In This Issue:
A Biblical Marriage
The Differences Between Men and Women
The Marriage Institution
Marriage Is Not A Mission Field
Volume: 993 February 10, 2025
Theme: Marriage
The Daily View is a free, daily devotion. Sign up (https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/a26cc9M), and you will be e-mailed a link to read or HEAR a KJV chapter and a short commentary (200-700 words) of something taught in the day’s reading. The e-mail will include a mini-sermon in pictures, a prayer list, Thought for The Day, and short articles reinforcing biblical principles.
Read what readers have said about the e-mailed devotion at
https://www.devotionsfromthebible.com/what-readers-say
A Biblical Marriage
Bill Brinkworth
Ephesians 5 discusses a subject that bristles the hair on the back of many necks. It takes a position that has been hated and rebelled against for generations. Unfortunately, the refusal to follow God’s commandments in this area has resulted in a current divorce rate higher than 50%.
In Ephesians 5:21-33, Paul discusses submissiveness between a married man and a woman. According to Noah Webster, “submitting” is yielding or surrendering to an authority.
The first surrendering to authority discussed here is for both husband and wife to surrender to each other (vs. 21) because they respect God’s commandments! They are to submit to each other because God tells them to, and they should know God’s way works. God ordained the union between man and woman, so He certainly knows how it will work. No other way will be successful!
A wife must also submit to her husband (vs. 22). When she humbles herself to do so, she is doing it “unto the Lord”. What a step of faith it takes to be a wife and trust the Lord that way. I’m sure most women shudder at this point, thinking about all kinds of situations: “What happens if I submit to him, and my husband mistreats me?”; “What happens if I let him be the authority and decision-maker, and he makes wrong decisions?”; “What happens if he doesn’t make any decisions?”; “What happens if I don’t get my say?”, and countless other scenarios.
If the husband does not hold up his commitments, those situations could come true. That is why it is so important that a marriage be between believers (II Cor. 6:14). However, there are no retractions for bad decisions in marriage partners in God’s Word. No matter the spiritual status, one is still committed to upholding his part of the marriage as the Lord commands.
There are many marriage failures because couples do not adhere to God’s way but try to cohabit the way “everyone else is doing it”. When a marriage fails, it is usually because someone is not holding up their end of God’s commandments for that person.
Submission in a marriage is not just between the wife and her husband. The husband also has a part in making a marriage work. His part is not just surrendering to his wife, but he is to love his wife as Christ loves His church (vs. 25) and as much as he loves his own body (vs. 28, 33). One should not want to do wrong to one’s body; he must only want to do what is right and best for his wife.
As a husband and wife submit themselves to Christ, they should also submit themselves to each other. God’s way works.
“If a child of God marries a child of the devil, the child of God will surely have trouble with his father-in-law.” — Author Unknown
The Differences between Men and Women
Author Unknown
In the current world, many are trying to make both sexes the same and even confuse their roles. God has created men and women and has made them different, with strengths and weaknesses.
When married, God can use a man’s strengths to complement a woman’s weaknesses and take the strengths of a wife to make up for the husband’s shortcomings. The two different halves can produce a stronger whole.
This article from an unknown author (before 1871) points out some of the differences between men and women and shows the strengths they can bring to a marriage:
- Man is strong; woman is beautiful.
- Man is daring and confident; woman is diffident (“showing modest reserve”) and unassuming.
- Man is great in action; woman is long-suffering.
- Man shines abroad; woman excels at home.
- Man talks to convince; woman to persuade.
- Man has a rugged heart; woman, a soft and tender one.
- Man prevents misery; woman relieves it.
- Man has science; woman taste.
- Man has judgment; woman sensibility.
- Man is a being of justice; woman has mercy.
Each possesses peculiar gifts and a wide sphere of usefulness, and, by the wise use of these respective gifts, society is benefited, a marriage is strengthened, and God is honored.
“As a husband and wife grow closer to God, they also grow closer to each other!”
The Marriage Institution
Excerpts from Bible Reading for the Home, 1943
- After creating man, what did God say?
“And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” Gen. 2:18 - What did God say He would make?
A help meet for him (Gen. 2:18). - Could such a help be found among the creatures God had already made? No.
“… but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.” Gen. 2:20 - What did God do to remedy Adam’s need? God made Adam a mate.
“… And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.” Gen. 2:21-22 - What did Adam say as he received his wife from God?
“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.” Gen. 2:23 - What great truth was then stated?
“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” Gen. 2:24 - What did Jesus say about marriage?
“Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” Mat. 19:6
“Marriages may be made in Heaven, but man is responsible for the maintenance work.” — Changing Times
Marriage Is Not a Mission Field
Author Unknown
Mark Twain, the well-known American humorist, fell in love with Miss Olivia Langdon. “Livy,” as he called her, grew up in a Christian home and held firm religious convictions. Mark Twain made no profession of faith, although he appeared to have been touched by Livy’s life.
Mark Twain and Olivia Langdon were married. Early in their marriage, Mark regularly asked for a blessing at mealtime and joined in family worship, but this did not last.
One day, Twain announced, “Livy, I don’t believe in the Bible.” Bit by bit, Mark Twain’s lack of faith worked like a cancer destroying his wife’s spiritual life.
Later, during a period of pressing sorrow, he tried to strengthen Livy by saying, “Livy, if it comforts you to lean on the Christian faith, do so.”
His wife sadly replied, “Mark, I can’t. I haven’t it anymore!”
Marriage is not a mission field. God never called one into marriage to convert one’s partner.
Marriage strains under the burden of an unshared faith. Not only will you harm the person with whom you join your life, but you will harm yourself if your partner is not a Christian. Too much is at stake to ignore God’s commandment.
“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” II Cor. 6:14
“If you never date an unsaved person, you will never marry one!”