As I write this I have been engaged for 67 days and in a short 88 days Justin and I get to say “I DO” in front of our family and friends. If you haven’t heard already, our wedding is going to be amazingly different than any other wedding. God has given us a clear vision about what the day is to be about and we are directing everything towards Him and not us. We both consider it a privilege to mirror the greater wedding that is coming.
In the past 67 days of being a fiancée I have done a lot of planning and I have spent many hours trying to find the most cost effective way to do everything. Unlike some brides, I love every minute of watching our day come together.
In the midst of all this preparation Abba challenged me to see the greater picture and how our wedding needs to point to him, but so does our engagement.
The eager anticipation that I have to be Justin’s bride should be nothing in comparison with the anticipation I have to be the bride of Christ.
The preparation I am making for mine and Justin’s wedding should be nothing in comparison for how I am preparing to see the ultimate groom of Christ.
The truth is that right now every follower of Jesus is considered the bride, and He is our groom. And just like any other bride we should be waiting with eager anticipation for our groom to come, and we should each be preparing ourselves to meet with him face to face. The only difference is we don’t know the day of our wedding; therefore we should always be ready!
Why is it then that we find it okay to spend countless hours and endless effort on our earthly wedding day and we never seem to think about the greatest wedding of all that is coming when Jesus comes back for us?
Think about that for a minute. How many times have you looked to your wedding with Jesus and became excited? When is the last time you prepared yourself to be with him?
Maybe you’re asking how you get excited about this wedding?
Or how do you prepare for this wedding?
The answer to both of those questions is one word: relationship.
The reason I love preparing for our wedding on May 2nd is because of the relationship I have with Justin. He loves me unconditionally, sacrificially and many times in ways I do not deserve. He listens, he cares, he encourages, he challenges and he supports every dream and vision that I have. He’s really great, and it’s those qualities that are propelling me to prepare for our wedding.
The same goes for my relationship with Jesus. I get excited about him coming back because I am spending time with him now and I just cant wait to be with him forever because I am so thankful for his perfect love.
In the same way, growing in my relationship with him is what prepares me to be his bride.
Think about it this way: If you’re not spending time with him now, why would you find joy in being with him forever?
Forever starts now.
Jesus isn’t just fire insurance. Jesus is relationship.
Some of the best marriage advice I’ve gotten is that our wedding is merely one day, and what really matters is every day after that. Once all the cake, the dress, and the pictures are finished is when it really begins.
I am excited for every day after May 2, 2015. It’s in those days that I get to grow closer to Justin, grow with Justin, and the greatest of all: I don’t have to be separated from him anymore.
And that’s what I’m excited about for my marriage with Jesus. I never have to be separated from him anymore. I meet with him face to face and no more sin can separate us.
Jesus illustrates this beautiful truth with the gift of marriage. He didn’t just create marriage to give us something to do; he created it so that we would better understand why he came for us and how he is coming back.
“ Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of man waters and like the sound of mighty pearls of thunder crying out,
‘ Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.
let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready;
it was granted her to clothe herself
with fine linen, bright and pure’-
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
And the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ And he said to me, ‘These are the true words of God.’
-Revelation 19:6-9
Are you invited?
It starts with the greatest relationship and ends with the best marriage ever.
