Drawn By Love

"Draw me after you and let us run together!

The king has brought me into his chambers."

     Song of Solomon 1:4 NASB

         “Draw me!!” cries the Shulamite maiden. “Draw me after you!” There is a deep yearning within her spirit that desires more. She can no longer be content with what she has experienced of him up to this point. The desire to be drawn closer still springs from a place deep within her that recognizes there are depths of love that have yet to be reached; there is a place in his heart that she has yet to touch; there are places in her that have yet to be fully touched by him. And she cries, “Draw me!”

         The truth is the Lord is always drawing us; always calling us unto Himself; always wooing us to come closer to be with Him, to hear what He desires to speak, to hear His song of love.  We so often dismiss the drawing;  we put it off until a more convenient time.  His desire is toward us.  He wants to be with us.  He yearns for us. He continually draws; we don't always run. 

      Draw me, Lord! This has become the cry of my heart. I have seen Your love; I have tasted of Your goodness. I desire now that You, Lord, draw me after You. There are so many things, so many others that call to me, seeking to draw me  – not necessarily evil or sinful things, but not necessarily the “needful” thing either. So many other things vie for my attention in the course of a day, but my cry is 'Lord, draw me after You.' I turn aside, I turn away from all the others. I will run after You and You alone. You, Lord, are not only the One I need but You are the One my heart truly desires. Draw me after You and I will come. I will run with haste; with all that I am I will come.

       Draw me! Your word has declared that no man comes to the Father except the Spirit draws him. Your Spirit has drawn my spirit to You and I have experienced Your saving grace.  Now draw all that I am –my  soul, my heart, my thoughts that are so often scattered and turned toward things other than You. Draw my passions and desires that too often lust after the things that only give temporal satisfaction. Draw my affections, my ambitions and all that makes me who I am.  Draw my body and its appetites. Draw me unto You.

        Draw me to You – not to the things that You can give me but to You. Not merely to the promise of prosperity or of healing or of ministry or of needs met, not even the promise of heaven. I recognize that those are all a reality of life in You; if I have You and I have all that You are and all that You give. I don't want to be drawn to the "stuff;"  I want to be drawn to You.  Draw me to Your face; draw me to Your heart.  May I ever be life Moses who chose Your presence over Your promise; for what good is the promise without Your presence? Draw me after You.

        You  continue to draw me with bands of love (Hosea 11:4). You have drawn me with loving-kindness. Deep continually calls to deep. I respond. I run after you.

        I have in my lifetime pursued many things (and people) that I thought would bring me joy and satisfaction. And some did, but the joy was momentary; the satisfaction fleeting. I have found that only You can satisfy the deepest longings of my soul. True pleasure, true joy, true peace come from You. And it is not some temporary thing. You love with an everlasting love. Your love never wanes, never fades, never changes.

         I am still learning how to release some of those desires and allow Him to truly be my all! Still learning to truly walk in the reality that He is more than enough. I am ever in pursuit of Him – desiring to run after Him, to explore His love that has no limits, to know its length,its width, its depth, its height. My cry remains, "Draw me into the deeper places in You to know the love that surpasses knowledge."

        May we  ever run after Him!

The Fragrance of Love

". . .your name is ointment poured forth"   Song of Solomon 1:3b

         I remember some years ago coming home from an exhausting day of work. As I opened the door to my bedroom I was greeted –- or more accurately, accosted -- by a strong smell. The fragrance so permeated every molecule of the room, it literally overwhelmed me. I looked on the dresser and ,noticed that the bottle of extremely expensive perfume I had recently purchased was half emptied. My mother, who I was caring for at the time, had decided to use my cologne as air freshener. The scent lingered for days.

        That memory came to mind as I reread Song of Songs 1:3. Our young maiden compares the name of her beloved to perfume that has been poured out. Something about his very name had the same effect on her as that perfume my mother had “poured forth” in my room had had on me; it was powerful enough to truly overwhelm her.

        In the Shakespearean play Romeo and Juliet, Juliet asks “What’s in a name?” She goes on to say that it really doesn’t matter what you call a thing; its very nature or essence remains the same. But the Bible tells us that a name is more than a word by which we call something or someone. Within the name lies the very essence of the person. Know the name; know the person; for the name reveals the person’s character, destiny and purpose.

        That is why as we read through scripture each time the LORD reveals His Name to the children of Israel,  He is saying to them (and to us) "This is My character; this is Who I AM! My Name is not just a title by which you may call Me; it reveals My essence,My power,  My heart!”  All that He is is wrapped up in His Name: Provider, Healer, Peace, Captain of the Host, Shepherd, Righteousness, Holy, Savior and so much more. And in all of these revelations rest the greatest revelation of all --- God is Love!

