READ: Song of Songs 4
THINK: Reread verses 9-15 from The Message. Consider this as God’s love poem to you. Songs of Songs, in describing the love relationship between a man and a woman, gives us a really intimate picture of how deeply God treasures us.
You’ve captured my heart, dear friend.
You looked at me, and I fell in love.
One look my way and I was hopelessly in love!
How beautiful your love, dear, dear friend—
far more pleasing than a fine, rare wine,
your fragrance more exotic than select spices.
The kisses of your lips are honey, my love,
every syllable you speak a delicacy to savor.
Your clothes smell like the wild outdoors,
the ozone scent of high mountains.
Dear lover and friend, you’re a secret garden,
a private and pure fountain.
Body and soul, you are paradise,
a whole orchard of succulent fruits—
Ripe apricots and peaches,
oranges and pears;
Nut trees and cinnamon,
and all scented woods;
Mint and lavender,
and all herbs aromatic;
A garden fountain, sparkling and splashing,
fed by spring waters from the Lebanon mountains.
Which image do you prefer to be in God’s sight?
· a dear friend
· one who looks God’s way
· as pleasing as fine, rare wine
· as fragrant as an exotic spice
· one with kisses like honey
· one who speaks each syllable with sensitivity to God
· one whose clothes smell like the wild outdoors
· a lover and friend
· a private and pure fountain
· a sparkling, splashing fountain
PRAY: Pray what’s on your heart after reading this passage. Maybe the thought of this kind of intimacy with God intimidates you. Maybe it excites you. Maybe you’ve never thought about it before. Maybe you need to grasp how deeply loved and treasured you are by God. Maybe you need to define your relationship with God in a new way. Maybe you need to understand what it means to treasure God deeply.
LIVE: Think about the answer or answers that you checked above. Cherish the idea today that this is how God cherishes you.
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