Several weeks ago I was in a wedding. My best friend, Emilee Baab, married Jerrick Irby and she is now Emilee Irby. They are two of the most in love people I have ever seen. They’ve always had something special, but that day it was more than apparent that they were each other’s chief earthly joy. It was one of the most beautiful weddings I have ever seen. The moment that Jerrick saw Emilee begin to walk down the aisle, his face lit up, he clasped his hands in front of his face and tears of joy began to flow. It was the way that every woman desires for someone to look at them. For them to say “Look at her, she is mine!” As I thought about their love for each other, I began to wonder if anyone would ever love me the way that Jerrick loves Emilee. Thoughts of inadequacy and doubt began to fill my head. I couldn’t imagine someone who I loved loving me in that way. And then, something clicked in my crazy head and I was reminded that someone already does love me as much as Jerrick loves Emilee. But, He loves me much more than that; He loves me completely, perfectly, and selflessly. Of course I have known that Jesus loves me since I was a small child and have never openly questioned that, but to see an example of a bride groom so in love with his bride helped me to understand the magnitude of Christ’s love for His bride, the church (me). But, my thoughts didn’t stop there. I began to think about myself, my rotten self who seeks out my own glory before anyone else’s, and is faithful to nothing more than a consistent life of turning my back on my bridegroom, where moments of faithfulness and desiring Him above all else grow dim in light of my immense sin. It wasn’t until I thought of this that I began to truly get it.
(This is where my thoughts went, while this is not a perfect example)
Imagine the kindest, Godliest, most gracious, most powerful and loving man that you know…think about his awesome character and presence that he demands. The man that walks into a room and everyone watches his actions in awe. I think about my grandpa (Papa) who used to be a preacher and who I admire so much. Imagine someone like this man going to a prison and finding a woman who has drown her children and feels no remorse and choosing to take her out of there, pay the bale, and marry her. But she doesn’t want to go!! She doesn’t change her ways, and most of the time she turns her back on this man, yet he still loves her.
This, only on a much grander scale, is what Christ has done for those of us who believe! How can it be? That the God of the Universe, who spoke everything into being, chose me, loves me, and continues to love me, even though I love myself more often than Him…He loves me and sees me through the veil of His blood which makes me clean.
I used to struggle with being single. I longed for someone to love me and to have someone to love, but thankfully, the Lord has shown me what true satisfaction in Christ alone is like and I’ve never experienced joy so fully. I used to try to be satisfied in Christ alone, only because I thought that is what it would take to find the right person, but now it is so different and wonderful! I don’t care anymore if that person comes into my life or not. I now can say that if the Lord chooses for me to be complete in Him alone, then thanks be to God and He will receive all of the glory.
This thought has encouraged me greatly, and I hope that it can be an encouragement to you. No matter where you are in life, married, single, dating, divorced, in an unhealthy relationship, or anywhere, if your faith is in the Lord, this Truth is consistent. You are Christ’s Bride and He is your Bridegroom!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
