FOR PERSONAL APPLICATION These aspects of the study can be used in between group sessions on your own, either with your spouse or individually as part of your devotional and confession life.
Do Something During the week ahead, turn your learning into doing.
Memorize Psalm 139:13-16 . Now, in v13 , change the word “my” to your spouse’s name, and the rest of the pronouns in the passage accordingly. Recite the psalm to yourself with those changes, slowly, seeing your spouse as “fearfully and wonderfully made” by their loving Father. Develop the habit of reciting the passage, or a specific verse or two within it, whenever sin is exposed in your spouse, or when you see their features or characteristics that are perhaps not comely. And love them accordingly. Search Me, O God For introspection during the coming week. Have I hurt my spouse, perhaps repeatedly, by criticizing or complaining about features or characteristics that they cannot change? Have I made jokes that aren’t really jokes but manipulative ploys? Have I complained about my spouse to other people, and thereby demeaned them in the eyes of others? Do I need to apologize to my spouse, and confess my sin to them? What is the root cause in my heart that motivates my hurtful behavior? How practically can I address the cause and love my spouse better? Want to Know More? From cover to cover, Scripture declares that God rules sovereignly over the affairs of nations and individuals. Far from being restrictive or deflating, this fact provides ultimate support and encouragement for Christians in their marriage, because God has ordained whatsoever comes to pass for his own glory through the good of his people. To become truly well-versed in the doctrine of sovereignty, just read the whole Bible (!). But for starters, here are some excerpted verses that baldly state the fact (some of which were referenced in today’s session): • Genesis 1:1, 50:15-20 • Exodus 14:1-8 • 2 Kings 19:25-26 • Psalm 33:10-11, 75:6-7 • Proverbs 16:1,9,33; 20:24 • Isaiah 45:1-7, 46:8-11, 55:8-11 • Daniel 2:20-22 • John 6:44, 15:16 • Acts 2:22-23, 13:48, 17:26 • Romans 8:28-29, 9:14-21 • Ephesians 1 (entire chapter)
For More From Paul Tripp, Read: Marriage: 6 Gospel Commitments Every Couple Needs to Make, Chapter 17
Session 9
WHAT DID YOU EXPECT?
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