August 28 Daily Devotional

The Complete Marriage

Charles and Norma Ellis

Bible Reading:

Psalm 127:

¹Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
²It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.
³Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
⁴As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
⁵Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

Devotional:

In one sense a marriage is complete when God is at its center. God made man and woman the same in essence but with different gifts. They were to complement or complete each other and together form a social unity. By nature each of us has a God-shaped vacuum within. Unfortunately some persons marry in order to have this filled, but then find that the marriage partner is not able to fill it. The fact is, each one has a vacuum of his own! In marriage, then, there is just one larger, combined space! In the complete marriage God Himself fills it.

There is another sense in which we speak of completeness in marriage. In order that a marriage may be conformed to God's perfect design there will ordinarily be progeny. 'Children are an heritage of the Lord' (127:3). Made in the image of God, man is creative. God enables him to be an instrument in the bringing forth of a completely new human being! In fact he even commanded 'male and female' to 'be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth' (Genesis 1:28).

There are men and women today who for selfish reasons do not want to be tied down to marriage and to a home. They want to be free to make an impact upon the world and to do something really big and creative. Or they want to be free just to indulge themselves. These people include the women who scorn what they would call the prosaic humdrum of home life which they say does not challenge their capabilities. They are turning their backs upon the fulfilment that God grants in a marriage which is complete, with God in the center and with children as the heritage.

We are happy to have obtained permission to post as our current daily devotional Heirs Together of Life: Daily Bible Reading for Husbands and Wives, published by The Banner of Truth Trust. Don't be misled by the subtitle. As the book's "Preface" indicates (see below), although Heirs Together of Life is "especially prepared for couples,"the authors declare, "Since the basis for this guide is God's Word, we believe it would have value for any reader."

Charles and Norma Ellis are husband and wife and the authors not only of Heirs Together of Life (which was first published in 1980 and continues in print today), but also of Wells of Salvation (first published in 1985, and likewise still in print today). The latter contains a series of short studies covering the entire book of Isaiah, while the former contains a series of almost 200 short studies covering the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. Both books by the Ellises can be ordered from the publisher, The Banner of Truth Trust. We trust that these daily Bible readings, posted daily on our site, will be helpful to you in your Christian walk before God. Whether married or not, all of us are members of families and members of the family of God.

Charles Ellis was educated at Wheaton College and Westminster Theological Seminary. Upon graduation from Westminster (where he earned not only a Th.B. but also a Th.M.), he was ordained to the ministry in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and pastored a number of OPC churches, including Immanuel OPC in West Collingswood, New Jersey; First OPC in Cincinnati, Ohio; Covenant OPC in East Orange, New Jersey; Knox OPC in Silver Spring, Maryland; and Lakeview OPC in Rockport, Maine. Less biographical information is available about his wife, but it is known that they served as parents of seven children. After retiring from the ministry, Charles Ellis went to be with the Lord in 2003, but he and his wife left us with a beautiful legacy in the two books they have given to the world, and we are proud to share the daily Bible readings from Heirs Together of Life here with you.