Quote from Forum Archives on October 25, 2011, 6:34 pm

Posted by: edwrather <edwrather@...>

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The Burning Bush Devotional
18,000 Subscribers to the Email Devotional
Classic from 2003

10.26.11

No Longer Two

And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them
at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a
man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two
shall become one flesh'? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh.
Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." - Matthew
19:4-6.

Again, do you think that we excuse ourselves to you? We speak before God in
Christ. But we do all things, beloved, for your edification. For I fear
lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I wish, and that I shall be
found by you such as you do not wish; lest there be contentions, jealousies,
outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, backbitings, whisperings, conceits,
tumults; lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I
shall mourn for many who have sinned before and have not repented of the
uncleanness, fornication, and lewdness which they have practiced. - 2
Corinthians 12:19-21.

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. - 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.

In Britain, a very upset man made what he thought was an emergency call to
the police. He dialed "999" furiously and demanded urgent help, because his
wife was too busy decorating to cook dinner! The man actually told the
emergency operator, "My wife's left me with two salmon sandwiches which was
left over from last night, and I'm sat in the chair here, and she's out
there decorating. She won't put any food on or anything for anybody." The
man was told that it really wasn't an emergency because his wife wouldn't
cook dinner.

It may be, that this was not the first time that the man in Britain had
demanded his dinner. We have to wonder if he is always demanding something
from his wife, and the point has finally been reached where she no longer
responds to his demands. It is difficult enough for marriages to survive,
even when both the husband and the wife are working to make it succeed. But
when one spouse, the husband or the wife, is not making any effort, it
spells disaster for the relationship. Of course, some marriages continue on
in name only like the one in Britain appears to be, while others are
officially dissolved in divorce court.

The apostle Paul is talking to Christians in general in the church at
Cornith, but he could have been talking to married couples. What he says is
just as necessary in the marriage relationship. For a marriage to survive
and thrive, the "contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish
ambitions, backbitings, whisperings, conceits, tumults" must be overcome and
put aside. The husband and the wife are to become one. When a spouse is
contentious, jealous, wrathful, selfish, backbiting etc. toward the other,
it is simply hurting themselves. It is like stabbing yourself in the back to
be hateful and hurtful toward your spouse.

For the marriage to thrive, there must be this ability to overlook little
slights and hurts. Instead of repaying pain for pain, hurt for hurt, we must
instead give love (1 Corinthians 13). Love has a way of overcoming the
problems, the difficulties, and the frustrations that arise in a
relationship. Without that kind of love, an overcoming love that loves no
matter what, the relationship is doomed to failure.

If your marriage has devolved, into something similar to the one in Britain
or worse, it is time for a time out. Ask your pastor or a marriage counselor
to referee while the issues that have accumulated over the years can be
addressed. Remember your spouse is not the enemy. He or she is you, because
you both are one, in the eyes of God. It is in the best interests of both
the husband and the wife to sort things out, renew their love, and move
forward with life.

Copyright © 2003. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited. The Burning Bush website has
been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the
Burning Bush Devotional was first sent. Ed Wrather began writing devotionals
in the early 1990s. The distribution of these first devotionals was
primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent to prison facilities
throughout the United States and Canada.

Many prayer needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer
Request page. You can also post your prayer requests there and they will be
forwarded to the Burning Bush Prayer Group (Of course, I am always in need
of prayer - please pray for me.). Please pray for our grandson, Mason
Wrather, as he recovers from surgery. Please pray a member of our church who
is battling cancer, Connie Bryan.

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Church of Broken Bow, Oklahoma) live on Sunday mornings at 10:55am CST
www.kkbifm.com/
Several videos of Clark's sermons can be found at his church website:
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