Love Song For a Savior

Read Psalm 45

Psalm 45:10-11 "Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear; forget your people and your father's house, and the king will desire your beauty. Since he is your lord, bow to him."

Weddings are beautiful, and the 17 verses of Psalm 45 are a love song describing a bride gushing over her royal groom. In the New Testament Jesus tells us that a wedding is a time when a man "leaves his father and mother, and cleaves to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. What God has joined together let no one separate."(Matt 19:5) Once the husband and wife say their vows the Lord no longer sees them as two, but as one.

In John 3:29 John the Baptist describes Jesus as the bridegroom who has the bride. Who is his bride? The Church!

I know it is easy to point out the many flaws of the Church. Each new day brings a headline of a fallen church leader. Churches are overseen by fallible people. VERY FALLIBLE PEOPLE!

The Church comes complete with leadership failures, un-Christlike behavior by the people, and enough church hurt to go around for everyone. This has led some to walk away from the bride of Christ and vow to never darken the doors again.

I get it! Not only do I have stories of church "hurts" that have happened to me, but after being in church leadership for 20 years I know that I have been responsible for church hurt happening to others. And THAT breaks my heart.

My only recourse has been to pray to Jesus, "Forgive my trespasses, as I have forgive those who have trespassed against me."

What has been the result for some? They have convinced themselves that a relationship with Christ can be maintained separately from joining the body of Christ in community and worship. They have become lone rangers. But let me say this in the most loving way that I can: The Church is the bride of Christ and he is joined to her, what God has joined together let no one separate.

If someone were to say to me, "Hey Josh, you are welcome in our lives but keep your wife away from us," that would be a deal breaker for me. We are not separate. We're a package deal.

Why have I taken you down this road for the devotion today? Well, Psalm 45 is a beautiful wedding song, and it made me think of how much Jesus loves his bride. And if Jesus loves his bride I want to make every effort to fall in love with who and what he loves.

If you find yourself thinking that this is an impossible task, then I will pray for the Lord to heal your hurt. And I pray the Lord will open your heart to love his bride again. That would be a beautiful Love Song for a Savior.

Josh Huisman is the senior pastor of Crosswalk Church in Brentwood, TN.

If you would like to support this website and make it possible for this page to stay active and these devotions to reach a wider audience, Click Here.