Hope and A Future

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

I am generally not the type of person who announces things prior to getting them don. At times even after the fact I don’t really like to tell many people about my developments, and yet I am learning that there are times to humbly announce to others your accomplishments in Christ so that you may share in the praise and glorify God along with your brothers and sisters in Christ. So today as God is my witness I humbly announce to all of you that I have received news yesterday that I have been approved as a Chaplain by and through the grace of God alone. For a month now I have been studying and preparing for the Chaplaincy and am most thankful to God for choosing such as me for this opportunity.

The verse I began this post with from Jeremiah 29:11 is a promise and a hope that I have stood by, yet I have to admit that there are times when I have doubted whether or not this promise was for me. If you are finding yourself in the same boat and in the same storm that I was in I want you to know right now that if the good Lord can make something of me He can do the same for you. My testimony is one of heartache, pain, abuse by friends and family, drugs, and the constant mistrial of attempting to fill a void with men, food, and material possessions; a void that only God was meant to fill. Yet our Heavenly Father still chose me.

In the bible we see God choosing a stubborn and ungrateful people to be His chosen ones, we see Him inviting a doubtful man named Moses to lead His people out of slavery and part the red sea, we see the Lord choosing a murderous and sinful man to be the king of a nation and the ancestor of Jesus our Lord and Savior, we see Jesus God the Father’s only begotten son choosing 12 of the most unlikely men to be His disciples, and the transformation of the apostle Paul who persecuted and invited the murder of Christ’s followers when he had a personal encounter with Jesus the Christ. I say all this to make perfectly clear that if God would choose such unlikely men and women I mean look at the Samaritan Woman at the well and Mary Magdalene the first preacher, if God would choose them and if He chose me why wouldn’t He choose you? He will and He does.

God’s timing isn’t like ours. Habakkuk 2:3 says, ““For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.” It has taken me 35 years to forgive others, to let go and let God, and to repent of my sins even after being saved by grace. Even though I am now a Chaplain I still have a ways to go. It’s important to recognize for myself first and then for you that we are not going to be perfect now. We are still going to sin and to make mistakes. The good part is however that we are being perfected each and every day into the image of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we can go to the throne of grace where we will find mercy when we need forgiveness of our sins and help in times of need (Hebrews 4:16), we are considered righteous not because of anything we have done but by what our Savior did for us on the cross of our salvation, and we also have the promise that one day we will be perfect where there is no sin and death anymore, in heaven.

So my encouragement for you is to keep on going. Persevere and endure until the end. Don’t look back and don’t fret about the future. Keep your eyes on the Lord and surrender to Him your moments. When you are walking alone He is right there with you. When you are tempted He knows what you are facing because He was there too. When you are restless, angry, frightened, stressed out, or feeling everything at once because life is life-ing you, He is there too and through it all He is your hope because He has a plan for you.

Be blessed to be a blessing today. For you are indeed a blessing. Amen.

Love Doesn’t Force It’s Way In

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” (Revelation 3:20)

God is a gentleman and He is love. He wants us to surrender our lives to Him and come willingly. He knocks on the door of our hearts every day and every moment waiting for an answer. God gives man commands and yet we have a choice everyday whether or not we will obey Him because He has also given us the gift of free will. He wants the best for us and He waits on us to come home. Whether you are a follower of Jesus Christ or not we all have a choice to make this very day. Will we choose God or will we not? Will we answer the door for Jesus to enter, or will we run?

Brothers and sisters choose life today and seek the Lord. Be willing and be ready for He is waiting.

Crying on Dry Mountains

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

Sitting here crying, my heart calls out to You.

“Lord O, Lord my God what will You do?”

You made the heavens.

You made the stars.

You uphold me with Your right hand,

You shelter me in Your arms.

I’m in need of deliverance.

I know You have redeemed me for a reason.

The clock stands still as I wait on dry mountains for Your reply

“Save me my Lord for without Your saving I shall die.”

Crying on dry mountains

My tears the only water to fertilize the soil

My heart reaches out to the Lord for strength

Even as my spirit is screaming all the while

Crying on dry mountains

Alone with only my Lord to hear

Space lifting to eternity I still know my Lord will lend His ear.

If you are finding yourself crying on dry mountains today with all of the struggles of life piling up and your faith growing distant I applaud you for getting this far and I encourage you to keep going on. The word of God says in Exodus 15:2 “The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. This is my God, and I will praise him— my father’s God, and I will exalt him.” Praise the Lord for what you have and hold on to Him that is near and dear. The Lord will see you through. For He is faithful and He has promised you to.

