Dating is not only for those who are looking to date someone with the hopes for marriage; dating is also for those who are already married. It may be a bit of a leap for some to comprehend, but to others, well, it’s just a natural part of their marriage. Here is why it’s important to still date your spouse in marriage.
Hosea And Gomer
If we look in the Biblical context of who God is, He doesn’t stop pursuing us. If He did, we’d be left high and dry at the first sign of backsliding or giving in to temptation. Yet, who is always there, ready and waiting to receive us? To whisper His truths into our ears, for us to listen? Well, it’s our first love, our God. If it weren’t for Him, we’d never have a holy love to embody in the first place. And where does that get reflected? In our earthly marriages.
Consider the story of Hosea and Gomer. Hosea probably thought he would end up marrying a beautiful woman of God and serving God faithfully. Instead, God had him marry a promiscuous woman (Hosea 1:2), a prostitute with a known reputation. He knew this marriage would bring heartache, and yet, out of obedience, he marries Gomer anyways, whose name means “complete.”
Even after they married, she fled off and cheated on him with other men, ultimately falling in a desperate state of slavery that cried for help. With a broken and rather fed-up heart, Hosea bought her back with 15 pieces of silver, some wine and a batch of barley. And what did God pay later on to redeem us back? He paid with the death of His son, Jesus.
Pursuit In Marriage
In our own marriages, we can reflect this love. Dating isn’t just something where you go out to a candlelit dinner, drink some wine and share memories. Dating isn’t just a walk in the park or a movie night. Dating is the pursuit of the heart.
Never stop telling your spouse how much you love them. Never stop telling your spouse how beautiful or handsome they are. Never stop encouraging your partner. Never stop believing that your marriage was created to be something wondrous and holy. Pursue it like you’re pursuing Christ, because our earthly love, our spouse, is the closest embodiment we’ll have to reflecting Christ’s love and seeing that love manifest. Dating your spouse isn’t just something you can do on a Friday night; it’s something you can do every single day.
The story of Hosea is a passionate love story, and it reflects astounding love, His grace, His mercy and the act of pursuit even when it’s hopeless or hard. This is why it’s important to still date our spouses, because the pursuit should never end – it just gets better.
You may also be interested in 11 Creative Prayer Prompts To Strengthen Your Marriage
