Love you can trust

Attending a wedding is a good reminder for a couple of where it all began. At one particular wedding, I saw a lot of hand-holding and sitting close among the attendees when Jimmy and Tanya got married. Seeing a new couple begin life together does seem to kindle those romantic fires.

That time I had a ringside seat, since I was doing the honors, and marrying the young couple.
It was beautiful and touching. Jimmy's a happy guy, but I saw a glow in those moments that I'd never seen in him before. It's pretty hard to describe. Amazement. Unmistakable, unconcealable, unrestrained affection. I guess I'd call it the "wow!" factor.

It took me back to a prayer I prayed during my wife’s and my wedding many years ago. "Lord, may I never lose that breathless wonder that exclaims, 'Out of all this world, you have chosen me!'" As every married couple knows, it's just all too easy to lose that wonder, isn't it?

But the wonder isn't meant to be just for the wedding. It should be — and can be — for life. Always amazed at the treasure you have in the person who trusted their life into your hands. Asking "the Lord who is acting as the witness between you" as Malachi says, to rekindle the flame (Malachi 2:14). Because as 1 John says, "love comes from God ... God is love" (1 John 4:7-8).

I know what it is to suddenly face the prospect that I might not see my bride alive again. Of course, she went to heaven now several years ago. But there were opportunities again to re-treasure her. Because I almost lost her a couple of times. I so thanked God then that He gave her back to me. He gave me a chance to re-treasure that one-of-a-kind, exceedingly precious gift He entrusted to me. But re-treasuring is a choice that shouldn't require a crisis.

Sometimes marriages — like ships — accumulate barnacles that encumber them: resentment, stuffed anger, wounding words, a heart turned cold or hard. But your lifetime love is too priceless to lose to any of the dark forces that want to steal it away.
The good news is that the Jesus who chose a wedding to do His first miracle is still in the marriage miracle business. The Bible says He "binds up the brokenhearted." He replaces "ashes" with a "crown of beauty" (Isaiah 61:1, 3). He restores "the years that the locusts have eaten" (Joel 2:25). He will "remove from you a heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 36:26). The Bible says He "makes all things new" (Revelation 21:5). Jesus can rekindle love when love has dimmed — with love from His great heart.

As I saw that adoring look on that young groom's face, my mind suddenly was thinking about Jesus. Looking adoringly at what the Bible describes as His "Bride." That's what He has chosen to call those He died for, those who belong to Him through faith in Him.

A word for today from the Word of God explains that we've chosen to give ourselves to Him because He loved us like nobody loves us. 1 John 3:16 says, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us." As hard as it is to imagine, Jesus looks at us sinners and fools and says, "I'd rather die than lose you."

It's a love I couldn't ignore. At a wedding I saw a picture of how He feels about me and all those who are His - unmistakable, unconcealable, unrestrained love. And there was that bride who responds to the love.

I'm overwhelmed. As I talk about this amazing love, I don't want anyone to miss it — including you. As the One who died for you invites you to Him, would you accept that invitation today? Say, "Jesus, I want to belong to You. I'm Yours."

You can make sure you belong to Him at ANewStory.com, and begin to experience the most amazing love in the universe for yourself.
©Ronald P. Hutchcraft 2022