The wealthiest man in the world went in searched for a bride, looking in each town, city and street. He finally came into a certain part of one of the places he looked, there was a woman there that was homeless retched and blind. She had been a whore, murderer and a thief. Now she just sat in the dark corners of the deepest pits in the town. He looked her over, then proclaimed to her that he was choosing her. All throughout the world the news went out that he had chosen a bride. He reached down to her and lifted her into his arms, then took her to his house. She was bathed, given every treatment she needed and her old shabby clothes were exchanged for glorious dresses and exquisite robes. After he eyes had been looked at and tended to, she regained her sight. Her skin began to lose the “dirty look” that it had taken on from all the nights in the streets.
The man brought her before him after all that he had, had been invested in her. She stood before him as a radiant, beautiful bride. He proclaimed to her that all he had was hers, the bank account, the cars, the houses and more. She fell to the floor and wept, being overwhelmed with the changes that were taking place. He went to her and lifted her into his arms, holding her close. She cried and cried and cried, the years of pain and grief she had bore fell to the floor with her tears. All she could do is allow him to pull her in and embrace her, she had no strength left in herself.
When she would walk out into where she used to live, no one dare say she was the same woman that he had chosen. He had to have gotten rid of the woman they knew very well and replaced her. They went to him and asked what had happened to the woman that he had picked to be his wife. He responded that they were correct, he had gotten rid of the woman that they had knew and replaced her with another. The woman that now stood before them was a brand new woman.
When they asked her where she had come from and who she was, she had some remembrance of this other woman and talked briefly of her. But then she went into great detail about who she was. How his fullness of love was what she had become, all that he had was hers. They pleaded with her to tell them from where she had come from. She only responded by telling and showing them all who she had become.
The other woman seemed to have disappeared. Her clothes or her person could not be found. The people thought to themselves, surely she was put away and destroyed once he saw who she was. The new couple would sit together where ever they would go and look on each other with such love with knowing smiles of what had really been and what now was. The people would look on in amazement when the would see small glimpses of that same woman in her, but none dare say that she was not changed and made new in every way possible.
She thought to herself often about the love and undeserved favor that she had received from her husband. The woman would only smile with such a smile of that of a child that was embraced after having been lost in a cold forest over night, to have been found , warmed, fed and wrapped up in a warm blanket. Her countenance was that of a beloved bride and not of a murderous, retched whore. The woman’s hands had even lost their dingy, calloused texture. They had now become the hands of a queen, soft tender and manicured to perfection. He would hold those hands often while watching each sundown and look over her with such affection, it would warm the hearts of all who were near. Now he would ever so rarely think on her as who he had found, but more so as who was before him. This love that they had was pure and right in every way, there was no flaw in either one as they lived their lives as one.
This woman’s reality became every other girl’s longing. From the houses in the best neighborhoods, into the darkest corners of the streets from where she had come, they all talked (and dreamed) of how they would one day receive the same treatment from their husband. It was a perfect picture of love and grace. No one could say that it was not a marriage “made in heaven”, it was what some would call perfect.
The best news about this story is that in the end all the hoping and fantasizing that all would have such fortune, was realized and found to be obtainable through Christ. Has he not come to you in such a fashion as described above? If the one you responded to has not done all that was listed, you have responded to the love of another, not the pure love described hence. If we remain as we were, we have not been brought into all that he has, is and will be. We did not go to him as we declared to all, that we had. We do not sit with him and attract the admiration of all as the woman above did. We even declare that we are retched, blind and lost, but one day our “prince” will come, while in truth we have missed the meaning, purpose and plan of the original invitation. It is to come away now and become all that his wealth, love and ability can transform us into. We are to become the radiance of his glory and walk through this “old neighborhood” of ours and glow with splendor, because of who we have become.
Now who in their right mind does not want this? Which of us that has truly received all this listed here for us now does not want to fall deeper into the “fairytale” world? I personally am done talking and even being who I once was. We need to lose ourselves in the truth of the gospel and stop talking about that it will be a one day thing, it is for today and a present reality that is available to all. Let us freshly look at the invitation that is being offered us, let us not lie to ourselves and say we have went away with “this man” if yet we are still blind, retched and lost. Let us cry out to him anew and say wait, do not leave me here, I do want what you have proclaimed, make me new, make me whole, clean me Jesus. I want to be who your love makes me into. No more me, I want all of you. Then I, we and you can rest in him and be all that we were meant to be with him.
Make this your reality and fall in love afresh with God today, for Jesus is the invitation to the world above, no longer go, speak of or be what was, only that which is and will be.
God bless you today as you live this life.
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