This coming weekend our son is going to marry his long time sweetheart at our home. My husband and I are  looking forward to the wedding and the coming marriage. We have waited for this day for a long time. 🙂

In a day when marriage is not always esteemed, I am glad they have made this decision. Marriage, though not easy, is still God’s designed plan for a man and woman that wish to be together. The Bible is full of verses on marriage. Today I want to take a look at one of my favorite verses on marriage.

Hebrews 13:4 NIV  ⁴ Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.  

Though this flies in the face of political correctness today, God’s view on marriage hasn’t changed. It is a state to be honored by all. It is so important that those of us who follow Christ uphold the value of marriage and offer our support to those who have chosen it.  It still remains God’s environment for sexual intimacy and for raising a family.

It is so important that we show our support by praying for those choosing marriage. We live in a society that puts all kinds of temptations and distractions in our way. For marriage to work, couples have to have the resolve that they will commit their lives to one another regardless of the obstacles and difficulties that come their way. They both must make this commitment. One person cannot a marriage make! For those who are followers of Christ, this commitment is vital. The seriousness of this commitment before God is revealed in Malachi 2:16 NIV ¹⁶ “The man who hates and divorces his wife,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “does violence to the one he should protect,” says the Lord Almighty. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful.

We live in a society where people marry without seriously considering it is a lifetime commitment. Though there are definitely cases of  Biblically  justified divorce (unrepentant infidelity and/or abuse), many marriages are broken because of a casual view of the state of marriage.  People say they no longer feel affection for or love their spouse and leave. Some leave having found someone they love more.  Others decide they don’t want the responsibility of marriage and want their freedom back. Too often kids are dragged into the mess of a broken family and suffer the consequences of their parents decisions.

The church has a responsibility to show support to it’s married couples with  prayer, sound Biblical  advice when needed and on occasion with practical help. When a couple in our church body suffers, we all suffer. When a family is broken, it hurts us all.  We must do all we can to help couples stay together but if and when that is not possible, we need to be there to help with the fallout.

My husband and I have been married over thirty five years. We have had some wonderful years. We have also had some very difficult years marred by selfishness, immaturity and on a few occasions heartache and the loss of loved ones.  Our marriage has forced us to  learn to mature in ways that can only come from sharing your life with another person. Our marriage has challenged us to be more Christ like in our behavior. We have had to learn to listen to each other, respect each other, love each other in word and deed and be kind to one another even when we don’t feel like it!  These things to do not come easy or natural for most of us. When we neglect to do any of these things, it isn’t long before we need to have a talk  and get things back on track  😉

I am so grateful that I have been able to share my life with my husband over the years. It has been a good thing. We have gone through so much together and I believe our love is deeper now and more secure now than it ever was.  I wish the same for our son and new daughter-in-law, maybe with a little less difficulty but even that helped mold us! I am glad they have chosen marriage. Though it has become less popular over the years, it is still a good thing in God’s eyes.  I am excited for them and the journey it will take them on. My prayer is that they will have the support of their families and the church as they walk their journey together.  After all, marriage is to be honored by all!