by David Chadwick

"He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord." Proverbs 18:22

Today's proverb is found in Proverbs 18:22. It says finding a good wife finds favor from the Lord.

First, take note how God calls marriage "a good thing" in his Word! As the Creator of the universe, God has intentionally woven his goodness throughout all of creation, marriage being one of those things.

Secondly, in today's verse, notice that it's one man who finds "a wife." One wife. It does not say multiple wives. Do you think Solomon may have learned his lesson on how hard it was to have multiple wives? This verse certainly makes you wonder.

The emphasis on "one wife" refers back to the beauty of Genesis 2:24 and God's original intent. "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."

Since the beginning of time, God's design for marriage has been two people in a long-term, committed, forever, heterosexual union. Not only is this God's will, but when marriage is done his way, it becomes something over which God rejoices. And is beautiful beyond words.

This kind of lasting marriage brings God's favor. It brings his blessing. It invokes miracles. It is a union in which God's power and presence reside.

Now, after almost 50 years of faithful marriage to one woman, I see this truth more than ever. I can look back over my life with Marilynn and see God's presence and providence in so many different areas. I see where his guiding hand blessed us in so many different ways because of our faithfulness to him and to one another.

We chose to forgive when we were angry. We kept moving forward in our callings when we wanted to give up. We have seen his divine power flow to and through us as we have sought to reach a broken world with the gospel of Jesus. Our marriage truly is a "good thing."

If you are married, I pray that your marriage experiences the goodness of God and shows his goodness to others for generations to come.