Lovestruck A 5-Day DevotionalSample

Solomon and the Shulammite (and their parents) seemed to grasp the concept of leaving and cleaving very well. They also didn’t have trouble remembering that beyond the fancy clothes and fairy-tale decor, there was something very important going on in their wedding ceremony—something holy. A wedding is an earthly ceremony of a spiritual covenant between a man and a woman before God. Our culture has made a wedding into one big party, more of an event than an everlasting covenant. And while it is a time for celebration, if we miss the spiritual significance, then we’ve missed the true meaning. If we miss the true meaning, then we forfeit the underlying foundation for lifelong intimacy. Solomon and the Shulammite understood the meaning of marriage. They didn’t miss it at all. Let’s go back to their wedding procession. There came the bride, with a pillar of smoke leading the way. That pillar of smoke or incense would have undoubtedly reminded the Hebrew attendees of the God who led the children of Israel through the wilderness with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:18–22). They would have remembered how God brought them out of Egyptian slavery and into the Promised Land. While there might have been an extensive guest list for the wedding celebration, God’s presence was leading the way. He was the One who had brought them together and would keep them together. But just like the Promised Land for the Israelites, the promised land of marriage is not without its struggles. If we keep coming to God as a couple, however, he will help us through every one of them. . . . Having God at the center of any marriage helps hold it together for the long haul. Inviting God’s presence into the wedding celebration is a great place to begin. Solomon’s preparation of the wedding ceremony confirmed that he considered marriage a sacred moment with God leading the way.