Scripture Text: Song of Solomon 2:3
As an apple tree among the trees of the forest,
so is my beloved among the young men.
With great delight I sat in his shadow,
and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
Song of Solomon 2:3
Being in personal relationship with the Lord is presently living the reality of the future glory that awaits us, that we are about to enjoy—eternal loving-relationship with our Lover-Redeemer, Jesus Christ. This is a commitment then, which will be tested in the most vulnerable areas of spirituality. A commitment that will force us to make very difficult choices. It is a commitment that demands us to deal with our lust, greed, pride, power, our desire to control, our temper, patience, and every area of temptation that the Scriptures clearly talks about. It demands the quality of commitment that our Lover-Redeemer, Jesus Christ demonstrates in His relationship to us.
To be in a personal relationship with the Beloved (Christ) is to have the new life of finding real joy only in Him. This speaks then that this new life, is a life that must continuously find delight in Him, our all. The joy that we have in the Beloved (Christ), is not just the joy that we are about to have in the future. This joy is ever present now for those who are really in personal relationship with Him! This felicity that we are talking about is the same happiness or delight that produces satisfaction in us. This satisfaction is hungering for more of His divine romance. When one is awakened to perceive the wonders of God’s love in Christ Jesus, it is the remedy for the human soul that goes after vanity of vanities, namely, worthless things that we think produce fulfillment (sin). Every sin flows from a failure to cherish or treasure God and His beauties and excellencies above all things.
When one has really found joy in the Beloved (Christ), he doesn’t just find joy. Rather, he finds the inexhaustible fountain of joy, and he continues to drink from it! As the poem continues to describe our love-relationship with our Lover-Redeemer, the dialogue of praising each other continues with the extoling of the maiden (Bride of Christ/Recipient of God’s everlasting love) for her Beloved (Christ): “As an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the young men. With great delight I sat in his shadow, and his fruit was sweet to my taste” (v.3). Here we see that the maiden sees her Beloved as a unique tree that produces great delight in her among any other trees in the forest. She finds felicity and continuous felicity only in Him, and in the set-apartness of her Beloved, that he is ultimately special among all. She also confidently reposed herself under his protection (“his shadow”), and enjoys greatly the benefits that she has (“his fruit was sweet to my taste”)—remission of sins, faith, grace, and assurance of glory.
Such must be the case of those who are really in a personal relationship with Him! We must have the abiding joy that can only be found in Him! For You [He] make known to me the path of life; in your [His] presence there is fullness of joy; at your [His] right hand are pleasure forevermore! If our hearts are really right with Him, then the Beloved (Christ) is our exceeding and continuous felicity!
The real believer’s heart is awakened to perceive the wonders of God in the person of our Lover-Redeemer, Jesus Christ! From there, we learn to enthusiastically acclaim, oh taste and see that the LORD is good!
He who does not want know more of Him, knows nothing of Him yet…
Hear this then, dear saint! Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD. Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
Desire communion with Him, who has loved us eternally! Thirst and long for Him! Be in awe of Him, the darling of Heaven! He is all yours… He is all-perfect, all-holy, all-glorious and all-happy! Be exceedingly joyous in being His beloved. If you have truly seen Him, then He is your exceeding joy.
Nobody loves you like He does…
Christ is all that we have! Christ is all that we need!
Take heart, dear saint!
Reflect
1. Do you find continuous joy, delight, happiness, and blessedness in the Lord Jesus Christ?
2. Do you cherish and treasure Him above all things?
3. Does He have an exclusive place in your heart?
4. Do you desire and long to love Him more, as you ought to be?
Remember
Christ is not just the source of our everlasting joy. He is our everlasting joy that we must enjoy presently.
Read
John 15:1-11
Pray
Father, we come before You in prayer, in the name of Your Son, to ask for a rich beholding of Him. Allow us to have an exalted, greater, wider, deeper view of Christ, that by having a greater comprehension of Him, we might be filled will all satisfaction that comes from His infinite beauties and excellencies. Help us to realize that our highest delight has always been Him, and that we may have also the desire to apprehend this in our hearts and minds, that we might be able to abide in Him and in His words. This we pray, in His Name. Amen.
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