Promises of a 24 Year Old

Genesis 50:15-26

“Debbie, with these friends and with God as our witness, I make these promises to you: That I will love you as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her. That I will take the responsibility of making decisions concerning us and that these decisions will be in the best interest of our relationship with God. I will not impose my will over yours, but God’s will over both of ours. To Him we will both submit that through our relationship others might see Christ’s love. That I will love you, and be concerned for you all of our lives together. I will never leave you, for as God commanded “Whoever I have joined together let no man put asunder.”

 

These were the promises that I made to my wife over 41 years ago. I’m pretty sure I haven’t kept them all. But Joseph lived his life based on a promise. It was a promise that he never saw fulfilled, but he knew that it would be fulfilled someday because he knew that God was faithful. Let’s see what today’s passage has to say about this.

First we read that Joseph’s brothers asked for his forgiveness. And what is Joseph’s response? ^20 “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives”.

 Later Joseph makes reference to God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. ^24 “Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”.

 Joseph was 17 when his brothers sold him into slavery. This passage took place shortly before his death at the age of 110. Joseph did not live an easy life, but for 93 years he knew that God was faithful; he knew that God would fulfill His promises.

 Jesus made promises to his bride, the church. He promised that he would return for her. He promised that he would leave his Spirit to strengthen and comfort her. He promised that he would make her holy without blemish. He promised that nothing could separate her from his love. These promises still hold true for us.

 “Debbie, I love and need you, but we must both first love Jesus. All these things I can promise you not through my own strength, but through the strength of God’s Spirit, by whom all things are possible.”

 

This is the final paragraph of my vows. Pretty idealistic for a 24-year-old, but I did get one thing right. God is faithful, and it is through His strength that we remain faithful, not only to our spouse but also to Him.