LETS GET CLOSER TO GOD - CLOSER TO EACH OTHER

by Charles Robey
(Trussville AL)

"So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."(Genesis 1:27)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers Created.—This significant verb is thrice repeated with reference to man. It indicates, first, that man has that in him which was not a development or evolution, but something new. He is, in fact, the most perfect work of the creative energy, and differs from the animals not only in degree, but in kind, though possessing, in common with them, an organised body. And next, it indicates the rejoicing of the Deity at the completion of His purpose.

"The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” (Genesis 2:18)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
It is not good —In these words we have the Divine appointment of marriage, and also the declaration that the female is subsequent in order of production to the male, and formed from him. The happiness of marriage is based, not upon the woman being just the same thing as the man, but upon her being one in whom he sees his image and counterpart.

Yes, we not only need to get close to each other, but closer to our maker, our heavenly Father. When we get closer to Him, we automatically become closer to each other. And in no other time of history, has this 'rule-of-thumb" more essential (Genesis 2:22-24) .

And when we come down to where the rubber meets the road, marriage for the Christian is just a unification of two sinners saved by grace (Ephesians 1:7) (Ephesians 2:8-9). None of us are perfect. There will be times when we simply mess up. But lets us just remember God's definition of love (1 Peter 4:8) . Someone once said, " If we were a person of no personality, before we were saved, then are we now simply a saved individual with no personality" ? Food for thought, I guess.

The story is told about a newlywed couple, who thought they had the answer. If the husband had a rough day at the office, he would come home with his tie loosened. And if the wife had a rough day at home, she would have her apron pinned up. This would be the panacea warning signal , for the other mate to tread lightly. This maneuver seemed to work well, until one day, the husband came home with loose tie, only to be greeted by the wife with the pinned apron.

Yes, marriage is a two way street. We should always strive to be humble and patient in our relationship. In doing so, we will tend to have less human generated confrontations (Ephesians 4:2-3).

It all started with the creation story and the beginning of mankind. It was the heart of God, towards mankind, as He made mankind in his image and likeness. How powerful this statement was. We cannot look into the future, and we don't know all the plans God has for us individuals, or as helpmeets. But we do know the closer we get to God, the closer we are to each other (Jeremiah 29:11).

Having been married most of my adult life, I sometimes rush into heaven's throne room with a selfish list of wants. That new riding lawn mower, that new car, that new modern laptop PC, etc. Although God's word encourages us "to come boldly" (Hebrews 4:6), there are times when I wonder if I'm not taking advantage of His grace. Have you ever "been there, and done that" ? And what about thinking of your mates needs ? That new dish washer, that new stove, her most wanted beauty shop appointment, and so on.

However, nothing compares to the joy we have with each other, through our your heavenly Father. When we seek His face, we find He has a way of taking our own hand in his hands, including each other. Just love Him for Him and you will be filled to overflowing with the greatest blessing of all. There is no blessing greater than God (Deuteronomy 33:26-27) .

In conclusion, I hesitate to pen this closing warning, but I would be remiss, if I didn't mention life's secular reality. You see, none of us knows what's down the road. Remember that old country song, sung by Ms. Tammy Wynet, D-I-V-O-R-C-E ? Recorded in 1968, "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" is a woman's perspective on the impending collapse of her marriage. The lyrics begin with an old parenting trick of spelling out words mothers and fathers hope their young children will not understand, they (the children) being not yet able to spell or comprehend the word's meaning.

Divorce is probably the last thing you may be thinking about, but not with our adversary, Satan (1 Peter 5:8). Just don't let Satan maneuver your from the love of your spouse, and certainly not the love of your God (Exodus 15:2-3). Yes, through the years, you will have hardships that may threaten your relationship. If this ever happens, please fall back on God's word (Matthew 6:31-33). You see, God joined you together, so never let anyone or anything separate you from your God (Mark 10:9).

Just remember, always keep God, at the center of your life. For He is the glue that binds and holds the relationship together (Psalm 27:8).

Amen !

Author's Post Script
We know who we are. Or rather who we think we are.
Sometimes, challenging situations shed light on the dark parts of our hearts upon which God is still working so that we may become more like His Son (Psalm 31:7-8). When that happens, we see who we really are. Often these situations reveal character traits we never knew we had (2 Samuel 7:20-22)..

You know how it is. You pride yourself in having tamed your tongue, but then someone cuts you off on the road during rush hour. Or you promised yourself that you would be patient, but then you discover that your toddler has been playing in the mud. Or you think you’re the calmest person at work, until you feel that a colleague has undermined your authority (Psalm 19:12-14)..

These are all real-life situations which cause real-life responses—responses which a “good Christian” would never exhibit, right (Psalm 38:1-4,18) ?

We do not have to pretend that we are ideal Christians, when on the inside our hearts are breaking and our minds are racing (Psalms 40:11-13). Our Creator desires that Christian fellowship helps us to strengthen our faith in Jesus who has promised to see us through life, every step of the way, including our married life (Psalm 28:6-7).
(anonymous devotion taken from the internet)