"He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love....My beloved spoke, and said to me: 'Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.'" (Song of Solomon 2:4, 10)
Yes, in the midst of battle, in the midst of oil spills, in the midst of looming war in the Middle East, and in the midst of that personal struggle right now, "Rise up My love...and come away."
Okay, guys, get over it. This is not just "chick stuff." This is for you and me. The, "banner over me [is] love," includes all, no one left out, no one too "tough," no one too macho. No warrior can endure without Christ's, "banner over me." So, hey, tough guy, King Jesus is saying to you right now, "Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away."
After my reading in the Song of Solomon this morning, I read the following headline, "Crown Princess Plans to Marry Commoner." Well, by dear fellow lover of Jesus Christ, that about sums up the Book. The "Crown Prince" of Heaven, at a point in human history, decided that you and I commoners, objects of His Eternal Love, were "ready." The invitation did not come from you or me, or from some deep longing cry of humanity, or from, "Oh, the human race is really in trouble, so I had better do something." The plan to wed humanity to Himself in the Blood of the Cross of Jesus Christ was in the heart of God from eternity. And the call to join the Bride of Jesus Christ, to walk in forgiveness of sin, deliverance, healing, eternal life, "all the fullness of the Godhead," in Jesus Christ is to every kindred, tribe, tongue, and nation on Planet Earth. "Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth!"
So right there, right now, regardless of your present state, I implore you to hear our Lord saying to you, "Rise up, my beloved, my fair one, and come away. For the winter is past, and the rain is over and gone. The flowers are springing up, and the time of singing birds has come, even the cooing of turtledoves. The fig trees are budding, and the grapevines are in blossom. How delicious they smell! Yes, spring is here! Arise, my beloved, my fair one, and come away."
Father, in Jesus' Name, by Your grace, I will. Amen.
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When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking Unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
