The Lord placed this verse on my heart last night: "Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and by the does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires." (Song of Solomon 2:7)
This verse has great significance for me. Solomon thought it was so significant that it is found 3 times within his short 8 chapter book in the Bible on love where he reminds us that "love is as strong as death (8:6)". This kind of love is worth waiting for. In the Bible, a marriage is used to mirror our relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus is the ultimate picture of the depths of love! God's love for us is so strong that He sent His one and only son to die on the cross for our sins, so that we may have a relationship with Him. God calls us--He waits lovingly, but longs to be with us.
That kind of emotion probably resonates with many people. Deep longing that pulls us in, and makes us want it greatly. But, there is a time of waiting.. Let's look at another passage.
Song of Solomon 3:1-3:1 All night long on my bed I looked for the one my heart loves; I looked for him but did not find him. 2 I will get up now and go about the city, through its streets and squares; I will search for the one my heart loves. So I looked for him but did not find him. 3 The watchmen found me as they made their rounds in the city. “Have you seen the one my heart loves?”
Ever hear those words "looking for love in all the wrong places"?
Many of us do go looking.
We continue looking in different places.
Our focus is on looking, instead of allowing our focus to be on Christ! Looking instead of praying for our future spouse and ourselves as we wait. We may look exactly like the woman in this passage, and go from place to place desperately looking and searching. God knows exactly what is in store for us, so we do not have to go frantically searching. God's plans will never be messed up! God has had the plan He has for our lives since He created us. He knows exactly who it is. It is more profitable and enjoyable to be filled with His hope and guidance as we keep our eyes on Him!
Hebrews reminds of us that we need to remove all distractions and keep our eyes on Him. Hebrews 12:1-3 says, 1 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
Waiting in His loving arms makes the wait enjoyable, and helps us realize He is enough and our provider!
The waiting is difficult, but we know that this kind of love is worth it. Love like this is worth fighting for. Sometimes, waiting for such love in our own lives is a great fight. Waiting for our future spouse or children~ there is a waiting process, but aligning ourselves up with God's will is essential. His timing is always perfect. He has a divine plan for each of us! As we wait for the stories of our lives to unfold, we need to stay watchful, praying, being alert and sober minded, resisting the enemy, and standing our ground--being firm in our faith! Seeking the Lord first, because He is to be our top priority. He is our provider and the One through whom all blessings flow.
The Devil will seek to distract us. It'd be easy to date anyone, get frustrated or discouraged, or even give up the courage to wait. Temptation surrounds us as we wait for whatever we find ourselves waiting for: Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the ultimate one to wait for, then we have our future spouse, friends, kids, etc... Scripture reminds us of two things as we face various temptations as we wait:
Matthew 26:41: “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” We have got to be our guard. If we are not, we will given into temptation. We need to keep relying on Him!
1 Peter 5:8-10: 8 "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your fellow believers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 10 And the God of all grace...will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. "
Waiting brings temptations, but the Bible teaches us that we can wait and overcome those temptations.
Instead, we need to trust our God that He knows exactly what we need. He knows and understands these deep longings we have. He even knows that we want to rush the present to reach the future of that special time of our lives. His timing is perfect. Also, running to Him is the perfect place for us. God desires to use this time to prepare our hearts and minds, and also to grow us in Him. It is a time of preparation. This is the perfect time for growing in Christ before we find ourselves filled with these treasures we desire---treasures of love and time spent with those we love... Those who will be there to spur us on in our walk with Christ!
Reminded of these words in this lyrics:
Average Girl by Barlow Girl
"God's preparing one for you
If you get tired waiting till he comes
Gods arms are the perfect place to run"
Whatever season we find ourselves in, His arms are the perfect place for us. He is there ready to welcome us, hold us, cry with us, and grow us. Also, while we are here--perfect time to pray for our future spouses.
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