Daily EncouragementSample

All the glory of marriage shines in these simple words which describe God himself bringing the woman to the man. This is the justification for the married state, the supreme reason why “Marriage should be honoured by all” (Heb. 13:4), for marriage is ordained by God. The initiative is divine and provides the foundation for the relationship: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh” (Gen. 2:24).

Herein lies the true source of satisfaction in marriage. The union is secure and permanent, because it is the work of God. Husband and wife are no longer two but one, because the Lord has joined them together, (Matt. 19:6). The joys of such a relationship - physical, mental and spiritual - come from his gracious hand. Husband and wife know they were made for one another. Together they see their children as “a heritage from the Lord” (Ps. 127:3).

This word from Genesis should shape the expectations of the unmarried. “A prudent wife (or husband) is from the Lord” (Prov. 19:14). Happy is the young man who looks to the Lord’s hand for such a gift; happy is the young woman who clasps that hand in order to be led to the man of his appointing.