Day #1: Preface

So we all know know the verse, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” (Psalm 14:1 and 53:1)

But I have a question for you. What does the wise man say in his heart? I always kinda assumed it was, “There is a God.”

I think it’s interesting that the very next verse says exactly what the wise man says. Nothing. Here you go:

“The Lord looks down from heaven on the human race to see if there is one who is wise, one who seeks God.” (Psalm 14:2 and 53:2)

Yes, you were born and raised in the church with Christian relatives and Christian schools and Christian principles and Christian cats and dogs and everything else so that your first words probably were, “There is a God,” but have you actually searched for Him yourself? That is where wisdom will be found.

And He promised, “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all of your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)

And once we have found Him and can say, “There is a God!”, let’s keep seeking Him so we can learn more and more about Him all the time.

There is a story in Song of Solomon that I hope to write more about later about a woman who was looking for her lover. Now, she had already searched for him once before and found him, but she was looking again. Some ladies came by and asked, “What’s so great about your man that makes him better than ours?”

And boy, she was not shy to let them know what was so wonderful about him that she couldn’t stop looking for him! “My lover is radiant and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand. His head is purest gold; his hair is wavy and black as a raven. His eyes are like doves by the water streams, washed in milk, mounted like jewels. His cheeks are like beds of spice yielding perfume. His lips are like lilies dripping with myrrh. His arms are rods of gold set with chrysolite. His body is like polished ivory decorated with sapphires. His legs are pillars of marble set on bases of pure gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, choice as its cedars. His mouth is sweetness itself; he is altogether lovely. This is my lover, this my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.”

And her description was so convincing, they decided to join in the search!

So I am going on a treasure hunt, of sorts. My Treasure being My God. He is the Pearl that I have sold everything else to attain. I want to know more and more about this beautiful, compassion Man who has called to me, “Come away, my beloved!” I hope you’ll join me.

Day #2: Getting Ready for Our Treasure Hunt

There was a story about a lady and her lover. The lady was getting ready to go to bed when she heard her lover calling from outside her window: “Open to me, my treasure, my darling, my dove, my perfect one.”

I don’t know why, but she didn’t open the door for him. Maybe she was tired? Maybe she was comfortable where she was? I dunno, but all she said was, “I have taken off my robe. Should I get dressed again? I have washed my feet. Should I get them soiled?”

Then he did something weird. He slipped his hand through the latch in the door. All she saw was his hand, and her heart began to pound for him. So she flew to the door and swung it open … but he had left. She called for him … but he didn’t answer.

She ran outside and searched for him everywhere. Down the streets. By the city gate. At one point some men came and beat her up and stole her clothes. But, strangely, she didn’t yell at them or cry about her plight … didn’t even say a word.

She went on searching and found some ladies. She said to them, “Make this promise, O women of Jerusalem— If you find my lover, tell him I am weak with love.”

But they were rude to her and asked, “Why is your lover better than all others? … What makes your lover so special that we must promise this?”

She thought about him for a minute and said, “My lover is dark and dazzling, better than 10,000 others … His wavy hair is black as a raven … His eyes sparkle like doves … His mouth is sweetness itself; he is desirable in every way. Such, O women of Jerusalem, is my lover, my friend.”

So convincing was this lady’s description of her lover, that the women of Jerusalem changed their attitude completely: “Where has your lover gone? Which way did he turn so we can help you find him?”

Then … the lady finds her lover. He has been waiting for her and tells her, “You are beautiful, my darling … Turn your eyes away for they overpower me …” and on and on went his praise of her.

Now, I’ll tell you a few things about searching for God that I learned from this story (which can be found in the Song of Solomon, by the way):

1)   God is calling me. In the story he says to his lover, “Open to me!” but MANY times in the book he says, “Come away with me!” I am convinced that God is calling you and me to get away from everything else and search for him.

2)   I may be comfortable where I am right now and not want to move. But honestly, the Lord has been showing me himself little by little … like the lover’s hand in the story. And once God reveals himself to you, it is in our spirit’s nature to desire him and search after him.

3)   When we are searching him, let us be oblivious to anything else but His love. Heck, look at the story. The lady could have been filled with hate at those horrible men who beat her up. But she left that situation feeling nothing but the overwhelming love that was causing her to search out her lover so steadfastly. Hate had no place in her heart when his love was in her.

4)   Let’s ask our sisters if they’ll search for our God with us! Ya, they may say no or look at us like we’re crazy or (like in the story) think we’re being “holier than thou” … but let’s ask anyway.

5)   If you search God, you WILL find Him. He said if we draw near to him, He’ll draw near to us.

Day #3: It's All About Jesus

Solomon: My Love, our love is so wonderful to me, that I’ve decided to compose a song in its honor. It will continue for thousands of years into every civilization. Its beauty will melt the hearts of kings and slaves. I shall begin now. *Ahem*. I …

Woman: OH! That you would kiss me with the kisses of your mouth! For your love is more delightful than wine.

Solomon: Wait, Hon, I …

Woman: The fragrance of your perfume is intoxicating. Your name is perfume poured out. No wonder young women adore you!

Solomon: You know this is my song, right?

Woman: Take me with you – let’s hurry! Oh, that the king would bring me to his chambers.

Solomon: Hmmm ….. Let’s go.

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Okay, is it silly of me that this is how I imagine this book being written? Ya, I’m guessing no theologian would agree with me, but I can’t help it! The Woman’s opening words are so impulsive and passionate, she just HAD to have the first word! Can’t you see her pushing people aside in her mission to bare her heart and soul to whomever would listen?

Let’s listen. Let’s take in every word, every embrace, every impatient sigh, every impassioned search – all of it. Why, you ask? Aren’t we kinda playing the part of a peeping Tom? Not at all! For you see, this is your story. You are the Woman Solomon sang about and Jesus is the Man who loves you and calls to you and searches for you and praises everything about you. I want to make sure we understand this before we go into this book.

Real quick, do you remember after Jesus had risen from the dead He went walking down the road to Emmaus and met up with two of His friends? They didn’t recognize Him and told him about all the sad events of the previous few days. Here’s what Jesus said to them: “‘How unwise and slow you are to believe in your hearts all that the prophets have spoken! Didn’t the Messiah have to suffer these things and enter into His glory?’ Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, He interpreted for them the things concerning Himself in all the scriptures.” (Luke 24:25-26)

All the scriptures, including this wonderful Song of Solomon. Read that Old Testament for yourself – God doesn’t waste any room, but in every crack and crevice packs more words about Himself and His Son wherever He can.

There in the Old Testament, human eyes saw a temple. It was a huge golden photograph of God Himself. Every little detail had crazy significance. You see that column of incense rising up in the sky every morning? It’s just a picture of the intercessory prayers of our Great High Priest that He would raise on behalf of His friends. See that sacrifice on the altar? It’s just a picture of the real sacrifice – the Lamb that was slain for the sins of the world.

A few hundred years later when King David sat down to write a few songs, God couldn’t help but use his words to paint more pictures of Jesus. When David sang, “I will proclaim Your name to my brothers!” God sang through him about the Redeemer that would come to proclaim and save. (Psalm 22:22 and Heb. 2:12) When David rejoiced and sang, “You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will You let Your Holy One see corruption,” Paul recognized that it was really God speaking about the Redeemer rising from the dead. (Psalm 16:10 and Acts 13:35)

What I’m saying is Jesus is EVERYWHERE in the Old Testament.

Now, if the books of the Old Testament prophets were a wide river and the references to Jesus Himself were stones, you could easily cross that river and never get your feet wet:

In Ezekiel, He is the Good Shepherd. (Eze. 34:11-19 and John 10)

In Daniel, He is the One who will come back riding on the clouds. (Daniel 7:13 and Rev. 1:7 AND Matthew 26:64)

In Micah, He is the Ruler from Bethlehem who has always existed. (Micah 5:2 and Matthew 2:6)

In Zechariah, He is Israel’s King who comes riding into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9 and John 12:15)

But, especially for our topic of interest here, Isaiah takes the cake, for he says to Israel, “You will no longer be called Deserted and your land will not be called Desolate; instead, you will be called ‘My Delight is in Her’ and your land ‘Married’, for the Lord delights in you and your land will be married … for as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so your God will rejoice over you.” (Isaiah 62:4-5)

Wouldn’t you have liked to have been there on the road to Emmaus when Jesus said, “Now, Cleopas, about the Song of Solomon. All I have to say is: That’s Me.”

Ya, maybe the conversation didn’t go exactly like that, but I just want to open this Bible study on that firm foundation: This Song of Solomon is a picture of Jesus and the object of His affection: Us. His Bride. He is the One of whom you sang when you were a kid: “He brought me to His banqueting table. His banner over me is love.” (Song of Solomon 2:4)

He is the one who is love-sick for His bride.

He is the one who calls His bride away to search Him and find Him. Let’s do that together. This is a joint search for our Treasure! Let’s encourage each as sisters in the Lord to seek for Him.

Day #4: His Introduction

“Oh, that He would kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!

For your love is more delightful than wine.

The fragrance of your perfume is intoxicating;

Your name is perfume poured out.

No wonder young women adore you.

Take me with you – let’s hurry!

Oh, that the King would bring me to his chambers!” (Song of Solomon 1:2-4)

This is the way the Woman introduces her Love. I told you last week how I think it really went, but I’ll stick to the text this time. Even without my exaggerations, can’t you feel this woman’s passion? Her first and last sentences begin with, “Oh!” She was pretty desperate to be with Him.

Why was she so desperate to be with Him? Well, here are two questions for you:

1. What object did she compare his love to?

2. What object did she compare his name to?

Wine and perfume. It’s funny – in another book he wrote, Solomon said, “Perfume brings joy to the heart.” (Prov 27:9) and a song from his time sang, “Wine makes man’s heart glad.” (Psalm 104:15)

Why did she so desperately want to be with her Love? Because he made her inexpressibly happy. That’s it. That’s the entire introduction we have of this Man. He delights her more than wine and just hearing his name gladdens her heart. The end.

Am I the only one whose mind is going back to some old movies? A young woman and young man are on her porch holding hands trying to convince her disapproving father that they should be together.

“But, Daddy!” she cries. “I want to be with him. He makes me happy!”

And our modern, educated and experienced selves want to shake her and say, “That’s it? He makes you happy? You’re not thinking this through. Does he have a job? Did he even go to college? What are his plans? Where are you going to live?”

You just know what her answer would be: “It doesn’t matter. I want to be with him because he makes me happy.”

And, in unison, we all throw up our hands and say, “How naive!”

That’s just it. Naivete. Simplicity. Like a child, she clings to her Love and insists she be close to Him at all times because He makes her so happy. She doesn’t mention anything else. It’s all she thinks we need to know about Him. He makes her happy.

She reminds me of Adam and Even before they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. That kind of naive innocence.

But interestingly, they both have something in common. Remember, this is a picture of Jesus and His Bride. Here’s what I think: Adam, Eve and Christ’s Bride are the only beings in the entire universe who were/are in the perfect environment to be perfectly naive. Adam and Eve never feared rejection, loss, abandonment or abuse because God had called their world (before sin) “good” and Goodness Himself walked with them in the cool of the day.

The world is no longer good and to expect perfect happiness and perfection from anyone is foolishly naive.

But in the arms of Jesus we are safe – safe to be as simple as a child. Safe to let our expectations soar and have them all met in His love. We are free from having to manipulate and play emotional games to make the one we love love us in return. We are safe from every harm.

In His arms, you are safe from rejection, for He has already accepted you. (Ephesians 1:6)

In His arms, you are safe from abandonment, for He has promised He will never leave you. (Hebrews 13:5)

In His arms, you are safe from abuse, for He is infinitely gentle. (Matthew 11:29)

You are in the arms of God! He is holding your hand (Psalm 139:10 and Isaiah 41:13) and His Spirit is in you (John 14:17). His eyes are always on you and His ears listening to your cries (Psalm 34:15). You are perpetually in His arms of love and in His presence there is fullness of joy, because there is nothing to fear.

