From This Moment
“…Keep yourselves in God\’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.” – Jude 1:21 niv
I attended two weddings in one weekend one hour apart. The first
ceremony was held in a small, Pentecostal church with under a hundred
guests in attendance. The entire bridal party consisted of a matron of
honor and two flower girls. The forty-something first-time bride glowed
in her traditional white gown with beads, lace, and sequins. Gail
walked down the aisle to the music of “From This Moment” sung by a trio
of friends and relatives. When the bride brushed the tears from the
face of her groom after they said their vows, it seemed as if the
entire crowd said, ‘Awww…” in unison.
Before the couple even kissed, I slipped out to go to the second
wedding. A short time later, I sat in a Catholic church with 300 other
guests. Twelve, yes, twelve bridesmaids, three flower girls, and a ring
bearer preceded the bride. The young bride, dressed in an understated,
elegant gown walked slowly down the long aisle to the traditional
Bridal Chorus played by violins. The formal ceremony lasted three times
as long as the first one.
Even though the brides and their ceremonies differed in many ways, the
love that brought the two couples together was the same. Each bride
promised undying love and faithfulness. Each groom pledged to be true
and supportive of his bride. I have no doubt as each man stood before
God making his vows, he would give his life for his bride.
In Ephesians 5:22-33, Paul uses the imagery of a bride and groom to
describe God\’s relationship with the Church. Jesus gave His life for
His bride, the Church. He proved His love on the cross. God calls us to
a lifetime of growing closer to Him.
A few days before the wedding, I asked Gail, the older of the two
brides, if she had made all the preparations for the wedding. “Are you
kidding?” she said, laughing. “When he proposed, I was ready.” On the
other hand, the younger bride took an entire year to prepare for her
wedding.
Are you prepared for Jesus\’ return? It doesn\’t take a year to prepare
to meet Jesus as Savior. When you\’re ready to become a Christian, it
takes only a moment. God\’s ready to accept you as you are. The Bible
says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” –
Romans 10:13 niv.
Each bride promised to remain faithful to her spouse. Have you remained
true to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Many times our eyes
wander. We get sidetracked into love affairs with the things of this
world. As Gail promised to love her husband ‘from this moment on,\’ we
make a vow to be true to God, making Him the Lord of our life, not just
for the moments of this life, but also for all eternity.
Prayer: Dear God, thank You for being my Lord, and for Your
boundless and indescribable love. My heart\’s desire is to remain true
to You. In Jesus\’ Name I pray, Amen.
