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A look at marriage
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Marriage is a blessing given to mankind by God. “And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.  And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to  all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found help meet for him. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 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. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed” (Gen.2:18-25).
Notice that God took woman from the side of man. Not from his head to rule over him, nor from his feet that he would trample on her, but from his side, that his arm might protect her and she would walk life’s path at his side. When a couple leaves a wedding ceremony they leave as husband and wife, no longer to travel two separate paths, but one path together. That path needs to be the one that keeps God ever before it, one that the couple can walk on side by side.

Marriage is not to be taken lightly as many in our world do today.  Some fail to see its importance. The marriage is to last a lifetime. It is a bond that combines two people and God together for life. Through good times and bad the couple must let their love and devotion to God and each other see them through. Paul described love in this manner, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth” (I Cor 13:1-8).
This married love can be stronger than anything the world can send against it, if the couple works at keeping their love for each other and their love for God strong.

Nelson is pastor of Richmond Hill Church of Christ. This is the first part of a series of articles.

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