“I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, as to what you will tell him: For I am lovesick.”
—Song of Songs 5:8

Reflection

In the Song of Songs, we find the story of a young woman, known as the Shulamite, and her love for her bridegroom. Their relationship presents a spiritual picture of our relationship with Messiah Yeshua.

In chapter 5, the woman is searching for her beloved, who seems to have withdrawn from her. As she searches, the watchmen of the city find her, strike her, and take away her shawl. She is suffering, and it seems as if her beloved has forsaken her.

She might have been tempted to doubt her Bridegroom King and ask, Does He really love me? Is He really with me anymore? She might have been tempted to become bitter and angry at God. She might have begun to wonder, Is God even real? Does following Him make any difference?

But in this moment of deep pain and confusion, she did something extraordinary: she turned with humility to the daughters of Jerusalem, a group of women in the poem, and asked them for help finding her beloved.

Rather than nurse a grudge against God, the bride acted with a tender heart, humbly asking those less mature than she to help her find her Beloved. What a heavenly attitude! She was willing to receive help from anybody in this moment of need.

Sometimes you and I don’t receive all that God has for us because of pride. We consider certain people less spiritual than we are. That may be true, but when we close our hearts and minds to hearing from God through others, we suffer.

Beloved one, Father God can speak through anybody! He speaks through little children. In the Bible, He spoke through a donkey. When we are going through difficult times, in fact, all the time, we should listen for the voice of God in what others say, not ruling it out just because we consider the vessel to be unworthy.

I am here to tell you that God speaks through unworthy vessels, of which you and I are prime examples!

Somehow the bride has kept her heart from offense. Her strong love remains kindled and alive, and she tells them openly that she is lovesick, meaning she is so hungry for God, so thirsty for God, that she cannot stop thinking about Him.

The daughters of Jerusalem, stunned by her attitude in the face of such bad treatment, begin to ask tough questions. Why keep pursuing someone who seems absent? Is her beloved really worth it?

You may have faced questions like these from your own family members, coworkers, or friends. Why spend so much time reading the Bible, going to church, serving others, or supporting kingdom work? Isn’t it too much?

In the world’s ears, these questions may sound reasonable. Yet despite everything she had suffered, the bride’s love remained kindled and alive. She had kept her heart from offense. She was still lovesick for her Beloved.

Application

• Examine your heart during difficult seasons. Have disappointment or suffering caused you to become offended or bitter toward God?
• Remain humble and willing to receive help from others. Father God can speak through anybody, even those you might consider less spiritually mature.

Prayer

Father God, thank You for Your love and faithfulness, even when I am going through difficult times. Keep my heart tender toward You and protect me from bitterness and offense. Remove any pride that prevents me from hearing Your voice through others. Let my love for You remain kindled and alive, even when I do not understand what You are doing. I want to remain hungry and thirsty for You, never losing my desire to know You more deeply. In Yeshua’s name, amen.