Wedding Victory

​Psalm 92:12-14 - "The righteous will flourish like a palm tree; they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon, planted in the house of the Lord; they will flourish in the courts of our God.  They will still bear fruit in old age; they will stay fresh and green."  Palms are symbolic of long life, triumph and victory.  Several years ago this Scripture was given to me and the man who would become my husband.  We both held it before God and remembered it as a promise.
 
Yesterday we saw the beginning of the manifestation of this promise.  God brought Jac and I together in the spring, during seed time.  We quickly feel in love with one another and planned a wedding for harvest time.  God graciously gave us a crystal clear day for our wedding, and yesterday we joined together under a chuppah at our church, The Crossing.  Friends and family were so excited for us as our union represented the way that God "restores the years that the locust have eaten," (Joel 2:25) gave us "beauty for ashes," (Isaiah 61:3) and redeemed our lives. (Lamentations 3:58)
 
God's plans and purposes always stand.  Even though the realm of darkness may try to discourage us and destroy God's plans, it cannot overcome.  That is why Paul tells us in Ephesians, "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything to stand." (Ephesians 6:13)  So Jac and I stood our ground while God led us to the place of victory.  Our intent was that every aspect of the service of holy matrimony would speak of the faithfulness of God.
 
Psalm 126 promises that "Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy,  He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him."  This Psalm was demonstrated by the sheaves that I carried up the aisle.  We stood under a chuppah which means covering or protection.  It is symbolic of God's protection around us and His covering over us.  Grapevines, symbolic of prosperity and fertility, were intertwined around the legs of the chuppah and palm trees stood at their base.
 
We declared the faithfulness of God in song, and friends who introduced us read the verses of the Bible that have become foundational to our lives.  Victory was in the air as we said our vows to one another and pledged to love and encourage one another all the days of our lives.  Our intent was to honor God in everything that we did.  From the reports that we received from those who attended, God answer our prayer that this wedding would honor Him and people would be touched by His Presence.
 
We are grateful for the opportunity to declare God's goodness that endures forever.  Please pray for us as we begin our new life together as a triple-braided cord, tightly interwoven with the Holy Spirit.