April 11, 2021

WISE WORDS: HOW TO LOVE

April 11. 2021

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

 

If you are married, can you share the best advice you have ever received, and tell how it has impacted your marriage?

In the midst of our challenge to read the Bible through in six months, we want to have a mini-series as we focus on the three wisdom books of King Solomon—the wisest man who ever lived. Solomon wrote Song of Solomon as a young man in love, anticipating marriage to his chosen. Later, as a middle-aged man, he wrote the Proverbs, and even later, Ecclesiastes, as an older adult looking back on his life and mistakes. As we center on both the literal and spiritual meanings of this Song, we learn God has established guidelines for the marriage of a husband and wife, meant to last through the great times as well as the trials. We will study the books in the order Solomon wrote them. Join us as we learn from these “Wise Words.”

Focal Passages: The Book of the Song of Solomon; 1 Cor. 7:3-5; Matt. 22:36-38.

            It Is a Love of Overwhelming Desire

  • Read Song 1:7. This woman longed to be with her intended. What struggle was she having as she searched for him? Why was she so concerned about searching for him among the other shepherds? How does her desire to protect her reputation compare with the actions of many young women today?
  • In the spiritual realm, what are some actions that today’s culture considers normal, but which can erode the testimony of a believing woman or man?
  • When you decided Christ was the only means for salvation and peace, did you experience difficulty in finding Him? Why or why not? Were you concerned about your reputation among your friends?
  • Can you share some of the feelings you recall as you anticipated the beautiful years of marriage to your chosen spouse?
  • We all know people who give up on their marriage because the desire fades with time, and they want that original feeling. Why does this happen? How is that like those who quit on God in order to look for peace or happiness somewhere else?

It is a Love that Gives Completely

  • Read Song 4:6-7. If we mentally hold something back when taking our marriage vows to our spouse, what may happen? Read 1 Corinthians 7:3-5. Why

was Paul inspired to write these words to apply to our marriages?

  • Read Matthew 22:36-38. When we accept God’s provision for salvation, how does He want us to come to Him? What happens if we have an area—or areas—that we don’t turn over to Him? Why will our relationship probably fail?

It is a Love that Overcomes

  • Read Song 5:6-9. Have there been moments so tough in your marriage that only knowing your spouse will be by your side at the end of the day makes it possible for you to see the crisis through? In your spiritual life, how is the same fact true of your relationship with God? Read John 6:66-68. How does this explain your love for Jesus Christ?
  • As you look back over your marriage, can you see that your love for your spouse has grown deeper through the years? In the same way, are you able to know that your love for God is much greater than when you were younger?

It is a Love that Lasts

  • Read Song 8:6-7. What does the Shulamite woman say about love? Did she and King Solomon have the kind of love that could not be defeated? Why or why not? What does this teach us about fighting for our marriages?
  • If we mess up (“…for there is no one who does not sin,” 2 Chron. 6:36—Solomon), how do we know that God is not going to let us go? Read Rom. 8:38-39. Why does verse 39 bring such comfort?
  • Read 1 Corinthians 13:8. What does the love that God desires we have for our spouse have as its crowning jewel? If we put God first in our marriages, are we able to have the kind of love that will not fail?

 

Close

It is hard in today’s world to find couples who take marriage seriously, isn’t it? Men and women alike can be charmed by members of the opposite sex who think that, for whatever reason, someone else may offer them a way out of their own marriage, or at least give them a better time than they feel they endure at home. Divorces are so cheap that almost anyone can afford them. There are government programs available to others who need to escape a marriage that is outside the guidelines of God’s best for us. Millions live by the motto, “When the going gets tough, get out!” A beautiful marriage is definitely a gift from God.

Have you learned to be certain that you know your possible mate inside and out? Hopefully, you were able to establish a friendship that held a spotlight on every facet of their personality. A pastor used the phrase “Every date is a possible mate,” to help his children—and those in his flock—put more thought into casual dating. The bottom line is, let God lead you to a person who becomes your best friend, fall in love, and marry according to His standard.

The successful marriage is one which has both partners committed to putting God in first place. Those who are secure in their relationship with each other, and in their position as children of God, will desire to live each day as a service to each other and to Him.

Hopefully, you have learned lessons about the sanctity of marriage, and God’s will for it to be holy. If you want that, it is never too late to ask Him to help you start now, making your marriage be all it can be. It’s never too late for God to bring good out of our circumstances!

 

 

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