#GOFAMINTDailyDevotion Sun. 18/9/2016
LESSON 3 18/9/2016
PURPOSE FOR THE FAMILY
Suggested Hymns: G.H.B. 258, 259
Devotional Reading: Mk. 10:1-9
Topic For Adults: Remember The Reasons For Your Marriage
Topic For Youths: Understand Why You Want To Get Married.
Topic For Intermediates Pray For Your Family
Scripture Lesson: Gen. 2:18; 24-25; Eccl. 9:9; Prov. 5:15-20; 1 Cor. 7:2-5; Gen. 18:17-19; Prov. 22:6; Mal. 2:15
Memory Verse: Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labour (Eccl. 4:9) NKJV
DAILY DEVOTIONAL READING
Sun. 18/9/2016
Provision For Members’ Needs
1 Tim. 5:3-10
One of the reasons for instituting the family is that God wants children raised up in an environment where their needs are met by the parents. Under normal circumstances, the husband is expected to play the role of the bread-winner of the family; that is to provide for the needs of every member of the family. Economic situation has so much eroded the economic worth of so many husbands that they cannot adequately provide enough for the family. In such situation, the wife should join hands with the husband to ensure the smooth running of the family. It is utter irresponsibility for the husband to have the means, but fail to provide for his family. There are husbands who claim to be Christians, but do not care to know how the children are fed, clothed and trained in school. Such husbands are worse than infidels. They negate God’s agenda for the family. Similarly the wife whose main priority is expensive clothing and jewelry, at the expense of the family welfare.
Point of Emphasis: If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith.
Prayer Point: God, touch the heart of husbands who do not provide for the upkeep of their families.
BACKGROUND
God has established the family as the basic unit in the society. God assigned the responsibility of the head of the family to man while the woman is created as the loving companion and helper for man. Marriage is what brings about the family. It is a permanent union created by God for couples to enjoy marital bliss. This week’s lesson aims at addressing issues that will make marriage to endure and thrive forever.
NOTES ON THE TEXT
PART 1: MARRIAGE IS FOR COMPANIONSHIP AND SUPPORT (GEN. 2:18, 24-25; ECCL. 9:9)
Companionship is the foremost reason for God instituting marriage. A companion is someone that a person has chosen to share his time, feelings, joy and sorrow with. Man is a social being and would find life unbearable if he were to spend all his life alone. Experience has shown that people easily lose their minds when put in solitary confinement. God knew that it was not good for man to dwell alone; hence He created a companion for him. However many couples treat their relationship with their spouses with levity. The person who was chosen to be the companion often becomes a boxing partner or a punch bag. Couples spend days without speaking to one another. Couples quarrel and find it difficult to forgive one another. Spouses wound each other emotionally and physically. These are outside the will of God for marriage.
God’s desire is that couples should live together in harmony, forgiving each other’s offences, sharing their joy, successes and failures together. Marriage failures occur because man has abandoned God’s intention for marriage. Instead man is pursuing his own agenda. God is still calling man back to His original plan.
PART 2: MARRIAGE IS A ROUTE TO ESCAPE SEXUAL IMMORALITY (PROV. 5:15-20; 1 COR. 7:2-5)
Fornication and adultery are extra-marital relationships which God seriously frowns upon. There is a clear warning that people who indulge in them will be judged (Hebrews 13:4). Equally condemnable before God is every form of sexual perversion, which the Bible classifies as coming from depraved minds (Rom. 1:26-27). These forms of sexual immorality destroy God’s plan for the family and the generation of human race. People who brazenly engage in these sins dishonor God and are under His wrath. Free and trial sexual relationships are encouraged in many cultures. Some devices to avoid pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases have been made available. In these cultures the targets are the youths. Those who engage in extra-marital relationships may avoid the physical repercussions, but cannot avoid God’s judgment.
In order to legitimately satisfy sexual desire, which in itself is from God, God instituted marriage. Sexual relationship between a male husband and his female wife is not sinful. It can be engaged in without inhibition and without one party withholding it as a weapon to quarrel. It is engaged in, not just for the pleasure, but for child-bearing too. Sexual relationship should therefore be engaged in with necessary thoughtfulness and plan so as to avoid large family size that the available resources cannot cope with. Before marriage, sexual urge has to be put under full control.
PART 3: MARRIAGE IS FOR REARING GODLY CHILDREN. (GEN. 18:17-19; PROV. 22:6; MAL. 2:15)
Marriage, as instituted by God between a man and a woman, is a means for the continuation of the human race through procreation. Through marriage, one generation produces the next generation. Without proper marriage, human race will go into extinction. But God’s intention for instituting marriage goes beyond just having children; God wants parents to train their children to fear and obey Him. He wants godly parents to bring up godly children. Unfortunately many parents are too busy or too unconcerned to make necessary input that is needed for the children to grow to know the Lord. They expect the children to come out right because they go to church and hear the pastors preach. They depend on housemasters and housemistresses in boarding schools to train the children. It is the responsibility of the parents to train the children. You cannot contract out this responsibility to another person.
The church of God should also expend genuine effort to intercede on behalf of couples who have delay in child-bearing. It is a painful experience that only those who are passing through it or have passed through it can understand. Since God promised that none among His people shall be barren (Exo. 23: 26), the church should earnestly pray for these couples and encourage them.
CONCLUSION
Marriages fail and families suffer because man has abandoned God’s plan for marriage. Marriage and family life can still succeed if every couple would review their reactions to God’s commands and plans for the family.
QUESTIONS
- What is the foremost reason why God established marriage?
- How do couples wound one another emotionally and physically? Is this the will of God?
- Can those who engage in sexual perversion avoid God’s judgment?
- What can happen to the human race without proper marriage?
5. Why are marriages failing today and what should be the remedy?