The Wedding Gift ~ It's Your Choice
by David River
Love Prescription (Rx) #42
Theme Song: I Don't Want It ~ DC Talk
November 21, 2006
(Picture this scenario occurring while I am standing on stage in front of an audience.)
On March 4, 2006 I was standing at a counter in a bookstore.
As I looked down I noticed a display of rings.
As I looked at them I noticed that every one of them had three words written on them.
Can anybody guess what the three words were?
"True Love Waits"
While I was standing there, I felt like God was tugging on my heart and saying, "I want you to make a commitment here and now that you will save sex for marriage and as a sign of your commitment I want you to buy a ring and wear it on your finger."
Although I had no clue who my future wife was to be, at that moment I made a commitment to her and to God that I would save myself for her until our honeymoon night.
I vowed to God to obey Him.
I purchased the ring and placed it upon my right ring finger.
A few weeks later I moved it to my left ring finger as a sign that in my heart I am already married to the woman whom God has chosen for me.
I also made a commitment never to date again, (thus removing any chance of temptation) but to wait on the Lord to bring the bride of His choosing to me in His way and in His timing.
I can boldly say that since this time and because of God's grace, He has allowed me to be fully obedient to Him. I have kept my vow.
The Wedding Gift
Now I want you to picture something with me if you will.
Fast forward a few years into your own life.
It's your wedding day.
You're standing on the altar about to exchange sacred vows with your future spouse.
It's the moment you have been waiting for with great anticipation.
All have gathered to celebrate your big day.
Excitement rings in the air as the music is playing softly.
The lights are low.
The mood is romantic.
The room is filled with white candles of all shapes and sizes; all of them brilliantly glowing.
Hardly ever has there been a wedding more beautiful.
Ladies, you are dressed in a gorgeous white dress symbolizing purity.
Purity in heart, in mind, and in body.
You look absolutely stunning and all eyes are on you. This day was created just for you.
Guys you are dressed in a tuxedo symbolizing a suit of armor like a knight.
It's your armor of purity in heart, purity in mind, and purity in body.
The room is full of friends and family.
You are standing on the altar about to exchange vows with your future spouse.
And you are about to give them a gift.
But you have to make a choice here today which gift you are going to give them.
(Holding up two beautifully wrapped wedding gifts on stage)
It's Your Choice
You have a choice. You are either going to give your future spouse this gift or that gift.
You are either going to give your spouse gift A or gift B.
Now it's time for your participation. I need your help. Today you must choose.
Are you going to give your future spouse gift A or gift B?
Now there is something really special in these beautiful presents and you have to choose one of them and of course I am not going to tell you what is in them.
(Pointing to the audience)
How many choose gift A? (Holding it up.)
Let me see your hands.
How many choose gift B? (Holding it up.)
Let me see your hands.
(And for those of you reading this right now you too need to pick A or B.)
Everybody satisfied with your choice?
Remember whatever choice you make today will dramatically affect your future.
(Walking over to a large sledge hammer hidden on stage I pick it up return to stand in front of gift B. Raising the hammer I begin to pound the present violently until the wedding gift is destroyed. Once the box is thoroughly annihilated I stop and put down the sledge hammer.)
What is the Gift?
Now, how many want to know what the gift is in these two boxes?
(Walking over to gift A, I pull off the top and hold up the gift and say…)
Can you see what is in my hands? Ladies what is this?
It's a jewelry box and what do you suppose is in it?
A wedding ring.
(Opening the jewelry box I pull out a diamond ring and hold it up).
This particular ring is a 1.43 carat marquee diamond ring with fourteen other diamonds totaling a weight of 3 carats. It is set in a 14 carat white gold band valued around $15,000.
(Walking over to box B and digging through the rubbish I pull something out.)
What do you suppose was is in this smashed box?
Yes, it too is a wedding ring.
(Holding up a destroyed ring.)
Can you see how mutilated and deformed this ring is?
It's all bent and marred from the beatings.
Now what do you suppose is the point of my illustration?
You have a choice which gift you are going to give to your future spouse on your wedding day.
You are either going to give them a mutilated ring or a beautiful diamond ring.
The beautiful ring represents abstinence. Saving sex until marriage.
It represents your trustworthiness and faithfulness to your spouse even though you may not know them yet.
The mutilated ring represents all the partners you slept with before you were married.
It also represents sleeping with your spouse or doing other things which are not honoring to God before your wedding night.
In both of these cases, you destroy God's original design for marriage which is: One partner for life, and sexual intimacy reserved for marriage.
Don't be fooled. The choice is yours to make today.
It doesn't matter if you have blown it in the past.
It does not matter if you blew it yesterday.
Today you can be totally forgiven for all your past mistakes.
Today you can be as white as snow.
Today you can become a "spiritual virgin" again.
But today you have to make a choice.
Which gift will you choose to give to your future spouse on your wedding day?
I choose to give my bride the beautiful 3 carat ring of sexual abstinence.
Which ring will you choose?
Commitment
If you want to make a commitment with me to save sex for marriage then let me encourage you to do four things.
- Buy a "True Love Waits" ring and wear it. (See my front page friends to find one or look up "purity rings" online.)
- Tell your parents, friends, youth leader or pastor of the commitment you have made.
- Either send me an email telling me that you are making this commitment or leave a comment here on this blog that says:
R I commit to God and to my future mate to save sex for marriage.
- Finally, pray this prayer with me:
For those who have not saved sex for marriage in the past:
Dear Jesus,
Today I want to make a commitment to you to save sex for marriage. I have blown it in my past but your word says that if I humbly come before you and turn from my sin that you will forgive me. You say that no matter what I have done, you will not condemn me. You desire to wash me whiter than snow. You promise that I can be a "spiritual virgin" again. I know that you only want my best and that you give us warnings in your word to protect us from pain, disease and heartache.
I now give you all my past mistakes and ask you to forgive me. Thank you for forgiving me and I ask that you give me the grace to obey you from today on. Allow me to make wise choices and not place myself in compromising situations where I might be tempted to sin again. Give me the grace to be able to stand on the altar before my future spouse and tell them that from today forward I saved myself for them and them alone. Amen.
For those who are still virgins:
Dear Jesus,
I thank you that you have given me the gift of virginity. I thank you for the grace to have been obedient to you so far. I pray for continued grace and ask that you would allow me to make decisions that would guard me from unnecessary temptation. I pray that I would honor you with my body, my mind and my heart. Keep me pure for you, my spouse, and your glory. Use my life to encourage others that virginity is nothing to be ashamed of but rather the most precious gift that any person could give to their future spouse. Thank you for allowing me to follow your ways and I give you all the glory and praise for it. Amen.
Youth Explosion for Christ Event Update:
The event this past weekend went well as an estimated 2000 people participated throughout the entire day. In my opinion God won a major victory that night as I am confident that His will was done. At least fifty youth committed their lives to Christ or to save sex for marriage and are being followed up with.