Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roaring of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given to her to wear.
Revelation 19: 6-8
The summer wedding season has arrived, and I’ve been seeing a lot of beautiful wedding pictures on social media of glowing brides, lovely dresses, and gorgeous flowers. The bride goes to great lengths to find the perfect dress, make-up, hair style, venue, flowers, and music in preparation of her wedding day. She longs for her special day to arrive and is giddy with excitement as she anticipates walking down the aisle to meet her groom.
Seeing the wonderful wedding pictures makes me think about the greatest wedding celebration of all time – the day Christ, the bridegroom, comes for his bride, the church. We don’t know when that day will arrive, but according to scripture, it could happen at any moment. For those who belong to Christ, it will be the ultimate wedding celebration.
Scripture warns us to be prepared for the arrival of the bridegroom. Sadly, it seems few believers, myself included, are giving it much thought most days. The distractions of the world are always pulling us in other directions, keeping us caught up in a never-ending cycle of information overload.
If our bridegroom arrives today, what will he find us doing? Will he find us ready and longing for his appearance, or will he find us caught up in selfish pursuits, scarcely thinking about him at all? Is our spiritual attire fitting for a beautiful bride longing for her bridegroom or is our wedding dress stained with pride, selfishness, envy, bitterness, and ungratefulness?
Can others see the love sparkling in our eyes and the glow on our face when we talk about our bridegroom? Are we exuding excitement that’s contagious? Are we so focused on our heavenly wedding that our earthly cares and the distractions of the world can’t pull us away?
As Christians, our heavenly wedding day draws nearer and nearer with each passing day. What a glorious day it will be! We must get ready! I pray our bridegroom will find us prepared when he arrives, beautifully dressed in our finest spiritual attire, eyes sparkling with love for Him, and our hearts longing with anticipation to see his face.
Joni,
Thank you so much for that wonderful reminder to stay focused and remember that He is coming for us! I long for that day but still find myself getting caught up in the cares of this world. Fear and worry are my greatest enemies at times! I so needed to be reminded of this today and I thank you again so much for sharing this with all of us. You have encouraged my heart so many times with your thoughts and scripture. Thank you again for allowing God to use you in a mighty way in my life! My prayers and thoughts are with you always!
Blessings to you and your family!
Sue
Sue, I also struggle with fear and worry, as well as those unending worldly distractions. Thankfully, God knows our struggles and he understands our fleshly weakness. May God bless you today, as you keep your eyes focused on eternity and the amazing things to come. Thank you for your kind words. You are one of the blessings God has placed in my life.