“God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. The fear and terror of you will be in every living creature on the earth, every bird of the sky, every creature that crawls on the ground, and all the fish of the sea. They are placed under your authority.” (Genesis 9:1–2, CSB)
Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth … They are placed under your authority. With every, “I do,” there comes an, “I will do!” God always has a mission for every marriage, a charge for every couple. Those responsibilities are the everyday “stuff” of being married and they are what make a marriage magnificent!
Perhaps your mind’s eye can see, as mine does, the weeks after the ark was opened and the flood’s raging was but a memory. There, around the campfire each night, as the stories are told and retold, Noah and his wife, and the couples that are their children remain cloistered next to God’s security ship.
And as the weeks turn into months, God has noticed that they haven’t moved. They remain where the ark came to rest. And, who wouldn’t? That’s where their beds and home is. That’s where the security is. That’s where they’ve grown comfortable. But God isn’t into comfortable. He’s about the mission.
It’s not just a clever turn of a phrase these words, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.” They create a mission of great magnitude and, to be perfectly honest, they carry with them a great risk.
The world is a big place – if you don’t believe me, try a trip to the other side in the new future. And God called them to disperse and dominate it! Hence, the explanation, “They are placed under your authority.” Such words can cause the heartiest of people nervousness.
Today, as you step into your day, let me ask you a simple question: What fruit have you produced recently as a couple? The passage here means children. Are you multiplying? (Remember math class and think multiples of the number two … four, six, eight, etc.) There’s plenty of room on the planet … just drive 500 miles inland and see what I mean! Dominate the world we live in by God’s authority!
God means for us to get busy! What’s keeping us cloistered?
Magnificent Marriage Mondays are helpful hints, clues, ideas, and solutions for the child of God who is looking for a spouse, in a relationship with someone, or are already married. Each post seeks to bring help, hope, and honesty to your life and make the rest of your life, the best of your life. They are written by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Executive Director of Eagles In Leadership, and come from his 38 years, 5 months and 2 days experience with his wife, Melodee, who was promoted to Heaven on November 11, 2017. He is currently seeking God’s will for his new life partner. He welcomes your comments below.
