A Bride's Desire

Our daughter's wedding will be happening in a few days and I was reminded of the devotion of our young couple as I read this verse, "I remember concerning you the devotion of your youth, the love of your betrothals" (Jeremiah 2:1). God will make them one as they vow before Him and many witnesses to love and support each other until death. I also remember my own vows before God to love and protect my bride. Our love has been tested by many trials and temptations and, by God's grace, has grown deeper and wider.

In the same way, each of us felt a great devotion to God when we accepted the gift of Jesus' sacrifice for our sin. At our betrothal to Jesus, our hearts were filled with love. But, have we turned that relationship into a rule book where we feel that God is happy if we just show up at a worship service three times a week, or once a week or even occasionally. Would my bride be happy if I would just say, "I love you." once a week? We all know that there is much more to a marriage relationship than just "being there".

For a relationship to grow there must be a desire and an effort to get to know each other more and more. To grow closer together, there must be common goals and objectives. As, out of love and devotion, a young wife lays down her ambitions and embraces the goals of her new husband, so should we, out of love and devotion, lay down our personal ambitions and embrace the goals of our heavenly husband -- Jesus. God desires an intimate relationship with us through the Church that He says is exemplified by the best marriage you can imagine. Have we lost our first love and devotion for Christ? Let's turn again to our Divine Lover and renew the offering of our body and life to Him just as it was given to Him at our immersion into Him. Let's plead for and earnestly seek to have a bride's desire for daily, growing intimacy with our Creator, Father, Husband and Lover.

Project: (Join me in this)
Ask God how you can grow closer to Him in the next few months.
Expect Him to somehow reveal a specific answer.
By His grace -- DO IT.

FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5)