Arise

Prayer Focus: France

Bible Reading: Song of Solomon 1:1-5:1

Scripture

My beloved spoke and said to me,
"Arise, my darling,
my beautiful one, come with me.”  (Song of Solomon 2:10)

Observation

This book of poetry, though expressed as a human love, is really supposed to convey the metaphor of the romance between us as the bride, and Christ as the groom.

Application

To have Christ look on me with affection and call me “darling” and “beautiful” is something that I long to hear.  His is not the love of an infatuated suitor, but one who is fully aware of my failings, my sin, and loves me anyway.

In the Jewish tradition, the groom would go to prepare a place for his bride,  and when the house was ready he would come at a moments notice to whisk the bride away to the wedding banquet.  Jesus deliberately invoked these words in John 14:1-4 as a promise.  One day he will call to his beloved, inviting us to leave the corruption of the world.  He will call us from the clouds to say “Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, come with me.”

Prayer

Lord, I pray that you find me with oil in my lamp and ready for your summons.  (Mat. 25:1-13)  Even so, come!