Beulah. May be a word you've never heard before, or a word that has no meaning in our English language, or a word that you may not understand, but it is that very word that captivates me this morning. Beulah means 'married'. And the marriage I'm talking about this morniing is a marriage that never fades, a marriage that stands forever and a marriage that is based on the purest Love. You see, last night I was at a church event and at the end, the woman speaking gave an invitation for salvation, she asked if anyone in the room had never received Christ as the their Savior and would like to, to lift up their hand. Then she took it a step further and asked them to come to the altar, a part that is often uncomfortable for those receiving the invitation. She proceeded to tell them to come to the altar because that's how she married her husband, she walked up to an altar and said 'I do' and took on her husbands name. Then she related that to what Jesus wants to do with them right now. He wants to marry them, He wants to be commited, Jesus will never walk away on them, will never separate and will never divorce. He wants to be one with them, just like a husband and wife. He wants to give them His name. Death won't even separate them. She then held out her left hand in a fist to show her wedding ring and she said "this is what Jesus wants, and this is what you get, He's commited to you, He just wants your heart." She ended with "anybody else need to come up here or are you just shacking with Jesus? Cuz Jesus doesn't shack, He wants commitment." I loved the whole message. To me this was the most powerful invitation to salvation I had ever heard. It hit me hard and I wasn't even the one getting saved! It was one of those times that make you fall in love with Jesus all over again! Jesus, the King of kings, the Lord of lords wants to take my hand in marriage. He pursued me, married me and calls me His bride, and He is fully commited to me, never backing out or giving up. He's COMMITED. I love that word because it's used so lightly in our society, people make commitments and break them often. But Jesus...will never break a commitment He makes. And what I love is that He wants me, He sought me out (and you too) and wants to commit to me. To me.... a human that messes up, misses it and makes mistakes. But He's commited. He doesn't see me as the mess up, He sees me as His bride. Powerful. I hope this encourages you as much as it did me. It is the reason for the pep in my step this morning :) Just think about how giddy we get when that someone special texts us or calls us, why? becasue we are excited to hear from them. Well your husband has wrote you a love letter, He has poured His heart out in it and it is for YOU, open up His Word with anticpation and excitement because our someone special has something to say! Let's be giddy about our first Love. Excited...wanting to tell everyone about Him, and that they can have this Love story too. Walk in the light and Truth of who God says you are today, you are Hephzibah (God's delight) and Beulah (married)!
"
You’ll get a brand-new name
straight from the mouth of God.
You’ll be a stunning crown in the palm of God’s hand,
a jeweled gold cup held high in the hand of your God.
No more will anyone call you Rejected,
and your country will no more be called Ruined.
You’ll be called Hephzibah (My Delight),
and your land Beulah (Married),
Because God delights in you
and your land will be like a wedding celebration.
For as a young man marries his virgin bride,
so your builder marries you,
And as a bridegroom is happy in his bride,
so your God is happy with you."
Isaiah 62:2-5
