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Day 29: The Way to the Chamber (SoS 1:4c)

 "Draw me away! We will run after you. The king has brought me into his chambers. We will be glad and rejoice in you. We will remember your love more than wine. Rightly do they love you." Song of Songs 1:4

This is the first time the Bride is addressing her Beloved by a title. She didn't address Him with a pronoun as she previously had, and though her love for Him was budding she didn't refer to Him yet as Beloved, rather she referred to Him as King.

One would think all that the Bride has expressed, learned, done, and experienced so far would bring her straight to a revelation of Him as Beloved. But all she had been through so far was only a foundation for a life of intimacy. She had only learned the basic principles that fuel and sustains a life of intimacy. Until all those things were in place, intimacy couldn't happen.

Now, in response to all these, she receives first a revelation of Him as King. Why?

Jesus is many things. Healer, Provider, Deliverer, Miracle Worker... But we must understand that our experiences are subject to which revelation of His character or person we have. Every experience of Christ is tied to a revelation of Him. So when the light breaks in our hearts that He is the healer, we experience healing. When the light breaks that He is a miracle worker, we see miracles.

In John 15:14-15 Jesus says to His disciples:

“You show that you are my intimate friends when you obey all that I command you. I have never called you ‘servants,’  because a master doesn’t confide in his servants, and servants don’t always understand what the master is doing. But I call you my most intimate and cherished friends,  for I reveal to you everything that I’ve heard from my Father." (TPT)
Jesus in very simple terms states here that intimacy with Him happens in response to obedience to His commands because it is only by obeying His commands that we can be His friend.

God in the bible referred to Abraham as His friend. When was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah He spoke to Abraham about it first. Abraham knew the privilege he had and was able to negotiate Lot's safety from the destruction. Only one thing gave Abraham this privilege - his friendship with God. How did this friendship come to be?

In Genesis chapter 12 when Abraham was introduced, the first thing we saw him do is obeying a command of God to leave his family and follow Him. In subsequent encounters, we see Abraham obey over and over again even to the point of almost slitting His son's throat as an act of obedience.

Many want intimacy with Jesus but want to live life on their terms. That's impossible. The requirements of life in God are not suggestions, they are must-dos. Though Jesus stooped in love to bring us up to Himself, it doesn't change His position as Lord of all. 

When we submit to Jesus as one who has authority over us, we submit to His leading and guidance. One of the primary ways He guides us is to bring us into His chamber, His secret place. When we make a habit of disobeying His command, we won't follow when He leads. Without following when He leads, we will never have the privilege of knowing Him intimately.

PRAY WITH ME:
Lord Jesus, in any way I haven't followed your commandments, I repent today and ask that you forgive me. Reveal yourself to me as King: One who has authority over my everyday affairs and decisions. Give me the grace to follow and submit to your guidance as you lead from this day forward. Amen.

REFLECT AND ACT:
  • Are you a friend of God? Can you truly say you have lived in obedience to His commandments?
  • Do you live as though Jesus is King? What does that mean to you?


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