“Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” – Revelation 19:7
Today’s Reading: Zechariah 5-8; Revelation 19
Dear God,
I see that we are the bride of Christ; but when I first heard this I thought it was one of the stranger things I had ever heard. As a man of course it is strange to think of myself as a bride. I was raised to think of protecting, serving and providing. So what is the role of the bride? What am I to do?
Well, I know you have described this relationship in Ephesians 5. The woman is to respect the man and the man is to love the woman. So that means that I am to respect you? The more that I think about it I have to get down to what it means to respect. Before I have ever respected anyone I have had to get to know them. I respect those that I can put my faith and trust in. So this means that I must do my best to know you, to see you for who you fully are, so that I can come to the utmost love and respect for you.
I have been working on this for several years now. The more that I have gotten to know you the more I have felt the urge toward obedience. I trust you more and more and it makes me want to do what you tell me to do more and more. I’d say that this is the renewing that is happening in me; the transformation of the inner man. I am changing because I love and respect you more and more.
I used to think about you with a groom mentality. I thought I had to find a way in my own strength to follow you, to be “righteous”; and when I fell short I got discouraged. Sometimes I even gave up. But you never ceased to forgive me and show me mercy and love.
Looking back on that it’s kind of funny. If I am the bride then why am I trying to be the strong one? That’s the luxury of being the bride! The bride is taken care of, protected, loved, nurtured and adored. All you ask from us in return is a little faith and a desire to know you so that we can respect you. It shouldn’t be a lot to ask of us, but sometimes it is. Sometimes we can’t see outside of our own little lives. We are too busy looking at ourselves in the mirror to see that you are standing there right beside us.
Help me God to become the bride who has made herself ready. Help me to respect you and honor you and devote myself to you. Thank you for always protecting me, even when I had my eyes away from you and focused on other things. You always remained faithful. I will do my best to return the favor.
Today’s Reading: Zechariah 5-8; Revelation 19
Dear God,
I see that we are the bride of Christ; but when I first heard this I thought it was one of the stranger things I had ever heard. As a man of course it is strange to think of myself as a bride. I was raised to think of protecting, serving and providing. So what is the role of the bride? What am I to do?
Well, I know you have described this relationship in Ephesians 5. The woman is to respect the man and the man is to love the woman. So that means that I am to respect you? The more that I think about it I have to get down to what it means to respect. Before I have ever respected anyone I have had to get to know them. I respect those that I can put my faith and trust in. So this means that I must do my best to know you, to see you for who you fully are, so that I can come to the utmost love and respect for you.
I have been working on this for several years now. The more that I have gotten to know you the more I have felt the urge toward obedience. I trust you more and more and it makes me want to do what you tell me to do more and more. I’d say that this is the renewing that is happening in me; the transformation of the inner man. I am changing because I love and respect you more and more.
I used to think about you with a groom mentality. I thought I had to find a way in my own strength to follow you, to be “righteous”; and when I fell short I got discouraged. Sometimes I even gave up. But you never ceased to forgive me and show me mercy and love.
Looking back on that it’s kind of funny. If I am the bride then why am I trying to be the strong one? That’s the luxury of being the bride! The bride is taken care of, protected, loved, nurtured and adored. All you ask from us in return is a little faith and a desire to know you so that we can respect you. It shouldn’t be a lot to ask of us, but sometimes it is. Sometimes we can’t see outside of our own little lives. We are too busy looking at ourselves in the mirror to see that you are standing there right beside us.
Help me God to become the bride who has made herself ready. Help me to respect you and honor you and devote myself to you. Thank you for always protecting me, even when I had my eyes away from you and focused on other things. You always remained faithful. I will do my best to return the favor.
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