A sweeter smell

My father used to say that eight hours sleep fixed most problems. He knew that fatigue has a way of magnifying stuff that can seem like trivia after a good rest. His wisdom works, but I’ve a small disagreement with it. If I am trusting in the Lord’s strength, the size of my problems should not be measured by whether I am rested or tired. If I am relying on Him, tired or not, the problem is not mine to solve, but His.

Yesterday’s angst is less emotional today, but His revelations to me are still strong in my mind. In all the yucky that life throws at me, He wants me to realize my weakness, identify with Him in His suffering, and quit complaining about His dealings with me. He also wants me to realize that the prize in the pile I’m digging through is Him.

Today’s devotional reading is from Song of Solomon, a book of the Bible that I read every year but have not studied very much. It obviously contains a great deal of imagery, and while I like poetic writing, I’m a bit cautious of my ability to decipher the symbolism of this book. The verse is 1:4.

Draw me away! The Daughters of Jerusalem: We will run after you. The Shulamite: The king has brought me into his chambers. The Daughters of Jerusalem: We will be glad and rejoice in you. We will remember your love more than wine. The Shulamite: Rightly do they love you.

Interpretation involves understanding who is speaking and the cultural norms of that time. My study Bible says that this love song “exalts the purity of marital affection and romance” and takes it literally as an historical and real event. Others approach it allegorically and say it is not historical at all, but depicts God’s love for His people, or Christ’s love for the church. A third approach sees the book as full of “types” and accepts its historical reality but also sees that it pictures the Christ as the bridegroom and His love for the church, His bride.

My devotional reading pulls out the symbolism, and in doing so reminds me that my focus and truest desire is not an easy life, nor having control, nor being well treated. Instead, like the Shulamite (the bride in S of S), my desire is my King. The reading says:

Anyone who has had given him one grain of spiritual faith in Christ’s glorious person, who has had one sight of His atoning blood, one sip of divine love shed abroad in his heart, is sure to go to glory. He is saved with an everlasting salvation . . . and the Lord that has kindled these strong desires after Himself in his soul, will surely fulfil them.

The comfort is that I know what it is that I really want. Strong desires for other stuff do not last, nor are they satisfied even if I get those things. The only lasting satisfaction is Jesus.

Paul understood this. He had known and followed Jesus for years, but near the end of his own life he wrote this: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. . . . But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings . . .” (Philippians 1:21; 3:7-10).

Peter understood also. He wrote: “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. . . Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy” (1 Peter 1:6-7; 4:12-13).

These words have a settling effect on my heart. Acceptance of God’s dealings means I agree with Him that I need refining, but it also means that I will not fight with Him or with those He might use to rub off my rough edges. Far better to fight with and rid myself of those things He wants to change.

During all this, He bids me to run to Him, be glad and rejoice in Him, and remember that He loves me with an everlasting love. The stuff I battle may stink, but He is the Rose of Sharon and God’s sweet-smelling sacrifice on my behalf.