Part VI: Read Part 1,Part 2, Part 3, Part IV, Part V first.
You have been called from death to life, loved in the midst of your sin and darkness and blood. You have been invited to thrive, responding to his word like a healthy plant or flower of the field. You have been offered a romantic marriage-like covenant with God himself, to live a life of intimacy with him.
And he’s just getting warmed up.
Yes, I’m serious.
“(NIV): I clothed you with an embroidered dress and put leather sandals on you. I dressed you in fine linen and covered you with costly garments.”
He longs to take care of your nakedness, your shame. But he doesn’t cover it with burlap, with cheap stuff. No way. He goes all the way, adorning you with designer clothes, the best of the best. “No less for my beloved,” he says, eyes shining.
You don’t know it yet, but that’s still not enough for him. Sure, you’re clothed, but you’re still not finished your makeover.
He’s done so much already. Isn’t this good enough?
Nope.
“(NIV): I adorned you with jewelry: I put bracelets on your arms and a necklace around your neck, and I put a ring on your nose, earrings on your ears and a beautiful crown on your head.”
Wow again. I don’t exactly resonate with the nose ring, but think about it: God is decking you out with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of kingdom treasures, lavishing wave after wave of dignity on you. You are anything but bare now.
It’s almost unspeakable, isn’t it?
“Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate pastry of fine flour, honey, and oil. You were exceedingly beautiful, and…”
Wait a minute! Back up a bit. Did you say that he gave me a crown? A crown?
Yes.
But…But that would mean that I…I mean, He couldn’t possibly…Could He?
“(NIV): …And (you) rose to be a queen.”
A queen? Are you trying to tell me that God took me as a sinful, fly infested, bloody, dying, despised infant, called me to life, made me thrive, fell madly in love with me and entered an intimate relationship with me, lavished me with gifts and jewelry and more than I could ever dream of, that he’s even crowning me queen, that I am now standing and ruling with Him?
No. I’m not saying that at all.
You’re not?
No.
I’m saying that this is his plan for you, that this is what he wants to do for you, if you’ll let him.
I’m saying that if you’re in the field, lying alone and dying and wounded, that if you are haunted by paralyzing slander and a hurtful past, he wants to speak to you in your blood.
I’m saying that even if you’re free from some of that, if you are still frustrated about the field you’ve been tossed into, he can make you thrive there.
I’m saying that he’s attracted to you, that he loves you, that he would move heaven and earth for you, that he wants to love you intimately.
I’m saying that he wants to clean you up, dress you up, and lavish more spiritual blessings on you than you could ever comprehend.
“(NIV): And your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, because the splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect,’ declares the Sovereign Lord.”
This isn’t just what dreams are made of. This is what your destiny is made of. If you want it.
That’s what I’m saying.