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Sing a song of celebration, lift up a shout of praise

For the Bridegroom will come the glorious one...

We will dance on the streets that are golden,

The glorious bride and the great Son of man;

From ev’ry tongue and tribe and nation

We’ll join in the song of the Lamb.

   Beholding Glory/Faith Filled Friday 

An account, whether true or not, is told in Streams in the Desert of an old, southern deacon who would always end his prayers with, “Lord, prop us up on every leaning side.” 

When asked why he prayed that way, he answered, “Well, sir, you see, it’s like this…I got an old barn out back. It’s been there a long time; it’s withstood a lot of weather. It’s gone through a lot of storms, and it has stood for many years. 

“It’s still standing, but one day I noticed it was leaning to one side a bit, so I went and got some pine poles and propped it up on its leaning side so it wouldn’t fall. Then, I got to thinking about that and how much I was like that old barn. I’ve been around a long time. I’ve withstood a lot of hard times, and I’m still standing, too, but I find myself leaning to one side from time to time, so I like to ask the Lord to prop us up on our leaning side, ’cause I figure a lot of us get to leaning at times.” 

A lot of us do get to leaning at times. We begin to lean the wrong way, toward depression, discouragement, giving up, anger, unforgiveness, bitterness, addiction, or whatever. 

Solomon tells us where not to lean, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Prov. 3:5-6 NKJV) 

If we lean, let’s lean upon our Beloved as the disciple John did, “Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23 NKJV), and be as the Shulamite, “Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?” (Song 8:5 NKJV) 

Do you have a tendency to lean? Who or what props you up?

 
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♫ On the road again! ♫

Back on the next leg of our journey. Today, we’ll stroll along the path of betrothal and be joined by the ancient bride. We’ll learn how the betrothal of old applies to us today in our earthly marriage and our spiritual marriage.

~Hope you’ve been following along, but, in case you haven’t, please check the end of this post if you’d like to catch up on the previous journey stops.

*The bride of old...

When a young woman went through the process of being betrothed to a young man, she would participate in kiddushin with her husband-to-be. Kiddushin was (and still is) a very serious commitment.

The word kiddushin comes from the same root word as “holy” but has no English word equivalent. This process consecrates a man and woman to each other.

Being bound together by the Law, the couple was referred to as husband and wife, though the marriage covenant forbade them to live together physically. They pledged to remain holy in their covenant relationship, making a strict vow of purity and allegiance to each other.

If the bridegroom found any uncleanness in his bride, according to the Law, he had the option of putting her away, or divorcing her, which required a public performance. Only death or a public document had the power to end betrothal or the marriage itself. The bride or wife could never divorce her husband.

Just what constituted uncleanness sometimes became a matter of debate between the rabbis. Some even considered bad cooking a good reason.

*The bride of today...

How seriously do we take the wedding vows of our earthly marriage covenant? Are they just ceremonial words we stumble over in nervousness? Do we adhere to a holy relationship of strict purity?

According to the vows used in years past, each partner promised to love, honor, and cherish, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, cleaving only to each other, to have and to hold from this day forward, until death parted them. That is covenant language.

Today, it has become all too easy just to toss the marriage certificate of covenant in the garbage, especially for Christians. The divorce rate within the church is a disgraceful witness to the world.

Understandably, under certain conditions, divorce does occur, and although God’s forgiveness covers divorce, it is not His ultimate will for He hates divorce (Mal. 2:16a).

*The spiritual Bride...

Covenant is one of the most significant truths in God’s Word, laying a foundation for establishing our relationship with God as our provider, with Christ as our Bridegroom, with the Holy Spirit as our comforter, with our spouse in marriage, with each other in God’s family, and for understanding Scripture.

As our ancient, betrothed bride and groom were considered as one entity, the same truth exists when believers covenant themselves with Christ, for they become a part “of His body, of His flesh and of His bones,” (Eph. 5:30 NKJV) as a divine oneness.

