God's Successful Marriage

“And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children…” — Deuteronomy 6:6–7 There is a kind of legacy that can be measured in money, property, keepsakes, family photos, and names passed down through generations. Those things may have value, and there is nothing wrong with wanting to leave something meaningful behind for our children. But for the Christian husband and wife, the greatest legacy we can leave is not merely what our children receive from us. It is what they learn about Christ by watching us. Our children may forget some of the vacations. They may forget some of the birthday gifts. They may not remember every meal at the table or every ordinary day that seemed to pass without much significance. But they will remember the atmosphere of the home. They will remember how Dad spoke to Mom. They will remember how Mom responded to Dad. They will remember whether forgiveness was practiced or only preached. Th...

  Common Man Publications Strengthening Your Marriage One Day at a Time A 7-Day Devotional from God’s Successful Marriage Marriage is strengthened in the daily choices we make to love, forgive, honor, and remain faithful to the covenant God has given us. This devotional was written to encourage couples to return to those steady, God-honoring choices one day at a time. Whether you work through it together as husband and wife, reflect on it personally, or pass it along to another couple in need of encouragement, our prayer is that it will be both a blessing and a practical help. You can read the devotional directly below, or download the PDF to save for later. “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:...

  He Is Risen: The Victory That Changed Everything “He is not here, for He has risen, as He said.” — Matthew 28:6 “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.” — Luke 24:5–6 The Empty Tomb There was a stone, there was a sealed tomb and there was a body laid inside. And then… there was nothing. The grave could not hold Him, what was meant to be final… was not. What looked like defeat… was victory. Jesus Christ—crucified, buried, and on the third day—risen. Not imagined. Not symbolic. Not a story shaped by time. But truth that split history in two. What God Has Done “But God raised Him up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it. ” — Acts 2:24 It was not possible because death had no authority over Him and sin had no claim on Him. The grave had no power to keep Him. What no man could overcome… God has overcome. Why This Matters “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ...

  Early in marriage, encouragement comes naturally. Newly married couples often speak admiration freely. Compliments come easily. Gratitude is expressed often. There is excitement in discovering the good qualities in the person you married. But over time, something subtle happens in many marriages. Life becomes busy. Responsibilities increase. Children arrive. Work schedules tighten. Bills need to be paid. Stress has a way of crowding the margins of daily life. Slowly, encouragement begins to fade from everyday conversation. It usually isn’t replaced with hostility. Instead, it is often replaced with silence. Yet Scripture reminds us that words carry tremendous power , especially within marriage. Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” (KJV) The Bible repeatedly teaches that our words shape the environment around us. Nowhere is that more evident than within the home. Your spouse hears your voice more than ...

  Marriage has a way of becoming busy. Careers grow, children arrive, responsibilities increase, and financial priorities shift. The early days of dating — when couples seemed to naturally carve out time for one another — can slowly be replaced by schedules, obligations, and fatigue. What once felt effortless can begin to feel like another item on a long list of things to manage. Many couples assume the solution is more money, more time, or fewer responsibilities. Yet after thirty years of marriage, we have learned something different: intentional attention matters far more than financial ability . Some of the strongest moments in our marriage did not happen during seasons of abundance. They happened during lean years — young marriage, military life, tight budgets, and long work weeks. Yet we discovered something that has remained true through every stage of life: dating your spouse is not about spending money; it is about choosing pursuit. Scripture repeatedly warns about small ne...

There comes a moment in every marriage when the butterflies settle… the wedding photos fade into frames… the vows become daily life… And you look at each other and think: “Why does this feel so hard?” No one puts that in the wedding cards. We celebrate romance. We celebrate passion. We celebrate the honeymoon. But we rarely celebrate effort. Yet effort is where love becomes real. Love Was Never Meant to Be Effortless The world tells us that if it’s “meant to be,” it will feel easy. Scripture tells us something very different. “Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” — 1 John 3:18 Love is action. Action requires effort. Effort requires intention. And intention requires maturity. When we wrote about “Love Is an Action” in Series 1, we acknowledged something many couples avoid: feelings fluctuate. But covenant does not. Even the apostle Paul describes love not as a feeling but as discipline: “Love is patient, love is kind… it always protects, always...

  When Pain Didn’t Leave, but Joy Still Showed Up I didn’t wake up healed. The pain was still there. The anxiety. The depression. The moral injury. The numbness. PTSD hadn’t gone anywhere. Nothing about my life suddenly became easier. And yet, on that day—at an amusement park with my wife and my 17-year-old daughter—I still had a good day. That alone felt worth paying attention to. Joy Without Conditions I wasn’t chasing happiness. I wasn’t trying to “make the most of it.” I wasn’t pretending things were okay. I was just present. For once, I wasn’t replaying the past or bracing for the future. I wasn’t fixing myself, explaining myself, or carrying everything else I’ve been holding. I was walking. Laughing. Standing in lines. Watching my daughter smile. Holding my wife’s hand. And somewhere in the middle of all that, joy showed up—uninvited, unexpected, and unearned. Scripture tells us: “Though sorrow may last for the night, joy comes in the morning.” — Psalm 30...

As this year comes to a close, I find myself pausing—not to relive every moment, but to reflect on what God has done through them. This year has not been perfect. It has not been easy. But it has been good. There were moments of joy—times when God’s hand was unmistakable, when prayers were answered clearly and blessings came in ways we didn’t expect. There were also moments of struggle, uncertainty, and discomfort—times that tested faith, trust, and endurance. Yet in every season, God remained faithful. We were reminded that faith does not mean the absence of hardship. It means choosing to trust God through it. Lessons Learned Along the Way This year brought clarity in unexpected places. We wrestled with church culture, leadership, grace, tradition, and Scripture—not to divide, but to understand. We asked hard questions about what it truly means to follow Christ, to love sacrificially, and to walk humbly. We were reminded that:  Grace must always outweigh pride Unity in...