Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.
Imagine a top chef prepares his or her best meal for you. The chef creates it perfectly, with all the spices and flavors that will make this dish delicious. But before you eat the meal or in the middle of it, you add your favorite hotdog toppings like relish, mustard, and chili. Even with the best intentions, we can ruin the meal that was curated for us because we trusted our judgment over the one who has mastered it. How many times do we do a similar thing with God? We forget that He is the author and designer of marriage and intimacy. We forget to trust that what He made is good, and we decide to take matters into our own hands. We pursue pleasure outside of what He created, and we ruin what He made perfectly for our good and His glory. God’s judgment against defiling His design is strong because it is a direct rejection of Him.
Whether we are married or single, we must ask if we are truly trusting that God’s design for life is good in every area. God’s design for intimacy is creative, intelligent, and trustworthy. Any pursuit outside of His design is only a cheap substitute that will defile the beautiful masterpiece He has created. Psalm 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” We can trust that the Lord is good, and so is His design for marriage and intimacy. When we feel tempted to pursue intimacy outside of His design, we can take refuge in Him, seeking to trust Him anew.
- What are some things the world tells us about intimacy and marriage? What does God’s Word say in comparison?
- How can you run to God as your refuge in a time of temptation?
- Pray and praise God for His good design for marriage and intimacy.