As Paul said, “This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” (Eph 5:32 NKJV) The mystery, the secret? “And this is the secret: Christ lives in you.” (Col. 1:27b NLT)

Paul wrote to the Corinthians, telling them, “I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God Himself. I promised you as a pure bride to one husband—Christ.” (2 Cor. 11:2 NLT)

In our divine, covenant relationship, we vow to remain pure and holy. We vow to love, honor, and obey. When our Bridegroom finds uncleanness in us, He does not dismiss us with a certificate of divorce. The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin; then, we ask for forgiveness and are cleansed by the shed blood of Jesus, being restored to our state of purity.

Just as our earthly marriage makes no room for any additional partners, so our heavenly espousal allows no desire in our hearts to be a rival for our Bridegroom. A heart yoked together with the Bridegroom in a holy union—one undivided in its affection, giving Him its full allegiance, without infidelity, hypocrisy, or unbelief—is His desire for us, His Bride.

Scripture cautions us, “Shun (keep clear away from, avoid by flight if need be) any sort of idolatry (of loving or venerating anything more than God).” (1 Cor. 10:14 Amp) Anything! If anything is dearer to our hearts than the Lord, then, it is an idol and threatens our relationship with our heavenly Bridegroom.

As has been said, “If He is not the Lord of all, then He is not the Lord at all!” So then, “looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus,” (Heb. 12:2 Amp) we cleave only to the Bridegroom, saying as the Shulamite woman, “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.” (SOS 6:3 NKJV)

We cherish our Bridegroom as our First Love, to have and to hold from this day forward, guarding our covenant of betrothal with Him.

“Come, let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetualcovenant that shall not be forgotten.” (Jer. 50:5b Amp)

So ends today’s journey. Thanks for walking with me. Happy trails!



~If you did not read the reason for this monthly journey, you can read it here and the first step of the journey here. The second leg of the journey is here.

Linking up with...

In ancient times, when a Persian king wanted to bestow a special honor on one of his citizens, he granted that person the status of being a companion in his garden, which gave the person the privilege of walking in the garden as a special friend of the king.

In the beginning, God granted man the privilege of being His companion and walking with Him in His indescribably, beautiful paradise garden, which He created for man’s first home. It contained no thorny bushes, no stones of obstruction, no offensive weeds, and no broken stumps. All was perfect for man’s delight...to walk in the garden with his Maker.

When sin entered the garden and broke this companionship, it was necessary to bring man back into fellowship with his Maker. Through the salvation Jesus offered on the cross, man was brought back into perfect union with the Lord.

This is now heaven’s delight. How sweet is that companionship that we can enjoy, walking in an atmosphere of fellowship with our Beloved that can be compared to a garden?

Solomon wrote so intimately about his loving relationship with the Shulamite in the Song of Solomon, which not only represents a husband and wife but also represents the church as the bride and the Lord as our Bridegroom.

The Lord says of us as Solomon said of his precious bride, “You are like a private garden, my treasure, my bride! You are like a spring that no one else can drink from, a fountain of my own.” (SOS 4:12 NLT)

The Shulamite said, “I am my beloved’s (garden) and my beloved is mine!” (SOS 6:3a Amp) She told her beloved, “You are a fountain (springing up) in a garden, a well of living waters, and flowing streams...(You have called me a garden, she said)...blow upon my garden, that its spices may flow out (in abundance for you in whom my soul delights). Let my beloved come into his garden and eat its chicest fruits.” (SOS 4:15-16 Amp)

Songs of the garden have always been in man’s heart. Charles Austin Miles penned a song in 1913 when he wrote the words and music to the beautiful hymn In the Garden. His inspiration for the hymn came after reading the biblical account of Mary Magdalene and the others visiting the tomb of Jesus. He wrote these tender words...

“I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear, falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses

And He walks with me
And He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known.”

