Someone has said that God performed the first marriage ceremony. After God created Adam, He said that it was not good for man to be alone and so He created a woman. The Bible says in Genesis chapter two, "Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: 'This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.' Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."
Someone said recently, "one plus one equals one". That is God's view. And that is why many traditional wedding ceremonies quote from the Bible, "what God has joined together, let not man put asunder." We believe marriage is to be between one man and one woman for life. That is why we promised to love, honor, and cherish each other until we are separated by death. We also believe that God brought us together -- and He has kept us together by His own power and love. We are very thankful for that.
Grandchildren, even after fifty years it was a good thing to stop and think about the promises we made to each other on August 27, 1963. It was a blessing to repeat those vows in front of our children and as many grandchildren and other family members as could make it. What an amazing time it was for us at Stephen's and Jeannie's to have Charles Fore lead us in reciting our marriage vows just as he did fifty years ago.
Right now we have grandchildren from the age of nearly two to twenty-three. Some of you are married already and we pray for you. We pray for the rest of you that you will make wise choices within the will of God for your lives. We pray that you will follow Jesus in your lives and in your marriages. And that you will decide from the very start to keep God at the very center of your family. Whether you are married or not, pray every day for your spouse (the one God has given you or the one He will give you in the future).
Remember that love is more than a feeling. Love is a choice. You can choose to love each other even at times of conflict or disappointment. When you are hurt, angry, or disappointed it is time to go to the mirror of God's Word and take a close look at yourself. I Corinthians thirteen tells us how love behaves.
We pray that when you are married it will be to a Christian who dearly shares your love. We pray it will be an enduring relationship, filled with love and blessing. We pray it will be a life of harmony and growing together in Christ. We know that can happen and that it does.
There is another side, though. It is possible that you can be blinded by wit and charm. It is possible that you can make a decision outside of God's will and be joined to someone who only lives for self. If that happens, you can be an example to your unsaved mate. God can reach that one, redeem him or her, help you ride out the hard times, and transform your home into a peaceful and godly home. That would be our prayer.
Now, here is a hard topic. We live in a difficult time. Sometimes "men are lovers of self" rather than being devoted to God and their family. As painful as the thought is, we must not neglect to say is that we believe God does not expect anyone to stay in an abusive and dangerous situation. We pray nothing like that will ever happen to any of you. Yet, we find it needful to tell you NOT to put your life or health (or that of your children) in danger by staying with someone who jeopardizes your well being. Don't ever think you are "stuck". God will take care of you.
Philippians 4:19 says that God will meet ALL of our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. He has done that for us for a long time now. It hasn't always been a straight, smooth road on this journey. There have been bumps in the road and we have taken some wrong turns. But when we do, we are able to repent and be forgiven. He sets our feet on the right path and points us in the right direction. But more than that, He walks with us. He holds our hands. We know for sure that we are "weak, but HE is strong."
YES! Jesus loves us. YES! Jesus loves YOU. "Jesus loves me" -- He always has and He always will.
