Open Heavens 27 January 2016: Wednesday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Topic: Making your Marriage Work I

Memorise: Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. – Proverbs 31:10
Read: Ephesians 5:21-25 (KJV)
21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Bible in One Year: Matthew 7:1-9:26; Job 11:7-20

MESSAGE:
It takes a great commitment to make a marriage successful and blissful. This gift of God demands the commitment of those who are involved. The good thing is that the Bible is not silent on what couples must do to make their marriages work, I pray for couples reading this devotional; your marriage will be highly successful in Jesus Name.
In our Bible reading for today, we are blessed with some principles which will help us make our marriage work. The first one that catches our attention is the mutual submission between the husband and the wife. Both the husband and the wife must learn to mutually submit to one another. The reason is found in the first epistle of Paul of the Corinthians:
“ 3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. 4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.” – I Corinthians 7:3-4
Another principle that any woman who wants her marriage to succeed should imbibe is unconditional submission. This is the submission that does not attach any condition to compliance. The Christian wife must learn to submit to her husband. When she does this, she receives a blessing which money cannot buy from God.
“ 5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: 6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.” – 1 Peter 3:5-6
It is dangerous for a woman to go into a marriage partnership with a man who she will not submit herself to. It is better for such woman not to get married at all. When the Word of God says,” Wives, submit….” some people take this as a piece of advice. However, it is not a piece of advice, but an express command; it must be obeyed. As a matter of fact, the Bible goes further to reveal the degree of submission; it says:”…as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their husbands in everything.” Years ago, I counselled one of my daughters along this line when she began to have problems with her marriage. Initially, she did not find it pleasant, but I told her that she could not do contrary if she really wanted her marriage to work. The problem with her then was that she was highly educated as her husband and she felt she had equal rights with her husband and she felt she had equal rights with her husband. May the Lord bless your home with eternal peace in Jesus’ Name.

Action Point: Take a practical step of voluntary submission to your husband as unto the Lord today, and the Lord will give you a peaceful home.