Marriage Prov 5:15-19 Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well. Should your springs be scattered abroad, streams of water in the streets? Let them be for yourself alone, and not for strangers with you. Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely hind, a graceful doe. Let her affection fill you at all times with delight, be infatuated always with her love.
Please take a few minutes and re-read this verse. Think about and meditate on the word pictures comparing your wife to your well. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to see wonderful things out of God’s word. (Psa 119:18) If you want a challenge, memorize the entire chapter of Proverbs 5. There are so many rich truths, warning, teachings and insights about sexual purity in this one chapter. You can speak to young men from this chapter. You can focus on the dangers of prostitution. You can focus on the joy and delights of marital intimacy. It’s all in this one chapter. This chapter and Proverbs 7 focus almost exclusively on sexual purity issues.
“…Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth…” If you are married, your job as a husband is to bless your wife. You are to rejoice in your wife. She has committed her life, her soul (mind, will and emotions) to be your help-mate. She has given to you her body. She will (hopefully) bear your children. She has (normally) given up her name and her identity to be with you. Many times, particularly in the military setting, she may give up or sacrifice her career to follow you as you serve the country.
You are commanded to bless her. How do you do this? Seek to ensure all her needs are met. Make sure she gets ‘time off’. Schedule time where she can relax, have down time and just ‘chill’; particularly if you have children at home, young children or nursing children. If you are homeschooling, double the time off. Not only is she in the role of Mother, but also Teacher and Principal… You are to bless her. Give her gifts. Give her attention. Listen to her. Spend time with her. Schedule alone time with her with NO KIDS and no interruptions. Ensure that she has emotional support from other women. Make time for her to be in fellowship groups, women’s bible studies, etc. If she has a hobby, encourage her in it; allow money in your budget for her to buy things for her hobby/ relaxation. Help her to say “NO” to extra activities that might drain her. Seek and solicit her input in major decisions of your shared life, including seeking and listening to input on financial decisions. “Let your fountain be blessed…” Ask the Lord to show you how to bless your wife.
“Rejoice in the wife of your youth…” Greet her every time that she walks through the door. Look and act excited to see her. Give her frequent, non-sexual hugs. Tell her verbally of your delight in her. Communicate both verbally and in writing your love for her.
A man who treats his wife in this way will receive a hundredfold return on his efforts. If you are married, I pray that you would obey these commands. If you are single, please take note. With over 60% of marriages ending in divorce, there are fundamental reasons for these breakups. One of the contributing factors in all these breakups is the feeling of ‘lost love’. By continually blessing and rejoicing in your mate, you will keep the ‘fires’ burning. I pray that you would be this type of man. Please pray it for me also.
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Great Devo, Bob. Even for us single guys.
Thanks RJ