January 30
“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb, is come,
and his wife hath made herself ready” (Rev. 19:7).
In Revelation 21 the Church is compared to a bride adorned for her husband — a bride
prepared to receive in fullness the love and joy and wisdom of God and the very heart-secrets
of her Lord. When you go to heaven the Lord will share everything with you without any
compulsion, and yet you will be glad to be in subjection to Him throughout eternity.
Now do you understand why your Lord wants you to be His? Now do you understand why He
is calling you, loving you and disciplining you? It is even that He may rejoice over you with
heavenly rejoicing, and that you may have intimacy with God the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Ghost that the angels can never know. It is that you may enjoy the sweetest love through
all eternity — that you may know the great joy of being loved with a heavenly, everlasting
love.
All the heavenly powers are waiting to see God’s glory and beauty in you and God wants you
to be the object of His delight and affection. Will you not allow Him to bring you into that
enjoyment?