The Glorious Bride

"I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of His righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest and as a bride adorns herself with jewels."
                                                                                                                               Isaiah 61:10




Few things on this earth rival the joy and excitement of a wedding. It is a promise of love and hope, accompanied by the jubilation of finally discovering your forever partner. Exhilaration is tangibly palpable, both by the wedding party and the family and friends that attend. All of this is culminated by pivoting necks just waiting to catch the first glimpse of the glorious bride. Emotions run deep even as the groom tries to swallow past the lump in his throat when he sees his most heavenly vision ascending towards his arms. Tears of joy trickle down cheeks...

This is how it was for our family on Saturday as we welcomed our second daughter-in-love to our family. Sam and Austin had returned home from serving in the Pentagon to pledge their vows to one another. Austin kept trying to convince us that he was not nervous but we occasionally caught facial expressions that would dispute his claims. If Sam was nervous, she did a better job at disguising that fact.

Since they had their wedding at our home, we literally got to be a part of every single plan and detail. As many weddings as we have been a part of or witnessed, it was enlightening to really see all that is entailed in this process. Too often, I was caught up in the logistics, only to stop and be reminded of the most important thing. This happened when I glanced up to see the bride or groom catch a glimpse of their beloved's face. Both beamed brighter than a full moon and sparkled like the brightest star. Suddenly, the atmosphere changed.

The love they share served as a reminder to those around them of what is really important in this life. Both of them walked in unity and forgiveness and were inclusive to even those who had wounded them in the past. Their greatest desire was to share their most important day with everyone who had ever had been important to them and they did not let offense stand in their way.

God honored them both for these selfless decisions. There were so many miracles that happened on their wedding day. The first miracle was that it did not rain during the ceremony, even though it was supposed to. The second miracle was that prayers and scriptures were shared with some people who had never before heard them. We literally saw hearts being healed, forgiveness and reconciliation, as well as relationships being restored. Mostly, we saw God move in powerful ways!

Seeing God move in this way at their wedding made me really stop and think about our future as the bride of Christ. This heavenly wedding feast of the Lamb will supersede any earthly rendition we find here. And, when we consider the fact that God is the wedding planner, we know that it will be more glorious than any of us could even imagine!

Every detail was planned long ago, and God has customized this event to be spectacular. Matthew tells us that, "The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son" (Matthew 22:2). Even now, the linens are pressed and the table is set.

God takes it one step further by using the imagery and symbolism of the church being His bride. Isaiah tells us that, "thy Maker is thy husband; the Lord of Hosts [is] His name; and the Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; the God of the whole earth shall He be called" (Isaiah 54:5). In this, God paints a portrait that is even more intimate, emphasizing the covenant aspect of our bond.

We become His bride at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb. In the interim, we are His betrothed. He has clothed us in robes of righteousness and called us to be faithful. He wants us to look with anticipation to this day and overflow with His presence and glory while we wait. All the while, we look for those moments here when we can catch a glimpse of our Beloved's face.

He does not want our loyalties to be divided. God would say to us, "For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present [you as] a chaste virgin to Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:2). Like the anticipation the week before a wedding, we are to think about, pray about, and dream about the blessed event that awaits us.

Preparation is also required. When I think about the thousands of details it takes for a small home wedding, it occurs to me that no less should occur for this once in an all eternity event. Over and over again, our decisions will either be towards holiness or momentary happiness.  Over time, it will be obvious what our choices really were.

Paul tells us that Jesus is going to return for a bride that is holy and pure. He said, "Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the Word, and to present her to Himself as a radiant church, without stain, or wrinkle, or any other blemish, but holy and blameless" (Ephesians 5:25-27). He's the One who makes us holy but the pursuit of holiness requires diligence and obedience on our part.

It also requires valuing holiness above worldly desires. Spending time in His presence gives us the courage to step out, even into unknown territory. When we put God first, it naturally follows that we will then put the needs of others before our own. Especially the spiritual needs of others.

God clothed us in garments of salvation, extended through His love, mercy, and grace. In turn, He wants us to share with others all that He has done for us. Because He has done so much, we should be eager to tell others. Daily, we renew our hope in Him so that we can share with those people in which we have given up hope. This is when we really see God's power being released.

On the day of the Wedding Feast of the Lamb, there will be unspeakable joy, a blessed union that is eternal, a redeemed church, and God will be glorified. It is so important that we bring with us as many people as possible. When we witness the culmination of each persons giftedness and diligence and obedience to honor our King, we will be amazed.

There will be so many testimonies of the goodness and greatness of our God that it will take all of eternity to take it all in. Right now, we see God putting out all the finishing touches for this Blessed Event. The table is set, the bride is getting ready, and the music is about to begin... Suddenly, we see that the bride is glorious! Better yet, the Bridegroom is majestic and regal and, oh so, mesmerizing!


                            (Dedicated to Sam and Austin-- we love you!!!!)


"Then a voice came from the throne, saying: 'Praise our God, all you His servants, you who fear Him, both great and small!' Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: 'Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready."
                                             Revelation 19:5-9