Marriage – Church, Discipleship, and Missions

Marital Intimacy: Year Two Day 252 Devotional

Passage: 1 Corinthians 7
Psalm and Proverbs: Psalm 61

1 Corinthians 7:3-4

³The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise the wife also to her husband. ⁴The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise the husband also does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.

In a marriage, there is mutuality in physical intimacy between a man and a woman. One is not a master or slave to the other. Instead, their bodies belong mutually to one another.

Father, help Christian couples live according to Your word.

Psalm 61:1-3 (NASB)

Hear my cry, God;
Give Your attention to my prayer.
From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
For You have been a refuge for me,
A tower of strength against the enemy.

Sharing Life and Growing Old Together: Year One Day 333 Devotional

Passage: Song of Solomon 6:4-8:14
Psalm and Proverbs: Psalm 148

Song of Solomon 7:6

How beautiful and how delightful you are,
My love, with all your delights!

Love should grow between husband and wife as they grow older. Though no one else may perceive it as so, to the husband, the wife’s beauty remains and grows through the years. In sharing life together through conflict and difficult times as well as fun and joyful times, love and admiration should grow. The beauty one sees goes deeper than outer appearances. In other words, loving couples notice and admire what is beautiful in one another.

Father, I thank You for over 31 years of marriage and bringing through trials and allowing us to experience joy together. I thank You that our love for one another has grown.

Psalm 148:13 (NASB)

They are to praise the name of the Lord,
For His name alone is exalted;
His majesty is above earth and heaven.

Marital Conflict: Year One Day 332 Devotional

Passage: Song of Solomon 5:2-6:1
Psalm and Proverbs: Psalm 147

Passage: Song of Solomon 5:2-6:3
Psalm and Proverbs: Psalm 147

Song of Solomon 5:8-10

Swear to me, you daughters of Jerusalem,
If you find my beloved,
As to what you will tell him:
For I am lovesick.

What kind of beloved is your beloved,
O most beautiful among women?
What kind of beloved is your beloved,
That you make us swear in this way?”

My beloved is dazzling and reddish,
Outstanding among ten thousand.

Marriage has periods of conflict that drive each other apart. At those moments, it is important to do two things. The first is to seek reconciliation as soon as possible. The second is to remember why you love one another and what draws you to each other.

Father, heal the broken and strained marriages among Your people.

Psalm 147:1-6 (NASB)

Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
For it is pleasant and praise is beautiful.
The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
He gathers the outcasts of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted
And binds up their wounds.
He counts the number of the stars;
He gives names to all of them.
Great is our Lord and abundant in strength;
His understanding is infinite.
The Lord supports the afflicted;
He brings the wicked down to the ground.

The Gift of Intimacy: Year One Day 331 Devotional

Passage: Song of Solomon 4:1-5:1
Psalm and Proverbs: Psalm 146

Song of Solomon 4:9-10

You have enchanted my heart, my sister, my bride;
You have enchanted my heart with a single glance of your eyes,
With a single strand of your necklace.
How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride!
How much sweeter is your love than wine,
And the fragrance of your oils
Than that of all kinds of balsam oils!

Within marriage, the sexual act has God’s blessings. It is not a duty to complete but something to be enjoyed between two people with covenant love for each other. It is God’s gift to be used according to God’s instructions.

Father, thank You for marriage and the gift of sexual intimacy.

Psalm 146:8-9 (NASB)

The Lord opens the eyes of those who are blind;
The Lord raises up those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over strangers;
He supports the fatherless and the widow,
But He thwarts the way of the wicked.

Mutual Belonging: Year One Day 330 Devotional

Passage: Song of Solomon 2:8-3:11
Psalm and Proverbs: Psalm 145

Song of Solomon 2:16

“My beloved is mine, and I am his;
He pastures his flock among the lilies.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

In marriage, the bride does not become property of the groom or vice versa. Rather, they mutually belong to the other. Their roles in marriage are different, but they carry out those roles in mutual love and service to the other.

Father, help Christian couples to live this way. Particularly, empower husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church so that our marriages will be a testimony of Your sacrificial love.

Psalm 145:13 (NASB)

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.
The Lord is faithful in His words,
And holy in all His works.