Young Woman
12The king is lying on his couch,
enchanted by the fragrance of my perfume.
13My lover is like a sachet of myrrh
lying between my breasts.
14 He is like a bouquet of sweet henna blossoms
from the vineyards of En-gedi.
Young Man
15 How beautiful you are, my darling,
how beautiful!
Your eyes are like doves.
There is not a single person upon the earth who is without a flaw. I know sometimes we look in the mirror and feel like we’re the only person who has this type of hair, or this bump on our neck. We sit and wonder whether there is anyone else in the world who can’t seem to get rid of the extra weight around their midsection or excess freckles covering their cheek.
But we’re not. And when we focus on those flaws, we miss the opportunity to be fully loved by God and oftentimes by others. This is a hard lesson I am still learning to embrace.
Love is best experienced when it’s reciprocal and received. It is first vertical from heaven to earth and into our lives—then horizontal as we love others. God’s love toward us and our love toward others is the symbol of the cross.
In Chapter 1:12-15, the young woman changes the focus of her words outward rather than inward, and in return she receives the loving words of the young man speaking life and truth to her again.
The words she speaks to him are words of adoration and anticipation of his goodness toward her. However, the words he speaks in return are powerful and purposeful. In response he speaks to the young woman not only about her outer beauty, but her inner beauty as well.
The book of Matthew tells us that the eye is the lamp of the heart and illuminates everything in the body. A dove, when mentioned in the Bible, represents peace and the presence of God. The young man sees in this young lady, despite her failures and flaws, beauty, peace and the presence of God!
And when we surrender our lives to Christ, He sees those traits in us as well.
I can’t put into words how much this book of the Bible, Song of Solomon, has blessed me and helped me see the lover of my soul as one who truly loves me unconditionally. This love compels me to serve Him well and do His will on this side of eternity for His glory.
I hope this devotional has done the same for you.
Pause and Ponder: Today, find a song that reminds you of the love of God, and sing it as a love song to God throughout the day.
Scripture:
Matthew 6:22
Song of Songs 1:12-15