Devotionals for the Heart: The Church is the Beloved Bride of Jesus Christ

Jesus, Lover of My Soul
A devotional by Joy Beless

“You have captured my heart, my treasure, my bride. You hold it hostage with one glance of your eyes, with a single jewel of your necklace. Your love delights me, my treasure, my bride. Your love is better than wine, your perfume more fragrant than spices.”

—Song of Solomon 4:9-10 NLT

By now, the flowers received on Valentine’s Day are wilted and the chocolates swiftly consumed. Our culture has moved on to the next news bite. Thankfully God does not.

We are “in love” with being “in love”. Rom–coms, Contemporary Romance novels, Hallmark Channel movies, poetry and love songs describe the high and low emotions of being in love. I still enjoy a good love story and if there are happy tears in the end, even more so! However, as we journey through life, we can become jaded. Our personal stories, at times, do not reflect the too-good-to-be-true stories we binge watch on a cold evening.

I remember as a young adult, the impossible expectations I placed on my husband. We were two fallible people who made a covenant commitment to seek God and cherish each other through our marriage for better or for worse. I remember a newly married friend telling me, “It is better than you think and worse than you think.” So very true. And yet, God uses this metaphor to describe his relationship with us—a love so deep and intimate, words seem inadequate to encapsulate. We are God’s beloved Bride.

Somewhere in the messiness of life, feeling overwhelmed with responsibility, physically drained and depleted, I take great comfort in knowing Jesus Christ as the “Lover of My Soul”. In those times, I am anything but lovable to those around me. I feel isolated and functioning on autopilot. I begin to realize that God, in His infinite knowing “all there is to know” about me, intimately loves me. There is no performance requirement. Nothing to check off the list to earn this love.

God pursues me when I’m not worthy. It is a “knowing” deep in the human soul. A pouring out of all God’s goodness, acceptance and unconditional love, in spite of feeling “wretched” and unworthy. In essence, it is a lifebuoy ring that one can quickly grasp ahold of and clench to their chest—never to let go because it saves them from sinking into the depths of the ocean and drowning. Just like Jesus Christ is our lifeline. He can save us! As I enter my second half of life, I can testify that once you know this transcendental love of God that is so unlike our worldly ways of being in love because you never fall “in” or “out” of it.

To describe God’s love for us as “intimate” infers that it is mutual and goes both ways. It is an honest, personal and confidential relationship whose deepest love is steadfast and faithful (Jeremiah 31:3). God pursues each one of us and calls us by name (Isaiah 43:1). He created and knew us before we were born (Psalm 139:13). Ponder this truth. Do you believe and accept this? Not for someone else but for yourself? You can trust God with not only your words, but all of your emotions. Your heartaches, rejections, loneliness and questions can all be expressed to Jesus, the Lover of Your Soul. In return is a deep-seated, devoted, eternal relationship that is the rock of not only your salvation, but also as a cherished Bride of Jesus.

Let’s read about how Jesus sees the Church as His Bride. Song of Solomon 4:1 (NASB) says, “How beautiful you are, my darling, How beautiful you are!” In the same way we feel euphoric after reading a love letter, we also desire to respond to God’s unrelenting love for us. Lingering in this quiet sacred moment is transformative. Excitedly, we often have a need to “do” something. We want to share this feeling and truth we are basking in.

In the New Testament, Paul gives us a detailed response. Colossians 3:12-14 (NASB) reads, “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so must you do also. In addition to all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.”

Knowing and feeling secure in God’s intimate love, we can love others with the same love as described above. Beginning with our inner circle of family and closest friends and moving outward to those we meet throughout the day. Can you see the vision God has for us as the dearly beloved Church? The impact on our homes, workplaces, communities and nations would be radical and life-altering. But it begins within us accepting and receiving this intimate proposal to see ourselves as the beloved Bride of Christ.

In contrast, as we sweep away the wilted flower petals and the empty chocolate wrappers, we are reminded of a love that is unending, eternal. I can’t help but linger and contemplate God’s love for me and for you. God’s love for us is steadfast and intimate, unconditional and pure and it never runs out!

Let’s Pray:
Jesus, the Lover of my soul, thank You for never stopping, never abandoning and always whispering your love for me in big and small ways. Help me to live out of this deep well of love that overflows to others around me. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection #1: “Jesus Lover Of My Soul” by Hillsong Worship. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #2: “Lifeline” by Mandisa. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Joy Beless is a worshipper of God and lover of people. 

A practicing Spiritual Director, she is a speaker for retreats and conferences and facilitates guided solitude retreats at the family ranch in North Texas.

A seasoned worship leader and songwriter, she frequently weaves worship, God’s Word and spiritual practices together. She is a chapel provider for a shelter for the houseless and a certified Grief and Trauma Healing Facilitator. Serving at global retreats for Kingdom-minded women delights her soul.

She has written for Global Trellis and Missio Nexus. She connects God’s Word with the reality of our daily in all the ups and downs.

Joy is married to Roger. They live in Coppell (Texas). Joy is called "JoJo" by her nine adorable grandchildren. She enjoys the outdoors and encourages flowers to grow in the Texas heat.

~*~
Connect with Joy:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joy.beless
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joy.beless/
Website: www.joybeless.org