Matt.1:20b     Engagement service of Ralph Witthoft and Maria Trinkle, by Erlo Stegen   06.11.05

“….an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying “Joseph, son of Mark, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife”….”

If you want to get engaged it is good that you pray about it. Easy to make a wrong decision when you go by your will and not God’s, what you like, what looks good etc. Better to look at qualities in a girl than outside appearance. Men, pray to the Lord, don’t listen to your feelings.

Ralph prayed for a wife and this verse came to him. Should he take it figuratively he thought? Prayed that the right girl would be in the service. Maria sat in front of him. He knew Maria was a virtuous woman. He knew she was the right one, the one God wants him to marry.

Erlo Stegen related the way he got married:

When Jesus came into his heart as a teenager he left friends, sport (tennis) and family to go preach the gospel to the Zulus. His father was proud of him and told friends that he was so happy that one of his sons would be praying for him every day. Other friends of Erlo talked about girls and their sexual conquests, Erlo was digusted and never went with them again. He left his best friend whom he had hoped would be one with him in preaching the good news to the Zulus.

Never thought he would marry. Then he read from Isa 44:3 that God would pour out his spirit on his descendents. He took it literally and said no, not now Lord, I’m too old.

It disturbed him when his brother, Heino, talked of what sort of wife Erlo should marry if he were to marry, in a meeting. His father, who normally would do anything to help him, would not build on a sun-lounge to his room, when asked. He said he wouldn’t do it before Erlo got married.

Erlo heard a voice in his room one night, “It is Kay”. Another coworker spoke inadvertently of a dream in which it was clear who his wife was to be.

He never doubted that what he heard had been from the Lord and that he married the right person.

To get married is the greatest challenge for a man. He must lead his wife closer to Christ, love her as Christ did, sanctify her, purify her.  Pray if you are a husband that you won’t fail your task. You cannot just behave any old way before your wives. Your wife knows you and sees through you. How can your wife respect you? Set a good example.

(to be continued, Lord willing)