God is Pure and Faithful
GOD’S SEVENTH COMMANDMENT SHOWS THAT HE IS PURE AND FAITHFUL.
Bible Reading of the Day: Read Hebrews 13:4.
Verse of the Day: “Do not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14).
The church was decorated with white candles and ribbons. People continued to file into the sanctuary. Terry and his family had been seated a few minutes earlier and were waiting for the wedding to start.
Terry saw his mom and dad trade wedding rings. He leaned across his sister, Anna, and tapped his mom on the arm. “Why did you do that?” he asked, pointing to the ring she held in her hand.
Mom smiled. “I’ll tell you after the wedding,” she whispered.
Once the crowd was seated and the ceremony started, Terry turned back to ask his mom to tell him why she had exchanged rings with his dad, but she simply smiled and shook her head when he started to speak.
Finally, when the ceremony was over, Terry squeezed by his sister before his parents could stand up. “Why did you and Dad trade rings?” he asked. He looked at his mom’s hand and noticed that she wore her own ring again.
“Your father and I do that every time we attend a wedding,” she said.
Dad leaned closer to his son. “I gave that ring to your mother on our wedding day, a long time ago,” he said, pointing to the sparkling ring on Mom’s finger. “And she gave me this ring,” he said, twirling the gold band on his finger. “These rings are symbols of the vows we exchanged that day.”
Terry wrinkled his nose to reflect his confusion.
Dad interlaced his fingers with Mom’s and held their hands up so Terry could see both rings. “We wear these rings,” Dad said, “to remind each other of our promise to love each other and to be pure and faithful to each other for the rest of our lives.”
“And every time we attend a wedding,” Mom said, “we repeat those promises all over again. That’s why we traded rings at the beginning of the ceremony, so we could promise all over again to be faithful to each other.”
“Because, you see, Son,” Dad continued, “when we’re pure and faithful to each other, we please God, because that’s what God is like. He is pure and faithful himself. Our marriage is beautiful because it reflects the character of God.” “Oh,” Terry said. “Can I ask you another question?” Mom and Dad nodded together.
“Can we go eat now?” he said, thinking of the wedding cake. “I’m hungry.” Mom and Dad laughed, as they walked out of the sanctuary together.
TO DO: Make a card for a couple you know who have been married for a long time. Let them know how much their faithfulness to each other has meant to you over the years.
TO PRAY: “Lord, we praise you for your purity and for your faithfulness. Help us to reflect your character.”