasures last only “a short time” (Heb. 11:25), and then comes the reckoning with God in heaven and with the havoc caused on earth.

For instance, think about the celebrities and other public figures whose marriages and lives have self-destructed in front of the world. Better yet, take another look at our text and notice words like “gall,” “double-edged sword,” “death,” and “the grave.” No wonder God’s Word pleads with us to do whatever it takes to keep ourselves from the devastation of adultery.

In another passage, Solomon explained why some people continued to plunge on into sin despite all the warning signs. He wrote, “When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, the hearts of the people are filled with schemes to do wrong” (Eccl. 8:11).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
If you’re feeling any pull in the direction of unfaithfulness, today is the right time to start running in the other direction.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1
Let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. - 2 Corinthians 7:1
TODAY IN THE WORD
A recent news story says that Chinese president Jiang Zemin ordered the Communist party to set up party cells in the country’s private firms in an attempt to maintain party power. Zemin said party representation in the private sector is necessary to “guarantee healthy development.” He also said the Communist cells would help to “unite and educate entrepreneurs” and “protect the employees’ interests.” Observers say Chinese Communist officials are actually more worried about maintaining their grip on a fast-changing nation.

What a picture of two unequal partners: one committed to absolute control, and the other to free enterprise. No one knows yet how this forced “partnership” will proceed in China, but it’s unlikely to do much good for affected businesses. The same news article said that Communist party officials in China’s state-owned companies often wield more power than the firms’ managers.

“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers” is one of the best pieces of advice for any Christian considering marriage. This statement applies to other forms of partnership or relationship, of course, but it’s especially wise for a marriage.

You don’t have to be married to see that true intimacy cannot exist when one partner lives in the light while the other is in darkness. Christ’s kingdom and Satan’s kingdom don’t co-exist peacefully anywhere in creation, so it’s not surprising that trying to bring these two realms under the same roof is a recipe for heartbreak.

Besides the application to single Christians who hope to get married someday, these warning verses are also very valuable for Christian marrieds. Ideally, a husband and wife who are following Christ act as a unit, seeking the mind of Christ and spiritual agreement on their decisions.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Yesterday’s application is one example of how we can practice accountability, either with a spouse or another Christian brother or sister.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Proverbs 5:15-23
For a man’s ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all his paths. - Proverbs 5:21
TODAY IN THE WORD
Author and pastor Tommy Nelson writes, “So often marriage partners start out sizzling with passion and then dissipate into mere roommates. Slowly but surely, communication, caring, affection, sensitivity, intimacy, and spontaneity erode out of the relationship. . . . God has a different desire for marriage. In His plan, the romance continues throughout the marriage. In fact, it grows into a loving and passionate marriage that is even more wonderful in its latter stages than it is in its beginning. A marriage that cools and grows stale is not biblical!”

As Pastor Nelson goes on to say, “worldly wisdom” may make it acceptable for a marriage to fizzle and burn out instead of sizzle with love and romance, but it’s not acceptable to God. His will for marriage is that the love and romance grow sweeter over the years.

Starting today, we’re turning our attention from important issues in marriage to some of the biblical qualities married people need. We could call this a loving, tender--even romantic--spirit toward each other. It’s possible for any marriage partner to develop this spirit because biblically, love is a decision of the will.

We can see the importance of that decision in the context of today’s verses. Maintaining the love and romance in a marriage actually begins with a commitment to be faithful, a deliberate decision to seek sexual and emotional fulfillment within the marriage (vv. 15-16). Husbands and wives who do this are free to lavish attention and passion on each other.

The opposite of being captivated by our spouses is allowing ourselves to be enticed by someone else. The first part of Proverbs 5 deals with this danger (see the September 15 study). The chapter closes with a follow-up warning that, contrary to the way it may seem, marital unfaithfulness is never practiced in private. It is done in full view of God, who will act accordingly.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Ask a random sampling of couples the last time they had a date, and you’ll probably get a range of answers from “Last week” to “Can’t remember.”

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Psalm 139:23-24; James 5:16
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. - 1 John 1:9
TODAY IN THE WORD
Authors Harold and Bette Gillogly say that keeping a clear conscience is vital to a healthy marriage. “You need to start by clearing your conscience before God. . . . Then you need to clear your conscience before others. This may mean humbly seeking someone’s forgiveness. And the 'someone’ on the top of your list should be your mate. We have learned as a couple that to keep our consciences clear before each other, we need to pray together regularly. When we are sharing together honestly with God, we are, at the same time, sharing honestly with each other. . . . When we share our failures with each other, we unmask them and defeat their power over us.”

