June 4, 2021

Our granddaughter is getting married this weekend and it got me to thinking about marriage. Ecc 4:12. ” A Three stranded cord is not easily broken. “ This verse speaks of the vulnerability of 1 or 2 people by themselves but when they include God, they are strengthened. Marriage is tough! Life is tough! We definenitly need that strength God provides.
We have friends who had been married for over well 60 years, Otto & Lillian. Their license plates on their car set it all. “FUN”. These two epitomized longevity in marriage. I only knew them the last 10 years or so if their lives so I don’t know their earlier marriage. What I know is, when anyone asked the secret to a great marriage Otto always said “yes dear” with a big smile and Lillian always said, “he is such a rascal”. Lillian says she set the ground rules on the first date. They met at Luther League and went out for a milkshake. Otto had seen a life magazine cover with a picture of a couple drinking with two straws from one shake. He thought it looked romantic. But when he tried to order one shake with 2 straws, Lillian said “ OH NO! If you’re too cheap to buy me my own shake I don’t think we should date.” He bought one for each of them and they lived happily ever after.
From day one they had a Christ centered marriage. I saw what a difference that makes. Roger and I have been married for 46 years. Many years ago I sought marriage counseling. I found a Christian counselor who was amazing and everything I said, she followed with scripture. One major thought that kept running through my head for months was if you divorce Satan wins. Don’t let him win. Know your enemy’s tricks. Know that he comes to kill, steal and destroy. Know that he will twist things in your mind against your spouse Because if he can destroy the family he wins. I realize that God made provision for divorce. But we should not let the enemy build things up in our minds whether it’s marriage or fear or other situations. Know who your enemy really is and fight him as God intended. Put on the full armpit of God. Ask Him to go into battle with you and fight in Jesus name. Whether it’s your marriage or something else, it is worth fighting for. Never let him win. God is good and faithful and I will always be with you.--