He Can Take it. Let it out!

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

God calls man to praise Him and in the Word of God we are often told to find joy in our sufferings rejoicing in the midst of our struggles (Romans 5:3-5). Yet the bible is also filled with books like Proverbs and Ecclesiastes which speak to the struggles that we face in real time and offer wisdom and insight in how to stay on the narrow road that leads to eternal life. The book of Psalms is a wealth of prayers, laments, and cries of despair to God that result in answers from God and a restoration of hope.

God wants to bring us to a place of praise in Him and yet if our hope is lost, if we find ourselves overwhelmed by feelings of anger towards God, depression, and despair that we can’t seem to control, and if our sadness floods onto our pillow like a river at night it can be difficult to tap into praise and we may find ourselves asking God “Why me?” , “How could You?” or even not seeking His face at all. There may even be flashes of guilt where we run and hide from God in shame for having these feelings leading us to question our own faith in a dark season. Perhaps our emotions have been invalidated so we have come to believe that our feelings are a sign that we are caught up in some sin, when the truth is that we all have rough patches and difficult moments in our lives that our gracious God can pull us out of. Maybe we are torn apart by the blessings of others while we seem to keep coming up empty. Whatever the case and whatever the feelings let it out because God can handle them all. Not some but… every. single. one.

One thing I have found is that the bible is filled with the bad and the good which makes sense considering it is a Holy book about Gods love triumphing over sin, death, and evil. God knows you best and He loves you in spite of anything that you are feeling. You are accepted by Him and you are very dear to Him. God made you and He has created you with emotions and expressions. Sin came into the world and we have to suffer through so much here, but in Christ you are NEVER alone. Let these bible verses speak to you and when you can’t speak yourself, cry them aloud to God and let them speak for you.

Abandoned: Psalm 22, Psalm 88

“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? I have cried desperately for help, but still it does not come. During the day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer; I call at night, but get no rest.” (Psalm 22:10-11)

I am overwhelmed with troubles and my life draws near to death. I am counted among those who go down to the pit;I am like one without strength. I am set apart with the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave,whom you remember no more,who are cut off from your care. You have put me in the lowest pit,in the darkest depths. Your wrath lies heavily on me; you have overwhelmed me with all your waves. You have taken from me my closest friends and have made me repulsive to them. I am confined and cannot escape; my eyes are dim with grief.” (Psalm 88:1-8)

Angry: Psalm 6, Psalm 13,

“My soul is in deep anguish. How long, LORD, how long?” (Psalm 6:3)

“How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart day after day?” (Psalm 13:1-2)

Discouraged: Psalm 42

“Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why are you restless and disturbed within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall again praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.” (Psalm 42:5)

Doubtful/Faithless: Psalm 19, Psalm 139

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth.” (Psalm 19:1-6)

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you.” (Psalm 139:13-18)

Fearful: Psalm 23, Psalm 27, Psalm 56, Psalm 91

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort and console me. You prepare a table before my enemies. You have anointed and refreshed my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:4-6)

“The Lord is my light and my salvation- Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the refuge and fortress of my life- Whom shall I dread?” (Psalm 27:1)

“You have taken account of my wanderings; put my tears in a bottle. Are they not recorded in Your book? Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call; This I know that God is for me. In God whose word I praise, In the Lord whose word I praise, in God I put my trust and confident reliance, I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Psalm 56:8-11)

“You will not be afraid of the terror of night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noon. A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but danger will not come near you.” (Psalm 91:5-7)

Lonely: Psalm 25

“Turn to me and have mercy, for I am alone and in deep distress.” (Psalm 25:16)

Sad: Psalm 6, Psalm 34:18

“I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears.” (Psalm 6:6)

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)

Worried or Anxious: Psalm 37, Psalm 40, Psalm 121

“Do not worry because of evildoers, nor be envious toward wrongdoers; for they will wither quickly like the grass, and fade like the green herb. Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him also and He will do it.” (Psalm 37:1-5)

I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord. (Psalm 40:1-3)

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth…” (Psalm 121:1-2)

No matter where you are in this season of your life there is a psalm to help you to get reconnected with God, and a bible story to increase your faith in the goodness of our Lord. Your feelings are valid my friend and Gods ears are open to listen to you speak them. Remember man may not be able to take them, but God has been ready and waiting to hear them. Don’t be afraid of lightning and thunder, don’t be ashamed of sharing any of your feelings with the Lord. Jesus took on the crucifixion so that you might be saved and He bore all that pain so that you would no longer have to bare your pain alone. Let it all out to the Lord and be certain that He can take it!

