Daily Bible study excerpts from my book: “Looking for Contentment in All the Wrong Places”
Relationships
A relationship with God can give us true joy. But there are other relationships that can give us joy as well.
Family Relationships – Marriage
Ephesians 5:25-33
What is expected of the wife? Hi-lite the duties of a wife:
- :22 “Wives, submit to your own husbands”
- :24 “just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands”
- :33 “let the wife see that she respects her husband”
What is expected of the husband? Hi-lite in a different color the duties of a husband:
- :23 “the husband is head of the wife”
- :25 “Husbands, love your wives”
- :28 “husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies”
- :33 “let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself”
Circle the reason word “for”
- :23 “for” – why should wives submit (vs 22) ?
- :29 “for” – why should a husband love his wife as his own body (vs 28)?
- :30 “for” – why does the Lord cherish the church (vs 29)?
- :31 “for this reason” – what reason? vs 30 we are one, as members of Christ’s body, and so we are one as a husband and wife
Put brackets around verses 25-27 and write in your margin Christ’s love for His Bride
Today psychologists have “learned” what God’s Word has always said. Husbands want respect and wives want affection. There will be no joy if either is missing.
God created a wife for Adam so he would have someone to help him and be by his side. When marriage follows Gods plan, it can be a source of great joy. When a husband and wife love and respect each other, both will give joy to each other.
Proverbs 5:15-20
What is the main point of this passage?
Consider the context, Solomon is instructing his son to stay away from immoral women, and be faithful to his wife.
Circle all the instances of the phrase “your own”.
- :15 twice
- :17 once
Always notice the questions in a passage. Hi-lite the two questions:
- :16 Should your fountains be dispersed abroad, streams of water in the streets?
- :20 why should you, my son, be enraptured by an immoral woman, and be embraced in the arms of a seductress?
Notice the word “let”. Underline the phrases beginning with “let”
- :17 “Let them be only your own”
- :18 “Let your fountain be blessed”
- :19 “let her breasts satisfy you”
How is the son to feel about his wife? Put a box around the words:
- :18 “rejoice”
- :19 “satisfy”, “enraptured with her love”
Why is faithfulness to one’s spouse important in a marriage? Is trust important?
Many marriages today lack joy because of unfaithfulness which leads to mistrust. No relationship can remain completely intact without the important component of trust.
1 Corinthians 7:1-5
What is the main point of this passage?
Can there be joy in a marriage where either spouse is selfish?
Why should each man have his own wife? Circle “because” in verse 2.
Hi-lite verse 3. Write in your margin “unselfish”
What is the “do not” phrase in verse 5? Underline “Do not deprive one another” and circle “except”
Double underline
- :5 “come together again”
Think of some selfish ways that will destroy a marriage.
Genesis 2:24
What is the “therefore” referring to? Circle “therefore” and draw a line to vs 23 “because she was taken out of man”
What do they become? Hi-lite “leave”, “joined”, “one flesh”
We are to cling to each other, not our children. Children will grow up, leave and “cling” to their own spouse. The marriage should be the center of the home, not the children.
Next study – Children can bring us joy