IN MARRIAGE, HUSBAND AND WIFE MUST WORK AS A TEAM. They must also walk in knowledge and maturity. Each must recognize and respect their Mate as a vessel that God could use any time.
Even though it’s true that the Husband is the head in the marriage union, he must recognize the fact that his wife is divinely stationed beside him is as God’s Agent of Rescue to save him and vice versa.
Our anchor scripture passage presents a report of what happened after Ishmael the Son of Hager, the Egyptian maid of Abraham, was caught mocking on the day Isaac was weaned. Fortunately, it was Sarah the mother of Isaac who caught him in the act. Instantly, she had a strong and deep premonition that Ishmael would be a great threat to the life of Isaac in the future. She therefore told her husband to drive out Hagar and her Son. Her demand sounded harsh and Abraham couldn’t accept it. To him it was wrong, unjust and too extreme a reaction. But as our anchor scripture passage shows, God swiftly stepped in and told Abraham that Sarah was perfectly right and he, Abraham, should send Hagar out exactly as Sarah had said!
Today, with the Bible in our hands and the knowledge of the history of how the offsprings of Hagar have related with Israel over the centuries, we can’t do but agree with Sarah just as God did: because it’s all too obvious that if Abraham had insisted on Hagar and her son remaining in his home, Isaac would have been conspired against and exterminated by Ishmael long ago.
Many couples have suffered needless and avoidable tragedies simply because they were not sober enough to discern the voice of God as He spoke through one of them. The husband is the head in marriage, yes, but he isn’t the only one God would always speak through or give a revelation. He could send a warning, a message or an important guidance through the wife.
Long ago, I read of how a couple lost two precious sons in a plane crash as a result of the insistence by the husband and father of the kids that the children should come by flight when their mum felt they should come by road. She stated her reason but the husband overruled her and said “No, they should come by flight” and she submitted for peace to reign. Most unfortunately, the plane crashed and the children perished.
I’ve also heard of a wife telling her to stay home during a public holiday so that they would be together, rest and enjoy the holiday but he wouldn’t hear of it. While he was having his bathe, she locked the door and hid the keys but once he was set to go out he demanded for the keys and she submitted them to him. He drove out to town only to get killed in an accident not long after he left home.
And of course, it’s not only husbands who refuse to listen to the voice of God as it comes through their Wives. Wives have also done it and paid very dearly for it.
In marriage, learn to be humble enough to halt, pause and think through what your spouse is saying.
Great and all-wise as God is, He still listens to the voice of Man. Here’s an instance:
“COME NOW, AND LET US REASON TOGETHER, SAITH THE LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”(Isaiah 1:18). Do you see God asking Man to come sit down together with Him and let them reason together? This is wisdom and humility. Let’s emulate this in our marriages. No Spouse has the monopoly of knowledge. We only know in part. We must therefore be open to new ideas coming through our mate. We must prayerfully check them and use them if they’re good and most appropriate.
A number of times God wanted to destroy Israel in the wilderness but Moses would point Him to what the Egyptians and other nations would say, and God would listen, use Moses’ idea and spare them. Spouses must be similarly humble and open to using each other’s wise counsel.
🍷🍗 TAKE-HOME LESSON: BE ALWAYS SOBER AND DISCERNING TO RECOGNIZE WHEN THE VOICE OF GOD IS COMING THROUGH THE LIPS OF YOUR MATE.
💕❤️ TONIGHT’S ONE FLESH ASSIGNMENT IN THE BEDROOM
Reread today’s devotional piece and discuss it.
🍎🍏MARRIAGE REVOLUTION CONTINUES!🍏🍎