Gift to the Bridegroom

Isaiah 62:5 “Then God will rejoice over you as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride.”

Read Isaiah 62:1-5

Imagine: You are engaged to be married! Every waking hour, you are daydreaming about your fiancé. Anybody? Can you relate?

The closer the wedding gets, the more you yearn to be with him. And he yearns to be with you.

Christ yearns for that day too – that day when He shall be united with His Bride and live forever. Happily ever after.

There will be no “till death do us part” and only “for as long as we both shall live”; for, sisters, that will be eternity, amen?

Being that He is Royalty, the Son of the Almighty, All-Sufficient God. What on earth are we to offer as a gift to our Groom?

He only wants one thing.

You.

Beautiful, precious, redeemed you.

Isaiah 62:1a “Because I love Zion,    I will not keep still.Because my heart yearns for Jerusalem,    I cannot remain silent.”

He can’t even hold still He wants you so badly. He loves you, Dear One.

2 “The nations will see your righteousness.    World leaders will be blinded by your glory.And you will be given a new name    by the Lord’s own mouth.3 The Lord will hold you in his hand for all to see—    a splendid crown in the hand of God.”

He yearns for you to take His name and wear His diamond ring of His glory, the one He fitted just for you so all the world will know we belong to Him and no one else.

4b “Your new name will be “The City of God’s Delight”    and “The Bride of God,”for the Lord delights in you    and will claim you as his bride.”

Your new name will be the Bride of God. You bring Him such delight!

He claims you.

Bask in that sweet acceptance for a moment. It is wonderful!

Now, I do have an exhortation for you: Act like it. You are spoken for. You are wearing His ring. Be a faithful Bride.

Read Romans 7:1-4.

Now hone in on verse 4 where it says

"And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead."

We are bound to Him (and thank Goodness, for (Romans 6:21) without Him we could only be united with eternal doom), and so to let our allegiance stray, or to desire another is adultery. We are married to Christ for life. Eternal life.

Stay with me here. The gift He asks of us

is us.

He wants our heart, and doesn’t want us to give that heart to anything else – sin, greed, pride, selfishness.

Let’s bring it even closer to home: job, money, friendships, clothes, hobbies, family relationships… [fill in the blank]. He doesn’t forbid these things, but He does want our whole heart. As a faithful Bride, love Him with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind.

Matthew 22:37 “Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’”

Luke 10:27 “The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Deuteronomy 6:5 “And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.”

You are His greatest gift.

Isaiah 62:11-12 “The Lord has sent this message to every land:    “Tell the people of Israel,[a]‘Look, your Savior is coming.    See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.’”12 They will be called “The Holy People”    and “The People Redeemed by the Lord.”And Jerusalem will be known as “The Desirable Place”    and “The City No Longer Forsaken.””

He is committed to you

Isaiah 62:5 “Your children will commit themselves to you, O Jerusalem,    just as a young man commits himself to his bride.Then God will rejoice over you    as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride.”

Commit yourself to Him, that he may rejoice over His faithful Bride.