Perishing (Im)Perfections

¹⁶ “For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. ¹⁷ And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.” (1 John 2:16-17)

Ten days ago I was blessed with the gift of a new laptop as an encouragement for me to continue with God’s blog. I praised God for the blessing and thanked Him for the added help this would give me, I thanked the giver, and then I waited in a panicked impatient frenzy for it to arrive at my door. I mean I was a shameful sight to see: up all night, calling the night before it’s arrival Christmas Eve, then pacing and standing by the door waiting for hours to hear the knock that would signify it’s arrival.

When hours later the computer finally arrived I forgot to praise God, I forgot all about my friends for a time, and my eyes grew wide and clouded as life began to pass me by while I became trapped in the fraudulent perfection of tech. In ten days I was serving God on that computer while all the while waiting for an opportunity to get the chance to tell somebody about how great my laptop was. Nobody asked though and yet that didn’t deter me at all. I continued to serve God while all the while becoming more and more distant from Him. Oh but God didn’t leave me there. He settled me down and put me in my place. Praise the Lord!

On Sunday morning after online service I stepped away from the computer and when I came back the power light was red after it had been fully charged. When I attempted to charge it again the light turned blue, the fan began to make a loud and obnoxious sound, and my 10 day perishing perfection had dropped dead.

I cried out to God with a trumpeting sound of, “WHY?!!!” and He humbled me. A light bulb went on, not on my computer unfortunately, but over my head and I ran to God asking Him to forgive me for idolizing a man made creation of this world.

This verse from 1 John 2:16-17 speaks to many of us. There are so many things in this life to fall for and to fall in love with. It’s alright to love them and it’s perfectly accepted by God to offer Him praise for helping man to be able to make such wonderful and useful things. But we must remember that they are just things and not to go overboard like I did.

Now perhaps you’re not as bad as me with technology but maybe there’s something else in this world that has your attention and is distracting you from fellowship with the one true God. I invite you to give it to God and let it go. Maybe not from your life entirely but from the space in your heart reserved for God, that it now has taken over.

May I invite you to pray:

Lord I thank You for the blessings we have in this life and for Your creativity and the knowledge You have given to man to be able to produce such wonderful things. Thank You for blessing me with all of the things I need and forgive me Lord for those times I allow the perishing perfections of this world to come between us. Help me to see what they are in my life and help me to acknowledge and turn back to You, seeing that it is by Your hand that they have been made, and it is by Your will that they have come to my need. Lord may I never falter and allow the things of this world make me lose sight of my God. Bring me close to You and draw me in. Thank You for Your mercy and Your compassion for the forgiveness of my sin. I love You Lord. In Jesus name. Amen.

Keep Right on Pressing

In my walk of faith I have often found myself wondering what God is doing in my life and if I have a calling. There have been times after much trial and error and repeated failings that I have thought that He wasn’t there or maybe even that He had never chosen me for salvation and I have just been fooling myself. If you find yourself in in this place as Paul says in Philippians 3:14,

“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Pressing on requires intense action and force as when we press forward through a hurricane but think about it, once we get to the other side and reach our destination don’t we feel the most intense sense of satisfaction and relief? It is also at these times that our faith grows strong and we draw near to Christ both before the obstacle when we face the challenge before us and through the trial when the opposition is the strongest. At the end of the road we have become a new person in the Lord full of flames of faith not wanting to keep the victory from the ears of every passerby and desiring to not even hide the struggle as we have come to learn that we are much better now for it.

I speak to you now as one who has been through the fire and is still in the midst of the storm, but I am starting to see the light shining through slowly and now that I have a glimpse of what’s ahead I want to keep on going. One thing I have seen is that the worst enemies that I face are the ones in my own mind. If you think of it biblically it begins to make sense, afterall from the fall of man in the Garden of Eden it was mans mind that was ransacked and not his body.

“The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” (Genesis 3:1)

There have been many times in my own walk that I have felt too weak to keep on going. I have listened to the voice of the enemy saying that there is no way that God would ever choose me and that I would never amount to anything. But let God speak to your heart in this matter and choose to listen to His voice instead.

