Bride Day 8 The Groom and His Bride

Hosea 4 
Genesis 3:1-13 
Ecclesiastes 3:9-15 
Colossians 1:15-20 

She was riveting. 

Bride, Day 8

The heady fragrance of fresh flowers filled the air, sweet strains from the grand piano echoed through the church, guests beamed, catching tears in their throats as their eyes took her in.  
The Bride.  
 
As beautiful as the scene before her was, she had eyes only for one, her groom.  
Long awaited.  
Greatly anticipated.  
The wedding day.  
 
The anticipation had filled their hearts with an ache of longing.  
The looks they’d exchanged were like tasting honey, awaiting the fullness of bliss to come. 
He was her champion.  
She was his bride.  
 
Happily ever after was always the intent.  
But one day, the grass appeared greener on the other side.  
Maybe it was…. 
What if I’m missing out? 
What if my marriage is holding me back from achieving more? 
Maybe he doesn’t really love me like he claims.  
My feelings have changed. 
What if he is hiding something? 
And she turned her eyes away from his.  
 
Just a little at first.
Who could blame her for flirting back just a little?
He was pretty attractive.  
He was so nice. The feelings in her heart felt different, exciting, her breath caught in her throat in a different way.
I wonder… What if…. 
 
And His heart broke,  
But He still called her Bride.  
 
The dreams they’d shared…they began to fade.  
But the love He had for her remained.  
 
She was caught up in it, the greener grass becoming increasingly intoxicating, taking her farther than she dared. It was becoming too late, she couldn’t go back, maybe she didn’t even want to. Her old life seemingly a shadow compared to the thrill of new misters. Why keep it to one? There was so much to explore!
New excitement at every opportunity for this new love.  
 
You have betrayed me, my Bride, my Beloved, my chosen one.  
His voice chased her down. 
You’ve been unfaithful, abandoned our love, refused to know me intimately.  
You’ve wreaked havoc in our marriage, you’ve broken down our relationship, and trashed your reputation. This one choice has created a rippling effect.  
Those who looked up to you, don’t anymore.  
Those who saw our marriage as beauty, see ashes.  
No one wins, everyone is broken.  
Most of all you, my precious Bride, but you don’t even see it.  
 
You think you’re living thrill to thrill, but I know you’re dying inside.  
All of these lovers, I know they are leaving you empty hearted.  
You are being destroyed without our intimacy, because knowing me, and enjoying each other, was always the intention. 
You weren’t made for this.  
Remember, happily ever after was our destination? 
 
You keep on chasing this broken love, glittery on the outside, empty on the inside.  
You’ve taken the glory of our marriage and exchanged it for shame.  
You have left me so you could play the whore, with not just one counterfeit lover,  
but countless ones.  
But still I call you Bride.  
 
Why? 
Love.  
 
Love that knows you will only find fullness with me.  
Because I’m the beginning and the end. (Revelation 22:13) 
Love that knows your life is found when it’s hidden in me.  
Because I hold life together. (Colossians 1:15-20) 
Love that knows happily ever after is not just a dream.  
Because I hold eternity. (Ecclesiastes 3:9-15) 
 
Remember, my Bride… 
Lace. Glowing cheeks. White dress. Dazzling pearls. 
Happily Ever After. 
It’s still our future hope.  
Come home, Beloved.  
 
The heartbreak of God is something we can never fully understand.  
The heartbreak that began in the Garden of Eden and continued right on  
through every story in the Old Testament,  
every law that we have a hard time understanding,  
every miracle of Jesus,  
all of His teachings, and sweeps past His death and resurrection.  
 
His begging pleas to return continue in the voices of Paul, Timothy, Peter, and John in the New Testament as His Church flourished and grew, yet still fought hard against the relentless Enemy.  
 
Every time His Bride chose sin, chose adultery, chose another lover,  
He ached to bring her home.  
If even creation itself longs for the final restoration,  
how much more so the very Being of God Himself?  
 
We often see the brokenness around us and long for it to be made whole.  
We see relationships shattered.  
We see financial strain.  
We see bodies twisted in sickness.  
And we long for healing. We ache for it.  
But we miss the heartbreak of God over our adultery.  
 
Today, let’s decide to see it.  
Let’s ask God to show us His heart.  
Let’s see our sin, our wretchedness.  
Then let’s see the groaning of God as He too waits to bring restoration.  
 
Happily ever after…. It’s still coming!  
Bride dressed in white….She is still on the horizon!  
 
Christ is her champion.  
The Church is His Bride.  
 
And one day, that Wedding Day will be reality.  
The marriage feasting will begin and never end.  
The fullness of a consummate marriage will be everlasting and His Bride will discover beauty, depth, purpose, meaning, satisfaction, and wholeness like she never dreamed possible.  
 
But it starts with opening our eye to our adultery,  
beholding the heartbreak of the Groom who loves us,  
and choosing to return to His embrace.  
 
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