A Vow

                                               Genesis 2:24
Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

So the title of the book we are reading is The Vow. What is a vow really? Well my favorite place to look for definitions is the 1828 Websters Dictionary. Noah Webster was a very eloquent and intelligent man. He also new well how God was to be part of our everyday lives. His definitions of words hold such wisdom!

Vow

1. (Noun)
(a) A solemn promise made to God
(b) A vow is a promise of something to be given or done hereafter.

2. (Noun)
A solemn promise; as the vows of unchangeable love and fidelity. In a moral and religious sense, vows are promises to God, as they appeal to God to witness their sincerity, and the violation of them is a most heinous offense.
Wow! Can much more be said? "The violation of is a most HEINOUS offense!" Could God's plan be more clear?

The type of vow we are reading about is the Wedding Vow. So another word for marriage is Matrimony which the 1828 definition of that is Marriage; wedlock; the union of man and woman for LIFE; the nuptial state.
 
On your wedding day I am guessing you said words similar to this,

"I, take you to be mine, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part."

This was a vow to your husband and God (or for those yet to be married, this will be). A vow is a covenant spoken between you, God and the person you are speaking to. A vow should never be spoken lightly! Deuteronomy 23:23 tells us "That which has gone from your lips you shall keep and perform, for you voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God what you have promised with your mouth".

I am sure many of us have amazing stories how God has helped keep two people together through many obstacles. How wonderful and encouraging those are. But many of us have sad stories we could share where things didn't turn out right. These stories can be very heart wrenching and hard to retell. Hard for others to understand. Sadly these stories hold an ending that God didn't desire. They show a couple who didn't keep their vows to God or maybe didn't even know really what those vows meant in an everyday sense.

 To cherish from 'this day forward' must mean that everyday you realise that it could be the last day, everyday you must find a way to out serve your spouse, and each day you must say to them you love them (and giving them a kiss is proven to keep a couple close). Keeping that relationship alive takes us daily remembering that our spouse isn't just a permanent fixture but a treasure we must protect, cultivate, honor, nourish, shelter, support, respect, defend, encourage, believe in, continue to learn about and to ask them for forgiveness when we mess it all up. Sometimes we just need to admit to them we aren't sure what we are doing and we need their input.

Will things always be great? NO! But if we remember that a cord of three strands is NOT easily broken and we keep God in the middle of our relationship, then we have the best chance at life together. God never promised that their wouldn't be storms but He did promise that He would be their with us through them! Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God has good plans for us, plans to succeed and not fail! He is our coach and our cheering squad. He has our back and He has the answers. All we have to do is ask, seek, pray and He will reveal.

I would love to hear stories of your wedding vows and the day you spoke them! Take a moment and encourage someone in their marriage today!

God Bless you all!
~ Rachel ~