Read: Matthew 19:1-8

“Therefore, they are no longer two but one flesh. God has joined together, let not man separate” (Matthew 19:6)

When Pastor Howard Sugden performed the wedding ceremony for my husband and me, he emphasized that we were participating in a miracle. We believed him, but we didn’t comprehend the size of the miracle needed to hold two people together, much less become one.

After 20 years, I realize that the marriage, not the wedding, was the real miracle. Anyone can have a wedding, but only what God can create a marriage.

One definition of wed is “to cause to adhere devotedly or stubbornly” For some couples, “stubborn” is a more accurate description of their relationship than “devoted.” God has in mind something much better for us than a stubborn refusal to divorce. The union of marriage is so strong that we become “one flesh.”

God wants marriage to be the way it was when He first created Eve from Adam (Genesis 2:21-24). That’s what Jesus was explaining to the Pharisees when they asked Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” (Matthew 19:3). Jesus replied, “A man shall… be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh” (v.5).

To pledge your life to another is indeed an act of faith that requires belief in miracles. Thankfully, God is in the business of creating marriages.

-Julie Ackerman

“For better or for worse,” we pledge,
Through sickness and through strife;
And by the help and grace of God
We’ll keep these vows for life.”
– D. DeHaan

A good marriage requires the determination to be married for good.