The Radiant Bride
Like most young girls, I used to love weddings. I liked reading the bridal books and watching movies about getting married and planning for the ceremony. I have seen some really beautiful weddings. I have also seen some weddings with multiple mishaps making them less than beautiful. But, I have never seen an ugly bride. No matter what physical characteristics, handicaps, birthmarks, dress choices, weight, etc. brides are always beautiful. They are always beaming, always radiant.
I began thinking about the radiance of brides and of course my mind jumped to the biblical idea that we are the bride of Christ. I love that illustration and all that goes along with it. I love that while our Bridegroom Jesus is preparing our eternal home for us, we patiently wait here in anticipation, preparing for the "ceremony". Revelation 19:6-9 talks about our wedding to the Lamb. It says that our bridal gown is made up of righteous deeds. I love that. We all know that the love our groom feels for us is not dependent on the beauty of our gown and yet we tried on gown after gown after gown to find the one, the only one, the right one that would take his breath away. I love that when we do good deeds, we are not earning our Groom's love but rather making for ourselves a glorious wedding gown.
Wedding gowns are lovely, but they are not what makes the bride so radiant. As a bride walks down the aisle, dressed in lace and pearls and tulle, she beams with hope and joy. The hope and joy of the bride is what makes her radiant. She is filled with love for her groom and is filled with hopeful anticipation, with magical dreams of their future together. That is why she is radiant.
The dictionary says radiance is "being filled with light" and "emitting light". How wonderful is that? We know that Jesus is the light of the world. He is the light. When we become His bride, we are filled with the Light and begin emitting light---we start shining. And in doing so, we become radiant, filled with hope and joy, ever the radiant bride.
Neva
Psalm 34:5 "Those who look to Him are radiant. . . "
PS. For those who are asking, I have been preparing some lessons for a speaking engagement and have been really focused on them. Once the workshop is over, I will be posting everyday again. Thank you for your encouragement.
Neva
I began thinking about the radiance of brides and of course my mind jumped to the biblical idea that we are the bride of Christ. I love that illustration and all that goes along with it. I love that while our Bridegroom Jesus is preparing our eternal home for us, we patiently wait here in anticipation, preparing for the "ceremony". Revelation 19:6-9 talks about our wedding to the Lamb. It says that our bridal gown is made up of righteous deeds. I love that. We all know that the love our groom feels for us is not dependent on the beauty of our gown and yet we tried on gown after gown after gown to find the one, the only one, the right one that would take his breath away. I love that when we do good deeds, we are not earning our Groom's love but rather making for ourselves a glorious wedding gown.
Wedding gowns are lovely, but they are not what makes the bride so radiant. As a bride walks down the aisle, dressed in lace and pearls and tulle, she beams with hope and joy. The hope and joy of the bride is what makes her radiant. She is filled with love for her groom and is filled with hopeful anticipation, with magical dreams of their future together. That is why she is radiant.
The dictionary says radiance is "being filled with light" and "emitting light". How wonderful is that? We know that Jesus is the light of the world. He is the light. When we become His bride, we are filled with the Light and begin emitting light---we start shining. And in doing so, we become radiant, filled with hope and joy, ever the radiant bride.
Neva
Psalm 34:5 "Those who look to Him are radiant. . . "
PS. For those who are asking, I have been preparing some lessons for a speaking engagement and have been really focused on them. Once the workshop is over, I will be posting everyday again. Thank you for your encouragement.
Neva
posted by Neva | 10:34 AM
6 Comments:
I loved this!!!! I love always being the bride and never the bridesmaid.
Glad to hear you will be posting daily. When is the workshop and where and how much does it cost? I want to come and bring our ladies from church.
Jean
I want to always remember the feeling I felt as a bride. I know Jesus as my bridegroom and am waiting for him to return to take me home.
Radiantely waiting
Lyndsay
Very thought provoking and encouragaing.
Lisa
I am never disappointed when I read your blog. I email the page to everyone in my address book to help them start their day.
Thank you for your efforts to edify the blog world.
Mary
I want to come to the workshop too. Where and when --we all want details. If you speak as well as you write, I know we will be blest.
Yvonne
I think that the hope and joy of being pregnant has more to do with the radiant expecting glow than what is provided by hormones. Once we are married and the kids are born, the new wears off the struggles come and we forget this hope and joy of the unknown that we once had faith in. If we could only remember this expectation during the trying times, then we could regain that first love feeling that we need to sustain us. Ephesus is told in Revelation 2:4, "4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. 5Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place." Remember how Richard applied this not only to our relationship with Christ, but also to our marriages. We have to remember the radiance of Christ in us when we first feel in love with Him. We also have to remember the radiance of that hope and joy - the faith we had because of God's numberous blessings - when we are struggling with our relationships to our spouse and children.
I love you Neva!
Kathy A.
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