Betrothed to Jesus

Dear beloved: Take joy in the fact that you are betrothed to Jesus Christ, the King of Kings! He tells us in John 14:1" Let not your heart be troubled, believe in God, believe also in Me. v2 In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. v3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. v4 and you know the way where I am going." Beloved, Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us, our eternal dwelling place where we will reside with Him and the Father for all eternity, and when the place is ready and the Father is ready for us, He will come back to get us and take us to our new eternal home.

When a man becomes serious about a commitment to a woman, it is common for the man to shower the lady with gifts, culminating in the offering of a ring to seal the promise to marriage. In many cultures it is also customary for the man to pay a dowry to the family of the bride to compensate the family for the loss of their daughter. When Jacob wanted Rachel for his wife, he made a contract with Laban, her father, to work for him for 7 years to pay for the hand of his bride. Gen. 29:18 Now Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, "I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel." v19 and Laban said," It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to another man; stay with me."v20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her.

Jesus has served the Father for the right to have us in marriage, the marriage supper of the Lamb, Revelation 19:7 "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready." v8 And it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. v9 and he said to me, "Write, blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." And he said to me,"These are true words of God." Paul goes on to tell us about our betrothing in Ephesians 1:13 in Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, v14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own posession, to the praise of His glory. The Holy Spirit has been given to us as a down payment or pledge of our inheritance yet to come, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit are the gifts that have been showered upon us to remind us of our bridegroom, Jesus, who will come back to sweep us away just as He promised.

Beloved, think back to your first love, did you earnestly desire roses, chocolates, a Valentine, dinners out on the town, and eventually an engagement ring and promises for the future? So then and even more so does our Heavenly Father want us to earnestly desire the gifts that Jesus has given to us through the Holy Spirit to keep us until His return. 1 Corinthians 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts brethren, I do not want you to be unaware, v4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit, v5 and there are varieties of ministries, but the same Lord, v6 and there are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. v7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. So brethren, earnestly desire and expect that God will give you what you ask for. Matthew 7:7 Ask and it shall be given to you, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened. v8 for everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened. Tomorrow we will take a closer look at the gifts. God bless you this day as you ask, seek, and knock, in Christ, Jim