Proverbs 18:22(ESV) says, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.” This “good thing” that our Heavenly Father is telling us about in this verse is a blessing that comes from Him. It’s evident that His Will is that a wife should be a blessing to her husband and her husband should be a blessing to her. We should also recognize from this verse that the kind of wife that God is referring to in Proverbs 18:22 has a level of humility and obedience that make her stand out. This is a standard and truth that is largely ignored in our modern times by many individuals that desire marriage. People have their own opinions about what it means to be a blessing as a spouse, and sometimes their opinions conflict or have nothing to do with what God says in His Word. They forget that marriage is God’s institution. It belongs to Him, and He established it according to His plan and purpose for our lives.
As His children, God wants us to be happy and blessed. He’s our Creator, and He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and everywhere present. There’s nothing that happens at His unawares. He knows everything there is to know about each of us, and He knows when our hearts are prepared to be the kind of spouse He requires.
Genesis 2:21-24(NLT) tells us, “21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the LORD God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man. 23 “At last!” the man exclaimed. “This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.'” 24 This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” Our Heavenly Father made the woman from the body of the man, and then He brought her to the man. He gave the blessing of marriage to them as a gift, and if you and I desire it, we must ask Him for it. And not only that, we must be prepared to receive it and understand that it is for His purpose and glory. Therefore, it’s meant to increase our joy and gratitude towards God.
Every aspect of marriage is established on God’s love, which is real, true, and genuine love. Heavenly Father teaches us the definition of true love in 1Corinthians 13:4-8 (NLT). This passage says, “4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 8 Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!” Many of us say that we have this kind of love in our hearts, but when we’re truly anchored in God’s love, the spouse will come because the love of God in our hearts will light the path that leads to us.
Our brand of love isn’t enough to hold a relationship together. God’s love is the glue, and our responsibility is to live in that love to such a degree that our faith is ignited with joy and peace, no matter what life throws at us. Nehemiah 8:10 tells us that the joy of the Lord is our strength, but many singles have never allowed themselves to encounter and abide in the real joy of knowing Christ and being saved by him. They think they can be happy with another individual when they are not even happy with themselves.
God established marriage to add joy to two people that understand they are already filled with it through Christ, and they are prepared to uplift and encourage the joy of Christ in one another. We must humble ourselves to the truth that God’s Word prepares our minds and hearts to do this. If we don’t renew our minds to God’s Word, we’ll miss God’s standard and the joys of marriage that His love yields. Our opinions and assumptions about whether we are spiritually prepared to partner in matrimony do not hold any weight with the Lord. Our level of humility and obedience should be mixed with the joy we have about Christ. This is what makes us the “good thing” that God talks about in Proverbs 18:22. It doesn’t mean that we are perfect. It means we are ready to join with another in the joy of Christ as he perfects us both to live as one in the love, grace, peace, and power of God. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
“The Joys of Marriage”, written by KLizzie, edited by Reverend Fran Mack, for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2023. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.