That’s a powerful argument for the importance of spiritual openness and honesty in marriage. In Psalm 139, David expressed his desire to be transparent before God. Honesty has to start here because “he who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy” (Prov. 28:13). This is the Old Testament equivalent of the promise in today’s verse.

The apostle James added the importance of including others in our confession and repentance when it’s appropriate and necessary for spiritual healing. This commitment to spiritual honesty is one of the elements that can help a marriage thrive. Besides being deceptive, trying to hide our faults and failures from our mates is often useless.

As the Gilloglys suggest, this quality of spiritual honesty includes more than just owning up to our sins. Being open before our mates also involves letting them into our world by sharing our feelings, concerns, and even “anxious thoughts” with them. Even as David prayed that God would search him, he acknowledged that God had already searched him and knew him thoroughly (v. 1).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
By its very nature, marriage demands openness. Marriage also rewards us when we open our hearts to our partners. We encourage you to have a “confession session” with your spouse.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Philippians 2:1-4
Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. - Philippians 2:4
TODAY IN THE WORD
The story of Bob and Marjorie White poignantly illustrates sacrificial love. Marjorie was in critical condition with kidney failure, and the prospect of losing her was very real. As they waited for a possible kidney donor, Bob asked to be tested for tissue compatibility with his wife. The tests showed a perfect match, which rarely happens between people who are not related. Bob White gladly donated a kidney to his wife, saving her life and giving new meaning to their one-flesh relationship.

Love like this also gives new meaning to the concept of putting other people’s interests ahead of our own. If you know your Bible, you know where Paul was going with his plea for humility on the part of believers. Even though verses 5-11 are not part of our reading, we need to keep in mind that Jesus is the perfect example of self-sacrifice instead of self-interest.

The apostle’s call for selfless living was prefaced by a plea for unity among believers based on the blessings that are ours as Christians. The “if” statements in verse 1 don’t suggest doubt, but certainty. There is encouragement, comfort, fellowship, tenderness, and compassion in Christ.

Take another look at this list in light of God’s plan for marriage, and you’ll see that these are also qualities which should characterize a loving, strong, and growing one-flesh relationship. These blessings are a basis for unity in a marriage as well as unity in the church, which makes sense because marriage is an earthly picture of Christ’s heavenly relationship with His bride, the church.

We would have to be hard-hearted, and soft-headed, to accept the love and sacrifice of our spouses, and then insist on fulfilling our own desires no matter what. But that’s what happens in all too many marriages, Christian and otherwise.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Consider the five blessings listed in verse 1. Can you point to a recent time when you gave your spouse the gift of encouragement?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 2:10
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. - Romans 12:2a
TODAY IN THE WORD
The Bible says that all Christians have the mind of Christ because we have the Holy Spirit, who reveals the things of Christ to us. This is part of what it means for believers to “participate in the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4).

Therefore, if our marriages have two people with the mind of Christ, then we should have a tremendous head start and advantage over people who do not know God.

Let’s remember that the Christian life is not static or automatic. A Christlike mind is not just a fixed body of data the Holy Spirit plugs into our minds when we get saved. If it were automatic, like a computer program for spiritual growth, God’s Word would not command us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

We’re responsible to cooperate with the Spirit in His work of making us more like Christ. That’s why Paul said we must have renewed minds. This is essential for all believers, whether married or single.

Paul gives us a dynamic picture of growth toward the goal of spiritual maturity. We can’t help but grow in grace and knowledge of Christ when we present our bodies as living sacrifices to God, and allow His Spirit to conform our thinking to the will of God. And when a man and woman bring this kind of individual commitment into their marriage, they’re in for an exciting spiritual adventure.

The command “be transformed” in the original language suggests, “Keep on allowing yourself to be transformed.” We don’t change ourselves. That’s the job of the Spirit, using the Word of God and spiritual disciplines such as prayer, fellowship, fasting, and Bible study.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
You and your spouse can access these advantages today by allowing the Spirit to renew your minds.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Peter 4:7-8
Above all, love each other deeply. - 1 Peter 4:8
TODAY IN THE WORD
As drought gripped central Florida this past spring, the water level in Newman’s Lake dipped so low that some people noticed some unusual items on the lake bottom. The items turned out to be more than twenty ancient Indian canoes, believed to be from 500 to 3,000 years old. Fearing the canoes would soon crumble if exposed to the air and sun, archaeologists quickly took measurements and conducted tests; then the canoes were reburied in the lake bottom to preserve them.

“Reburying” is not only a good way to preserve fragile archeological treasures; it’s also good way to deal with the faults and failings that can stir up anger and resentment in a marriage if dragged out and exposed to the air for too long. Proverbs says, “Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs” (10:12).

