The Man Who Finds A Wife, Finds A Treasure
Marriage In Heaven & On Earth
PROVERBS 18:22
“He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the Lord.”
Proverbs 18:22 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/pro.18.22.NKJV
“Marriage is a good thing.” Problems in marriage arise from breakdown in communication or mutual respect for one another, not because of flaws in marriage (12:4).
The Lord God said, “it is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him (GENESIS 2:18).”
God’s creative work was not complete until he created women.
God chose to create Eve from the side of man, from his bone rather than from dust as He created Adam.
In doing so, He illustrated to us that in marriage, a man and his wife are united into one. The same applies to our relationship with Christ (EPHESIANS 2:6).
He didn’t take the bone from Adam’s head that she would be above him, nor from his foot that she should be trodden down; but from his side that they are and shall remain equals, and in marriage should become one flesh.
But He did say, “she is to be his helper”, and therefore, subject to her husband, just as the church is subject to Christ, for He is the head.
This is a wonderful mystical union of the couple’s heart and lives (see GENESIS 2:18:24).
Marriage should be viewed as a great gift from God, and it should be treasured; He created it for our enjoyment and contentment, and pronounced it “good.”
Marriage works, but for it to work perfectly we need to follow God’s instructions as in His word and remain obedient to Him.
No one can follow these basic instructions without reading His word and taking it in.
If your marriage is struggling, go back to basics and look at God’s instruction for you as a husband or a wife; His way works (JOHN 14:6).
It takes effort and determination, and we will all need God’s help.
Therefore pray individually and together for your marriage; it is a three way relationship.
When you give your marriage vows before God, you are agreeing a covenant with your spouse and God; it is a life-long agreement!
If you break that covenant with your spouse, you are also breaking your covenant with God.
The devil is never far away-he comes to steal, and to kill, and to destroy and he wants to destroy your marriage, indeed all your relationships, particularly your relationship with God.
But Jesus came that we have life, and that we have more abundantly (JOHN 10:10).
To receive life in abundance, put your trust in Jesus.
Sex and money are the two main areas that the devil will try to attack your marriage.
If you leave a crack in the door, he will enter in and cause havoc.
But if you follow God’s good instruction and resist the devil, he will flee from you (JAMES 4:7).
Know and take your place as a husband or a wife and don’t allow the temptations of the devil, disobedience or pride destroy that what the Lord our God said is good.
1 CORINTHIANS 7:1-16 and EPHESIANS 5:22-33 gives us great instruction for marriage.
Read it, take it in, and obey it; it is God given instructions that you agreed to when you gave your marriage vows before God.
Paul tells us, “Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. But I say this as a concession, not as a commandment. For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that. But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am; but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.”
I Corinthians 7:1-9 NKJV
Whilst the word tells us love does not seek its own (1 CORINTHIANS 13:5), we all have needs, and therefore, one must not withhold intimacy except for the purpose of fasting and prayer when both agree to protect one another from temptation.
If your spouse is hungry, feed him or her and satisfy.
If you don’t, the devil knows someone who will!
Husbands, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the Lord.”
Proverbs 18:22 NKJV
Husbands, she is your God given helper, Cherish her! Treat her with respect, for she is a gift from God.
“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”
Ephesians 5:22-33 NKJV
Just as the church, the bride of Christ, is subject to the Lord, so the wife is subject to her husband, and just as Christ loved the Church with all provision, even taking responsibility for her on a cross, so the husband must love his wife with all provision and take responsibility for her, even to the point of death.
We all have disagreements and at times those differences can be fiery, but Paul said, “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.”
Ephesians 4:26-27 NKJV
My beloved, never sleep on anger or offence, for like cancer it will grow.
The same can be said regarding our relationship with Christ, for we are all individual members of one body (1 CORINTHIANS 12-12-13), the bride of Christ (REVELATION 19:7; 21:2 and 9-10).
In Christ we believers are all equal, no one is above or below another, and are all called with individual purpose, and Christ is the head “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many.”
I Corinthians 12:12-14 NKJV
In Christ, no longer can one say, women can’t preach or teach, because is it not “I”, but “Christ” in me that does it.
“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
Galatians 3:26-29 NKJV
My beloved, just as a married couple must come together regularly, not depriving one another (1 CORINTHIANS 7:5), so the whole body must come together regularly with Christ.
Just as in marriage, our relationship with Christ cannot survive without intimacy. That means private conversations and regular church attendance.
Church attendance once a week is not sufficient, just as our human marriage takes daily effort, so does our relationship with Christ.
“Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Hebrews 10:19-25 NKJV
And finally my beloved, love is the foundation of God’s way of life (MATHEW 22:37-40).
Therefore, apply love to your marriage, knowing,
that “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
I Corinthians 13:4-13 NKJV
All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.
