Bear with me a moment as I reminisce of the beginnings of Love and Six concepts of a richer love.
"The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir." Song of Solomon 1:17
Ok, this may be a little tough on some who have a rough time going back in their memories to find encouragement. Due to so much pain and darkness, their memory does not allow them to go to the blessings because they seem to embrace and own a self pronounced "curse" that has become part of their DNA (they wouldn't know who they were without it) ... They proclaim (usually in a mumbling fashion) ...the pain and darkness is proof, that although God blesses others, that "God wouldn't bless me!". ARE YOU HIS and HE IS YOURS ... then this type of thinking is just WRONG!. Embrace the blessings and capture the pain and darkness as the treasure trove for the blessings.
Blessing and pain points are part of a "holistic" life as much as flowers and thorns share the country side ... We would never now true joy in some measure if there were never moments of gripping sorrow. Our God and Savior Jesus Christ offers "joy unspeakable and a fulfilling glory" ... but not without carrying the title: " A man of sorrows acquainted with the bitterest of grief."
Why do we try to separate the blessings and the pain like a BC and an AD - Either our God is in all and all in all, or He has nothing to do at all with us (Which is impossible because of His undisrupted, unretract-able, and indisputable choice of loving us.) Notice the verse above -- here is a thought -- The dimensions of Love are not constrained by the craftiness of hands of men, but love allows for its fascination and its captivation within the glory of any surrounding ... humble or magnificent. Think of "first love" -- the surroundings shouldn't matter as long as "we were together". Any place was an opportunity for love.
"Take us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines; for our vines have tender grapes" Song of Solomon 2:15
Now understand ... the fact is that it is imperative that we grasp and take hold of the seemingly insignificant burrowing predators that scratch away at the roots of our love. They are there ... they are an annoyance but unless acknowledged they will hurt the tender grapes of love... See if you recognize these - fear, unbelief, hidden sinful addictions, wandering eyes, wandering thoughts, selective deafness to the voice of God, and all lying. These things need to be taken hold of and cast far from love. In the beginnings of love there was a constant search to discover more to know and to appreciate of the one that was the choice of love. Why do you think the first and greatest command follows suite - "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy soul, all the strength, and all thy mind" -- as love discovers wonders, love grows firmer. Cast away the distractions.
"By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth; I sought him, but I found him not" Song of Solomon 3:1
There is a place for missing the one we love ... giving personal space for the object of our love creates a longing and an appreciation of the time together. Have you ever felt a distance between you and God? Did it create a stronger desire to know Him and be with Him? If He will never abandon or forsake us what has happened? ... If no obvious offence can be found in our lives, then trust that He has gifted the space here and now so that a greater longing to be with Him can be nurtured. Don't be afraid of distance, love can deepen in those moments that we are alone.
"Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck." Song of Solomon 4:9
Don't miss this ... but the real attraction that makes our love "altogether lovely" is found in this verse -- My heart is made to beat faster and think differently by my Love's relationship with the LORD first ... her singleness of "eyes only for Him", and her one outstanding adornment "Her Godly love for Him". Here is the key that keeps love alive --- not the kissing, not the hugging and not all the other stuff --- The Love that lasts is the love that holds the Eternal Love Relationship as Number One. My love for any one in this world must not cause me to violate His Love From Above.
"I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him, that I am sick of love." Song of Solomon 5:8
The prognosis of a healthy love is one that is evangelistic about its intentions at all times ... live loudly in love with your Love. The hope, is whether you see me with my wife or without my wife ... you will know that I love her. Congruently my eternal hope is that I will always be caught loving Jesus.
This week was a challenging week for my heart --- between meeting "devotion" at all different levels ... I guess my greatest frustration was with a group of individuals who had a devoted style that is supposed to have some sort of eternal connection. As to the reason for their "style" of living, I was left without a hint or an answer and I sensed only an arrogance not a humility. I was bewilder because of the glazing over of their eyes when I shared "Scriptural" Life Concepts -- there was almost a mockery towards the Word of God.
NOW all this to lay out one more little nugget --
"Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and as terrible as an army with banners?" Song of Solomon 6:10
Our love should always be first, last, bright all day, and obvious of its intentions: The blessing comes when we do not hide our love under the guise of secret religious mists and fogs. When people know clearly where our Love stands, Love will have its perfecting work. Live openly and loudly for Jesus.
Happy Fourth of July -- Our Country was founded on a principal of a need for liberty in the land we call home that would be free from tyranny... Be bold, and claim the full liberty of love that is only found in a life that gives full access to the Lover of our Souls.
(Anything else opens you to unmerciful tyrants of the soul).
HLFA,
Jeff