Covenant Reflection

His heart raced. Third time’s the charm, Jerry thought. After planning and canceling two special dinners with his girlfriend, he forged ahead with his plans even though the ring still hadn’t arrived. Tonight, nothing was going to stand in his way. He would ask Jeanne to marry him no matter what.

When Jerry proposed with a photo of a ring instead of an actual ring, it didn’t make any difference to Jeanne. She was in love with the God-fearing man seated across the table from her. Together, they could build a life more glorifying to God than apart.

My parents married 46 years ago today, committing themselves to each other “for better or for worse” for the rest of their lives. And throughout their marriage, they have seen a lot of both the “better” and the “worse.” They’ve laughed together, had disagreements, traveled the world together, hurt together over the deaths of family members and friends, faced financial difficulty and illnesses, raised three daughters – everything life has thrown at them, they’ve faced together.

Their union is a marriage of three: Dad, Mom, and Christ. With Christ at the center of their marriage, they have been able to rely on His power and guidance to get them through the “worse,” which has made the “better” all the more sweet. Ephesians 5:22-25 says, “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 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. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it.”

Movies and television portray marriage as a contract, one that can and even should be terminated when times get tough or if the husband and wife “fall out” of love. But the love described in Ephesians 5 isn’t one of convenience or emotion; it’s one of commitment, sacrifice, and humility. When a contract is broken, it becomes null, but a covenant stands forever. The marriage relationship reflects Christ’s forever covenant with the Church.

Imagine the predicament we would be in if Christ decided He didn’t want to love us anymore. Instead, His Word tells us, “…I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). We can take comfort in the fact that Christ will keep His Word. John 14:1-4 says, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.”

How comforting it is to know Christ will not break His covenant with us! Just like the marriage covenant reflects, He will be with us to love and guide us for all of our days.

Jessie Chamberlain
Family Radio Staff