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

resurrected Jesus were said to seasoned followers, not babies! The "cart is put before the horse" for they are told to love their neighbor first when the spiritual order is to learn to love God first! We as shepherds are to lead these new believers into a Mary of Bethany – Song of Solomon experience. How sad that most shepherds know little of the admonition of the Lord in Mark 14:9. Mary was consumed with love for Jesus! New believers need to see that in the mature believers. What does God expect? What does He consider most important? Read Deut. 6:1-9; 8:11-14! As these new "buds" grow in love with Jesus there will be new "buds" of worship, praise, prayer and loving service and obedience in their lives.

 

PRAY WITH ME: "O my Beloved, use me to be a blessing in Your vineyards. May Your vine bud and blossom in the place where You have put me. Dear Holy Spirit speak through me, care through me, touch through me, love through me, save through me, heal through me so that the young branches in Your vine will begin to show signs of producing the same abundant life fruit of worship and praise for You their Husband! Pour out Your life producing Spirit in me! In Your powerful name, Lord Jesus, amen!"

 

"...and the pomegranates bud forth..." (see 4:13 & 6:11 for complete comments)

Are there pomegranates budding? It is spiritually exhilarating to hear and see new believers longing after more of the things of God, devouring His Word, praying with a full heart, involved and serving with the body of Christ, giving out fresh Holy Spirit filled praise! O how the Lord thirsts for the fruit of pomegranates (worship and praise). Why did God save us? "This people have I formed for myself; they shall show forth my praise." (Isa. 43:21; see John 4:23,24 also). Let us encourage the young believer by example to praise our most Holy God! Let them see in us that the whole purpose of their spiritual existence is to be, "to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made (them) us accepted in the beloved." (Eph. 1:6). Is there anything more joyous to the soul than being with young and old believers alike in a Holy Spirit led praise meeting? When the bride sees the fire of others loving on her Bridegroom through praise and worship it causes her surrendered, lily heart to rejoice and say,

 

"...there will I give thee my loves."

The bride is so filled up with thankful love for this new realm of ministering love with her Beloved out in the highways and byways of hurting, lost people. They now sit together. She is so grateful for His patience (1:1 – 7:10) in leading her into this glorious work of service. She is ready to release on Him what was poured out in her spirit so long ago – His love by the Spirit (Rom. 5:5). The opening between her spirit and her soul (mind, will, emotions etc.) is wide open and a torrent of love is ready to be poured out!

Where is "...there..."? It is first with Him alone and then with other Jesus-filled lilies who have the same intense desire to simply share His love with each other with Him in their midst. The Hebrew word for "love" is pluralized. This makes it a superlative (the very best). He gave you His saving love, covenant keeping love, forgiving love, providing love, accepting love, guiding love, sanctifying love, enduring love, instructing love, personal love, redeeming love, healing love, delivering love, sharing love, intimate love and in so many more ways. Ask Him to bring to your mind how many ways He has demonstrated His love to you past and present. And now, most of all give Him your, "I am my Beloved’s" love which is the best love. It won’t just be in church but an ongoing, inwardly hidden, beautifully blooming pure love that the Lord can enjoy all day long.

Speak to your soul with all the "first love" love that is there and say, "Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless His holy name." (Psa. 103:1). Love God and love one another - let it flow! Love is the fulfilling of the law (Rom. 13:10)!

 

V.13 "The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved."

The mandrake was considered a fruit symbolical of love. It was said to have special properties enhancing love's desire and increasing fertility. Praise God, she is so spiritually fertile that much fruit will be produced through her life in Him. And the fragrance is the presence and glory of the Beloved. His total possession of her (7:10) causes the spiritual mandrake to grow into maturity. He said, "...Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." (Jer. 31:3). O what a sweet smelling scent it is to the Bridegroom of our hearts! The only other place the mandrake is mentioned is in Gen. 30:14-16 (5x). The mandrakes appeared in the fields at the time of wheat harvest. It was a time of rejoicing and celebration, a time of first fruits offered to the Lord, a time of praising God for His blessings. There is celebration by the angels as the Lord proudly invites them to see what His redemptive love has created - the heaven sent, sweet fragrance of the mandrakes; when His heart is locked in holy unity with His submissive bride. Enjoy the following verses concerning God’s people and spiritual fragrances: Psa. 141:2; II Cor. 2:14; Eph. 5:2; Phil. 4:18; Rev. 8:4.

 

"...and at our gates ...."

