In my opinion, David had an amazing life. They chose him to be king! That’s something pretty impressive we can’t say (unless there are any kings reading this). He was a hero as a young child when he took down Goliath. That was such an impressive feat that someone made a song about him that we sang in Sunday School all the time. Has anyone made a song about you? Probably not (unless you are one of these people: Delilah, Billie Jean, Roxanne, Jude, Mickey, Jack and Diane, Mrs. Robinson, and some others). David had his ups and downs in life, but he seemed to have it together pretty well. It was a bit surprising to hear what he had to say in Psalms 142.
Apparently, he was hiding out in a cave when he wrote this, so he probably wasn’t having one of his better days. He starts out by crying out to God for mercy and telling him his trouble. He says his spirit is growing faint and that no one is concerned about him. In verse 4, he says that no one cares for his life. He tells God to listen to his cry because he was in desperate need. Clearly, David was down and out and feeling very alone. If that state of mind can happen to someone like David, it could happen to anyone. We all know that millions of people every day feel like this; probably some of you reading this. There are a lot of hurting people in our world.
It hit me to write about this topic because it is two days before Christmas, and I think a lot of these lonely feelings are magnified on the holidays for many, especially at Christmastime. We know the true meaning of Christmas has to do with the birth of Christ and you can celebrate that on your own, but the holiday has also become an important time for family for many. There are many family traditions celebrated and family gatherings taking place. This is how I knew I had cousins. But not everyone has a great family situation, and some have little to no family at all. Or maybe they don’t live anywhere near their family. Unfortunately, holidays can make people feel a lot like what David was feeling.
In verse 7, David compared his situation to being in prison and asked God to set him free so that he could go back to praising him. However, it was the end of verse 7 that caught my attention. David ends by saying that the righteous will gather around him because of God’s goodness to him. There may be someone crying out to God at this moment because they feel lonely and think nobody cares about them. That person needs some righteous people to gather around them, so they know God is still good. You and I need to be on the lookout for these people and be willing to sacrifice some time to surround them with some love. I also have a suggestion for anyone who is feeling lonely themselves; be on the lookout for others who are hurting and be willing to sacrifice some time to surround them with some love.
Obviously, there are countless ways you can make a difference in someone’s life. It is not difficult to figure that part out; the difficult part can be following through and doing it. I challenge you to find someone that could use some lifting up. I doubt it will take long to think of someone, but then move beyond the thinking to the doing.
Reflection Questions:
Have you ever stopped to think about those around you or are you too busy with your own Christmas celebration? Can you think of someone who may be having a tough Christmas because they are feeling lonely?
What are some practical things you could do to let someone hurting know they are loved?
Yesterday’s devotion was written to those with a strong faith. Today’s devotion is written for everybody else. Perhaps, some of you are a bit wobbly in your faith and have drifted away from God. Some of you may not have decided yet to live for God instead of yourself. I suppose it is possible some of you have no interest in becoming a Christian, but I am guessing most of those folks wouldn’t be reading this. In Matthew 27, we read about the crucifixion of Jesus on the cross and the crazy events that happened right after he died.
Strangely enough, it was the religious leaders that schemed to find Jesus guilty so they could put him to death. It’s not easy finding someone guilty when they never have done anything wrong in their life, but they managed to concoct a way to make it happen. They believed in the Old Testament scriptures, but somehow ignored the many writings about a messiah that would be coming. They also saw miracles, or at the very least heard about them from many others. All the signs were there for them to easily accept the fact that Jesus was indeed God’s son, but they chose not to believe.
In verse 50, Jesus cried out and then died. At that moment, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, the earth shook, rocks split, and the tombs broke open. Here is the craziest part of all: bodies of holy people who had died were raised to life and started walking around town where many people saw them. Can you imagine what that scene must have been like? I’m sure there were people flipping out all over the place, including those who had put Jesus to death. In verse 54, the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened. It says they were terrified and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!” Oops. Just minutes after they had crucified Jesus, they realized they had made a big mistake, but there was no going back at that point. There was no do-over; they were clearly warned, but they chose to not believe. I’m sure they felt terrible about their decision.
