Loving God, all things come from you and for that we are thankful; let all good things come to this dear reader's life and needs; in Christ Jesus' name I pray, amen.
I have so many pictures, knick-knacks, and things. I am blessed. In talking with a colleague he and I remembered our younger days in ministry with so little to call our own. He came to this country with just a backpack. I went off to college with all my earthly belongings in the trunk of our old Chevrolet. When Nellie and I combined our things and moved from Mission to Dallas, we had to rent the smallest U-Haul trailer and pulled it as it carried all our earthly possessions. Now we await an 18-wheeler to come and take our things to Corpus Christi.
Our text is from Matthew 5: 31 "It was also said, "Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' 32 But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Marriage has been a wonderful blessing to me. It is having having been married to Nellie for 32 years that we have accumulated so much. We have pictures that we now have retired just to boxes because we have walls that we need to cover with our grandkids and more current pictures of our daughters. Even in our disagreements as all couples may have, divorce has never really been on the table, as one church member said recently. It's not an option. We made a commitment to each other on that Saturday and for better, for worse, richer or pooer, in sickness or in health, we're in it for the long haul. Yes, some days are longer than others; some days just end too quickly. Jesus is saying how sacred marriage is and how committed we are called to be when we take marriage vows. He knew the history of Israel and how easy it was during the time of Moses to just throw your wife's things out on the lawn, so to speak, and that meant the end of the marriage. Moses had to institute a written divorce decree to show to a woman, who may have wondered, what does this mean all my stuff on the lawn? Spring cleaning? An airing out of the dirty?
No matter what sort of your relationship you're in, give it your all and give it to God. May God be blessed by all your words, thoughts and actions. May your home reflect a dwelling place of the Lord Jesus.
PRAYER: God of love and marriage, strengthen my home and those in it. Help me to be a person of commitment and love to all, but especially to the one to whom I have given my life to share all things. Bless all marriages and all homes. Be with those who may find it necessary for life and wellbeing, to divorce and move on. Bless especially the children who get caught in the middle. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.
Eradio Valverde
