10.21.2011

jealous

Tonight at a football game, 10 year old drama broke out as my daughter explained her "boyfriend" was flirting with other girls during lunch hour. As I attempted to explain to her that she could not expect him to stay away from every other girl in the world... and reminded her that she has a couple of guy friends herself that she is very chummy with, I just kept thinking "this is how jealous God is for me". 

The rest of the night, as I watched our local football team, this notion of a jealous God kept running through my mind. Exodus 34:14 says You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you. NLT

He is jealous for me. Jealous. He is jealous about His relationship with me! In this same passage He tells me to be careful. Not to make covenants with others in the land, don't take up the idols of the world... in fact to actively tear them down so that they don't become a snare with me. 

Jesus isn't looking for a Bride who just stays out of bed with other men... He is looking one that won't even flirt with them during lunch break. He is a jealous, zealous God. He is so passionate about you, that He wants your gaze ever steadied on Him and Him alone. Not because He needs our affection, but because He knows that we desperately need His. And because of that He wants nothing to distract us from the one thing that makes us complete.

He is jealous. He doesn't just want to be our number one God. He wants to be our only God. As my friend, Kathy Stephens, illustrated... "Your husband doesn't want to just be your favorite husband... he wants to be your only husband". 

Yet how often do we flirt with the things of this world... cast our tent outside Sodom only to wake up and realize we are a leader in the city? 

The Bridegroom is calling out... He is looking for a Bride that is ravished by Him. A Bride who needs nothing beyond His love, because she knows that He is enough. That when our world is unsteady, He is enough. When our bank account is in crisis, He is enough. When loved ones fall ill, He is enough. When people fail us, He is enough. Who desires no other God besides Him, because He is enough.

Is He enough for you tonight? He gave His all on your behalf, yet like most of us... are you still chasing after things of this world to fill your need to belong, to be loved, to be important?  The Bridegroom is calling out to you, He is looking for your ravished heart. He is looking for my ravished heart. I have things to lay down. Little idols to destroy.  Praying you will allow Jesus to search your heart and shine His light into the places that require more of Him... He is jealous for you...

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith. [Hebrews 12:2a]

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