The following is an excerpt from Song of the Ages Vol. III – Eden’s Return.
I am my beloved’s,and his desire is for me.Song of Songs 7:10
By now, we’ve established the fact that the Shulammite, the main character of the Song, knows that God loves her. But there’s something more going on here. We also see her understanding that God desires her. This is a fundamentally important part of the text, for someone can “love” another person out of obligation or through a sense of responsibility; however, when they actually desire the object of their love, the recipient of that love can have a much deeper level of confidence.
This word for “desire” is quite intense. To say it differently, the Shulammite now knows that God craves her. It’s as though He is a wild chocoholic and she’s the perfect candy bar. In the past, she may have looked at herself as a dry vegetable sitting on the plate of the almighty chocolate Lover. But now she sees that she is a delectable piece of the finest quality chocolate and God’s mouth is watering over her.
Over you.
When the realization dawns that God desires you in this manner, it changes how you pray and how you live. He’s not put off by you. He’s not looking at you and noticing pieces of mold or bitter rinds that surround the chocolate (the goodness) of your life. Because of the sweet work of Jesus, which we’ve amply covered, all He sees and smells is top quality cocoa. And so He longs for you. Right now.
The goal of this journey with the Shulammite is to be rooted and grounded in this love. This is what bears the fruits of a prosperous life. And of course, this rooting is not just head knowledge. The Shulammite has learned that feelings come and go, and circumstances change. She may not even feel the truth of this statement at the moment of her saying it. But still she speaks it because her heart has set sail on the ship of faith and has utterly abandoned a life ruled by feelings and circumstances. She is grounded and rooted, and because of this, she is being filled up with all the fullness of God—the One who was inside of her from the very beginning (Eph. 3:18-19).
Remember, beloved reader, this is about you. Never divorce the reality of the Shulammite’s journey from your own life. Never allow a separation between you and the Shulammite to be built up in your mind, for God was thinking of you when He took hold of Solomon’s pen thousands of years ago. He was not thinking of someone other than you. You were the one on His mind. The Shulammite is about you and your own destiny, just as much as she points to the church as a whole. Believe again that these words are yours—all of them. Receive a fresh revelation that all of this speaks to your own heart and journey. Take that in deeply as we follow the shifting currents of her life and embark on the new adventure that love is igniting.