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 went to two weddings in one weekend. 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. An hour 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.

Jesus gave His life for His bride, the Church. He proved His love on the cross. In Ephesians 5:22-33, Paul uses the imagery of a bride and groom to describe God’s relationship with the Church. 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? We want to be prepared for His coming. It doesn’t take a year to prepare to meet Jesus as Savior. When you’re ready to become a Christian, 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 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.