“Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes” (Song of Solomon 1:15).
TEXT — Song of Solomon 1:9-17
Message
A story of an enduring love is told about a couple in New York City around 1946. Jack and Phyllis had been separated during World War II, yet they eventually exchanged marital vows after the war, showcasing a love that endured distance and hardship. Their story shows the enduring nature of true love as seen in the commitment and devotion of the couple despite challenging circumstances.
In this text, the shepherd pours out a voluminous expression of his adoring love upon the Shulamite. “Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels…” The Shulamite reciprocates by comparing her love adoringly to the sweet odour of spikenard. She extols the shepherd’s love as a bundle of myrrh as she lies on her bed in the night.
Our Lord’s love for His own aptly amplifies and profoundly illustrates a higher kind of love. Christ’s pure love is like an ever-flowing river whose water invigorates the soul of the receiver. The believer who receives of such exciting love always reciprocates such love with an outpouring of worship and adoration for Christ. How we ought to constantly reciprocate Christ’s love through our unceasing adoration in secret closets, while also proclaiming such love openly before the ignorant world. It is when we make the love of Christ known that multitudes will flock to Him for salvation.
Christ’s sacrificial love for you surpasses human expression. He said: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). You owe it a duty to do His will even when it hurts or inconveniences you. Christ suffered untold pains and experienced death to pay for your redemption. No height or depth of consecration must be too much for you in expressing your love for this ‘beloved and pleasant’ Shepherd of your soul. Addict yourself to doing Christ’s will. That is the true mark of your love for Him.
Thought for the day
He loves best who buries his will in his Master’s will.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
