May 8 - Come Away with Me

Today's Reading:
Song of Songs 5:1-8:14
James 1:1-18
Psalm 135:13-21 
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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 lover, and his desire is for me."

Getting away for some time alone together is an important way 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 day trip 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, work, 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:
Time alone with my wife is a priority I must keep. A short time together each morning for conversation, coffee, and prayer has proven to be a real benefit to our relationship. Planning days and evenings to get away and just enjoy each other is critical to our friendship and marriage. These things don't just happen, so I will be intentional about getting ideas on the calendar. We will also be careful to choose to do things that give us the most opportunity to talk and interact with 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.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Hebrews 13:4
4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

Resources:
Your Time-Starved Marriage: How to Stay Connected at the Speed of Life
by Dr. Les Parrott III