Song of Songs 8:5-7
Friends
5 Who is this coming up from the wilderness
leaning on her beloved?
She
Under the apple tree I roused you;
there your mother conceived you,
there she who was in labor gave you birth.
6 Place me like a seal over your heart,
like a seal on your arm;
for love is as strong as death,
its jealousy unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire,
like a mighty flame.
7 Many waters cannot quench love;
rivers cannot sweep it away.
If one were to give
all the wealth of one’s house for love,
it would be utterly scorned.
Love Is….
As strong as death. Love is permanent, irreversible, and it holds me. There is no negotiating or wavering. There is a certainty to it and a security that opens up a world of being real. We can talk about tough things and refine each other because we know even when it is hard, our love will not be shaken.
Burns like a blazing fire. Love crackles and sizzles and it mesmerizes us. It warms our soul and shines a light on our faces that reveals all that we are. We have to continually feed the fire with time, energy, focus, and bits of our self to keep it blazing. When it is roaring, it will sooth our soul and be a place of the most blessed contentment.
Unquenchable. Nothing can damper this thing between the two of us – this connection, this twinkle, this refreshment. Whether it is the chaos of kids, the stress of finances, or the pain of death, we will cling to each other and our love will hold us up.
Priceless. What would you trade for love? A fancy house, a powerful job, fame? Would it be worth it? God created us to love and to be loved. It is what our heart yearns for and what fills us. What point is anything else if we don’t have love. Is love your number one priority?
Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm. Sometimes during church I look around at the couples. Are husband and wife sitting next to each other? Are they connected in some way or are they distant? Is their face lit with joy, peace, or a secret just between the two of them?
A seal over our heart, a seal on our arm. Our marriages should look different. There should be identifying marks, a seal if you would, that says, “I am loved and I love.” People should be attracted to us and what we have and they should be asking us how to get it. Don’t misunderstand me and think that marriage is about never disagreeing or experiencing pain – we are human. But when our love is the love that the Song of Songs speaks of, it is different from the world’s. It is rooted, unyielding and it is steamy. It does not waver, it is not boring, and it is not lukewarm.
Does your marriage look different?
This week –
- Look at the different definitions of love. Is your marriage rooted in all of these? Talk to your husband and decide if there is an area you need to work on.
- Write a love letter to your husband telling him what his love means to you.
- Consider whether your love is visible to your kids, your friends, and to strangers. Should it be visible? Is there a change that you want to make?
Ruth, every couple should read this. I feel trapped in a marriage with almost no communication (because it’s easier?) and a once a week sex act. I get a window into what could be and am just looking for the door. Maybe coming alongside my wife to find out how it is for her and sharing my feelings in a less emotional way than I might have done in the past is the way forward? I just find it so hard to even begin a conversation when I’ve been put down in the past. There has to be a way through. Please pray. Thank you for your insight. It’s encouraging and gives me just a little bit of hope.
Praying that you have the courage to be vulnerable, share your hearts desires and begin conversation. May God fill you with compassion to hear your wife and give you insight into how you can love her better.
Thank you. She is worth it.