Sunday, January 13, 2013

January 13 – A Thousand Generations

He (God) always stands by His covenant--the commitment He made to a thousand generations. Psalm 105:8 NLT
 
A thousand generations is a long time. The US Census Bureau now considers 25 years as a generation. So that would be 25,000 years—that is a long, long time. And yet God is committed to mankind for that long and to the covenant that He made with Abraham and Isaac, that He would give them the land of Palestine and that their offspring would be as numerous as the stars of the sky. 

Do we stand by our promises? About fifty percent of marriages now fail, depending on the age of the bride and groom. Why can’t these people stay committed to each other? There are lots of reasons, but I see it as selfish desires on the part of one or both individuals—the lack of commitment and the ease with which people can divorce each other. I’ve been married over forty years (40.5 to be exact) and there have been several of times that both my husband or I have wanted to throw in the towel so to speak—or toss the other out on their ear. We weren’t really happy together, but we made a commitment “until death do us part” and we stuck to it. We both had good examples in our parents’ marriages. Jerry’s folks were married for almost 70 years…and mine were married just short of 50 years before one of them died. They all had the same enduring commitment to each other. Being committed to each other is a good example for our children and grandchildren. Love never fails. Happiness is something that can be fleeting…but love endures where there is commitment.

Do your kids see you dealing with difficulties, but working things out and continuing to commit to your relationship? Let them see how you work things out—give them examples of options in making daily decisions. Sure keep the big stuff behind closed doors if things get too hard for little ones to comprehend, but don’t be afraid to ask for advice from parents, friends, mentors or your pastor before things get too out of hand. Don’t wait until you are headed for attorneys. You don’t have to agree on everything, but I hope you’ll always stay committed to each other. Pray and seek God’s guidance even for little differences. He is committed to a thousand generations—so He’ll listened to you, too.  

Training Tip – Talk about your marriage commitment with your spouse. Rededicate your vows on your next anniversary…or on a special day…like Valentine’s Day which is coming up soon. Hug your spouse…as well as your kiddos…in a 3-to-5 people hug regularly. 

Lord – Continue to give us grace to “love one another” even when we or others don’t feel loving.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted.
© 2013 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

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