I wonder...am I that resplendent garden that my Beloved loves to visit? Am I a lovely, fragrant field, full of sweet-scented blossoms, or am I a patch full of stink-weed?

When I visit my Beloved for companionship in His garden of Easter gladness, my soul thrills in His presence. He walks with me. And He talks with me. And He tells me I am His own. “And the joy we share as we tarry there, None other has ever known.”

May you walk in precious companionship with your Beloved Lord in a special way this Easter season.

As all of you readers are precious to me, this is my New Year’s prayer and blessing for each of you...

I pray health and peace will greet you and your family at every turn of the New Year. May blessings overtake you, as God’s servants Goodness and Mercy pursue you throughout the days to come.

May the Lord’s shadow of forgiveness be thrown over the disappointments and troubles of the year now closed, while His Light is cast as a beacon of guidance to His safe haven of the days yet to be explored.

May you lean more upon your Beloved’s breast to seek His presence, just to be near Him, than to seek His handouts.

May you know the presence of the great Immanuel, God with you, every second of every day.

May the answers to your prayers be swift and understood. May your obedience to the Holy Spirit be greater than the year closing.

May the Lord “make you have a surplus of prosperity” and “open to you His good treasury.” (Deut. 28:11a, 12a Amp) May He “bless you in all the work of your hands.” (Deut. 24:19b Amp)

May His eyes be upon your household from the beginning of the year until the end of the year. And may the sounds of joy fill every room of your house.

May you know your Beloved Lord better at the end of this new year than you did at the end of last year.

Each of you is a special instrument that is being fine-tuned for great service - to play beautiful music for the Master Conductor. You must first learn to be through much practice before you can learn to do that which He strikes at the cords of your heart to do for Him.

He uses only those instruments that are in tune with His great purposes. His harmony is the sweetest when played on the instruments that lay closest to His feet. And I know that you sit adoringly at His precious feet - in true devotion and affection, in true worship and praise. All will be well. He loves you.

“Did I not tell you and promise you that if you would believe and rely on Me, you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:40 Amp)

May you see great glory in your household in the New Year!

From my heart to yours...

photo courtesy Mollivan Jon @flickr
"Who is this coming up from the wilderness,
leaning upon her beloved?”
SOS 8:5 NKJV
Wandering in the wilderness, I languish. I yearn for my Beloved. I suddenly become aware of His tender presence.

He’s there, awaiting my nearness.

I draw close.

He reaches out His nail-scarred hand to greet me, drawing me to Himself. He accepts me, no matter what my mood or attitude.

“Even when walking through the dark valley of death I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me, guarding, guiding all the way.” (Ps. 23:4 TLB)

He is my divine Beloved.

“I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.” (SOS 6:3 NKJV) I lean in, resting my full weight upon Him. I hear His heartbeat. My heart quickens.

He supports all my weight. He lifts the wilderness burden I carry. He brings me up out of Lodebar, that dry, pastureless place of lack and want. “He lets me rest in the meadow grass and leads me beside the quiet streams. He gives me new strength.” (Ps. 23:2-3a TLB)

My heart quickens again. “Joy rises in my heart until I burst out in songs of praise to Him.” (Ps. 28:7 TLB)

*Are you in a wilderness wandering?

*Do you draw close to Him while you are there? “And when you draw close to God, God will draw close to you.” (James 4:8 TLB)

*Do you realize your Beloved is there with you, for you to lean upon? Are you “Leaning back against Jesus” (John 13:25a NIV) as the beloved disciple John did?

*Do you allow Him to carry your burden upon His shoulders? “Give your burdens to the Lord. He will carry them.” (Ps. 55:22 TLB)

*Is He your Beloved? Or does your love for another fill your heart more than your love for Him?

In your wanderings, take the first step to draw close to Him and He will draw close to you. Lean upon your Beloved. He awaits the weight of your burdens.

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28 NKJV)