“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. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” Revelation 19:7-9
“The most excellent method I have found for going to God is that of doing our common business without any view of pleasing men but purely for the love of God.” Brother Lawrence
- Call your prayer partner for your 10-minute prayer call! God is the one who has the power to work in your heart and the hearts of those you love. Prayer changes everything!
- Meet with your Beloved, your Betrothed. As you meditate on the following verses, bask in the love your Creator lavishes on you at every moment. Imagine Him singing over you, delighting in you, longing to make you His forever.
- Read verses Isaiah 54:5, Isaiah 62:3-5, Revelation 19:7-9, and Revelation 21:1-27.
Investing in Your Marriage
I know this title may sound odd, in light of the fact that we’ve been talking about Christmas for the past three weeks. Of course it’s important to invest in your spouse any time of year, but today, I’m talking about your marriage to Christ.
Even though the ceremony will be held in the future, we are betrothed to Christ, our Beloved. In Jewish culture, betrothal is almost synonymous to marriage. This is the period of wooing and courtship.
Think of it this way: There we were, all alone, drifting, flitting from disappointment to empty disappointment, searching for meaning and purpose in all the wrong places. And yet, in every glorious sunset, every captivating landscape, every dazzling, star-filled night sky, our Beloved could be heard and seen—wooing us. In the ultimate gesture of sacrifice, He gave of His very self so that we could draw near to Him for all eternity, sharing in His love, joy, and beauty. And He draws us still, every day, every moment. He is closer than our skin, permeating our very being: always present, forever beckoning, gloriously loving.
So often, I hear worship songs in church and on the radio about how much God loves us. “Oh, how He loves us, how He loves us so!” There is no more wonderful truth in all the world than this.
But how many worship songs do we sing about our love for Him? For every stanza starring God’s love toward us, are there even half as many regarding the depth of our love for Him?
I think not.
Suppose it is your anniversary. Your husband has spent weeks preparing the most wonderful day filled with fun, meaningful gestures. A visit to where you met, got engaged, or were married. A trail of rose petals to a candlelit display with the words, “I love you now, always, and forever, with everything I am!” in giant letters in a painting he created himself. You can’t believe how lucky you are, and you go to bed that night completely happy. But the next morning, when you wake up, you lean over and inform him, “Honey, I’m just not sure if I feel your love. I need to know you love me. It’s hard to believe sometimes; I just need more faith to believe it.” How would he respond?
Yet so often, we do that to our own Beloved. Instead of reciprocating or finding ways to bless Him, we may never get to a point where we enter into a two-way love relationship. We forget that He has committed His whole being to us, as it says in Hosea, “I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness, and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy” (Hosea 2:19). He is the most beautiful, kind, faithful, fun, and exciting husband we could ever have!
This Christmas, I challenge you to love your Husband. I challenge you to enter into a two-way relationship, and let God’s demonstrations of love to you elicit an overflow of praise and love from your heart.
Blessings and Love,
Christie
Questions to Ponder
- What tasks do I perform every day that seem too ordinary to be pleasing to God? How can I adjust my mindset so that I can direct my efforts all to the glory of God, in even the smallest, most insignificant action?
- How can I cultivate a deep love toward Jesus? What could I incorporate into my Christmas season that would bring a smile to His face, effectively hanging a big banner that says, “I love you more than anything, with everything I am!”
Faith-Filled Ideas
How do we reciprocate Christ’s love for us? As Brother Lawrence said above, every little thing we do can be done solely for the love of God. Even though Brother Lawrence was the “janitor” of the monastery, it is quite possible that he served and loved God more than any other monk in the establishment. “I resolved to make the love of God the end of all my actions…I resolve even to take up a straw from the ground for the love of God, seeking Him only, and nothing else, not even His gifts.” No piece of his daily routine was too mundane to be used for the glory and love of his dear Savior. So should it be with us.
It doesn’t necessarily take extra time or grand gestures to love your Savior better. Talk to Him, consciously devoting your heart and your thoughts to Jesus throughout the day. You will begin to see His goodness in the mundane details of life and love Him more for it.
I am a wife, mother to two beautiful girls and another baby coming soon, musician, reader, and thinker, and I own a software company. I love curling up on my couch with a cup of coffee and reading my Bible in the mornings.
If I could achieve one feat in my life, it would be to inspire everyone around me to see God as so much bigger than our boxes, more beautiful than our wildest dreams.
I want to inspire awe of God in others- an awe that leads to adoration, worship, and lifelong devotion, even as I come to know him myself more every day.
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