Married to God Forever

Isaiah 62:4.-5,10-12: "No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called "My Delight is in Her" and you land "Married"; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married. As a young man marries a maiden, so will your Builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you . . . . Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway! Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations. The LORD has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: 'Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.' ' They will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the LORD . . . "

I truly love the imagery in this passage of God (our Bridegroom) loving us and preparing His eternal dwelling place for our arrival; in fact, one can see the excitement and intentionality of God in making ready His home for us. One cannot help but well up with excitement at the thought of God "building up the highways, removing the stones, and raising the banners" for our arrival. God is longing for the day of our redemption, and He is preparing His Home with such incredible beauty that we as His bride will be overwhelmed with His purposefulness at making His dwelling place something spectacular for us. This illustrative declaration reminds the reader of the wedding processions in ancient Israel. The groom would take great pains to prepare his home as a place worthy of his wife; then he would go to the home of the bride to take her to be with him. As the two would make their way back to the husband's home, there would be a great wedding feast to celebrate the union.

This is the way the Lord will welcome us into Heaven. Even now, He is making Heaven ready for the great celebrative feast when He returns with those of us who have betrothed ourselves to Him as Lord. As we pass through the gates and walk the streets, we will be honored at the purposefulness and intentionality of Our Lord in making ready His home for us. His heavenly entourage will line the streets to celebrate the arrival of His bride, redeemed and purified through the Groom's own death and resurrection! And as we approach His glorious throne, He will rename us with the name "My (God's) Delight is in Her." This name will be given to us, for He will lavish us with His delight . . . and we will be in awe at the experience.

And as we stand speechless at the breathtaking beauty of our new Home, we will hear Him call it "Married." It will be a reminder that for all eternity, He is faithfully committed to us as our Husband and His home will always be our home. We will not be an afterthought of the Lord; nor will we be shuffled off to some remote corner in Heaven. Instead, we will be His celebration, His Delight, and His joy. What a Blessing! What a Privilege! What Amazing Love!