Your Wedding
“And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:2).
My daughter, my delight, you don’t need to compare yourself to one single person. There is a wedding coming, a wedding where you are dressed completely, by my love. You are surrounded by my love. You walk deeper in my love. You are the bride I have chosen. You are the one chosen to marry the Groom who has come and broken His body for you, broken His heart for you, broken His complete self. This is so you may be ushered into the kingdom where celebration—singing and rejoicing—over the wedding of you, the bride, and my Son, the Groom, await.
Can you see Him waiting for you? Can you see Him loving you so much that He died for you?
You, my daughter, are complete, in Me. You, my daughter, are the one who doesn’t need to look different and act different or have more or less to be chosen, by Me. You are the one I have chosen. You are the one I want. I can’t take my eyes off of you, my dearest.
So, you ask Me, how do I protect your heart? How do you live in this world, one of comparison and envy and slander and thievery? How do you protect yourself from comparison when that is the culture in which you live and the wedding is around the corner but not yet a date you can perceive? How do you await my coming again, my Son’s rescuing you again, in a world of tearing each other down and pain?
Oh, my dear, look to Me. The only way to protect yourself is to regularly look into my eyes, see Me looking at you, see Me desiring you, see Me writing your name upon my heart and feeling sorrow when you believe you are not good enough to be desired as much as her, or her, or him.
Look to Me, look to the choice of my Son, as He kept His gaze on Me. He practiced looking on Me, listening for Me, being away with Me. He removed himself from the world while remaining in it, too. It is possible for you to remain close to Me and observe this world and be my daughter who desires to join Me in loving this world, while not being eaten up by the evil of it, too.
Practice coming away with Me. Practice looking for Me. Practice recognizing my voice. Practice looking at this world through my eyes and seeing yourself the way I see you, with a name, and a purpose and a mission and a beauty all your own. There is not one person, not one daughter of mine, like you. Come closer now. My arms are wide open.
|| More Resources For You ||
“It always amazes me how God meets me there—in the most common setting, in the middle of a mundane routine,” says filmmaker Paige Collins in her interview with Rapt. “It’s a reminder that he doesn’t need us to set the perfect conditions in order for him to speak. Sometimes, we just need to be still long enough to listen.” I admire people who can immediately encounter God in the common moments of the day. Whether we’re working in our gardens, cooking in our kitchens, or tidying up our living rooms, He’s ready to speak to us. What about you? In what unexpected places do you tend to hear our heavenly Father’s voice?
A spare five minutes twice a month is all you need to stay up to date on the latest and best Christian resources. The Rapt Newsletter curates essential ideas and tools—ranging from book excerpts to free apps—to help you grow in your faith despite life’s busyness. If you’re interested, you can subscribe here. I pray each issue is a blessing to you.
“Generosity isn’t a one-time thing. It’s a lifestyle.” —Kali Gibson, “Cultivating a Generous Heart.” … I’ll readily admit that this quote speaks to me deeply. I so long to be a woman who reflects the generous heart and lavish love of God. But I can’t just flip a switch and decide to be that person. It’s a day-by-day choice—a million consecutive decisions, really—in which I allow myself to be loved by my Father so I can love others in return.
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