“I promise to be faithful to you, as long as we both shall live.”
As those tender words fall from the smiling husband’s voice, they fill the heart of the bride. She has been dreaming of this moment for so long! And then, as she in turn shares those words with her man, he gains so much happiness and confidence! How awesome it is, for one man and one woman to promise to be faithful to one another as long as they keep breathing.
Every marriage has plenty of moments where brides and grooms keep their promises to one another. There are encouraging words, loving priorities, and listening hearts. But there is no perfect marriage. Every marriage also has moments where brides and grooms break their promises to be faithful. There are hurtful words, and selfish priorities. Frustration is fueled, not doused. Most of the rifts are smaller in nature, but some are not. The conflict caused by those broken promises is resolved through apologies and a renewal of promises to be faithful. And yet, in spite of mankind’s best intentions, over fifty percent of marriages in our country still end in divorce.
Thankfully, God is not like us.
He is always faithful. He never, ever, breaks a promise. God never needs to apologize, because he never does anything wrong. God never has selfish priorities, and he never fuels our frustrations. He’s faithful and incredibly strong. And he is glad to use his faithful strength to protect us from Satan. Listen to this Scripture verse from God’s own heart. “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one (2 Thessalonians 3:3).”
Yes, the devil – in this verse, he’s referred to as “the evil one” – is real. Yes, the devil wants to destroy you with his lies. Yes, the devil will tempt you to sin and succeed sometimes. But guess what? That will never cause the Lord to stop being faithful to you. The Lord will be faithful to you, as long as you both shall live. And that means he is faithful to you forever!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you suffered the temptation of Satan in our place and defeated him on our behalf. You have given us the power to rise above the temptations of the evil one. In our daily struggle against the spiritual forces of darkness, shield us with your divine protection. As we battle our inner sinful desires, strengthen us with your faithful grace. Give us everything we need to stand firm in times of temptation, and finally overcome and obtain the victory. It’s in your holy name that I pray. Amen.
Nathan Buege
Pastor, Victory of the Lamb Lutheran Church
Katy, TX
Weekly Devotions. Delivered.
Complete the form below to receive devotions like this one delivered straight to your inbox.