Loving Jesus

DEVOTION

SONG OF SONGS

LOVING JESUS

Song 2:1-7

2:1I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.

2 Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the maidens. 3 Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my lover among the young men. I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste. 4 He has taken me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me is love. 5 Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love. 6 His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces me. 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.

NIV

How often have we song those words about Jesus being the rose of Sharon, the lily of the valley? Jesus is that lily among the thorns, but who are the thorns, who are the maidens? It has to be the church. For Jesus is that lily and we are certainly not as lovely as he. He is the one of a kind, that singular apple tree among the trees of the forest. There is no one like Jesus within all the church. We sing that song, to be like Jesus, to be like Jesus, all I ask is to be like him, all through life’s journey from earth to glory, all I ask is to be like him. But the fact is we will not be like him, for he is God. What we can do is delight in his shade, and enjoy the taste of the fruit of the Spirit. If we are not already experiencing the banquet hall, just being in Christ, one day we will be taken into the great banquet hall of the Lord. The other song we have sung, but not very recently, has been the one about his banner over me is love. There is no question that once we became a believer, we have been refreshed by the Lord, reborn actually. We have been strengthen by his fruit, because we love him so dearly. There is the other side of the coin as well. If we do not feel that refreshment of the Lord in our life, maybe we are not so faint with love for him, maybe we are still too concerned about our wants, our desires, our goals and ambitions. Maybe we are not looking for those raisins and apples. However, if we are looking for them and we are faint with love for our Lord, then he sustains us. His arms embrace us and we are kept safe in his everlasting arms.  Oh, how I Love Jesus, There is a name I love to hear, I love to sing its worth, it sounds like music to my ears, the sweetest name on earth, Oh how I love Jesus, Oh how I love Jesus, Oh how I love Jesus, because he first loved me.