Yesterday was the last day. For the last ten weeks a small group of women have been studying the Bible together at my home using Nancy Guthrie’s book, “The Wisdom of God: Seeing Jesus in the Psalms and Wisdom Books”. What a wonderful study! We learned so much from her and from each other! The sweetest thing was the way we saw Jesus in these Old Testament books. The fellowship of us women as we study and share together is so indescribably precious.
We finished the study in Song of Solomon. Quite the book, in its description of love and sexual intimacy. Written as a love poem that goes back and forth in the voices of a bridegroom and his bride. We puzzled over God’s purpose in including it in His Word. Nancy did a good job of explaining the various scholarly ideas put forth by people far more knowledgeable than any of us, about the meaning and intent of the book.
In the words of the lovers in Song of Solomon, we can see a picture of Jesus and the love that He has for His bride, the church. That is where my heart landed as I read Song of Solomon.
I was captured by these comments and the question Nancy asked:
In the Song of Solomon, words of
praise extolling the virtues of the bride’s beloved flow freely and abundantly
from the bride’s lips, an overflow of her thoughts about and passion for
him. As a member of the bride of Christ,
what would you want to tell us about your beloved?
That was the most awesome question!! To write down and then share with the group the wonder of my beloved gave me so much joy! My words are inadequate and incomplete, but this is my beloved.
My beloved is beautiful. Though I have never seen Him face to face, I see His beauty in His character. My beloved is kind, compassionate, forgiving, full of grace and mercy. He loves with a self-sacrificing love, a love that demonstrates itself most fully in His willingness to give His life for mine. He gave His life so that I might HAVE life – eternal, abundant – life!
My beloved loves me unconditionally, fully, and forever. He has promised to never leave me. His love for me is such that He’s preparing a home for me where He is, so that one day I will live there with Him and I will finally SEE Him face to face. And I’ll be with Him FOREVER!
My beloved is always near to me, ready to comfort me with His presence and His supernatural peace, even in the most difficult circumstances. He always hears me when I speak to Him, and answers with His best will and purpose for my life.
What a love His is! It is like no other. No earthly love can satisfy my soul the way the love of Jesus for me can!
Thinking of Jesus as my beloved Bridegroom was a revelation to me. I waited for sleep last night dwelling on this aspect of His person.
Maybe we don’t think enough about Jesus in this way, I know I didn’t! Certainly I don’t talk to others about Him enough in this way. If I spoke to you about my Bridegroom would it woo you into wanting to know His love for yourself?
If you sense that something is lacking in the kind of love this world offers, then you need to know Jesus. He is the absolute lover of your soul. He proved it at the cross.
He longs to reveal His love to YOU. If you want to know Him, you only have to ask Him to reveal Himself.
Song of Solomon, chapter 6, verse 3:
I am my beloved’s and my beloved is
mine.
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