So, what does any of this have to do with you? Well, you have a decision to make as well. You must decide if you are going to live for God or live for yourself. It’s a big decision so don’t take it lightly. You can choose to ignore the signs if you would like, the same way the religious leaders ignored the signs 2,000 years ago. Look at the incredible masterpiece called creation and try to justify that it happened completely randomly. Read the Bible and try to convince yourself that all the ways the Bible has been proven to be accurate are just a coincidence.
Maybe you actually do believe in God, but you are putting off the decision until later. Risky, risky. You may die today, losing your chance. Moreover, Jesus says he is going to come back like a thief in the night, meaning a lot of people are going to be surprised when that day happens. In fact, on that day, I think the most said word of that day will be ‘Oops’. A lot of people are going to regret they blew their chance. Don’t let that be you.
Reflection Questions:
If you are not saved, what is holding you back from making that decision?
If you find yourself on the outside looking in after Christ returns, what thoughts will be going through your head at that point?
I am writing today’s devotion for those that consider themselves strong in their faith. I’m talking about those of you out there that know there is nothing anyone can do to mess with your salvation. You are going to stay faithful to the end no matter what may happen. You just know you would never turn your back on God. If Peter were around today, I am sure he would say he was in this group, but he surprisingly was not able to keep his word in the past.
In Matthew 26, Jesus was explaining to the disciples at the last supper that they were all going to fall away on account of him. Peter spoke up and said that even if everyone else falls away, he never would. I am sure Peter believed that with his whole heart, but then Jesus described how Peter was going to deny him three times that very night. At that point, Peter did not politely agree with Jesus; instead, he doubled down on the fact that even if he had to die with him, he would never disown him. The rest of the disciples then said the same. So what happened?
Jesus was arrested after Judas betrayed him with a kiss. A large crowd came to arrest him, and all the disciples deserted him and fled. That didn’t take long. They were too scared to stay with Jesus even though they said they would never do that just a few hours earlier. Peter followed Jesus at a distance, but we know he was confronted three times that night and disowned Jesus all three times. Why? Because he was too scared. He was tipped off it was going to happen that way so he could have been prepared to deal with it, but his fear made him act differently.
Would you be strong enough if you were in the same situation as Peter? I hope so, but how strong is your faith now? Does fear ever get in the way of you doing something that should be done? Have you invited your neighbor to church yet or are you too scared? Maybe just haven’t gotten around to doing that yet, wink wink. Are you willing to stick up for some kid at school that is being picked on or are you scared what people might think about you? Is there a ministry at church you might be good at, but you are too scared to give it a try? Is there a family member, co-worker, or friend that needs to hear about Christ? If fear is holding you back in any of these situations, join the Peter club.
I honestly think if you had enough guts to deal with any of these situations, it would probably turn out well, or at the very least, not that bad. You may get rejected or have people ridicule you, but you may also save a life for eternity. I am always surprised what risks people will take to save a life for a handful of years now (running into burning buildings, etc.), but they are unwilling to put themselves out there when trying to save lives for an eternity.
Do you know who was really scared to do something he knew needed to happen? Jesus. He prayed three times for God to come up with a plan different than him having to die for everyone’s sins. He was so scared that he said in verse 38 that his soul was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. He absolutely did not want to do what he was supposed to do. But in those same prayers, he said he would follow his Father’s will, not his own. Did the situation turn out to be easy and he was just over-thinking it? Nope. He had to go through a terribly painful death. He was definitely scared, but he wasn’t too scared to do the right thing.
So those of you with the strong faith, Jesus gave you the example to follow. Is there someone you need to talk to? Make it happen even if you are scared. Is there a ministry waiting for you? Volunteer for that even if it makes you sweat. Jesus saved a bunch of lives by facing his fear and acting. Hopefully, you can help save some lives too.
Reflection Questions:
Is there something you should be doing for God that you have put off? Do you make excuses so you don’t have to admit you are too scared? Or maybe just try not to think about it?
It’s easy to put things off until later. Is there anyone in your life that you waited to talk to, but now it is too late because they are gone (died, moved to a different state, got a new job at a different company, etc.)? If so, how does that make you feel now?
