Isaiah - Verse By Verse | Walk thru Eph #127

Walk thru Eph #127

versebyverse | April 05, 2008 12:36

Thought: To me, a man's love for his wife should be as smooth and automatic a behavior as feeding himself.

Question: Do I realize how much Christ cares for His church?

Scripture: Ephesians 5:29 (NIV): "After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church--"

The beautiful design of God in marital relation is a mutuality of giving that mysteriously reflects Christ's giving love to the church members of His own body. He is the Head and we are the rest of the body. Christ does not "hate" His own "body" of believers. We are one with Him. So the husband and wife are inexorably linked together. All a husband needs to do is recognize how he cares for himself, says this verse, and do the same for his wife, and then he will be preserving her for himself.

(Perhaps those men who do not love their wives aright are unable to because they do not love themselves aright. The self-destructive type of behavior works beyond the one on into the life of the mate as well.)

We see Christ here providing the very basic needs: food and primary care. We have witnessed Christians everywhere being miraculously provided for in poverty and we are reminded of Scriptures that support that truth. No righteous person will ever have to go begging. (Psalm 37:25). So should it be in a marriage. Christ is the model for our husbands.

Prayer: Dear God, help Christian husbands everywhere to love and care for their wives as they care for themselves. Amen.