Intimacy with GOD by Esher Shoshannah (the unexpected everything txt) 📖

of the bride are now in communion with her. Notice what takes place from this point on. There is immediate revelation knowledge given to the bride concerning where her Beloved is located (v.2)!

Dear surrendered reader, does your walk demonstrate how deeply in love you are with the Lord Jesus? Is it obvious that the Lord is changing your life so that others may see Him in you and thus be attracted to Him? As they walked, the bride excitedly said, "Do you smell a fragrance in the breeze? That is His aroma. He is near here ladies, He is near! You're going to meet Him in just a moment." She now knew just where He was and said to them...

 

V. 2 "My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed (pasture) in the gardens, and to gather lilies."

The closer they came the stronger the presence of the Lord became! A glowing group of people came into sight, gathered round a magnificent looking Man. All of a sudden the bride became very animated. Catching her breath she exclaimed, "Look! Over there! That's Him! That is my Beloved! He is in a beautiful garden. It looks like an orchard of lilies!" How quickly the Holy Spirit restores to full fellowship when Jesus is lifted up! Does this not tell you just how anxious He is to have communion and fellowship restored?

Notice that this verse first uses the word "garden" singular, then "gardens" plural. The Lord Jesus loves His garden. We who are His blood bought people are one body ("garden") with many individual smaller, lovely gardens making up this one glorious garden of the Lord (I Cor. 10:16,17; 12:12-27; Eph. 2:16-22; 3:14,15; 4:16 etc.).

The special presence of the Lord is with those who desire to be nurtured and fed by Him. Lilies are surrendered believers (2:2) and their hearts are His gardens. He loves to gather His lilies to Himself and enwrap them with His love and discipline (Heb. 12:6). What joy it brings to His heart when His lilies are pliable and allow Him to work in their lives, giving and receiving! Can't you see Jesus sitting in His garden with all these "lilies" gathered round Him - those who have forsaken all that is empty, meaningless and unfulfilling in their lives and have Jesus as the only reason for living! He fills them with His presence and His Word. They feed His heart because of the flow of "first love" love from their hearts to Him. Is this not a picture of the true purpose of the church - all of the Lord’s lilies gathered round Him to talk and sing of Him only?

 

"...bed of spices..."

The spices of God are awaiting the bride and her new found friends. The spices are the multiplicity of promises the Lord gives to us for a walk in all holiness, godliness and stability (II Cor. 1:20; 7:1; II Pet. 1:2-4)! There is a promise of God for every circumstance to be stood upon in faith, each will be blessedly fulfilled! Go to Him in His garden and let the Holy Spirit apply the needed "spices" for your circumstances. These were all purchased for you in the garden of Calvary (John 19:41)! All His promises are confirmed in His blood, attested to by the Words from His lips, and sealed by the Holy Spirit to our spirit!

As she and the daughters approach this beautiful gathering of lilies around the Beloved, the daughters remark to the bride, "As wonderful of a description you gave to us concerning Him, it doesn't even come close to the glory and beauty before us." They paused there for a moment and allowed this exquisite scene of glory to fill them. The Holy Spirit began to move powerfully in the bride. She now knew, in crystal clear clarity, what she must confess openly and without reservation.

This was her defining moment of decision. What had been revealed to her by the Spirit of her Beloved would keep her from ever straying from the path set out by Abba Father for her! She knew that acting upon this revelation would guarantee continual, intimate fellowship with Him! There would never again be the need for a scourging (Heb. 12:6)! Great expectancy floods their souls as they draw closer to Him! Before Him and all of His lilies, the bride grasps hold of the moment giving testimony to her absolute commitment to her Beloved saying...

 

V.3 "I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies."

You have come to one of the most important moments in the Song of Solomon. This heartfelt declaration is the difference of walking in communion and victory with the Lord or in defeat! DON'T MISS WHAT THE HOLY SPIRIT WANTS TO TEACH YOU, IT IS VITAL!

The bride stops and turns to all of the daughters. The power and presence of the Holy Spirit is all over her. There is a strength, boldness - a holy determination in her countenance. With a full heart these words burst forth for all to hear! "I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine...." "I now know that my place is with other surrendered lilies." Pointing to the glow where the other lilies had gathered round her Beloved lovingly says, "This is where He planned for me to be all of the time." (2:16). With a love filled heart she witnessed to the daughters, "Do you want to please your King? Do you want to have a spiritual intimacy with Him you never imagined possible? Then let Him possess you! Let Him have total control of every aspect of your life. Tell Him that you belong to Him wholly and totally, that you trust Him and His Word without question! Pray, 'Holy Spirit fill me now and forever with Jesus!' Then and only then will you experience what those spiritually surrendered lilies are experiencing over there!" There was a long silence. Then, looking up with a fire of finality in her eyes she said, "My precious companions and true friends, let me say it with all the reason for living that is in me, 'I AM MY BELOVED'S NOW AND FOREVER MORE'!"

