July 16, 2011 – Day of Romance

            Guys, please don’t be scared by this title or the first ¾ of this post… I think you would still benefit to read it the whole thing. If not, I’ll give you the cheat sheet and let you know I acknowledge and address guys at the end.

            Today I woke up and knew I needed some serious R&R with God to get my head back straight. In 2 Corinthians it says, “’My grace is all you need. My power works best in your weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” I told my mom today that I am going to pursue everything that makes me know how much God loves and romances me, but also how much I love and WANT to be Christ’s. Why not try my hardest to seek after and find all the places where He makes me feel strong when/while I am weak?? After all, Christ said his power works BEST in our weakness.

            That being said, I told my mom I would go on a walk, go climbing, sit, stare at the sky, cook, eat, nap, groom the horses, go for a ride by myself, and anything else I could think of or find. I got dressed to go ride, couldn’t find the horses in their small paddock, so I got my Bible, journal, and Jesus Calling when I remembered I hadn’t read my quiet time today. I was going to sit on the front porch but decided I had much better and more beautiful and romantic places to do my quiet time. I came out to h rocks over the dam, sat, and marveled at the land’s beauty for a minute. I asked the Lord if he could lead the horses further down into their paddock to the right of me because I would love this picture that much more. When it didn’t happen, I read my Jesus Calling and the chapters from which the verses came, then skimmed around to read more like I usually do. Psalm 45 and 147 caught my eye, and once I finished thinking about and enjoying and smiling from them, the horses instantly ran through this field to my right and I caught them before they stopped because of the sound of their hooves beating on the ground.

            Psalm 147 is a perfect portrayal of the land here in Zimbabwe (besides the snow), so I just praised the Lord for being so present. The most obviously romantic of the 2 chapters was Psalm 45. It is very rightfully deemed a love song, and here are some of the verses:

            “Listen to me, O royal daughter; take heart to what I say. Forget your people and your family far away. For your royal husband delights in your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord. The princess of Tyre will shower you with gifts. The wealthy will beg your favor. The bride, a princess, looks glorious in her golden down. In her beautiful robes, she is led to the king, accompanied by her bridesmaids. What a joyful and enthusiastic procession as they enter the king’s palace!” - Psalm 45: 10-15

            Taking time to sit and imagine my own personal wedding with Christ, Son of God, my Savior, my Redeemer, my Comforter, my Best Friend, my King… talk about romantic! Sheesh!! There are several accounts in the Bible where we are referred to as the bride of Christ, and in Revelations is says, “’For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself. She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.’ For the find linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people. And the angel said to me: ‘Write this: Blessed are those invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.’ And he added, ‘These are true words that come from God..’” – Rev. 19:7-9

If Christ is the King of all kings and Lord of all lords, then that would make us His Queens one day when He returns, truly making us His Princesses in preparation here on earth! Yowza, that’s cool. Perfect white linen, escorted in to God’s Palace in heaven, accompanied by the very godly women, my bridesmaids, that have stood beside me and encouraged and shaped me into the prepared woman I will be that day, given away to the most perfect man to ever walk on earth that I have sought to live my life for, Christ, as my husband and King, delighted at the sight and knowledge of the beauty of me, His Queen. Perfection.

Women: Dream about this day. Spend time basking in the grace and honor that flows from this future day. Rejoice for the godly women that you know have already been united with Christ in heaven. Feel and KNOW that you are already clothed in the finest, most pure white linen even as you are living as a princess in preparation here on earth. Christ died and rose again so that he could come to life again victorious over sin and death so that He could look upon us as pure, saved, and blameless until we can unite and rule with him in heaven one day. Live in that freedom and grace and in that pure love. My prayer is that you would think to this future day and always know that you are precious, valuable, and extravagantly beautiful in the eyes of your royal husband, and that you would feel overwhelmed with the weight, purity, and value of that love. And if you haven’t already noticed from His night skies, the power in a thunder storm, sound of a mighty waterfall, peaceful serenade from birds in a quiet place, sight of horses running freely through a field, the sight of your handsome man after working hard and feeling strong and proud, or anything that makes your heart skip a beat . . .God has QUITE an eye of beauty. And he sees YOU as delightfully beautiful. Your beauty is woven into your very being as a piece of the heart of God and the beauty He cherishes and wants unleashed. Your breath-taking beauty is a declaration OF His glory and to be used as a vessel FOR His glory. I challenge you to live a life honoring Him for that gift, for He is your Lord.

Men: .If you’re single, seek after a woman who actively, avidly, and whole-heartedly (not perfectly) seeks after her King and first love, Christ, and a life that is honorable to Him. Pursue the woman that sets your heart on fire to become more of a man in the eyes of Christ, not in the eyes of the world. God knows how to romance you, too, guys, so don’t be tempted to seek after lesser beauties than the gold He may have right in front of you. If you’re taken or want to remain single, then praise the Lord when you find women like this, because you know they are first focused on making His Kingdom come. How encouraging! I challenge you to live a life boldly in strength, action, and courage led and inspired by your fantastically unique and wild heart, deeply rooted in the Word of God, for His glory. Live a life in appreciation and inspiration of womanly beauty while pursuing a life and role God has designed specifically for your individual masculine heart. We need you, men, even if you aren’t our own. Stay strong and keep your standards resting in the heavens.