²⁷ “But God has selected [for His purpose] the foolish things of the world to shame the wise [revealing their ignorance], and God has selected [for His purpose] the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong [revealing their frailty]. ²⁸ God has selected [for His purpose] the insignificant (base) things of the world, and the things that are despised and treated with contempt, [even] the things that are nothing, so that He might reduce to nothing the things that are, ²⁹ so that no one may [be able to] boast in the presence of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:27-29)

There are times I thought I couldn’t love. God has shown me that I can through Him. (1 Thessalonians 3:12)

There are times I have thought the faith was too difficult a walk for me to be a part of. God showed me that it really is, without Him in the lead. (1 John 3:24)

There are times when I felt the weight of the world pressing down on my chest. God showed me that He is there to carry my burden. (Matthew 11:28-30)

There have been times I thought the darkness would forever overhsadow me. Then Christ appeared to share with me His light. (John 8:12)

Keep pressing on and remember Christ never fails.

⁹ “God never fails anyone. It is he who called you to belong to his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:9-11)

Keep pressing on and pushing forward. Not only does God never fail, He also never disappoints.

Study on Songs VIII.

Today we are finishing up our study on the Song of Solomon and I pray that you learned a lot about God, His love for you as His child and His love for us the church.

The last chapter of the Song of Solomon is the two lovers having a conversation with one another. In the first three verses we see the joy of sexual intimacy within marriage and warnings against sexual activity before marriage and yet we can also see this as a markings of our own marriage to the church of God, the intimacy of our relationship to God, and also the joy of a life of purity.

“Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” (Hebrews 13:4)

The bride wants a more intimate communion and fellowship with her husband and as we become more acquainted with Christ we begin to notice that our hearts begin to thirst for more of His presence and more of His Holy Word.

When we come before Christ we are His brothers and sisters and it is this same familiarity that the bride wants to have with Solomon that we too long to have in Christ without being ashamed or despised by anyone for any reason. Christians are priveleged to be able to speak of Christ as the Bridegroom of the church, as our friend and also as our brother.

“But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12:48-50)

“Oh, that you were like a brother to me,
Who nursed at the breasts of my mother.
If I found you out of doors, I would kiss you;
No one would blame me or despise me, either.
² 
“I would lead you and bring you
Into the house of my mother, who used to instruct me;
I would give you spiced wine to drink from the juice of my pomegranates.
³ 
“Let his left hand be under my head
And his right hand embrace me.”

(The Bridegroom)

“I command you to take an oath, O daughters of Jerusalem,
That you do not rouse nor awaken my love
Until she pleases.”

The Shulammite Bride)

“Under the apple tree I awakened you [to my love];
There your mother was in labor with you,
There she was in labor and gave you birth.
⁶ 
“Put me like a seal on your heart,
Like a seal on your arm;
For love is as strong as death,
Jealousy is as severe and cruel as Sheol (the place of the dead).
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
[A most vehement flame] the very flame of the Lord!
⁷ 
“Many waters cannot quench love,
Nor can rivers drown it.
If a man would offer all the riches of his house for love,
It would be utterly scorned and despised.” (Song of Solomon 8:1-7)

In verses 8-12 the chorus speaks of having a little sister in the bride and this can bring to mind for us the presence of babes in Christ who we are to fellowship with and assist in their spiritual growth. We should protect them and enclose them as verse 9 says, “with planks of cedar”, protecting and teaching them how to guard their hearts from temptation and from the darts of the enemy. We should also let them know of their value in the church and in the kingdom of God building them up as it were on “a turret” of silver (v.9)

The remaining verses remind us that we either are or once were young Christians ourselves and that the Lord granted us favor by His grace to be saved and to finally find peace with Him (v.10).

As Solomon has a vineyard so our King and Lord Jesus Christ is the vine that we cling to for strength, for life, and for nourishment.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.” (John 15:1)

In verse 11 everyone was to bring a thousand pieces of silver; or shekels, amounting to about an hundred and fifty pounds for the fruit of the vineyard. This shows the fruitfulness of the vineyard since the price for its fruit was so expensive. God has blessed us in turn with great usefulness in the ministry of the gospel as we come to find great blessings in bringing souls to Christ, and that the fruit of His labor through us is more dear to Him than pieces of silver.

“Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins [each one equal to a day’s wages] and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?” (Luke 15:8)

Christ’s ministers are His soul gatherers, and the collectors of His fruit.

