Husbands With Wings.

During Sunday's sermon on the Jabez prayer, Pastor Martha made a statement about “husbands with wings”, an illustration of prayer as a reactive measure. Some of us laughed, but it really wasn't a joke. There are some people who will not pray to God unless they are in extreme crisis. For example, if a husband leaves a wife, the wife will then spare no effort to petition God. She will not be too tired to pray if she truly desires God to restore their relationship. The problem, though, is that the prayer has become a contractual obligation: “God, I am spending time with You in prayer, so I am demanding that You bring my husband back to me.” And so, when the crisis prayer is answered to her satisfaction, the fervent praying stops. The wife's drawing near to God was not motivated by love, but by fear and anxiety.

After the second service's pastoral prayer, Pastor Sam spoke of our corporate experience of drawing near to God. He used the example of his own marriage as an allegory: though he and his wife have been together for many years, there are moments when he “draws her nearer”. His marriage vows are more than a mere contractual obligation; there is a depth of love which inspires him to to enfold her, bringing her closer. As the years progress, intimacy grows.

Let's consider our relationship with Jesus. What is it that Jesus said to His beloved Jerusalem? “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.” (Matthew 23:37) We, as a manifestation of spiritual Israel, have the privilege of being enveloped by the Spirit of Christ. It is an experience where prayers are no longer obligatory exercises, but are instead love-fests marked by a deep intimacy with God.

Here is a paraphrase of Pastor Martha's comment on prayer: “Prayer is not a ritual nor obligation. It is communication, intimacy, and communion that touches the heart of God.” What a gift! We have the opportunity to share in the passion of Christ, whose depth of suffering was eclipsed by His depth of love for our Father. Jesus would minister during the day, then frequently would spend the whole night in prayer to God. Our marriage model is an echo of the original love-fest in heaven, an ultimate intimacy where Jesus could rightfully say “I and the Father are one.” If this was the pattern of the Sinless One, how much more should it be ours?

We are the bride of Christ, and our Husband has wings: not to fly away from us, but to draw us near and enfold us. Yes, Jesus, I long for Your embrace. Draw me closer to Your side.