That’s why we can come boldly into His presence – no fear, no shame – just love and joy!

If I am ever at a loss for words when I meet someone who asks about Jesus and I suddenly forget any religious memorization or theology, I sure hope I will feel the joy and freedom to say, “Jesus? Oh, I love being with Him! He makes me so happy. He just brings more joy to my heart than any person on earth. Come on, let’s search for Him together!”

Now, I know a lot of people may desperately want to believe all this, but a lifetime of one human being after another has come along and abused your trust, your vulnerability, your mind, your body or your heart. Lowering that wall of distrust seems like an impossible task. You’ve seen how undependable and untrustworthy people can be.

So has she. She was mistreated by her own brothers (1:6) and physically abused and robbed by the guards of the city – the very men who were supposed to be protecting her! (5:7)

You see, there is a simplicity that comes through inexperience. But there is another simplicity that comes through faith. It is an intentional simplicity. She had her wounds and scars – she had her natural wall of defense up, but when she met her Love, something changed:

“I am a wall and my breasts like towers.

So in His eyes I have become like one who finds peace.”

Song of Solomon 8:10.

Oh, she had her walls, but the One she Loves did not bulldoze her walls and force his way in. His love made her trust him so that she simply opened the door as any walled city would with those they trust.

She made herself voluntarily vulnerable. She let Him into the deepest part of her heart and soul and she obviously did not regret that decision. He continued to make her happy.

It is not always easy. Jesus sometimes knocks at the door of our individually walled cities and cries out, “Open to Me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my perfect one!” (Song of Solomon 5:2)

We could poke our heads out the window and give Him one of the many reasons why we can’t let him in and then add, “But, hey, we can be friends from a distance! You stay outside my walls and we’ll just talk like this now and then.”

Or we can open the door. We could let him into our heart. We could trust him that much. The Woman did. And what happened when she did? He was close enough for her to see and know every part of Him. Read it! In chapter 5 she talks about His head, His hair, His eyes, His cheeks, His lips, His arms, His body, His legs, His presence and His mouth … and she still found him “absolutely desirable”. (5:10-16)

To know Him is to love Him and the more we know of Him, the more we will love Him. It’s no wonder that in this first chapter she asks, “Tell me, you whom I love, where you graze your flock and where you rest your sheep at midday.” (1:7) She wants to be with him whenever, wherever, however she can.

Sister, let me tell you something. He is more than worthy of your trust. Open up your heart with the key of faith and allow yourself to expect the highest and deepest desires. He will fulfill them.

Day #5: Her Introduction

What a beautiful way the Shulamite has introduced her Love to us. The daughters of Jerusalem are convinced of His worth and tell her, “We will rejoice and be glad for you: We will praise your love more than wine!” (1:4)

She replies, “It is only right that they adore you.” (1:5) Then she introduces herself. Now, we know she has the making of an amazing poet in her – those three verses we looked at last week that introduced her Love are three of the most beautiful in all of the scriptures. But the next two verses leave me scratching my head. Is this the same writer? They’re two very awkward, pitiful verses. Here they are:

“Daughters of Jerusalem, I am dark like the tents of Kedar, yet lovely like the curtains of Solomon. Do not stare at me because I am dark, for the sun has gazed on me. My mother’s sons were angry with me; they made me a keeper of the vineyards. I have not kept my own vineyards.” (1:5,6)

I swear, women are women and we’re all the same, even when separated by 3,000 years. When we think about the Lord we want to sing out, “His presence is like Lebanon, as majestic as the cedars! His mouth is sweetness. He is absolutely desirable.” (Song of Solomon 5:15,16)

But then when we think of ourselves?

“Well, I’m not perfect. I’m very different from everyone else. Maybe some would call me strange. But hey, I’m still okay. I’m pretty. You know what? Don’t even look at me! I know I’m different, but hey, it’s not my fault! It’s my brothers’ fault.” (Ruthy’s Paraphrase)

*sigh* I feel you, sister. I truly do. I think if she were here with us we’d be able to watch the insecurity drip off her sweating brow. I mean, she just got done introducing Beauty incarnate! One who was pure bliss and joy and love … how could she follow an act like that?

In her obvious discomfort, she stands, looks around and searches for her Love. She looks for his flocks in hopes that she’ll see him. And while she is searching she asked a fascinating question: “Why should I be like a veiled woman beside the flocks of your friends?”

The Hebrew word translated here as “veiled” means “to cover, or be wrapped up or hidden.” All of her hesitations (“Don’t look at me!”), all her excuses, (“It’s my brother’s fault I am the way I am!”) were a feeble attempt to veil or cover her faults from the world. Remember, this was no naive little girl. She had known hardship and cruelty at the hands of others. No wonder she wanted to hide herself. Human beings can be cruel. The more open and uncovered we are, the more hurtful the rejection and insults.

But she didn’t want to hide anymore! She didn’t want to make excuses anymore! She wanted to be with Someone who could see and know her just as she was … and still love her wildly! So she looked for her Love.

Have you ever had a friend like this? I hope so, but if you haven’t I want to tell you there is someone who already loves you like this. There is one who died for us even when underneath our veils we had nothing but black, ugly hatred for Him. Even then He loved us. Even on our worst days, His grace is greater than all our sin.

Her Love tells her where to find Him then quickly takes up the job of introducing her (since she was doing a pretty crappy job of it herself).

“I compare you, my darling,

to a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots.

Your cheeks are beautiful with jewelry,

your neck with its necklace.

We will make gold jewelry for you,

accented with silver …

How beautiful you are, my darling.

How very beautiful!

Your eyes are doves.”

(1:9-11, 15)

Ah, now that’s an introduction!

Remember last week we saw how the Shulamite knew and praised every individual part of Him? Well, He does the same. He sees her “behind her veil” (4:1, 3) and praises her eyes, her hair, her teeth, her lips, her brow, her neck, her breasts – He sees every part of her and still repeats, “You are absolutely beautiful, my darling, with no imperfection in you.” (4:1-7)

Am I saying that God loves our sin and shortcomings? Not at all. I’m saying He loves you. And the magical thing that happens when we “unveil” ourselves to Jesus and say with David, “Search me and know my heart. Test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me.” (Psalm 139:23,24) … when we are open before the Lord we find He Himself has taken away all blemishes that we hated about ourselves. Matthew Henry said it best, “All who are sanctified are therefore beautified.” I love that.

In the light of His love she saw herself differently. No more insecurity. When she attempts to introduce herself again she finally sees herself as her Love sees her:

“I am a rose of Sharon. I am a lily of the valley.” (2:1)

Go ahead, sister – invite Him in. Take that veil off. Like David, ask Jesus to search you. To know you. And any unclean thing in you He will wash away gently and with infinite patience and love.

Your sin doesn’t scare Him. You sin doesn’t even surprise Him.

I can almost hear Him calling, “Come!” to the Shulamite … but I do hear it loudly 2 or 3 pages away over in the book of Isaiah: “Come, let’s discuss this. Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be white as snow.” (Isaiah 1:18)

Grace, grace, God’s grace,

Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;

Grace, grace, God’s grace,

Grace that is greater than all our sin!

P.S.: I’m not only talking to unbelievers. I am talking to all of us whose sins may not be barring our souls from heaven anymore, but whose guilt may be barring our hearts from a closer intimacy with Jesus. He will never ever cease calling to you: “Come away, my beloved one.” (2:10) His mercy is unfailing and infinite. His love will call you forever and ever.

You are beautiful, sister. There is no imperfection in you. (Song of Solomon 4:7 and Hebrews 10:14)

Day #6: What Kind of Tree Would He Be?

So we read the Shulamite’s introduction last week. Remember how she tried to introduce herself and that kinda fell flat so He came to her rescue and introduced her to us Himself. “She’s beautiful!” And in her utter trust of Him, she tried again to introduce herself: “I am a lily of the valley. I am a rose of Sharon.” (2:1)

But our poetess’ mind went a bit further. If she were a lily and a rose, what would that make her Love?

Is anyone else thinking of Barbara Walters? She got flack for decades for asking Katherine Hepburn, “If you were a tree what kind of tree would you be?” Now the woman is wondering this about her Love. And her answer? An apple tree!

“Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my lover among the young men. I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste.” (2:3)

We already saw in week #2 that she introduced Him as “delightful” and here she says it again. But now we have a little insight as to why He delights her so much. What exactly made Him so delightful?

His shade and His fruit. “I delight to sit in His shade.” I think that’s interesting, considering what she said earlier. “Do not stare at me because I am dark, for the sun has gazed on me. My mother’s sons were angry with me; they made me a keeper of the vineyards.” (1:6) The sun’s rays can be painful, its heat oppressive.

But obviously she wasn’t talking about his shade from the literal sun. She felt the same way as Solomon’s own father did in Psalm 63:1, “My soul thirsts for You [God]. My whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.”

This world is a desert. It is painful. It weighs us down, saps our joy and starves our souls. There is too little comfort and too much grief. There is too much toil and too little rest. Have you felt it? Have you felt the curse of this world on your spiritual skin? We walk through this desert as foreigners and its environment is harsh to our spirits.

But look – there is a massively tall tree over there. Everyone is running to it! Surely a tree this tall and beautiful will bring us some relief. But alas, it’s so tall that there is no shade beneath it. The throngs that cling to its base are not helped at all. (Psalm 91:1)

What’s this one? A long, lanky tree that has enough shade, but watch how the wind tosses it back and forth. You may enjoy some shade from the sun, but you will be constantly working and running to get it. (Matthew 11:28)

Finally! A wide, mighty oak tree! There is a wide open space to escape the heat … then why are those under it still so weak? You see, it has shade but no fruit nor drink. (John 6:55)

But the Shulamite has found the one Tree in all the forest that meets all of her needs! She delights in His shade. She eats of His fruit. His fruit refreshes and sustains her. (Song of Solomon 2:5)

Why was she so delighted in Him? He was everything she needed!

“Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4)

Do you need love in a hateful world? He is everything you need.

Do you need peace in a hostile world? He is everything you need.

Do you need gentleness in a cruel world? He is everything you need.

What do you need? What are you lacking so fiercely that your soul is starving? I hear Him say over and over, “Come away, My Beloved!” Come and rest and delight in His shade. Eat heartily of His fruit. He is there for you to meet your every need.

Charles Spurgeon said something fascinating, “Christ known should be Christ used. The spouse knew her Beloved to be like a fruit-bearing tree and at once she sat down under His shadow and fed upon His fruit. It is a pity that we know so much about Christ and yet enjoy Him so little.”

Sister, what do you need? A little more faith? A little more strength? A strong arm around you? A strong arm for you? Whatever it is, come and rest and delight in Him!

He’s all I need.

He’s all I need.

Jesus is all I need.

He’s all I need.

He’s all I need.

Jesus is all I need.

Day #7: Why Do We Seek Him?

Have you ever seen the picture of Jesus standing outside of a door, knocking? Being raised in the church, I saw this picture all the time when I was a kid. I was thinking about it this week and thought I’d try to find it online.

Try googling: Jesus Knocking. Go ahead, try it. It comes back with hundreds of different paintings. It was so fun to look through. All of them are based on the scripture, “Behold! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” (Rev 3:20)

Some of the paintings were of Jesus knocking on the door of a modern home. One was of Jesus knocking on a skyscraper. Hm, I thought that was pretty cool. In one, Jesus was dressed in priestly garments as He knocked. In another, as Jesus knocked a little girl looked out the window to Him. I was having so much fun looking at everyone’s artistic interpretation of this verse.

But none of them were quite the same as the Shulamite woman’s. Interestingly, both verses (in Revelation and Song of Solomon) include a plea to, “Behold!” or as most newer translations put it, “Look … listen!”

“Listen! My Love is approaching.

Look! Here He comes,

leaping over the mountains,

bounding over the hills.