Gates represent the many and varied opportunities to serve. She is so overjoyed to share with her Beloved all the blessings that going through the gates of opportunity have brought to her heart. His gates are her gates ("our"). He chooses each gate in which they will enter and minister together. There is an indescribable sparkle of great delight in the Bridegroom’s eyes as He takes her by the hand to go through each gate. He can feel just in the touch of her hand that she is filled to the full with the Holy Spirit. On her lips were these words, "I have 'enter(ed) into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise....' "(Psa. 100:4). She sang songs with confidence in her spirit about the victory and triumph she was about to experience together with Him (I Cor. 15:57; II Cor. 2:14)!

There were so many gates and so many victories! When the ministry was finished He would take her by the hand and lead her out of the gate in which they had entered. The Lover of her soul would find a green pasture near each gate where they sat together sharing all the wonderful things that had been accomplished. Every gate was a new experience producing all manner of fruit. What were some of these gates?

There was "the Valley Gate" (Neh. 2:13). At first it seemed so foreboding for it was known as the "valley of the shadow of death" (Psa. 23:4). So many people walked in the darkness of emptiness and despair. These poor souls had looked everywhere to find peace but there was nothing. As soon as the Lord opened the gate His light shone so brightly that it dispelled the darkness. Many who walked in darkness (Isa. 9:2) saw His light (John 8:12) and joyfully followed Him. 

Songs of eternal life filled the air. The depressive land beyond the "Valley Gate" became known as the "Valley of Berachah" (II Chron. 20:26; "Berachah" Hebrew for "blessing")!

Next came "the Fountain Gate" (Neh. 2:14). It was a place where the fountains of this world had dried up long ago. All who lived there had hearts empty and parched to the things of God. All through the streets she went from person to person leading them to her Beloved’s special fountain. There was something about her that others longed to have. She told each one who inquired that "There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel's veins; And sinners, plunged beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains!" A bright sparkle gleamed in her eye as she continued to share with them that "The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day; And there may (you), though vile as he, wash all (your) sins away." (by William Cowper). The Beloved through His bride also offered them refreshing, spiritual living water without cost (John 4:14). Hour after hour for days the people streamed to receive a drink. So many responded and before her eyes their souls became white as snow! The real Fountain of Life had visited them with the eternal water of the Word and the precious blood. As a result springs of living water flowed continually from their hearts in thanksgiving for all He had done for them.

Her joy was so great that time seemed to fly by. Then the Beloved lifted her up from this intimate sharing which they had experienced together and said, "Come my love, it is time to go through 'the Sheep Gate' "(Neh. 3:1). She opened the gate and saw confusion, pain and defeat. Tears of compassion flowed down her cheeks as she paused and asked her Beloved, "My Love why all this hurt? Why all this defeat and loneliness? My heart breaks for them. They are so defenseless." He said, "Because they were led astray by the enemy". (Isa. 53:6). Weeping He said, "Many are My wounded sheep who have been attacked by the wolf (John 10:12). They strayed away from My side."

She joyfully shared that the Good Shepherd, her Husband, was there and that He had died for them (John 10:11) and now He was risen to take care of them. She took them to her Beloved and as He drew them to His side their wounds and brokenheartedness disappeared. There was a beautiful transformation taking place. What joy swept over her soul! The Beloved filled them with the Holy Spirit as they began to be equipped in every good work. They were so thankful that she had led them to the "Great Shepherd of the Sheep" (Heb. 13:20,21).

 

"...are all manner of pleasant fruits..."

As the ministry within each gate was completed she gathered all those touched by her Bridegroom to meet together and just share their hearts about Him. It was a joyous time of communion (I Cor. 10:16,17). She explained to them that having communion together was a personal request of His. All those who had been redeemed came together with a burning desire to share all about their new Lord and God. The bride explained what communion was all about. These new members in the family of God broke out in boisterous praise and worship. Many gave testimony of the greatness and goodness of the Bridegroom.

As they passed the bread and cup to each other a holy quietness filled the place. After they had given thanks for the blood of Jesus some were weeping with tears of joy and thankfulness. Others knelt and still others lay prostrate on the floor. Hands raised everywhere in silence before a holy God. The Beloved leaned over and said to His bride, "Thank you for bringing these, My redeemed ones together. There is no greater joy than for Me to hear and see the freshness of their first love, love for Me! It makes the shameful suffering of the cross worth it all! (Heb. 12:3)! They are My portion and My joy! (Deut. 32:9)." The Beloved simply sat there taking it all in. The glow around Him burst into great glory. When the fellowship of praise and worship was ended she and the Lover of her soul went out, paused and found a place covered with green grass near the gate, the Bridegroom