A Vow of Surrender

I love weddings.  I never used to cry at them, until I got married myself.  Now I can hardly even watch one without crying - even if it's on TV.  I think it is because once you enter into that marriage covenant and live a few years together, those vows really take on meaning.  A starry-eyed bride can not begin to understand what she's saying.  But don't try to tell her that... She's making them in faith.

Here is a copy of the vows my groom and I made to each other:

I, (Karelin/Mark),

                 take thee (Mark/Karelin),

to be my wedded (husband/wife),

to have and to hold from this day forward,

for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer,

in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish,

'til death do us part,

according to God's holy ordinance;

this is my solemn vow.

During my quiet time this week, it dawned on me that a prayer of surrender to the LORD is very much like the vows I made at my wedding.  When I give myself fully to my Savior, it is for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish....  I make these vows in faith, too.  A new believer can't really know what lay ahead in his journey with Jesus.  But there is a trust, a knowing that God is a good and faithful God.  "Perfect love casts out fear," and day by day, those vows take on new meaning.

There is no better groom than Jesus.  He remains faithful, even when I do not.  He loves me completely, even though I am just learning to love Him.  The best part is, there is no "'til death do us part."

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  Romans 8:38-39

Now that's romantic!  *sniff*

This LORD's day, I want to come to Him with my heart given to be fully His.  There's no better love than the love of God.