“Awake, O north wind, And come, O south! Blow upon my garden that its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come to his garden And eat its pleasant fruits.” Song of Songs 4: 16
My devotion today was really great. I’m pretty sure you’ll think it’s great too, as I share it with my own twist. We’ll be looking at some Scripture from the Song of Songs. This verse of Scripture sounds like something that is so very familiar to me (and I’m sure it also sounds that way to many others). It echoes the sound of a child of God who is surrendered. It speaks of one who invites the Holy Spirit to come and do His transforming work in their life. I immediately think of how God performs radical surgery on a willing heart… or because of His unfailing love and mercy, transforms a heart that at the onset is prideful and unyielding.
“Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates With pleasant fruits, Fragrant henna with spikenard, Spikenard and saffron, Calamus and cinnamon, With all trees of frankincense, Myrrh and aloes, With all the chief spices– A fountain of gardens, A well of living waters, And streams from Lebanon.” Song of Songs 4: 13-15
Some of the spices and plants mentioned here are very purposeful and descriptive-even bittersweet. For example, look at the aloe plant… the aloe itself is very medicinal, yet it has a bitter taste. We can see that attractiveness not only can, but many times will come from ugly things. Big things come in small packages. “It hurts so good” is another way to look at things that are bittersweet. We’ve all gotten sweet gifts that came to us in bitter packages. Can someone say amen? Myrrh is symbolic of death. It’s used to embalm the dead. But myrrh also represents the sweetness that comes to a heart that has died to self-will, sin, and pride.
The imprint of the cross… I am simply dumbfounded when I can observe others (even myself) who are sold out for Jesus and have gentle spirits, despite of the circumstances in their lives. That my friends, is holy evidence. It’s the evidence of having died to something that was once arrogant and strong, but is now forever lying at the feet of Jesus. This usually happens in the crucible of some kind of suffering, but is the only way we can be better bonded with Our Savior. Remember, Jesus was a man of sorrows…
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,” 2 Corinthians 4: 17
Frankincense was a fragrance that arose only after being touched with fire. The sweetness came when the incense was in the heart of flames. We can symbolically relate it with a heart that has been through the flames of sorrow and affliction.