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Day 125: About the City (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)

In the previous lesson, we said it is important to be present with the Lord at all times. Two of the greatest signs that we are not quite present with the Lord are when we lose our rest/peace and joy. In Exodus 33:14 God told Moses:

...“My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

And in Psalm 16:11 David said:

You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. 

We also said in a previous lesson that disobedience builds a barrier between us and God. We must realize however that sometimes we might feel a pull or distance from the Lord for no apparent reason or error on our part. Sometimes it's an unexplained longing for Him, a desire to search for Him.

In times like that, He draws us to reveal Himself, His plans, or significant revelations about ourselves. The same urgency and desperation we seek when we've strayed must be the same urgency and desperation we seek simply because our heart yearns for Him.

The Bride was desperate as she sought her Beloved. This is as significant as where she sought him: the streets and squares of the city. The city in this story is Jerusalem where Solomon's palace was located. The Bride knew her Beloved could be found at night in the city. This is just as He could be found feeding his flock among the lilies during the day.

Hebrews 12:22-24 says concerning believers:

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

The church represents the heavenly Jerusalem on Earth. Jesus said in Matthew 18:20 that wherever two or three are gathered in His name, He is there among them.

In the night seasons of life, when nothing seems to make sense and the presence of the Beloved has become intangible, or we're just being drawn by the Lord we must learn to seek Him in the company of saints. David knew this so He wrote in Psalm 63: 1-2:

O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory.

The church restores awareness of God's presence. In the difficult seasons of life, whether we have been hurt by the church in the past should not matter. We shouldn't let past experiences keep us from seeking Jesus where He can be found: in His city, among His people.

There are risks because as long as we're on this side of eternity, there will be wolves in sheep's clothing and the imperfections of men may hurt us. Regardless, as we grow in intimacy with Jesus, we should become more dependent on the church. The universal church and the individual Christian thrive on interdependence. It's why Paul admonishes in Hebrews 10:25:

not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

The Bride says here that even as she sought in the city, she didn't find her Beloved. After we have arisen to seek Him in obedience, after we have looked about in the right places, there is one part left in the equation: the watchmen. We'll look at who they are and their significance in the next lesson.

PRAY WITH ME:

My Beloved Jesus, Your presence means the most to me. Let nothing else satisfy me except You. In times of intense longing for You and in the night seasons of life, help me seek You with my whole heart without holding back. Amen.

REFLECT & ACT:

  • For now, how desperate are you to restore a broken communion with the Lord?
  • Are you seeking Him in the right place, in the saints' congregation?
  • If you've been feeling distant from the Lord, or you feel an unusual longing for Him, make up your mind to go to any lengths to seek Him.

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