Scripture

Our verse for today comes from Mark 10:9, ” Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate. “

Background

I came from a broken home. Not broken like the home of the guy on television who said he came from a broken home because a tree fell on his and smashed it into pieces. No, mine was the more tragic kind, where mom and dad manage for a while, fight, split up, and reconcile, only to do it all over again. Finally, when I was in 9th grade, they ended what had been over for so long. And I must say, despite what little I knew about God’s feelings on divorce, and regardless of whether mom and dad really wanted it to work or not, I prayed each time they separated that this time would be the end. Nothing of what I saw from them being together was good, even though they had been married for over twenty years. But the end did come. Mercifully, the end did come. And then something amazing happened. Not right away, and certainly not without its share of baggage. But eventually, mom and dad became friends. And after the understandably awkward season that came with dad’s remarrying, over time mom, dad, and his wife actually grew to appreciate, respect and love each other. We as a race seem to be driven to grow, expand, and create. There are certain pockets that appear content to stay as they have always been, but the overwhelming majority of the people groups are bent on building, making and creating. The problem is that we aren’t very good at making things that last. And when we have something that’s working, we cannot resist the urge to change it, improve it, or replace it with something better.

Application

Relationships are tough. I guess there’s nothing tougher in life. The strength and success of the relationship is directly dependent on what and how much each person gives to the relationship, while having no control over the other person’s feelings or actions. But God seems to really be into them, so He simply went all in and gave us Jesus. Can He work in your relationship? I guess it depends on how much of it you are willing to give.

Charge

As we seek Him today, thank God for wanting a relationship with you, and for doing everything to make it possible. And for that relationship that is suffering, take it up with the One who invented the concept.