A wedding invitation
A wedding invitation
“Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” (Revelation 19:9).
For many people, among their greatest blessings—if not the greatest earthly blessing—is a Christian spouse. But in this popular month for weddings, we need to think of more than just an event complete with food and drink and the gathering of family and friends. A marriage is far more than a wedding day. It’s having a trusted companion through life. Joys are multiplied; sorrows are shared. Dreams can be explored delightfully together. Fears may simply explode harmlessly. Separateness gives way to togetherness.
We could go on with the picture of the ideal Christian marriage. But, of course, marriage is not always ideal. Like every good thing from the hand of God, Satan seeks to wrench it from our grasp. Disagreements can turn dangerously destructive. Harsh words wound deeply. Faithless missteps can turn one flesh into two again. Sin’s ugly notes destroy God-intended harmony, producing discord even in a Christian marriage.
How can couples preserve their union as husband and wife? One suggestion comes in the simple saying, “Couples who worship together stay together.” It’s true. Whenever a couple remembers that God united them, they remember that they share a stronger bond than just human love. Our being one with Christ does not eliminate the occurrences of sin. But what it does do is help us recognize how lost we are in our lives. And then, rather than seeking to pull ourselves up by our own frayed bootstraps, we trust Christ to rescue us. Anchored securely in his perfection is our forgiveness. Attached closely to God’s pardon is the power to push sin away from us, drawing us closer to our Savior as well as the one we’ve offended by our actions. Couples who know Jesus understand that he forgives them and helps them forgive each other.
In the mutual confession of sin and the comfort of being forgiven, the joy of salvation continually renews the bond between spouses. It’s still never perfect, but it is seeking the perfection that one day will be ours when each of us who is invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb will be finally seated at the heavenly table.
My father-in-law, after 67 years of eating at the same earthly table with his wife, is now enjoying the heavenly marriage supper of the lamb. My mother-in-law is still waiting for that day. All of us, singly or in couples, long for that day, a day made possible by our heavenly bride-groom, Jesus.
For many people, among their greatest blessings—if not the greatest earthly blessing—is a Christian spouse. But in this popular month for weddings, we need to think of more than just an event complete with food and drink and the gathering of family and friends. A marriage is far more than a wedding day. It’s having a trusted companion through life. Joys are multiplied; sorrows are shared. Dreams can be explored delightfully together. Fears may simply explode harmlessly. Separateness gives way to togetherness.
We could go on with the picture of the ideal Christian marriage. But, of course, marriage is not always ideal. Like every good thing from the hand of God, Satan seeks to wrench it from our grasp. Disagreements can turn dangerously destructive. Harsh words wound deeply. Faithless missteps can turn one flesh into two again. Sin’s ugly notes destroy God-intended harmony, producing discord even in a Christian marriage.
How can couples preserve their union as husband and wife? One suggestion comes in the simple saying, “Couples who worship together stay together.” It’s true. Whenever a couple remembers that God united them, they remember that they share a stronger bond than just human love. Our being one with Christ does not eliminate the occurrences of sin. But what it does do is help us recognize how lost we are in our lives. And then, rather than seeking to pull ourselves up by our own frayed bootstraps, we trust Christ to rescue us. Anchored securely in his perfection is our forgiveness. Attached closely to God’s pardon is the power to push sin away from us, drawing us closer to our Savior as well as the one we’ve offended by our actions. Couples who know Jesus understand that he forgives them and helps them forgive each other.
In the mutual confession of sin and the comfort of being forgiven, the joy of salvation continually renews the bond between spouses. It’s still never perfect, but it is seeking the perfection that one day will be ours when each of us who is invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb will be finally seated at the heavenly table.
My father-in-law, after 67 years of eating at the same earthly table with his wife, is now enjoying the heavenly marriage supper of the lamb. My mother-in-law is still waiting for that day. All of us, singly or in couples, long for that day, a day made possible by our heavenly bride-groom, Jesus.
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