ISAIAH 62:5

As a young man marries a young woman, so will your Builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.

TO PONDER

Two things to think about today. Firstly, the prophet refers to God in this passage as 'your Builder'. It's not a term you hear used with God very often, but it makes a lot of sense when you think about it. Is a builder much different from a creator? Sure there are some differences but there is also a lot of overlap and we call God 'our Creator' all the time. When it comes to human builders thought, I have a few builder mates whose wives always complain that their husbands are very good builders, but that the building or renovating jobs that need doing in their own homes just never get done.

Our marriages are often similar. It is not uncommon in the busyness of life for couples to spend little or no time working on or building their marriages. Unfortunately, some couples put more time planning their wedding day, one single day, than they do working out or building the marriage which is supposed to endure for a lifetime. God is a builder, he creates, renovates, and restores his creations. He can also help to rebuild a relationship that may have 'hit the rocks' so to speak.

Secondly, God rejoices over his people, his bride. I have to confess, I'm guessing a bit here and assuming that what I have seen happen among my groups of married male friends, might also happen to some extent, but probably in a slightly different way, when married female friends get together for a 'girls night out'. I've witnesses many occasions, when the boys get together for a night out, how quickly the conversation can descend into 'throwing shade' or speaking poorly about their wives. Now any guy in that situation will insist he is just joking, but it certainly does not look like a group of people rejoicing over their partners.

If you are married, perhaps this devotion might encourage you to look for one thing that you can rejoice about your partner and maybe even share that with them. It may be difficult, it may not be a habit you have readily practiced, but remember, God rejoices over you and your partner so there has to be at least one thing to acknowledge.

PRAYER: God, thank you for the wonderful building and creating work that you do in the lives of your people. Thank you that you continue to work on me and in me as an unfinished project. Would you help me to see others as you see them. Not only as the rough raw material of an unfinished project, but as wonderfully created beings and bearers of your image worthy of my respect and rejoicing. Amen

Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle