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Key Bible Verse: Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God (Luke 9:62). Bonus Reading: 1 Kings 19:19-21

Hernando Cortés had a plan. He wanted to lead an expedition into Mexico to capture its vast treasures. When he told the Spanish governor of Cuba his strategy, the governor got so excited that he gave him 11 ships and 700 men. Little did the governor know that Cortés had failed to tell him the entire plan.

After months of sailing, the 11 ships landed at Veracruz in the spring of 1519. As soon as the men unloaded the ships, Cortés instituted the rest of his plan. He ran the ships aground and dismantled them!

Like it or not, they were now committed. By disassembling the ships, Cortés eliminated the options. He didn't know what he'd encounter on his expeditions to the interior. He didn't know the strength of the people he'd be fighting. But he did know this: There were no escape routes for his men. If the fighting got too fierce, or the expedition got too exhausting, there'd be no talk of going back to Veracruz and sailing home. In one fell swoop Cortés had eliminated their options and created an intensely powerful motivation to succeed.

Men, there's only one way to save our marriages. Commitment is saying that no matter what comes in the future, we're going to stick it out. We have to dismantle our ships.

—Steve Farrar in Point Man

My Response: What escapes from a difficult marriage am I ruling out?

Thought to Apply: When the Coast Guard band strikes up "Semper Fidelis" and your husband says, "They're playing our song," you know you're married.—ERMA BOMBECK

Adapted from Point Man (Multnomah, 1990) by permission.

Prayer for the Week

Lord, make my marriage a faithful illustration of Your eternal love for the church.

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