My love is like a gazelle

or a young stag.

Look, he is standing behind our wall,

gazing through the windows,

peering through the lattice.

My love calls to me,

‘Arise, my darling.

Come away, my beautiful one!’”

Song of Solomon 2:8-10

I’d love to see someone try to paint this.

Now, she told us to “look”, so let’s look. What do we see? A room. She is in her house lounging or working or socializing, who knows. But she isn’t looking for her Love or else she wouldn’t be in her house.

No, she’s not looking for Him. But something catches her ear. Someone calling her name? And something catches her eye – someone running toward her house like a deer! Running, jumping over any obstacle that may separate them. She sees and hears Him from miles away until – there He is. Right there outside the door. And no, He doesn’t stand there all nice and patient and quietly rap-rap-rap at the door. He looks through the window and shouts, “Arise my darling! Come away, my beautiful one!”

I began reading this amazing book because I wanted to learn more about seeking the Lord, which this book is full of. But I think we can see here that we only seek Him because He first sought us. We come to Him because He first called us. We listen for Him because He first called us. Or in other words:

“We love Him because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:9.

I think often about something Beth Moore said. She said she was praying and she felt the Lord told her not to say, “I love you, Lord,” for a full week. Instead she was to say, “I love you, too, Lord.” We love Him only because He first loved us.

He searches us out, running, bounding, looking, calling – calling for us to open the door to Him so we may spend some time with Him. So that He can show us how much He loves us.

“I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew

He moved my soul to seek Him, seeking me.

It was not I that found, O Savior true;

No, I was found of Thee.

Thou didst reach forth Thy hand and mine enfold;

I walked and sank not on the storm vexed sea.

’Twas not so much that I on Thee took hold,

As Thou, dear Lord, on me.

I find, I walk, I love, but oh, the whole

Of love is but my answer, Lord, to Thee!

For Thou were long beforehand with my soul,

Always Thou lovest me.”

           Anonymous, 1880

What does this mean for us? What does this mean for you, sister?

Oh, any newbie theologian could write dozens of sermons on this subject, but I’ll tell you what it meant for me this week, if you don’t mind.

It means that there is something in me that the Lord loves. It’s easy to give reasons why we want to seek the Lord – He’s God! He’s strong and wise and infinite, etc. etc. etc. But me? This great God wants to seek me out. He wants to knock on my door, call my name, sit with me, look in my eyes, and listen to me talk and cry and laugh and go on about my day. He came running over mountains, hills and valleys – to come inside my home and sup with me.

We can ooh and ahh over the Shulamite’s love for her Lover all we want, but all this week please remember that the Lord is seeking you out. Remember what she said? “Look! Listen!” Do that this week! He is calling you – do you hear Him? He is running after you – do you see Him?

Stop striving! All that work you’re doing to cross off the checklist of things to make you a good Christian is just drowning out His voice. Stop looking at the checklist and look to the mountains! He’s coming for you! Get off that religious treadmill – you were never getting anywhere on it, anyway. Get off, be quiet and open your spiritual eyes. Do you hear Him call you, “Come away, my Beloved!”

Let’s stop. Let’s be quiet. Let’s believe that for some crazy reason God loves us and is seeking us out.

And let’s sit and have dinner.

Day #8: Come and Dine

Yesterday, I had all the family at my house for Judah’s 1st birthday party. Fourteen people in my little house made things loud and messy, but very, very fun. I didn’t learn anything – didn’t give anything – didn’t get anything. I just enjoyed everything. I soaked in Mikey’s gorgeous 5-year-old smile when we worked on a little puzzle. I watched my mom beam when she saw Judah take a few steps. I laughed when Judah tried to feed Sarah some of his smash cake. And I can’t forget to mention my sister’s beautiful purple shirt. (You know I had to, Chayil!)

Thankfully, I had already prepared this week’s post on the Song of Solomon, so it meant a little more to me than usual. It had occurred to me while reading chapter two that God both loved sitting down with his friends and had a habit of equating our relationship with Him as a get together around the dining table:

“I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” Rev 3:20

“Then the angel said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’” Rev 19:9

“He has taken me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me is love.” Song of Solomon 2:4

“It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.” Luke 12:37

“Then said He unto him, ‘A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.’” Luke 14:16-17

“And he said to them, ‘I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.’” Luke 22:15

Six times! This begged a question, though: Why does God want to sit and eat with us? What does He get out of it?

Well, one day we will be in heaven and will put all our crowns at His feet.

And when we meet on Sunday, we bring our tithes into His storehouse.

In the parable, the servants gave back, with interest, the talents they were given.

These are all Biblical and giving to God should be a common practice in our lives, but what about His favorite image of a dinner? It doesn’t seem like God would get anything out of that!

Ah! But He does. Let’s look at today’s verse:

“My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places on the mountainside, show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.” (Song of Solomon 2:14)

When we hear His knocking, let Him in and dine with Him, talk to Him, share, cry and laugh with Him, He is left with the two things I was left with last night: A messy house and a happy heart.

Your voice is sweet to Him.

Your face is lovely to Him.

You see, our entire eternity will be filled with dining, happiness and joy. Jesus just wants to get the party started a little early. Can you blame Him? He’s a man in love! Your very presence delights Him!

Why then is prayer so difficult for us?

I don’t know about you, but there are times I avoid coming to Him because I feel I must give Him something – and I have absolutely nothing to give. I can’t give Him joyful praise sometimes because I am drowning in my own tears. I can’t give Him big, lofty words of worship because all I can eek out is, “I’m so sorry” or “Please help.” I can’t give Him a pure heart sometimes because I let my sin in the door once again.

Then I remember an old, old song:

Nothing in my hands I bring,

Simply to the cross I cling.

Even at our worst, poorest and weakest, God still desires two little things:

“Let me see your face.

Let me hear your voice.”

So raise your face to Him even if it is tear-stained and sin-bloodied.

Let Him hear your voice even if songs and prayers won’t come, but only a groan.

At our worst, at our best, in good times and bad – in ALL things come to Him. Whenever you can. Sit at His table and refresh yourself in His presence. He needs nothing from you. In fact, I find it fascinating that in two of the above “supper” verses, He was doing the serving!

Just sit, eat and talk. That’s our Lord’s favorite image of our relationship with Him.

Come and dine, the Master calleth!

Come and dine!

You can eat at Jesus’ table all the time.

He who fed the multitudes, turned the water into wine

To the hungry calleth now, “Come and dine!”

Day #9: Of Lovers and Guards

There she was, lying in bed, expecting her Love to walk in at any moment. I wonder if she decked herself with the jewels He loved (1:11). I wonder if she burned incense – the myrrh, aloes and cinnamon he raved about (4:13-14).

She refused to fall asleep, although I’m sure she was getting more and more tired the later it got. I have no idea what this woman did during the day – whether she had a hard life, easy life, tiring life, exciting life. Career? Kids? Beggar? No idea. Whatever her life was like, this was the place in that life that she and her Love could forget about anything else and be alone together. No doubt, she prepared for this time. She waited patiently for this time with him.

And He didn’t show.

“In my bed at night

I sought the one I love;

I sought him, but did not find him.”

Song of Solomon 3:1

So she got out of her comfy bed, blew out the candles, shrugged on a robe and sandals and left. When she opened her door and saw the city sprawled out before her, I wonder if she thought, “If he’s out there, I’m gonna find him.”

She got more dirty and more tired as more minutes went by. I wonder if hours went by? I wonder if her heart skipped a beat every time she turned a corner – maybe he’d be there! Do you think she stood up on a couple boxes to see better over the throng of people at the morning market? She searched everywhere.

“I will arise now and go about the city,

through the streets and the plazas.

I will seek the one I love.

I sought him, but did not find him.”

(3:2)

I’ll let her finish her story:

“The guards who go about the city found me.

‘Have you seen the one I love?’ I asked them.

I had just passed them

When I found the one I love.”

(3:3-4a)

I’m so curious – what did the guards say? I tend to think they told her where he was, because she said she had just passed them when she found her Love. That’s just my opinion, though.

But I want to sit here on this part of her search for a minute. Because you see, I want to remind you for a minute that you are this woman. But that’s not all – your friend is this woman. Your neighbor, your mom, your sister, your cashier, your boss. I do think it’s important for you to remember that you are the Beloved woman, for your own sake. But sometimes I think it’s necessary to be the guards, for others’ sakes.

I mean, look at those guards. Every version I’ve read has the same wording: “The guards found me.”

In her desperate search, the Shulamite didn’t even see that help was right there in front of her. They saw her. They saw her running and searching. I wonder if they saw her crying. Maybe they saw her punch a wall or two in frustration. I don’t know – but they found her. They went to her. And only then could she release the burden of her heart, “Have you seen the one I love?”

Again, I don’t know what they said to her, but it’s not important. The question is: What will you say? Those women in your life may look like they have it all together and they may. But let’s be guards for their hearts. Let’s watch day and night so that when the “dark night of the soul”, as an old saint put it, comes and visits them, you will see the change in them, their tears and burdened souls … and let’s find them. They may not be able to find us. Let’s find them.

And when in confused desperation they ask you, “Where is God?” may we be bold enough and ready to say, “The Lord is near to all who call on Him. (Psalm 145:18) Come on, let’s look for Him together. Your voice may be weak so I’ll call out to Him for you. Your arms may be tired, so I will raise my shield of faith for you. Let’s go search Him out together, sister.”

And you and I will share in that great joy when she finally finds Him!

Let’s be God’s hands to draw our brothers and sisters closer to Him. Let’s be His light when they’re in darkness and His embrace when they just need to be held.

Day #10: Come Out Here and See This!

The writers of the Bible sometimes used a special phrase to show their amazement at a unique person or nation. Just any spectacular sight. When they saw something that no one had ever seen – something really spectacular - they would ask, “Who is this?”

For instance, Isaiah said, “Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah, with His garments stained crimson? Who is this, robed in splendor, striding forward in the greatness of his strength?” (Isaiah 63:1a)

And Jeremiah, too: “Who is this that rises like the Nile, like rivers of surging waters?” (Jer 46:7a)

In the Song of Solomon, the Shulamite uses the same phrase for her Love. Let’s see what she says:

“Who is this coming up from the desert like a column of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and incense made from all the spices of the merchant? Look! It is Solomon’s carriage, escorted by sixty warriors, the noblest of Israel, all of them wearing the sword, all experienced in battle, each with his sword at his side, prepared for the terrors of the night. King Solomon made for himself the carriage; he made it of wood from Lebanon. Its posts he made of silver, its base of gold. Its seat was upholstered with purple, its interior lovingly inlaid by the daughters of Jerusalem.” (Song of Solomon 3:6-10)

What a sight that must have been! A vast caravan coming up from the desert, but not the type she probably saw often with nomadic tribes. No, this caravan radiated majesty. There was no doubt a powerful king was coming. Sixty warriors accompanied him so no one could threaten him. His personal carriage was luxurious and rich.

Who is this? The king. It could be no one else.

Have you ever said the same about God? After reading this several times this week I found myself saying in prayer, “Who is this that takes a self-absorbed, sinful life and raises it up in mercy to sit in heavenly places with Christ?”

The King. It could be no one else.

Perhaps you could say, “Who is this that healed every sickness in my body with only a touch of His hand?”

Or, “Who is this that filled me with joy when the world has taken everything I held dear?”

The King. It could be no one else.

I challenge you to think about something the Lord has done for you that absolutely no one else could have done.

How blessed are we that we get to see the Lord’s face, His hands, His heart and His work in our lives? How blessed are we that He has opened our spiritual eyes to see His beauty? Then let’s not hold it in! Let’s shout with the Shulamite, “Come out here and look at Him!” (vs 11) You’ll never see anything like Him – come and see!

I think it’s fascinating that when Jesus entered Jerusalem and the crowd waved their palm branches with shouts of “Hosanna!” the crowd stood around asking, “Who is this?” (Matthew 21:10).

