Wedding season is upon us.  Most people in our culture plan their weddings to happen when it’s warm and sunny—usually in June through August.  Weddings are generally joyous times filled with family and friends.  The time leading up to the wedding date, however, can be full of tension and stress along with the joy and the fun as all the preparations are being made with anticipation.

If we remain aware of it, the same is true of the church.  The church is the bride of Christ. (Jn. 3:29; Eph. 5)  Christ has gone on to prepare a home for His bride.  It is for the bride to maker herself ready for the wedding.  (Rev. 19:7)  Christ also is involved in preparing His bride—that she might be holy and without blemish. (Eph. 5:27) 

I remember the preparations for my wedding.  There seemed to be lots of little things to pull together.  We had fun but at times it all seemed too tedious.  After a few months of being engaged we even spoke of eloping.  We held on though, having the promise of a great day of celebration with family and friends.

The wait can seem long for us also, as the bride of Christ.  We can lose track of the fun and excitement in preparing for the wedding.  We fail to celebrate the joys in the successes in preparing.  We even lose our vision for the wedding.  The New Testament writers knew of this struggle even though within 30-40 years of Christ’s ascension into heaven.

• Hebrews 10:36-37   For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: “For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.”
  
  
• 2 Peter 3:9-13    The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is   longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.  Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?  Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

We need to keep our focus on the goals Jesus left with us.  We are not only preparing ourselves, but we are reaching out to those who need to come into His marriage covenant and be part of the bride.  Do not grow weary in well doing. (Gal. 6:9)  This also applies to us as a local church.  Much is being accomplished in our midst to mature the church and reach the community.  There is also much still to be done.  Do not grow weary.  Keep the vision before you of a preparing a bride for Jesus.  Join in the work both in the natural and in prayer.  Let’s rejoice together in the work.  The day of the wedding is quickly approaching.

Blessings,

Pastor Merril