The Next Year of Your Marriage Devotional
Day 2: Because God pursues me to help me mature in my faith, I promise to encourage you to grow spiritually.
SCRIPTURE
Colossians 1:9-10 – And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
Psalm 23 – The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Isaiah 40:28-31 – Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
DEVOTIONAL
What is life about?
Is it about being happy and fulfilled? Is it about fulfilling your soul, being useful, or about “making a difference”?
The Westminster Short Catechism provides one of the best answers: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” That’s our focus. That’s our mission.
We don’t need to pursue that goal in our own power, either. God’s Spirit continually works in our lives to strengthen us, build us, protect us, and fill our lives with the knowledge of His will (Psalm 23; Isaiah 40:28-31; Colossians 1:9).
Because our purpose in life is to glorify God and enjoy Him, the greatest thing you can do for your marriage is to encourage each other to pursue God and spend time with Him. As C.S. Lewis wrote, “When I have learnt to love God better than my earthly dearest, I shall love my earthly dearest better than I do now.”
Over the next year of your married life, look for ways to point each other to God and His Word. Remember that those who delight in God’s Word are “like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither” (Psalm 1:3). Don’t you want those words to describe you—and your spouse?
Also, spend time praying together. Dennis Rainey, co-founder of FamilyLife, says that praying together daily with his wife “has helped resolve conflicts, kept communication flowing, and, most importantly, acknowledged our utter dependence upon Jesus Christ as the Lord and Builder of our family.”
The closer you grow to God, the closer you will grow to each other.
DISCUSS WITH YOUR SPOUSE
Read Psalm 1:1-3 together. How have you seen your life prosper as you know and apply God’s Word in your life? How could you encourage each other to grow closer to God?
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