Who Gives This Woman......?

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Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. -- Genesis 2:24 (NKJV)

Recently, I had the privilege of attending a dear friend's wedding. As a guest, I quietly promised myself I would not cry. However, I lost all composure when I saw the groom, standing at the altar, emotionally overcome by the beauty of his bride as she approached the altar on her father's arm.

Then, when the officiating pastor asked, "Who gives this woman to be married to this man?", the bride's father shocked the congregation as he jumped off the ground and yelled "I do!" with such unexpected vigor and volume that we all forgot our tears and laughed out loud! We embraced joy not only for the bride and groom, but for the parents entering a new season of extended family and the promise of future generations.

And now, I pray for my newlywed friends and reflect upon Proverbs 18:22: He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord. Yes, and Amen! Not only do I stand in agreement with that favor blessing, but I also embrace this profound instruction to all husbands from Ephesians 5:28(NKJV): So, husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.

And now, we have learned that this earthly example of marriage provides an example of how Jesus prepares us to be His bride to live with Him in eternity! And we wait for Him with great expectancy! In Revelation 19:7 (NKJV), Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. Indeed, let us remember that we are the Bride of Christ!

On the other hand, because we live in a fallen world, I realize that not every young woman finds newlywed bliss in her life. Many in our culture have either not heard God's Word, or they have strayed from His instructions about marriage and intimacy. As it was written long ago in Genesis, both the Gospels of Mark 10:7-9 (NKJV) and Matthew 19:5(NKJV) remind us that "For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." Clear instructions for both men and women - and parents.

I have also seen the other end of the relationship spectrum, as a volunteer at our local pregnancy center. I frequently witness firsthand the stressful dynamics of unplanned pregnancy. Often, young single women reach out to us, pregnant, alone, frightened, and without resources or family support. At the center, we not only provide material resources, counseling and compassion for these women and their babies, but we also embrace the fathers with tremendous compassion and invite them to join us in parenting education and counseling.

Every day, our team intercedes in prayer for these precious souls as the Lord in His miraculous way guides them to our center. We pray specifically for each person that He will open a door, during their time with us and beyond, that we may gently point them to the love of Jesus Christ. We share 1 Corinthians 13:7(NKJV) with them: Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. And we have seen the beauty of the Lord's process transform lives before our eyes!

And we also see the fruit of His work through our hands: Ephesians 4:32(NKJV): And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. What a blessing to us when clients return to thank us for loving on them; to tell us about their recent marriage; and to share baby pictures! Wow!

Hallelujah and thank you, Jesus! We give thanks to the Lord for He is good, and His mercy endures forever! (Psalm 107:1, NKJV)

As we encounter this beautiful season of love and relationships, we stand on the Lord's truth about the blessings of marriage: Genesis 2:24 (NKJV): Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Amen!

Questions for Reflection:

1. How does God's Word impact your ideas about marriage?

2. Is there someone in your circle of family or friends that needs this message of hope?

3. How can we be praying for you and your marriage or family relationships?