Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes;
your name is like perfume poured out.
No wonder the maidens love you!
Song of Solomon 1:3 (NIV)
Each time I read the opening passage of the Song of Songs, I envision the Shulamite maiden sitting lost in thought, longing for her king. Perhaps she is daydreaming about him. You know how it was when you first fell in love. As I pore over these words, I am astounded as I sense the great delight the maiden experiences in the presence of the king. All of her senses are awakened to Love. Thoughts of him seem fill her mind. She seems so attuned to every thing about him; his very scent brings pleasure to her.
While meditating on this verse, I had to ask myself: Is it so with me and the Lover of my soul? Am I so in love withmy Lord that He consumes every part of my life, my very being? Have I kept that same passion I had in the beginning? Is my love for Him still fervent, fresh and new? Have I remained so sensitive to Him that I sense His presence by His fragrance?
Remember how it was when you first fell in love with Jesus? I do. All I wanted to do was spend time alone with Him, time in His Word, time in worship, time in prayer. Hours would pass and seem like only minutes. I was overwhelmed by His love, His voice, His beauty, His presence. Every part of me – spirit, soul and body -- was awakened to Love. It engulfed all that I was and all that I did, and always called me back to that secret place – alone with Him.
There is something about budding love. The newness of it brings newness to everything. All of life becomes animated. We are in love and that love consumes us! But if we are not careful, over time the freshness may wane. We may not be as excited by the presence of the one we love. We may even begin to take that presence for granted.
The cry of my heart is that my love for Jesus never loses that freshness, that it never wanes, that I never take Love for granted. May I ever be sensitive to His presence, to His sweet fragrance. May I ever be alive to Love Himself with all that I am. May every day with Him be filled with excitement and anticipation – not just of the things He will do for me but at the very thought of Him and the knowledge that He is ever present with me.
May it be so with all of us!
