FLOOD-RESISTANT LOVE

Song of Solomon 8:7

Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be condemned.

I sat on the floor couched in dispair. I had failed so many times as a Christian I wondered if I had done irreparable damage to my relationship with God. I was confronted by my humaness and did not like what I saw. Grief welled up in me as I began to talk to God.

"How can you love me?" I whispered, not really expecting an answer. Awareness of my own shortcomings had undermined my confidence and I felt like so unworthy of God's love. To my amazement, He answered. It was not an audible voice, but a quiet and unmistakable response in my heart, "Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be condemned."

The guilt and dispair vanished like a vapor. My heart responded to the grace He offered me, realizing I was uniquely loved and nothing could change that. Praise and gratitude flowed from my soul.

How amazing is God's love. It does not peak or diminish based on our actions, it remains constant and unchanging. We sometimes find it difficult to go to Him when we sin or make mistakes; yet in His love He wants to give us grace so we can serve Him better. Understanding His everlasting and redemptive love gives us the power to live victoriously-even after we have done wrong.

Lord, thank you for the power of your love to transform us so we can serve you without fear.

By Phillippa, Canada

Little Foxes

Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vineyard, for our vines have tender grapes. Song of Songs 2:15 (KJV)

I’ve lost count of the times I’ve experienced the heartbreak, or at least enormous disappointment, after successfully growing plants, shrubs, or a vegetable crop to a particular stage, only to watch the growth suddenly become stunted, and spoiled by some sort of little invaders, or harsh weather. How about you? In the Scripture above, vines with tender grapes, means the vines are in blossom, which is sweetly fragrant, and appears before the fruit actually forms. The little foxes are attracted to the tender branches of the blossom. They spoil the vineyards by breaking and damaging these tender vine branches so they cannot mature to their full potential of fruitfulness. These little foxes hide and skulk about doing their best to avoid detection. And for the most part, they are nocturnal and operate in the dark. Selah! Pause and calmly think about that. Also, they don’t root up, or destroy the vines completely, but rather stunt the growth; therefore, the vines have no chance of bearing good fruit. Figuratively speaking, the implored phrase, “Take us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vineyard” means let us catch the little foxes that spoil the vineyard of our relationship. What then, are theses little foxes, which can spoil the relationship between the Lord and the believer? These little foxes are sometimes termed the little sins, unseemly thoughts, adverse actions, inattentiveness, trivial pursuits, lures of the world, neglect in the relationship, taking for granted, and so on. These are the little foxes, which are the enemies of our hearts and souls: hindrances to our fruitfulness, hindrances to the graces, comforts, and promises of God. These little foxes need to be caught, overcome, and driven out of the vineyard of our Love relationship with our Lord. May we ever remain close enough to hear our Lord say to us, and honest enough to say to Him “Let us catch us the little foxes, for they are preventing the full pote ntial of fruitfulness in our relationship?”

Thank You, that as we come to You Lord, You are willing to come with us through our vineyard relationship to help us catch the “little foxes that spoil” the fruitfulness of our fellowship and our service unto You. In Your Caring, Healing Name, we come. Amen and Amen.

By Rosemary (Victory, Australia)

Too Busy to Love Him

Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother’s children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept. Song of Solomon 1:6 (KJV)
 
Mercifully, through this verse, God revealed so clearly how easily I had become over-involved, devoting most of my time and attention to other people’s needs, thinking this was all in the Lord’s service. I was too happily serving, to see my blackness hiding behind my good intentions.
 
I worked out in the sun too much, as keeper of the vineyards, as it were, that I had become badly sunburned. I cared not for the vineyard of my own life; the God-given abundant life that Jesus Christ died to give me. I neglected to devote time and attention to Him. Graciously, He showed me, the further away I was from His glorious Spiritual Light, the blacker I would become, and the dimmer my life’s path before me.
 
Again, mercifully and very graciously, God helped me to stop, and turn around to absorb the fullness of His Light and His Word. I still serve others, but with God’s help, I first attend to my own vineyard and my personal relationship with Him, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ.
 
Thank You Father, for showing me I had become too busy to Love You, too busy to spend time with You, too busy to receive your refreshing, renewing Holy Spirit and Light, so that I may shine for You. Amen.