Is God’s Bride Ready?

Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Rev. 19:7

Many teachings I’ve heard make it sound like God does not need me at all. What is a marriage without a bride? It says the bride has “made herself” ready. If I don’t have to lift a finger because God has it all under control, and God does not need our hands or our feet, so why even reach out to others or go to church? We are “co-laborers with God” 1 Cor. 3:9 and we are “joint-heirs with Christ.” Romans 8:17

I see my first ministry as a Christian is a king and priest (intercession). That becomes a responsibility to intercede and pray for those in my family, friends (Job prayed for his friends and then God restored him), those I work with, “and” my enemies. Mary’s kingdom are those around her including her Facebook friends. Now, sometimes I sort of let down the prayer chain off in my life. We are to “forgive” when we stand praying. Mark 11:25

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9
And have made us to our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. Rev. 5:10
and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father--to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. Rev. 1:6

I remember when I first married my husband, I had a leading to pray for my husband about his job. As an estimator if his bids were too high than his company could lose the job, but if they bid too low than they could lose their shirt. His land development company had a good reputation but that is a lot of “pressure” on a job. My dad was a general foreman at General Motors and he had that type of pressure too and it gave him ulcers. They have checks and balances and they fired a younger estimator because he made a mistake on a spreadsheet on a bid.

I dropped the ball of prayer for my husband and right before he passed away, he got in trouble for a change order with a difficult client and he got yelled out by his manager. His manager called me up and rather felt guilty after his heart attack for yelling at my husband, but my husband took the scourging very patiently. The Bible talks about taking the beating of our faults patiently.

But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 1 Peter 2:20

I realize in life there are sometimes accidents waiting to happen. It’s if I make a mistake then Satan or his demons through people are ready to pounce on me. David said it was like bees in his life and these bees were compassing around him. But there is another surrounding or compass and it’s God’s love and favor.

They swarmed around me like bees, but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them down. Psalm 118:12

For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield. Psalm 5:12
The wicked have many sorrows, but gracious love surrounds those who trust in the LORD. Psalm 32:10

My daughters when they were teenagers have had car incidents where they just tapped someone’s bumper coming out of a parking lot and so she was going l/2 mile an hour, but then the person claimed they had a neck injury. Those people were quick to get a handout in life and make a mountain out of molehill. Then I’ve met people where no big deal – that scratch does not matter – I’m not going to sue you over a scratch on my bumper.

What I’ve come to realize that if everything depends on my perfectly obeying God’s word than I’m in trouble. I’m also in trouble in meeting a new husband, because I know in being married to a Christian man for almost 15 years how much my husband flubbed up in life. I’m counting on God’s good grace to get me through life when I flub up. I flubbed up in driving too fast when I was excited and did not catch that I was speeding. When I got stopped by the police, they let me go with just a verbal warning, not a written warning. I try to be more cautious when I’m driving, not to speed. I got three verbal warnings in one year.

I realize it’s coming under His power (God’s authority and leadership) in my life and under his word and his voice, and if I am going to be used by God, it’s God’s working that mighty power or his ability through me.

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. Romans 8:11

So as an older believer as far as I became a Christian at 17 years old – this scripture applies to my life:

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 2 Peter 1:10

It’s not being saved by grace and then we stop growing. It says to “let the word” dwell richly in us so if we have to let it than that means at times maybe we don’t let the word of God dwell in us richly.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.. Col 3:16

It sort of reminds me of college where some people never had to study to pass their tests. I remember this one guy who just showed up for the accounting tests, but he must have already knew the material. Well, I had to study and come to class to make A’s.  So unless you are making straight A’s in all the trials in life than maybe we should “study” to show ourselves approved to God to pass the tests of life? We can pray for our lives and family, “Lord lead us not into temptation or testing, deliver us from the evil one.”

Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

Well, maybe there are times in life, I just show up at church sort of like showing up for my college classes, but I need to at least show up.