That’s the same principle Peter had in mind. We’re not talking about ignoring or excusing sin. The Bible never tells us to do that. Instead, these are shortcomings that we all have because we are sinful, imperfect people. A husband and wife who keep using a magnifying glass on each other’s faults will soon find their love being burned up.

None of us have time for that kind of petty bickering, whether in a marriage or in the church at large. Why? Because the time is too short for minor distractions. “The Judge is standing at the door!” (James 5:9b). We need to clear our minds of our grievance lists and keep our spirits under control, refusing to lash out in anger when others annoy us. That way, we can focus on what is really important, such as prayer and loving one another.

Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Yet, overlooking others’ faults can be one of the hardest things to do. Any married person can tell you that the closer the person is, the harder it is sometimes to exercise forgiving love.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Let’s be honest. If some of us worked as hard on our marriages as we do on our careers, hobbies, and other interests, the world would see some wonderful models of love.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 6:25-34
Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well - Matthew 6:33
TODAY IN THE WORD
You’ve probably seen television commercials of a couple in bed, with one person sleeping like a baby and the other staring into the dark, wide-eyed with worry. This basic scene has been used to advertise numerous products. Often the pitch is for a financial service that has the ability to replace worry with a feeling of security. In fact, commercials like this often end in the same bedroom. The former worrier, now using the advertised product, is sleeping like a baby--maybe even with a smile.

Do you identify with the sleeper or the worrier when you see such a commercial? Many marriages include one partner of each variety. Some of the differences are due to temperament and personality type. Some people have an easier time trusting than others. A marriage partner’s makeup doesn’t negate the fact that one of the qualities a couple needs to develop is confident trust in God.

We usually read Jesus’ familiar words about worry and trust and apply them individually. But think about the way a married couple might deal with the Savior’s warning against worry and His invitation to trust our Father.

When two people blend their lives together in such an intimate way, each partner cannot help but be deeply affected by the other’s attitudes. That’s why a married couple needs to work hard to help each other grow in faith. The trust in God that a couple develops together can mean the difference between peace and panic when it comes to paying the bills and putting food on the table, let alone dealing with a severe crisis.

But the faith Jesus was describing is even more than the absence of worry over our next meal or mortgage payment. Faith cannot exist in a spiritual vacuum. The Lord commanded believers to put these temporary things behind us and live for God’s benefit and glory.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The prophet Amos asked, “Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?” (3:3).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Hebrews 3:13; 10:24-25
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. - Hebrews 10:24
TODAY IN THE WORD
Many of us recall parents, teachers, pastors, coaches, Sunday school teachers, and other special people who challenged us to do our best and seemed to bring out the best in us. Dr. Howard Hendricks recalls his sixth-grade teacher, who inherited a troubled boy from a broken home whose reputation preceded him.

“Howard,” she told him, “I’ve heard all about you. But I don’t believe a word of it.” Hendricks began to blossom under her loving direction, and said later, “I would have walked through a wall for that woman.”

One of the God-intended delights of marriage is that the partners can be teachers, guides, coaches, and encouragers to each other. It’s painful to admit that one of the greatest failures of Christian husbands is their failure to feed and encourage their wives’ spiritual lives. The result is marriages in which one partner is growing in Christ, while the other lags behind.

God has a better plan. Again, today’s verses have a special meaning for married people. If Christians in general are commanded to urge one another on in love and service to Christ, how much more should a husband and wife do so?

Studying God’s Word and praying together are two obvious ways that couples can fulfill this biblical command, but don’t overlook the irreplaceable value of the church in a healthy marriage. It seems obvious, but couples need to be committed to attending church together and serving the body of Christ. One spouse attending church without the other may be common in our culture, but it’s one “tradition” that needs to be discarded.

The author of Hebrews wrote with an urgency relevant to both marrieds and singles. We must encourage each other because “the Day [is] approaching” (Heb. 10:25). That is, “the time is short” (1 Cor. 7:29). Christ could return tomorrow, so it’s important that we make use of today.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
It’s great to hear of couples who say their spouse is their best friend.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Peter 3:1-7
Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men. - 1 Peter 2:13
TODAY IN THE WORD
A magazine for Christian leaders published a cartoon that showed a pastor peering out anxiously from inside a World-War-II-style bunker, which was behind the pulpit. The well-protected pastor announced, “My text for today is 1 Peter 3:1-7.”

Today, it’s very socially and politically incorrect to suggest that marriage is built on a wife’s loving submission and respect and a husband’s loving tenderness and consideration.

