Couples Devotions

In "Love and Marriage" month here at Family Talk we are pleased to feature special daily devotions, excerpted from Dr. James Dobson's best-selling book, Night Light for Couples. These devotions offer personal, practical, and biblical insights that have sustained Dr. James and Shirley Dobson's marriage for more than fifty years and have encouraged couples and families around the world. We hope they inspire you!

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Set Up For Disappointment

Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. Psalm 146:3

The media continually bombard us with images of broken trust: spouses who cheat on each other; politicians who break promises; corporate chiefs who steal from their employees.

The list goes on and on. People in positions of responsibility should be held accountable to the highest moral and ethical standards. Yet each of these people is a mortal creature with a natural bent toward sin. The minute we begin placing our deepest faith and trust in human beings, we set ourselves up for severe disappointment.

What does this mean for marriage? Even in the best of relationships, husbands and wives may err and break the other's trust. That's why we must rely on God's power—not our own—to lead honorable lives. When husbands and wives commit themselves to live according to God's ways, a bond of trust develops between them. Though none of us is perfect, we can give our heart confidently to our spouse when we know that he or she is genuinely seeking to follow God and His guidelines.

Just between us . . .

• Has someone in a position of responsibility ever broken your trust?
• Is it ever difficult for you to trust me?
• Knowing our sinful nature, how can we still earn each other's trust?
• How do you think the Lord blesses spouses who trust each other?
• How might we develop an even deeper level of trust in our relationship?

Today's Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You that You are completely worthy of our trust. As my spouse and I commit ourselves to being trustworthy with each other, empower us by Your Spirit. Grant us grace when we fail. And bless us, we pray, with joy and confidence as we make trustworthiness a priority. Amen.

Night Light: A Devotional for Couples
Copyright © 2000 by James Dobson, Inc. All rights reserved.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

The Marriage Triangle

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord." Jeremiah 17:7

God promises to bless those who trust in Him. The Psalms state that joy, deliverance, triumph, mercy, provision, blessedness, safety, and usefulness will come to those who put their confidence in the Lord. We need to rely on those blessings in our marriages—otherwise the stresses of life will pull us apart. And those stresses will come! When the house burns down . . . when a child becomes ill . . . when a job and steady paycheck are lost, it's all too easy to let fear and frustration drive a wedge between partners. Even minor problems, such as a nagging cold or a sleepless night, can disrupt the quality of our marriage.

The good news is that we weren't meant to succeed by depending only on each other. Marriage is a triangle—with husband and wife at the bottom corners and the Lord at the top. The book of Ecclesiastes conveys a similar truth when Solomon talks about the strength of a three‐stranded cord (4:12). If we invite the Lord into our marriage and trust in His strength, we can experience strength and peace in our marriage regardless of the circumstances.

Just between us . . .

• When, before our marriage, did God prove strong for you in a time of crisis? What specific blessing did He provide?
• How has He blessed us during hard times in our marriage?
• What are some of the little stresses that tend to drive us apart?
• In light of what we've read this week, how can we encourage each other to trust God more?

Today's Prayer

Dear Lord, we praise You that You—the God of love, power, and goodness— want to be a powerful presence in our relationship. When tests come, bind us together with love. When we are weak, be strong for us. Amen.

Night Light: A Devotional for Couples
Copyright © 2000 by James Dobson, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Friday - February 3, 2012

Times of Plenty

I have set the Lord always before me. Psalm 16:8

Just as we're tempted to think God has forgotten about us when hard times come, so we tend to forget God when times are easy. Think about the marriages you have seen slide into trouble just when the couples seemed to have everything going their way.

Jesus told a story about a rich farmer who had no need for God. The farmer had his life nicely laid out. One year he produced such a bumper crop that he couldn't store it all. In a world of suffering and starvation, that was his biggest problem! Then he said, "This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, 'You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink, and be merry.' " But God said to him, "You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?" (Luke 12:18–20).

Are you in a time of relative plenty in your life together? If so, be careful about slipping into arrogance and self‐contentedness. The next thing you know you'll be behaving like the fool in Jesus' story—as if you don't need God. An old‐time preacher once wrote, "Blessedness is the greatest of perils because it tends to dull our keen sense of dependence on God and make us prone to presumption."

Take a moment tonight to thank and praise God for all the good you enjoy. And remember to fully depend on Him each day, even when everything is going wonderfully.

Just between us . . .

• Do we trust God in good times, or do we begin to feel self‐sufficient?
• Do we give God the credit and praise when life is good?
• How can we encourage each other to rely on the Lord at all times?

Today's Prayer

Lord, You have poured out Your goodness on our lives, and we are truly grateful. Forgive us when we let satisfaction dull our devotion to You. Amen.

Night Light: A Devotional for Couples
Copyright © 2000 by James Dobson, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Get Your Copy of Night Light For Couples

We truly hope you are blessed by these inspiring and thought-provoking devotions by Dr. James Dobson. Today, why not add the powerful resource Night Light For Couples to your home library?

You’ll enjoy six month’s worth of daily devotions to help you and your spouse renew love and intimacy with each other and the Lord. Whether you're newly married or are celebrating your golden anniversary, you need regular, quiet moments with your mate—times to renew love and intimacy with each other and with the Lord.

Night Light for Couples, by Dr. James Dobson and his wife, Shirley, will help you do just that. The daily devotional offers the personal, practical, and biblical insights that have sustained the Dobsons' marriage for more than fifty years and encouraged couples and families around the world. Let Night Light for Couples enrich your marriage too—tonight and every night.

Request your copy in the RESOURCES Center at drjamesdobson.org or call Family Talk’s Customer Care Line at 1-877-732-6825.