And when Jesus woke up, sleepy-eyed, spoke a few words to the storm and raging waves and they calmed down, what were the disciples next words? “Who is this?” (Mark 4:41)

Beyond just a desire to know this new guy’s name and number, what they were saying was that they’d never seen anything like Him before. And the Shulamite’s awe and wonder was the same. When she looked at her Love it was a rising up of glory never seen on this earth. When our God comes near to us, when He lovingly lets His glory be seen He is completely set-apart from any other power on earth.

This is no mere man we serve, sisters. Our own souls cry out with Moses (Ex 15:11), David (Psalm 89:8), Isaiah (40:18) and Jeremiah (10:6) that there is no one like Him! Think on the things He has done for you this week that no one has done or could do. Meditate on His uniqueness – and rest in the warm arms of the thought that this Great One is your own.

Remember, you are your Beloved’s and He is yours.

Day #11: You Are Beautiful Just As You Are

One day there was a man who went to his two friends and said, “I want to buy a house. But I want it to be beautiful, absolutely beautiful inside and out. I have one in mind and I want you guys to come look at it and tell me what you think.”

The first guy said, “I’m on it!” and runs off to see the house.

The second guy said, “Eh, I don’t think I have the time to take a tour of this whole house you’re talking about.”

“No problem,” said the friend. “You can see a whole lot of it from the outside. Come on, and tell me what you think.”

“Eh, it’d be a lot easier for me to just look at a picture so I don’t have to get up and look at it.”

The friend fumbled through his pockets and found a print out of the property, but it only had a little thumbnail picture of the house. Only about 1 inch by 1 inch. “This is all I have.”

“Perfect!” said the lazybutt. “Alright, let’s take a look here. Oh! No, you can’t buy this. It isn’t beautiful at all. It’s blue. I prefer green. And look here, I think those are rosebushes. I prefer hibiscus. Nope, this house is definitely not beautiful.”

Meanwhile, the other friend had gotten to the house. He stood right in front of it and gasped at how big and beautiful it was. He looked at the foundations and where he would usually see some cracks from where the foundation was getting a bit unstable, he saw nothing. This house would be standing for centuries.

He walked inside and found it was MUCH bigger on the inside than you could tell from the outside. There was room after room and each one was furnished and painted and decorated just perfectly. Each little corner had gorgeous little detailing and every closet and pantry and hidden space was charming. There was a garden in the back that seemed to go on forever.

He found his friend and said, “It’s beautiful! If you don’t buy it, I will. I’m telling you – it is absolutely beautiful with no imperfections at all! (Song of Solomon 4:7)

Now, both men were “right” in their opinions since beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but whose opinion should the house-buyer lend more credence to?

The man who had the most knowledge of it, right? The man who had seen every little hidden nook and cranny and still found the house beautiful.

Well, that seemed like the obvious answer, but I’d submit to you that in our own lives, we daughters of God too often take the opinion of the man with the tiny picture.

You see, from the day we’re born we have people and societies and cultures tell us what their standard of beauty is and if we don’t meet it we are just not beautiful. And we’ve believed it WAY too often.

But have any of them really seen us? Have they looked into our eyes? Into our hearts? Into our past? Into our battles?

No, but there is One who has:

“How beautiful you are, my darling.

How very beautiful!

Behind your veil, your eyes are doves.

Your hair is like a flock of goats

streaming down Mount Gilead.

Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn sheep

Coming up from washing,

each one having a twin

and not one missing.

Your lips are like a scarlet cord,

and your mouth is lovely.

Behind your veil,

you brow is like a slice of pomegranate.

Your neck is like the tower of David,

constructed in layers.

A thousand bucklers are hung on it -

all of them shields of warriors.

Your breasts are like two fawns,

twins of a gazelle, that feed

among the lilies …

You are absolutely beautiful, my darling,

with no imperfections in you.”

Song of Solomon 4:1-7

Look at that – He talked about every little detail of the Shulamite. Now, remember the Song of Solomon is a spiritual allegory – A physical story meant to convey a spiritual truth. This is imagery at its finest.

See, God has seen every little corner of our lives – every little detail of every part of us has been examined by the eye of God – and He has declared that we are beautiful!

What does that mean, exactly? That you meet some kind of standard and have earned enough points to merit His favor? Nope! This is beauty: the quality in a person that brings intense pleasure and satisfaction.

When God says you are beautiful He is simply saying that He delights in you! He is satisfied with who you are and the very thought of you brings Him intense pleasure. To God, beauty is not a standard you must struggle to reach, but a realization that you bring utter joy to Him.

So let me ask you – are you beautiful? Since beauty is subjective you can only answer for yourself. We know we may not be beautiful to everyone. We know we are definitely beautiful to God. But do you think you are beautiful?

When you wake up in the morning and look in the mirror do you see an amalgamation of all your weaknesses? Is your constant mantra, “One day I’ll be better (or do better or look better). Then I’ll be beautiful.” Do you shrink away from coming to the Lord in prayer because your own ugliness feels all out of place with God’s beauty?

Perhaps when we look in that mirror in the morning, instead of seeing all of our weaknesses, we could see how far God has taken us. Instead of seeing our faults, perhaps we can see the Potter’s hands on our lives and how they make us more like Him. Perhaps we could say, “Ah, Lord, look what you’ve done!”

Take a look at this: “He gave us beauty for our ashes.” (Isaiah 61:3)

That means He gave us that ability to delight Him. He gave you that special something that thrills His heart. HE GAVE YOU your beauty. It’s already in you. He already gave it to us. Right now, just as you are, with all your spiritual checklists unchecked and with all your imperfections …

Just as you are. You are beautiful.

Day #12: Of Lions, Leopards and Lovers

Over and over and over in this book of the Song of Solomon, we’ve heard the Man call to His beloved, “Come away!” We’ve seen what a loving invitation it is that God has called His own bride away to a place of intimacy and joy.

But here in our next passage, we see another reason why He calls us away to Himself:

“Come with me from Lebanon, my bride -

with me from Labanon!

Descend from the peak of Amana,

from the summit of Senir and Hermon,

from the dens of the lions,

from the mountains of the leopards.”

Song of Solomon 4:8

“Come away” is not only an invitation to something but an encouragement to leave something else. She was in a dangerous place there in those mountains filled with lions and leopards. I almost see this not as the wistful and joyful, “Come away!” that we’ve seen earlier, but almost a command – like when my son gets too close to something I know will harm him.

“Come away!”

You see, if we are not where the Lord wants us – if we have left His side for whatever reason and found ourselves far from Him we are in a very dangerous place. You see, Satan is walking around like a lion looking for someone to devour and you have absolutely no power of your own with which to defend yourself. (1 Peter 5:8)

God is our protection, our refuge and stronghold. The righteous run into His arms and are safe. (Proverbs 18:10) But outside the walls of this Mighty Fortress, we are in danger when we walk alone.

There’s a verse in the Psalms that says, “[Speaking of God] Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey.” (Psalm 76:4)  If you look at the context it talks about God judging and fighting His foes. Point is, you have no reason to fear the beasts of this world if you are with Him. If you are resting in the shadow of His wings. (Psalm 57:1, among others)

So, have you walked far from the Lord and found yourself being dragged back by Satan’s claws into a life of sin you did NOT want to ever be in again? Or are you tempted to walk away occasionally for a little taste of whatever poison the devil is offering you? The Lord is calling you, “Come away!” Run for your life into the strong-walled fortress of God and rejoice, knowing you are safe and secure. (Psalm 63:7)

But what does it all come down to? Listening and following. God could call to you all day, “Come away!” but you must do the leg-work. Jesus said, “If anyone should serve me, he must follow me.” (John 12:26)

And that is what the Song of Solomon is really all about. Two lovers together – and searching for each other when one is not there. When Israel was wondering in the wilderness, God saw them as a young woman following her love everywhere He went. But as soon as they got to the land flowing with milk and honey – to a land where they felt they had everything and needed nothing more – they stopped asking, “Where is the Lord?” And that’s where it began to fall apart.

Once we think or feel we don’t need Him anymore – maybe we are spiritually mature enough, or strong enough, or wise enough – we will find ourselves right up there in that mountain surrounded by lions and leopards with no way to escape.

Stay close to the Lover of your soul, sisters, and never ever think you can survive one minute without Him.

Day #13: God’s Captivated Heart

“For God so loved the world …”

That’s nice, right? It brings a smile, those six little words. It’s these words that begin one of the most famous anthems of Christianity: John 3:16. Millions of people could finish this sentence – it’s that popular.

No, no, I haven’t forgotten that this is a study of the Song of Solomon not the Song of John, but I thought we might put on some 3D glasses and let Solomon help us see this verse in a different way.

See, I’m afraid at times that our human minds tend to tame God’s love and while familiarity may not breed contempt exactly, it may do something worse: it may diminish it to a point where it is small and weak enough to be ignored.

Solomon spoke about the same love of God that John wrote about in these words:

“You have captured my heart, my sister, my bride.

You have captured my heart with one glance of your eyes.”

“Turn your eyes away from me,

for they captivate me.”

Song of Solomon 4:9 and 6:5

It’s fascinating really – the Hebrew word for “capture” in the verse above means “to rage, to be fierce, to press upon, to urge” but all in a positive way. As if Solomon is happy to be pressed upon and cheerfully lets His heart be captured.

You may have seen this same thing in the eyes of your husband when you batted your eyes in just the right way. Maybe it was a wink or a raised eyebrow, but one gaze and you captured his heart. That man is yours – a little puddle at your feet. His attention is yours. Heck, fifty Victoria’s Secret models could walk by and he wouldn’t notice. Ask him for the moon and he’d grab a lasso. You have captured his heart – and he is totally yours.

See, when you just lift your eyes up to the Lover of your soul, it stirs up that same passion that would cross mountains and oceans just to be with you (to steal lyrics from Third Day). All that He is is yours and you can truly say with the Shulamite, “My Beloved is mine.” (7:4) and with David, “Oh God, you are my God.” (Psalm 63:1)

It wasn’t the same love you had for the visitor at church that you hugged and said, “Love you!” No, God’s love is no sweet but weak kitten. It is a strong, roaring lion. So many old hymns sing of God’s “mighty and strong” love. The Shulamite even said His love was as strong as death and burns like a forest fire (8:6)

It’s this fierce love that gives everything. All that He is is with us (Matthew 1:23) and all that He does is for us. Let’s finish that verse:

“For God so loved the world … that He gave His only Son.”

For God so loved the world that He died. Don’t doubt it, sisters. It wasn’t some cosmic sense of responsibility that forced Him to die – it was a mighty, blazing, passionate love for you. Yes, you. The woman sitting in your seat right now.

You capture His heart with just one glance of your eyes.

Day #14: Only the Strongest Speak Sweetly.

Can I ask you a personal question? You know how God commanded us to be holy and set apart? Well, is the way you speak very different – or set apart – from the way unbelievers speak?

I mean, we’re big girls. We can ask ourselves the hard questions, right?

No, no, no – I don’t mean that we sing worship songs and unbelievers don’t. And no, I don’t mean we pray occasionally and unbelievers don’t. And I also don’t mean we gossip the same as unbelievers, only we make sure to follow it with, “Sigh. We’ll just have to pray for her.”

No, here is the question bluntly:

Do our lips drip sweetness like honeycomb and are honey and milk under our tongues? (Song of Solomon 4:11)

That’s what the Shulamite’s lover said about her. So I asked myself if I could say the same about me.

And my answer is yes.

Yes, my lips do drip sweetness like honey. As long as I’m not driving in my car. Or at Walmart. Or at the DMV. I’m telling you, my lips are as sweet as sugar as long as I’m not watching TV, discussing politics or reading someone’s blog that I don’t agree with. My speech is perfectly gracious in my home. When all children and husbands are not there, that is.

And even then you have to catch me on a good day.