Christmas is approaching, and today’s reading of Psalms 139 reminded me of the movie Home Alone. I suspect most of you are familiar with the family who went on vacation and didn’t realize until they arrived at their vacation destination that they had left their very young son home alone. This seems like a bit of a stretch; did they not consider why they had a leftover plane ticket? Anyways, it was a fun movie and I know that probably all parents have forgotten about their kids when they were supposed to be responsible for them many times. This is how crayon drawings happen on walls, unexpected haircuts happen, etc. However, today we read that we are never alone, not for a second, literally.
God is always with us, whether you like it or not, ALL the time. From your very beginning in your mother’s womb to this very minute, He has been with you the whole way. He doesn’t ever sleep, and He isn’t just in the next room over in case you need some help; He is staring at you all day and night long. I doubt He even blinks. That is intense! But that shows how invested He is in your life. Moreover, He knows more about you than you know about yourself. Give that a minute to sink in. I know myself really well because I can hear all the thoughts in my mind, but He knows me more. He knows my thoughts before I think them. Whoa!
He is totally inside my head, but He still gives me the freedom to live the life I want, even when it is something He dislikes. He allows me to go the wrong direction, but you’ve probably heard Him like I have, saying “don’t do that, that’s a bad idea.” Can you imagine how He feels when we ignore Him and do what makes us feel good instead? On the other hand, can you imagine how He feels when we listen to Him in those moments and do the right thing?
Let’s put ourselves in God’s shoes for a minute. I know, basically impossible, but let’s try anyways. Let’s imagine that you were as brilliant as God, and you used your talents to create a new girl or boy. You also loved your new creation more than can be comprehended and you wanted to spend all your time with your new person every minute of every day for their whole life. Does it seem creepy to love someone so much that you never want to leave them alone? Maybe, but it also shows the incredible degree of love you have for them.
Now let’s look at some potential scenarios and see how you feel about them. You love this person immensely and spend all day with them, but in the first scenario, they don’t ever even acknowledge you are there. I would be devastated and extremely hurt. How rude! In the next scenario, they know you are there, but they rarely pay attention to you. They could go hours or even days not saying a word to you. Why are they ignoring me? Do they not like me that much? In the last scenario, they understand what you did for them and that you are there for them. They stay in contact with you all throughout every day. They appreciate what you do for them, and they love you as best as their human hearts allow. That sounds like a great relationship that both people would feel great about.
God cares about you so much that He is always with you. He nudges you along the way to keep you on the right path, but He lets you make the decisions in your life. He invests so much in you because He loves you immensely and wants to have a personal relationship with you. It is an understatement to say we are fortunate to have someone so knowledgeable, powerful, and loving on our side and so involved in our lives.
Reflection Questions:
Do you realize how important you are to God? Have you thanked Him for that lately?
There is a lot to be upset and anxious about in today’s world. Does it make it easier when you stop to consider that God is with you to the end through all the difficult times?
How long do you typically ignore that there is someone (God) with you each day? Do you acknowledge Him throughout the day, or do you get to the end of the day, and say, “Oh, Hi God, I forgot you were there. Sorry I didn’t have time to talk today”?
Wars, diseases, crime, hate, famines, earthquakes, hurricanes, and a bunch of other bad stuff can really stress you out these days. It really seems to have gotten worse lately. I am 58 and a half years old, so I was growing up in the 70’s when nuclear weapons became a big topic of the day. Many Christians I knew were saying that we were in the end times then. In fact, I remember one person predicted that Christ may be returning in 1982. Clearly, that wasn’t a very good prediction and it taught me not to make predictions about such things, but I do think events are a lot more aligned now with scripture and the end times could be starting now or soon. Matthew 24 talks about the end times when things are going to get bad, really bad, but it also gives those who can persevere a lot of hope.
I am not going to review all the signs of the end times mentioned in Matthew 24 here; you can read those yourself. However, my quick summary that I already mentioned is that it will be bad, really bad. Jesus warned us in verse 6 that we will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but he also said that we should not be alarmed because these things need to happen before the end comes. He went on to describe a lot of other disturbing events that will take place. He was warning us of what is going to happen so we can stay chill during that time. Unfortunately, he also told us that many would turn away from the faith at that time. If we didn’t have this warning, I do think it would be difficult to keep our faith when we see the whole world crumbling before our eyes. But c’mon, if you say you have faith now when you know these bad times are coming, it is not much faith if you abandon it when you see exactly what you already knew was going to happen. It should increase your faith when you start to see events that were written about 2,000 years ago actually occurring. That’s impressive. Moreover, we already know how this story ends, and it is amazingly positive for those who keep their faith to the end.
