Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Pursued By His Love- Part 2 of 2

***SONG OF SOLOMON 2:1-6 (AMP)- She said I am only a little rose or autumn crocus of the plain of Sharon, or a humble lily of the valley that grows in deep and difficult places. 2) But Solomon replied, Like the lily among thorns, so are you, my love, among the daughters. 3) Like an apple tree among the trees of wood, so is my beloved shepherd among the sons cried the girl! Under his shadow I delighted to sit, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. 3) He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love (for love waved as a protecting and comforting banner over my head when I was near him!) 5) Sustain me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am sick with love. 6) I can feel his left hand under my head and his right hand embraces me!

In this passage of scripture we can see that Solomon continues to lift up the Shulamite woman with his words-“Like a lily among thorns, so are you, my love, among the daughters.” He lets her know that she is very special to him. He favors her over the daughters of Jerusalem.

YOU are special to God. YOU stand out from among the rest! I know that God is no respecter of persons, but have you ever felt like His favorite? You should! God is so awesome. In His awesomeness, He has a way of loving all of us equally, but each one of us stands out as His special, favorite child. God loves us in a miraculous way that can never be measured, and can hardly be described! Your relationship with God is special, intimate, and your very own. Nobody else has a relationship with God that is exactly like yours.

Just as the Shulamite woman was delighted to sit under Solomon’s shadow for protection (v.3), The Lord is our protector. He is our Hero, the one who fights our battles. As children who desire to please the Father, we abide under the shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91:1). Submitting to His authority in our lives is a covering of protection. His banner over us is love (v.4). This means that His love actually moves as protection around us as we draw near to him. Have you ever gone into your prayer closet with a load of troubles? Sure, we all have. In that prayer closet, have you ever reached God in such a way that you find yourself lifted above your circumstances, full of peace that passes understanding, knowing that everything will be alright? If so, you were experiencing His banner of love! The Lord has a firm hold on us at all times, with his left hand under our head, while his right hand embraces us (v.6) Hebrews 13:5 in the amplified translation tell us that …’God Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let you down or relax My hold on you! Assuredly not!’ Yes, he stresses ‘I will not’ three times, and I love that. Are you convinced that you are secure in Christ? If not, I have more proof.

Deuteronomy 33:27- The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.

A good shepherd will give his life for his sheep. Although the wolves may be ferocious, the shepherd will stand in front of the sheep to confront the enemy’s attack to the point of death. To put it simply, we are the sheep. Satan is the wolf. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. JESUS DIED TO SAVE US FROM THE ENEMY! What makes you think that God would allow you to be overtaken now? As we abide in him, he scatters our enemies before us. YOU ARE SAFE.

***SONG OF SOLOMON 2:10;14-16 (AMP)- My beloved speaks and says to me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. 14) So I went with Him, and when we were climbing the rocky steps up the hillside, my beloved shepherd said to me, O, my dove, while you are here in the seclusion of the clefts in the solid rock, in the sheltered and secret place of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely. 15) My heart was touched and I fervently sang to Him my desire. Take for us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards of our love, for our vineyards are in blossom. 16) She said distinctly, my beloved is mine and I am his! He pastures his flocks among the lilies.

The Lord has restored us and made us whole. He has destroyed and scattered our enemies. He has given us beauty for ashes. What is our part in this love relationship?

1. The Lord wants us to spend quality time with him. To keep any relationship alive, requires time and communication. The Lord desires to spend time with us. He wants hear from us. ‘…in the solid rock, in the sheltered and secret place of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice. (v.14)’

Regardless of what you may think of yourself, despite the scars of this world, The Lord loves the look of your face and the sound of your voice. He loves when we pray. Find a quiet spot where you will not be disturbed, and talk to the Lord…OUTLOUD. He passionately loves you and is pursuing you.

Read your Bible. It is the best way to get to know the nature of God. Scripture is literally God speaking to us! His words are life and His promises are real. The Bible is also our best weapon against the enemy.

2. We should desire to remove the little foxes that spoil the vineyard. Little foxes represent small, hidden, or seemingly unimportant sins. Just as small fox puppies look cute and harmless, but can destroy an entire vineyard; small sins are often overlooked, but can lead to much damage in our lives. The Shulamite woman asked Solomon to take away all of the little foxes. (v.15) She knew the consequences of having an un-kept vineyard. She did not want anything to hinder the growth of her relationship with Solomon.

3. Another way we express our love for the Lord is to declare Him before men. The Shulamite woman openly declared that Solomon belonged to her and she belonged to him. Declare to others that you belong to Jesus!!! He is yours and you are His!

Matthew 10:32-33-(Jesus said) Everyone who acknowledges Me before men and confesses Me, I will also acknowledge him before my Father Who is in heaven and confess him. 33) But whoever denies and disowns Me before men, I also will deny and disown before My Father which is in heaven.

***SONG OF SOLOMON 4:9-10 (amp)- You have ravished my heart and given me courage, my sister, my promised bride; you have ravished my heart and given me courage with one look from your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. 10) How beautiful is your love, my sister, my promised bride! How much better is your love than wine! And the fragrance of your ointments than all spices!

JESUS IS REAL, ALIVE, AND HAS POWERFUL FEELINGS FOR US! Like the songs says ‘When He was on the cross, we were on his mind’. Think about the reality of that night. Take a moment to consider what Jesus must have felt the night He agonized in the Garden of Gethsemene. Think about the extreme suffering he endured…the brutality of the scourging and His death on the cross. Now realize that it was his love for you and me that moved him forward, giving him the endurance to proceed. ‘You have ravished my heart and given me courage, my sister, my promised bride…(v.9)’ The persecution and ridicule of the San Hedrin could not keep him from loving us. The severity of the scourging could not keep him from loving us. The weight of the cross could not keep him from loving us. THERE IS NO TRIAL IN OUR LIVES TODAY THAT CAN KEEP HIM FROM LOVING US- HIS PROMISED BRIDE!

Romans 8:35- Who shall ever separate us from Christ’s love? Shall suffering and affliction and tribulation? Or calamity and distress? Or persecution or hunger or destitution or peril or sword?

***SONG OF SOLOMON 6:1 (amp)- Where has your beloved gone, O you fairest among women? (Again the ladies showed their interest in the remarkable person whom the Shulamite had championed with such unstinted praise; they too wanted to know him, they insisted.) Where is your beloved hiding himself? For we would seek him with you.

This wonderful verse of scripture is so meaningful to us as believers. Notice how the Shulamite woman is addressed as ‘the fairest among women’. She has been restored and changed. Just as Christ has transformed us from sinner to saint, she has been transformed from the lowliest of women to the most fair among women. Just as we openly testify of Christ to the world, She openly praised Solomon for his goodness. The words of her testimony were supported by the obvious change in her life. Just as we draw others to Jesus with our witness and testimony, others were drawn to this remarkable person, Solomon, and wanted to seek after him. (v.1)