Daily Devotional
Are you part of something bigger than yourself?

October 7, 2018

BIBLE MEDITATION:
And the Lord God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. Genesis 2:15

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
God gave women an instinctive desire to nurture and to men He gave the task of dressing and maintaining the garden. He gave men a hard exterior to be providers and protectors. With that natural gift, it follows that men want to be admired by women. I want to be admired by my wife. I’m blessed when she admires me and says, “You are wonderful,” and she’s blessed when I’m romantic, loving, and tender toward her.

1 Peter 3:7 says, “Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with [your wives] according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.”

“Honor” here is the same word used in 1:19 for “precious”—referring to the “precious blood of Christ.” Your wife is to be precious to you, given honor akin to your respect for the blood of Christ.

Notice it says “weaker vessel.” Weaker than you, which means you’re also weak, right? That’s part of the problem in marriage. Two weak people get married. Elton Trueblood said, “A successful marriage is not one where two beautifully matched people find each other and get along happily ever after. Instead, it’s a system where two persons, sinful and contentious, are so caught up in a dream bigger than themselves that they work throughout the years, in spite of repeated disappointments, to make the dream come true.” That’s well said. Two weak persons, together giving their weakness to Jesus Christ.

ACTION POINT:
How can you show your wife a little tender, loving care today? Now that you’ve thought of something, go do it!