It is true that some will lose their faith because they just can’t handle all the bad things that are going to happen, but Jesus has another warning for a different group of people. He talks about a group of people that aren’t ready for his return. They are people that even believe in Jesus, but they start thinking that he has been gone a long time, so they have more time before they need to get their lives in order. They think they can live for themselves a bit longer before they need to repent and start living for God. There are two major problems with that thinking. First, your life could end today, and you will have missed your chance to be saved. Second, only God knows when Christ is going to return, and it is going to surprise many people. Jesus told a story about a master of a servant who will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. There will be people that put off the decision to live for God because they think they have more time, but instead will find themselves in the place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. It will be too late the same way it was too late for all the people in Noah’s time who didn’t believe Noah until it started raining.
This has all been explained to us in scripture so you really shouldn’t be surprised when it happens. It was explained to us beforehand so we can stay calm and know that once this happens, we will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.
Reflection Questions:
Does this world stress you out or do you realize that God is in control, and everything is going to turn out great in the end for His people?
Are you glad Jesus warned us of the bad things that are going to happen or would you rather have not known and be surprised when it happens? Do you think it would be easier to keep your faith in the end if you knew what was going to happen or if you were in the dark?
We are all concerned with how we look to others on the outside, and that is a good thing. The outside is all the stuff people can see about us. It is how we physically look, the things we own, the words we say, our actions, our reputation, etc. It might sound a bit vain to be concerned about what others think about us, but it is ok to want to be accepted by others and you will have more influence with others if they like you and respect you. The inside is all our thoughts and desires, and others cannot hear our thoughts or know if we are being honest about our desires. We can hide our true thoughts and desires from those around us, although nothing is hidden from God. Which is more important? The way others see us on the outside or what we are thinking on the inside?
I think they are both important and we should be concerned about both. But what happens if we concentrate on only one or the other? In Matthew 23, Jesus talks about a group of people that were only concerned about the outside. The Pharisees and teachers of the law were overly concerned about what other people thought of them. They made their phylacteries (boxes containing scripture verses worn on their forehead and arm) wide and the tassels on their garments long for people to see. They loved places of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues. They loved to be greeted with respect and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others. They gave a tenth to God’s work, but they neglected justice, mercy, and faithfulness. They appeared to be righteous on the outside, but they were full of hypocrisy and wickedness on the inside. Jesus detested the way they lived because it was not honest, and they only did it to impress others. They were arrogant hypocrites, and that’s not a good look on the inside or outside.
Similarly, if we are ultra concerned about how our bodies look, the clothes we wear, the car we drive, the house we live in, etc., we are concentrating on the wrong things because we are trying too hard to impress others so we can feel good about ourselves. That is also not a good look reputation-wise because we are lacking humility. On the other hand, please brush your teeth, take a shower, and take care of your house and yard enough so others won’t think you don’t care.
So, what happens if you only concentrate on the inside? I love what Matthew 23:25-26 had to say about this. Jesus was ripping on the Pharisees and teachers of the law again by saying they clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. He goes on to tell them to first clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside will also be clean. That is brilliant! If you concentrate on your thoughts and desires on the inside that others can’t see, it will affect how you look on the outside to others. In other words, focus on the inside and the outside will take care of itself.
If you love God and love others on the inside, your words and actions will look beautiful to others because of your love for them and because you are not putting yourself first. Verse 12 says, “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” It is important to look good on the outside and inside, but you need to focus on getting the inside right, not the outside. The better you look on the inside, the better you will look on the outside as well. You will be a truly humble and loving person, rather than an arrogant hypocrite.
Reflection Questions:
Should we be concerned about what others think about us? Why or why not?
What are some practical steps we can take to “work on our insides”?
If you are like me, it is troubling to watch what is happening today over in Israel. Many lives have been lost in the Israeli Hamas war. I feel bad for the innocent people who have lost their lives. Moreover, I am confused about what I want to happen. Of course, peace is the ultimate goal, but does blood have to be shed to reach that goal?
