Today's Reading:O.T. - Song of Songs 5 - 8
N.T. - Ephesians 5
Focus Verses: Song of Songs 7:10-12
10 I belong to my lover, and his desire is for me. 11 Come, my lover, let us go to the countryside, let us spend the night in the villages. 12 Let us go early to the vineyards to see if the vines have budded, if their blossoms have opened, and if the pomegranates are in bloom— there I will give you my love.
Insight:
Jesus teaches us that in marriage "A man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one. What God has joined together, let no one separate" (Mark 10:7-8). In Song of Songs, this oneness is described by the voice of the beloved as "I belong to my love, and his desire is for me."
Getting away for some time alone together is one of the ways couples can nurture this oneness. A weekend in the countryside, a walk in the park, a few days away at a bed and breakfast, or a daytrip and picnic can do a lot to rekindle intimacy. Time alone celebrates the friendship and fans the flames of desire.
Husbands and wives need to make sure the demands of work and the daily grind of ongoing responsibilities (family, parenting, and home) do not reduce their relationship to a task sharing arrangement. They need to be more than committed partners in life, they need to be lovers who enjoy and desire one another.
Response and Action:
I will clear my calendar for this Saturday and take my wife away for the day. We'll pack picnic basket, a couple good books, and make reservations at a nice restaurant on the riverfront. I guess if we stumble across a vineyard, we'll check to see if the vines have budded. The only real plan for the day is lots of time to enjoy each other.
O God, thank you for my wife. Give us the wisdom to take time for each other. Thanks for days every now and then that afford us the opportunity to put the rest of life on hold. Give us hearts for each other, and give us the contentment and satisfaction that come from knowing we belong to each other, and that together we belong to you. Amen.
Proverbs: 8:35
"For whoever finds me (wisdom) finds life and receives favor from the LORD."
Resources:
Your Time-Starved Marriage: How to Stay Connected at the Speed of Life
by Dr. Les Parrott III
Covenant Marriage: Building Communication & Intimacy
by Gary D. Chapman