We shouldn’t be surprised that the world labels this concept outmoded, even dangerous. As the magazine cartoon suggests, Christians often seem just as reluctant to stand by what the Bible teaches. However, Peter lets us know that couples need these qualities for the success of their relationship. Moreover, this issue affects how God relates to us.

Tommy Nelson, whose insights on marriage we shared last week (see September 17), puts it on the line for married believers. “If your relationship to God does not show itself in being a tender husband and a responsive and respectful wife, then it is not penetrating the most essential area of your life.”

This requires serious reflection. Our reading indicates how essential the relationship between a wife and husband is. Much of a woman’s sense of self is tied to the way she presents herself, both outwardly and inwardly. The Bible has been accused of trying to shut away women at home in a subservient role, but that distorts Peter’s message. Accepting her husband’s leadership is not a statement of a wife’s inferiority. Both partners are equally valuable before God.

Peter’s caution against a woman investing her wealth and worth in her physical appearance to the detriment of her spirit reflects the same principle Jesus taught on several occasions. That is, believers cannot afford to invest their resources in things on earth to the neglect of eternal issues (Matt. 6:19-21; Luke 12:21).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
You may recall the blast of media criticism that erupted in 1998 when a major Christian group dared to state that a wife should “lovingly submit” to her husband.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: James 4:6-10; 1 Peter 5:5b-7
All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another. - 1 Peter 5:5b
TODAY IN THE WORD
Victor M. Parachin tells of a couple named Claude and Judith who shared a rented house with another family during the Depression. One evening, there was no food in the house except a small bag of cornmeal, but there was no lard. The group pooled its money and found they had six cents. Parachin writes, “One of the adults refused to shop at the nearby butcher shop with only six cents. 'Give me the money; I’ll go,’ Claude offered. 'I’m not too proud to ask when the children are hungry.’ ” The kind butcher announced a “sale” and gave Claude several scoops of lard and pounds of bacon, and a huge bag of candy for the kids, all for six cents.

Parachin concludes, “Had Claude not set his pride aside, the butcher would have missed an opportunity to help someone. The family would have gone hungry, and they would have missed the blessing of seeing what God would do with six cents and a simple request.” We may never know how many opportunities for blessing are missed because people refuse to set aside their pride and humbly seek help.

Married people need humility for a spiritually successful, strong marriage. If pride is an inflated opinion of self that leads to self-absorption, we can guess what will happen when proud people enter a relationship like marriage that thrives on giving and self-sacrifice.

Pride also refuses to admit faults or seek help. Since it’s impossible to hide our faults from our spouses, trying to do so only leads to ridiculous levels of denial and self-defense.

There’s no way around it. Married people need to practice humility. James and Peter give two wonderful reasons to desire this quality. We can illustrate them simply by asking a question. Do you want God to be for you, or against you?
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Have you ever felt like there was in fact an invisible hand pushing against you, frustrating you at every turn?

[Soldier4Christ]

 Read: Psalm 128:1-6
Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways. - Psalm 128:1
TODAY IN THE WORD
Newspaper columnist and minister George Crane tells about an irate woman who came to his office. She was determined to get a divorce, but told Crane that first she wanted to hurt her husband as much as he had hurt her. Crane advised her to go home and start acting like she really loved her husband--praising him for his good traits, being kind and courteous, going out of her way to please him. “After you’ve done that,” Crane said, “then drop the divorce bomb. That will really hurt him.”

The woman did this, and came back two months later. “Get a divorce? Never! I discovered I really do love him.”

Obviously, not every troubled marriage can be healed with two months of attentive, sacrificial love. But who would deny that two months, or even two weeks, of loving care could make a real impact on an ailing marriage? Because marriage is such an intense, intimate relationship, anything done for the benefit of the marriage can bring a huge payoff.

Psalm 128 is an example of this principle. The premise of the psalm is that if we will fear God and obey Him by living according to His Word, we will enjoy God’s blessing. The writer could have stopped at verse 1, and we would have a valuable piece of biblical insight. But the rest of the psalm contains “for instances,” examples of the ways this blessing will be realized. The center of the psalm, the pivot around which all of it turns, is the blessing of a marriage and home in which God is honored and obeyed.

The psalm is written from the perspective of the husband and father who is responsible for setting the pace spiritually and even emotionally in the home. The picture of this man’s wife as “a fruitful vine” (v. 3) suggests a woman growing and flourishing as her husband provides the kind of nurturing love that Christ pours out on His church (Eph. 5:25).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Premarital counselors often remind engaged couples that their marriage will impact many people besides themselves.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Song of Songs 7:11-13
Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. - Song of Songs 8:7a
TODAY IN THE WORD
Tommy Nelson has some helpful and pointed advice for husbands on marital romance. “If you take a close look at chapter 7 in the Song of Solomon [Songs], you’ll notice three truths related to romance. First, men are expected to be romantic. A husband is to lead in this area. . . . Second, men are capable of romance. . . . Go with what you have, and, over time, you will likely find more ways of expressing romance. . . . Third, God expects men to be romantic. [Romance] is expressing tender desire to be with another person and making that person feel special and valuable.”

