I mentioned in a recent blog post how that at the wedding, which was recently held in our backyard, the bridal party gifted me with a fabulous tote bag as part of the “I Do Crew!”
Inside this fabulous tote bag were all sorts of wonderful goodies … including a pink sparkly drinking tumbler, an “I Do Crew!” makeup bag, a soft fuzzy facecloth, and a hair clip for holding my hair back.
I was particularly taken with the title on the hair clip: “To have and to hold your hair back.”
During the wedding ceremony, the bride and groom stood face-to-face, holding hands and gazing into each other’s eyes … as they pledged their lives to each other: “To have and to hold … from this day forward … ”
Marriage is God’s own picture of Jesus and his bride (everyone who believes in Jesus and loves & follows Him).
The groom chose the bride and, in proposing to her, he invited her to spend the rest of her life with him. So also, in the same way, Jesus Christ has chosen us … and has invited us to spend eternity with Him!
“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world …” – Ephesians 1:4
“You are chosen … belonging to God, who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” – 1 Peter 2:9
When we say “I Do” to Jesus and accept his invitation, we too are just like the bride and groom as we and Jesus pledge to each other: “To have and to hold … from this day forward …”
To have and to hold … from this day forward …
For the rest of my life and for the rest of eternity, I will hold tightly to Jesus, and Jesus will hold tightly to me. Jesus will not ever let me go! And I won’t let go of Jesus! Jesus will hold me and keep me!
“Your right hand will hold me fast.” – Psalm 139:10
“I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” – Isaiah 41:13
“You hold me by my right hand, you guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.” – Psalm 73:23-24
To have and to hold … for better or for worse …
Jesus will hold me when things are going good. And Jesus will hold me when things are really hard! Likewise, I too will hold tightly to Jesus! When my life is falling apart and I don’t know how I’m going to face another day … I will hold tightly to Jesus! I won’t let go of Jesus!
To have and to hold … in sickness and in health …
Jesus will hold me when I’m strong and healthy. And Jesus will hold me when my health vanishes, and my body is wrecked with sickness. Jesus will hold me through that diagnosis … and through that disease … and through that cancer. Jesus will hold me! And likewise, so also, I will hold tightly to Jesus! Even though I lose my health, and everything else in the process, I will hold tightly to Jesus!
To have and to hold … for richer or for poorer …
Jesus will hold me when I have nothing. Jesus will hold me when my bank account has ample cushion. And likewise, I will hold tightly to Jesus when I’m running so thin that I don’t know how I’m going to pay the bills. I will hold tightly to Jesus when I’m scared! I will hold tightly to Jesus! And by the same token, I will also hold tightly to Jesus when I have extra resources and need wisdom to know how He would like me to manage it.
I loved the above analogy of the hair clip with the phrase: “To have and to hold your hair back” … because my hair is held back in a hair clip, all the time! This is the only hair style I have.
So when hubby and I and our daughter drove out Highway 2 this past Saturday to see the amazing waterfall … my hair clip went with me … holding my hair back! This is what Jesus does! Jesus is always with us! Jesus goes with us everywhere! Jesus is always holding us!
When I sat in awe, perched on the giant fallen tree, just above the mighty rushing water … my hair clip was there! … holding my hair back! This is what Jesus does! Jesus is always with us! Jesus is always holding us!
When I marveled at how the sound of the rushing water is just like the sound of Jesus’s voice … my hair clip was right there! … holding my hair back, as I was in awe! Jesus was there!
When I discovered a new species of plant growing in the wetlands along the bank … “It’s a Star-flowered Lily-of-the-valley!” … Oh my goodness, that’s what Jesus is! Jesus’s name is “Lily of the valley”! And Jesus’s name is “Bright and Morning Star”! That is so cool!! As I was marveling in wonder (aka: as I was “holding on to Jesus!”) … my hair clip was right there! … holding my hair back! And Jesus was “holding on to me”!
So also, every day, as we go through life and we marvel in wonder at Jesus: His goodness … His kindness … His blessings in our life (aka: as we “hold on to Jesus!”) … Jesus is right there! And Jesus is holding on to us!
(Star-flowered Lily-of-the-valley)
Marriage is a picture of Jesus Christ and his Bride! Jesus has pledged to us, and we likewise pledge to Jesus: “To have and to hold … from this day forward …”
He Will Hold Me Fast (Live) – Keith & Kristyn Getty, Selah (youtube.com)
