Ephesians 5:25-33

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 5:25-33

Dear Jesus,

I don't think any of us can fully fathom how near and dear you hold every marriage in your heart. They are all your invention built on deep spiritual truths about your love for all humanity. And so often I join humanity in missing the whole point. Help all married people and me today, to grasp how wide, how deep, how long and how high is your love and respect for our marriages. Give us deep spiritual insight to discern how we can be salt and light to those around us by how we treat and talk about our spouses. Help some poor struggling couple somewhere to discover their God given roles, to accept your unconditional love and to practice powerful Christ like tenderness in their marriages. Protect them from affairs, from bitterness and isolation. Give them supportive families and friends and raise up millions of shining examples of who you are and what you do for us, through the marriages you have created.

Amen

Pastor Don Patterson

Marriage is a monument to God's tenacious love for all humanity. Erect a good one in your neighborhood for all to see.