“As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.” (Isa.62:5)
Lord Jesus, I rejoice that all of history is heading toward the Day when everybody and everything will finally make much of you. Mountains will skip, trees will clap, and we will rejoice with unfettered, uncontrollable, irrepressible joy. That being said, it is profoundly humbling to realize how much you make of us.
Knowing you’ve forgiven all our sins is 10-fold awesome. Knowing you’ve covered us with your own righteousness 100-fold awesome. But realizing you now delight in us with joy and passion as our ultimate for forever Spouse is life-giving and knee-buckling. We are your bride not your project. You love and cherish us—though it is hard for us to grasp.
Right now you’re preparing us for the Wedding Feast, not board of review; for we have already passed from judgment to life (Jn.5:24), from all condemnation (Rom.8:1) to the riches of adoption (Gal.4:4-7). And soon will pass from this life into an eternity of your perfection and affection. But on that Day—our wedding day, you won’t rejoice in us one bit more than you already do. Mind-boggling and heart-stretching—the saints in heaven are more happy than us but not more yours and more beloved.
I believe all of this good news, Jesus, because you never lie or exaggerate. But I’m asking for a fresh work of the Holy Spirit to make my theology my doxology all over again. Make what I believe what I rest in with whole-being peace. Use the things I teach others to set my heart ablaze and my feet a-dancin’. Set me free to love you with honeymoon affection and serve you unfettered joy all the way Home. Hallelujah, thank you, and So Very Amen.