*sigh* Alright, maybe my lips are sometimes more like the ones that Solomon’s father described:

“Look, swords are in their lips … viper’s venom is under their tongues.” (Psalm 59:7, 140:3)

Yikes.

The truth is sisters, no matter how venom-like our speech may or may not be, our spirits deeply desire to speak words that will please the Lover of our souls. Why else have we so earnestly sung, “Take joy my King in what You hear. Let it be a sweet, sweet song in Your ear.”

But dang it if it’s not the hardest thing to do sometimes. I think that’s why when the writer of Hebrews talked about the pleasing fruit of our lips, he called it a “sacrifice” of praise. (Hebrews 13:15) Ladies, there is something in us we have to kill before sweet honey will ever flow from our lips. That flesh that wants to speak its own words (which are always accompanied by the sword and venom) must die.

Sweet speech is a hard fought-for trait. Only the strong speak sweetly.

Who then shall deliver us from these lips of death? I thank my Lord, through Jesus Christ! (Romans 7:24)

“Lord, open my lips and my mouth will declare Your praise.” (Psalm 51:15)

“Lord, set up a guard for my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips.” (Psalm 141:3)

Ask Him to rein in your tongue. We’re just not strong enough. James called our tongues forest fires! (James 3:5-6) We’ll never put it out on our own.

Ask Him to take away every last trace of venom and replace it with honey. He can do that.

May every word we speak be a sweet, sweet song in our Lord’s ear.

Day #15: God’s Private Garden

Have you ever read the book “The Secret Garden”? Modern child that I am, I didn’t read it – I saw the movie. It was a long time ago and I only remember one thing: the locked garden. I know there was some story to it all, but the only thing I can recall is the girl with the key to that hidden, locked garden. A secret place where every beautiful plant grew and only she could get to it. It was all hers.

And even now that I am seeing more and more gray streaks in my hair every day, the idea of a secret garden still fascinates me. I love solitude, quietness and beauty and if I were given just one wish, a secret garden would be on my top 5 list.

So, imagine how my heart started beating faster when I read this in the Song of Solomon:

“You are a garden locked up, my sister, my bride.

You are a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain.

Your branches are a paradise of pomegranates

with choices fruits,

henna with spikenard,

spikenard with saffron, calamus and cinnamon,

with all the trees of frankincense,

myrrh and aloes,

with all the best spices.

You are a garden spring,

a well of flowing water

streaming from Lebanon.”

Song of Solomon 4:12-15

A locked garden. A sealed up spring. Wait – do you hear that? What is that sound, you ask? Oh, it’s just me shrieking in delight like a little girl.

Now, I am not the biggest fan of the New Living Translation, but I think that in this case they were spot on. While every other translation says the Shulamite is a locked or enclosed garden, the NLT says it this way:

“You are my private garden, my treasure, my bride. A secluded spring and a hidden fountain.” (Song of Solomon 4:12)

I think this is spot on because after his description of her as a garden, this is the conversation that happens between the happy couple:

Shulamite: “Let my love come into his garden and taste his choices fruits.”

Solomon: “I have come into my garden. I have gathered my myrrh with my spices.” (Song of Solomon 4:16 – 5:1)

She was his garden. So what does that mean? He just held the deed? Nah, I think it’s much deeper than that. I think the point is that he planted his garden, watered and sustained it for his own use and enjoyment. That’s what gardeners do.

Whoa, whoa, whoa: A garden planted by God, sustained by God, for God? That sounds familiar:

“For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.” (Romans 11:36)

“All things were created by Him and for Him … and by Him all things consist.” (Colossians 1:16-17)

If you don’t mind we will be staying in this garden for a few weeks. Partly because there is a wealth of spiritual truths to harvest here and partly because I like secret gardens. They make me feel all warm and toasty inside.

Anywho, let’s look at that first one: All things come from Him. You’ve heard that song, “I’m everything I am because you loved me.” Well, that’s really what the Shulamite is saying. His love was the spark from which our lives and every good thing in us originated. Not only did he lovingly plant every good thing in us, but he planned out the garden of our life before we even existed:

“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.” (Jeremiah 1:5)

Any good gardener will tell you that before you plant one seed you should take out a piece of paper and plan out your garden. You should see what it will be in your mind before you see it with your eyes. And this is what the Lord has done for each of us.

Sister, you are a locked garden – a private garden planted by God. He knew every little branch and fruit of your life before you were a twinkle in your parents’ eyes. You are His. He has a plan for you.

Have you left your gate open too many times and allowed others to trample your garden? You are still the Lord’s garden and His plan for you will still come about.

Have evil men broken down your gate and stolen from and violated your garden? You are still the Lord’s garden and His plan for you will still come about.

Are there poisonous or unpleasant plants in your garden that you want to rid yourself of but just they’re so deeply rooted? You are still the Lord’s garden and His plan for you will still come about.

You are not a mistake, an accident, an oversight or unnecessary extra.

No you were made …

because of Him. (Romans 11:36)

Prepared by Him. (Proverbs 16:4)

Created by Him. (Psalm 33:6)

You exist because of Him. (1 Corinthians 8:6)

In Him you have life (Acts 17:28)

and you are His masterpiece! (Ephesians 2:10)

You are God’s private garden, full of beauty. Don’t see any beauty in your life right now? Oh you wait – God has already seen it, so it is getting ready under your very feet. Getting ready to sprout and grow.

Day #16: God’s Private Garden in the Desert

We’re still meandering through that garden we spoke of last week – God’s private garden that was the Shulamite. Last time we talked about how this garden was planted by God. Today we will see how that garden – and ours – is sustained by God. (“By Him, through Him and for Him”, remember? Romans 11:36)

Okay, let’s see what came of all God’s hard work and planning:

“Your branches are a paradise of pomegranates

and choice fruits,

henna with nard -

nard and saffron, calamus

and cinnamon,

with all the trees

of frankincense,

myrrh and aloes,

with all the best spices.”

(Song of Solomon 4:13-14)

Whoa, that’s a garden, huh? But I have a secret. Something that will make this amazing garden seem ten times more amazing. Wanna know what it is? God’s private garden is in the middle of a desert. You know how I know? I visited another of God’s private gardens – the Garden of David. This is how he described it:

“God, you are my God. I eagerly seek You.

I thirst for You;

my body faints for You

in a land that is dry, desolate and without water.”

Psalm 63:1

You see, if we were talking about some secret garden in a lush, rainy environment with perfect soil, it would still be nice but we could easily attribute its greatness to natural causes. Heck, the gardener wouldn’t even need to do anything for a garden in a place like that and he sure wouldn’t get any of the glory for it.

But not so with us, God’s private gardens. Our spirits are not conducive to the environment of this world. Our spirits aren’t fed and refreshed by this world, they are choked and dried by it. Left to ourselves, we cannot rely on this world for one drop of water for our thirsty souls.

But God, the Master Gardener sustains us by His Word (Psalm 119:116). He came into the desert that is this world and found some people who wanted to be a beautiful garden for God, but couldn’t in this desert. So He stood and shouted, “If anyone is thirsty let him come to Me and drink!” (John 7:37)

Sister, you are God’s private garden in the middle of a vast desert. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself thirsty sometimes. That doesn’t mean you aren’t His garden anymore. It just means that you need Him to water you. You know what that Garden of David did when he was parched and dry?

“So I gaze on You in the sanctuary to see Your strength and Your glory.”

(Psalm 63:2)

“I spread out my hands to You; I am like parched land before You.” (Psalm 143:6)

Only God can sustain us. Only He can refresh and nourish our spirits. Are you thirsty? Look to Him. Do you feel your spirit shriveling up and getting weaker and weaker? Spread out your arms to Him and ask to be refreshed. He will bring the beauty and fruitfulness He has planned for you. Simply turn your eyes upon Jesus.

And just like a locked and fruitful garden in the middle of a vast desert, those who see you will know there is a Master Gardener at work within you. And He will get all the glory (but more on that next week).

Day #17: “I’m Already Here.”

Shulamite: Awaken, north wind -

Come, south wind.

Blow on my garden,

and spread the fragrance of its spices.

Let my love come to his garden

and eat its choicest fruits.

Solomon: I have come to my garden – my sister, my bride.

I gather my myrrh with my spices.

I eat my honeycomb with my honey.

I drink my wine with my milk.

(Song of Solomon 4:16 and 5:1)

Here we are again in the Shulamite Garden. I think this will be our last day here and we can let the lovebirds have their privacy once again. Remember, the garden that she speaks of is herself. (“My bride, you are my private garden.” (vs. 12))

Now, I hate to scrutinize such beautiful poetry so I will just ask one simple question – what are they really saying here? She is simply asking her love to come to her. “Yes, I’m so happy you’ve created me (week #13) and I’m thrilled with the beauty you’ve planted in me (week #14) but if You are not here, I am empty. Please, come and enjoy Your garden – Me!”

And his response is fascinating. He doesn’t say, “I will come.” He says, “I have come.” He’s saying, “My love, I’m already here with you! Look at Me – I’m gathering My myrrh with My spices. I’m here enjoying My garden garden right now, silly woman!”

Okay, he probably didn’t call her a silly woman. But sisters, I think there is a lesson here for us. When we deeply desire our Lord – whether for refreshment, protection, rescue, fellowship or just because our hearts are overflowing with passion, we need not beg. We don’t need to say just the right thing or do the right thing to get His attention! No, look what He says in John:

“In that day you will know that I am in my Father, you are in Me and I am in you.” (John 14:20)

Okay, I know there are much deeper theological truths in this verse, but sometimes when I read it all I can think of is a hug. Seriously – “You are in Me and I am in you.” – That’s an embrace. How silly would it be for me to say to God, “What can I do to convince you to come to me?”

He’d just lift His head off my shoulder and say, “I HAVE come to you.”

And why? Because we begged so religiously that He felt the moral duty to come to us and ask us what we need? Nope. The Shulamite knew why her Love came to her:

“I belong to my love, and his desire is for me.” (Song of Solomon 7:10)

You think you desire God? Sister, we don’t even know what desire is. He desired you so intensely that He left heaven (heaven!) and died an awful death just to make a bridge for you to come to Him. And once He’s got you, He will never let you go.

I’d encourage you to lift your head today. Open your spiritual eyes and see that God is not far away. He is in you and you are in Him. He is reclining in the garden of your heart right now, waiting for an opportunity to fellowship with you.

You belong to your Love and His desire is for You.

Day #18: When The Passion Fades

Let’s think back to chapter 3 of the Song of Solomon for a second. (That was week #9 if you’d like to catch up.) Remember when the Shulamite went throughout the city looking for her love? Well, she does it again here in chapter 5, but there are many differences.

You see, in chapter 3 her search began in bed. She couldn’t sleep because she was waiting for her love. After hours and hours of waiting for him, she got a little impatient, got out of bed and searched for him all around the city.

Well, maybe this next search in chapter 5 is a few years later, after the honeymoon passion had faded a bit because now we see her in bed again – but she’s sleeping. She’s not up waiting for him now.

But she wakes up because she hears him calling to her and knocking on her door, “Open to me, my treasure, my darling, my dove, my perfect one! My head is drenched with dew, my hair with the dampness of the night.” (5:2)

His hair was wet with dew. What does that mean? It means he was out in the open all night. He wasn’t hidden. Remember the chapter 3 search? She searched in every corner and alleyway of the city for him. But this time she didn’t have to do all that. If she had been looking for him he would have been easily found by her.

But she wasn’t looking for him. She was in dreamland and he was far from her thoughts.

We all know desires wane. Flames dim. Honeymoon passions simmer down to a comfortable intimacy and while at one time you may have spent all day dreaming about getting home to your husband, there may now be days when you dream of getting home to your bed.

I think his response to her is so sweet and gentle. Do you think he was offended when he came and saw her sleeping? It sure doesn’t seem so – he stands there and calls her “My treasure. My darling. My dove. My perfect one.”

