Today brings the closing of our study of Song of Solomon Chapter 1, verses
1-8. I hope you have all enjoyed this refresher course as much as I have!
Verse 8 sums the lessons up for us and it is in reply to the issues the
spouse has brought forth up to this point:
If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the
footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents.
If you know not true marital intimacy as described by the Word of God,
in the manner in which the Lord prefers to see husbands and wives love
one another, then this is the prescription you and I must swallow! There
is a place where we can find essential wisdom to build healthy relationships
and successful lives in general. Digging into the past is a waste of time;
we must go our way forth, the Bible says. If things aren't right between
husband and wife, why continue taking the same destructive path? In other
words, we must ask the Lord to show us the steps we personally need to
take in order that we might build intimacy into our lives. Then we must
be willing to put forth the necessary effort to achieve such a worthwhile
goal.
Guess where God is going to send you to get the help you need? To your
mother? No… To your best friend? No… To a trained counselor? No… To a
seminar? No… To the Christian bookstore for another book? No… To the doctor
for an anti-depressant? No… He'll send you straight over to the shepherds'
tent! It's the same place that has faithfully helped numerous folks in
years gone by! Ladies, any help we need is waiting for us in the house
of God.... Far too many Christians have abandoned their loyalty to God's
house and seem to only show up in church when there are problems in their
lives. If you would have a sturdy marriage, you must dwell there ALL the
days of your life…
Psalm 27:4
One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may
dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the
beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.
Divided ambitions tend to distractions and lead to disappointment. Ladies,
our main goal in life should be to intimately relate with the Lord; all
our affections should be tied up in this one affection! Our deepest affections
are exchanged at home. If you never spend time at home with your husband,
your relationship with him would certainly suffer, would it not? Likewise,
if you aren't faithful to spend time with the Lord in His house, then
your affection for God stands to greatly suffer as well. We fail to understand
the harmony of our homes rests in our attitude toward God's house! We
must eagerly sit at Jesus feet and learn of Him…
Jeremiah 3:15
And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed
you with knowledge and understanding.
Another grave mistake we make when it comes to our attitude toward the
house of the Lord is that we think we should pick pastors according to
our hearts. What kind of a pastor do you want for yourself, dear lady?
One that will tell you what you want to hear or what you need to hear?
Perhaps you only want a pastor that will preach at your husband and leave
you out of the message altogether… What kind of a pastor do you think
God wants you to have?? Ladies, male or female, young or old, married
or single, we all need to be fed with knowledge and understanding! If
you are one of His sheep, then trust God to make the right choice of a
shepherd for you. Ask the Lord to send you to a church with a pastor according
to HIS heart and rest in the fact that He will do so.
Proverbs 10:21
The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.
Most importantly, if we would live victorious Christian lives, we must
sit ourselves down under the direction of a good shepherd; under the preaching
and teaching of a godly man who stands upon the truths of God's Holy Word
and builds people with sound doctrine. Why live without wisdom and die
a fool?? We must feed on these precious truths and see to it that our
children feed on them, that they might grow and learn how to establish
their homes and relationships upon the principles found in the Word of
God. Do you have an appetite for truth, dear lady? I hope so! It should
be the earnest desire and prayer of every child of God that the Lord would
so direct us in every affair - including the love affair we are to have
with our mate! While we are in the house of God, we must also observe
the footsteps of the flock and look at what has been the practice of godly
people.
Jeremiah 6:16
Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old
paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest
for your souls....
Let's consider the "good way" the Bible speaks of for a moment... Some
of you need to lay aside your pride and admit that you haven't done a
very "good" job at loving your husband! Have you discovered after going
through this study that there is some area you are lacking in true love
for your spouse, and you just don't know how to acquire it? Perhaps you
feel like you are alone in fixing your marriage, that you are the only
one who recognizes there is a problem and you don't know what to do about
it... Do you draw a blank when it comes to knowing where to begin improving
your marriage in general? Have you been looking for some "new" way to
make your marriage work and come up empty handed and disillusioned in
your search? What about the condition of your relationship with the Lord
- are you walking as intimately with your Savior today as you may have
in the past? Is it as good a relationship as it should be? Is there a
time when you were ever closer to the Lord than you are right now? How
would the Lord answer that question?
Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And
see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Ladies, it's time we all made diligent search for the Shepherd of our
souls, and in so doing, we will discover the true way to loving not only
God, but mankind as well - beginning at home with our husbands! I'm here
to tell you that there is no new way, only the same old way that has worked
since the beginning of time! It has always and only been God's way that
will bring rest to our souls and to our marriages. Yes, even though it
is now the 21st century, it's still the only way; it's the good way and
it's the everlasting way! The Bible urges us to "stand ye in the way".
That way is found in the house of God and in the Word of God...
Psalm 92:13
Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts
of our God.
That which is not planted will not flourish, for without roots there is
no life. Have you planted yourself in a church that preaches sound doctrine
and teaches the whole counsel of God? How long have you been a visitor
and never joined yourself to a local body of believers, making them your
church family? If you are a member, are you faithful in your church attendance,
dear lady, or is it as sporadic as the attempts you make at being a good
wife? Do you start church hopping whenever the message gets too personal
for your liking or the pastor God gave you according to His heart counsels
you in a self-crucifying fashion? If this is the case, it's no wonder
every storm of life brings your house down! Christian woman, if your home
is going to prosper, you must have roots in the house of God. It brings
strength, stability and fruit to our lives...
We ask the leaf, "Are you complete in yourself?" and the leaf answers,
"No, my life is in the branches." We ask the branch, and the branch answers,
"No, my life is in the trunk." We ask the trunk, and it answers, "No,
my life is in the root." We ask the root, and the root answers, "My life
solely depends upon where I'm planted."
Ladies, if you're attending church only to "sermon-listen", you're wasting
your time and seriously hurting yourself! Many of us hear but do not act.
Be in church as a member with the intent of acting upon what you've heard!
Once you understand the path you must take to gain wisdom to build a flourishing
relationship with your husband and restore the romance to your marriage,
put your whole heart into the work! Enter the shepherd's tent, enquire
in His temple, plant your feet in God's house permanently and consistently,
submit to your pastor, and feed your soul with wisdom's way. We must daily
and completely depend upon the Lord for direction and then do whatever
He says! Only in this way, can we sing the Song of Songs…
Psalm 40:3
And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many
shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello
