“You are altogether beautiful, my darling, and there is no blemish in you.”
—Song of Songs 4:7

Reflection

Song of Songs gives us a picture of strength when it says, “Your neck is like the tower of David, built with rows of stones on which are hung a thousand shields, all the round shields of the mighty men” (Song 4:4).

What does this mean? The neck is a biblical symbol of the will. God often spoke of the Israelites as a stiff-necked people. In Deuteronomy 10:16, the Lord said, “So circumcise your heart, and stiffen your neck no longer.”

The picture in Song of Songs is of a will that is strong and regal, built for great purposes. David was a man after God’s own heart. A good “neck” means a will yielded to Him and a heart after His own.

But strength is not the only quality God wants to develop in us. A nurturing quality should flow from our lives. We are called to be giving and selfless, becoming a source of sustenance that helps other people grow and mature.

Some people seem to do the opposite. They take life from you because they are self-centered and negative, and everything is about them. But God desires to form something different in us.

It’s not about what others can do for us, and it’s not only about what God can do for us. It’s also about how we can bring pleasure to God.

How do we bring Him pleasure? When we serve other people and lay down our lives for them as Jesus laid down His life for us, we move His heart. Our lives become giving rather than taking, nurturing rather than draining, selfless rather than centered on ourselves.

Then a few lines later we read, “You are altogether beautiful, my darling, and there is no blemish in you.”

This declaration comes in response to a decision to finally trust God and go all the way with Him. There is something beautiful to the Lord about a heart that pledges itself without reservation. He appreciates every beautiful aspect in us that He Himself has made.

Beloved, God is at work in your life. Let Him strengthen your will so that it is yielded to Him. Let Him make you a selfless, nurturing person. Ask Him to ignite your heart with divine fire and give you the courage to go wherever He calls.

Application

• Yield your will to God, asking Him to make your heart strong, surrendered, and fully His.
• Look for ways to serve and strengthen others rather than focusing on what they can do for you.

Prayer

King Jesus, thank You that You have made me worthy through Your blood. Thank You that You are at work in my life. Strengthen my will and help me to yield myself fully to You. Show me how to be a selfless, nurturing person who helps others grow and mature. Ignite my heart with divine fire, and give me courage to go wherever You call me. Amen.