ARISE, MY LOVE, COME AWAY!
Do you have a good hope? Death
will be terrifying for you if you are trusting your eternal acceptance with God
upon anything you have done. But those resting in Christ will close their eyes
and be awakened by their Savior saying, “Rise
up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain
is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of
birds is come, and the voice of the turtle [dove] is heard in our land; The fig
tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a
good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.” (Song of Solomon (2:
10-13)
This life has much joy in it. God has
given many things to enjoy and we should. But overall sin has made this life like
a long cold winter. Satan’s temptations blow hard as arctic winds. Persecution
comes as frigid blasts. Afflictions are icy-sharp. At times a nor’easter blows
in from the coast and sits upon us. Dark clouds hide our Beloved. The blizzard blankets
us till all is still, silent, lifeless. We become grey, barren trees of winter.
Our inner man becomes weak and hungry like the little animal in its den. But then
comes the Voice of our Beloved saying, “Rise
up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain
is over and gone.” Our Beloved takes
us by the heart and ushers us back into communion with him where, “The flowers appear on the earth; the time of
the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle [dove] is heard in
our land; The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the
tender grape give a good smell.” The springtime of Life returns to our
souls!
But
one day soon, my brethren, our Beloved shall usher us into his eternal garden
where there will be eternal spring. Oh to awake completely whole! Oh to behold
he who loved us and gave himself for us!
Oh to be made like him and dwell with him! Then the winter will be over for good! Then we will be with Christ forever with absolutely
no more sin and no more storms to interrupt our communion!