And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.
(21) And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
(22) And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
(23) And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
(24) Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. ~Genesis 2:20-24
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I went to a bridal shower the other day and one of the "games" was to look at photos of the bride and groom on vacations at different destinations, States, and countries--and try to guess by their surroundings where they were. Whoever guessed the most correct locations of the couple won a prize.
Answers included Las Vegas, Punta Cana, the Grand Canyon, Disney World and all of the beaches looked the same, but there were a lot of beach pictures.
While seeing a young and beautiful couple on vacation is fun, it hurt my spiritual heart to know that these two were traveling the world together long before they had left their father and mother. They were cleaving before they had been leaving their families of upbringing.
I wondered where they would honeymoon, because (it seemed) they had seen and done it all already.
I don't say this in judgment--I'm not perfect and neither are you. None of us are without sin. But in marriage as with everything in these lives that we live--God has an order to things, a process, and a good plan, if we will choose to follow it.
I did life on my terms for a long time, but when I finally acquiesced to the realization that God knows better than me...that's when life changed. And (for me), that's when love changed.
I found the one my soul loves... ~Song of Solomon 3:4
Many of us spent much of our teen and twenties years consciously and subconsciously considering the type of spouse we wanted and didn't want.
But, whether we are single and looking, or married and unfulfilled--God's got a very user-friendly model of how to find the one your soul loves. Watch (and emulate) how His Son loved.
All we have to do is read the New Testament to see how Jesus loved others, and how He loves us. And this is game-changing in how we are to love others.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. (5) It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. (6) Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. (7) It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (8) Love never fails. ~I Corinthians 13:4-8
The love of God is always kind. Jesus welcomed connection and relationship with people that others would shut out. Jesus listened and beyond that, He sought to understand, not just what someone was saying, but why/how/because-of-what were they saying it?
~~~
He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”
(17) “I have no husband,” she replied.
Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. (18) The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” ~John 4:16-18
When the woman at the well told Him that she wasn't married, Jesus knew her back story with men, and her current situation with an unmarried man. And He loved her anyway...and His acceptance of her made her love Him!
It's hard to fathom, but what if we could love others/those close to us/our spouse (if applicable) with a love like this? A knowing love, but a forgiving love.
Being loved this way was life-changing for the woman at the well. I dare say the same effect can be had on our loved ones.
~~~
Jesus knew that people were sinful and that they would fail Him...and that did not affect His love for them.
Can we possibly aspire to love our loved ones (and others) with a love like that? Expecting imperfection and loving anyway? Such a (love) response is life changing and certainly marriage-changing (or any relationship).
If we will pattern our love after God's love, we cannot help but prosper (in love). God has good plans for us, (Jeremiah 29:11) if we will follow His plan and seek Him in ours.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
(12) Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
(13) You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (14) I will be found by you,” declares the Lord... ~Jeremiah 29:11-14
If we have been out-of-order in living life on our terms instead of God's...today can be the day to seek Him instead of ourselves.
If we have already "been on the honeymoon" (in any area of our life), but have not yet "committed to the marriage"...then today can be the day we realign our spiritual priorities, our hearts, and our commitment to living and loving like Christ.
Only by reading the Bible (and living and loving like Jesus) can we decipher, discern, and enter in to the love and plans that God has for us. And they are good if we will go in God's order of them. And they can be good even if we haven't.
Today can be the day we seek Him instead of ourselves, and we love the way He loves.
Blessings,
https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com
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