Harvest Daily 09/23/04
Harvest Daily Devotional
by Pastor Greg Laurie
September 23
You've Got Mail!
"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 5:33
The problem with many Christian marriages today is we tend to read each other's mail. Has your spouse ever read your mail? "What's this letter here? A bill from some department store!" I'm sure you don't like people to read your mail. Well many times husbands and wives read each other's mail from Scripture. The husband reads the wife's mail, and says, "The Bible says you're supposed to submit to me!" The wife replies, "Well the Bible says to 'love me, just as Christ loves the church!' " Husbands and wives, why don't you concentrate on doing your part first?
Husbands, if you will really love your wife as Christ loved the church, your wife - in most cases - will eventually read her own mail and follow God's will. She will submit, because what you say will not come from how loud you yell. It will come from how much you love her and sacrifice for her. True headship comes from sacrifice and love. It thrives when a husband says; "I care about you. I want to help you." Your wife will respect you for that.
Wives, if you will truly submit to your husband as unto the Lord, your husband - in most cases - will love you to the point that he will sacrifice his desires for yours. He will exalt you, putting you and your needs before his own. You will have - in most cases - a husband who loves you as his own body (see Ephesians 5:28).
If we want our marriages not only to survive but thrive, we must get back to God's original design. We must read and obey our own mail and leave the rest up to God and prayer.
Copyright (c) 2004 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright (c) 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000.