        All that Yahweh is, all He revealed Himself to be, is manifested in One person, One Name, the Name above all names,  Jesus. The greatest revelation of the Father's  love for us is found in Jesus!

        Your Name is perfume poured forth!!

        Many of the ingredients used in the making of perfumes in the Israel had to be imported, making the oils and perfumes very costly. (we read that the ol Mary used to anoint Jesus was worth a year's salary). These expensive oils were often kept in boxes or vials, and in order for the oil to be poured forth, the seal of the box or vial had to be broken. Breaking open the box to pour forth the oil  represents true and total commitment. It was all or nothing.

        The  Lord Jesus, the King of kings has broken  open the alabaster box of His life for me and for you. In love He willingly poured forth all that He is in order to bring us back to the Father’s heart; in order to bring us into relationship with Him.  I love Him so much  and I thank Him  for loving me with a self-sacrificing love. His  name, Jesus, is ointment poured forth, and it is a sweet-smelling savor in my nostrils.

        I believe the only response to such a love is for us to pour out our  lives to Him, recognizing that it is all or nothing. Today  let us break open the alabaster box of  our very lives. May our  lives be a sweet-smelling savor unto Him. Amen.

First Love

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!

Intoxicating

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth — For your love is more delightful than wine. Song of Solomon 1:2 NIV

"My Beloved Bride, there are so many things in this world that can bring you pleasure; that can bring you joy. Many things that draw you with their intoxicating appeal. They called you before you came to Me and they call you still. Once you sought the 'stuff' of the world, its wine, its pleasures. And you know that in all your pleasure-seeking, often the emptiness you sought to fill still remained. And you sought the more, thinking more would satisfy.

You say, "But Lord, that was then; that was yesterday. This is now and all I seek is You.'" And I ask, Are you sure?

Don't equate the pleasures of the world with sin; for, all pleasure is not sin. And with that in mind, I ask what now do you seek to bring you pleasure, to bring you joy? Where do you find that which intoxicates you, that makes you weak and brings you to your knees? Those times when you feel unloved, lonely, disconnected, hurt, empty, unfulfilled, disappointed, do you still seek satisfaction in places or people, events or experiences? Do you still seek the 'wine of the world'?

People drink wine for its intoxicating properties -- it relaxes, it frees, it warms. It helps them escape. My Love relaxes, it frees, it warms. It helps you escape darkness, death and fear. It gives light! It gives meaning and purpose. It unites! It gives joy and laughter. It gives life!

You have tasted of My love! You have tasted of My grace! You have tasted of My mercy, My compassion, My faithfulness. You have tasted of My Presence. You have tasted and you have seen; I Am good! My love, My caresses, My unconditional, never-failing, longsuffering, everlasting, strong and mighty love for you is far better than anything else you can ever seek. Sometimes you seem to forget that. And sometimes you really do, whether you realize it or not, turn to find it somewhere else. No thing, no person, no title, no amount of money, no vacation spot, no ministry, no applause from the masses is better than My love for you. And nothing will ever give you the deepest, lasting satisfaction. You know that! I know you do!

The next time you feel a sense of emptiness, loneliness, need, turn to Me. Drink of Me. Drink of My love. Take your fill of Me and be completely satisfied by My intoxicating love for you. I love you!”

An "In-Your-Face" Love

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; for your love is better than wine. 

Song of Solomon 1:2

I must have been in high school the first time I attempted to read through the Song of Solomon. I remember thinking, “This is in the Bible!” I admit I found it a bit disconcerting to find such sensual language and imagery in the Holy canon. Somehow I knew that God still had something to say to me through this book, but I just couldn’t sift through it at that time. I decided to focus on the gospels.  Since then, of course, I have read through the book numerous times and found myself weeping at the imagery that so intimately discloses this love relationship that the Savior desires with me.

I don’t doubt that my first encounter with the Song was not unlike that of many others, and perhaps you too were challenged with words like the ones we find in verse two of the Song’s first chapter. . .

“Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth . . .

     Kisses are intimate expressions of affection. A kiss is a face-to-face encounter. The Hebrew word for kiss, “nashaq,” means to be joined mouth to mouth, to be attached. Only those close to you are deigned worthy to kiss you or have that kiss reciprocated. Our Shulamite maiden is longing for that close, intimate relationship with the king. She is asking for a face-to-face encounter.

     There comes a time in the life of the believer that we are no longer satisfied with what has become the “normal Christian life.” We know there is more; we sense the wooing of the Lord to draw closer to Him. We desire to move from a “heaven-when-I-die” salvation to the “love-of-lifetime” relationship. There is no other that can satisfy; we cannot be satisfied to know about Him. We want an “in-your-face” relationship. As we cry out, “Kiss me with the kisses of your mouth,” we are declaring that we want to know Him in the most intimate of ways. We are ready to move from the outer court in our relationship with Him to that place in the Holiest Place where it is just Him and no one else. We recognize that no one kisses from a distance, just as one cannot worship from a distance.

