A Man Who Finds A Wife Finds A Treasure

PROVERBS 18:22
“He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the Lord.
”‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭18:22‬ ‭NKJV‬
‬https://bible.com/bible/114/pro.18.22.NKJ

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“Marriage is a good thing.” Problems in marriage arise from breakdown in communication or mutual respect for one another, not because of flaws in marriage (12:4).
The Lord God said, “it is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him (GENESIS 2:18).”
God’s creative work was not complete until he created women.
God chose to create Eve from the side of man, from his bone rather than from dust as He created Adam. In doing so, He illustrated for us that in marriage, a man and his wife are united into one. He didn’t take the bone from Adam’s head that she would be above him, nor from his foot that she should be trodden down; but from his side that they are equals and in marriage should become one flesh.
But He did say, “she is to be his helper”, and therefore, subject to her husband, just as the church is subject to Christ, for He is the head.
This is a wonderful mystical union of the couple’s heart and lives (see GENESIS 2:18:24).
Marriage should be viewed as a great gift from God, and it should be treasured; He created it for our enjoyment and contentment, and pronounced it “good.”
Marriage works, but for it to work perfectly we need to follow God’s instructions as in His word and remain obedient to Him. No one can follow these basic instructions without reading His word and taking it in.
If your marriage is struggling, go back to basics and look at God’s instruction for you as a husband or a wife; His way works (JOHN 14:6). It takes effort and determination, and we will all need God’s help. Therefore pray individually and together for your marriage; it is a three way relationship.
When you give your marriage vows before God, you are agreeing a covenant with your spouse and God; it is a life-long agreement! If you break that covenant with your spouse, you are breaking your covenant with God.
The devil is never far away-he comes to steal, and to kill, and to destroy (JOHN 10:10) and he wants to destroy your marriage.
Sex and money are two main areas he will try to attack.
If you leave a crack in the door, he will enter in and cause havoc. But if you follow God’s good instruction and rebuke the devil, he will flee from you (JAMES 4:7).
Know and take your place as a husband or a wife and don’t allow the temptations of the devil, disobedience or pride destroy what the Lord our God said is good.
1 CORINTHIANS 7:1-16 and EPHESIANS 5:22-33 give great instruction for marriage. Read it, take it in, and obey it; it is God given instructions that you agreed to when you gave your marriage vows before God.
Paul tells us, “Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. But I say this as a concession, not as a commandment. For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that. But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am; but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.”
‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭7‬:‭1‬-‭9‬ ‭NKJV
Whilst the word tells us love does not seek its own (1 CORINTHIANS 13:5), one must not withhold intimacy except for the purpose of fasting and prayer when both agree to protect one another from temptation.
If your spouse is hungry, feed him or her and satisfy. If you don’t, the devil knows someone who will!
Husbands, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the Lord.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭18:22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
She is your God given helper, Cherish her! Treat her with respect, for she is a gift from God.
“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭22‬-‭33‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
Just as the church, the bride of Christ, is subject to the Lord, so the wife is subject to her husband, and just as Christ loved the Church with all provision, even taking responsibility for her on a cross, so the husband must love his wife with all provision and take responsibility for her.
We all have disagreements and at times those differences can be fiery, but Paul said, “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭26‬-‭27‬ ‭NKJV‬
My beloved, never sleep on anger or offence, for like cancer it will grow.
And finally, love is the foundation of God’s way of life (MATHEW 22:37-40), and the foundation of marriage.
Therefore, apply love to your marriage, knowing,
that “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭4‬-‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.