Longing in Marriage - Crosswalk Couples Devotional - February 21

Carbonatix Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Carbonatix

Updated Crosswalk Couples Devotional Header

Longing in Marriage
By Jennifer Waddle

O Lord, all my longing is before You; my sighing is not hidden from You. - (Psalm 38:9)

Today, many couples experience intense longings that go unnoticed and unfulfilled. They settle into a place of co-existence, without much hope of having a marriage that is thriving and complete.

If this describes your situation, may I encourage you today? The Lord hears your sighing. He sees your disappointment. He knows the longing of your heart and the discontentment in your soul. And, I can truthfully say that He longs for you to have so much more.

The “more” I’m talking about isn’t more money, more things, or even more attention from your spouse. For money will not make your marriage rich. Things will not make your marriage full. And more attention will not bring lasting fulfillment. More of any earthly thing will not help your marriage be what God designed it to be. There is only one thing that can fill the deeper longing, and that is Christ Himself.

“… that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:16-19)

I promise, this isn’t a devotion about simply getting more Jesus in your life. Rather, it’s about being rooted and grounded in the love of Christ before you tackle the root issues of your marital longings.

In your pursuit to fill your unmet needs, have you ever asked yourself these questions: 

Do I truly love Jesus first and foremost?

Do I love my spouse next to Jesus?

What is the one thing I want most from my spouse?

How have I encouraged that one thing?

How have I discouraged that one thing?

These questions take you deeper than the surface issues of discontentment. They get to the heart of the matter so you can define your true longing.

First, you have to get honest with yourself and God about your priorities. Are you loving the Lord with all your heart, mind, and strength? Next, are you loving your spouse as Christ loved the church? Are you submitting to one another as unto the Lord? These are the foundations of a fulfilled marriage. Without them, our attempts at filling our longings will always come up empty.


Next, you need to identify exactly what it is you want from your spouse. What are your key longings at the moment? So often, we mask our deeper needs with trivial things such as, 

I wish he would do the dishes.
I wish she would instigate intimacy.
I wish he would compliment the way I look.
I wish she would let me make decisions for our family.

The root issues, however, go much deeper.

I long for true teamwork in our marriage.
I long for uninhibited intimacy.
I long to know that he has eyes only for me.
I long for respect.

When we take an honest look at our true needs, and identify them appropriately, we can then determine if we are encouraging the fulfillment of those longings, or discouraging them.

For example, if you’ve been longing for more undivided attention from your spouse, how have you encouraged it? How have you discouraged it? Is there any chance you’ve been unknowingly sabotaging that one thing?

Longings in marriage do not need to go unfulfilled. As we seek unity, first with our Creator, then with each other, we can work towards filling unmet needs and expectations. It just takes a little digging to get to the root of the longing.


Jennifer Waddle considers herself a Kansas girl, married to a Colorado hunk, with a heart to encourage women everywhere. She is the author of several books, including Prayer WORRIER: Turning Every Worry into Powerful Prayer, and is a regular contributor for LifeWay, Crosswalk, Abide, and Christians Care International. Jennifer’s online ministry is EncouragementMama.com where you can find her books and sign up for her weekly post, Discouragement Doesn’t Win. She resides with her family near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains—her favorite place on earth. 

Related Resource: The Five Languages of Apology, with Dr. Gary Chapman

In this insightful episode, Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn sit down with Dr. Gary Chapman, renowned author of The Five Love Languages and The Five Languages of Apology. Together, they explore how understanding both love and apology languages can radically improve relationships. Dr. Chapman unpacks the five core ways people express and receive love—and explains how offering sincere, well-matched apologies can be just as vital to healing and connection. The conversation highlights the power of empathy, emotional communication, and forgiveness in maintaining strong, healthy relationships. Whether you're married, dating, or simply want to love others well, this episode offers powerful tools to deepen your relational bonds. Like what you hear? Be sure to follow I Wish You Could Hear This on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!

