As part of the www.lincolncitychurchwomen.blogspot.com read-through-the-Bible-this-year plan, today i read Malachi and was impressed upon by some principles relating to marriage that God spoke to His prophet Malachi for His people - and for me today!

From the Message Bible, scattered throughout Malachi 2:13-16 ---

-- "His Spirit inhabits even the smallest details of marriage."
This morning while doing my mad dash version of making the bed, i stumbled upon one of my sweet husband's size 10 1/2, thick-soled dress shoes. God has been teaching me throughout the 7 years we've been married that how i respond to something, what attitude i decide to take up or throw down EVEN in the privacy of my own space and thoughts, has the power to either sweeten or sour my relationship with my husband. So instead of taking up a sour attidue and moping along with my tingling toe, i decided to pick up the shoes and put them in the closet. God reminded me that when my husband wearily dropped those shoes from his feet to a place beside the bed, he was worn out - perhaps more than in body - from the overtime put in for his company, from the commitments fulfilled in helping others, from the care given to me, our toddler and unborn baby. And i should be ever so grateful to have a husband so dedicated and loving as he is. And i am.

-- "And what does He want from marriage? Children of God, that's what."
The first thing that popped into my mind was natural children - perhaps because there's one growing in my abdomen right now, pressing on my bladder and therefore my mind - children who are raised to serve God. But then through the pregnancy clouds that seem to derail my coherent train of thought, came the realization that a husband and wife should be a source of growth and encouragement to each other THROUGH their marriage relationship to become strong, mature children of God.

And finally...

-- "So guard the spirit of marriage within you."
The concept of guarding something sounds like "work" to me, which can sometimes be so quickly tossed aside once the marriage train passes the honeymoon, star-struck stage and slows down into Reality City Depot. I love my husband dearly but i know that our marriage isn't based on feeling love; this was a good reminder to me to keep working on building our marriage every day - not being perfect, but working to protect it! The spirit of marriage seems to me to be something that is breathed into a marriage and its partners by the very Spirit of God. And i need to guard that like i guard everything else God-breathed in my life.