Devotion

Devotion

“Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the Lord your God”. 1 Chronicles 22:19

Devotion-  (as defined by Webster's) love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person, activity, or cause. Selfless affection and dedication to a person or principle. 

*We are going to break devotion down into three parts: love, loyalty, and enthusiasm. 

Devotion: Love

Topic Questions for discussion/reflection: 

1. Can your husband count on you for a lifetime? 
2. How serious are you about your wedding vows? Do you really love your husband for better or worse? 
3. Do you realize that when you and your spouse married, a covenant with God was made? 
4. Are you truly devoted to your husband and making your marriage work? 

Love conquers ALL things: even deployments (1 Corinthians 13). Separation from your spouse-no matter the length of time is hard--add to that the “danger factor” and we surpass “hard” and go straight to difficult! And to make matters worse, there are times when communication (one of the key aspects to a successful relationship) is completely cut off! Be devoted to love your husbands through this time. It’s difficult for us, so imagine how difficult it must be for them--away from family AND the comforts of home (safety, freedom, etc). We may not always have available communication with our husbands, but we ALWAYS have an open line to Christ! 

Love bears ALL things (1 Corinthians 13:7): Deployments are difficult on many levels, but in the big picture--they are just fragments of a lifetime. They are a part of your marriage story. Deployments can help develop a marriage, either negatively or positively, but development will occur. 

Devotion: Loyalty

“The man that finds a wife, finds a treasure and he receives favor from the Lord”. Proverbs 19:22

Loyalty- (Webster's) giving or showing firm and constant support or allegiance to a person or institution. Synonyms: faithful, true, trusty, constant, devoted. 

Topic Questions for discussion/reflection:

1. Are you loyal to your husband? job? friends? 
2. What else are you loyal to? *I am loyal to some brands, i.e. Scott toilet paper! I will pay whatever the cost to have this type of tissue in my home:) Hilarious, I know! BUT--that is the truth! We are loyal to many things other than people! 

Showing constant support is an indication of loyalty. Military wives: this is our BIGGEST, most important job/duty! (Whether we want it to be or not). So, let’s embrace it! 

*We not only have to be loyal to our marriage and our husbands, but also their careers! 

As military wives, what are some ways we can show support? 

-encouragement -holding down the fort -PCSing -keeping our house in order -etc.

Loyalty & Covenants

*By societies rule, marriage is an institution, right? 

It’s a covenant with God!

Malachi 2:14 says that marriage is a covenant with God. Deuteronomy 7:9 says: “Know therefore that the Lord thy God, He is God, the faithful God, which keepeth COVENANT and mercy with them that love him and keeps his commandments to a thousand generations”. 

The Hebrew word for covenant here is briyth (ber-eeth). It means, in the sense of cutting--blood compact made by passing between pieces of flesh. 

“I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness and you will acknowledge the Lord”. Hosea 2: 19-20. This is God telling us that he will betroth himself to us--he will (in a sense) marry us. Along with this marriage (between us and God) comes love, compassion, forgiveness, mercy, righteousness, faithfulness---all the characteristics that should be included in a marriage! God sets the perfect example! God is devoted to you-He is loyal to you-He loves you! 

Devotion: enthusiasm

Military wives, LISTEN UP!!! This verse is for you!!! “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy!” Psalms 126:5 

Deployments are NOT fun! Neither are weeks spent in the field. Deployments have a way of bringing out both weaknesses and strengths in a marriage. Though deployments are hard, we have something to look forward to! Homecoming! Retirement! Deployments do not last forever. We can make a conscious effort to be enthusiastic about these things: “Be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus!” 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

Our attitudes can contribute both negatively or positively to the duration of the deployment. We all have bad days, but they can be few. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest” Matthew 11:28. Having a bad day? Go to Him! 

Be enthusiastic about the future! There are times of ill emotions, such as loneliness and depression, but that battle is not yours (2 Chronicles 20:15)! It’s Gods! 

“As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned into them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day; that they should make them days of feasting and joy and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.” Esther 9:22 

Our husbands will return and have rest from war. Our mourning will be turned to dancing and our sorrow into joy! 

Be devoted! 

Be loving! 

Be loyal! 

Be enthusiastic!