01.17.2008

Rev 22:17
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.

Hello friends,

There has been so much going on, and let me tell you: I am very tired! But, through all of my work and coming to an exhausting point, the Lord is encouraging me in little ways day by day. I hope that he has done the same for you.

“It’s all about you.”
Ok, since I got engaged I’ve heard this phrase from individuals encouraging me in my wedding planning, and I’ve read it in wedding catalogs quite a lot. I can’t seem to escape it without seeing it somewhere in cute cursive text… or at least some variation thereof. And I suppose the bride is the star attraction at the wedding, since she’s the one that gets special music walking down the aisle, she’s the one that the groom traditionally isn’t allowed to see the day of the wedding before she’s walking down that aisle. The bride’s the one that gets the really pretty dress that trumps everyone else, and she’s the one that will have everything done her way. When it gets really bad is when you end up with phrases and TV shows like “Bride-zilla.” Yikes.

Honestly, that whole idea is a little unnerving. I don’t like being the center of attention (and, thank goodness, neither does my husband-to-be). It makes my face get all flush when everyone is staring at me. No thanks.

As much as everyone can say “It’s all about you,” to me, I have to think and remind myself of how a Bride is painted in the Bible. If you’re wondering what in the world I’m talking about, let me get you up to speed: God’s people are frequently referred to as His Bride or the Wife. In the Old Testament the Wife is often referred to as being pretty wayward, but God always takes her back. In the New Testament, the Body of Christ is referred to the Bride of Christ in some of His parables and most especially in Revelation 19,21, and 22. The Bride comes before Christ to worship her Lord and King, and beckon others to “Come!” and take the free gift of the water of life (Rev 22:17).
So really it’s not about the Bride at all. Scripture clearly states in other ways peppered throughout that nothing is about the Body of Christ; only the Lord God Almighty is to be praised. The Bride in Revelation does not point to herself but instead points others to Christ. I think it’s fair to say that each and every one of us are included in that… not just the brides out in the world.

Would it be safe then to say that a wedding really is all about God? It’s pretty profound that Scripture uses a wife-husband or bride-bridegroom relationship to give us an image of what OUR relationship is to HIM. He uses what is meant to be the deepest and most profound human relationship any one of us will ever have to show us what a relationship with Him is like – and sevenfold. So my relationship is then supposed to trump my relationship with Scott!

Pretty crazy, huh? Now if I can remember all of that all the time, that would be great. And I pray the Lord would be patient with me in that endeavor as well as in your own! May the Holy Spirit be working mightily in us so that we can point towards God and not to ourselves; that we give HIM the glory and be reminded that it’s all about Him, not us.

In love and in Him,
Your sister,
Yvonne