Rise Up, My Love . . . And Come Away

My beloved spoke, and said to me: “Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away.

Song of Solomon 2:10

Christ loves to keep company with His people.  He continually makes the effort to have fellowship with us who are very often preoccupied with other things.  In our text for today, Christ extends unto us another gracious invitation in the form of the Bridegroom’s words to His Bride.

In our text Christ, Who first loved us, calls us away from earthly things to have close communion with Him.  It is good for us to dwell upon the fact that Christ loves us.  He uses the endearing term ‘my love’ to address us.  When we meditate upon this term we may consider that He loved us first.  We may, and ought, to reciprocate that love; but it will only ever be a response to His.  His love to us is the highest and best love; greater in quantity and quality than our love to Him.  He has loved us sacrificially, effectually, and everlastingly.

Also, Christ is the One who makes us fair.  Whatever beauty we reflect is a beauty born of grace and of God.  It is an inward beauty that has an outward shining.  It causes those who observe us to mark us as ‘different’ at the very least and as ‘Christlike’ at the best.  Above all, this beauty makes us like Christ who makes us fair.

Finally, it is Christ who calls us to Him.  He says, ‘Rise up. . . And come away.’  He calls us as those who now live, after a winter of spiritual deadness.  He calls us away from sin first; and soon from sickness and sorrow.  He calls us to promote us to the ultimate glory of being like him.  Arise, my soul, arise.  Christ calls to you today.

Our Gracious and Loving Savior,

You have won our hearts with Your boundless Love.

We long to be wherever You are today.

Grant us the peace and joy of fellowship with You.

Where the Bush is Burning

Tomm Tice