Twenty women and seven little girls gathered to enjoy British High Tea and to bless the bride-to-be with gifts, Bible verses and lots of love. Emily, the guest of honor, was in my Five Aspects Bible study this past year. She and her fiance went through a courtship and engagement during the time it took to go through the study, so all the women in the group feel a special bond with her. It has been amazing to see how God worked to bring about His plan and purposes for Emily. She is a lovely young woman with a humble heart and loves she the Lord Jesus very much.
I gave a short devotional at the shower. I was especially excited to incorporate some of Barbara Mouser's thoughts on the joy of the Bridegroom into the devotion. I had never considered the joy Jesus will have when He comes to get His bride, the Church. I guess I had always concentrated on the joy that I will have when I see my Jesus. But to think about the joy Jesus will have--well, it's beyond imagining. This thought alone was well worth my trip to Texas.Here is the devotion I gave on Saturday at the shower:
Many things here on earth are merely shadows of things in Heaven, where the real things that cast the shadows reside.
Marriage is one such shadow. In Ephesians, Paul says, “This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.” Emily, very soon you will be Jason’s wife—his helpmeet. The two of you will be picture of the love of Christ for His Church and the love of the Church for her Savior. You will show this God-ordained picture to a dying world.
Another shadow that we are uniquely blessed to see in weddings is that of the bridegroom. On your wedding day, Jason will reflect the authentic Bridegroom, our Lord Jesus Christ. It isn’t very often in life that we get a picture of the bridegroom, after all, we do not attend weddings every day of our lives. Keep your eyes open the day of the wedding, Emily. You will see of the joy of the bridegroom--the joy that Jesus Christ will have when He comes for His Church.
A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of joy above Your fellows.
All Your garments are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia;
Out of ivory palaces stringed instruments have made You glad." Psalm 45:6-8
It is glorious to think of the wedding that the Lord is preparing for His bride.
"Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals 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 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 19:6-9The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen." Revelation 22:20-21
Our big girls will be helping to serve at Emily and Jason's wedding reception. They are so looking forward to the big day! As for the rest of us, we will be overjoyed to see such a godly young couple committing themselves to each other and to God's service. God is still in the business of creating love stories for His glory and we give Him praise for it.
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