The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me,
And I said, ‘Have you seen him whom my soul loves?’
Scarcely had I left them when I found him whom my soul loves;
Song of Songs 3:3-4a
It’s time for a nightcap – for this portion of the Shulamite Bride’s story in the Song of Songs.
More could be written about ‘life in the night’ because so much of the believer’s journey into the heart and light of Christ is learning to walk out life in such a manner that we become living proof of the truth that we have been delivered by the Father from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of His dear Son. (Colossians 1:13) The Bride of Christ is called to nothing less and much more.
The underpinnings of Vineyard Days has remained the written Word becoming the experiential, real Word of Jesus’ resurrection life within us who believe, there to find its outward expression in every area of our life. Which sounds a lot like fruit born out of Divine love and His Holy Spirit residing within.
The narrative of the Shulamite and the Beloved is drawing toward another segue. Before we continue, let’s pause with Selah VII. There’s some more thoughtful speak to share first.
***
The Song sings for us the story of the Shulamite Bride’s forward progress – kind of like the postal carrier’s unofficial creed:
“Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night,
stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”
Remove ‘swift’ and we get a bit closer to the speed of the Shulamite’s – and our – journey. It seems that for every two steps forward, she has modeled three steps back. Or a full-out halt. Whether it looks like indecision, fear, guilt and shame, intellectual moxie, flesh thinly veiled in religious duty, you name it – whatever hinders the Bride is where imprint of the Bridegroom’s touch will eventually be felt.
All the more reason we cling to the Word of truth that tells us, “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)
Some days, though, we wish He’d knock off the ‘good work He’s carrying on’ within us. Being cleansed and made vessels useful for the Master (consecrated for the pouring forth of His Agape love – II Timothy 2:20-21ff) sounds more romantic than it actually is. Remember, He began with a blueprint. That means there are hammers and nails, sandpaper and all manner of tools in the shed involved. We’ve already visited the vineyard where the grafting, pruning, and tying up takes place. Season after growing season.
In each of our lives, it is the Lord Who knows right where we are in the processing that has been going on within. We often don’t see clearly and feel like we’re trekking in varying degrees of light and shadow, all the while being called by Him into increasing illumination. This is a constant bass line that runs through the Song – called by Him who is Love into His glorious Light.
There is no shadow of turning in Him (James 1:17) He desires to accomplish the same in us after the Kingdom transfer has taken place. He knows those who will be trained to have a single eye for Him. It matters not if we’ve been in the Kingdom a short time or as ‘lifers’, doves’ eyes get His heart every time.
He is Love, in every sense of its Agape fullness. We begin on the lower plane – the first confession of love – and develop from there. The pace and quality of our maturing and fruit-bearing is what Vineyard Days is largely about. The terroir1 of our life as Kingdom dwellers grafted into the True Vine is orchestrated and overseen by the Husbandman himself. He is worthy of our trust.
***
Enter the free will with which we were created. The Lord does not leave us to hopelessly flounder. Nor does He force us, batter down our doors or cut holes through our walls. He has a better plan: Love.
He calls. He woos. He longs after. He speaks. He broods over. He lingers. He makes Himself available. This is where what control we do have He asks us to exercise. ‘Come away, my beloved. Follow Me.’
This was the issue the Shulamite faced for she was surrounded by the daughters of Jerusalem. She was one of them – until she responded to Shepherd Lover’s call with a two-word prayer ‘Draw me’, followed by her commitment, “We (all of her: spirit, soul and body) will follow you.” (Songs 1:4)
Now, we’ve journeyed to where the night watchmen have found her. As was for her, there are appointed times in our life that the Lord gives watchmen to help guide our way in the night. She asked them if they had seen the one her soul loves. In other words, did they too have doves’ eyes?
That was not hers, nor ours to answer. We will be judged by the Lord for our own eyes, light or dark. (Matthew 6:22-24, particularly in the Amplified). With her doves’ eyes, she scarcely had left them when she found the lover of her soul. May we with like love and single eye of commitment prove His nearness.
***
I’ll be the first to say there are times the Lord uses human flesh to spur us on. The Word itself exhorts us to “…consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” (Hebrews 10:24) I would not be where I am in my spiritual journey if not for my own daughters of Jerusalem and other tools in the Shepherd’s hut, including the night watchmen to whom soul-keeping was granted.
Yet, far more than the night watchmen called but limited, sometimes by the Lord’s own design, is the individual call He sends out to His beloveds who have ears to hear and hearts to respond.
He never intended that human flesh become a substitute for Him. The Bride has no birthing surrogate (substitute). What she bears, individually and corporately, will be the fruit of her relationship – not with the daughters of Jerusalem or the night watchmen, but – in receiving the love and life of His Holy Spirit. Lasting fruit begins here.
Little children, keep yourselves from idols (false gods)–
[from anything and everything that would occupy the place in your heart due to God,
from any sort of substitute for Him that would take first place in your life].
Amen (so let it be). (I John 5:21 AMP)
~ Gracefully Free
1 the situation in which wine is made
Photo Credit: Free from Unsplash – photo by Avi Agarwal
Shammahs Field LLC/Shammah Ministries is the biblical counseling, life coaching, and spiritual growth ministry entrusted to Wayne & Nancy Bentz. You can learn more about the resources they have to offer at shammahsfield.com and nancybentz.com.
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