Emails To Henry #4 - Come Away My Lover

Dear Henry,

 

Song of Solomon 8:14 says: Come away, my lover, and be like a gazelle or like a young stag on the spice-laden mountains. How do we answer the inner call to "come away" when we no longer hear it?

 

There was a time when we did, but we began to put Him off, to put others and other things before Him, and the call of sleep became stronger and more inviting than the call of the Lover of our souls. It is like in 5:2 of Song of Solomon: I slept but my heart was awake. Listen! My lover is knocking: "Open to me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my flawless one. My head is drenched with dew, my hair with the dampness of the night."

 

But we, as the Shulammite, at first had our excuses, vs 3 I have taken off my robe— must I put it on again? I have washed my feet— must I soil them again?

And finally we would give no excuse, only roll over in silence for more sleep. And when we awoke, we awoke to slience. And when we go to Him now there is only silence.

 

 

Again, how do we answer the inner call to "come away" when we no longer hear it? I think the following verses from SOS 5 will help direct us: 6 I opened for my lover, but my lover had left; he was gone. My heart sank at his departure. I looked for him but did not find him. I called him but he did not answer. We again open the door for Him and to Him. We enter that inner sanctuary again, and begin to cry out again, begin to seek him again.

 

8 O daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you— if you find my lover, what will you tell him? Tell him I am faint with love.

 

We again begin to tell Him of our love, of our desire and need for Him, of our desperation for Him. We again make Him and our relationship with Him the number one priority of our lives. As we again begin to nuture our relationship with him we will again hear the call to come away, to spend time with Him, in fellowship, worship, prayer, adoration and the Word. We will again enter into inrimacy with Him. The Amplified Bible words Proverbs 3:32 as … His confidential communion and secret counsel are with the [uncompromisingly] righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with Him). (Prov 3:32)

Mt 6:6 says: But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Andrew Murray in response to this verse writes "Of course, to go to your room and close the door means that you must also exclude all worldly thoughts, as well as that with which you are busy. You must be alone with God and pray to him only. ... Let this be the main purpose of your quitetime: to sense the presence of your heavenly Father. Take time to pray to Him. ... Then follows the great promise: You Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you openly. All through your busy, active day, God will answer your prayer. The prayer said in your sanctuary will be followed by the secrete working of God in your heart."

 

May it soon be said of us "Who is this coming up from the desert leaning on her lover?" (SOS 8:5)

Humbly seeking God,

jim