The Next Year of Your Marriage Devotional

Day 5: Because God is faithful to me, I promise to be committed to you.

SCRIPTURE

Psalm 73:23-26 – Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Deuteronomy 31:6 – Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.
Mark 10:9 – What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.
Philippians 2:2-11 – So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

DEVOTIONAL

Commitment seems to be going out of style today, especially when it comes to marriage.

Young adults are postponing marriage or avoiding it altogether. Divorce is as common as popcorn in a movie theater. In future years, 50th anniversary celebrations will become rare events.

While many couples find it difficult to maintain their commitment in marriage year after year, we can be thankful for God’s faithfulness to us as followers of Christ. God pledges to never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6). Psalm 73:26 declares, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

God will never leave us. And when you and your spouse keep your marriage covenant and remain committed to each other for a lifetime, you reflect His character. You give help and hope to a world that desperately wants to experience oneness in marriage. That’s one reason Christ declared, “What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate” (Mark 10:9).

One way God showed His commitment to us was by setting aside His interests and living on earth as a man. As Philippians 2 tells us, “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (v. 8). This is the attitude each of us should have toward our spouse—considering their interests more important than our own. The same passage in Philippians instructs us to “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

Considering your spouse more significant than yourself is one of the biggest challenges of marriage. But that type of commitment will make your marriage last for a lifetime.

DISCUSS WITH YOUR SPOUSE

Read Romans 8:31-39 together. List some ways that God has shown His love and commitment to you. How can you show these same qualities to each other?

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