Daily Devotional
Do You See Marriage as God Intended?
“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”
Genesis 2:24
July 29, 2023
Ponder This
There are three verbs here that I want to underscore—leave, cleave (or be joined), and become one flesh. There you have an outline for preparing any child for marriage. This is the marriage relationship summed up in a verse and one of the key verses in all the Bible. I’ve been a pastor for many years, and I’ve done a lot of marriage counseling. But I have not done any marriage counseling, nor shall I ever do any, in which the problem was not caused by people not understanding the meaning of this one verse. Not understanding what it means to leave. Not understanding what it means to cleave. Not understanding what it means to be one flesh. In those three verbs, you have the priority of marriage, the permanence of marriage, and the purpose of marriage.
- How is your understanding of marriage tied to the three verbs in today’s verse?
- How does this understanding of marriage lead us to the deep commitment God intends?
Practice This
Take some time to study this verse today. If you don’t know much about the meaning of these words, look at some commentaries to learn more about the intention of these words.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