I love that the Lord knows that we are but dust. I love that when our fickle moods change and our passion ebbs, He is patient still. When we are too tired to knock on His door, He will stand at our door and knock (Rev 3:20). When our spirit is willing but our flesh is weak, He doesn’t scold us: He prays for us (Luke 22:32).

The Love Chapter says, “Love is patient and kind.” (vs.4) Patient and kind. God is truly love for He has proven that He is full of patience and kindness toward His children.

But this is not the end of the Shulamite’s story. She hasn’t even begun her search yet. Do you think she will even open the door to her love? The answer may surprise you.

Day #19: Great is Thy Faithfulness

So what is she gonna do?

Remember, she was sleeping peacefully when her love woke her up, calling to her from outside her door, asking her to open to him.

I mean, come on. We’ve spent 17 weeks reading about her undying passion and devotion to this man. We’ve seen them go back and forth with inhumanly high words of praise and admiration for each other.

So honestly, her response sort of threw me for a loop:

“I have taken off my robe— must I put it on again? I have washed my feet— must I soil them again?” (5:3)

Yikes.

She was comfortable right where she was. She was tired so her comfy bed was probably the best place in the world at that moment. (Have you ever been there?) And if she were to walk all the way to the door to open it for him, she would get her feet all dirty on the dirt floor.

Come on, Solomon, can’t you wait a couple hours? Wouldn’t it be so much more reasonable to wait until morning when I’m dressed and ready to get my day started? I know, I know – I just told you a couple days [or verses] ago, “Let my love come to his garden [myself] and eat its choicest fruits.” (4:16) But now I’m thinking I should post some hours at the garden’s entrance. I am yours from 8am to 10pm. Sound good? Okay, see you later, honey!

Would we be at all surprised if he just walked away? Either because he was offended or because he could patiently wait until morning to see her.

But he was neither offended nor could he wait until morning to see her. He found an opening in the door or window lattice and thrust his hand through it, reaching for her but not daring to barge in without permission.

Words of love had not persuaded her to leave the comfort of her bed, so perhaps if she could just look at him for a minute. Perhaps if she just saw his hand – this hand that had held hers so many times. This hand that had brushed away tears, held her up when she was weak and applauded her many gifts. This hand that had given her everything she ever needed. This hand that had led her to places of peace and joy and intimacy with him.

Perhaps if she could just see this hand still reaching for her, despite her obvious coolness to him, perhaps she’d remember the man she had begun to forget.

“My love thrust his hand through the opening, and my feelings were stirred for him. I rose to open for my love.” (5:4-5)

You see, in all of this book’s 117 verses, verse 3 is the only one that seems to disparage the Shulamite at all. This is a love-full book, not a shameful one. It overflows with constant praise for her. So, I don’t think Solomon’s intention was to put in a little jab to her character or bring out her hidden flaws. It’s just not consistent with the rest of the book.

I think his only motivation in recording her cold response was to bring out something important about their love. In fact, so important that their entire relationship rested on it: his faithfulness. Paul said that even when we are faithless he is still faithful to us. (1 Tim 2:13) He never stops reaching for us. He never gives up on us. He doesn’t give us what we deserve – He showers us in mercy even when our hearts our growing cold. He will find a way to bring you to his side once again.

And it is this never-ending kindness that will eventually lead us to repentance (Rom 2:4), just as it did with the Shulamite.

Now, with his faithfulness as our unmoving foundation, let’s go on because what she finds on the other side of that door may surprise you.

Day #20: Seek Him While He May Be Found

She’s not tired anymore. Just two minutes ago she was sleeping. Just one minute ago she was whining that she didn’t want to get out of bed. But when her love thrust his hand through the lattice of her window to try to reach for her, her passion was stirred and now she is jumping out of bed. She puts a little lotion on first – the myrrh that he loves so much – and runs to the door.

“I opened to my love,

but my love had turned and gone away.

I was crushed that he had left.

I sought him, but did not find him.

I called him, but he did not answer.”

(Song of Solomon 5:6)

She sought him, but couldn’t find him.

She called to him, but he didn’t answer.

Hmm … that’s really familiar. About a dozen pages to our right is a verse hauntingly similar:

“Seek the Lord while He may be found:

Call to Him while He is near.”

(Isaiah 55:6)

Just a minute before when he had called to her, she could have opened the door and the verse would have read, “I sought him and found him! I called to him and he answered!” But she had not opened the door – and he had walked away.

I’ve said it before – this is NOT a shameful book. It is packed with love. So I don’t believe Solomon is bringing out all of her dirty laundry for everyone to see. Like we saw yesterday, her response brings out a greater lesson about their love and his character. And while it may be too late for the Shulamite to just call out to her love, it’s not too late for us to learn a lesson from her (and Isaiah):

“Seek the Lord while He may be found:

Call to Him while He is near.”

See, we all have opportunities to respond to our Lord’s calling when He is knocking at our door, and all we have to do is open to Him. We need to take advantage of every opportunity to be with Him, because we don’t know when a wave of trials, temptation or testing will sweep us away from Him and He is longer so accessible.

How many mornings have we seen the Lord’s presence in our church, but instead of opening our hearts to Him we have sat in our pews with a mind full of worries. Or maybe we didn’t show up at all because, like the Shulamite, our bed was too dang comfortable.

Take advantage of every meeting with Christ that you can get, sister! Do you need Sister So-and-So’s prayer and encouragement? Don’t let her get in her car after church – go grab her hand and be encouraged in the Lord.

Is the Lord moving in your heart through the music you are listening to while you clean? Put down that dirty dish and raise your hands to Him.

Have you woken up in the middle of the night with a burden to pray for a friend? Don’t let fatigue steal your opportunity to meet with God.

You see ladies, the Shulamite is encouraging us to develop two things: We need our senses to be sensitive and our spirits to be strong.

We need our spiritual eyes and ears to be always on the lookout for our Lord. When we hear Him call or see His hand, let’s run to Him.

We also need our spirits to be strong. Because cares, fatigue, anxiety, distractions and comfort are just a few things that will stand in our way from getting to Him once we’ve heard Him calling us. Let our spirits be strong to push away all of that so that we can enjoy the fellowship of our Lord.

But … what if we, like the Shulamite, missed the opportunity? What if, like her, we didn’t know how much we wanted and needed Him until He walked away?

Notice, she does say, “I sought him, but could not find him,” but that does NOT stop her from searching. See, Jesus said if we keep searching, we’ll find Him. (Luke 11:9) And (spoiler alert!) after a long search, she DOES find him! (We won’t see that for a couple weeks, though.) But not before some hard times and multiple, difficult obstacles come and block her path.

My encouragement to you is to avoid these obstacles when you can and seek Him while He may be found. Yes, there will be times in our lives when we will be like the men whose friend was paralyzed. There was such a chaotic crowd around Jesus that the men couldn’t see Him or call to Him. So they thought up a plan, hoisted their friend onto the roof, put together a contraption with ropes, physically tore away part of the roof and slowly and carefully lowered their friend down to where Jesus was – all to get His attention. (Mark 2:4)

But there will be other times when we will be like blind Bartimaeus. We’ll hear that Jesus is walking right by us and we can just call out to Him, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And He’ll hear us. (Mark 10:48)

Let’s take advantage of every one of those moments. Let’s always, always answer His calling with, “Yes, Lord. Here I am!”

Day #21: A Different Kind of Guard

Do you remember the Shulamite’s first search for her love in chapter 3 of the Song of Solomon? (Week #7) Remember how, in her frenzy she searched down every alley and avenue for him and just when it seemed hopeless, the city guards found her. She asked them frantically if they had seen her love and while we don’t know their response we can imply that they must have helped her out because she finds him directly after leaving them.

Well, although her new search in chapter 5 began with far less passion and much more apathy, seeing his hand has stirred up her feelings and she is again searching the city for her love. And once again the guards find her.

Because of the kind guards she encountered before, perhaps when she sees these guards approach her she feels relief. I wonder if she felt that finally – finally! – someone is here to help her find her love.

But in a tragic twist, these are most certainly not the guards that assisted her before. Before she is able to ask for their help, they grab her, beat her and steal her outer cover – either a veil or shawl.

Now, sisters, when we read about the previous kind guards we were encouraged to be like them – to seek out those who are struggling and seeking God and guide them to His loving arms.

But I think we see another side to all of us here, don’t we? We are all asking within ourselves, “Why would they hurt someone whom it is their duty to protect?” And I think this is a good time to turn back to the mirror.

Why do we Christians who have been given a command and duty to love even our enemies, give to everyone who asks and to be gracious to the ungrateful and evil find ourselves beating people down with our words, our look or our silence?

No doubt the Shulamite was a mess and probably breaking a law or two – a frantic woman running and yelling throughout the town in the middle of the night.

Perhaps she frightened the guards. Perhaps she disrupted their desire for order and law. Whatever the reason, I find it interesting that when she shared her troubles from her heart with the previous guards, mercy came. But these new guards didn’t want to hear what was in her heart – they only knew what they saw.

Let’s never ever go there, sisters. There’s a reason we are commanded to be slow to respond to others (James 1:19, Proverbs 13:3) because the real heart of a matter and a person can never ever be seen from the outside. When we feel the urge to criticize, ignore, etc. let’s first get to their heart. Why are they doing what they’re doing?

It may be they are frantically searching for a Savior, a Father, a Love – and they don’t know where to look.

Tearing off their cloak and exposing their shame will do nothing but hinder their search. Notice, while the first guards led her right to her love, this time it is several verses after she leaves the guards until she finds her love.

Sisters, let us love one another. Let’s do the hard thing and talk when we want to fight, pray when we want to gossip and embrace when we want to ignore.

Let us lead them to the One who has always been patient with us.

Day #22: Never Give Up On Your Search For God

There she is – lying in the streets – bloody, bruised and ashamed, because the men who beat her also stole her veil. All she wanted was help: someone to help her look for her love. She was so diligent in her search! She had left the comfort of her bed to go throughout the city calling and searching for him. I wonder if she was fearful that he’d never come back, since her search began with coldness and apathy. Oh, but that was gone now! Her passion was restored, her mind had returned to its senses and she searched for him. She desperately needed to find him and the men who were supposed to protect her, the city guards – had found her, beat her and stole her veil.

Can you imagine her despair? She was already in a deep pit of fear, grief and guilt and now these men had dug it even deeper.

As she sat there in the middle of the street in her own blood and tears, the women of Jerusalem see her. The Shulamite speaks to them, but only one sentence.

If you were in her position, what would your one sentence be?

“Give me a veil to cover myself!”

“Get those evil men!”

“Please help me home so I can recover.”

“This isn’t fair!”

“Where was my love when I needed him?”

“Oh, leave me alone.”

But her one sentence is nowhere on my list:

“Young women of Jerusalem,

I charge you:

If you find my love,

Tell him that I am lovesick.”

Song of Solomon 5:8

She is STILL seeking him!

Sisters, I know in our walk with God there are hard times. We are honestly seeking Him as best we know how and it seems He is hiding from us or even worse – abandoned us completely. And when betrayal, heart-ache or injustice comes our way we may want to say with Job and David:

“Why do you turn away from me? Why do you treat me as your enemy?” Job 13:24

“O LORD, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide when I am in trouble?” Psalm 10:1

Both Job and David later saw the truth, for David said, “For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy. He has not turned his back on them, but has listened to their cries for help.” Psalm 22:24

Let’s learn from the Shulamite and have faith in our Love. You see, God hears you, though you may not hear Him. He sees you even if you cannot see Him. His heart is not cold and distant, but compassionate and very, very near you. In your distress, He is distressed. (Isa 63:9 and John 11:33) Keep walking, even when your legs are exhausted. Continue searching for I promise you, you will find the One you desire if you don’t give up. (Gal 6:9)

Don’t seek vengeance: God will handle that. Don’t doubt your God: He is near you and for you. Don’t wallow in self-pity: There is a more important work to be done! Continue your search. Let nothing deter you, for the greatest treasures sometimes come after the hardest journey. Let His great promise be your song:

“Keep on seeking, and you will find … everyone who seeks, finds!” (Luke 11:9, 10)

Day #23: Live the Answer!

