Way back in Noah’s day, it rained for 40 days straight. The bootmaker made lots of money.
Centuries later, Moses fled Egypt at the age of 40 and dwelt in the land of Midian as a shepherd pastoring sheep for another 40 years. There, he learned to listen to God’s voice. He was then called to lead God’s people out of Egypt and together they roamed the wilderness for another 40 years. No need for a shoemaker this time since God made their shoes to last them that long! (Deuteronomy 8:4)). It was there that Moses learned to become a follower.
Several centuries later, Jesus came on the scene. He fasted 40 days and was tempted by Satan throughout that time.
Even more centuries later, I met a beautiful, smart, and responsible girl. We married. This week we celebrate 40 years of marriage! No, I didn’t say she’s starved me 40 days or that I’ve put her through a wilderness experience for 40 years! But I will say we’ve had our ups and downs like most couples do. With our leaky roof, we’ve had our share of floods. Many sunless days laced with trials and pain we’ve felt the sting of the desert as we’ve navigated through our God-made wilderness. We learned to brush away our self-dependence and become followers, dependent upon Jesus. With little on the table in our early years, we’ve felt like we fasted for 40 days living off manna and were tempted by the enemy. The bottom line is that God has been with us throughout our time together.
From humble beginnings to a humble end, God is the foundation of our marriage. The Holy Spirit is the rain that floods us. Our character has been forged in the wilderness of life. It takes lifelong trials and experiences to bring you out of it and into the clearing. That’s where real dreams come true. Dreams are made as we live them. They’re not wispy thoughts carried about in clouds. Marriage works when we work at it. It prospers when we make God the center of it all.
We’re looking forward to the next 40…
God Bless!
Sam & Viv