I wouldn’t necessarily pick such a grim and complex topic for a daily devotion, but I couldn’t help but think about what is happening today when I was reading today’s chapters in Micah, Psalms, and Matthew. The topics were not all warm and fuzzy, in fact, they were quite violent at times. I’m not sure what I read helped me frame my view of the war today, but I got a glimpse into the mind of God. I still have more questions than answers, but I feel I am more prepared to understand why the events will unfold the way they will.
Let’s start with Micah. When I heard what was happening in Israel, my first thought was that Israel was God’s chosen people and you really don’t want to mess with them if you value your own life. I already know who wins in the end, and it is Israel. But then I thought about all the times Israel turned their backs to God and bad things happened to them. In Micah 3:9-12, it talks about the rulers of Israel who despised justice, distorted what was right, built Zion with bloodshed, and built Jerusalem with wickedness. They thought that the Lord was among them so no disasters would come upon them. Instead, because of them, Jerusalem became a heap of rubble. Does this describe the leaders of Israel today? Is it possible they are trying again to build up Jerusalem with wickedness and bloodshed? Are they going against what God wants to happen when innocent people are killed?
Would God, the most loving being there is, be ok with so many people dying in a war? Strangely enough, the answer to that came in Psalms 136. The second part of all 26 verses says, “His love endures forever.” It is a whole chapter that talks about many ways that God loved his people. It starts out nice enough when it talks about how good He is and how He created great wonders for us, but it gets a bit weird later. It talks about His love enduring forever because He struck down the firstborn of Egypt, swept Pharoah and his army into the Red Sea, struck down great kings, and killed mighty kings. It is strange to read a verse that says, “to Him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, His love endures forever.” I don’t usually consider killing children as a sign of His love enduring forever. However, it was a sign of His love because he did it to help His chosen people. He loved the Israelites so much, that He was willing to kill others that were against them. Is it possible Hamas is being killed because of God’s love for the Israeli’s?
The chapters from Micah and Psalms are sufficient in framing the discussion, but I was surprised to see that even Matthew had a little bit to say about the subject. The parable of the wedding feast includes the king who was so enraged, he sent his armies to destroy the murderers and set their city on fire. And the chapter ends with Jesus quoting David who said, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies beneath your feet.” These two examples in Matthew were not necessarily referring directly to the issue we are talking about today, but I thought it was interesting that God did not rule out violence to solve some of the problems talked about in Matthew.
I already mentioned I don’t have complete clarity about this war today, but in my position, I think that is fine. I am not the one deciding how much death and destruction will occur and I really don’t think either side would listen to me anyways if I had an opinion. I care about what is happening, but I am just not directly involved. I am ok watching what is happening, and I think it will become clear with time how God wants this to play out. My prayer is for peace, but I will be patient to see how that peace comes about. Perhaps true peace won’t even occur until a time that Micah talked about in chapter 4 – when Jesus returns. I will also pray for that day to come soon.
Reflection Questions:
Do you think God is an active participant in this war or is He just watching what is happening?
Suppose you were given the task of building a team that was responsible for learning some teachings and convincing everyone else in the world that those teachings were true. What kind of people would you pick for this team? I would go with an all-star team of doctors, lawyers, scholars, politicians, successful business people, and someone famous. Jesus had this same task, but he built an all-star team of fishermen, a tax collector, a zealot, probably some tradesmen, and more fishermen. These were the occupations of the twelve disciples. Think about how unremarkable this group was, and yet they were chosen to carry out probably the most important job in the history of mankind, to spread the gospel to the whole world. They were ordinary people on an extraordinary mission.
And guess what…the mission is not over, especially considering there are about seven billion people alive today that were not living a couple thousand years ago. I’m pretty sure all of the disciples died so they are not able to help with the work anymore. God needs a team now to carry on the mission and I suspect he is still counting on ordinary people to join the team. Yes, I am talking about you. God wants you to help preach the gospel to all of the nations.
But what is the message? In Matthew 10:12, Jesus said he wanted them to go out and preach about the kingdom. He wanted to make sure that everyone knew about the coming kingdom. Is everyone going to accept the message? Absolutely not. Jesus said if they don’t accept the message, shake off the dust of your feet and move on to the next place. It might seem odd that Jesus was sending them to places where they would be rejected, but he still thought it was important that everyone should hear the message so they can make the choice themselves. If someone doesn’t hear about the kingdom, they don’t have a chance to accept the kingdom message.
