Grounded Wife: Simple Truths to Honor God in Your MarriageSýnishorn

You might have seen the Scripture reference for this devotional and wondered what the parable of the four soils has to do with being a wife. As you dig in (see what I did there?), I believe the Lord will reveal His truth in a way that only He can.

This is one of my favorite parables that Jesus tells. Probably because it shows us that as we work to scatter the seeds of His love and truth, He multiplies those results when the ground is fertile and ready.

“Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.” Matthew 13:8-9

Let us hear this for what it simply is: we put forth the effort, but the results are His. We don’t carry the burden of making things happen for the Lord. We simply do the work He’s called us to do, becoming more and more like Him each day, and He will produce the fruit.

It’s the same for marriage.

Maybe you’re reading this and feel like there’s no hope. Or life happened--kids came on the scene, work is demanding, finances are a mess, laundry never ends--and now you’re not sure who that person on the other end of the couch is, or better yet, who you are anymore. It feels empty. You feel alone. You’re frustrated. And you’re not quite sure how you got here.

Even in all that, God meant for your marriage to be alive and producing good fruit. That doesn’t happen by allowing life to take over, neglecting the ground you’ve been planted in. Being the wife God designed you to be is a series of daily choices:

• to love unconditionally as you are loved
• to forgive as you are forgiven
• to raise hands in surrender because you are not in control; God is

Your marriage was planted in the ground on the day you said, “I do.” Where your husband is or isn’t spiritually is not our focus because this is about you and being the wife God has created you to be. God chose you and only you for the role of wife to your husband. There’s always work to be done in you, always ground to stir up in you, and always growth to take place in you. So, let’s dig in and cultivate that fertile ground Matthew 13:8 refers to.

Dear Heavenly Father, I love You so much. Thank You for my husband. It was a part of Your holy plan for me to be his wife and I want to honor You and him by being the wife You created me to be. But some days, I don’t know what that looks like, so please help me. As I dig deeper with You, I ask for a willing heart, a renewed mind, and Your power to be made perfect in my weakness. Forgive me for falling short and thank You for Your unending grace. Have Your way in my life and in my marriage. I love You, Lord. Amen.