 

Salem News Channel Today

Sponsored Links


September 26 - Phoenix, AZ
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts


November 2 - Detroit, MI
Zion Christian Church in Troy


October 6 - Los Angeles, CA
Pasadena Convention Center


November 5 - San Antonio, TX
Norris Centers – The Grand Red Oak Ballroom


October 8 - Sacramento, CA
William Jessup University


November 7 - Tampa, FL
The Palladium at St. Pete College


October 22 - Minneapolis, MN
Crowne Plaza AiRE


November 15 - San Francisco, CA
Fremont Marriott Silicon Valley


October 23 - Philadelphia, PA
Green Valley Country Club


November 16 - Denver, CO
CU South Denver - Formerly Wildlife Experience


November 2 - Chicago, IL
Chicago Westin Northwest in Itasca


November 21 - Cleveland, OH
Holiday Inn Rockside in Independence



Salem Radio Network Speakers

Larry Elder is an American lawyer, writer, and radio and television personality who calls himself the "Sage of South Central" a district of Los Angeles, Larry says his philosophy is to entertain, inform, provoke and to hopefully uplift. His calling card is "we have a country to save" and to him this means returning to the bedrock Constitutional principles of limited government and maximum personal responsibility. Elder's iconoclastic wit and intellectual agility makes him a particularly attractive voice in a nation that seems weary of traditional racial dialogue.” – Los Angeles Times.

Mike Gallagher Mike Gallagher began his broadcasting career in 1978 in Dayton, Ohio. Today, he is one of the most listened-to talk radio show hosts in America, recently having been ranked in the Talkers Magazine “Heavy Hundred” list – the 100 most important talk radio hosts in America. Prior to being launched into national syndication in 1998, Mike hosted the morning show on WABC-AM in New York City. Today, Talkers Magazine reports that his show is heard by over 3.75 million weekly listeners. Besides his radio work, Mike is seen on Fox News Channel as an on-air contributor, frequently appearing on the cable news giant.

Hugh Hewitt is one of the nation’s leading bloggers and a genuine media revolutionary. He brings that expertise, his wit and what The New Yorker magazine calls his “amiable but relentless manner” to his nationally syndicated show each day.

When Dr. Sebastian Gorka was growing up, he listened to talk radio under his pillow with a transistor radio, dreaming that one day he would be behind the microphone. Beginning New Year’s Day 2019, he got his wish. Gorka now hosts America First every weekday afternoon 3 to 6pm ET. Gorka’s unique story works well on the radio. He is national security analyst for the Fox News Channel and author of two books: "Why We Fight" and "Defeating Jihad." His latest book releasing this fall is “War For America’s Soul.” He is uniquely qualified to fight the culture war and stand up for what is great about America, his adopted home country.

Broadcasting from his home station of KRLA in Los Angeles, the Dennis Prager Show is heard across the country. Everything in life – from politics to religion to relationships – is grist for Dennis’ mill. If it’s interesting, if it affects your life, then Dennis will be talking about it – with passion, humor, insight and wisdom.

Sean Hannity is a conservative radio and television host, and one of the original primetime hosts on the Fox News Channel, where he has appeared since 1996. Sean Hannity began his radio career at a college station in California, before moving on to markets in the Southeast and New York. Today, he’s one of the most listened to on-air voices. Hannity’s radio program went into national syndication on September 10, 2001, and airs on more than 500 stations. Talkers Magazine estimates Hannity’s weekly radio audience at 13.5 million. In 1996 he was hired as one of the original hosts on Fox News Channel. As host of several popular Fox programs, Hannity has become the highest-paid news anchor on television.

Michelle Malkin is a mother, wife, blogger, conservative syndicated columnist, longtime cable TV news commentator, and best-selling author of six books. She started her newspaper journalism career at the Los Angeles Daily News in 1992, moved to the Seattle Times in 1995, and has been penning nationally syndicated newspaper columns for Creators Syndicate since 1999. She is founder of conservative Internet start-ups Hot Air and Twitchy.com. Malkin has received numerous awards for her investigative journalism, including the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws (COGEL) national award for outstanding service for the cause of governmental ethics and leadership (1998), the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award for Investigative Journalism (2006), the Heritage Foundation and Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity's Breitbart Award for Excellence in Journalism (2013), the Center for Immigration Studies' Eugene Katz Award for Excellence in the Coverage of Immigration Award (2016), and the Manhattan Film Festival's Film Heals Award (2018). Married for 26 years and the mother of two teenage children, she lives with her family in Colorado. Follow her at michellemalkin.com. (Photo reprinted with kind permission from Peter Duke Photography.)

