50 Years of Marriage

50 Years of Marriage
Genesis 2:24, For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.”
50 Years of marriage. This is a celebration! This is not merely a celebration of the years this couple has been married, but a celebration of love. A continuous, increasing, and deepening love. A love that is unmatched, except by the love that God has for us. The love that Mac and Judy has for each other is shred with and has been consummated by God.
God joined this couple together in holy matrimony 50 years ago. From what I have been told, it is not always easy being married for 50 years and beyond. The beauty of seeing this couple married for 50 years is the love they have for each other. Their love has bound them through the understanding of their commitment and of the vows they made to each other through their covenant with God.
God established marriage at creation when God created Adam and Eve. Marriage has always been seen by God as a love that a husband has for his wife, just as the love that Christ has for His church and the love the wife has for her husband through submission. This is described in Ephesians 5:21-25, “And further, you will submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. You wives will submit to your husbands as you do to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of his body, the church; he gave his life to be her Savior. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives must submit to your husbands in everything. And you husbands must love your wives with the same love Christ showed the church.”
For a couple, marriage begins with a commitment to each other before God and other people to be husband and wife. This is a commitment for life, in which God considers the man and the woman to be of one flesh, as husband and wife. It says in Genesis 2:24 and Matthew 19:5, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.” God views the unity of Mac and Judy as “one flesh;” which is essential to be husband and wife. Jesus continues in Matthew 19:6, “So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”
What an awesome testimony Mac and Judy has in their marriage! It is very encouraging to me to know them and to be a witness to their example. It is a blessing to see a couple whose love has abounded and has endured for over fifty years.
I want to thank you God for this marriage union and I pray for your blessings upon them. Thank you, Lord for your love, your faithfulness, and your gift of marriage; which has all been evident and proven through the relationship and marriage of Mac and Judy. We praise your name and give you all the glory. Amen

Psalm 3

Psalm 3
A psalm of David, written when he fled from his son Absalom.
3:1 Lord, how numerous are my enemies!
Many attack me.
3:2 Many say about me,
“God will not deliver him.” (Selah)
3:3 But you, Lord, are a shield that protects me;
you are my glory and the one who restores me.
3:4 To the Lord I cried out,
and he answered me from his holy hill. (Selah)
3:5 I rested and slept;
I awoke, for the Lord protects me.
3:6 I am not afraid of the multitude of people
who attack me from all directions.
3:7 Rise up, Lord!
Deliver me, my God!
Yes, you will strike all my enemies on the jaw;
you will break the teeth of the wicked.
3:8 The Lord delivers;
you show favor to your people. (Selah)

Psalm 3 is all about God’s love for his people and David’s trust in the Lord. “Psalm 3 is a psalm of lament and confidence.” David demonstrates his faith through adversity. He even demonstrates his confidence by being able to sleep peacefully. David calls on the LORD (all capital letters) meaning YAHWEH, with crying and in an audible voice. David is asking God for his shield of protection. God demonstrates his love by providing protection and by inflicting punishment to David’s enemies. “God works for his glory and for the good of his people.”
There are many implications in this psalm. First, in verses 1 and 2, David confides in God. David looks to God when his life is in danger. He describes to God what has been troubling him, how things are getting worse for him. David is showing his wisdom by praying before he takes any action. We, too, are to confide in God when people are out to harm us or are spreading lies about us. Prayer is our tool to demonstrate our faith in God. Our prayers are not to be merely words, but petitions from our hearts.
Further implications in this psalm are found in verses 3-4. David continues to show his confidence in God by stating that God is his “shield about me.” We are to show our confidence in God, believing in his power, his protection, and his love for us as his children. Whenever we are going through hard times, we are to look to God, meditate on God like David did. We are to demonstrate our joy in God by lifting our heads in the confidence of his love for us.
More implications are found in verses 5-6 of Psalm 3. Do not worry. Through all the troubles that David was dealing with, he was able to sleep. David gives God the credit for getting a good night sleep. Many times I fall short of having the faith in God to deal with my problems. As a result, I miss out of the blessing of getting a good night sleep and being rejuvenated for the day ahead. I essence, verse 5 has been called “a morning psalm.” Also, David speaks of not being afraid. He knew God never sleeps and would protect him while he did. God is in control. David’s fear of the Lord gave him the confidence not to fear man. We are to trust the Lord in all we do and in his protection for us. We are not to live our lives in fear or in worry. “If you fear God, then you have no man to fear.”
Finally, the rest if the implications for Psalm 3 are found in verses 7-8. Again, David is confiding in God. This time is to punish his enemies. Actually, David makes his request like it has already happened. David just knows God will bring justice. We are to know that God has already planned to punish the ones who do us wrong. The last implication is that God pours his blessing out to his people. Salvation is mentioned because that is the greatest gift God has for his people. All of our blessings come from God. Verses 7-8 indicate that God’s people are blessed, while his enemies are condemned.
The significance of Psalm3 on my life is that God knows our hearts. When we pray, he knows if we are truly sincere or if our intentions or motives are different than the words we say in our prayers. For instance, many times in the past, my prayers were not answered because my heart was different than the words of my prayers. God allowed the circumstances or situations to worsen to bring my heart inline with my prayers.
God demonstrates his love and patience to us to mold us into the instrument he wants to use to bring him the glory and honor that he deserves. God desires us to be dependant on him. That is why he allows trials and tribulations to happen in our lives. He wants to draw us closer to him, to be dependant on him, and for him to demonstrate his love for us. By God, we were created through his love, to love him.