Some people would like to leave open the "lock" in wedlock. The vows "for better or for worse . . . till death us do part" sound too risky. One liberal minister said that marriage as we've known it is obsolete. Yet studies show that married people tend to be happier and healthier. A Gallup Poll revealed that 95 percent of Americans consider marriage and family life to be very important to them.

God put a padlock on wedlock because man needed the support and fulfillment that is inherent to a lifelong commitment. In Genesis 2:18, the Lord said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him."

We must recognize that God is not only the architect of marriage but also the One who holds it together. A marriage should be made up of three people: a wife, a husband, and Jesus Christ. The foundation of a Christian marriage needs to be a commitment to love and honor the Lord.

Is Jesus the third person in your marriage? He can bring lasting stability to a new relationship, and He can revive the love in a faltering one. But you must surrender to Him, letting Him show you in His Word how He can be your foundation. He's the bedrock for wedlock.  — Dennis J. De Haan