Runaway Bride…I Mean Groom – Tuesday

Week 3 | Jesus Gets Frustration

Listen instead of reading

Take a Moment

Ask God what He wants to show you before reading today

Read The Daily

When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. (Matthew 25:5)

A friend of mine told me last week that he was called by a couple getting married and was told the pastor originally doing the wedding was now unavailable.  He said, “sure, I can help.  When is the wedding?”  The mom said, “right now at Lake Vesuvius!”  

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells a story about a wedding feast that doesn’t go according to plan either. Preparations have been made, the bride and her servants are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the groom, which in the ancient world would signal the beginning of the feast as he led his bride and her attendants joyfully back to his home. Yet, the groom (not preacher)  is nowhere to be found, and therefore at the heart of this story lies a question: how should the servants respond when the groom is delayed? By extension, what do you do when things do not go the way you want or expect?

I’ve heard it said that one of the greatest causes of frustration and exhaustion in life is unmet expectations. We think and are convinced God will do one thing, and when he doesn’t, we’re left disoriented and even bitter, unable to understand why things did not go according to plan. This unmet expectation can be so profound that we give up onChrist, the groom, altogether. 

As this story unfolds, this is precisely what we find. Half of the servants remained attentive and prepared, trusting that the groom would eventually arrive, and when he did, they were ready. The other half, perhaps jaded and angered by his delay, stopped looking and stopped preparing, assuming that, if needed, they could rely on the preparations of others.  The greatest tragedy of frustration is that we think it’s best to walk away from the One who loves us the most.   I love a quote by Philip Yancey, “The only thing worse than facing disappointment with God is facing disappointment without Him”  

Prayer for the Day

God what are you  showing me?  What am I going to do about it? 

God help me to see one person that I can serve through a kind word, random act of kindness, or simple gift today?

Make sure you complete the reading or comment today.

Read The New Testament In A Year

4 x 6 Plan | Read: Matthew 12:15-32 & Romans 9:19-29