In

many weddings, as the groom waits joyfully, the bride, beautifully

dressed in her wedding gown, is led down the aisle by her father.

The

“bride and groom” theme resonates in human society as a picture

of mutual delight, commitment, and faithfulness. The Bible even uses

this image to describe the relationship between God and his people.

Isaiah 62:4-5 tells us, for example, “The Lord will take delight in

you, and your land will be married. As a . . . bridegroom

rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.”

The

New Testament speaks often about the church as the bride of Christ.

And in Revelation 21 we see a picture of the New Jerusalem,

representing God’s people and the dwelling place of God, “prepared

as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.” In the new heaven

and earth described here, all of God’s promises will be fulfilled,

and we’ll be able to delight in full life with God forever.

In

the meantime, we may feel unworthy of God’s love, knowing we are

sinners. Or, perhaps for some of us, the ideals of joy and delight in

marriage may not be a reality. Even in times of doubt and struggle,

though, God himself is with us.

Hold

on to Jesus in faith; he is watching over and holding on to you. He

loves you and wants you to flourish and enjoy life to the full!