Wedding Psalms: Devotional 6
- Corbin York
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
Written by Aaron York, Kate Hartman, Corbin York
Part 1: Burn Me with a Kiss
Story
Song
Have you ever had a redwood splinter lodge itself deep in your skin? If you’ve grown up barefoot around weathered decks and towering trees, you know the sting. The tiniest piece of wood, left alone, can turn into something dangerous. And when the time comes to remove it, it feels like betrayal. A child cries, “No, Daddy, please—it’ll get better on its own!” But the father knows better. “I’m not doing this to hurt you,” he says. “I love you. I want you to heal.”
That’s what it feels like to be fathered by God. That’s what it means to be burned with a kiss.
God’s discipline is never rooted in anger. He’s not cruel. He’s a kind and steady Father who won’t let what’s poisonous stay buried inside us. When pride, unforgiveness, compromise, or bitterness try to settle into our soul, He steps in—not to punish, but to purify.¹ His discipline doesn’t crush—it heals.²
When Isaiah stood in the presence of the Lord, he didn’t get a harsh word. He got a glowing coal. His lips were burned—not to shame him, but to cleanse him. That fire made him ready. It prepared him to speak on God’s behalf.³ The kiss that burned became the doorway into his calling.
The same pattern shows up in Joshua’s story. Before leading Israel into Canaan, he had to take off his sandals.⁴ The people had to be circumcised again.⁵ They had to observe Passover.⁶ God was making them ready—body, soul, and spirit—to walk into His promises. The burning kiss of sanctification always comes before the glory.
And at the center of it all is Jesus. The Man of Sorrows. The Wounded Healer. He took up the splintered wood of a Roman cross and was pierced for our healing.⁷ No one has been burned more deeply by obedience. No one has loved more purely through pain. His life is the invitation: Come close, and let Me refine you.
The call to follow Jesus is a call to surrender—even when it hurts. It’s the knife over the altar. It’s the fire on your lips. And it’s not a threat. It’s an invitation. It’s how the Father prepares us for real intimacy. The cross wasn’t an accident—it was an offering. In the same way, God wounds us in love, so He can make us whole.⁸
Whatever He’s calling you to, whatever He’s asking you to lay down—He’s worth it.
Let yourself be burned with a kiss.
Take a Moment
What "sliver” does the Father want to remove from your life? How will extracting them bring healing? In what ways will healing change your life?
Reflect on when God's correction felt painful but later produced peace or growth. How is your faith encouraged by this recollection? How does this deepen your worship?
What does it mean to be “burned with a kiss?” How does understanding God's heart as a loving Father change your perspective on discipline? How does this inspire your worship?
What areas of your life still resist the knife of sanctification? How can surrender enhance your intimacy with the Lord?
How can you embrace daily surrender and "fellowship in His sufferings"? How is the Lord challenging you to show selfless love to other people? How is the Lord challenging you to show selfless love to God?
Footnotes
Hebrews 12:6 (NIV) – "Because the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastens everyone He accepts as His son."
Psalm 147:3 (NIV) – "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."
Hosea 6:1 (NIV) – "Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but He will heal us; He has injured us but He will bind up our wounds."
Part 2: Let Our Love Please You
Story
Song
Aiming at the Right Target
Olympic athletes train with laser focus—sacrificing everything for a single moment on the world stage. Some spend their whole lives preparing for one perfect shot.
In 2004, Olympic shooter Matthew Emmons was the heavy favorite in the 50-meter rifle event.
With one shot left, he held an unbeatable lead. He aimed. He fired. Bullseye.
But he hit the wrong target.
In a moment of costly confusion, Emmons shot into the lane next to his. A perfect shot—just not his. That mistake cost him the gold.
It also led him to something unexpected: the Games introduced him to Katerina, a fellow Olympian—and his future wife.
It’s a reminder: success doesn’t always mean you’re aiming at the right thing.
Jesus warned us about this exact mistake when He asked, “What good is it to gain the whole world and lose your soul?”¹ You can train. You can strive. You can hit the bullseye. But if your aim is off—even by one lane—you might reach the end and realize you missed what mattered most.
Jesus never missed.
From Bethlehem to Gethsemane, He kept His heart set on one thing: pleasing the Father.² Every step, every surrender, every sacrifice—He was aiming at the only goal worth living and dying for. And in doing so, He won what He came for: a Bride who would love Him back.³
So what are you aiming at?
When your life is over and you stand before the Lord, will you hear, “Well done, My faithful one—enter into My joy”?⁴
Or will your heart break as He says, “I never knew you”?⁵
Those words aren’t for people who didn’t try. They’re for people who aimed at the wrong goal.
There’s a lot of talk about revival, miracles, and spiritual gifts—and yes, those things are beautiful. But they are not the target. Jesus is. Intimacy with Him is the bullseye. Everything else is overflow.
Don’t settle for a life of almosts. Make it your aim to please the Father. To love Jesus with every heartbeat. To live abandoned to His love. When you do, your life won’t be measured by the medals you earn, but by the Man you know.
Paul said it best: “One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and pressing toward what’s ahead, I reach for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”⁶
That’s the call. That’s the goal.
Let’s aim for the right target.
Take a Moment
Describe in detail the main target of your life right now. How pleasing is your aim to the Father? How does the Lord want to adjust your life pursuit?
When have you experienced a moment of success only to realize you were aiming at the wrong goal? What can you learn from this experience?
What does it look like to pursue intimacy with Jesus daily? What is the Lord asking of you?
What good things—even spiritual ones—distract you from the “one thing” that matters most? How can you effectively deal with these distractions? What do you need to do to correct your life’s aim?
Describe in detail what “complete abandonment to God” practically looks like. How can you respond more fully to God’s jealous love? How can you surrender more of your life to Him?
Footnotes
Mark 8:36 (ESV) – "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?"
John 8:29 (NIV) – "I always do what pleases Him."
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