October 27 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

God created human beings male and female. Eve was created as a helper suitable for Adam. Not a helper to do little jobs for him, but one who could meet him in his being—his counterpart. These two were so marvelously made by their God and for each other that they were able to become two in one—"one flesh" (Gen. 2:24).

The Bible presents marriage as an institution of God at the dawn of history. Sex and marriage existed before the human race was polluted with sin. As something that comes from God, marriage is good.

As recently as the twentieth century, the story was told that in early times a hairy cave dweller went out to rape a maiden whom he might later swap for a bear's skin—a story still popularized in cartoons and books. But more than a thousand years before Christ, people were telling a different story. They knew that in the beginning there was one man and one woman who were married in paradise.

God's creation of sex and marriage is one of his loveliest gifts to the human race, one of the few remaining flowers of paradise. Rightly used and regarded, marriage can be a source of much happiness. Abused and regarded lightly, it is a well of misery.

The sexual drive and sexual attraction between men and women are gifts created by God. God created these feelings and desires for a purpose. That purpose is marriage. God himself is the guardian of that unity. God intended marriage to be a lifelong union between one man and one woman. Around marriage God has placed his golden ring, and God warns us to keep it sacred.

If people insist on destroying what God has made, they ultimately destroy themselves, for people are bound to suffer when they refuse to do God's will.

REFLECTIONS

Married or single, how would you state this commandment positively as a guide for your behavior?

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.