Sponsored by:

Longing in Marriage - Crosswalk Couples Devotional - February 21

Carbonatix Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Carbonatix

Updated Crosswalk Couples Devotional Header

Longing in Marriage
By Jennifer Waddle

O Lord, all my longing is before You; my sighing is not hidden from You. - (Psalm 38:9)

Today, many couples experience intense longings that go unnoticed and unfulfilled. They settle into a place of co-existence, without much hope of having a marriage that is thriving and complete.

If this describes your situation, may I encourage you today? The Lord hears your sighing. He sees your disappointment. He knows the longing of your heart and the discontentment in your soul. And, I can truthfully say that He longs for you to have so much more.

The “more” I’m talking about isn’t more money, more things, or even more attention from your spouse. For money will not make your marriage rich. Things will not make your marriage full. And more attention will not bring lasting fulfillment. More of any earthly thing will not help your marriage be what God designed it to be. There is only one thing that can fill the deeper longing, and that is Christ Himself.

“… that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:16-19)

I promise, this isn’t a devotion about simply getting more Jesus in your life. Rather, it’s about being rooted and grounded in the love of Christ before you tackle the root issues of your marital longings.

In your pursuit to fill your unmet needs, have you ever asked yourself these questions: 

Do I truly love Jesus first and foremost?

Do I love my spouse next to Jesus?

What is the one thing I want most from my spouse?

How have I encouraged that one thing?

How have I discouraged that one thing?

These questions take you deeper than the surface issues of discontentment. They get to the heart of the matter so you can define your true longing.

First, you have to get honest with yourself and God about your priorities. Are you loving the Lord with all your heart, mind, and strength? Next, are you loving your spouse as Christ loved the church? Are you submitting to one another as unto the Lord? These are the foundations of a fulfilled marriage. Without them, our attempts at filling our longings will always come up empty.


Next, you need to identify exactly what it is you want from your spouse. What are your key longings at the moment? So often, we mask our deeper needs with trivial things such as, 

I wish he would do the dishes.
I wish she would instigate intimacy.
I wish he would compliment the way I look.
I wish she would let me make decisions for our family.

The root issues, however, go much deeper.

I long for true teamwork in our marriage.
I long for uninhibited intimacy.
I long to know that he has eyes only for me.
I long for respect.

When we take an honest look at our true needs, and identify them appropriately, we can then determine if we are encouraging the fulfillment of those longings, or discouraging them.

For example, if you’ve been longing for more undivided attention from your spouse, how have you encouraged it? How have you discouraged it? Is there any chance you’ve been unknowingly sabotaging that one thing?

Longings in marriage do not need to go unfulfilled. As we seek unity, first with our Creator, then with each other, we can work towards filling unmet needs and expectations. It just takes a little digging to get to the root of the longing.


Jennifer Waddle considers herself a Kansas girl, married to a Colorado hunk, with a heart to encourage women everywhere. She is the author of several books, including Prayer WORRIER: Turning Every Worry into Powerful Prayer, and is a regular contributor for LifeWay, Crosswalk, Abide, and Christians Care International. Jennifer’s online ministry is EncouragementMama.com where you can find her books and sign up for her weekly post, Discouragement Doesn’t Win. She resides with her family near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains—her favorite place on earth. 

Related Resource: The Five Languages of Apology, with Dr. Gary Chapman

In this insightful episode, Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn sit down with Dr. Gary Chapman, renowned author of The Five Love Languages and The Five Languages of Apology. Together, they explore how understanding both love and apology languages can radically improve relationships. Dr. Chapman unpacks the five core ways people express and receive love—and explains how offering sincere, well-matched apologies can be just as vital to healing and connection. The conversation highlights the power of empathy, emotional communication, and forgiveness in maintaining strong, healthy relationships. Whether you're married, dating, or simply want to love others well, this episode offers powerful tools to deepen your relational bonds. Like what you hear? Be sure to follow I Wish You Could Hear This on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!

 

Salem News Channel Today

Sponsored Links

On Air & Up Next

See the Full Program Guide