April 28, 2025 - Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭25‬-‭27

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:25-27 ESV

Jesus, thank you so much for the way you love and long for us. We can never thank you enough for coming and giving your life for us. You did that so that we could be washed and sanctified. Just like a bride goes out of her way to look beautiful for her groom on their wedding day, you went above and beyond so that we could be made beautiful and worthy to be your bride. You removed the foulness of our sin and flaws and made us holy and without blemish. The price you paid to make that possible is beyond our comprehension. All you want in return is that your bride loves you in return. All the agony you endured was because you wanted our hearts. Wow. That is hard for us to understand. How is it that the Sovereign God who created everything longs for our love? You could create a creature that is perfect in beauty, perfect in her faithfulness and love for you. Yet, it was humans that you created, and you gave us the freedom to fully love and choose, but that also means we have the freedom to choose sin and selfishness. It means that we often find ourselves unfaithful to you.

Holy Spirit, reveal to us just how much Jesus loves us. Help us learn to return his love. We want to give him the love that he longs for and deserves. He is the most wonderful and loving groom that ever existed, and to be at the center of your affection is such an honor. Help us always keep you at the center of our affection!

In Jesus name, amen.