** SPOILER ALERT :- This is quite a girly post [sorry not sorry!]
I am indeed a sucker for love!!
I love romantic movies; heck, I even love the “fake, predictable” happy endings that you KNOW will come by the end of the movie [even if by the middle, you do start to wonder…! You know what I mean… 😉 lol].
I especially love the fact that happy tears form in my eyes when that ending eventually arrives…
I feel myself welling up now as I remember those tear-jerker movies [a few faves: “The Notebook“, “The Vow“, and my numero uno on the list, “A walk to remember“!!!!
I mean, who couldn’t be happy when two people finally realise that they love each other, and want to [at least] try and see if their lives can begin together; potentially forever?!
And with Valentines’ day just around the corner [in less than 2 weeks’ time to be precise], I have been drawn to a particular scripture that I have not looked at in at least 3 years! It is found in the book, Song of Solomon [or better known as Song of Songs], and how I know this scripture or learnt of this scripture will remain a mystery to me; but the message is as clear as day.
For it says:
“Daughters [of Jerusalem]… Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.”
~ Song of Songs 2:7, 3:5 and 8:4 ~
For a very long time in my life, I always thought that this line was said once; maybe even twice within this book that King Solomon had written as letters to his love. It was only until the line appeared in my thoughts this past week that I decided to ‘google’ it to discover that it in fact is repeated three times!
Now when it comes to matters concerning my heart, I personally refer to Proverbs 4:23 as my safeguard. It’s a familiar verse that says ‘Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life’. It has helped me [and saved me] from my heart entering places where a heart simply should not be. It has also led to me putting up defense mechanisms in the strongest ways possible to prevent anyone from entering in.
After all, when you’ve been hurt once, your heart is mini-guarded [at least] to stop anyone from coming close in fear that they too will hurt you.
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But the beautiful thing with Song of Songs is the way that the line is written and to whom it is addressed to. It is not like Proverbs [which in fact could be argued as addressed to both men and women], but is directed solely to the girls / women of Jerusalem, mentioned in the book on every occasion as His ‘daughters’.
The term ‘daughters’ implies firstly a collective group of women, but also reveals a relationship that has already been formed; an everlasting love between a parent and a child, which changes the way we read this particular line within the chapters it appears in. Personally, when I hear the term ‘daughter’ [in singular or plural form], my heart melts a little. It is a word that truly sounds joyful to say aloud [I bet you’re saying it to yourself! hehe]. It breathes love, and changes the tone in which you say it.
The repetition of that particular verse reinforces the importance of what it is asking the daughters to do. It is repeated three times within the same book stressing its importance revealing to the “daughters” that this is an instruction that we must take hold of, and hold onto in every situation that comes their way; that it should be imprinted in the back [and front] of their minds and indeed their hearts.
The same applies with us.
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With Valentine’s day around the corner, I [as a woman] recognize how many women are still searching for love; wondering if God has forgotten their desire. And as a woman whose heart yearns for God’s heart [first and foremost], I have to remind myself daily that His love [if it were the only one I had] is still more than enough.
Singleness [to me] is preparation for marriage IF spent in the right way.
The apostle Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians states that ‘it is better to remain single for you can do more for God’s Kingdom.’ [Chapters 7 vs 8]*.
This verse challenges me to ask myself :-
“Am I doing enough, better still, more than enough for God’s Kingdom as an unmarried woman, who does not [yet] have a husband and children to care for?”
If my answer is ‘no’, then I must ask myself why then do I want to awaken a love that is not [yet] Christ-centered? The early years of my singleness taught me that instead of praying for my husband to come, I can ask God to open doors to prepare me to be the Proverbs 31 woman for when he does arrives.
[AND even if we are dating, unless we are married, we are still technically ‘single’].
I don’t say this lightly, but from my own past experience of how a woman loves. Women tend to ‘love’ easier than men, but let’s keep our first love as Jesus, and not our ‘other half’.
[A good way of keeping that in check is to ask yourself, who do you tend to speak about more…]
So to my sisters especially: remember that you are daughters of God, He loves you dearly & you need not be anxious about love for He is the author of it and has only the best kind in store for you.
Let His love be enough, so when your intended arrives, the love you have built with God will sustain the relationship that you will have with your spouse.
Take heart AND trust Him. God really does love YOU.
++ Song of Songs 2:7 – 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 Songs 3:5 – 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 Songs 8:4 – Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.
* 1 Corinthians 7:8 – Paul states it is better to remain single than married, but also states that if you have a desire to be married whilst single and are unable to control your desires, then you should marry [vs 9].
*Post written by Denise Stephanee
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© Lovecame4u
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