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Day 124: Presence With the Lord (SoS 3:1&2)

 By night on my bed I sought the one I love; I sought him, but I did not find him. “I will rise now,” I said, “And go about the city; In the streets and in the squares I will seek the one I love.” I sought him, but I did not find him. (Song of Songs 3:1‭-‬2)

David in Psalm 139:7-10 penned a vivid description of God's omnipresence:

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.

Yet, the Psalms contain many verses about seeking the Lord's presence and face, especially at night. One such are Asaph's words in Psalm 77:2&6:

In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord; My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing; My soul refused to be comforted. I call to remembrance my song in the night; I meditate within my heart, And my spirit makes diligent search.

There is a longing every lover feels. There is a connection of the soul to an absent beloved. As is it with those who love Jesus. Every moment of separation is torture. The Bride here could not sleep knowing she was separated from her Beloved. Such should be the state of our hearts when we feel far away from Him.

Being comfortable with disobedience is one of the most glaring signs of falling out of love with Jesus. When our human will fails and our frailty gets the better of us, what is the state of our hearts?

Our text today presents the Bride seeking her lover at night. Night in the scripture represents seasons of trouble and temptation and can also mean the time between sunset and sunrise.

One of the ultimate expressions of a man truly in love with God is a man who sacrifices the night seasons (times he is away from prying eyes) when all men sleep not to present a request but to simply fellowship with the Lord.

Unfortunately, the Bride sought all night and did not find Him. Some translations and commentaries even say she sought him night after night but he was absent.

In Jeremiah 29:13 God said:

And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

The Bride in Chapter 1 describes a bed belonging to her and her beloved. Here, however, she is lying on her bed this time, not theirs, which indicates her place of comfort. She chose to be separated from her beloved and now realizes comfort only makes sense with the Beloved beside her.

At first, she sought Him casually and did not find Him. But like the prodigal son in Luke 15, she arises from her bed, from her state of comfort to mend the gap she created. In verse 1, she sought Him in disobedience still clinging to her comfort. In verse 2, she adds obedience to her seeking. She arose as he asked in chapter 2:8.

We cannot seek God in disobedience and expect to find Him. As stated in the previous lesson, disobedience builds a barrier between us and God.

As we progress in our Christian journey. As seasons of rest pass, the same situations God orchestrated to give us rest become troubling. The peace we once felt lifts and our souls long for more. No matter how we try to hold on to the familiarity of the season, we embrace the risk of the mountains and hills.

When we linger past the appointed time in comfort, we gradually lose His tangible presence. When we forsake all that is convenient and familiar, when we are willing to take all risks and become uncomfortable without that awareness of His presence, we will find Him. His presence must be our greatest treasure because like Pastor Ayo Ajani always says:

The presence of Jesus is everything!

Even though God is always with us, His presence only manifests when we are present with Him. Present in His will, at His time, present in the moment.

In Psalm 51, David after sinning prayed that the Lord not cast him away from His presence or take His Holy Spirit from Him. In the New Testament unlike the Old, the Holy Spirit has found a resting place in the new creation. However, we will only know His presence as we learn to be present with Him.

What lengths are you willing to go to be present with the Lord?

PRAY WITH ME:

Dear Lord, I desire to be present with You at all times. To always be aware of your indwelling presence. So help me Lord to obey promptly and not grieve Your Spirit. Grant me the grace to do all it takes to be with You whether in the mountains or in comfort. Amen.

REFLECT AND ACT:

  • How present are you with the Lord right now?
  • If it seems like He's far away, He isn't. He's right with you at this moment. Turn your heart towards Him, tell Him how much you love Him, and value fellowship with Him.
  • Make a commitment to obey His leading and follow His will.

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