      But what are “the kisses of his mouth”? What does it mean to be kissed by the Lord?

     I am sure there are many interpretations of that phrase. Let me offer one to you. I discovered in my studies that rabbis consider a kiss from God to be a prophetic word. It is through His word -- both logos and rhema – that we come to know the Lord’s heart, His mind, His desire and His love for us. God is ever speaking to us, singing over us, revealing His heart and character to us. He desires to kiss us through every word written in scripture, through every word spoken through His prophets, through every word whispered to our spirits as we spend time with Him. He daily kisses us!  He wants to be in your face even more than you desire to be in His.

      Years ago as I was pondering this passage, the Lord asked me a question. He asked, “Who ya been kissin’?” (Yes, God speaks to me like that; He’s not a stickler for marketplace English). Then He spoke these words:

“My Beloved, I never cease to kiss you. I love you and desire to kiss you with the kisses of My word daily, hourly. If you feel un-kissed know it is because you have turned away.

Remember when you were a little girl and your mother would throw kisses at you? You’d pretend to catch it and land it square on your cheek. Then you would reciprocate, throwing a kiss in her direction. Sometimes she feigned dropping it. She’d pick it up, dust it off and plant on her cheek. Know, My Child, that I don’t want to throw kisses in your direction in the hope that you catch them. I want to smother you in kisses. Intimate, up close and personal. Not kisses on the hand; not kisses on the cheek, but from My mouth to yours; from My heart to yours. I long for that face-to-face encounter!

Turn your face toward My face. Stop talking, be still and receive from Me.

One reason why My beloved ones often seek a word from a prophet is because they have too often turned to kiss someone else and miss the kisses I have for them. Others are wooing them, seeking to kiss them as well, and they’ve not grown familiar enough with My touch and My voice to know the difference.

I ask you, Beloved, who have you been kissing lately? Do I truly have all your affections?

Turn your face towards Me and kiss Me with your worship. And then you shall receive the kisses of My mouth—the kisses of My word. They will bring life! They speak always of My love for you!"

The Song Supreme

The Song of Songs which is Solomon’s

Song of Solomon 1:1

      I remember my high school yearbook featuring some of my classmates on the “Senior Superlatives” page. Pictured there were those individuals who in their four years of high school had distinguished themselves in some way or another. The Cutest, the Smartest, the Most Athletic, The Most Talented, The Most Talkative, the Most likely to . . .

     These individuals were found to be simply the best.

        The phrase “the song of songs” expresses a superlative as do the phrases Holy of Holies, King of Kings, Lord of Lords. The superlative holds within this idea: in comparing all that fit into a given category, this one thing, this one person is heads above the rest. All else pales in comparison.

       The Holy Spirit in directing Solomon to open with these words is distinguishing this canticle from the other 1000+ songs written by or even written for the king. Of all the songs written this one is the ultimate song!. No other song compares. This is a Song Supreme!

    But why? What is it about the Song of Solomon that qualifies it as being unsurpassed?    I believe it is because of what it reveals to us about God’s love. There is something so deeply personal here. It goes beyond the love a Father has for His child. It goes beyond the love of friends. Here we see another aspect of the love that Paul describes as passing all knowledge. Hear the Father speak:

       "You ask, My Child, what makes this song, of all the songs that Solomon wrote, the supreme, the greatest, the song above all songs. I tell you it is because this song, more than all others, reveals the depth of My love for you, My beautiful Bride. It reveals My heart concerning the deeply personal relationship I seek with you. Not one solely of Father and child or Redeemer and redeemed. But one of a deep, intimate, abiding love. It speaks of intimate times when I take you, My Bride, into My chamber; it speaks of the secrets and mysteries spoken in those intimate moments alone.

       I long for you even more than you long for Me. I want you to experience the real deal of Love. To experience the depths, the width, the height the length of love in Me and know that there is no other that will ever love you with the depth of Love I Am for you. Let My Love flow in and through and out of you, engulfing you, bathing you, soothing you. It is My pure and holy transcendent love I Am that completes you and satisfies you.

       As we walk through this relationship be immersed in that love, rest in it, live from it. Love will never fail you. Trust in it more than you trust anything else. There is no fear in Love. There is no fear in Me. There is no failure in Love, for there is no failure in Me. Know Me and Know Love. Then when the counterfeit comes you will not be fooled into accepting it.

      Come to know Me now, My Bride, as your Bridegroom. You know Me as Savior. You know Me as Father. You know Me as Redeemer, Deliverer, and Healer. Now come to know Me as Bridegroom and discover a dimension of My love like none you've ever fathomed. As you do, I promise, you will never be the same."