Speaker: Ben Sigman
Theme: From This Day Forward
Weekend Music links on iTunes: Today Is the Day - Lincoln Brewster, Let God Arise - Chris Tomlin, Your Love Never Fails - Jesus Culture, From the Inside Out, Lead Me - Sanctus Real
Read: 1 Corinthians 7:5
Think: Protecting your marriage is of the utmost importance. In today’s society, there are a multitude of temptations that the enemy throws at us to attack the fidelity of our marriages. Unfortunately we are constantly bombarded by illicit materials and tempting situations, whether it is online, at a hotel while traveling, or being near an attractive co-worker of the opposite sex. For men, these temptations are especially pronounced. Research has shown that for the average man, the primary desire in marriage is sexual fulfillment, this is the way God wired men biologically. (Note I am not endorsing any of these behaviors or giving a man a free pass from his responsibility to be faithful to his wife. I am also NOT placing judgment on anyone who has fallen to temptation as it just as easily could be me. My goal is to highlight that this is an area of significant temptation and weakness for men that we need to guard against.)
Given the continual attack against our marriages in this area, it is so important to protect and guard against temptation. Wives play a critical role in helping to guard the fidelity of marriage. The first step is prayer. Wives should regularly pray for the purity of their husbands. God intervenes in miraculous ways when we pray. The second step, which is a little more sensitive to discuss, is physical intimacy. Wives can significantly reduce the temptation a man feels by regularly being intimate with their spouse. (Obviously there exceptions in extreme circumstances such as illness or times of grief when intimacy isn’t possible.) Given a man’s natural biological wiring, if he is being satisfied at home in the marriage setting as God intended, the temptations the enemy puts in front of us won’t be nearly as intense. God recognizes the power of these temptations and the need for regular intimacy. In 1st Corinthians 7:5, the bible says “Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.” Understanding the magnitude of this temptation and guarding against it is critical for the long term health of the marriage relationship.
Pray: God, in a world so filled with temptation, we need your help and protection. Please watch over my spouse and be in my marriage, growing our relationship to be all that you designed it to be. Amen
The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.
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