“You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and I have appointed and placed and  purposefully planted you, so that you would go and bear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your fruit will remain and be lasting, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name [as My representative] He may give to you.” (John 15:16)

Although we all have different gifts we still bring in the same amount as others do all for Christ’s pleasure, delight, and glory.

The Shulammite Bride)

¹⁰ 
“I was a wall, and my breasts were like the towers.
Then I became in the king’s eyes
As one [to be respected and allowed] to find peace.
¹¹ 
“Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon;
He entrusted the vineyard to caretakers;
Each one was to bring him a thousand shekels of silver for its fruit.
¹² 
“My very own vineyard is at my disposal;
The thousand [shekels of silver] are for you, O Solomon,
And two hundred are for those who tend the fruit.” (Song of Solomon 8:10-12)

The closing verses are the end of this conversation and Solomon wants to hear his wife’s voice one more time. Her response is that she wants him to come quickly to take her home.

(The Bridegroom)

¹³ 
“O you who sit in the gardens,
My companions are listening for your voice—
Let me hear it.”

(The Shulammite Bride)

¹⁴ 
“Hurry, my beloved and come quickly,
Like a gazelle or a young stag [taking me home]
On the mountains of spices.” (Song of Solomon 8:13-14)

We too should be waiting for our King to come and to take us home again. Jesus is going to return one day and bring us all home to Him. Let us keep right on awaiting his return and let our hope be ever on the heavens knowing this is not our home. A better life and a brighter day is yet on the horizon.

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (John 14:1-3)

Study on Songs VII.

Chapter 7 in the Song of Solomon at first glance appears to be a delightful devotional from Solomon to his bride. He lavishes her with strong words of seduction and passion and his bride responds in kind in agreement with his love for her. If we look we can also see a representation here of Christ and His relationship to believers as well as with the church. We too have this much love for our own King as He has for His own body of believers the church and for each individual that is a part of the body.

Admiration by the Bridegroom

7 “How beautiful are your feet in sandals,
O prince’s daughter!
The curves of your hips are like jewels,
The work of the hands of an artist.
² 
“Your navel is a round goblet
Which never lacks mixed wine.
Your belly is like a heap of wheat
Surrounded with lilies.
³ 
“Your two breasts are like two fawns,
The twins of a gazelle.

“Your neck is like a tower of ivory,
Your eyes the [sparkling] pools of Heshbon
By the gate of Bath-rabbim.
Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon
Which looks toward Damascus.
⁵ 
“Your head crowns you like

Mount Carmel,
And the flowing hair of your head like purple threads;
I, the king, am held captive by your tresses.
⁶ 
“How beautiful and how delightful you are,
My love, with all your delights!
⁷ 
“Your stature is like that of a palm tree
And your breasts like its clusters [of dates].

I said, ‘I will climb the palm tree;
I will grasp its branches.
Let your breasts be like clusters of the grapevine,
And the fragrance of your breath like apples,
⁹ 
‘And your kisses like the best wine!'” (Song of Solomon 7:1-9)

We see that Solomon has given his bride a new name “Princes daughter.” In Psalm 45:13 the church is referred to as the Kings daughter giving us insight into this new way of viewing this particular chapter of the word of God.

“Glorious is the King’s daughter within [the palace];
Her robe is interwoven with gold.” (Psalm 45:13)

The splendor of her robe interwoven as it is with gold speaks to the royalty of those who sit in the churches pews or who minister right now from their homes. As a part of Christ’s royal family we are clothed by Him in splendor and He cherishes us greatly.

Solomon speaks of his brides body and we can become acquainted here with the beautiful lens through which Christ sees every member of the church body.

“From Him the whole body [the church, in all its various parts], joined and knitted firmly together by what every joint supplies, when each part is working properly, causes the body to grow and mature, building itself up in [unselfish] love.” (Ephesians 4:16)

As we grow together and move together in unity with one another it brings God great joy. As Solomon gets joy in the dance of his brides hips. Our Lord sees the working of our hands and our feet even if only dressed in sandals (v. 1) as beautiful and most lovely as they are set on His work of ministering about Him, bringing messages of encouragement from His word to one another, and also to those who have never heard it. What a joy to know that we each are a delight to our Lord no matter how small or insignificant our place and our work may appear to us to be!

Holiness here is shown as a stately and strong presence in the nose of the bride of Solomon in verse 4 and her neck which is like a tower of ivory. The church stands towering above the enemy and every arrow he throws at us to prevent us from speaking of our Savior and flourishing in the love of Christ. Solomon speaks of the stateliness of his bride and we must remember that together we are just as refined, stately, and honorable to King Jesus.