 

"...he feedeth among the lilies."

With that they quietly moved closer to this beautiful garden scene of Holy Spirit filled lilies! Peace, love, joy, laughter, understanding, wisdom and His glory emanated! There was joyful weeping and the shouting of praise! Others were worshiping with a quiet intensity. They could see Him and there was an indescribable joy written all over His countenance. Not only were the lilies being fed, but His heart too was being filled! This was the joy that had been set before Him so long ago as He endured the pain and shame of the cross (Heb. 12:2,3).

As He gathered His surrendered lilies around Him, each one poured out streams of love upon His feet. Others who watched broke out in praise, with shouting and holy dancing (Psa. 149,150)! His eyes glistened with delight! Sometimes He would ask some lily to repeat what had just been said because it so blessed His heart! There was that wonderful smile of joy they would never forget. Here was blessedness that the daughters had never seen before.

Even the bride, thinking back to the most joyful times she had with Him alone realized that it did not compare with the experience of corporate worship, adoration and love. Something truly special was happening. The Holy Spirit whispered in her heart, "Don't you remember what He said to you so long ago, 'For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them'?" (Matt. 18:20)! They all could say with Isaiah, "...the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee." (Isa. 26:8).

Having confessed her heart, the bride will never depart from her Beloved again. Sin will become an occasional thing in her spiritual walk with the Beloved. Why, because she will stay ever so close to His side. So very, very few Christians know God's power and His presence in their lives because the spiritual impact of this verse has no place in their lives. Many come so close! They walk to the edge of the glory and then look back. They are given a powerful revelation in their hearts by the Holy Spirit who is wooing them to make this confession, but at the last minute they turn back, holding on to something they know down deep does not please the Lord. It is some “small” idol that they feel they must have. The lady before us surrendered her heart to Him way back in 1:2. She was given opportunities and experiences to grow in true surrender. She had been lovingly disciplined and each time responded with a right spirit. She never gave up! That's proof of full surrender!

When she found her Beloved in chapter three she took Him home with her. In chapter four, she allowed Him to minister to her concerning the outside dangers to her soul. She willingly climbed to the top of the Mountain of Myrrh (crucifixion) and then walked in holiness on the hill of frankincense.

She hesitated in chapter five but did not cease to look for Him! Her yearning for Him had not diminished one bit. But now, the Holy Spirit led her to the defining moment of truth where surrender turns into true service for her King. She faced a spiritual juncture in the road. One road leading to apathy and deadness, the other leading her up out of the wilderness hand in hand with her Beloved. This absolute commitment (v.3) of what is truly important in her life will greatly impact all those around her. Dear reader, you will receive God's best if you will make the same deep commitment of your heart concerning Him. Give everything over to Him.

You and I have come a long way together as we traveled with this bride. We watched her movements, reactions and responses. We rejoiced with her, sorrowed with her, wept with her. Now it is time for you and me to stop everything. Stand with her and the daughters. I am ready to make the ultimate decision that a Christian can make. Are you? Over a long period of time this devotional study was written down. I have wept tears of joy and tears of conviction over many, many passages. My heart burst forth proclaiming with resolute affirmation, "I am my Beloved’s! I am my Beloved’s!" What you don’t know about me is: I had been ministering for 30 years as a Martha until one day the Lord broke me and drew me to His Bridegroom’s heart of full surrender through this Song! He made me stop all the activities so He could talk to me! Hallelujah! Glory to His name that He bothered to do that with me!

And now let the Holy Spirit unravel the mystery presented on page eleven. The answer is the secret to the victorious Christian life. In 2:16 the bride said, "My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies." What is the difference between that verse and the verse found in 6:3? The difference is vital, for had the bride sincerely spoken these words here in 6:3 back in 2:16 she would not have gone through all of that unnecessary heart wrenching pain and suffering!

The difference is in the reversal of the first eight words. In 2:16 the emphasis is on what she thinks belongs to her. The primary thought was, "I, first and foremost, possess him" and as a secondary thought, "He possesses me." The first is similar to a young believer saying, "Jesus is mine!" That's salvation! The question is does He possess me? Is He Lord of all in my life? Have I given Him all the rights to my life: to mold me, strengthen me, use