Text: Song of Songs 4:1-16, Proverbs 4:23, Revelation 22:1-5
I once had a box of love letters that I kept way past their expiration date.
The author of the letters was a boy I knew when I was a teenager. We lived in different states, met at a church event, and “dated” – or something? – long distance for a while, seeing each other only a handful of times. This was back when high school kids didn’t have email addresses and dinosaurs roamed the earth, so letter-writing was our primary means of communication. You know—paper and pens, envelopes and stamps.
I kept those letters long after the boy and our young relationship faded away, and thinking back on it, I’m not exactly sure why. It wasn’t because I was pining for the boy himself—I hardly knew him, after all. I think I kept them because of my feelings for feelings.
I liked remembering the anticipation the distance between us created, and the way my stomach did flips each time his handwriting appeared in my mailbox. I liked recalling the connection I felt as I read his letters, even though they were about normal things like school or work or car trouble. (He drove an Acura, my high school dream car. You can see the appeal.)
Love—even faint glimpses of it—forces us to feel. Romantic love awakens our senses, making us keenly aware of our built-in longing for intimacy and connection. Maybe this is one of the reasons God included this human love letter in the middle of His divine love letter to us: to wake us up.
As we read today in Chapter 4, Solomon could hardly contain himself when it came to Shulamith. He enthusiastically praised every part of his beautiful bride, comparing her hair to “a flock of goats,” her brow to “a slice of pomegranate”—even rejoicing that she has all her teeth! We roll our eyes at the absurdity of his metaphors because we know his bride was human and imperfect, but at the same time, we get it. Whether we’ve experienced the thrill of romantic love firsthand or just blushed at the thought of it, we can imagine the weightless feeling that comes from a stolen glance, or the electricity of a first kiss.
Reading this love song out loud makes me uncomfortable, like I’m eavesdropping on a private conversation. But you know what? It does not shock or embarrass God. He created us for relationship and established boundaries in which those relationships can flourish and honor Him. Solomon is finally joining with his bride, and we don’t have to be embarrassed about it. The Bible celebrates it!
Love, relationships, and yes, even sex, remind us that we are alive—created by a God who loves us, and created to love each other. We misuse and abuse His gifts—and pain, tears, and shame result when we do—but the gifts themselves are good. Solomon is right to rejoice.
Love and its songs are grand, but there is only one love that fulfills our expectations. Christ’s love for the Church has no blemishes or flaws; He never falters or forgets. And while love here on earth comes with its share of heartache and tears, the fulfillment of our heart’s truest desire will not disappoint. “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There won’t be death anymore. There won’t be any grief, crying, or pain, because the first things have disappeared” (Revelation 21:4).
There will be no more eye rolling, no more shame—only the ultimate joy and perfect peace that comes from being in the presence of God. We are most alive when we are joined with Him.
Fantastic devotional!! Enjoying it so much!!
Jesus, I abuse your gifts. I make them into a commodity when they are supposed to be holy. Please forgive me. Your love is so much better. Your love lasts when the pleasures of this world fade away. Help me to remember that and to live a life that shows I believe it. Your love lasts forever. God give me a heart abandonded, ever after YOU alone.
Amen.
and amen
“It does not shock or embarrass God. He created us for relationship and established boundaries in which those relationships can flourish and honor Him.” – This is seriously so vital to know and understand. One of my biggest heartaches with today’s church is that we don’t celebrate holy marriage. We don’t even talk about it, and when it is talked about it’s done so in a “don’t do this or else..” kind of manner. We should be celebrating this amazing thing that God created. And we should be learning and teaching it through the lens of Scripture. It’s so important!
http://www.littlelightonahill.com
I agree
Proverbs 4:23 – “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”
I once heard a sermon that focused on this verse, and it’s something that has stuck with me. (Btw, here is the link for said sermon, if anyone is interested: http://marshill.se/marshill/media/best-sermon-ever/dr-wayne-grudem-guard-your-heart ). Basically, the pastor said that our ‘keeping our heart’ is the most important thing, and we often let it go by the wayside because other (good) things are taking our attention. If taking care of my heart, if cultivating my relationship with God, is not a priority in my life, then my life will likely reflect that. It’s interesting to be reminded of that alongside being reminded that all of God’s gifts are good – which is true, so long as we don’t value them above the Giver of gifts.
God, I pray that I don’t get so caught up in the busy-ness of my life that I forget to guard my heart with all vigilance. I pray that You keep drawing me to You, even as You have been doing with this study. I want cultivating my relationship with You to be THE most important thing, and not just another thing to do each day. Amen.
Amen!
Amen!
Just what I needed.
Rachel, thank you for posting this along with the link. I just watched the sermon and it helped me to see something that I often do in my life. The busi-ness of life can separate you unknowingly from God.
I want so much to spend time with Him. I awake each morning, and my first thought is to have my quiet time with Him, and then…. I get started making coffee and I look around and realize “this” and “that” need to be done, and before I know it, I’ve skipped over my time with Him. It makes me so sad when I let it happen… busy-ness. I don’t want to make the other “stuff” my first priority, but then I do, without even realizing it’s happening. It’s time to do things differently. Papa, I pray I can do better. I pray that I can ignore the distractions and make You my priority each and ever day. I pray that I can see You as the bright and shiny object that distracts me from everything else, instead of the other way around.
I know just what you mean, Cheri! I struggle too and am praying for the same things.
Honestly when it comes to love, I’m a hopeless romantic so I can’t get embarrassed by any of it. I actually get giddy (haha) but I think that’s why it’s so important to love like God and to pray that God send us a husband who will love us just the same. Celebrate love and rejoice in it! It’s such a wonderful gift we’ve been given!
My husband knows me best but even he doesn’t always ‘get me.’ So grateful that there is One who does. I’m looking forward to the day when I am in His presence for all eternity, feeling fully alive, fully known, fully understood, and fully at peace.
I agree <3
Love this!