“I am my beloved’s, And his desire is for me.”
—Song of Solomon 7:10

Reflection

The Song of Songs presents a beautiful picture of love between a bridegroom and his bride, a woman known as the Shulamite. Their relationship also gives us a spiritual picture of our relationship with Messiah Jesus.

In Song of Songs 7:9, the Bridegroom compares his beloved to the best wine. We can apply this in a very practical way. When we are struggling to obey God in something He has asked us to do, we can confess by faith, “Your wine goes down smoothly. I will obey You.”

1 John 5:3 says God’s commandments are not burdensome. We must come to a place in life where we are not choking on His will. When we are strengthened and perfected in love, we say yes to Father God, yes to His will, and confess, “Your will is smooth and pleasant, not burdensome.”

For instance, if the Lord nudges you to witness to somebody in public, rather than hem and haw and struggle and resist, say, “Father, I will obey You. This task is not a burden to me because Your wine goes down smoothly.”

I am also encouraged by the last part of verse 9, which speaks of wine flowing gently through the lips of those who fall asleep. Here I see Messiah Jesus reminding us that His love flows gently to us even when we’re sleeping. That doesn’t mean our dreams will always be sweet. We are in a spiritual battle, beloved one, but God is protecting us in the midst of the fight. Like the Shulamite bride, we can have confidence that whether we are awake or asleep, Yeshua’s love surrounds and protects us.

Notice the subtle nuance of verse 10, when the Shulamite declares, “I am my beloved’s, And his desire is for me.”

Gone is her prior emphasis on saying, “He is mine.” That is still true, but her focus is not on possessing Him for her own benefit, but on Him possessing her for His benefit. Her perspective has changed. Her beautiful journey has brought her to maturity.

She knows without a hint of doubt that the King desires her. She is completely secure in this fact. The Lord wants us to understand that He desires us too.

Some of us have a hard time believing this because the devil has used shame, guilt, self-contempt, and accusation to keep us from believing that God desires us. When we reject ourselves, it renders us incapable of receiving the love of God.

Beloved one, you must be able to say and believe, “His desire is for me.” Come into agreement with Father God right now. We are the pinnacle of His creation, and He made us in His own image. The Spirit of Messiah Jesus Himself, who is ultimate beauty, lives in you.

If you’ve been struggling to accept the fact that God desires you, let Messiah wash that self-rejection off you and bring you out of darkness. Let Him reveal how much He loves you so that, like the Shulamite bride, you will be able to say with confidence, “He desires me!”

Application

• When you struggle to obey God’s will, remember that His commandments are not burdensome. Choose to say yes to Him in faith.
• Reject the shame and self-contempt that keep you from receiving God’s love. Confess with confidence, “His desire is for me.”

Prayer

Father God, thank You for loving me and desiring a relationship with me. Help me to receive Your love and let go of the shame, guilt, and self-rejection that keep me from believing how precious I am to You. Strengthen me in Your love so that I can obey Your will without resistance. Let me rest securely in the knowledge that Your love surrounds and protects me. I belong to You, and Your desire is for me. Amen.