Whom Shall I Fear?

The morning of our Moms + Kids event God was speaking to me about a lie that I had begun to believe. It was so freeing to see the lie for what it was and yet so maddening at the same time. I had been douped. Instead of a sharing a feel good devo on enduring as a mom and a wife at our play date, God was leading me to share freedom with His bride. 

Doing the Breaking Free study by Beth Moore (it's awesome, pick it up if you haven't yet or do it again--truth is timeless). God uncovered a lie, one that He had freed me from, but I had let it take hold again.

The lie? It's ridiculous. I've even heard it in Christian circles before: I am supposed to have a healthy fear and respect of the devil. 

The truth: the enemy of my soul--who hates me and God, who has no respect for me or my God--the one who only comes to "steal, kill, and destroy" (John 10:10) deserves a healthy fear and respect? ABSOLUTELY NOT!

Where is it written?! The Bible says to "Fear the Lord your God, serve Him only..." (Deut. 6:13). 

It is a sick and twisted lie. Think about an abusive, demented kidnapper who demands respect from those they've taken captive. Our enemy doesn't play fair. He's unmerciful and bent on seeing us fail. Why would I ever have a healthy fear and respect for anyone like that?

"Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me" (Psalm 23:4). He is with us--we do not have to be afraid. I think of the Israelites and the countless times they were outmatched by their enemies. God did not tell them "just have a healthy fear and respect for your enemy" He told them "do not fear, for I am with you" (Isaiah 41:10)! In fact, the only ones who had reason to be afraid were the ones not on God's side!

Read Psalm 3. Be encouraged, be bold. Know God is with you and you have nothing to fear!

Jesus, Our Bridegroom

So with Palm Sunday and Easter approaching I thought it would be good to do a themed devotional for our Moms Night Out meeting. I sat with a book on Jesus, a compilation of various writings about His birth, life, death and resurrection. Lots of great writings and insights from various authors over hundreds of years. But God lead me in a very different direction. 

I put my wedding bands back on after cutting up some raw chicken. 

"...Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the Word and to present her to Himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless." (Ephesians 5:25-27)

Christ, our ultimate Bridegroom. Before we even knew Him or wanted Him, He knew us and wanted us. He wanted us. He pursued us. One of our moms drove this point home last night. It's so true! How can we not help but respond to this kind of love that draws even the hardest of hearts?

"I delight greatly in The Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of His righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." (Isaiah 61:10)

If God would have made us slaves of the King that would've been enough. But we don't have to cower when we come before Him! We deserved death and He gave us life. He clothed us in His own glorious righteousness and made us His bride. He desires more than just our redemption, He desires a relationship built on the intimacy and trust a husband and wife would share.

"As a young man marries a young woman, so will your Builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over His bride, so will your God rejoice over you." (Isaiah 62:5)

"The bride belongs to the bridegroom..." (John 3:29)

Just as a husband and wife would enter a life-long marriage covenant so God desires to establish an everlasting covenant with us. He is excited to share this with us as His beloved! He belongs to us, and we belong to Him. 

Whether we are married in this life or not, Jesus is our ultimate--the perfect Husband who gave His life for His bride. He is the best example for what a godly husband should be. Our earthly husbands will fail us but it was never their place to completely fulfill us the way that our Heavenly Bridegroom can. This certainly doesn't excuse poor behavior on our husband's part but it puts them in the grace-filled realm the rest of us are a part of instead of on a lofty pedestal they were never meant to occupy.

Take time to reflect on the beautiful reality that Jesus is our Bridegroom! He is so much more than Redeemer. He's the Lover of our Souls.