This week while in the midst of a struggle, I had a spiritual breakthrough. As He so often does, the Lord brought clarity through a vivid picture in my mind. It was an analogy of the situation that made things so real and understandable that I was able to step forward spiritually in a way that I have never done before. It changed my world. And as soon as it happened, I knew I had to write about it. I think a lot of people today are doing what I was doing. They’re trying to go forward without letting go of the things that keep them tethered to where they have been. But spiritual breakthrough requires a break.
My Struggle
This past week, I was in my prayer closet and had just finished praying when something popped into my mind. It was a “word from the Lord” that a sister on Facebook had shared. She said that Jesus was coming for a church without spot and wrinkle, and many in His Bride were not ready.
Suddenly, the stress was overwhelming. I felt a twisting inside as tears sprang to my eyes. “Lord, how am I supposed to be ready? I’m so flawed. Even when I try my very best, I’m just not good enough to be ‘without spot or wrinkle.’ If I’m going to be ready, YOU have to make me ready. I can’t do it. I give it to you.”
The Word Picture
In my mind’s eye, I saw myself get out of a boat and step onto the water. I knew that there was no way I could stand without the Lord. Either He would make me stand, or I would sink down into the waves.
Then I realized something surprising. While I had both feet on the water, my hand was still holding onto the boat. Yes, I am an “all-in” Christian. Yes, I live for the Lord and submit to Him as His grace allows. But there was still a part of me that believed that the things I do and don’t do make me righteous. That it was all still somehow up to me to keep myself from going under.
Then it hit me. I wasn’t trusting in Jesus completely as my Savior. I still had a grip on the boat “for safety” – I was going to be good, I was going to listen, I was going to obey, I was going to serve Him. But of course, that “security” is just an illusion. Jesus determines which boats sink and which ones float. Holding onto the ship just held me back from moving forward in Him. It kept me from going places where I was afraid to fail and doing things beyond my own capability. In a burst of understanding, it all became clear.
I. Let. Go.
Now I was standing on the water holding nothing. I was looking to Jesus, my Savior, and to Him alone.
The Bride Makes Herself Ready
In America, the bride has a lot of responsibility for the wedding. She shops for her dress and those of her bridesmaids. She arranges the cake, flowers, and catering. She books the venue and the band, and she sends out all the invitations. In most cases, the bride is the one doing all the work. The groom just shows up on the day with the rings, and he’s good.
But that’s not how it is in the traditional Jewish wedding. Got Questions has a great article about it as an analogy for marriage of Jesus to the Church. The bottom line is that in that scenario, it is the Groom who arranges everything. The sole responsibility of the bride is to be dressed and ready when He returns for her.
Spiritually, the Church must also be dressed and ready for the Lord’s return. But where do we get our wedding garment? Is there any fabric that would be good enough? (Isaiah 64:6 says that our righteousness is as filthy rags). Is there any design that would please His eye? (Galatians 3:3 says we are foolish to think we can be made perfect by the flesh.) No. The Bible says we can only be clothed with righteousness by the salvation of God (Isaiah 61:10). The Lord, Himself, will present us without spot or wrinkle by the washing of the water of the Word (Ephesians 5:26-27). We make ourselves ready when we stop trying to establish our own righteousness and submit to the righteousness of God (Romans 10:3).
What Are You Holding Onto?
What’s holding you back from trusting in the Lord completely? Is it your own righteousness? Is it a habit, practice, tradition, or person? And what happens when (not if) it fails? If you are holding onto something of this world “for safety,” you will never move forward spiritually to places only Jesus can take you. Instead, you will stay fearfully tethered, stuck, and immobile – tied to a ship that will eventually go down. Any “security” you feel is just an illusion. Spiritual breakthrough requires a break from everything else other than God. You must let go to trust in Christ alone.
Enjoy analogies? Try 3 Last Days Object Lessons From Shopping or Strike the Ground According to Your Faith. Please sign up to receive my blog in your email in-box. You can find that at the upper right of your screen (or at the bottom on a phone). Also, check out my YouTube Channel where I read the blogs out loud. I also have a playlist of hymns from my church.
This song is what I have sung & stood on for many years. The realization that it was only the Rock of Christ I could stand on as everything about me was falling apart like sinking sand as my life was a mess was very stark – I was sinking into the miry clay & the Lord lifted me out of it & sat me on the Rock! I learnt to stand on Him through the Psalms at that lowest point in my life that spanned over a decade or two after my marriage breakup when not only my husband tossed me aside but my children took his side & followed him.
The Psalms became my lifeline to sanity & I stood on them like Psalm 31 & 62 & many others as I gradually gave everything over to the Lord. He was the only one solace I had to look to as I had no human companions to support me – even to this day I am alone. I have fellowship with others but have never found a close friend – one whom I can confide in & share the deep things with God with but that may change as the Lord opens the eyes of others of His soon return & of what we will have to ultimately go through in the very near future.
In other words I went from being a shallow surface Christian to digging deeper into the meat of the Word & that doesn’t go down well with most of those around me. (Here I am smiling) The church is looking to the coming of the Lord as something vague that will happen in the future whereas I know that we are the last generation & that it will happen suddenly & for me I feel that time is running out. Remember the days of our lives TV daytime drama with the egg timer that is what I constantly see today.
I liked your analogy of the modern western bride as yes, we were called to organise everything & our father was supposed to foot the bill which is so different from what is written or known about Jewish weddings of the past. It was probably similar in our culture as well until recent times.
Though I saw a wedding on a youtube podcast I follow that was just two people in their day clothes making their vows together on a sidewalk in Canada before a marriage celebrant as she was transferring to work in Hong Kong with her firm & he couldn’t go with her unless they were married, so they just tied the knot with their video camera showing the deed as they have been living together for the past 6 plus years so the tying of the knot legally was no big deal to them, just a way to ensure that they could travel together in other countries that have different laws to Canada. Someone else commented that they had to do the same thing some years ago for similar reasons which I think is sad in a way as they don’t understand the Biblical reason for coming together in marriage. Blessings
You made some great points. The Lord is a true Friend who will always be with us, and the Psalms are a great blessing. I also believe the Lord is coming soon. One day, Lord willing, we will meet. I look forward to that day and pray for you often.❤️