Never Have Another Love Story

Little white bunches of baby's breath flowers line the aisles and pink rose petals sprinkle the floor. The light streaming through the windows illuminates the colors and makes everything look absolutely glorious, like each item in the room is waiting in breathless anticipation to witness the covenant that is about to take place. All the girls spend all morning getting ready to look their best for the occasion, and even the boys dress up all dapper and proper. But nothing compares to the beauty of the bride. 

I have never seen her look more beautiful in her entire life. My best friend, the bride. She is always beautiful, but there was just something spectacular about her today, and it wasn't just the perfectly fitting white dress, the delicate lace, the way the veil fell over her shoulders. It was the sparkle in her eye of delight and desire. She loves her groom, and that's what makes her beautiful. 

And what's more amazing is this: Christ calls us his bride. 

"As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you." (Isaiah 62:5)

"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." (Revelation 19:7)

"I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband." (Revelation 21:2)

I love weddings. They remind me of our story - our love story with Jesus. That's what marriage is for, you know, to represent in a tangible way the relationship that Christ has with his church. 

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church." (Ephesians 5:25-32)

What a mystery! When He looks at us, he sees a beautiful bride - a bride that he would do anything for, and a bride that he has already done everything for. A bride that he has wooed gently, pursued passionately, and pledged himself to faithfully. He has vowed to love her unconditionally, and he will never break that covenant. The radiant, glowing bride that looks more beautiful than any other day of her life - that's how God sees us every day. We are that pure, spotless, radiant bride whom he has dressed in white by his blood. But what really makes us beautiful is the love we have for him that sparkles in our eyes.

Once, when someone asked me about my love story, I told them I didn't have one yet. Then I quickly took it back and said, "No, actually I do have a love story, and it's the most beautiful of them all." I will always treasure the words they gave in response. "You will never have another love story apart from that one. Whoever you meet and marry in the future will just be a part of that story." 

The weddings we know on earth are just a shadow of the grand reality that is to come. What a celebration it will be at the wedding feast of the Lamb and his church, when the bridegroom sweeps his bride of her feet and they become completely one, ready to spend a joyful eternity together forever.