Tag: marriage

April 30, 2025

April 30th, 2025
Wednesday – History

Reading – Judges 20-21

Highlight Verse:

“So the men of Benjamin did as they were told. Each man caught one of the women as she danced in the celebration and carried her off to be his wife. They returned to their own land, and they rebuilt their towns and lived in them.”
‭‭Judges‬ ‭21‬:‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I gotta admit, this is another one of those Bible stories that proves the accuracy of the Bible to me.

I mean, what other religious writing would admit such an embarrassing event?

This story is significant for other reasons as well.

It was very important that the tribe of Benjamin be preserved.
- King Saul was a Benjamite.
It could be argued that it would have been better for Saul not to be King because of his failures.

It should be remembered that He united and helped preserve Israel during his reign. His shortcomings also paved the way for King David to rise to power.
- Queen Esther was also thought to come from the tribe of Benjamin.
Without her, Israel would have been (or nearly been) wiped out by Haman.
- And then there was another Saul. God changed his name to Paul and used him to spread the Gospel to the Western World.
It can be said that we owe our salvation to his missionary work.

So, yes, there were some questionable methods used to preserve the tribe of Benjamin. I sincerely hope they would never be used today.

But I’m sure glad that the tribe of Benjamin survived.

Can you think of any other bizarre stories that God used to bring about good?
Has God used some of the more unusual parts of your history to bring about good?
April 15, 2025

April 15th, 2025

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Genesis 24

Highlight Verse:

“So they called Rebekah. “Are you willing to go with this man?” they asked her. And she replied, “Yes, I will go.””
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭24‬:‭58‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In a culture and time when arranged marriages were the norm, it struck me as odd that they asked Rebekah whether she wanted to go be Isaac’s wife or not.

She stepped out in faith, said yes, and was rewarded with a place in history.

This is one of the earliest examples of the fair treatment of women in the Bible. At least it seemed fair in the context of that culture.

It is true that her father and brother already agreed to the marriage, but they gave her an out.

While we aren’t given details of her reaction, we can infer at the end of the chapter that she was at least somewhat excited at meeting Isaac.

After all, it was literally a match made in heaven. (And – no, I am not advocating arranged marriages).

What is your reaction to the way Isaac and Rebekah’s marriage was arranged?
What would you have done in Rebekah’s shoes?
February 15, 2025

February 15th, 2025

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Matthew 1:18-25

Highlight Verse:

“When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭1‬:‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I wrote yesterday about the Great Romance of God wooing His people.

While the Great Romance is between God and mankind, that doesn’t mean that God didn’t care about human romance.

The Bible is full of stories of romantic love.

From Jacob laboring for 14 years for his true love, to Boaz honoring Ruth’s devotion, to nearly erotic poetry, the Bible reflects the eternal pursuit of love.

One seemingly insignificant story had everlasting impact.

Teenage Mary was engaged to marry Joseph.

When Joseph found out she was pregnant, he planned to be nice and quietly back out of the engagement.

God filled him in on the virgin birth and from then on, he was all in.

Joseph effectively gave up his reputation, his livelihood, and his home to keep his wife and family safe.

That is true love.

I was brought up to think that love was all about feelings. Nearly every song, book, movie, and TV show reinforced that.

While feelings are good, love is really about commitment.

It’s about sticking it out through the tough times, staying true to your vows, and doing what it takes inspire that commitment in your spouse.

Joseph’s true love made the Great Romance possible.

What part do you want your romance play in the Great Romance?
What will you do today to show or improve your commitment?
October 29, 2024

October 29th, 2024

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Deuteronomy 17-18

Highlight Verse:

“The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the Lord. And he must not accumulate large amounts of wealth in silver and gold for himself.”
‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭17‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

King Saul had only one wife. But his heart was never really with God in the first place.

King David had 8 wives. Despite that, he was “a man after God’s own heart.”

King Solomon? – 700 wives and 300 concubines. And he became the wealthiest man alive.

He went from being the wisest man on the planet to compromising his faith to please his wives.

It’s easy to avoid having 700 wives today. That wouldn’t quite be legal, at least here in the US.

But wealth can turn people.

