A Lenten Reflection
The Tender Love of God
"Let us be glad and rejoice and honor Him. For the
time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb,
and His bride has prepared herself." Rev. 19:7
We cannot fully fathom the deep, abiding, wild love God has chosen to bestow upon us; that from and for all eternity, Christ has chosen to view us as His bride, precious and beloved. He woos us, cherishes us, guides us, with a tenderness unmatched in all of creation.
"Jesus sustains no relation to His Church more
expressive than this.... He asked her at the hands of her
Father, and the Father gave her to Him. He entered
into a covenant that she should be His. The conditions
of that covenant were great, but not too great for His
love to undertake. They were that He should . . . .
assume her nature,
discharge her legal obligations,
endure her punishment,
repair her ruin, and
bring her to glory!
He undertook all, and He accomplished
all—because He loved her!
The love of Jesus to His Church, is the
love of the most tender husband. It is . . .
single,
constant,
affectionate,
matchless,
wonderful.
Jesus . . . .
sympathizes with her,
nourishes her,
provides for her,
clothes her,
watches over her, and
indulges her with the most intimate
and endearing communion."
--Octavius Winslow from "Evening Thoughts"
In this season of the church year, in such solemnity, we see the price Christ undertook for His Bride. As He walked towards Jerusalem, as He entered to Hosannas, dined with His beloved Disciples. prayed with passion in the Garden, stood quiet as a lamb in the trial and endured the torture, nails and rough cross....He proved His love, again and again. He saw that we, frail and weak, could not pay our fines for our many sins, and so met our obligations for us.
He could not bear to lose us, so He sacrificed Himself to assure our safety and well being. His love, so faithful and firm, unwavering and focused, envelopes up and urges us to come ever closer to the Bridegroom who has lavished such love upon us.
Shall we not fall ever deeper into love with Him? Shall we not lead where He so carefully guides? He goes before us, to make clear our way and prepare a table for us, so that all of our most crucial needs are met. He leaves us lacking nothing, for in Him is everything. And He has given all of Himself for us, held nothing back.
In this season of Lent, He calls us to a closer embrace with Him. He knows of our struggles, our sins and our failures....He will embrace us even with them; taking the burden off of us if only we will surrender what our fragile shoulders cannot bear. He desires that eternal union, where He who delights to love and show mercy will have us with Him forever. If we will but answer Him and be His!
He calls to us, "Beloved, here am I..."
How can one resist such love?
On towards the Cross,
-Beth Haynes Butler
The Tender Love of God
"Let us be glad and rejoice and honor Him. For the
time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb,
and His bride has prepared herself." Rev. 19:7
We cannot fully fathom the deep, abiding, wild love God has chosen to bestow upon us; that from and for all eternity, Christ has chosen to view us as His bride, precious and beloved. He woos us, cherishes us, guides us, with a tenderness unmatched in all of creation.
"Jesus sustains no relation to His Church more
expressive than this.... He asked her at the hands of her
Father, and the Father gave her to Him. He entered
into a covenant that she should be His. The conditions
of that covenant were great, but not too great for His
love to undertake. They were that He should . . . .
assume her nature,
discharge her legal obligations,
endure her punishment,
repair her ruin, and
bring her to glory!
He undertook all, and He accomplished
all—because He loved her!
The love of Jesus to His Church, is the
love of the most tender husband. It is . . .
single,
constant,
affectionate,
matchless,
wonderful.
Jesus . . . .
sympathizes with her,
nourishes her,
provides for her,
clothes her,
watches over her, and
indulges her with the most intimate
and endearing communion."
--Octavius Winslow from "Evening Thoughts"
In this season of the church year, in such solemnity, we see the price Christ undertook for His Bride. As He walked towards Jerusalem, as He entered to Hosannas, dined with His beloved Disciples. prayed with passion in the Garden, stood quiet as a lamb in the trial and endured the torture, nails and rough cross....He proved His love, again and again. He saw that we, frail and weak, could not pay our fines for our many sins, and so met our obligations for us.
He could not bear to lose us, so He sacrificed Himself to assure our safety and well being. His love, so faithful and firm, unwavering and focused, envelopes up and urges us to come ever closer to the Bridegroom who has lavished such love upon us.
Shall we not fall ever deeper into love with Him? Shall we not lead where He so carefully guides? He goes before us, to make clear our way and prepare a table for us, so that all of our most crucial needs are met. He leaves us lacking nothing, for in Him is everything. And He has given all of Himself for us, held nothing back.
In this season of Lent, He calls us to a closer embrace with Him. He knows of our struggles, our sins and our failures....He will embrace us even with them; taking the burden off of us if only we will surrender what our fragile shoulders cannot bear. He desires that eternal union, where He who delights to love and show mercy will have us with Him forever. If we will but answer Him and be His!
He calls to us, "Beloved, here am I..."
How can one resist such love?
On towards the Cross,
-Beth Haynes Butler
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