Monday, June 6, 2011

The Final Level


Level 6: GROOM/BRIDE RELATIONSHIP
 
Once a woman becomes a bride, the focus of her life and priorities change, and all other people and priorities pale in comparison to her primary love relationship. Again, this metaphor illustrates a much deeper truth- God desires for us to love Him passionately, to find it delightful to simply be in His presence, and to know Him personally both publicly and privately. He longs for our focus and priorities to become aligned with His.
Perhaps you can imagine relating to God as Father, Saviour, or Lord but are struggling with the idea of relating to God like you would a husband. While some may even say that it’s irreverent to relate to God in such an intimate way, God has always longed for this kind of relationship with His chosen people. He said through the prophet Hosea, “I will betroth you to me forever, I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the Lord” (2:19-20).
God extends to us an eternal commitment of love so deep, so wide and so great that we cannot possibly fully understand it. This gift should inspire us to reciprocate with as equal a gift of love as is humanly possible. What started out as an engagement relationship between God and His own in the Garden of Eden will come to fullness at the wedding supper of the Lamb when Jesus Christ returns to claim His bride, the church.
So how can you cultivate a bridal love for Jesus and enjoy this intimate relationship that He longs to have with you? By falling in love with Him and attempting to pursue Him as passionately as He has been pursuing us all along.




Courtesy of Jack Hill
Extracted from ‘Every Young Woman’s Battle’
By Shannon Ethridge & Stephen Arterburn

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