The Union of Love

¹⁰ 
“I am my beloved’s,
And his desire is for me.
¹¹ 
“Come, my beloved, let us go out into the country,
Let us spend the night in the villages.
¹² 
“Let us go out early to the vineyards;
Let us see whether the vine has budded
And its blossoms have opened,
And whether the pomegranates have flowered.
There I will give you my love.
¹³ 
“The mandrakes give forth fragrance,
And over our doors are all [kinds of] choice fruits,
Both new and old,
Which I have saved up for you, my beloved.” (Song of Solomon 7:10-13)

The closing of this chapter shows the union of this marriage of love between Solomon and His bride and the union of Christ, again with the church. We are joined together with Christ at all times, and whether we are praying or singing songs of praise and worship, crying out to Him in deep longing for His return, or holding one another together for His glory, we are in fact His and the Lord’s desire is for us (v. 10).

Never forget that the fruit of the spirit is a beautiful aroma to our Lord and that whether you know it or not you are special and leave a lasting and most blessed impression on the body of the church, that is our Lord’s.

You have a place. You have a presence. You are a part of a whole with a stately and royal appearance. No matter what you are going through and no matter your suffering and the state of your scars. You are His and He is yours to His glory in the heavens and to the joy of all the stars.

Study on Songs VI.

In chapter 5 of the Song of Solomon the Shulammite bride has lost sight of her groom in a dream and felt her heart soaring in longing for him, as our hearts often long for God when He seems to be far from us. She goes out to look for him and the city guards come up against her as well as the chorus of those we have come to see as a chorus of fellow believers, as they want to know what she sees in her groom as many have questioned us as to why we are devoted to our Lord.

In chapter 6 of the Song of Solomon we see the chorus inspired to seek Solomon out for themselves after hearing the praise on the lips of the Shulammite bride. She had many a good thing to say about him and I wonder today what good things have you to say about our Lord?

The praise that we reserve for Him while bringing glory to God and benefiting our own hearts and minds also is of benefit to those who don’t believe in our Lord or who may have stepped behind in their walk of faith. It brings glory and honor to God when we praise Him and just think of how much honor we do Him when a flock of His sheep join with us in giving all glory and honor to our King. So when you praise Him today don’t just do it to yourself, for yourself, and by yourself. Share your praises and watch them bloom.

Mutual Delight in Each Other

(The Chorus)

6 “Where has your beloved gone,
O most beautiful among women?
Where is your beloved hiding himself,
That we may seek him with you?” (Song of Solomon 6:1)

The Shulammite bride answers by letting the chorus know that her king is tending to his people and that even though he has other responsibilities in the kingdom they are still very close to one another and their love for each other even when they are apart doesn’t diminish in its intimacy and intensity.

King Solomon was an affluent king and he had plenty of people I’m sure under him to take care of and to ensure were treated well and governed right. But no matter how wealthy or popular a king is there is none like our King, our God, our Father, our Lord and our Savior Jesus Christ who governs so well, upholds Justice so good, who loves us so much, and has compassion and mercy for us that is everlasting.

There was a time when I didn’t want to share God with others. Like a child who wants their mother or father all to themselves I felt some defiance towards God that He wasn’t and couldn’t be all mine. I have a tendency to hold on tightly to those I love not wanting to share them with anyone and there have been times when I too have been stingy with His love.

Having recently grown up just a little I now see as the Shulammite bride does that God is as much mine as I am His and that even though He watches over a grand flock of sheep He somehow has enough grace and mercy and love to give and He doesn’t give less or more to any of us for God is not a respecter of persons. This means that He shows no favoritism as man often does.

³⁴ “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons.” (Acts 10:34)

(The Shulammite Bride)

² 
“My beloved has gone down to his garden,
To the beds of balsam,
To feed his flock in the gardens
And gather lilies.
³ 
“I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine,
He who feeds his flock among the lilies.” (Song of Solomon 6:2-3)

The remaining verses of the Song of Solomon are Solomons words to His bride about the love that has for her written in beauty. I believe that the Lord wants you to know and to understand that He loves you and while He has no favorites He is very attentive to all of your needs, your problems, your dreams, your hopes, your desires, and all of the good, bad and the ugly and when He looks on you He is right there fully present holding on to every word, every thought, as well as every tear shed. He loves you dear one and as your soul loves Him so more than that, does He love you.

