Marriage, Covenant, and a Faithful Walk into 2026

As one year closes and another begins, we are naturally drawn to reflection, looking back on what has shaped us and forward to what lies ahead. The turning of the year invites us to consider not only where we are going, but how faithfully we are walking with the Lord along the way. For me, this time of reflection is anchored in a very tangible picture: marriage - a covenant that, in its beauty and weight, reflects our own binding relationship with God.

A Year Marked by Covenant

For my family, 2025 was an especially eventful year. Our family grew significantly through the marriage of three of our children, so the picture of covenant was always before us! As joyful as each celebration was, participating in them prompted me to reflect more deeply on what it truly means to be bound together in marriage, and how that picture of “binding" mirrors our relationship with God.

When we marry, we enter into a covenantal relationship - a bond that goes far beyond a legal contract or cultural tradition. In Scripture, a covenant is a sacred, binding promise, designed never to be broken. In marriage, this covenant is established through solemn vows and sustained by a lifetime of faithfulness, not convenience. In the eyes of God, marriage is a formal declaration of devotion, made before witnesses and under His authority. Whether marriage or another kind of covenant, each one carries obligations and stipulations for each party. Faithfulness to the covenant brings blessing, while unfaithfulness carries consequences. This principle provides a profound lens for understanding not only marriage but also our relationship with God Himself. As believers, it’s important to be reminded that we are in a covenant relationship with Jesus Christ, bound to Him, and therefore, called to walk faithfully committed to Him.

Love & Faithfulness Aren’t Optional

To better understand what it means to bind ourselves in covenant, we can look to what Moses declared to the people in Numbers 30:2: This is what the Lord has commanded. If a man vows a vow to the Lord or swears an oath to bind himself to a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth. In other words, in a covenant, words matter because they reflect a life pledged in faithfulness before God.

From the very beginning of creation God’s design for man and woman was for them to become “one flesh”...the foundation of covenantal union. This truth is echoed in Ecclesiastes 4:9–12: Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Marriage, in its covenantal structure, beautifully illustrates this mutual support, devotion, and steadfastness, offering a tangible picture of the faithfulness God desires from His people.

Scripture frequently draws on this image to describe God’s relationship with His people (Israel). God is portrayed as the faithful husband, while Israel is often depicted as the unfaithful wife. In this light, the covenant of marriage reflects the same principles of commitment, loyalty, and devotion that God desires from His people. The prophet Malachi underscores this truth, first defending God’s steadfast love for Israel (Malachi 1:2) and later addressing the sanctity of marriage, emphasizing God’s strong opposition to covenant betrayal. He describes marriage as a sacred covenant between a man and a woman - one witnessed and upheld by God Himself (Malachi 2:14). In a different but equally intimate way, the Song of Solomon portrays the depth, passion, and faithfulness of covenant love between God and His people, while also celebrating the beauty and joy of marital love. These examples remind us that covenant is meant to be treasured, protected, and lived faithfully.

The New Testament continues this rich imagery. In Ephesians 5, Paul instructs husbands and wives on how to love and serve one another, explicitly likening marriage to the relationship between Christ and the church. Similarly, in 2 Corinthians 11:2, he underscores the call to purity and faithfulness, comparing the church to a bride presented spotless before her bridegroom. This theme reaches its ultimate fulfillment in Revelation, where the marriage imagery culminates in the wedding supper of the Lamb. There, the church, the bride, is united eternally with Christ, the Bridegroom, in a covenant that will never be broken.

A Covenant That Guides Us

Taken together, these examples remind us that marriage is far more than a social contract; it is a sacred covenant designed to reflect God’s faithful, enduring love for His people, and our love for Him. As I look at the marriages within my own family, I am reminded that every earthly covenant points beyond itself to a greater reality - our covenant with God through Jesus Christ. Just as faithfulness, sacrifice, and love sustain a marriage, these same qualities shape our walk with the Lord. Ultimately, marriage stands as both a gift and a testimony: an earthly picture of a heavenly promise, calling us to live in faithful devotion as we await the fulfillment of that eternal union.

As we step into 2026, I want to carry the lessons of covenant and love we’ve witnessed, not only in God’s relationship with His people but also in the three weddings of my own children this past year, so that we can walk out our faith with consistency and devotion in the year ahead.

In Christ’s Love,

Tracey