Tell me, you whom I love . . . (Song of Songs 1:7)
Notice the absence of any possible doubt in Solomon’s statement that we read in today’s word of encouragement. He does not say, “Tell me, you whom I think I love.” He does not say, “Tell me, you whom I hope I love.” He does not say, “Tell me, you whom I want to love.” No, no, a thousand times no. He knows that He loves His God beyond the shadow of any doubt and makes it clear for all the world to read.
I find it quite striking that the early saints of God never wavered between two understandings when it came to their relationship with God. We do not come across a plethora of “ifs” and “buts” and “hope fors”. Perhaps the best example in all of sacred Scripture where you might expect to find an if, but, or hope for, here instead is what we find:
I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. Job 19:25
This statement, you might remember, comes from a man who had lost his wealth, his health, and all of his 10 children. If anyone would have cause to question the Almighty it would be Job. But he did not. He knew that his redeemer lived and could trust God even when he could not trace Him in his life. We know from the biblical account what was happening to Job, but Job did not. And when his three friends showed up, after mourning with Job for a week, they became miserable comforters by accusing Job of sin in his life as the cause of all his calamity. Through it all, Job was steadfast in knowing whom he loved.
We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). Our love to Him is a result of His love to us, worked in and through us by the power of the Holy Spirit. But once we have been given this supernatural love, it is ours to give back to Him. True love loves when the sky is blue and the clouds are fleecy and the sun is brightly shining. Ture love also loves when the storm winds blow and the waves of challenge wash over us. Is He not altogether lovely and worthy of our love regardless of the circumstances we are facing in this life?
Remember, it was not the nails that kept Jesus on the cross. It was His love for us that would not let Him save Himself. His love bore the nine-inch nails, the crown of thorns, and that cruel cross of crucifixion. Tell me now, can you not say with Job that regardless of what you are currently facing, “I know my redeemer lives!” And can you not say along with Solomon, “You whom I love.” May this be the confession of our lives.
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 