(The Bridegroom)

⁴ 
“You are as beautiful as Tirzah, my darling,
As lovely as Jerusalem,
As majestic as an army with banners!
⁵ 
“Turn your [flashing] eyes away from me,
For they have confused and overcome me;
Your hair is like [the shimmering black fleece of] a flock of [Arabian] goats
That have descended from Mount Gilead.
⁶ 
“Your teeth are like a flock of ewes
Which have come up from their washing,
All of which bear twins,
And not one among them has lost her young.
⁷ 
“Your temples are like a slice of the pomegranate
Behind your veil.
⁸ 
“There are sixty queens and eighty concubines,
And maidens without number;
⁹ 
But my dove, my perfect one, stands alone [above them all];
She is her mother’s only daughter;
She is the pure child of the one who bore her.
The maidens saw her and 

and called her blessed and happy,
The queens and the concubines also, and they praised her, saying,

¹⁰ 
‘Who is this that looks down like the dawn,
Fair and beautiful as the full moon,
Clear and pure as the sun,
As majestic as an army with banners?’
¹¹ 
“I went down to the orchard of nut trees
To see the flowers of the valley,
To see whether the grapevine had budded
And the pomegranates were in flower.

“Before I was aware [of what was happening], my desire had brought me
Into the area of the princes of my people [the king’s retinue].” (Song of Solomon 6: 4-12)

In the last verse the chorus calls out for the return of the bride wanting to gaze at her and perhaps watch to see what it is that was so beautifully extraordinary about her. Let us too walk in a most pleasing way to our Lord so that people will want us to return in hope of figuring out what has happened to us and why we are so graciously different than expected and than we were before.

(The Chorus)

“Return, return, O Shulammite;
Return, return, that we may gaze at you.”

(The Bridegroom)

“Why should you gaze at the Shulammite, As at the dance of the two armies?” (Song of Solomon 6:13)

We should be aware however not to get too carried away by the gaze of the people but listen to our Lord and Savior and let our words, deeds, actions, and victories reflect His, all to His honor and glory. He loves us and this is not to be taken for granted or seen as a way to glorify ourselves or Lord it over others.

I pray you will see your worth in Christ today and that your words and actions will lead others to look to Christ as their Lord, their Savior, and their Redeemer rather than to see you as the one they should be following. In Jesus name. Amen.

A Study on Songs V.

There are times when we get a sense of distance from God and if you have ever felt this way you know that it isn’t a good feeling at all. We may find that we have lost joy in our Bible reading, have trouble praying, or that our devotionals have become stale and dry. Sometimes our busy schedules get in the way, we have unrepentant sin that lingers in our spirits, and at other times we just seem to lose the fire that we had when we were first saved.

The fifth chapter of the Song of Solomon tells us of the Shulammite Brides separation from her lover and how deeply she misses him when he’s not around her, to the point of going out into the city to search for him. I’m sure many of us have felt the separation from someone close to us that we love very dearly and it’s sad to say that many of us are going through this very thing right now. But as the Shulammite Bride learned about her lover we can learn from God exactly what it is about Him that causes us to love Him so much and that He is larger than our feelings (1 John 3:20). Although we may feel far from Him, He is always closer to us than we can ever think, hope, or imagine.

The Bridegroom)

5 “I have come into my garden, my sister, my [promised] bride;
I have gathered my myrrh along with my balsam and spice [from your sweet words].
I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey;
I have drunk my wine with my milk.
Eat, friends;
Drink and drink deeply, O lovers.” (Song of Solomon 5:1)

In this first verse before the dreaded separation between him and his bride Solomon expresses his love and satisfaction for her. God is always satisfied with you. Before the separation from Him you may be feeling He was right there happy with you, just as even now he is right there waiting in hopeful expectation for your return to Him. Did you ever notice that no one ever speaks of God returning to us? That’s because we are the ones who get distracted and fall away. But praise the Lord! Our God is always right there with us.

“Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

The Shulammite Bride)

² 
“I was asleep, but my heart was awake.
A voice [in my dream]! My beloved was knocking:
‘Open to me, my sister, my darling,
My dove, my perfect one!
For my head is drenched with the [heavy night] dew;
My hair [is covered] with the dampness of the night.’ (Song of Solomon 5:2)

Sometimes when God is knocking we are not ready to receive Him into our hearts. But when we cry out to Him in the midst of our darkness His light will most assuredly pour in and flood our hearts and spirits with it’s warmth. So even if our hearts don’t seem “right” for Him running towards Him is always the perfect response.

