Malachi 2
Get Clear about Marriage!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, October 25.
God created men and women to bring Him glory by partnering with Him, and one another, in the stewardship of creation (Genesis 1:26-30). One of the clearest ways God equipped us to fulfill this Genesis Commission is through the gift of marriage, which was God’s plan to meet our fundamental human need for companionship, as exposed in Genesis 2:18, “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.’” The husband-wife relationship is God’s idea, and it’s one that He’s protective of, which is why He dealt severely with the remnant of Israel in Malachi 2:13-16:
This is another thing you do: you cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and with groaning, because He no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. Yet you say, “For what reason?” Because the Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. … “For I hate divorce,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “and him who covers his garment with wrong,” says the Lord of hosts.
We provoke God to judgment when we aren’t clear about marriage. It’s not a mystery that this is such a big deal to God, so we must pray for, prioritize, and protect the marriages in our churches (Ephesians 5:21-33). Put on the full armor of God and stand firm in your faith against the schemes of the devil (Ephesians 6:11-18), who continues to attack God’s plans in a desperate effort to diminish God’s glory in the world by throwing a blanket over the light of our marriages. We are called to shine as image bearers of God.
Seize the moment and get clear about marriage. Pray! Prioritize! Protect!
God bless you!
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YOUTUBE:
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