Over the past few weeks, we have learned many important aspects of developing and nurturing a relationship with God. We’ve learned that God plays the major roll in the relationship, but that we also have a part to play. We’ve learned how much God desires to be with us, but we must also reciprocate that desire. We’ve learned that He loves us in such a unique, special way that it is difficult for us, as humans, to comprehend; and we’ve also learned that we need to love God back in the same way. But what do you do when you desire such a relationship with God, you even see other Christians having such a relationship, but for some reason, God seems far away from you and you can’t hear His voice? The answers to this problem will be appearing in the final seven lessons of this series. For today, let’s take a look at where God REALLY is, and why we don’t always realize He is near:
“The man: ‘Get up, my dear friend, fair and beautiful lover – come to me! Look around you: Winter is over; the winter rains are over, gone! Spring flowers are in blossom all over. The whole world’s a choir – and singing! Spring warblers are filling the forest with sweet arpeggios. Lilacs are exuberantly purple and perfumed, and cherry trees fragrant with blossoms. Oh, get up, dear friend, my fair and beautiful lover – come to me!’ . . . The woman: ‘. . . My lover is mine, and I am his. Nightly he strolls in our garden, Delighting in the flowers until dawn breathes its light and night slips away.'” (Song of Solomon 2:10b-13, 15-17a from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)
Today’s text (as well as today’s devotional!) Is a bit longer than most; but all of these verses have something very specific in common. Let’s take a look:
The woman: “His left hand cradles my head, and his right arm encircles my waist!” Most of you can probably relate to having been held like this at some point in your life. The feeling you get when so held is one of security, one of love and support.
Good news, my friends! That’s exactly how Jesus longs to support each one of us! Let’s take a look and see: “The man: ‘Get up, my dear friend, fair and beautiful lover – come to me! Look around you: Winter is over; the winter rains are over, gone! Spring flowers are in blossom all over . . . Oh, get up, dear friend, my fair and beautiful lover – come to me!'”
Most of us remember what it is like to be in the winter of our lives. To be snowed in by circumstances that we can’t do anything about, shaking under the icy blasts of problems, and no matter how many layers we put on, those freezing fingers of trouble always find their way-straight to our hearts! But it doesn’t have to be this way. Once we know Jesus, He is right there, longing to carry us through. In fact, He says the “winter is over!” We may still be in the midst of those same circumstances, those same problems and troubles, but Truth says, “Winter is over . . . Come to me!” Why? So that He can cradle your head with His right hand encircling your waist! He wants to love you, He wants to support you through the trials; and when we let Him, then, truly, our “winter is over”!
But that’s not the end of the reassurance! The woman then says: “My lover is mine, and I am his. Nightly he strolls in our garden . . .” Notice WHEN He strolls in the garden: NIGHTLY! Friends, it is in the NIGHT of your life, when things are at their darkest, their snowiest, their coldest, that your Forever Friend is right there, strolling with you! Those are the times when He may SEEM to be the farthest away, but He isn’t! He’s there. He’s crying out, “Winter is over. Come to Me!” He is longing to cradle your head and encircle your waist, to carry you through! All you have to do is stop focusing on the circumstances, and you will see Him there! And if you obey by coming to Him, allowing Him to support you, to carry you through your “night”, your “winter”, then you, too, will feel the security, the love, the support that only He can give on the wintery nights of your lives.
Enough to ponder for today. Please DO ponder this though, my friends. Ponder the truth that when we don’t feel like God is there, that’s when we become so focused on circumstance that we can’t sense His presence. However, when things are the darkest and coldest in our lives, that’s when Jesus is right there, “nightly strolling in our garden”, calling out to us, “Winter is over. Come to me!” Stop focusing on your circumstances, friend. Instead, listen for His voice. Accept His offer. Give it all to Him. Then you, too, will feel the security, the love and the support. You, too, will no longer notice the wintery blasts, because with Jesus, your Spring has truly arrived!
But how do you move beyond those circumstances? How can you feel close to God again? Join us next Saturday for Lessons on Relationships From Solomon, Lesson 20, for some ideas.
In His love,
Lyn
Lyn Chaffart, moderator, The Nugget, Scriptural Nuggets ( www.scripturalnuggets.org), Answers2Prayer Ministries, www.Answers2Prayer.org .
(To access the entire “Lessons on Relationship From Solomon” mini-series, please click here.)