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Day 51: Retracing Your Steps to Jesus (SoS 1:7a)

 Tell me, O you whom I love, Where you feed your flock, Where you make it rest at noon. For why should I be as one who veils herself By the flocks of your companions?

Song of Songs 1:7
In verse 6, the Bride expressed how she had been blackened by the sun, how she had labored hard under the sun to keep other peoples' vineyards but neglected hers. Service had occupied her so much she had not paid attention to her life and her assignments.

Here she retraces her steps by reaffirming her love for her beloved though she was distanced from him and asking where to find Him.

Luke 22 narrates how Peter denied Jesus three times despite Jesus warning him he would. Just like we neglect our vineyards, and our lives in God when we don't pay attention to fellowship and prayer, Jesus had charged Peter and the other disciples to pray lest they fell into temptation but they did not heed His words. Because of that Peter lacked the strength to stand when it mattered.

Peter's guilt was evident after. Luke 22:62 tells us he wept bitterly. As stated in Lesson 39, Peter's love was genuine and sincere but his flesh (his human will) was weak.

After Jesus was resurrected, He appeared to his disciples many times but I believe He made a special appearance just for Peter even though he was not alone.

Peter had gone back to a trade Jesus had called him out of. His love for Jesus was there, but he felt distanced from Jesus. Jesus wasn't physically present with them anymore so he went back to what he knew to do.

It was in this John 21 that Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him. It's stated in Lesson 40 that one of the two reasons for Jesus' question was to get Peter to acknowledge his love for Him and in doing so, Jesus gave him direction: feed my sheep.

To neglect a vineyard is to lose our bearing, to lose our way, and be distanced from our Beloved Jesus. Like the Bride and like Peter retracing our steps begins with acknowledging that little spark of sincere love left for Him in our hearts.

Sincere love can be weak but it's still love. A candle flame is as much fire as a bonfire flame. One can be blown off with the mouth, the other takes more effort to be put out. But both are still fire. A candle flame can become a bonfire flame if you use it to light a huge pile of wood. Fire is fire, only intensity is different.

We will go through different forms of spiritual crisis; grief from sin and failure, rejection or criticism, burning out due to being overworked or neglecting communion with Jesus, or some other things that separate us from intimacy with Jesus. In those moments, we must acknowledge what little flame of love is left, pick ourselves up and go seeking Jesus again. He won't turn is away, He says in John 6:37:

“But everyone my Father has given to me, they will come. And all who come to me, I will embrace and will never turn them away.”

The prodigal son in the Bible knew his father will never turn him away. In the same way, Jesus will never turn us away no matter how far or how long you've been away. The solution to spiritual crisis is not to beat ourselves up, wallow in self-pity or reminisce about good old days but to seek the Lord like the Bride, and ask Him where can I find Him and be with Him again?

If you ever find yourself distanced from Jesus, so far away you don't know how to retrace your steps, start by acknowledging that little flame of love and desire left in your heart for Him. Tell Him you love Him. Then take it a step further, simply ask Him to help you find Him again.

PRAY WITH ME:
Lord, I love You and I acknowledge that my heart desires you. Thank you because I know your arms are always open to receive me and that when I seek you I will find you. Lead me Lord to find you again so that my love for you may burn brighter. Amen.

REFLECT AND ACT:
  • Do you feel distanced from Jesus? Has anything made your love for Him grow cold or less vibrant than it was? Maybe your love hasn't grown cold or reduced, but you want it to burn brighter, read and meditate on the words of Hosea in Hosea 6:1-3 and confidently return to Him today.



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