This is #7 in a series of meditations on the “bride of Christ”, taken from my handwritten journal, dated January 26th 2025.
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.
Isaiah 61:10
Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.
For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.
Isaiah 62:4-5 KJV
Hephzibah: my delight is in her
Beulah, also v4: to marry, rule over, possess, implies covenantal relationship.
[I highly recommend reading Isaiah 61 & 62 in their entirety.]
Me: Good afternoon, Father!
Abba: Good afternoon, Jon!
Me: How often Your word links salvation to the bride adorning herself for the bridegroom!
Abba: The bride’s heart is to appear her most “presentable” for her intended. She hopes for his delight. And indeed, his pleasure is in her.
Note from whence she has come. From the place where her names were Forsaken and Desolate, to rejoicing and joined by covenant to the One of her desire.
The bride’s adornment is a picture of the transformation effected by My clothing you with salvation and allowing you to put on My righteousness as a robe.
Me: Thank You, Father! I love You!
Abba: You are welcome! I love you!
Missionary Sojourn 
Such a beautiful word picture, thank you Jon!
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The Good News would seem too good to be true if we weren’t already experiencing it in daily life. All His excellent blessings to you Lisa! -Jon
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Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me?
I still have trouble wrapping my head around an infinite God thinking that I, an opposer to Him, am still worth loving and dying for. And yes, that’s part of the mystery, and part of the need for faith. Doesn’t make sense on paper, don’t think it’s supposed to. And when I want to go back and tell Adam and Eve to just trust Him, I’m talking to myself.
thanks for a thought-provoking post.
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I sure do appreciate you reading with your heart open before God. That is, from my perspective, a sure marker of the redemptive power of the cross at work.
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