The Bride

I woke up at 3:00 a.m. this morning with words in my mind, a "picture", & a STRONG impression that this is my answer to prayer about what to write in this space. I was so excited, I wanted to get out of bed, but I didn't because today is New Year's eve & I want to stay up a bit tonight with company. I will tell you that I was MOST EXCITED because I felt the Lord had answered my prayer & that was feeling amazing & wonderful to me. I think one of the worst things is unbelief, & Satan is always trying to convince us that God doesn't really love us & forgive us & answer our prayers. I was also humbled because I know I don't deserve any attention from God & it's TOTALLY because of His great mercy & love to me that I have a relationship with Him. Even as I planned to sit & type this, I heard the mocking in my mind..."maybe it really wasn't God speaking to me & most people will think I'm crazy, & maybe I am?... etc., etc...".  I think that was Satan's voice in my mind.                          Here's the thoughts I had at 3:00 a.m. : In Revelation 21, twice (in verses 2&10) God describes the holy city Jerusalem "coming down out of heaven from God".( I had read these verses in my daily Bible reading the morning before, but they hadn't really stood out to me) In fact, all I could clearly remember was this city "coming down out of heaven". Then I pictured a bride in all her flowing apparel...her veil & gown & perhaps her hair & the way she would "flow" when she moved & back to the city of God (which is DESCRIBED IN VERSE 9 as " the bride, the wife of the Lamb") It seemed the heavenly city was "flowing down" sort of as a bride would "flow" in her lovely gown. I remember thinking how amazing that most brides would want to "flow" in their bridely apparel, having no idea that this was a tiny bit similar to the great bride of the Lamb flowing down from heaven. Then I thought as I have many times, how God uses the picture of marriage to describe His relationship with us; the Bride of Christ. The Bible says this is a great mystery.    Now, I am coming back to earth, as my boys want their breakfast!    Love & prayers, in Jesus, Cynthia      P.S. Perhaps I will continue to write later about the parallels between earthly marriage & our relationship with God.