Is it going to be easy? Nope. Jesus said we are like sheep in the midst of wolves. He told us that it won’t be easy, and in fact, it could be dangerous. Moreover, if you choose to be on this team, the message is not always viewed favorably and your own family may hate you for it, even to the point of your own family having you killed. Jesus said in Matthew 11:11 that no one was ever greater than John the Baptist, yet his life ended when they chopped off his head. However, Jesus tells us the good news in Matthew 10:39, “He who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for my sake shall find it.”
In Matthew 12:19, it talks about Jesus’ approach. He won’t quarrel or cry out, and nobody in the streets will hear his voice. I believe this is our model of how to spread the gospel message. We are not looking for a fight. We don’t have to get angry with people because they disagree with us. We do not have to stand on street corners and scream at people that they are going to hell if they don’t repent. We just need to speak the truth in love. Explain to people what is going to happen in the future, especially what happens to them after they die. Tell them about the kingdom and how to attain salvation. If they are not interested in what you are saying, move on. There is no need for a heated debate and there is no need to keep pestering them. Just shake off the dust and move on. You can feel good that you gave them a chance for eternal life. The only time you should feel bad is when you had the opportunity to talk to someone and kept silent. What if they would have embraced the gospel message, but nobody ever gave them that chance? That would be a tragedy to let someone die eternally without ever trying to save them.
Fortunately, it is not our responsibility to make sure others attain salvation. It is only our responsibility to make sure they hear the gospel message. Don’t put any pressure on yourself for results. It is only your job to make sure that people have a choice and they don’t have a choice unless someone tells them about the choice. Matthew 12:50 says that whoever does the will of Jesus’ Father is a brother, sister, or mother of Jesus. That is a family I hope you want to be a part of.
-Rick McClain
(originally posted April 30, 2017 for SeekGrowLove)
Reflection Questions
Do you consider yourself a part of Jesus’ family – why or why not? What do you think Jesus would say?
How do you do at telling others of the choice they have? What can you do this week to tell someone else – who, how, when?
Are you in for a special treat today! Not just because we are discussing Song of Songs (otherwise known as Song of Songs), but also because I looked into the SeekGrowLove archives and found not one, not two, but three great devotions on Song of Solomon (and then I stopped looking). So, today is a bit of a compilation with pieces from three previous devotions. The full devotions are linked below and are all worthy of a read/re-read.
From Rick McClain:
“The visuals painted in these chapters about a bride and groom are very sexual in nature, but is that what this book is about? Some say it is an allegory of Jesus and his bride, the church. I doubt this is true because Jesus wasn’t even around in the Old Testament when this was written. I don’t think the concept of the church being the bride of Jesus was known back then so why would someone write an allegory about that? It is also believed by some that it could be an allegory about God and the people of Israel. There are no doubt similarities between the relationship of a bride and groom and the relationship between God and His people, but why would someone use such erotic sexual material to describe how God thinks about Israel and vice versa?
I believe it is love poetry and I am thrilled that the Bible has affirmed that the sexual desire I have for my wife is a good thing. I know that will make some of you squirm a bit because we don’t usually talk about this stuff, especially in church. However, I think one of the main points of this book is to show that the physical attraction between a bride and groom is a beautiful thing that God has created for them to enjoy.”
“But back to the song of all songs. I am not going to go in great detail here about this book because you should read it for yourself. I couldn’t stop thinking about how much in love these two seemed to be. It reminded me of when you see two young people in love, and their love is just oozing all over each other so much so that they don’t even notice anyone else is around. They can’t stop smiling at each other and they are on cloud nine. We usually roll our eyes at them and think they are being ridiculous, but this is exactly the kind of love that was on display in these eight chapters. Solomon gushed about her eyes, hair, neck, lips, and body parts that reminded him of fawns, but it didn’t stop there. I knew this was a story about real, intense, true love when he mentioned her teeth. He didn’t just say she had beautiful teeth, he said her teeth were like a flock of newly shorn ewes. Don’t picture dirty ewes that have been rolling around in the dirt, Solomon said the ewes had just come up from their washing. Moreover, all these ewes bore twins, and not one of them had lost their young. He said all of that about her teeth!?!? That dude was crazy in love! And she was just as ridiculous as him, which can be seen when she says her beloved is like a cluster of henna blossoms from the vineyards of Engedi.”
