Corona Devo 3198
Guess what time (season/harvest) of the year it is?
It's rhubarb-season.
Rhubarb is possibly an acquired taste, and I would suggest that it is most definitely a hereditary taste. As in...I had rhubarb recipes when I was little, and thus, I enjoy rhubarb recipes now that I am older.
Here's the thing about rhubarb though, while it is tasty on its own...it is amazing when partnered with strawberries. They are just...better together.
Rhubarb pie is good.
But strawberry-rhubarb pie? Forget-about-it! It's dee-licious!
There is something about the chemistry of the rhubarb and strawberries together that make them even better than either of them are while apart.
Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. (23) For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. (24) Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.(25) Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her (26) to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, (27) and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.(28) In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. (29) After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— (30) for we are members of his body.(31) “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” (32) This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. (33) However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. Ephesians 5:22-33
So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds 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 on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. (22) Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to 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 a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. ~Genesis 2:20-24
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: (10) If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. (11) Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? (12) Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. ~Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
The rhubarb was actually ripe and ready to be picked and harvested a few days ago. But we had (lovely!) company in from out of town, and although my husband loves to eat rhubarb dishes, he also loves me. He knew that I would not have much free time while entertaining, and so I never knew the rhubarb was ripe until it landed on my counter, cut and cleaned, on an evening when I had little else to do.
Even in the timing of harvesting the rhubarb, my husband loved me.
Good love, that is to say God's love prefers the other first.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, (4) not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. ~Philippians 2:3-4
Our loved one's pleasure/comfort/needs are placed before our own, because this is what love does. Jesus Christ modeled this love for us.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ~Romans 5:8
God did not wait for us to deserve His love...He delivered it to us even before we deserved it.
This model of love will redefine our marriages, if we will choose to enter-in to living it.
What if we loved/forgave/treated/blessed/listened/empathized/were-patient-with our spouse even before they "deserved" for us to be?
Watch out for dynamite results from this kind of (God-replicated) love. Let's get-brave and give-some love to our spouse today (if applicable).
God has a good plan for husbands and wives. Marriage was His idea, and He knows that we are better together. In truth...God made us to go together.
- The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” ~Genesis 2:18
Here's the thing about marriage, from time to time, we can forget the most important things. Infact, culture and many people want us to move away from loving and serving our spouse, and to move in to loving and serving only ourselves.
But God's model (which is proven) works better.
- However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. ~Ephesians 5:33
- "Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves." ~Romans 12:10
God knows and God-ordained that a husband and wife are better together.
Don't forget it today--and let's see what we can do about being intentional to remember that today.
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. (3) Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. ~Ephesians 4:2-3
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