Wedding Gifts

These weekly devotionals I will be posting come from and are copyright to Pam Iannello, my pastor's late wife who went home to be with the Lord on June 18, 2008.


I'm going to be doing the Marriage Series for the next few weeks not only for you, but mainly for myself. I realize that there is so much I need to learn before I am married and that God's not done stitching my inward attire to make me presentable to Matthew. I've been trying to stitch my inward dress myself and I've made a mess of it. I never was good at sewing. But now I'm handing the needle back to God because I know He can take my mess and turn it into something beautiful that will cause Matthew to turn cartwheels.



This devotion is part of the "Planning a Successful Marriage" series.

Picking up where we left off with Psalm 45 and the story of the royal wedding, we begin today with verse 12 by viewing the attitude of the company present at the marriage ceremony….

And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour.

We find among the guests those who strictly cleave to Christ, persons who also love Him in singleness of heart are companions of the bride. They are people who partake of the very same grace, enjoy the same riches in being a child of God, and share in one common salvation. Moreover, everyone will bring sacrificial gifts on that Blessed Wedding Day to lie at the feet of our Savior…

Rather than being dreaded, wedding days are special, sacred events that we should look forward to attending, amen? All you have to do is glance at the countenance of the bride to realize this! How about the "wedding day" we Christians have ahead of us - are you making preparation for the big event, are you excited about it, or dreading the coming of the Groom?? What will your expression be O bride, when the Lord comes - one of gladness or grief? What gifts will you bring to the wedding?

2 Tim. 4:8
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

Psalm 76:11
Vow, and pay unto the Lord your God: let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared.

Yes, a bride should love the appearing of her groom… The thought of being in her beloved's presence and spending endless moments with him should be something the bride longs for with great anticipation; otherwise, why bother getting married?! I wonder though, ladies, how many of us as wives have lost touch with this attitude toward our husbands… How many of us truly love to spend time with the man we married? When you love someone, you watch for that person in delightful anticipation. How many of us look forward to our "grooms" returning home at the end of the work day and thoughtfully prepare for their return? Certainly those of you who have been married for any length of time have learned what your husband's likes and dislikes are. How many of his preferences are you catering to these days, dear bride?? Are you watching the clock as it nears the time of his arrival? Is your home in order when the king arrives? Is it clean and neat? Is there a nice meal and happy family waiting for him, or has he given up hope of receiving such thoughtful gifts at your hand? Are the kids prepared to meet their father properly? Are their rooms picked up, their naps taken, their noses wiped and their minds directed toward their father in respect? That's your responsibility, Mom! Many children never even acknowledge their father's entrance into the home, they just continue to stare at the TV or ignore him altogether when he arrives. Children should be trained to immediately get up from what they are doing and give their father a hug, respectfully acknowledging his presence. Ladies, we need to teach our children to pay proper attention to their father, it will preserve and protect their relationship with him all through the years. It is the very foundation of their relationship with their heavenly Father as well! You see, they'll learn to treat God the very same way they treat Dad....

Deut. 5:16
Honour thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee…

Now how about you, dear wife… Are you prepared to meet your husband in the best frame of mind? How would your spouse describe his "bride" when he arrives home at the end of the day - haggard and indifferent to his entrance or happy and attentive toward him? Perhaps you've become lazy in thoroughly overseeing the affairs of your home. Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference - in all areas of life! Though he may not mention it, your husband can tell the difference as to whether or not you prepared to meet him prior to his arrival. If you've deliberately prepared to meet your groom, the king, there will be an unmistakable difference to you, your children and your home. Even you yourself will sense it! No man wants to come home to a woman who has been munching on the bread of idleness all day…

Proverbs 31:27
She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

So it is with the Lord, too… If we've prepared ourselves spiritually to be ready for Christ's imminent appearing, there should be a noticeable difference to our lives, our attitude, our speech, our conduct, our spirit, our countenance and outward appearance - our whole being! Why? Because we MADE ourselves ready, we worked at it and diligently tended to that which we knew would please Jesus when He arrived!! A woman who looks well to the ways of her household sees to it that all that falls under her influence is properly prepared! My guess is, ladies, that if we're not making ourselves completely ready for the men we are married to, the one our eyes CAN see, I highly doubt we are making ourselves completely ready for the One our eyes have yet to see - the Lord Jesus Christ!

Matthew 25:10-13
And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. After-ward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

In closing, if we love Christ's appearing, we will live in obedience to His will, and do the work He has called us to do. Our daily good works are the presents we bring in honor of our union with the Lord. These works are not performed to gain an invitation to the marriage supper of the Lamb, but they are brought because we have already accepted the invitation and we want to honor the ceremony… Likewise, ladies, if you love your husband's appearing, you will live in submission to his will and happily perform the work you know he would be grateful for and that would wholly honor your union with him. It would be rude to accept a wedding invitation without any intention of bringing gifts! A devoted woman is a ready woman and a royal bride brings a giving heart to the wedding.

God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello
Revised 2003 Meet Ms. Pam

Other Rise and Shine Devotionals
New Beginnings Baptist Church Website