One of my favorite topics is studying God’s Love and I love the Song of Solomon; it is God’s love letter to us. And so today, I want to share Song of Solomon 4:9 with you out of The Passion Translation.
“For you reach into my heart. With one flash of your eyes I am undone by your love, my beloved, my equal, my bride. You leave me breathless- I am overcome by merely a glance from your worshiping eyes, for you have stolen my heart. I am held hostage by your love and by the graces of righteousness shining upon you.”
WOW! God is saying this to you!! This is a picture of our groom and we are His bride and He adores us! We leave Him breathless. I don’t know how many of you have been just adored by a man or a husband, but this is how we are supposed to be loved.
That first line “For you reach into my heart” can also be translated “you have ravished my heart.” This is the Hebrew word libabethini and it means “to tear bark off of a tree.” The commentary in The Passion Translation says that “He is saying that your loving eyes of worship have uncovered his heart and laid it bare, making him vulnerable to you.”
The image of God being vulnerable is almost unimaginable to me because vulnerable means that God would be susceptible to an emotional attack. I have always thought of God as strong and almighty, but not someone who could be wounded or hurt emotionally. But we are created in His image, so why should He not have emotions. Jesus wept when He found out that His friend Lazarus died, this is just one example of God showing emotion. The difference between us and God is that He doesn’t allow His emotions to rule Him like we are prone to do.
But isn’t this the way it should be between lovers. God should be as vulnerable to us as we are to Him. When is the last time you laid you heart uncovered and bare before God? Do you hold back from Him? I struggle with intimacy with friends and family because of fear of getting hurt. I realized that I also struggle with intimacy with God. Back in 2006 my ex-husband and I separated, and it was the beginning of a many years of heartache. Not only did I end up divorcing him but I lost four uncles, two aunts, my grandparents and my cousin who was like a sister to me. Each loss brought more heartache which I allowed to turn to anger. I came to the point that I wanted nothing to do with God because it was easy to blame Him for everything. But when it came to the point I was so angry and so heartbroken that the idea of ending my life was looking better and better, I knew that I needed help. I also knew who I needed to turn to, the only one who could help. For the first time in a long time, I reached out to God and when I called out to Him, He was there! I remember I was in my room, and I prayed out to God, I don’t even remember what I said, but I do know that the moment I cried out, the love of God poured out on to me so strongly, I hit my knees. I had no strength to stand, and I felt God speaking to my spirit, “Finally”. His shoulders were big enough to handle my anger and my pain and they were soft enough to let me sob on them when I was ready. That was the beginning of being more honest with God and myself.
Are you struggling with pain and heartache? Do you feel unloved and forgotten? Your lover is waiting on you to realize that He is waiting to hold you hostage by His love. He wants you to lay your burdens on Him and to be honest with Him. He is ready to love on you.