As the Apostle Paul instructed his protege Timothy, “the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10 NLT)

While I’ve been able to avoid amassing large sums of money (at least by American standards)

I still have to be on my guard against the love of money.

Has money (or lust) been a stumbling block in your life?
In what ways can we actively avoid the “love of money?”
July 28, 2024

July 28th, 2024

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Song of Solomon 7-8

Highlight Verse:

“Promise me, O women of Jerusalem, not to awaken love until the time is right.”
‭‭Song of Songs‬ ‭8‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I’ve worked with youth for years. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard middle schoolers talk about their girlfriends or boyfriends.

It is tough not to lecture them each time they say that on why they shouldn’t even think about that sort of thing at their age.

Our culture encourages romance from the moment kids can talk.

It robs kids of all the friendships and fun they could have if they were just content to be kids.

I’ll step down off my soap box now and bring this more into context.

The young woman in this book shows her faithfulness to her “lover” by not giving in to Solomon’s desires to add her to his harem.

In the context of this culture, her relationship was probably prearranged by her parents. If that was the case,

she not only honors her lover but also her parents and her culture by staying faithful.

I see today’s highlight verse as a plea for help from the women of Jerusalem to keep her and all the other young women faithful.

What are you doing to stay faithful to the one to whom you are pledged or will be pledged?
How can you help others around you stay faithful?
July 21, 2024

July 21st, 2024

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Song of Solomon 5-6

Highlight Verse:

“Why is your lover better than all others, O woman of rare beauty? What makes your lover so special that we must promise this?”
‭‭Song of Songs‬ ‭5‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I must confess, I find Song of Solomon rather awkward to read.

It’s like listening in on a conversation that I really shouldn’t be listening to.

And then there’s these “women of Jerusalem” that are not just listening in but commenting.

Then again…

My middle daughter’s wedding video was just completed. It was beautiful.

That wedding was full of people celebrating the love of two people who obviously belong together.

That’s what the Song of Solomon is.

The women of Jerusalem can celebrate and support the union of this young woman and her shepherd lover.

And the book of Song of Solomon is like a wedding video so that people who came after can celebrate the beauty of that love.

Are there new marriages in social world that you can celebrate and support?
What are you doing to support them?
July 7, 2024

July 7th, 2024
Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Song of Solomon 1-2

Highlight Verse:

“This is Solomon’s Song of Songs, more wonderful than any other.”
‭‭Song of Songs‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There have been many interpretations of the Song of Solomon. They boil down to three categories:
- It is an allegory of the love between man and God.
- It is the love story of Solomon and his one true love.
- Or it is the story of a young shepherdess who is wooed by Solomon but chooses to stay faithful to the simple young man to whom she is committed already.
We’ll spend the next few weeks looking at those possibilities as we read through it.

Today I want to focus on the simple fact that God values romantic love.

No matter how you think this book should be interpreted, it is couched in very romantic language.

While some are more romantic than others, the language of this book, along with the claim that it is “more wonderful than any other” makes it clear that

God strongly believes in romantic love.

Those of us who might not be the most romantic should take note.

Romance in the context of a committed relationship is important to God.

Lesson noted. I should work on that.

Those of you who are married or will soon be married, how can you better express that godly romance?
How should the concept of godly romance affect your relationship with God?
Which of the three main interpretations do you think is more accurate?
June 8, 2024

June 8th, 2024

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Genesis 2

Highlight Verse:

“Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.””
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭2‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Today is wedding day for my daughter Hannah so

I thought that a peek back to the origin of marriage would be appropriate.

Many would say that the story of Eve coming literally from Adam’s rib was a literal historical account.

I’d say, God could create people however He wanted to and I’m fine with that.

Even if you come from the viewpoint that this story is more poetic than literal, that doesn’t keep it from being true. It was not good for Adam to be alone.

For one thing, none of us would be here if they didn’t have kids.

Though God could have created another way for humans to procreate.

Instead, He made us male and female so that we could raise kids and live life in partnership.

We give each other companionship.

We encourage each other.

We keep each other from doing stupid things(or at least try).

We pour our lives into our children.

Most importantly, we show each other love.

God could have created us however He wanted to, but He chose to make us in His image.

