Reflections
“Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your home.”
Our psalmist tells us that a man who has
a right relationship with the Lord will also
obtain a right relationship with his wife and
his family.
And walking in the ways of the Lord will be
reflected in the way a man treats his wife.
A man’s wife is after all, “bone of my bones,
flesh of my flesh.” (Genesis 2:23)
As Christ nourishes the Church, so a man
cherishes his wife, and nourishes his relationship
with her. And the man’s reward is that his wife
will be like a ‘fruitful vine’ within his house.
This is how a man is blessed who fears the Lord.
If we have a right relationship with the Lord,
we will know how to treat our wives and our
children, and in turn, we will discover how blessed
we are in our home and by the presence of our
family. “Just so will they be blessed
who fear the Lord.”
Having been so favored by God, we understand
why, “A man shall leave his father and mother and
be joined to his wife.” God made them one flesh,
and, “What God has joined, no human being may
separate.” (Gospel, Mark 10:7-9)
If we fear the Lord and walk in His ways, we will
receive the blessings of our labor, prosper in a
material way, and grow old gracefully in the company
of our wife and children.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist speaks of the benefits of a right relationship with the Lord.
Tell of how fearing the Lord has led you to have a better relationship with your
spouse and your family members.
2. The Psalm asks, "May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives." Recall
in the recesses of your home.”
Our psalmist tells us that a man who has
a right relationship with the Lord will also
obtain a right relationship with his wife and
his family.
And walking in the ways of the Lord will be
reflected in the way a man treats his wife.
A man’s wife is after all, “bone of my bones,
flesh of my flesh.” (Genesis 2:23)
As Christ nourishes the Church, so a man
cherishes his wife, and nourishes his relationship
with her. And the man’s reward is that his wife
will be like a ‘fruitful vine’ within his house.
This is how a man is blessed who fears the Lord.
If we have a right relationship with the Lord,
we will know how to treat our wives and our
children, and in turn, we will discover how blessed
we are in our home and by the presence of our
family. “Just so will they be blessed
who fear the Lord.”
Having been so favored by God, we understand
why, “A man shall leave his father and mother and
be joined to his wife.” God made them one flesh,
and, “What God has joined, no human being may
separate.” (Gospel, Mark 10:7-9)
If we fear the Lord and walk in His ways, we will
receive the blessings of our labor, prosper in a
material way, and grow old gracefully in the company
of our wife and children.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist speaks of the benefits of a right relationship with the Lord.
Tell of how fearing the Lord has led you to have a better relationship with your
spouse and your family members.
2. The Psalm asks, "May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives." Recall
how you have been blessed by God, both physically and spiritually, and how you have been inspired to walk in His ways.
I have truly been blessed with my wife, Carol. We’ve been married for 55 years, and I can’t even imagine a day without her. We both want to go first.
ReplyDeleteJust read that Doug Flutie’s parents died within an hour of one another. That would work for us. Having a great spouse is the greatest gift we can be given on this earth.
Back in 6th grade, I learned a geometry lesson of sorts that I will always remember. I was blessed to have a wonderfully God-fearing man as my main teacher. He told us then 12-year olds something about marriage that would serve me well.
ReplyDeleteHe likened marriage to a triangle. God is at the top. The man is on one base corner while the woman is on the other. When the man or woman grow closer to God and inch up to make the triangle smaller, the distance between the spouses also decreases. In other words, when putting the Lord first, and growing closer to Him, by natural design, we also grow closer to our marriage partner. Certainly, this works best when BOTH man and woman aspire to be closer to the Lord.
A right relationship with the Lord is the focal point of any of our family ties.
John 3:30 says, “He must become greater; I must become less.” John the Baptist is not jealous or upset to learn of crowds of people flocking to Jesus. John tastes the freedom that comes with contentment with the Lord’s purpose for his life.
I pray that I can be like John the Baptist too; I want to feel so secure in Christ and His plans for just me, that I do not have to compete with anyone in my family or in the world. My relationships can be full of peace if I hold onto not self-confidence, but “Godfidence.”