In the Song of Songs, King Solomon referred to his wife as his “perfect one.”
I sleep, but my heart is awake; It is the voice of my beloved! He knocks, saying, “Open for me, my sister, my love, My dove, my perfect one...”
Song of Songs 5:2a
The purpose of this book is to help you find and marry your “perfect one.”
Okay, I realize that there is no such thing as a perfect person. I understand that Solomon was speaking in terms of endearment that, in his mind, described his wife. I don’t mean to imply that you should hope to find a perfect mate; such a person does not exist. However, I do believe that there exists a perfect will of God for each of us, and if you allow Him to, He will lead you to the right person at the right time.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:2
So, here’s the deal. You can find and marry the right person at the right time if you are willing to renew your mind concerning love, sex, dating and marriage. Most Christians today have conformed to this world’s methods of finding a mate, and I think it’s pretty obvious how well that’s working out. We need something different!
Who better to give us instructions about love and marriage than God Himself? He is love, and He created marriage. I suggest we go back to the Source for our information.
I am so thankful to God for my wonderful wife, Gail. Her unfailing love and support as we learned and taught these lessons together, and her patience with me during the incalculable hours that I have put into the preparation of this book, have made it possible.
He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the LORD.
Proverbs 18:22
I couldn’t agree more! God is good, and He wants to favor you with a good spouse. My prayer is that everyone who reads this book may obtain that blessing from the Lord, and find the same contentment and happiness in their marriage that I have enjoyed in mine.
Romans 12:2 mentions three choices concerning the will of God in your life: 1) His good will, 2) His acceptable will, 3) His perfect will. Which will you choose? You can have either one; it’s totally up to you. Why settle for less than the best? Go for God’s perfect will!
So many young people today are scared to commit to marriage. They are bombarded by this statistic over and over again: “Nearly 50 percent of first marriages end in divorce.” They are so terrified that their marriage will fail that they choose rather to remain single and enjoy the opposite sex by way of dating, with no long-term commitment.
The good news is that this statistic does not have to apply to you, at least not in a negative sense. If you follow the plan laid out in this book, your marriage will be one of the over 50 percent that does stand the test of time.
I find it very interesting that few people mention the fact that over 50 percent of marriages are successful. Have you ever stopped to wonder what kind of people make up that over 50 percent? What do they do differently that makes their marriages last? Do they just get lucky?
Fortunately, success in marriage is not based on luck. Anyone can experience it. That is precisely the purpose of this book; to present a nearly fool-proof, step-by-step plan for “How to find and marry the right person at the right time.” I say nearly fool-proof because if someone is foolish, they will reject wise counsel, and therefore miss out on the benefits that God offers to all who will accept them.
If you are serious about finding and marrying the right person at the right time, I am confident that you can do it, and I’ll tell you how.
The rest of your story is yet to be written. Choose to be among the over 50 percent group. Prepare yourself for a marriage that will last a lifetime. Don’t settle for less than the best that God has planned for you.
Here is an excerpt from our wedding ceremony. I said it to Gail first, and then slid her wedding band onto the ring finger of her left hand. Then she repeated the same words to me, and placed my wedding band on my finger.
“With this ring I thee wed, and with all my worldly goods, I give thee my love; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”
It’s your turn.
It’s up to you to write the remaining chapters of your life. How will your story end? I hope and pray that it ends with, “And they lived happily ever after.”
Seek the Lord. Work with Him, and at the appointed time you’ll discover that He was already working on your behalf, preparing an ideal mate for you.
May God richly bless and reward you as you seek and follow His will concerning your life partner. May you find and marry the right person at the right time, and enjoy a lifetime of happiness together with your perfect one.