There is a question that this world is asking us Christians. Whether they say it out loud, which some certainly have, or if they harbor the question in their hearts, I promise you they want an answer. And it is our responsibility as spiritual farmers of this world to water the nations with an answer. The women of Jerusalem asked the Shulamite the same question:

“What makes the one you love better than anyone else?” (Song of Solomon 5:9)

What makes our Love so much better than any other person, power, king or god in the history of this world? Why should I look for Him and not Buddha or Allah? Is there really any difference between Him and all of the other world’s religions?

That’s a heavy question, isn’t it? What would you say? I’m sure there are many correct answers, but whatever your answer – you must answer! I’m not saying to go to seminary and take an apologetics course so you can prepare a strong defense of your faith. Nothing against it, but in this case the question itself is not an attack so why defend? They truly just need to know what makes our God so much better than anyone else.

Let’s take a look at a simple woman’s simple answer:

“My love is fit and strong,

notable among ten thousand.

His head is purest gold.

His hair is wavy

and black as a raven.

His eyes are like doves

besides stream of water,

washed in milk

and set like jewels.

His cheeks are like beds of spice,

towers of perfume.

His lips are lilies,

dripping with flowing myrrh.

His arms are rods of gold

set with topaz.

His body is an ivory panel

covered with sapphires.

His legs are alabaster pillars

set on pedestals of pure gold.

His presence is like Lebanon,

as majestic as the cedars.

His mouth is sweetness.

He is absolutely desirable.

This is my love and this is my friend,

young women of Jerusalem.”

(5:10-16)

Her answer? Everything! Everything is better about him, from his hair to his feet – he is the most wonderful being in the universe. No one else is like him.

She didn’t shy away from the question, did she? Look how sincerely and happily she answers! She didn’t see the question as an opportunity to debate, but an opportunity to delight! She spoke from her heart and the answer was passionate and personal.

So when they ask don’t be afraid, but speak from your heart. But as we know, most of them won’t ask. They’ll look.

You see, even unbelievers who have never heard the verse, “Be imitators of Christ,” (Eph 5:7) know that we Christians are His ambassadors – we represent Him on this earth. So when they are wondering what makes Him better than anyone else they’ll look at His body on earth. Me and you.

What do they see when they see us?

God commanded that we be holy just as He is holy. (1 Peter 1:16) This doesn’t mean that He expects us to be blameless and perfect. No, the main definition of “holy”, especially in the Old Testament, is to be set apart and different.

If there is no difference between your life and an unbeliever’s life, not only should you be concerned for your soul, but more importantly you are giving the world a wrong answer to their question and may be keeping other souls from the Kingdom. When you call yourself a Christian but are no different than the world you are saying to the questioning masses, “Nothing! There is nothing better about our God.”

How different is the answer from the Shulamite: Everything about him is better!

But oh, when our lives are set apart for Christ and His fruit is growing in our lives we are telling the world, “He is full of love in a world of hate. He is pure joy in a world of sorrow. He is peace. He is kind. He is gentle. He is good. He is faithful.”

And what happens when we tell the world how much greater our God is? Let’s see how the women respond to the Shulamite’s answer: “Where has your lover gone, O woman of rare beauty? Which way did he turn so we can help you find him?” (6:1)

When others see our transformed lives and our passion for God, their question will be answered! They’ll know and see what makes Him so great and they just may want to start seeking Him for themselves.

The question is being asked. LIVE the answer.

Day #24: You Will Find Me When You Search With All Your Heart

Her search was over.

Finally, after searching for her love all night – down alleyways and in every corner – after the awful abuse that came at the hands of the men who were supposed to be protecting her and after the ill-timed questioning from the women of Jerusalem, the Shulamite has finally found her love.

“My love has gone down to his garden,

to beds of spice,

to feed in the gardens

and gather lilies.”

Song of Solomon 6:2

If you’ll remember from 4:12-16, SHE is his garden. He has finally come to her!

Now, after her first search for him in chapter 3, he comes back and sings her praises. In some of the most beautiful poetry in the Bible he sings of her beauty, “How beautiful you are, my darling. How very beautiful! Behind your veil, your eyes are doves …” (4:1)

But that was before. This time things are a little different. In chapter 3, just before her first search, she had been waiting up for him – eagerly expecting him.

This time? Well, not so much. She was sleeping. And when he woke her up by calling for her from outside, where he’d been waiting for her all night, she said, “But I’m in my nightgown—do you expect me to get dressed? I’m bathed and in bed—do you want me to get dirty?” (5:3, The Message)

That was the last thing she had said to him.

Now, her heart had sincerely changed since then. Seeing his hand reaching for her through the lattice of her window had shaken the frost off her heart and renewed its fire and passion. But when she opened the door to him, he was gone.

That’s how THIS search began.

I wonder if she came back to her love this time with her head drooped down like the prodigal son ready to beg his forgiveness and expecting to be treated as coldly as she had treated him.

It reminds me of one of Christianity’s favorite verses. See, not long after Solomon wrote this beautiful book, Israel abandoned her Lord. And while the intensity of the offense was far worse than the Shulamite’s, I think the story is strikingly similar. After hundreds of years of Israel forgetting the Lord, God decided it was high time they be punished. So He warned them through the prophets that He was going to exile them to the land of Babylon. He was going to take their land – the life and heart of their nation – away from them.

Most rejected Him still. But there was a small remnant of people who truly repented. And while they trudged their way to Babylon, they knew this was because of their sin. They expected slavery to meet them there. They expected God to be harsh to them in return for the hundreds of years that they had been harsh to Him. (Read Lamentations for more on this.)

But His response was not what they were expecting:

“This is what  the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles I deported from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons and give your daughters to men in marriage so that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease. Seek the welfare of the city I have deported you to.

“Pray to the Lord on its behalf, for when it has prosperity, you will prosper … For I know the plans I have for you, plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and  a hope. You will call to Me  and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and places where I banished you. I will restore you to the place I deported you from.” (Jer 29:4-7, 11-14)

Yep, that verse you have hanging on  your living room wall – it was originally spoken to a people racked with guilt. People who were expecting God to treat them the way they deserved.

I wonder if this is how the Shulamite felt. If so, his response was the same as when God spoke to the Israelites 400 years later: “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”

She had sought him with all her heart – and finally found him. His first words to her?

“You are as beautiful as Tirzah, my darling,

lovely as Jerusalem,

awe-inspiring as an army with banners.

Turn your eyes away from me,

for they captivate me.”

(6:4-5)

And he doesn’t stop there, but repeats, almost word for word, the same song of beauty he sang over her the first time.

Here, I must include one more verse. Again, separated by 200 years, Hosea says this of Israel, “I will depart and return to My place until they recognize their guilt and seek my face.” (Hosea 5:15)

Sisters, this whole study has been about seeking our God. If you have been avoiding seeking Him because you fear the coldness or condemnation that you deserve, please hear the words of David, “He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love toward those who fear Him.” (Psalm 103: 10,11)

The steadfast love of the Lord NEVER ceases!

Day #25: Shine!

This past week at church I ran across a friend of mine and gave her a quick hug. She looked at me and said, “You look like you’re shining!”

I thought about that for a second and said, “Ya, I feel like I’m shining!”

She took my arm and rubbed it and said, “Girl, I need some of that to rub off on me!”

That’s when I saw it in her eyes: the fatigue that comes from battle. She was discouraged and maybe a little overwhelmed.

I went to my seat and thought of her. Then this verse from the Song of Solomon came to my mind:

“Who is this who shines like the dawn -

As beautiful as the moon,

bright as the sun.”

Song of Solomon 6:10a

When the women of Jerusalem say, “Who is this” - that word in the Hebrew is feminine. They were specifically speaking about the Shulamite. Not surprising since the whole dang chapter is about how awesome she is. Look at what they compare her to: The dawn. The moon. The sun.

Three totally unearthly things. Separate from the normal people, places and things we come across daily on our planet’s surface. She was far above all that. She was BRIGHT! She was beautiful. She was radiant.

This is you, sister. Ya, ya I know you don’t feel “shiny”, but neither did Moses when he came back down the mountain after being with God. Not until someone said, “Whoa, cover your face, man!” did he even notice!

“… he did not realize that the skin of his face shone as a result of his speaking with the Lord.” Exodus 34:29

And this came from being in God’s presence! Let me tell you a little secret. Not just a secret – a mystery. (Col 1:26) As wonderful as it was for Moses to be in God’s presence, God has favored us with something even better: He is IN us.

What’s the difference? It’s like one woman laying out in the sun and another woman having the sun in her. That’s a BIG difference!

Ya, the first woman’s face will definitely change, but EVERYTHING about the 2nd woman will change. And she will indeed be as bright as the sun. She will be as beautiful as the moon, which only reflects that sun. She will shine like the dawn.

Shine, sister!! Don’t hide yourself under a bushel! Don’t hide the Light within your four walls – go out and light up your world!

Day #26: He Looks At You Differently

There she is. Down in the walnut grove. Do you see her? She has no real mission, nothing she has to rush around for. She’s just taking a leisurely stroll in the garden. What is she doing here? What a typical woman – she’s looking for flowers!

“I came down to the walnut grove to see the blossoms of the valley, to see if the vines were budding and the pomegranates blooming.” Song of Solomon 6:11

And while she looked for flowers, there were other people in that garden at that very moment looking at her. I doubt she knew it, but I wonder if she felt all those eyes on her as she strolled through the garden, breathing in the sweet scent of the budding blossoms.

Whether she felt them or not, those eyes were on her. Many eyes.

But there was one pair of eyes that weren’t content to just look at her. He had to be with her!

“Before I knew it, my desire put me among the chariots of my noble people.” (vs. 12)

No longer did he have to admire her from a distance! No longer did he have to be content having his eyes on her – now he could wrap his arms around her, also.

But what about all those other eyes that have been left behind by her sudden departure? Oh, they became voices crying out behind her fleeing chariot: “Come back, come back, Shulamite! Come back, come back, that we may look at you!” (vs. 13)

… that we may look at you. That’s all they wanted really: to look at her. The lover who wanted so much more than that turned his chariot around and, just for a moment, took his eyes off his love to look back at those whining women of Jerusalem. “Why are you looking at the Shulamite as you look at the dance of the two camps?” (vs. 13)

He knew them. He knew what was in their hearts. Perhaps some of them looked at her because her beauty was spell-binding. Maybe others were jealous of her and hoped to see her fall, marring her beauty. Maybe some watched her so intently to catch her in some moral failing so they could run to her lover and give him good reason why she wasn’t deserving of his great love.

Whatever the reason, the lover hit the nail on the head: She is entertainment to you. That’s why you look at her. For your own benefit.

But wait, you may say, the Lover was looking at her from behind the bushes, too.

Ah, yes but his eyes looked at her every part of her with a completely different lens:

“How beautiful are your sandaled feet, princess!

The curves of your thighs are like jewelry,

the handiwork of a master.

You navel is a rounded bowl;

it never lacks mixed wine.

Your waist is a mound of wheat surrounded by lilies.

Your breasts are like two fawns,

twins of a gazelle.

Your neck is like a tower of ivory,

your eyes like pools in Heshbon

by the gate of Bath-rabbim.

Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon

looking toward Damascus.

Your head crowns you

like Mount Carmel,

the hair of your head

like purple cloth -

a king could be held captive

in your tresses.

How beautiful you are and how pleasant, my love,

with such delights!

Your stature is like a palm tree;

your breasts are clusters of fruit.”

(7:1-7)

He loved her. He was delighted in her. In his eyes she was not an object to entertain him, but a woman to complete him.

Sister, there are those in the world who are watching us – some for good reasons, others not so much. I’ve felt them. Heck, I’ve feared them. Especially those looking for faults. Because I know they’ll find what they’re looking for.

