1 Peter 1 speaks of the One Whom our hearts love, Jesus Christ our LORD.

Though we haven’t seen Him, we love him. This photo is of some friends of mine whom I’ll write more about sometime soon I’m sure. Carrie and I had the joy of celebrating their marriage recently. In the midst of the celebration, I had the honor of having this brief perspective of the father-daughter dance. As the bride, Anna, danced with her daddy, her now new husband, Grant, watched with deep delight. I had happened to notice that there was a perspective from the shadows of this beautiful scene, so I snuck back and got this photo. I’ve been melted a few times when I look at this picture of Anna dancing with her Dad. As God’s children we have been given an incredible gift to have our Savior, Jesus Christ. We should also realize however that we have been given by the Father to Jesus Christ. He is our closest and most intimate family now. We come to the Father through Him and rest in our love for Him and His love for us.

We are betrothed to our Savior. We are promised and “taken” and “spoken for” by Christ. We live with anxious anticipation, planning our wedding day, pouring ourselves into preparation for being with Him eternally.

It’s the nearest we have to a perfect illustration. The most imperfect part of it is the groom, however. Grant and I laugh and talk about how flooring it is that we are called to imitate Christ in the marriage relationship He has with the church from creation to consummation and then on through eternity. As imperfect as we are as men, we must behold our wives all through our marriages with that same awe and joy, daily amazed that we can love with absolute devotion, not because she earns it. I love my wife, her beauty and virtue holding my attention intensely, but I love her and have the joy of loving her regardless of her performance each day as my wife and best friend and covenant-keeping bride for life. I love my wife more every day not because I have a steal will to love no matter my emotions. Believe me when I say I falter badly. I love my wife because I am daily more aware of God’s good pleasure in me, God’s intense love for us as His kids.

Look again at Anna dancing with her Daddy. He loves her so much. No matter how well any of our actual father figures have portrayed the Father’s love, may we reflect on the Father’s love for us. May we rest in His good pleasure and His plans for us. May we lean into His Spirit and trust that He will indeed bring us all the way through this life to be presented to our Beloved Savior. We will be brought to a place of seeing and being caught in the embrace of our Savior to be with Him Whom our hearts love for eternity.

This was a very imperfect post, as are my efforts every day to grapple with this mystery, that this Savior would love me/us, an that we would be called sons and daughters of the God Who created us and Who is perfectly holy!

May we entrust our souls to our faithful God while doing good this week.

– Torrey