It was a perfect overcast, cold and dreary day and my two hungry for adventure children were finally napping. I got to plomp on the couch with my warm cup of french press coffee and my bible. I could hear the tornado sirens blaring outside but I felt safe in my "prayer closet" cherishing my moment with God.
I couldn't wait to dive into the bible to learn something new about my Heavenly Father.
Before I opened the word I asked God to tell me something special.
I heard this, "You are your father-in-law's daughter".
That is all he said and yet so much information came with it. The Holy Spirit revealed what he meant.
Dave's parents love their first born son, unfathomably.
They have raised him, protected him, shed tears for him and trained him on how to be the best husband and dad he could ever be someday.
When Dave and I started to date his parents knew this was serious for Dave because he did not date often. If Dave's dad could see into my soul and see me at my worst, in my most horrible sin he would have said, "sorry Dave, we love you too much, she is not good enough for you, she will only hurt you and she has gross sin."
Dave's dad wouldn't want me for his son just as I wouldn't want a sinful woman who would hurt my son to be in Oscar's life.
The special thing that God revealed to me that cold day on the couch was that Jesus said "not only do I love her Father but I want to marry her." He wanted the most intimate relationship with me. God looked at me in the eyes of a Father looking at his son's future bride and he saw me in my most disgusting sin. My worst was exposed to him. He saw that for His son to marry me would take the price of His own beloved son's blood. A sacrifice of the Father and the Son for me to be married to God almighty. and even in that knowledge of me the Father said, I love her, she's perfect for my son. I want you to be married. I will call her daughter and she will inherit the kingdom. We will put a crown on her head and she will be your royal bride. She will rule with you and live with us in our love for eternity."
I am my father in laws daughter. God is my father.
I wouldn't want a woman that I could see in her worst moment to marry my son let alone allow my son to die, his blood shed in order for them to marry.
But God loves you and me that much that he saw us in our worst sin and loved us even in that moment and gave us His son that we could live for eternity with Him.
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Not only did Jesus die for our sins that we may live, he became human and god at the same time God inside of a human body. Forever and for eternity in a glorified human body (we will be given our glorified bodies at the rapture).
So Jesus loved us so much that he became man AND died for us shedding His precious blood.
Col. 2:9 - "For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form."
Phil. 2:5-8 - "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
I came across this great teaching on being the bride of Christ.
Our Bridegroom has gone away, but He will be back. The disciple John explains that this time of separation is also a time of preparation: 1 John 3 says, “What we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Everyone who has this hope in Him, purifies himself.”
The Jewish wedding ceremony took place in 3 parts. Each part is symbolic of a much greater wedding. It began with the “Betrothal” which was preceded by intense bargaining between the father of the bride and the father of the groom. The “Bride Price” was very steep. The price was comparable to what would be the price of a new house today. Then, when the bride was paid, there was a ceremony in which the couple was betrothed. The price Jesus paid for us was also very steep. It was not silver or gold, but His own precious blood. If we have put our trust in that blood, there is a ring on our finger. We are betrothed. In the days of Jesus, this part of the ceremony symbolized a permanent commitment. It is the same with our relationship with Jesus.
Next, the groom went away in order to add a room to his father’s house. It usually took about a year, but the actual time was determined by the father. It was when the father said that things were ready when the groom would surprise his bride and bring her back with a great processional. In John 14 Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many rooms, if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
During this time of separation, the bride would prepare her gown. It involved much time and patience and had much intricate detail. As we anticipate our “GREAT WEDDING DAY” we, as Christians are preparing our wedding gown. Rather than fine linen, our wedding gown is the purity of our character. Our character is developed as we clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ. Everyone who has the hope of Jesus returning is in this process of sanctification. We are a work in progress. We eagerly anticipate what we will become.
John says in Revelation 19:7-8, “For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean was given her to wear. We, as we live on this earth, are getting ready to become His Bride. Jesus has gone away to prepare a place for us and He will be back. It will be a great Psalm and wondrous procession. Psalm 45:13-14 says, “All glorious is the princess within her chamber. Her gown is interwoven with gold; in embroidered garments she is led to the King.”
There is so much symbolism here. The words used are significant. The fires of life will refine and purify our character in a magnificent gold if we allow God to use them as He desires. When someone embroiders they enhance, magnify and add color to their garment. This is a picture of what we do to our wedding gown when we submit to the Lord. All glorious are Krista, Nikki and Jessica within their chamber!
(A suggestion of the author to paraphrase this psalm with your own name>) The character of God is interwoven throughout their character; being clothed in the many splendord colors of His, they were led to Jesus!
The final part of the Jewish marriage was the actual wedding and feast. Oh what rejoicing their will be in heaven at our wedding banquet! We will be with Him, our Bridegroom for all eternity. So, in this period when He is preparing a place for us, God also yearns to sanctify and make us holy. Let us abandon ourselves to Him… our ETERNAL BRIDEGROOM!
The Jewish wedding ceremony took place in 3 parts. Each part is symbolic of a much greater wedding. It began with the “Betrothal” which was preceded by intense bargaining between the father of the bride and the father of the groom. The “Bride Price” was very steep. The price was comparable to what would be the price of a new house today. Then, when the bride was paid, there was a ceremony in which the couple was betrothed. The price Jesus paid for us was also very steep. It was not silver or gold, but His own precious blood. If we have put our trust in that blood, there is a ring on our finger. We are betrothed. In the days of Jesus, this part of the ceremony symbolized a permanent commitment. It is the same with our relationship with Jesus.
Next, the groom went away in order to add a room to his father’s house. It usually took about a year, but the actual time was determined by the father. It was when the father said that things were ready when the groom would surprise his bride and bring her back with a great processional. In John 14 Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many rooms, if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
During this time of separation, the bride would prepare her gown. It involved much time and patience and had much intricate detail. As we anticipate our “GREAT WEDDING DAY” we, as Christians are preparing our wedding gown. Rather than fine linen, our wedding gown is the purity of our character. Our character is developed as we clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ. Everyone who has the hope of Jesus returning is in this process of sanctification. We are a work in progress. We eagerly anticipate what we will become.
John says in Revelation 19:7-8, “For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean was given her to wear. We, as we live on this earth, are getting ready to become His Bride. Jesus has gone away to prepare a place for us and He will be back. It will be a great Psalm and wondrous procession. Psalm 45:13-14 says, “All glorious is the princess within her chamber. Her gown is interwoven with gold; in embroidered garments she is led to the King.”
There is so much symbolism here. The words used are significant. The fires of life will refine and purify our character in a magnificent gold if we allow God to use them as He desires. When someone embroiders they enhance, magnify and add color to their garment. This is a picture of what we do to our wedding gown when we submit to the Lord. All glorious are Krista, Nikki and Jessica within their chamber!
(A suggestion of the author to paraphrase this psalm with your own name>) The character of God is interwoven throughout their character; being clothed in the many splendord colors of His, they were led to Jesus!
The final part of the Jewish marriage was the actual wedding and feast. Oh what rejoicing their will be in heaven at our wedding banquet! We will be with Him, our Bridegroom for all eternity. So, in this period when He is preparing a place for us, God also yearns to sanctify and make us holy. Let us abandon ourselves to Him… our ETERNAL BRIDEGROOM!
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