Day #343 - Come Away
The Presence - A Devotional for living in Thanksgiving, Worship and Wonder
”My beloved spoke and said to me, “Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, come with me. See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land.“
Song of Songs 2:10-12 NIV
What is one of the worst parts of dating?
I know you might have different answers to this question, but to me the worst part of dating Grace before we were married was having to drop her off at night and drive home alone. One of the best parts of marriage was getting to finally be together at night and not go our separate ways. The drive home alone while dating just left a greater longing for me to be with her and look forward to marriage.
Advent readings don’t always include a Scripture from Song of Solomon, but I believe it’s very fitting because it has to do with a longing to be together. What is Advent, but a time to long for the coming of Christ. We remember what led up to His coming and we long for Him to come again.
The Song of Songs (or Song of Solomon) is about King Solomon and His young wife. This book is a love poem between these two young lovers from their courtship, to their marriage and even has a lot say about their physical intimacy. Some see the Song of Solomon as an allegory between Christ and His church. This is because of the connection that Paul and John make by connecting Jesus the groom with the church as His bride. While I believe we should not overlook the practical and romantic aspects of this book being about a marriage, it has to have something to say for us because of this connection between Christ and His bride. After all, if the whole Bible is pointing to Jesus, than even this romantic love poem has something for us to see about Jesus.
Advent, the coming or appearing is all about “the Presence.” We long for the Lord to come and be with us and also, He longs to come and be with us. In Song of Songs 2, the groom is speaking to the bride, come with me. I want to be with you. I want to share life with you and your beauty. It is time for the singing of songs. This is the language of longing to share life, relationship and intimacy.
Not only do we long to be with Jesus and wait for His return, He longs to be with us and come to us again. Singing is an act of worship to the Lord Jesus, but it is also a way that we connect with His presence until His return when He can be fully present with us forever. During this time, I hope that You will hear His voice saying to come and be with Him. He longs to share His life with you.
Jesus, King and Groom, I love you! Let me hear Your voice calling me to be with You. I long to be with You and You long to be with me. Thank you for this love relationship You have brought me into by Your grace. There is no love like Your love. Come Lord. In your name, amen.
Yes, come Lord Jesus. I long for you.
🙏🏻♥️
Just read this (1 Cor. 13) "For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. ... For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." Knowing Him in part now is wonderful but how much more wonderful will it be to know His presence in full! How He blesses us!