I said yes!

As my middle daughter prepares to be a flower girl in a friend’s upcoming wedding, it gets me thinking about marriage all over again. I fully realize that to some that word stirs up much different emotion than it does in me. Yet for those individuals, I’m not talking about the painful journey of what it became, but rather the joyous journey of what it should have been.

Reading through Hosea with my wife, it occurred to me how God has always been calling His bride; us. As Israel (His bride) continued to prostitute itself to Baal through sacrificing human life, cult prostitution, divided devotion, and other garbage, God continued to beckon her. What I found touching when reading is that while God certainly uses the idea of us being His people, and Him being our God; He reminded us in Hosea that He’s not just our God, He’s our husband.

“And in that day, declares the Lord, you will call me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal.’” (Hosea 2:16 ESV)

God isn’t saying here that no longer will you worship Baal, but you will worship me. This wording and comparison here isn’t a God vs. god comparison; it’s a god vs. Husband comparison he expresses; yet again we see relationship.

God has always been, and continues to be, in search of His bride.

The question that I asked myself after this was simple; am I giving God the attention, love, and devotion that a bride would give her husband?

Please put jesting aside regarding the obvious retort to this, but do I look at God with the same level of love, devotion, and attention that I give my wife? When I remember the feeling of taking my wife’s hand for the first time, does it remind me of how I hold His hand? While my relationship with my wife has matured, it has only gotten deeper. Can I say the same for my relationship with my God?

I know it’s not manly to think of myself as a bride, but this isn’t a male female issue, it’s a relationship issue. The God of the universe wants to be in union with me. When I asked my wife to marry me, she didn’t come with a dowry filled with worldly riches, but she did come with a heart that loved me back. This marriage however does come with a dowry; it’s filled with things like eternal salvation and a chance to live a life full of lasting joy and impact.

The proposal was made. What did I say?

Yes!

You?