Tuesday October 7, 2025 - Bridegroom, Husband

 Chapter 19: Bridegroom, Husband Day 3

Praying the Name: 

Revelation 19:6-9 - And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the[a] Lord God Omnipotent reigns! 7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”

Father, 

    I praise You for Your enduring love that lasts forever and stands with us no matter what we are going through, we know that one day we will be with You and hold onto You and Your life for us in heaven, then the new heaven and new earth. I praise You for the love that You give us daily. 

    Thank You for loving us with intimate love. That we are Your love and that we can learn to love from You. We need to stand in that love and share with others so they can experience love that only You can give. 

    Father I ask for forgiveness for any distrust I have in You and that I do not understand Your ways help me to accept them and know that You know what is best for us. We need to accept Your forgiveness and live in Your will for us. 

    Please help me to see Your faithfulness in life and that we always look to You for that faithfulness knowing we can trust You with our lives. 

    Thank You for answering prayers, 

In Jesus Name, 

    Amen 

     I sometimes wonder why I am so easily frustrated, so quick to complain, my computer breaks down, my call is routed to the wrong person, my car will not start, admittedly these are petty annoyances, but they feel so constant, like a stone in my shoe that I cannot shake out. I tell myself my outside response to such things is not nearly a symptom of maturity, but a sign that I may be suffering from a hidden condition. I call it the paradise lost syndrome.  You will not find it listed in a medical dictionary, but that does not mean that it does not exist. Let me explain:

    You may have heard something called phantom limb syndrome a condition in which a person may feel a limb that is not present. Maybe paradise lost syndrome works in a similar way. But rather than experiencing a sensation in a body part we no longer have, we experience sensation in a state of being we no longer possess. 

    My theory is this: that whether or not we know it, each of us has some primeval memory of paradise, we have an instinct that tells us that we belong there and when that instinct is thwarted as it always is we feel frustrated, cheated, and disappointed, everyday life contradicts our secret or not so secret belief that we are meant to live as the fairy tales tell us, happily ever after. Happily ever after often involves our longing for the perfect relationship one guaranteed to make us happy. 

    Our instinct for paradise will serve us well as it leads to the realization that our true happiness lies neither in perfect circumstances nor in finding the perfect relationship here on earth instead it lies in restoring the most important relationship we will ever have one fractured in Eden and one whose brokenness has spread to every other relationship in our lives. Over and over the Hebrew scriptures present Israels relationship with God in the most intimate terms possible He is not just maker and Lord but also Israels husband but it also describes this as a troubled marriage because even though Go is a perfect lover His people are not. Instead, they are broken, infected by sin, unable to trust, seduced by other gods, but still the Lord persists in loving them. Intent on restoring the relationship He sends prophets to call them back and troubles to bring them home. But nothing works for long so in a final act of mercy, He sends His own Son. This is why the Bible is best understood nether as a book of rules, nor as a compendium of wisdom, but as a love story prolonged and painful but one that ends in a tremendous joy with the greatest of all celebration, the wedding feast of the lamb. 

    This is also why the New Testament reveals Jesus as the bridegroom, whom the church awaits longing. He is the promise we await for, the purpose for what we are made, He is the one that is able to deal with our brokenness,  to heal our sins, and to woe us back to Himself with His powerful, self-sacrificing love. He is the paradise that we seek. 

    Today as you suffer life's small indignities do not allow them to become a source of continues frustration, instead, let them remind you of your longing of something more ask the Lord to help you turn your frustration into occasions for praise as you express your desire to take part one day in the greatest of all celebrations, the wedding feast of the lamb, and His bride the church