Mark-Pieter & Emma Wedding

In the wedding register, ministers have to record what kind of work the bride and groom do. For Mark-Pieter and Emma, that means line # 12 and 15 both say, “Agriculture.” They’re farmers: raised on farms, living on a farm, working on farms. It’s not just a job; it’s a lifestyle. Ex.: We scheduled premarriage conversations so it didn’t interfere with planting.

That’s why Ps 104 seems a great fit as your wedding text. In my experience, farming has it’s ups and downs. You’re completely dependent on God to send you good growing weather. You’re dependent on God to for your animals to be fertile and bear healthy offspring. Sure - there’s lots of things you can control through proper herd management and or the inputs in the field. But at the end of the day, God makes animals reproduce and God makes plants grow.

It’s why Ps 104 is fitting today. Ps 104:27 “All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time.”

If you were city folk, I wouldn’t dare use a psalm that mentions dying as your wedding text. But you’re farmers. Farmers know that if you have livestock, you’re going to have dead stock. It’s no surprise, that “when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust.”

It’s disappointing and tough, but death is no surprise. The surprise is that it always seems that quirky animal, who’s kinda your favorite, or your 4H project always seems to be the one that has something weird happen to it.

But the Lord is involved, not just when his creatures die, but also when there’s renewal and life. Ps 104:30 “When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.”

It’s something we talked about in the new members’ class and in our premarriage conversations. Thorns and thistles, death and destruction come to plants, animals, and people because, long, long ago, God’s good creation was currupted by sin and disobedience. But God has intervened in the world he loves. Jesus came into his own creation to rescue, redeem, and renew.

At the cross, Jesus died the death rebellious people deserve. 3 days later he rose from the grave. By faith in Jesus, we enjoy renewed life. When God sends his Spirit, we’re raised to life with God and with each other.

Faith in God, trusting God to provide all you need, is a firm foundation for your household. Shared faith will unite you as a couple. I wish I could promise you that the next 50 years of married life will be nothing but sunshine, roses, and bumper crops. But you’ve both live long enough, you’ve booth been involved in farming long enough, to know that’s not possible.

There will be difficulties and challenges. There will be moments of great joy and prosperity. God’s word to you as you set out on married life together is that he will provide. He will care for you. He is the source of all good things.