The Bride of Christ

When I was a little girl I was fascinated by a certain book I had called, The Princess and The Pea by Hans Christian Andersen.

The story goes that a prince was longing to find a bride but all of the women he'd met before who claimed to be princesses turned out to be fake. None of them possessed the one thing that a bride of the prince needed to have and that was purity as a true princess. They all made false claims to him and tried to pass themselves off as royalty, but the prince and his mother knew exactly who they were and they didn't fall for their claims.

So one night a woman who was rain-soaked came to their door needing shelter from the storm. The prince and his mother welcomed her in and listened to her claims of being a princess. The mother had already seen many with their false professions so she decided that she would test the young woman that night. The mother placed a pea in the bed and covered it with 20 mattresses and 20 feather beds. She knew that a real princess would be able to feel something as small and minute as a pea under all of those soft mattresses because she was accustomed to having only the best, most comfortable accommodations in her life and nothing less would be sufficient.

The next morning the girl told the mother and the prince that she'd had a most restless night because there was something hard in her bed that had bruised her and kept her awake, unable to find peace and rest.

The prince was very happy, knowing that he'd finally found a real princess whom he could marry. His mother was pleased as well and the two of them wed and lived happily ever after.

That story reminds me of the way things are with our Savior. He longs to have a "bride" as we are told in Revelation 19.

The church is called the bride of Christ and there will be a marriage supper of the Lamb.

And like the prince in the story, Jesus has many that come to Him and try to "get in" only to be found out that they are not the real deal. They make their claims of having what it takes to become His bride but when it comes down to it, there's always something that gives it away that they are fake.

So what does His Father do?

Like the prince's mother in the story who tests the girl, our Heavenly Father allows us to be tested and tried to see if we are the "real deal".

Many times in life we find that we have a "pea" under our mattress that will make us uncomfortable. That "pea" can be a sin that we haven't repented of or a past habit that we haven't gotten rid of or anything that will make us uncomfortable in the presence of God. It can be a trial that God has allowed to come to us to see if we are willing to endure to the end.

The Spirit of God will show us what needs to be dealt with in our lives and our hearts and it's up to us to rid ourselves of that sin by repenting to make us ready for our Prince. If we neglect to do that, then we won't be accepted into the Kingdom of Heaven because we won't truly be a part of the bride of Christ.

We are also told in Revelation that the bride of Christ will be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white. Therefore, imposters and fakes will not be permitted to be a part of His bride and the marriage supper.

In Psalm 139:23, the scripture says to "search me and know my heart, try me". And that's exactly what the Lord does for us.

Like the mother in the story who wasn't going to allow just anyone to be the bride for her son, God isn't going to allow just anyone to be a bride for His Son. Only the ones who are tried and come forth as gold as in Job 23:10 will be allowed to become the bride of Christ.

Jesus is longing for His bride. If you want a place at the table during the marriage supper of the Lamb, then make yourself ready to be a part of the bride of Christ. Repent of your sins, allow God to search your hearts and try you. Whatever He finds, allow Him to refine you in the fire so that you come out as gold.

Make preparations to be in the Kingdom of Heaven with our Savior by repentance and accepting His love and allowing His blood to cleanse you.

He knows the ones who are real and those who only try to pass themselves off as His. Jesus told us of such in a parable in Matthew 13 when He spoke of the wheat and the tares. Let them grow together and at the time of harvest, the tares will be burned and the wheat shall be gathered.

Like the prince in the story, Jesus only takes the real "princess" as His bride.

Much love,

Christy

Daughter of God

Helpful Verses:

Revelation 19; Job 23:10; Matthew 13:23-30