April 4, 2007
JESUS BRIDE
I came across a question a few weeks ago that set my mind on fire. It burned for days and days getting my heart caught up in the tortuous pondering until my soul joined the mêlée of sorrowful conjecture. My goodness you say, what on earth would disturb you so? Here’s the question I’ll let you ponder it’s depth for awhile. Did you ever stop to think about what a bad deal Jesus got when He chose us to be His bride?
Ugg! I can’t bear the pain of that question. I’ve grown into the belief over the last 44 years with Coach Wonderful that marriage is the one relationship on earth that prepares a person for the intimate relationship with Christ Jesus. Why you ask? It’s the one relationship that teaches you to die to yourself on a daily basis or the marriage relationship dies. There seems to be a cultural impression that a good marital relationship is an inalienable right. Folks appear to be escaping marriage commitments by the droves with the thought there is someone else out there with whom a good relationship will be easier. Good grief, didn’t anyone read the fine print? Relationships are going to have their challenges and even the best of them will be severely tried. Dan Haseltine wrote in Relevant magazine a few years back, “Look at the marriage of Jesus… the one with the bride who sleeps around, never listens, disowns, scorns, dishonors, runs away, intentionally proves to be more interested in anything but her husband, is selfish and bears the children of every affair and the scent of every escapade. It was a marriage that killed Jesus. And it was the Gospel that brought Him back to life to love once more”.
Our groom Jesus doesn’t look for a way out. "I will never leave thee." -- Hebrews 13:5 He waits expectantly and with great love for his bride while she clothes herself in wedding attire. He isn’t thinking about Himself or His own rights. He is thinking about us. He sees us as holy, blameless and beautiful. He sees the completed bride that He paid for and washed clean through the healing blood of His forgiveness on the cross. With that kind of love shinning on us we should be able to see each other that way, die to ourselves and live offering one another to Jesus in love.
A pearl to string: Mark Steel said, “Jesus can turn water into wine, but He can't turn your whining into anything”. None of us will find peace within ourselves until we find peace in God’s gift of eternal life.
May your Easter be a true celebration of His love.
Humbled by His continuous grace,
Lyndi
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