[I’ve been clothed in white,I’m Your precious bride.And I will live with You my Lord!]
What if I told you that even from the beginning of creation God desired to commune with man? What if I told you that His story has always been that of love and marriage? What if I told you the book of Hosea is just a glimpse of what Jesus began the day at Calvary? What if I told you that there has been a proposal for marriage and you are part of the Bride; you are invited to the wedding feast!
While I was on outreach to the Middle East, I found myself one evening talking with a family smoking hookah in a Bedouin camp. They told me they were believers.
Before introducing myself to them, I had this strong urge from the Lord the whole night leading up to meeting them; I felt that He wanted to express His love to them.
When they told me they were believers, it made it much easier for me to talk with them. However, my heart began mourning with the response I received after talking with them about the Bridegroom paradigm.
The oldest sister from the family was the only one really talking to me and she told me that I think too much and that there are aspects of the Lord that we just shouldn’t even try to understand; that He wants us to have a good time on earth and not to get caught up in the realms of figuring out more of who He actually is. I told her I disagreed with her and that over and over again, we see in scripture that the
Lord constantly pursues and searches for a people that are wholly in love with Him.
Before leaving, I challenged them - specifically her - to seek Him out for themselves, to ask Him to reveal Himself in a greater measure.
Sadly, as I was telling a friend yesterday about this account, I was brought to the realization that there are many people who claim to believe and know Christ but they are so caught up in worldly success/things, they have no true desire to seek Him out.
First and foremost, I believe the most important thing that is sealed on Jesus’ heart for His beloved bride is that we simply sit before His throne and give ourselves in worship to Him.
There are two passages that I have been soaking in while trying to understand this concept - John 17:20-26 and Luke 9:38-42.
While digging into this, I have been convicted of the position of my heart. In a quiet time the other day, I heard the Lord softly say to me,
“Are you focused on advancing My Kingdom, our advancing in My Kingdom?”
After hearing this, I began to think I was slowly moving into a position where I was no better than the family I spoke to in the Middle East. They were just living their life how they wanted, and in a way I have been too - I have been like Martha in Luke 9.
“But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, 'Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.' ”
I have - in a way - been caught up in advancing rather than caught up in His mercy. I so often act like Martha, doing things almost to impress Jesus. I think for me, I do this thinking it will advance my position in the Kingdom. However, Jesus is just looking for His friends, He is looking for His Bride!
He is looking for ones like Mary, who will waste their life and pour their heart on Him. HE WANTS FRIENDS! Being an American, I have had in my mind that we constantly have to be striving to reach the top of the ladder. That success and happiness are found in our placement in our job, friend group, etc.
But, I have to believe the Kindgom is much different. Our success is found in the reality of us knowing Jesus loves us, and that freedom is found in laying our lives down freely.
So, to try to wrap this up, I see the importance of Jesus' heart is that His friends work with Him to advance His Kingdom by living a life of worship toward Him; that we begin to focus more on proclaiming His name to those who simply don't know Him, and trust that through this we begin to get closer to Him.
The fact that He has saved us from darkness and has brought us into light should be enough to make our heart feel like it will explode! So, I challenge you to just be His friend and be excited that you will be with Him for eternity.
Come boldly before His throne and waste your life before His feet and just love Him!
Yes, there is a truth in advancing in the Kingdom, but I have to believe that this shouldn't be the center of our life; what should be our main focus for ourselves is catching His heart for us, His bride.
