The winter is past
In these verses, we see the lover coming to His beloved. He comes to rouse her from sleep, perhaps, or her inactivity, and to “arise” and “come away”. He describes a beautiful scene of a fresh season – the winter is past, the cold rains have come and gone, the earth is bursting with new life.
This is a beautiful picture of Jesus, the Lover of our souls, who comes to invite us, His beloved, into the new season that is upon us. He is bringing back to life the things that have gone to sleep and filling our hearts with the sounds of renewal just like when the cold barrenness of winter gives way to spring.
It is a call to arise. The lover calls his beloved to stir from her passivity, leave cosy familiarity, and step out into something new. In the same way, we need to respond as God calls us, to be willing to stir ourselves from passivity, and to leave the familiar behind, and be willing to step out into something new.
It is a call to let Him lead. The fruitfulness the lover describes to his beloved – the new season, the rains are gone, the blooming flowers, the chorus of birdsong, fruitful fig trees, fragrant grape vines – were experiences waiting outside her door. Yet, she would not experience any of it unless she responded and allowed Him to lead her out. In the same way, as we follow the Lord into the new season, we can trust that He is moving us on to better things.
It is a call to intimacy. The lover wanted to spend time with his beloved, He wanted her to enjoy him. Let us respond to this divine invitation to grow deeper in love with Jesus, to lean closer into Him and to know Him more. Let’s begin this new season by returning to our first love and to the Lover of our souls.
Reflection
In what areas of your life do you sense that God is doing a new thing? Or do you desire for Him to do a new thing?
What are some things that you need to leave behind – old habits, ways of thinking, preferences or relationships – in order to experience something new?
Prayer
Dear Lord, I say ‘yes’ to Your invitation to arise and follow You. Help me to leave behind my comforts and earthly securities. I choose to start this new season by returning to my first love for You.
Fasting 21. **Preparing for Kingdom Work**: Fasting prepares believers for kingdom work, empowering them for service and ministry, as exemplified by Jesus’ fasting before beginning His earthly ministry
SONG OF SOLOMON 2
10 My beloved speaks and says to me:
“Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
and come away,
11 for behold, the winter is past;
the rain is over and gone.
12 The flowers appear on the earth,
the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtledove
is heard in our land.
13 The fig tree ripens its figs,
and the vines are in blossom;
they give forth fragrance.
Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
and come away.
GALATIANS 1
Greeting
1Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2and all the brothers who are with me,
To the churches of Galatia:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
No Other Gospel
6I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.
10For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Paul Called by God
11For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. 12For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. 14And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. 15But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.
18Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. 19But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother. 20(In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!) 21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24And they glorified God because of me.
