[Wisdom of Solomon] Protecting Your Marriageنموونە

God’s Purpose For Marriage

You never realized your marriage would look like it does. Maybe you never thought it would be as great as it is. Perhaps you never anticipated how much you would struggle, and now your marriage is hanging by a thread. As we begin this study through Proverbs 5, I hope you see what God intended for your marriage. I hope that you start to trust God knows what He’s doing. That’s the key, trust. You must trust that if you have a great marriage, He can make it more remarkable. If your marriage is struggling, He can help that too.

Marriage is a beautiful institution created by God. Everything God created is good, but we humans are experts at taking something good and using it for evil. It’s not that we intend for this to happen. When we fall off the path God has laid out for us, one thing leads to another, and that path turns into a slippery slope. One day we choose to fight. Another day, we don’t get our way, and our resentment soon turns into not much talking, cold shoulders, and short tempers. We know this isn't the way it's supposed to be, so where do we turn? How do we get back on the path laid out for us? How do we keep our marriage pure? How do we turn cold shoulders into delight? We turn to the Scriptures. We look not for human wisdom, but God’s wisdom.

In the Scriptures, we see many warnings to help us stay on the path and to encourage us not to take shortcuts even if sometimes we must trudge through uncertainty, even if the slope seems unmanageable- because that is where we see our Good Shepherd leading us. We know He is not far. The valley, the trials, and the darkness may seem scary, but we know that following His Word is best. His warnings lead us into life. We see that what the world offers as truth is a lie. We see that the world wants to use us, but the good Father wants to bless us. Know that where you are, right now, is not your destination. Today is just the beginning. Be encouraged, beloved.

Thought for today: Where have you chosen the easy way in your marriage, in your walk with God? Which warnings have you missed along the way?