“If you direct your heart [on the right path]
And stretch out your hands to Him,
¹⁴ 
If sin is in your hand, put it far away [from you],
And do not let wrongdoing dwell in your tents;
¹⁵ 
Then, indeed, you could lift up your face [to Him] without moral defect,
And you would be firmly established and secure and not fear.” (Job 11:13-15)

“I had taken off my dress,
How can I put it on again?
I had washed my feet,
How could I get them dirty again?” (Song of Solomon 5:3)

God wants you to be in fellowship with him, to speak to him, to walk near to Him no matter how sinful, how dirty, how hopeless you feel. God is a loving Father, a caring and understanding friend, and a most gracious and compassionate Savior.

¹⁵ “Today [while there is still opportunity] if you hear His voice,
Do not harden your heart, as when they provoked Me [in the rebellion in the desert at Meribah].” (Hebrews 3:15)

Don’t just come to Him today. Run to your Redeemer for your ransom from sin and death has been paid by Him forever.

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)

“My beloved extended his hand through the opening [of the door],
And my feelings were aroused for him.
⁵ 
“I arose to open for my beloved;
And my hands dripped with myrrh,
And my fingers with liquid [sweet-scented] myrrh,
On the handles of the bolt.
⁶ 
“I opened for my beloved,
But my beloved had turned away and was gone.
My heart went out to him when he spoke.
I searched for him, but I could not find him;
I called him, but he did not answer me.” (Song of Solomon 5:4-6)

When we make the Lord wait for us His presence will seem distant and we are left in frustration and at times may be stirred to anger at God and blame Him for our own impatience. Then He stirs up in us a desperate longing to find out where our Lord has went and what He’s up to.

“Seek the Lord while He may be found;
Call on Him [for salvation] while He is near.” (Isaiah 55:6)

Just as the Shulammite bride has to face the watchmen in the city and be pushed and prodded by them we too have to face the enemy of this world when we are on our search for the living God.

“The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me.
They struck me, they wounded me;
The guardsmen of the walls took my shawl from me.
⁸ 
“I command that you take an oath, O daughters of Jerusalem,
If you find my beloved,
As to what you tell him—
[Say that] I am sick from love [sick from being without him].” (Song of Solomon 5:7-8)

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places.” (Ephesians 6:12)

Yet there are still those around us who will ask us why we are searching for our God at all inquiring as the chorus did to the Shulammite bride, what makes Him so special. Sometimes these are even those who had at one time stood in awe of God with us. At at other more prominent times the questions come from those who were never acquainted with God to begin with.

(The Chorus)

⁹ 
“What is your beloved more than another beloved,
O most beautiful among women?
What is your beloved more than another beloved,
That you should so command us to take an oath?” (Song of Solomon 5:9)

Our response to them all should sound with the admiration and praise the Shulammite has for Solomon and even more so because our first love is supernatural, omnipotent, omniscient and infinite: The Living God.

“My beloved is exquisitely handsome and ruddy,
Outstanding among ten thousand.” (Song of Solomon 5:10)

The word describes the Word very well when it says in John 1:14,

The Word Made Flesh

¹⁴ And the Word (Christ) became flesh, and lived among us; and we [actually] saw His glory, glory as belongs to the [One and] only begotten Son of the Father, [the Son who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, who is] full of grace and truth (absolutely free of deception).” (John 1:14)

We are alive in Christ and our lips are to sing songs of His praises.

“[They are living memorials] to declare that the Lord is upright and faithful [to His promises];
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.” (Psalm 92:15)

Listen to the psalmist as he declares that the Lord is his “rock”. Even if the Lord feels far from you or you feel yourself drifting away remember that God is firm and immovable like a rock and He is the most stable anchor that there is and ever was.

These are some of the responses that we can give and I’m sure if you know the Lord closely you have many examples of your own as to why He is so good, why you love Him, and why you search for Him like you do. Just remember wherever you are in your spiritual walk, that He is very near to you.

If your sense of longing for God isn’t stirred up or if you have never met Him before let me encourage you as to one more reason to draw near to Him and give your whole self to Him today.

¹⁵ “He is the exact living image [the essential manifestation] of the unseen God [the visible representation of the invisible], the firstborn [the preeminent one, the sovereign, and the originator] of all creation.” (Colossians 1:15)

Be well and live blessed today.