“I…take thee…to be my wedded wife (husband), to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.â€�        

These words have been the traditional vows exchanged by most couples during their wedding ceremony. Beautifully spoken, with tears in their eyes, the bride and groomâ€"so very much in loveâ€"repeat these solemn words with the deep conviction that they will be there for each other, unconditionally, forever. Or, as in many cases, they are empty promises repeated as part of a time-honored tradition which hold no real merit or value and are easily broken before the couple's first wedding anniversary.

These vows were first spoken by God as He breathed life into the first marriage between Adam and Eve. This first wedding ceremony took place in The Beginning, on the 6th day, as a part of God’s glorious Creation. He was the center of this first relationship, and Adam and Eve enjoyed every aspect of their pure and holy union. This was God’s plan, His gift of love and commitment to be shared by two people. But their perfect love story was distorted by sin when they allowed God’s place in their marriage to shift from the center.

“In today’s society we are seeing the dramatic redefinition of marriage; but in Genesis 2 we can read a revealed historical account of the first marriage. When God created the first man, He sought a suitable counterpart (verse 18). He chose neither an animal nor an exact duplicate of the man, but instead He created a womanâ€"uniquely formed for intimacy, companionship, co-workmanship, and pro-creation (verse 22).â€�² God’s plan was and is perfect!

Whether you’re about to say “I Doâ€� or you made that promise 10, 20, or 40+ years ago, know that your marriage is a gift from God; perfectly designed for you! Take a moment today to hold your wife’s or husband’s hands, look them in the eyes like you did on that special day, and tell them againâ€"I Do!

Suggested Prayer: Dear Loving Father, from the very beginning you made clear your will for my marriage. Thank you for the spouse that you lovingly chose for me. How beautiful is your design for your Creation! Today, I commit to my spouse once again; vowing to keep you at the center of my marriage so that it may grow and flourish as you intended. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

1.    Genesis 2:24 (NKJV).

2.    www.answersingenesis.org, Simon Turpin, 2016.

Today’s Encounter was written by: Veronica B.