staying together
Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together (v.6).
READ: Matthew 19:1-10
Last year, a woman named Joan opened a letter from a local law firm and immediately burst into tears as she read its contents. The letter stated that her divorce from husband John “had been completed.” She was in disbelief—the couple from Sheffield, England, had been happily married for 36 years!
It was later discovered that the law firm had used the wrong letter template in composing the paper bombshell Joan and John received. Although the message mix-up initially caused them to be shocked and saddened, they’re still married and happy today.
Jesus’ words in Matthew 19:6, “Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together,” make plain the reality that some people have unhappy marriages. Instead of embracing divorce, however, Jesus calls troubled couples not to destroy what they have become—one.
What does this mean? In Genesis 2:24, which the Lord references in Matthew 19:5, God said of married people, “The two are united into one.” As one writer puts it, married people “shall be considered as one body, having no separate or independent rights. . . . Their union [shall result in children], exactly resembling themselves as they do each other.”
Their child reflects their oneness! The attributes possessed from parents cannot be separated—a child is one body and a living metaphor of the sacred unity of marriage in God’s view (Ephesians 5:31).
The key to living in a happy marriage is to love one’s spouse sacrificially: “A man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it” (vv.28-29).
For a couple to stay together and not split apart requires both husband and wife to truly see that they are one. —Tom Felten
What does oneness in marriage look like from God’s perspective? What does it require from each spouse?
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May 31, 2009
READ: Matthew 16:24-28
What will a man give in exchange for his soul? —Matthew 16:26
One would think that selling one’s soul, as Faust offered his to the devil in Goethe’s Dr. Faustus, is only a figment of literary fiction. Medieval as it seems, however, several cases of soul-selling have occurred.
Wired magazine reported that a 29-year-old university instructor succeeded in selling his immortal soul for $1,325. He said, “In America, you can metaphorically and literally sell your soul and be rewarded for it.” One wonders how the purchaser intended to collect.
We can’t literally sell our soul, but we can lose our soul to gain something else. We need to ponder Jesus’ question, “What will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt. 16:26). Our answers today would differ only in specifics from the responses of Jesus’ day: the world, the flesh, and the devil. The lusts that captivate us and the thirst for unbridled pleasure, success, revenge, or material things have certainly taken on far more importance to many people than any considerations of eternity.
Nothing on earth compares to the gifts of God’s love and forgiveness. If the pleasures of this world are preventing you from trusting in Jesus Christ, please think again. It’s not worth the cost of your eternal soul. — David C. Egner
Jesus is the only fountain who can satisfy the thirsty soul.
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There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah (v.16).
READ: 1 Kings 17:3-16
I never thought of myself as having control issues—until I got married. Somehow blending two lives into one exposes how much we want things our way. From the way I like the covers tucked (or not tucked) at night to how we made decisions, I wanted things done in a way that made me feel comfortable. Exposing my need for control, God revealed how this issue ultimately came from a lack of trust in Him.
Trust is never easy. But it’s even harder when things look bleak. We’re willing to obey as long as we have a vague idea of the outcome. But God wants to know our response when we’re hiding in a cave with nowhere to go.
Zealous for the Lord, Elijah had boldly proclaimed to a self-indulgent king that the rain would fall only at his (Elijah’s) command (1 Kings 17:1). What should have been a moment of spiritual triumph became testing grounds for Elijah’s faith. With his life in danger, all he had was a directive from the Lord.
Not knowing what each day would hold, Elijah learned that life itself proceeds from what God speaks (Numbers 23:19). He had to trust that God would take care of him no matter how circumstances looked (Isaiah 41:10). Giving up the need to know, Elijah discovered . . .
• wherever God directs, His provision follows (1 Kings 17:3-6).
• God uses circumstances to move us within His will (vv.7-9).
• our trust and subsequent obedience bring life to those in need
(vv.14-16).
We want God to be our provision and hope, but sometimes we insist on moving only when we feel comfortable. The very essence of trusting His ways means realizing they’re not our own (Isaiah 55:8-9). —Regina Franklin
In what areas are you having difficulty trusting God? How has your desire for comfort limited your obedience to Him?
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May 30, 2009
READ: Romans 11:33-36
Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? —Exodus 15:11
One blustery day in June, our family, holidaying in the Canadian Rockies, went to a tourist site that was billed as a “must see.” The cold wind made me reluctant to go on until I saw a group of people returning from the scenic spot. “Is it worth it?” I asked. “Definitely!” was their response. That gave us the incentive to go on. When we finally reached the spot, its beauty rendered us virtually speechless. “Wow!” was all we could manage.
Paul reached that point as he wrote about the work of God in saving Jew and Gentile in the book of Romans. Three things about God “wowed” him.
First, God is all-wise (11:33). His perfect plan of salvation shows that He has far better solutions to the problems of life than we are capable of devising.
Second, God is all-knowing. His knowledge is infinite. He needs no counselor (v.34) and nothing surprises Him!
Third, God is all-sufficient (v.35). No one can give to God what He has not first given to them. Nor can anyone ever repay Him for His goodness.
We can say with Moses, “Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?” (Ex. 15:11 ESV). What a marvelous God we serve! — C. P. Hia
In God’s character and in His creation, we see His majesty.
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