Their separation was more than she could bear so she went into the world to look for Him—but He is not of the world. As she moves past them, He is there waiting. At last they are together again—she pulls herself close to Him—she would not let Him go.
Chapter 3 closes with His perfect love for His bride and an invitation. It's their wedding day!
He sees the beauty in her devotion. Where does this beauty come from? Furthermore, how is the kind of devotion God delights in even possible? Left to ourselves, it isn't. When He looks at her, He sees the sacrifice of the Savior—clean and pure—washed in grace.
Oh, Beloved, how God rejoices when you turn your eyes upon Jesus. You were created by Him, for Him. So many things get in the way of this truth; you bear the Image of God.
Your lips are jewel red,
your mouth elegant and inviting,
your veiled cheeks soft and radiant.
The smooth, lithe lines of your neck
command notice—all heads turn in awe and admiration!
Your breasts are like fawns,
twins of a gazelle, grazing among the first spring flowers.
The sweet, fragrant curves of your body,
the soft, spiced contours of your flesh
Invite me, and I come. I stay
until dawn breathes its light and night slips away. Songs 4:3-6 MSG
He is assuring her that she is most beautiful of all. It's only in the security of His love that we find the ability to hold tightly to Him as He molds and shapes our character into His likeness. The more time we spend with Jesus, the more like Him we become.
You’re beautiful from head to toe, my dear love, beautiful beyond compare, absolutely flawless.
Come with me from Lebanon, my bride. Leave Lebanon behind, and come.Leave your high mountain hideaway. Abandon your wilderness seclusion,Where you keep company with lions and panthers guard your safety. Songs 4:7-8 MSG
"When the future first arrives, we most often don't recognize it." I'm not sure who said that, but boy does it resonate with me. I bet she would say it resonates with her too. He's inviting her to leave her fears behind and fully trust Him. Earlier, in His pursuit of her, she allowed fearful thoughts to creep in. However, it's different this time. Choosing to see only Him, she recognizes her future and she is ready to give herself to Him.
God knows us. He knows our hesitations—our fears—our personalities. He made us. He knows what it will take for each of us to be ready to leap off the mountain and into His arms. I don't know about you, but my knees are shaking just thinking about it. I pray that as we continue to abide in Him, He will help us yield to His plan.
I've shared before that the season I'm in right now is a challenging one to say the least. I have, without a doubt, found it difficult to navigate at times. However, today I'm reminded that the Gospel brings transformation in seasons. Hopefully each one will lead me to a deeper understanding of the kind of love that would cause Jesus to lay down His life to secure.
You’ve captured my heart, dear friend.
You looked at me, and I fell in love.
One look my way and I was hopelessly in love! Songs 4:9 MSG
What a thought; God has made it possible for us to captivate His heart. I wonder, when He was planning the creation of man, if He was imagining this very moment—the moment when His bride would walk toward Him—steal His heart—and take His breath away?
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