Beginning with yesterday’s devotional, the last five days of the month focus on some of the biblical blessings of marriage. Romance is high on the list because it is high on God’s list of blessings for married couples. Pastor Nelson says God is our example in expressing this kind of tenderness.

Historically, the church has felt hesitant about the idea that God would devote a portion of His Word to married love and romance. Some church fathers taught that the Song of Songs is an allegory of Christ’s love for His church. Jewish tradition said the book is typical of God’s love for Israel.

We agree with Bible commentators who say the Song’s purpose is to extol human love and marriage. God created us male and female and established the marriage covenant Himself. So why wouldn’t He bless the purity and beauty of the marital love He created?

Today’s verses are just a small sampling of this beauty, but they are enough to suggest the joy and tenderness of romance. Spring is the season that is universally associated with the blossoming of love. Mandrakes are herbs that were believed to have the power to stimulate sexual desire. Solomon and his bride were celebrating their love.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
If you know a couple married for a long time who are still growing in their love and celebrating romance, you have two treasured friends or family members.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. - 1 Corinthians 13:4
TODAY IN THE WORD
Back in the 70s, a popular song talked about a boy who decided to begin charging his mother for the chores he did around the house. He presented his mom with an itemized list of his work, along with the cost of each service. Rather than scolding her son for his greed, his mother drew up a list of what she had done for him, including carrying him for nine months, giving birth to him, and caring for him each day. Beside each item she wrote, “No charge.” The climax of the song was this line, sung by the mother to her son: “When you add it all up, the full price of my love is no charge.”

The songwriter went on to say that this is the way God loves us. The mother wasn’t saying her love wasn’t costly or without value. She was telling her son that despite the enormity of his debt, she wasn’t going to charge it to his account.

We can see how this kind of unconditional love works in a marriage. Love is another priceless blessing of marriage. If it’s silly and selfish for a boy to charge his mother for every little thing he does, how much sillier is it for married people to try to keep track of how much their spouse owes them for all they’ve done?

Couples may fall into that trap from time to time, but it’s like trying to put a dollar value on the wind. Love refuses to keep a record of wrongs and doesn’t keep track of debts.

When you read these familiar verses describing the nature of God’s love, it soon becomes obvious that Jesus Christ Himself is the only Person who has ever fulfilled love’s demands perfectly. But that shouldn’t keep us from posting this list on our walls, so to speak, as a goal to reach for every day.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Here’s an idea that we hope will help you see, and appreciate, your spouse in a new light today.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: John 2:1-11; Proverbs 31:10-12
The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” - Genesis 2:23
TODAY IN THE WORD
Do you think it was a coincidence that Jesus chose a wedding as the occasion to perform the very first miracle of His ministry on earth? Hardly. Jesus never did anything by chance. Every step He took was in obedience to the will and the direction of His Father.

Bible commentator William Hendricksen said that this story revealed Jesus as “the One who honored the bond of marriage. This does not surprise us; according to John’s description, Jesus is himself the Bridegroom, who . . . comes to his bride (the church). How, then, would he not honor that which is a symbol of his own relation to his people?”

John says the purpose of this miracle was to reveal Jesus’ glory and cause His new disciples (whom He called in John 1) to believe in Him. Jesus showed His approval of marriage by accepting the invitation to attend this wedding celebration.

We don’t know if Jesus knew the young couple personally, yet we can imagine Him greeting the couple and blessing them. His wedding gift, the fine wine He miraculously created, gave great joy and celebration at the wedding banquet. Maybe, as Hendricksen suggested, Jesus used this wedding as a glimpse of the marriage in which He will be the Bridegroom (see tomorrow’s study).

We’ve been celebrating God’s gift of marriage as the fulfillment of Adam’s joyous realization that Eve was taken from his body. From that first wedding onward, the Bible calls us to celebrate the unique blessing of marriage between people who know and love God (see Prov. 18:22 and 19:14 ).

Husbands are especially urged to be thankful for the gift of a wife who walks with God. Christian wives may sometimes feel overwhelmed when they compare themselves to the woman of Proverbs 31, who seemed to be able to do everything on a few hours of sleep.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
When two Christians get married and invite Jesus Christ to be the special Guest at their wedding, their act of worship is far more than just religious symbolism.