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Day 62: Passion Through Emotions (SoS 1:10)

“I have compared you, my love, To my filly among Pharaoh’s chariots. Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments, Your neck with chains of gold.”

Song of Songs 1:9‭-‬10

In the previous lesson, we said that the three compliments and affirmations here represent three aspects of us that Jesus delights in when we love Him with them. These three as previously stated can be compared to aspects of the most important Jewish prayer: The Shema found in Deuteronomy 6:4, quoted by Jesus in the gospels to be the first and greatest commandment:

“...you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength...”

The Beloved in our text today said the Bride's cheeks are lovely with ornaments. The cheeks reveal emotions; anger, joy, surprise... because the face gets flushed with displays of emotions. The cheekbones were also considered important assets used to determine a woman's beauty.

So, the Beloved here was praising the Bride's love for Him and beauty. Our love for God no matter how little we think it is beautifies us and delights God's heart. He loves that we love Him. It doesn't matter if you think your love for God is as tiny as a grain of sand when another's is as big as the ocean. God appreciates your love as it is but you must focus on making that love 'bigger' by spending time with Him and meditating on His love for you. Do not let comparison squeeze out whatever love you have for God.

The ornaments that beautify the Bride's cheek however point to the work of God through His Holy Spirit on our emotions. In Ezekiel 16:11-14, God described adorning Israel with ornaments and jewelry, a symbol of His splendor and the many graces He bestows on us. Romans 5:5 says God has given us the Holy Spirit who fills our hearts with His love.

A man's soul comprises his intellect (mind), will, and emotions. Emotion is a part of the soul and a part of the Shema urges us to love God with all our hearts and soul. The heart represents the reservoir of human emotions. 

The Message Translation says to love God with our hearts is to love Him with all our passion. Passion is visible and it is the way love is measured and shown. God loves it when we are passionate about Him and when our emotions are involved in our worship and service. There are many examples of how much God loves passion in the Bible.
  • In 2 Kings 22 when Josiah heard God's commandments to Israel and how far they had deviated from it, the Bible tells us he tore his clothes and God was so impressed with his emotional repentance, He spared him from all the trouble He promised.
  • 2 Corinthians 9:7 tells us that God loves a cheerful giver. He wants nothing given that is not motivated by a passion for Him.
  • God Himself told Israel in Deuteronomy 28:47 that He desires them to not just serve Him but serve Him with joy. To serve Him because they love Him not because they have to.
  • James 5:16 says the effective fervent prayer of the righteous avails much. The Amplified Bible says the heartfelt prayer.
  • The Psalms are full of many verses encouraging God's people to clap, shout, dance, and show their emotions in their praise to God.
  • Our ultimate example, Jesus Christ, when He walked the earth showed a plethora of emotions.

Whatever we do for God must be backed by our emotions. God loves zealous worship. The Holy Spirit will often move and nudge us to show passion through our emotions but it is our choice to respond. To be genuinely emotional in God's presence is a product of a heart that is sensitive/tender toward God and His word. A heart that can respond quickly to God, His love, and His acts. We must master our emotions, it shouldn't be the other way around.

Not everyone will show their passion the same way. Still, individually we must be intentional in getting our emotions involved in our worship, prayer, giving, praise, and whatever else we do for God. Displaying emotions towards God is not limited to when we're in His presence alone, our hearts must always be in a state ready to respond passionately to Him when He moves us.

PRAY WITH ME:
Dear Lord, I love you and I surrender completely to you again my heart, soul, and emotions. Work on my heart dear Holy Spirit, till I'm quick to respond to God, His love, acts, and your impulses. Amen.

REFLECT AND ACT:
  • How involved are your emotions in your worship and service to God? Are you quick to jump, sing, shout, dance, or cry before Him?
  • When you give your skill, time, money, and body to God's work, do you do it wholeheartedly and joyfully?
  • How can you serve God with your emotions more?
  • Mediate today on God's love and freely express your love for Him in words as you go about your day.



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