Down at the cross where my Savior died,
Down where for cleansing from sin I cried,
There to my heart was the blood applied;
Glory to His name.

I just couldn't get past the "applied" part. I began thinking about black Sharpie markers. How when you "apply" a Sharpie marker to anything, it is covered up completely and it is there permanently. The blood of Jesus covered my sin up completely and permanently. If it ever comes to my mind to haunt me, that is not from my Savior, because His blood was "applied" and he sees it no more. Indeed, GLORY TO HIS NAME!

Since then, I have continued dwelling on "applied" and last night, a sweet couple came over to our home to visit. They have been married for quite a long time and shared the struggles and difficulties they have endured as they have learned that marriage is hard work. When asked what helped them make it through, their answer was "the applied Word of God".....there it was again!

The Word of God is nothing more than a bunch of information if it is not applied. Think about this: if Jesus had died, but his blood did NOT cover our sin...was NOT applied to our sin, what a waste! His death with all of its brutality would have been in vain....no it was the "APPLIED" blood that saved us! So it is with us: until we began to APPLY the Word of God to our lives will we see any difference....any change.

When was the last time that you read God's Word and asked, "Lord, show me how to APPLY this truth to my marriage."? And then, asked Him for the grace to help you APPLY it?

Just like a Black Sharpie Marker: when we APPLY truths like forgiveness, mercy, grace, encouragement, affirmation, etc. to our marriages, it covers up all of the difficulties of the past and places us on a permanently new path of freedom and joy in our marriage.

There to my marriage was the Truth applied. Glory to His name!