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.
Everyone wants to be happy. Few people are willing to follow God’s way to get there. The world thinks being a Christian takes away your joy. They wouldn’t be more wrong. The greatest joys in life come from knowing God and living under his blessing.
ReplyDeletePsalm 128 focuses on home and the family. This is important because the family is the foundation for everything else in society. If we do not know God’s blessing here, we will not know God’s blessing anywhere else.
“Blessed are all who fear the Lord”. To fear the Lord does not mean to be afraid of God so that we run away from him. Rather it means to be in awe of God’s majesty so that we approach him with great reverence and respect. It means we take God seriously, and we put him first in our life.
And then the psalm goes to share specific examples of the ways God will bless us as we fear him and walk in his ways.
First of all God will bless our work (Does not mean we will become rich but we will find fulfillment in our work and our work will provide for our needs).
Second, God will bless our marriage (this speaks of both fruitfulness like the vine and faithfulness like the vine “within the house”)
Third, God will bless our family (eager children full of promises like the olive tree with young shoots springing up: a common sight in Israel and the middle east)
Therefore let us not miss out on God’s blessings in our lives. Let us fear God and walk in his ways everyday.
A wise teacher explained to me long ago that a marriage relationship is like a triangle. God is at the top point, while you and your spouse are at the other corners. If you both ascend and grow closer to God, the triangle gets smaller and the distance between husband and wife also becomes closer. Walk away from God, and the distance between spouses correspondingly gets larger. In God's perfect way, geometry illustrates the importance of the divine within the marriage.
ReplyDeleteExtrapolate the triangle image a bit and you will see it applies to any relationship. Family, friends, co-workers, or even any interaction with another human being. If we keep our gaze on God, we are enabled to feel closer to our brethren, The Holy Spirit reminds us to have patience, to be generous, to share an encouraging word, perhaps even just a smile.
The fruits of a right relationship with the Lord overflow into ALL of our relationships, particularly within marriage and the family. It is high time for me to claim some of these gifts so that I may experience wisdom and peace in my most difficult interactions.