I talked with a young lady this past week who is hesitant to make new friends because of her past. Other people tend to look away from her completely because of that past, or they keep looking at her expecting her to fall in the same way again.

But let’s both remember … and remind each other … that God doesn’t look at us the same way others do. His gaze upon us is fueled by nothing but love, desire and admiration. God simply does not look at us the same way others do.

Others look at our crooked nose and laugh. Remember, they just look at us as they look at a dance. We’re entertainment. But God looks at our crooked nose and says, “Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon looking toward Damascus.”

Others look past the log in their eye to look at at the speck in our eye and condemn us for it. God says, “Your eyes are like pools in Heshbon by the gate of Bath-rabbim.”

And why should what God sees in us matter so much more than what others see? The Shulamite answers this herself right after her love stops his poetic praise to take a breath. She says:

“I belong to my love and his desire is for me.” (7:10)

Sister, yes there may be eyes watching you from behind the bushes but 1) you don’t belong to them and 2) they don’t desire you. They desire what they can get from you. (Again with the entertainment)

Oh, but God … you are His the moment you knelt down and said, “I do.” You are His and He is yours. He desires YOU. Because you are every bit a part of Him. Flesh of His flesh. Blood of His blood. Listen to what HE sees in you. Trust in Him and in His love.

Do you hear Him sing songs over you?

“He will rejoice over you with gladness.

He will bring you quietness with His love.

He will delight in you with shouts of joy.”

Zeph 3:17

Day #27: In the Wilderness

We’re nearing the end of our study on the Song of Solomon and I noticed something interesting. It’s about the Shulamite. There is this crazy change in the way she speaks all of the sudden. There are 8 chapters and for 7 1\2 of those chapters she sounds like a young women in the “honeymoon” stage of love: “I love you! When can we be together again??? Wait, don’t look at me, I’m so ugly. Look at you though- you’re gorgeous! Please come to me and we’ll be together forever!”

But in the last few verses her words change dramatically: “Love is as strong as death …Many waters cannot quench love, nor can rivers drown it. If a man tried to buy love with all his wealth, his offer would be utterly scorned.” (8:6,7)

What the …? Where did this depth come from all the sudden? I’ll tell you were it came from. There is a dark, deep line in the sand between who she was and who she is now. Here it is:

“The young women of Jerusalem said, ‘Who is this coming up from the wilderness leaning on the one she loves?’” (8:5)

She learned and experienced the depths of love in the wilderness. In a barren, solitary place devoid of anything and anyone except the love in her heart and the man she loved. This is a COMMON theme in the Bible:

After a couple hundred years of rebellion, Israel was so far from God that He had to start using some prophets to remind her Whose she was. God wanted His people back and so He said to Hosea, “But then I will win her back once again. I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her there.” (2:14)

In the second chapter of Jeremiah God sort of reminisces about His closeness with Israel when they were in the wilderness: “I remember how eager you were to please Me as a young bride long ago, how you loved Me and followed Me through the barren wilderness.” (2:2) It was only after God brought them out of the wilderness into a land flowing with milk and honey that they forgot Him and stopped asking, “Where is the Lord?” (vss. 6, 8)

And Jesus visited the wilderness, didn’t He? Oh, it wasn’t easy for Him – fasting on the mountain, tempted of the devil. But the wilderness is never easy – that’s what makes it so different from the rest of the world. It is a place where you have no choice but to cling to God and He will stay especially close to you in this time. Remember what happened after the devil left Jesus? Angels came, serving and comforting Him. And when He walked down that mountain, He was a different Man – ready to take on this incredible mission His Father had given Him. It was this experience in the wilderness that started it all.

Are you there right now? Are you in a spiritually dry and weary land where there is no water? Turn around and I swear you’ll see Him standing close to you. He is near to them who are broken-hearted. Lean on him, just like the Shulamite did. And you’ll come out the other side of that wilderness with a deeper understanding of love and of God.

Day #28: God, Don't Forget Me!

I have a habit. Not exactly a bad habit, just something I do ALL the time. I write on my arms and hands. See, I tend to forget things really quickly and later on I only need to look down, read “Theresa’s number” or “Hilary’s address” and I remember that I need to get that info from those ladies.

Those were actual notes on my arms this past Sunday, by the way.

I know I’m not the only one who writes on my hands from time to time. And we’ve all heard of the practice of tying a string around your finger to remember something.

Did you ever stop to think – why our hand? Well, our arms and hands are the parts of us we see most often. If we want to remember something, we want to make a note of it on something we see often – and that’s really the only part of us that we see often. It would be kinda foolish to make a note n our ankle. Or hip. Or the back of our neck. Our next shower may wash it off before we see it again.

But our arms won’t let us forget.

I think this is what the Shulamite was thinking when she said, “Set me as a seal on your heart, as a seal on your arm.” (8:6) She is saying, “Keep me close and don’t forget about me.”

Why would she said that?

“Because love is as strong as death;

Ardent love is as unrelenting as Sheol.

Love’s flames are fiery flames -

The fiercest of all.”

She compares love to death and fire. Yikes. But you know, she has a point. Love can hurt, especially when misused, and sometimes even when handled correctly. “Fiery flames” that began as a small, innocent spark can grow into a forest fire if not handled wisely.

And just try to stop it then. Good luck – that forest fire is as strong as death itself. Love can be unpredictable, uncontrollable. Love can be scary.

It’s almost as if the Shulamite knows they are about to start this crazy adventure and her only plea is, “Stay close and don’t forget about me.”

And boy, does He come through for her. Her fears were unwarranted and when she comes through their “adventure” on the other side, she arrives with a new lesson about love: Love isn’t like fire. Love is greater than fire. As strong as fire is, it has a weakness: Water. But not love. True, sincere, divine love has no weakness:

“Mighty waters cannot extinguish love;

Rivers cannot sweep it away.”

(vs. 7a)

Sister, I know your past relationships may have been full of passion and ardor, but it may also have come with jealousy, instability, distrust and volatility. And in the midst of this, perhaps you were even abandoned and forgotten despite all your pleas.

Maybe I’m the first to tell you this, or maybe I’m the 1,000th, but we all need to hear it as often as we can: There is a love that will keep you close to the very end. There is a love that will ride the crazy waves of life with you without being distracted by them and forgetting you in the journey. This love will never forget you or leave you behind.

With this love there is no weakness. Paul experienced the same love the Shulamite talked about and this was what he had to say about it:

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life,

Nor angels, nor rulers,

Nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,

Nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing

Will have the power to separate us

From the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!”

(Romans 8:38-39)

He is near you, sister. And He will not forget you.

“Zion says, ‘The Lord has abandoned me;

The Lord has forgotten me!’

Can a woman forget her nursing child,

Or lack compassion for the child of her womb?

Though these may forget,

Yet I will not forget you.

Look, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands.”

(Isaiah 49:14,15)

Day #29: A Trustworthy Ally

We’re nearing the end of this great book! I mean seriously, we have about seven verses left. Wouldn’t it be a strange time to introduce some new characters? Well, that’s what happens here. The Shulamite’s brothers show up.

Now, we’ve heard about them before in chapter 1, but this is the first time they show up and speak. And here’s the first part of what they say:

“Our sister is young

And has no breasts.

What shall we do for her

On the day she is spoken for [by a man]?”

(8:8)

Now, are any of you ladies thinking the same thing I am? “Who are you talking about?! No breasts? No man? Where have you been for the past 8 chapters?!”

Well, let’s calm down and let the Shulamite speak for herself in a little bit. First, let’s hear the rest of what her brothers have to say:

“If she is a wall

We will build silver parapets upon her.

If she is a door

We will enclose her with cedar beams.”

(8:9)

They are speaking figuratively about their sister’s emotional and physical  resistance to men’s advances. In other words, they are speaking about how open she is with letting a man into her heart or even her bed.

If she is resistant to men’s advances (if she is a wall), well they’ll just stand with her and make her wall stronger.

If she will let just any man in (if she is a door), they will enclose her with cedar planks. They will make themselves a wall against men’s advances if she is not.

Now, although their reputation up to now hasn’t exactly been stellar, it does seem that they are genuinely concerned for their little sister. And she is kind yet firm in her response:

“I am a wall.

And my breasts are towers.”

(8:10a)

That’s her very creative way of saying, “Guys, I know you said I have no breasts. But look at me! I mean, really, look at me. I’m not the little girl you think I am. I’m not as immature and naive as you obviously think. I’m a woman.”

And she proves this by showing some remarkable wisdom:

“I am a wall

And my breasts are towers.

And so to him, I have become

As one who finds peace.”

(8:10)

“Guys, I am a wall, but even a walled city that is xenophobic and untrusting and may even be at war will still open their door occasionally to an ally. They’ll lower their barriers to someone they know and trust will not ransack their city when allowed in.”

Her love had become that proven, trusted ally to her. This was no Disney fairy tale of “meet ‘em and marry ‘em”. She had her walls. And he respected those walls, building a friendship and trust from a safe distance. And after she trusted him enough to let him in, he had not attacked her city.

She had found peace with him. They were allies. She could trust him with herself.

Is there a woman alive who hasn’t been a “door” at one time or another in our lives? Perhaps you’re still there. Or perhaps good teaching or sin’s consequences have made you a wall, emotionally.

Perhaps you’ve been building silver parapets on those walls for so long that you’ve totally forgotten there is still a door there. No one has been allowed in for so long. You’ve seen how cruel others can be and you’ve sworn not to be vulnerable like that again. You’ve kept yourself away from people – at a safe emotional distance.

Sister, there is a love worthy of your trust. There is a love that is honest and peaceful enough to warrant an open door to your heart. And if you haven’t known this love long enough to trust Him, just look over your walls and talk to Him a while. Learn of Him. Let His words of peace and love penetrate those walls of yours.

And I promise, once you let Him in, He will not disappoint. He will not use your vulnerability against you. He is peace. And “in his eyes you have become as someone who has found peace.”

Open your heart to Him today. Let Him rid it of fear and distrust while filling it with love, peace and joy.

“The Lord blesses His people with peace.”

Psalm 29:11b

Day #30: While You Wait, Speak!

We end our study today. Have you been as amazed as I have been at the richness of this book? I mean, this is certainly no cheap romance novel. I’ve learned about beauty, trust, honesty, love, joy (among many others) at a very deep level.

And now we come to the last two verses of this beautiful book. One is a plea from the man and the other is a plea from the woman.

“Man: You who dwell in the gardens,

Companions are listening for your voice.

Let me hear you!

Woman: Hurry to me, my love,

And be like a gazelle

Or a young stag

On the mountains of spices.”

(vss. 13,14)

Let’s look at his plea first. He prefaces it with a reminder that there are people who want to hear what she has to say. So speak! We all want to hear you!

Sister, speak. There are ears all around this planet that are dying to hear your words of life. Speak! Don’t let shyness rob others of the chance of hearing you. Speak! You who have experienced your own Song of Solomon with the Lover of your soul, speak! Let the world know that there is a such a love.

For our Lord’s sake, speak, dear sister!

And she does. And what she says is also a plea to her love: “Yes, I’ll speak and in the meantime, please hurry and come back to me.”

This is hauntingly reminiscent of another bride and Groom who speak in the last few verses of another Biblical book called Revelation:

“Both the Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!'

He who testifies about these things says,

'Yes, I am coming quickly.'

Companions are listening for your voice.

Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!”

(Revelation 22:17, 20)

Oh, Shulamite (and you, too, sister), He is coming back for you. You may not see Him – perhaps He is leaping up the far side of that mountain of spices where He is hidden right now. But please remember that He has placed you as a seal on His heart and arm. He will not forget you. He will come to you.

In the meantime, speak. Remember, those people are still saying, “Where has your love gone … we will seek him with you.” (6:1) They are seeking Him. Speak! Tell them, show them, love them, direct them to the Love their souls are crying out for.

Speak, sister. And know that God has you on His mind and is coming back for you, His beautiful one.