By Pastor Bob Lawrenz
Just as our families have all been touched by the hand of the Lord, we have seen the devil at work there as well. Too often, the blessings of marriage have been dissolved due to unfaithfulness and/or the waning of affection between husbands and wives. Divorces and separations within the Church are as numerous as in the general population. How fickle the human race can be! Being of one mind one day can turn rapidly into being double-minded the next.
This problem in humanity is one of the weaknesses of the flesh, and it is universal, as statistics show. The reasons can be multiple, and complex, but unless maturity, ethics, and shared goals are in the mix of a relationship, every relationship can be headed down hill!
As a Pastor, it’s always a blessing to officiate at a wedding. And conversely, it is a horrible disappointment when one of those marriages falls by the wayside into divorce. I’ve married couples whose marriages have lasted 30 years, and others whose marriages lasted just two weeks. And in retrospect, I can truthfully say that the ones that have endured life’s storms, have enjoyed the “staying power” of the Lord Jesus Christ at their core. Each party of those marriages has had a commitment to Christ resulting in His blessings, and their longevity.
This spiritual relationship is what Jeremiah is speaking of to the northern and southern tribes. But when God impresses this upon them, they are dull of hearing, and filled with hatred towards God’s messenger, Jeremiah. As the Apostle Paul wrote of a Godly marriage relationship in Ephesians 5:20-33, his words should reverberate in our own hearts: “This is a great mystery; but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” (Eph. 5:32)
“I will be your God, and ye shall be my people.” ~~ Lev. 26:12, 2 Cor. 6:16
