LOVE AND DEVOTION
Isaiah 46:3-4
Listen to me, all you who are left in Israel. I created you and have cared for you since you were born. I will be your God throughout your lifetime—until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.
I had just dropped my wife off at the front door of her orthopedic clinic for an appointment and pulled around and parked in the front to be ready to pick her up when the appointment was over. As I sat in the car, out of the front door of the clinic came an elderly man and his wife. They looked to be in their late 80s or possibly early 90s. He was fragilely shuffling along with a walker, and she was feebly walking with her walker. As they walked, he was trying all he could to help her. I watched as they finally got to their SUV, parked in the handicap spot. He opened up the back of the SUV, put his walker inside, then gingerly put her walker in, gently took her arm, and ever so slowly walked her to the side, opened the door for her, and did his very best to help her get in her seat. Then, ever so slowly, looking as though he might fall over at any moment, he walked, holding the side of the SUV to keep his balance, got in the driver’s seat, and they drove away.
This tender display of love and devotion touched me deeply. My eyes filled with tears as I thought to myself, “What a vivid display of lifelong love and devotion.” This elderly man, still committed to his precious wife, handicapped himself, but doing everything he could to care for his dear frail wife. I immediately thought of the verse in Isaiah 46, and the picture it gives of God caring for us into our old age, when our hair is white with age, our bodies frail and weak. God’s love and devotion knows no limit. What a tremendous comfort to understand.
The passage in Isaiah 46 at the beginning of this article inspires my own love and devotion to my precious wife, Kathy. We’re both now in the last chapter of our lives. I want her to know, to rest assured that she has all my love and devotion, every day of her life here on earth. Recently, with the additional health issues my wife is dealing with, I’ve needed to drive her to all of her treatments and doctors appointments, as well as other errands. It’s the first time in our almost 50 years together she has not been able to drive herself. That may change, but for now it’s best if I drive her. There are quite a few things she is no longer able to do, so I do them for her. In fact, do you want to know my number one prayer request? I pray this every single day: “Lord, please let me be here all the days of Kathy’s life to love her, care for her, serve her, and provide for her needs.” I mean this with all my heart. I thank God for the privilege to care for her, serve her, and provide for her. This is part of what’s fueled my tenacious pursuit to develop disciplined health habits, a diligent fitness routine, wise food choices, a deep walk with God, and wise financial decisions. I need strong health, strong finances, and a strong, vibrant faith to maintain my lifelong love, service, and devotion to Kathy.
I see that beautiful passage in Isaiah not only as a tremendous comfort to my own soul of the heart, desire, and commitment of God to me, but I also see it as the man I aspire to be. I long to imitate God in this regard, to demonstrate my love for Kathy in my passionate devotion to her good, to care for her, to carry her on my back, so to speak, to take care of her all the days of her life, and provide for her needs.
Always remember men—there is no love without devotion.
May God inspire in each of us a passionate love and devotion for our wives, and give us the “gift” of caring for them and serving them all the days of their lives on earth.
Please pray that God would grant me that request.
Helping you become a Strong Disciple,
Because of Jesus,
Pastor Mark Darling