From Steve Mattison:
SoS 2:2 says, “Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the maidens.” Husbands and future husbands take note. Highlight what you appreciate about your wife, and make sure she knows it well and often. But the praise must be sincere. And if it’s appropriate and if she would appreciate it, make sure you extend this praise publicly. But don’t just stop with praise. Treat her like she is precious because she is.
SoS 2:4 contains part of the wife’s response, “His banner over me is love.” All by itself, this sounds pretty weird. I think this is saying that her husband is publicly proclaiming his love for her – sort of like writing it on a flag, and waving it around for everyone to see. He is not ashamed to acknowledge her publicly. Again, husbands take note.
In SoS 2:6, the wife goes on to say, “His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces me.” I’ll leave it to your imagination to consider their position and presumed activity. Husband’s again take note. If you shower your wife with love. If you make her a priority, and she knows it. If she knows you’re never ashamed of having her at your side. Things will go a lot better with your love life.
She goes on to say in SoS 2:7, “Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.” I would say that differently. I would say “save sex for marriage” – and then, it is a wonderful blessing from God for both husband and wife to enjoy to the fullest together.
In his reply, in SoS 2:15, the husband says, “Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom”. I think the idea here is that there are always little things that can attack the relationship, and these things need to be caught and stopped. Some examples may include selfishness, pride, never admitting that you are wrong, finding fault, unforgiveness, mistrust, etc. All of these have to be dealt with and removed in order for the love to blossom and flourish.
And you have to love that part in verse 17 where she says, “until the day breaks and the shadows flee…”. It sounds like she is talking about being intimate all night long. So, husbands, if you want verse 17, you have to have to practice verses 2 and 4 and 7 and 15. In other words, if you want a great sex life in your marriage, adore your wife. Let that show in everything you do and in every way you treat her, and you will see results.
Oh yeah, and do the same with your relationship with God, and you’ll see great results there too – both now and forever.”
From Maria Knowlton:
“So how do you use SOS to make a difference in your life? How do you make this a part of your devotion? A friend of mine told me that her pastor recently preached a sermon on it and encouraged husbands to tell their wives they are beautiful. So there you go husbands! God wants you to complement your wives! Use lots of flowery words! (Check out youtube for examples on how to use King Solomon’s words to make your woman swoon!) Ok, that was a little facetious. Seriously, most woman do want to know her man desires her (but maybe not in the words of chapter 4) and God has provided an example of this along with His blessings. My friend thought of another take on SOS. She thought that since her husband was being encouraged to tell her she’s beautiful, she should make more of an effort to be beautiful. She looked at verse 1:6 when the Shulammite woman tries to hide from Solomon. So my friend decided that in addition to not wearing sweats all day, she would close the door while using the powder room and not burp or otherwise display gross behaviors in front of her husband. We all laughed when she told us that he didn’t notice but her point was that we shouldn’t take our husbands for granted and we should make an effort to be beautiful for our husbands. We also need to keep in mind verse 2:15, “ Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom. The chorus talking here, saying not to allow anything to spoil the man and woman’s relationship. Good advice for all of us in any relationship. The world may have cheapened the physical relationship between a man and a woman, likening it to something as casual as a game of ping pong. SOS reminds us that it is truly a wedding gift from God that is to be treasured, embraced, and protected. So if you are married, read today’s reading with your spouse and have a great night! ; )”
God made sex. And He made it good. To be enjoyed by one man and one woman who are married – meaning they have committed their lives to one another til death do them part. There are a lot of verses in Song of Solomon that have never been made into refrigerator magnets or wedding invitations – but I do love 2:16a “My beloved is mine and I am his.” Such a beautiful declaration of a deep, mutual devotion to the love of your life. It is indeed perfect for a wedding invitation! But, how many couples can say the same thing 10, 20, 30, 50 or more years down the road. How do we keep the love from growing cold – which will happen when the fire isn’t tended? Marriage is complex and there is no one easy answer – but Song of Songs does have some useful tips for fanning that flame with your spouse.
