“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
Today’s Christian daily devotional
The sky sounds like it is being ripped like a flimsy blue tissue paper. It does not rattle me a bit, as I have been a Chicago native my whole life. The sounds of the annual Air and Water show are a comforting reminder of summer days long gone. How could I forget my father hoisting me on his broad shoulders to give me a better view of the majestic aircrafts in the sky?
As my neighbor’s dogs bark themselves into a terrified frenzy, I peek my head out the window of my apartment.
Nine fighter jets streamline to form a point as they hover in the air in perfect unity. Each plane is powerful, loud and has a presence on its own; the converging of them simply takes my breath away.
They look like blue steel geese heading west for the winter; the back plane takes the lead, and each plane settles into a different spot in the same formation. There is no fight to be first; there is only complete submission to each other and their collective goal, to put on a good show.
This could not be possible if each pilot fought to be the leader; they were a team. One could easily see how that team benefited not only itself, but also the ones fortunate enough to witness the culmination of their hours of practice and skill.
Because of the celebration of independence, and the misinformation about the benefits of unification, marriage has become a dying institution. Sadly, our children and our families suffer from this all in the name of freedom from dependence.
But, after reading Gen. 2:24 it is clear to me that marriage is the result of a person breaking away from his/her family unit only to become fully available to build his/her own.
I have had the experience of being a single girl in the city, and those days had many perks. Marriage has not been the cakewalk it was portrayed to me in the wedding magazines and catalogs. There have been various ups and downs, but through it all, I have learned the beauty of relying on the strengths God gave my husband, and being available for him when he needs me. We each have very different needs and we each are perfectly formed to meet the needs of the one God has chosen for us.
Is your house divided against itself? How can you expect it to stand?
“Dear Heavenly Father,
My marriage is simpler than I am making it out to be. It is a partnership of two imperfect people committing to making it work—no matter what difficulties life will throw our way.
Lord, I keep forgetting that my husband is my other half; he is not the enemy. When I fight and argue with him I am only hurting my family and myself. This was never your intention and this will not get my family the blessing that you want for us.
Help us to come together and support each other. Help us to communicate clearly and effectively and to pick the right times to do so. Lord, bless our conversations to be truthful and productive. Help us to remember that we are supposed to be each other’s strengths. We were not designed to tear each other down.
I have a mission. It is to build a healthy, happy family. Can you help me to complete that mission?
Lord, I bow myself in submission to you, the Lord of our home. I promise to serve you first by taking care of things the way you instruct my heart to do. I promise to obey you. I will serve you with a joyful heart by loving and serving my family with a joyful one. Lord, bless me not to forget about myself in that process as well. In Jesus’ precious name, thank you for the gift of unity. I am expecting that you will show me how it works. Amen.”
Thank you for reading today’s daily devotional on: Gen. 2:24
Please check back and see what we have for you tomorrow!
Author: Julia Shalom Jordan