Today 1Corinthians 7:10-17 will be our text. Now Paul turns his attention from advice on when and whether to marry or not, to those who are already married. And he specifically states that it comes from God, not his own ideas.
A wife must not leave her husband. But if she is seperated from him, let her remain single or else go back to him. , from vs 10 & 11 TLB. Okay, we have already established that God does not sanction divorce. That it is to be avoided. But here the wording illudes to a "seperation". Not living together as man and wife. How many people do you know who "split up" with their spouse and before any paper work for divorce is even filed they are out dating or even living with someone else.Our society says this is okay. But here we see that God sees it different. As long as you are married, then YOU ARE MARRIED. You are never single or free until a divorce is finalized, no matter what the circumstances.
Now lets look at vs 13, And if a Christian woman has a husband who isn't a Christian, and he wants her to stay with him, she must not leave him. Umhum! On the Christian message boards there are always plenty of people complaining and crying that their spouse is not a Christian or says they are and are not living it. That is sad. That is hard. But that in and of it's self does not give the Christian spouse freedom to leave! They are commanded to remain if the unsaved spouse will have them. (If you really looked into it, many - but not all - who are in that situation are there because they did not seek God's will before they married or were not Christian theirself before they married.) And God even gives His Divine reason for requiring this of us:
So the unsaved spouse might come to know Him and the children might learn of God and come to know Him! God's first priority always and forever is the salvation of man! From Genesis to Revelation! To Him there is no greater need and no higher purpose!
In verses 15 and 16, God examines the other side of the coin - you have an unsaved spouse that doesn't want to stay with their Christian spouse. They are free to leave! Free to end it! God pushes Himself and His ways on no one. And the unsaved is not bound by the call to obedience that the Christian is. You can try to gently persaude them to stay, but he tells us not to insist. Don't cause a big stink with fighting and bitterness. Just accept it and let go. I'm not saying this is always easy....many things that are right in God's sight are not easy. But He knows it is best.
Now look at verse 17, where we end today. If everyone took the words of this verse to heart and truly tried to do as it says, divorce would be a rare exception! And the marriages we were in would be fuller, richer and more satisfying! Mark it. Use it. Share it.
But be sure in deciding these matters that you are living as God intended, marrying or not marrying in accordance with God's direction and help, and accepting whatever situation God has put you into.
Definately words to live by! If you are receiving any help from these devotions, please spread the word! If God has used them to change your life in some way, to minister to you.....please respond here with a testimony! If you just want to dicuss something personally, you can email me.
God bless you!
this one made me smile with remembering. I was saved first in my home and very frustrated that my husband only saw it as a phase I was going threw. I had not gotten this far in the Bible yet to know what to do about it all.. I was so upset after a perticular conversation with my husband about him going to church and being the Leader in our home... I went litarly crying to my friend and asking her what does a Christian Women do if her husband is not saved.. does she leave him?? LMBO... ofcourse she gave me the words of wisdom found in this devotinal (with a big knowing smile I may add) and it settled me and I just waited on God and he blessed me for it and our home.
ReplyDeleteI want to encourage the women who is living with her unsaved spouce (and that includes you Barbara) God has you there for a reason and he knows his plan for your life and your husband's. One of my fav songs is by Randy Travis called When Mamma Prayed.. sung from the son's point of view about hearing his mommy praying over all the situations in his life and hers and praying for his father's salvation, a man who would never set foot in a church... When mamma prayed.. good things happen.. Keep praying and walking YOUR walk with the Lord, the refelcetion our family sees in us of Christ may be the only time they see him.. the only Bible they will ever read. God is your strong tower when times get hard, run to him and he will comfort you. He knows your heart and the disire to see your family come to him as well. All in his time. Keep praying.. good things will happen.
howdy barbara, i'm not adding or taking anything away, but there are verses in matthew that goes right along with this. i urge people to read matthew 19: 1-12. also read mark 10: 1-12. Jesus himself spoke on divorce, and that divorce was NEVER part of God's plan, but was made to make men happy. i like to think of the advice my own mother gave me when it came to dating..........DON'T EVEN DATE SOMEONE IF YOU CAN'T SEE YOURSELF MARRIED TO THEM. YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU MAY END UP TIED TO THAT PERSON THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. every relationship i went into i looked at that person as a possible husband, because mom made it clear that, that was the standards every man i brought home needed to measure up to. sending blessings and love, jess
ReplyDeleteI agree... if a husband does not share your faith, that is not a reason to leave him. There is still hope, always hope, and God can work through you or your unsaved spouse... after all, He has turned many an unbeliever around quicker than you can say Damascus! I know... I live with an unbeliever, but he believes in me, and as long as God guides me, then God is guiding him too. To anyone who is losing hope, I've been married 31 years to the same man, and God has been and will always be my reason for living. I long for the day when my husband knows, understands, and believes that God is his reason for living, too. Great devotional. bea
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