And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Genesis 2: 21-23, NKJV.
Merciful God, we delight to study Your Word; there is so much to be learned. May we be quick learners and faithful doers of Your Word. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
Today is our third devotional dedicated to husbands – the head of the home! We are going to be observing Adam’s behavior and listening to the language he used the first time he laid eyes on Eve. I am convinced, that every act of God has a purpose. God could just as easily have created Woman from the dust the way he did Man. Or, at the same time He created Man. But He did not. He took her out of Man, and it would seem, made her at the very end of creation’s week. As we would say in today’s vernacular, she was, “the icing on the cake;” the cause for celebration. Oh men, if you only knew how much God gave you in the person of a woman! So delicate, and yet so strong!
It is said that what Adam actually did when he saw Eve, was to break forth into reciting! He recited a poem – a poem of joy – of great joy! He proclaimed to the world that she was “Woman!” because she was made of the “selfsame” stuff as he – the Man! She was made of his skin, flesh, and bone! She would henceforth be “proclaimed,” “published,” as the “Mother of all humanity!” She was his “wife!”
Can you imagine how Eve must have felt that first day of her life, to be welcomed into the world with such a celebration? For women, compliments are very important. To feel appreciated is about the best reward we can receive. A woman’s hard work is sweetened by a word of gratitude! We are usually willing to go a second and a third mile, if needed, as long as we have the assurance, that someone will benefit from our efforts. What we do, is not done expecting thanks; but to hear someone say that he or she was blessed by our efforts, is always welcome. “Thank you just for being in my life,” is a melody of heaven, in the ear of any woman! We will call this first part of Eve’s experience, the “honeymoon.”
We women, are usually constant in our feelings. We tend to love our partners forever. Even after they begin to go bald, or gain extra pounds around their waistline, or begin to grey, or show other signs that they are not as young as they used to be, we love them. For most women, their husband, at whatever age, or stage, in his life, is still the only star in her sky. In our sight, they get better with the years!
Unfortunately, because men are so visual, many men are just the opposite. They seem to believe that time should stand still for their wives, and that they should undergo as little change as possible, if any! Even after motherhood lays its claim on us, many men believe that we should look the same way we did, on our wedding day! With the passing of time, the compliments become less, or simply disappear. At this stage of the game, you might say that, “the honeymoon is over.”
Husbands, one of the ways to keep your wife happy, your marriage strong, and close the door on many a temptation, is to “Celebrate more of what you want to see.” (You may have heard me say this before. It is one of my favorite sayings, by an anonymous author.) Encourage your wife to be as attractive as she can be by making her feel loved. and desirable, and appreciated! Tell her the things you love about her, like you did at first. Let her know what color is especially good on her, and how you like to see her hair combed. Tell her that she is your sweetheart, forever!
You would be surprised what these words will do for her, and for you! It is hard to be expressing love and appreciation for someone, and not be influenced by these words yourself. And the more loved she feels, the more loving she is likely to be, which in turn, will inspire you to be more loving. You have now created – a love cycle! I assure you, that no one is as beautiful and as lovable and loving, as a Woman in love, whose love is responded to, by the Man she loves! Do not take my word for it. “Taste and see” for yourself! And let the honeymoon last a lifetime!
NOTE: These counsels are shared from a Biblical, not a clinical, perspective.