What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?

What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?
Remember: "When God closes a door, He always opens a window!" You never know what might be out there waiting for you!

Friday, September 30, 2016

The Bridegroom Is Coming

The Bridegroom Is Coming



"The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech,
and night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language 
where their voice is not heard.
Their line has gone out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.

In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,
which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
and rejoices like a strong man to run its race.
Its rising is from one end of heaven,
and its circuit to the other end;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat."
Psalm 19:1-6

As we journeyed down the road this morning on our weekly trek to pick up my 93 year old mother-in-law for the weekend, we were greeted by these magnificent sunrays piercing through the rain clouds to brighten the morning sky and enlighten our path. (Photo taken through the car window!)

When I read the verses above, especially the one saying that the sun is "like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoices like a strong man to run its race"... I can't help but smile at the imagery that invokes in my mind.  Beyond the earthly bridegroom, who certainly would be exuberant in his awakening the morning after his wedding night...but think about our bridegroom...Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God...when He breaks forth through the clouds to claim His bride...the Church:

"Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven,
and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, 
and they will see
the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven 
with power and great glory.
And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet,
and they will gather together His elect from the four winds,
from one end of heaven to the other."
Matthew 24:30-31

"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, 
with the voice of an archangel,
and with the trumpet of God.
And the dead in Christ will rise first.

Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
And thus we shall always be with the Lord."
I Thessalonians 4:16-17

Then the scene shifts to heaven, and even though I may not have the order of this progression correct, these are events that are yet to come...

"Then a voice came from the throne saying,
'Praise our God, all you His servants and those 
who fear Him, both small and great!'
And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude,
as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings,
saying,
"Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!"

"Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and His wife has made herself ready."

And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen,
clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
Then he said to me,
"Write: Blessed are those who are called to the 
marriage supper of the Lamb!"
And he said to me, 
"These are the true sayings of God."

Revelation 19:5-9

The final words of the book of Revelation, and of the Bible itself say:

"He who testifies to these things says,
"Surely I am coming quickly."
Amen, Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. 
Amen.
Revelation 22:20-21

Isn't it amazing how God speaks to us through His sunbeams breaking through the clouds on a drizzly morning as we journey down the road?  I wonder how often He has been trying to get our attention at other times and we just weren't paying attention?  Makes you want to sit up and take notice, doesn't it? Also makes me want to be sure that I am ready to go at a moment's notice....how about you?


16 comments:

  1. "pick up my 93 year old mother-in-law for the weekend"

    This is a blessing, to you and to her, to be loved like that.

    I love how all of this concludes with "grace be with you."

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    1. Thank you Sandi. We share my MIL with my brother in law and family...they have her during the week, and we have her Fri-Mon. She has dementia, but is otherwise in remarkable condition for her age. We are blessed to still have her with us, even tho at times it can be VERY challenging. But gives more grace...so yes, I, too, appreciate the final words, "the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you." He does do that for us. Thank you for visiting.

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  2. Reading the scriptures about Jesus' return gives me happy goose bumps. I love looking up at the heavens and thinking about seeing Him burst through the clouds. What a wonderful day that will be!

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    1. Oh yes!!! "What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see...and I look upon His face, the One who saved me by His grace..." What a day, glorious day, that will be! Amen!!!!!

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  3. Pamela, what a fantastic photo!!! The Scripture you chose, too, was perfect for this reflection on Jesus being the bridegroom returning for His bride, the church. Thank you for blessing us with this today.
    And bless you for the joy you must give your precious mother-in-law!

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    1. Thank you Martha! God has ways of showing us He is thinking about us all the time...we just need to pay attention to the "signs"...I think that is why I love to watch the sky/clouds so much...since that is where we will see Christ return for us someday. And yes, we are blessed to have my MIL here with us. She has dementia, but lately seems to be more like her "old self", which is a wonderful thing. The Lord gives us His grace every day.

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  4. Paying attention is probably the hardest thing to do in our noisy lives these days. That photo is just amazing and your scripture accents perfect. Thank you!!

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    1. Yes, there is much too much "noise" in our lives these days. That is why I try so hard to "Be still and know that I am God" as often as possible. I love how He sends us His blessings even through the clouds in the sky...so marvelous! Thank you for appreciating this blessing with me today.

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  5. Amen! I was reading some of these same verses this morning. I hope you have a wonderful weekend visit with your sweet Mother in law.

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    1. Thank you Karen. I believe the Lord's return is very soon, and therefore my eyes often watch the sky with joyful expectation. But in the meantime, we do what we must do, and caring for and enjoying my MIL is one of those blessings.

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  6. Always listening for the trumpet of God! Hallelujah!

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    1. Oh, I know! Me too! "I can hear the trumpet sounding... and the choir sings hallelujah as the King comes through the gate...Oh the King is coming!" "Praise God, He's coming for me!"

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  7. I've been watching the sky a lot lately too. What a joy that will be the day He comes to take us with Him!

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    1. Oh Yes!!! I believe all serious Christians have their eyes on the sky. "Even so, come Lord Jesus!" Amen!

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  8. Beautiful post! I love that photo. How awesome is that?! Your post today reminded me of the movie I saw last night about "Hillsong", the worship band from Sydney, Australia. It was subtitled "Let Hope Arise". Your post fits right into that today. Have a blessed rest of your week.

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  9. This is awesome!!! Come soon, Lord Jesus!

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