If you aren’t married yet – what is the greatest take-away you found in Song of Solomon?
If you are married – what is the greatest take-away you found in Song of Solomon?
Why do you think God included Song of Solomon in the Bible?
Hebrews Introduction
The title of the book of Hebrews suggests it was written to Jewish Christians. We don’t know who wrote the book. Although some suggest the author may have been Paul, Hebrews 2:3 almost certainly refutes this. Whoever it was knew their Old Testament very well, and wrote persuasive arguments showing that Jesus is greater than everyone and everything in the Old Testament, including angels, priests, the law, Moses, sacrifices, etc.
The book of Hebrews points out that the law was only a shadow of the good things that are coming (Hebrews 10:1). Colossians 2:16-17 goes on to say that the reality is found in Christ. And Jesus became the ultimate high priest, who offered himself as the ultimate sacrifice once and for all.
The two main points of Hebrews are to encourage Christians to endure, and to warn Christians to remain faithful in following Christ.
Hebrews 11, the faith chapter, is probably the best well-known chapter in Hebrews. One of the most well-known verses is 11:4, “And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
It was frustrating writing about the way Jesus was tortured and killed, but I get to end the year by writing about the number one very best day in human history. No other day could have been more exciting, felt so good, and impacted so many people, including you and me.
Sorry, but I need to start off by dissing a bit on those who loved and supported Jesus throughout his ministry. Were they not paying attention to what he said? He told them he was going to die and be raised in three days. Did nobody remember that fairly critical piece of information? I could understand them being a bit skeptical and not totally believing that he was going to come back to life until they saw it with their own eyes, but it seems like the ladies that were going to visit the tomb should have been going there to see if it really happened on the third day. Instead, they were convinced that he was still dead; moreover, they were perplexed when they didn’t find his body there. Suddenly, two dazzlingly dressed dudes appeared to them and reminded them about the three-day thing. They did remember at that point they had been told he was coming back to life, so they went back and reported what they had seen to the eleven apostles and others.
Certainly, the apostles, of all people, would remember what was going to happen. They had seen many amazing miracles with their own eyes, so of course, they would have enough faith to believe it could have happened, but no; they thought the story was nonsense and didn’t believe the women. Peter does get some credit, though, because he bounced up, ran to the tomb, and marveled at what had happened. He believed Jesus was alive before he actually saw him with his own eyes.
Strangely enough, their sad state of mind made the day that much sweeter for them when they finally saw it was true that he was alive. They had believed that Jesus was the Messiah, but when he was killed, their hope of him saving the day vanished. They incorrectly thought he was there to redeem Israel during that time. They assumed he would get rid of the Roman government and save the world then – not later. They were truly heartbroken and depressed when they saw Jesus die.
Think about someone you loved dearly that died. Perhaps, you saw them laying in the casket and then buried. A few days have passed, and you are still raw with emotions, experiencing the sting of death. Then picture the doorbell rings, you answer the door, and that person is standing there with a big smile on their face. Whoa!! How doubly incredibly happy you would be! I think that’s how people felt when they saw Jesus alive again. It had to be the best day ever!
You may think it was a bit cruel for me to have you dwell on one of your loved ones that has died. I am sure you are still missing them. It still hurts. However, the fact that Jesus was resurrected on that day a couple thousand years ago can be a promise about the future of your loved one. If they accepted salvation in their lifetime, they too will come back to life and greet you with a big smile if you also are saved. What an amazing day that will be – like the amazing day Jesus came back to life. Jesus was the first to come back to life forevermore, but you or any of your loved ones that die before his return can be next up.
-Rick McClain
Time to ponder:
Do you agree that the resurrection of Jesus was the best day ever? Can you think of a better day?
Most of Jesus’ closest followers soaked up every word he spoke and were convinced he was the Messiah, but their faith faded fast when something seemed to go very wrong. Is your faith strong enough to make it through the tough times?
Jesus’ resurrection can give people great hope about the future, but only if they believe. The story is absolutely meaningless to those who haven’t made the decision to follow God. Is there a loved one in your life that needs to hear about the good news?
Seek Grow Love 