The Song of Solomon describes the intimacy of the mutual love between the bride and the bridegroom. Maybe we find ourselves familiar with the many songs that have been inspired from some of the scriptures found here:
Solomon 2:4 “He brought me to the banqueting house, and His banner over me was love”.
Solomon 2:13 “Arise, My love, My fair one and come away”. Tenderly, the Lord calls us to come away with Him for the intimacy of fellowship He desires to have with us. God takes pleasure in the works of His creation because they are an expression of His glory. We are created for His good pleasure. God loves us unconditionally, He does not just “put up with us”. Isaiah 62:4 “….for the Lord delights in you”. Fellowship with God in intimacy, as in any relationship, is a two way street. God wants to be wanted.
Our lives present many challenges and we allow things and situations to take pre-eminence. A friend shared how his son had walked away from the Lord, even though he had experienced a godly upbringing. The father, broken hearted, spent many months, even years, praying for his son’s restoration. One day the Holy Spirit convicted him. The Lord rebuked him and said, “Stop praying for him! You used to come to Me for Me. Now you come to Me with petitions for your son, and this has become your idol which has replaced our fellowship together”. This was a personal, proceeding word from the mouth of God for change for the brother. He had to release his son. He committed him into God’s capable hands, believing for the best, his restoration, when the faithfulness of God would bring him to the end of his prodigal walk and repentance. God would surely be looking and waiting. When our emotions are so strong they are bad masters! They were meant to serve us, not dictate to us. We grasp tightly to things and people which were not ours to start with. They belong to God. We do not own people. As we learn to love with an open hand and let things go, God brings release and an intense peace. Do I, do you, need to release something and turn the corner?
We are privileged to have the word of God in our Bibles to feast upon and take direction from the Holy Spirit with a proceeding word. This is vital. As we read and meditate upon the scriptures, we have often been uplifted, challenged. convicted, encouraged, directed and edified. They have taught us so much about the character of God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. We have experienced God’s anointing through His word but God also desires us to seek Him, for Himself, “beyond the sacred page”. 1887 Mary Lathbury penned the hymn “Break Thou the bread of life”. In the first verse we find the line, “Beyond the sacred page I seek Thee, Lord – My spirit pants for Thee, O living Word!” Our heavenly Father desires communion with His creation. As we spend time in the awareness of His presence, we will be changed. How could we not be after fellowshipping with His purity and love?
Malachi 3 is the well known chapter for addressing robbing God of tythes and offerings, but the challenge is: Have I robbed God of tything my time to enter into the intimacy of fellowship with Him? We are all aware that we can fellowship with the Lord at any time in work or recreation, because we are always in His presence. However, in devotion to the Lord, (or in any relationship), there is a time when it is essential to surrender every agenda and present oneself to sit quietly before Him to make oneself available for intimacy on a different level. “Be still and know that I am God”, Psalm 46:10. The line of an old song comes to mind: “I need to be still and let God love me……” Out of the stillness God will manifest on a different level of fellowship and intimacy that He desires to have with us. He wants to overwhelm us with His love. One can only respond in worship.
” Arise, My love, My fair one, come away.….” Only I can make the choice to change and make myself available to the One who is calling me to deeper fellowship with Himself.
Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash
