Ah, Faithless Israel!

Several weeks ago I was driving home from church, trying intently to listen to what the LORD had to say to me. In my observation, God tends to tell me things that I don't really expect. He tends to teach me with things that are around me rather than just speak straight out of the sky. Maybe that is so I can have remembrances of Him all around me throughout my days. Anyways, I felt that I was to put my iPod on shuffle and just listen. So I reluctantly did (I am always hoping for the Lord to just speak clearly, not make me do some external act).

The first song was called "Jesus Shirt" by Mukala. I really didn't want to listen at all. Mukala is one of those bands that you thought one of their songs was catchy, bought the album, then were disappointed by everything else. Plus, I probably bought the album in 8th grade. Don't even know why it's on my iPod. That's not the point, I just wasn't excited. I almost pushed forward to the next song. But God just said, "Stop! Trust me. Listen."

The chorus rolled around and the first phrase is "I want to be Your child." I paused and pondered that for awhile. I don't often stop to think that I am the Lord's child. It's something I hear, but sometimes it hits you. It's simple, but deeply emotional. I went on to the next song.

It was the song that Courtney walked down the aisle to at our wedding. It made me think though, that not only am I the Lord's child, but I am the Lord's bride. Two very relational, very different things, but the Lord acts both ways for us. I am God's son and I am God's bride.

Interesting then today as I read through Jeremiah 1-3. The words child and bride both show up on these propehtic pages. Except, in a differnet context than I was thinking of them. A child is certainly loved and protected, but the other side of the equation is that a child is also usually full of fear. Especially of the unknown, because children don't have very much experience in explaining the unknown of life.

Then a bride, certainly loved and cherished, but also with the capability of being unfaithful. "Oh, faithless Israel!"

They have forsaken me,
the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

Lord, I am Your child and I am Your bride. They are designations coated richly in love and relation, and the intimacy that I crave in seeking You. Help me to not become mired in my own fear, but to have a life drenched and dripping of fear-of-the-LORD. Help me to not forsake my first love, the God of my creation and the God of my heart. Let me not be the fearful child and the unfaithful wife, instead let me be the protected child and the wife of Your provision.