The Bride has come to a mature partnership with Jesus by the end of this song. The bride’s heart cry from the very beginning of this song, “Draw me after you…” is finally coming to fulfillment. Her journey resembles our journey of growing in intimacy with Jesus. 1) Real involved with ministry but unintentional about intimacy with Jesus (many believers never get out of this stage) 2) Intimacy with Jesus but very little ministry (just loving Jesus and sitting under the apple tree with Him) 3) Ministry that flows out of intimacy with Jesus. The cry of the mature bride’s heart is this, “I just want to be with You where You are and doing what You are doing”! Jesus desires a bride (the church) who walks out a 3-fold commissioning: 1) Nurture others 2) Release the Presence of the Spirit of God 3) Maintain intimacy with Jesus The confessions of the bride: “May the wine go down smoothly…,” Song of Solomon 7:9 (wine represents the Holy Spirit’s leadership) · May we say “yes” to the Holy Spirit, even when it is difficult · To be continually filled with the Spirit’s influence (Ephesians 5:18) · Living in agreement with the Holy Spirit; this involves choice · When obedience is hard, confess: “The wine goes down smoothly because You are my beloved and because I love You Jesus” · The Old Testament prophets spoke of wine to symbolize the blessing and presence of the Spirit (Joel 3:18; Amos 9:13; Hos. 2:22; Zech. 9:17; Acts 2:15-16) “I belong to my lover and His desire is for me,” Song of Solomon 7:10 · The way we get devoted to Jesus is to study His devotion to me! · The bride sees herself as one that Jesus desires. This is her spiritual identity! · Insight into God’s desire for His bride gives her (us) strength to refuse to live by the opinions of others. · She says “I BELONG TO JESUS” which conveys the ideas that the bride is under His leadership & wants to please Him, His desires are what she cares about most. · The confession of the bride: “I’m a lover of God. That is who I am. This is what I do.” · We will not be defined by circumstances, success, ministry, etc…our life is defined by God. · God’s love for us (the bride) is the same measure He loves Jesus (John 15:9; John 17:23). This is beyond our comprehension. “Come, my beloved, let us go forth to the field, let us lodge in the villages. Let us get up early to the vineyards….There will I give you my love,” · The bride experiences undistracted affection for Jesus in the midst of doing ministry. “There” is those selfless, risks of faith, disappointments and times of mistreatment seasons in the bride’s life. She has learned so much! · The bride is running with Jesus! · It requires maturity to walk in undistracted devotion and love for Jesus while in difficulty, persecution or disappointment. (Philippians 3:10; 2 Corinthians 11:23-28) “Those who know Your Name trust in You, for You Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You,” Psalms 9:10.
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Kristen Tschida
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