Ephesians 5:22,25
Wives, submit
to your own husbands, as to the Lord. . . . Husbands, love your wives, just as
Christ also loved the church.
Bible Reading
for a Year [bible]psalm14[/bible]; [bible]revel20[/bible]; [bible]00job3-5[/bible]
Within
a chip shot of our house is a golf course. When I stand in my backyard, I see
ponds waiting hungrily for my next errant shot. At times I can imagine
sandtraps and trees joking about my bad days.
I
mention the sport with mixed feelings. I like to golf occasionally, but living
so close to the course reminds me of my failures in playing the game, which has
its disadvantages.
A
similar problem can occur in marriage. Sometimes a husband and wife can lose
sight of the hopes and dreams they once shared. Then the very presence of the
other becomes a source of irritation, a reminder of past failures and
disappointments.
When
the apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesians, he asked husbands and wives
to turn their thoughts to their relationship with the Son of God (5:22-33). In
Him we find undying love and forgiveness for our failures. In Him we find
Someone who loves to forget the worst and bring out the best. He reminds us not
of what we’ve lost but of what we have yet to find.
Forgive
us, Father, for focusing on our flaws and failures rather than on the love of
Your Son, Jesus Christ. Help us to rediscover our spouse in the light of our
Lord’s great love for us.
Marriages may be made in heaven, but they
have to be worked out on earth.