“ ’Haven’t you read,’ he replied, ‘that at the beginning the Creator “made them male and female,” and said, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh?” So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.’ ‘Why then,’ they asked, ‘did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?’ Jesus replied, ‘Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.’ The disciples said to him, ‘If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry. ’ ” Matthew 19:4-10

Dear Jesus, You never married and yet you championed marriage as your Father’s treasured possession. Help me to see in your words a strong endearment toward the institution you have established as the primary building block of society. I live in a world where marriage is disregarded and devalued. But you esteem it as the trophy of your creation. Help me to treat my own marriage and the marriage of everyone else with the same honor that you have for them. Give me the wisdom to protect every marriage around me. Cause young people everywhere to rekindle their desire to honor marriage as an act of their faith instead of a function of convenience. Give them immunity to the stale disregard for marriage they see on the silver screen too. Make marriages everywhere the envy of the masses. Amen.

God loves marriage more than he loves your happiness. May you struggle as much with divorce as you do with marriage.