One-a-Day...for the Heart: God's Attendants
Recently a lovely bride-to-be enthusiastically shared some of the details of her upcoming wedding with me and even showed pictures of her extraordinarily gorgeous wedding gown. I felt so privileged to have a preview of the stunning dress that will surely leave her groom and guests breathless. She carefully numbered and described her attendants, noting that they would be wearing steel-blue gowns complemented by the groomsmen’s charcoal gray suits. I can only imagine how magnificent the wedding will be!
The bride will be surrounded by her closest and dearest friends—those she has chosen as her attendants. Not only do attendants add to the beauty of the wedding party as they adorn themselves for their procession down the aisle, but they elegantly precede the arrival of the bride herself, as all eyes turn to catch the first glimpse of her. The attendants’ procession commands the attention of everyone—especially the groom—as it signals that someone of great worth and honor is approaching!
The Lord God, too, has chosen some of His dear and closest “friends” to go before Him. Psalm 89:13-14 (NLT) describes a spectacular picture of God’s procession. Your right hand is lifted high in glorious strength. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne. Unfailing Love and Truth walk before you as attendants. The Passion Translation records verse 14 like this: Your glorious throne rests on a foundation of righteousness and just verdicts. Grace and Truth are the attendants who go before you.
Unfailing Love, Truth, and Grace walk before God Almighty as He enters into our lives. How marvelous! How kind! How effective His attendants are in getting our attention as we desperately and eagerly look for the first glimpse of hope there might be as the Savior approaches our hearts. The King James translation says Mercy and Truth shall go before Thy face. God’s attendants are harbingers preparing us to make room for Him in every circumstance, good or bad.
His first attendant, Unfailing Love (Mercy), draws us into His Presence, for God’s love is unlike any other love known to man. Before we even utter a sinner’s prayer or make a declaration of faith to the Lord, we are captivated and drawn by His Unfailing Love. Even the basest sinner and hardest heart can slide into the Presence of God by embracing His unfailing love and mercy. So His first attendant, Unfailing Love, draws us like a magnet to the One who made us--the One worthy of honor who walks toward us to become our own personal Savior and God.
The next attendant He has chosen is Truth. When the Truth of God’s Word pierces our hearts, and we come to understand that His Son died to purchase our salvation, the promise of hope comes nearer to us. It becomes easier to catch an up-close-and-personal glimpse of the Savior when Unfailing Love and Truth have brushed past us in this heavenly procession. Again, the One worthy of honor continues to walk toward us.
His next attendant, Grace, proceeds in front of the Almighty’s face and displays the most divine attribute of God—His amazing Grace. This attendant radiates the unmerited favor of God to all those guests who anxiously anticipate the One worthy of honor. How very close He comes to us!
Even without a royal fanfare of trumpets blaring or bagpipes piping or cathedral organs playing, Unfailing Love, Truth, and Grace faithfully attend to the One worthy of honor, as Almighty God enters our hearts and changes us forever. Let us welcome His Attendants--Unfailing Love, Truth, and Grace--and embrace each of them as they draw us to the Savior!
© 2021, Chris Werre