An outline from the Book of Genesis can show us what basic things need to be in place before a man and a woman are joined together in marriage.

There are some specific things that we need to do to set the stage. So let's look at Genesis chapter 2.

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it parted, and became into four heads.
(Gen. 2:7-10)

First, I want you to notice God's sequence. God created Adam. That was the first thing in God's order: He created a man. Notice that before there was Adam and Eve, there was Adam and God.

The same should be true today. Before a man marries a woman, he needs to first be walking with God.

Immediately after God created the man, He created a home for that man. And then we continue reading and discover that God created food and water for him.

You see, God is a God of order, and we see Him setting an order here in Genesis for all of us to follow. So in God's order, it's important for a man to have a home, food, and water before he gets married.

Now the Garden of Eden was obviously a very beautiful place. So, single lady, when you're dating a man and you walk into his house or apartment, the first thing you need to consider is not only whether he has a home, but does he have a home that is to be desired.

I'm not saying that he has to have a penthouse or a mansion. But you need to notice if his home is clean, because if a man can't take care of himself and his apartment, then he sure can't take care of you.

So, first of all, it's important for a man to have a home that is to be desired. Second, he has to have food to feed you. He ought to be able to provide food for you and not have to sit around trying to figure out where the next meal is coming from.

Third, he needs to have water, not only because you need it to live, but because you can't shower or bathe without it. (People talk about living on love, but they're going to be stinking on love without these things.) So it's simple. The man has to have a home, food, and water.

A Man Must Take Care of his Wife
Before a man can talk about marriage seriously, he needs to be able to provide for a wife. Likewise, before a woman even thinks about getting married, she needs to make sure she sees that her man is able to provide for her.

A man without a job is a man without a life. He shouldn't be sitting at home watching TV and doing nothing all day. That's very unhealthy. He needs to be working. He needs to feel some type of self-worth before he even thinks about having a mate.

He should be able to bless his wife and get her whatever she wants, within reason, because a woman is to be taken care of. You see, the woman is God's special crowning creation.

Now I'm not saying you have to be filthy rich or have a ton of money, but you need to have some money in the bank so that you're not living from paycheck to paycheck. If you're living that way, you won't be able to get anything you really want.

God did not call that woman to struggle financially with you. She is made in such a way that she needs to feel secure about things. She should not have to be concerned about where the next meal is coming from.

You see, she shouldn't have to go to work just to help make ends meet. If she wants to work, that's fine. But she shouldn't have to work if she doesn't want to. It should be her decision.

Source: God's Plan For The Single Saint by Keith A. Butler, II
Excerpt permission granted by Word Of Faith Publishing