And God is Love! (1 John 4:8)

There is much more I could write about this subject regarding those called to be single or the problems with “pride.” I haven’t forgotten those aspects, but I chose to celebrate marriage today.

If you are married, how many years have you been married (10 for us)?
What secrets can you share for a long happy marriage?
February 25, 2024

February 25th, 2024

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Proverbs 12-13

Highlight Verse:

“A worthy wife is a crown for her husband, but a disgraceful woman is like cancer in his bones.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭12‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Let’s face it – I’m blessed!

My wife is definitely my better half.

I married out of my league.

And I can fully attest to the first part of this verse.

The second part of this verse does not apply to her or me.

But I know some for whom it does apply.

All I can say about that is God can heal cancer so he can certainly heal marriages too.

So, to you who are blessed or are the blessing, may God richly bless you beyond what you can imagine.

For those who relate to the second half of this verse, I pray for your healing in every way, again, beyond what you can imagine!

If you are blessed with a godly spouse, feel free to give them a shout out here.
If you feel like you relate more to the second part of this verse, don’t be afraid to seek counsel and prayer, having faith that God can heal.
November 6, 2023

November 6th, 2023

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Matthew 19-20

Highlight Verses:

““Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’” And he said, “‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭19‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I strive to not get political or judgmental in these studies.

But Jesus spoke the truth unashamedly.

His words are obvious, so I really need make no further comment. But you know me. Here I go.

“But Richard, you’ve been divorced.”

Yup, it’s true.

I could hide behind the fact that I stayed committed until after my ex was unfaithful. The truth is, I was not a perfect husband, nor have I ever been a perfect man.

No one is.

Therefore, I don’t use Jesus’ words as judgement but as guidance.

There is forgiveness for every sin except that of rejecting that forgiveness.

From yesterday’s reading, we know that God designed us from the beginning. He knows us through and through.

He knows what’s best for us and wants us to follow that design so that we can have the best life. We fall short but that doesn’t mean we can’t make course corrections throughout our life to get closer and closer to that perfect path.

My advice here? Do whatever you can to stay faithful and committed to your spouse.

For those who have gone down the LGBQT path, I won’t judge you, but I will say that path will never offer the true fulfillment that God’s natural plan for marriage provides. No matter what modern society tells you, that is not the way God designed you.

For those who fall on my side of the of these issues, can you accept those who believe differently with love?
For those one the “woke” side, can you be open to the possibility that God truly designed you differently than what woke culture tells you?

Tag: marriage

I mean, what other religious writing would admit such an embarrassing event?

It was very important that the tribe of Benjamin be preserved.

But I’m sure glad that the tribe of Benjamin survived.

In a culture and time when arranged marriages were the norm, it struck me as odd that they asked Rebekah whether she wanted to go be Isaac’s wife or not.

She stepped out in faith, said yes, and was rewarded with a place in history.

This is one of the earliest examples of the fair treatment of women in the Bible. At least it seemed fair in the context of that culture.

The Bible is full of stories of romantic love.

Joseph effectively gave up his reputation, his livelihood, and his home to keep his wife and family safe.

That is true love.

While feelings are good, love is really about commitment.

King Solomon? – 700 wives and 300 concubines. And he became the wealthiest man alive.

He went from being the wisest man on the planet to compromising his faith to please his wives.

I still have to be on my guard against the love of money.

It robs kids of all the friendships and fun they could have if they were just content to be kids.

she not only honors her lover but also her parents and her culture by staying faithful.

I see today’s highlight verse as a plea for help from the women of Jerusalem to keep her and all the other young women faithful.

I must confess, I find Song of Solomon rather awkward to read.

Then again…

That’s what the Song of Solomon is.

And the book of Song of Solomon is like a wedding video so that people who came after can celebrate the beauty of that love.

God strongly believes in romantic love.

I thought that a peek back to the origin of marriage would be appropriate.

Even if you come from the viewpoint that this story is more poetic than literal, that doesn’t keep it from being true. It was not good for Adam to be alone.

And God is Love! (1 John 4:8)

Let’s face it – I’m blessed!

All I can say about that is God can heal cancer so he can certainly heal marriages too.

But Jesus spoke the truth unashamedly.

There is forgiveness for every sin except that of rejecting that forgiveness.