Song of Songs 4:15-16

You are a fountain of gardens.
A well of living water springs up from within you,
like a mountain brook flowing into my heart!

The Shulamite Bride

Awake, O north wind!
Awake, O south wind!
Breathe on my garden with your Spirit-Wind.
Stir up the sweet spice of your life within me.
Spare nothing as you make me your fruitful garden.
Hold nothing back until I release your fragrance.
Come walk with me as you walked
with Adam in your paradise garden.
Come taste the fruits of your life in me.

In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)     John 7:37–39

What makes you fruitful and refreshing, prolific and productive?The flowing of the Holy Ghost within and from your life. Seek the blessing of the Holy Spirit. Jesus taught us to ask the Father for the blessing of the Holy Ghost (Luke 11:13), for when the Holy Spirit flows in you and through you, there is a fruitfulness about you. Without Him, there’s only barrenness and dryness.

Song of Songs 4:16...
Awake, O north wind…

The bride speaks. The north wind is a cold wind. Perhaps you feel cold presently—you don’t feel the intense love for Jesus that you would like to or once did. You feel distant and alone. That is the blowing of the north wind. Let it blow—because the times that are devoid of tingly feelings or “Holy Ghost goose bumps” provide unique opportunity for you to demonstrate your love for the Lord through diligence in worship, prayer, and study of His Word—even though you don’t feel His presence, an absence of feelings doesn’t mean the Lord has forsaken you. On the contrary, He is allowing you to go through a cold season in order to grant you the privilege of learning to walk by faith and not by feeling. Feelings are so fickle. They’re affected by what you ate last night, by what your family said to you this morning, by the news, the weather, the economic outlook. Not so faith. It is a constant because it is totally independent of outside circumstances. Therefore, the Lord, wanting the best for His people, desires us to walk in the surety and stability of faith.

Can you, like the maiden, say, “Lord, I’m willing to go through a week, a month, or even a year of the blowing north wind in order to give to You without expecting the sense of Your presence in return”? Can you say, “Lord, if I can best demonstrate what You have done in my life through periods of coldness, so be it”?
Most of the time, whenever I give to God, I get so much back that I can’t really call it giving at all! I start to worship and say, “Lord, this is a sacrifice of praise to You,” when suddenly, finding myself flooded with feelings of joy, I think, “This is no sacrifice at all. Am I doing this to give—or am I doing this to receive?” But when I feel somewhat distant from the Lord, it’s an opportunity for me to give without necessarily receiving anything in return.

If you’re going through a cold spell today, if the north wind is howling, rejoice. You have a unique opportunity to minister to Jesus, to give to Him worship and adoration, praise and thanksgiving regardless of your feelings.

Song of Songs 4:16...
…and come, thou south…

The south wind is a hot, arid wind. Perhaps you are presently walking through days of difficulty and times of fiery trials. That is the blowing of the south wind. If this is your situation, remember that it’s not when you’re prospering and cruising through life that others can see Jesus in you. It’s when they see you walking through difficult days by the grace of God that they know He is real to you.

Song of Songs 4:16...
…blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out.…

Not long ago my wife and I got away to decompress. We had become a little snarky about some thing going on in our lives and committed to a week of just soaking in the work that the Lord was desiring to do in us. After a few focused days of thankfulness, gratitude, an refocusing on Him. We had just climbed into the warm waters of the Alvord Desert Hot Springs; A great little desert oasis in the middle of nowhere. While we were soaking one rather stormy day, all of a sudden, I smelled something. My mouth began to water and my stomach started to growl as the fragrance of barbequed steak was working its way down the path from one of the campground fire pits and into my nostrils.

When the storm winds of adversity and difficulty blow through our lives, a fragrance is released. It is either a foul odor of bitterness, snarkiness, even hostility, jealousy and anger—or it is the sweet-smelling savor of praise and thanksgiving, worship and adoration. You see, the wind itself doesn’t determine what the fragrance will be. It merely releases the fragrance already present. Therefore, when I find bitterness, anger, jealousy, or hostility and snarkiness coming forth from my life, I must say, “Father, the problem isn’t him, her, them, or where I'm at. It’s me. Father, forgive me. I thought I was farther along than that. Oh, Lord, have mercy!”
Here is the deal! If, instead of blaming everyone and everything else, you say, “Oh, Lord, the fragrance in my life is not what it should be. I repent, Father. Change my heart,” you will find a pleasing fragrance emanating from your life.

Song of Songs 4:16...
…Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.

Take special note of this verse, kids. The key to life and enjoying our union with God is saying, “I’m Your garden, Lord. Eat of me. I exist for Your pleasure and Your glory. That is why I am alive today. That is why I will awake tomorrow. I exist for one reason: not to heap pleasure upon myself, not even to please others—but to please You.”

Why do you exist? To bring pleasure to the Lord (Revelation 4:11).
Tomorrow will be a fabulous, wonderful, exciting, fulfilling day if you’ll say, “Lord, I’m here to please You all day long. I’m taking You out for lunch. We’ll grab a burger and then I’ll meditate on Your Word, talk to You, and worship You. Lord, on my coffee break, my thoughts and prayers will be ascending to Your throne. I’m going to carry a verse in my pocket so that my thoughts might be upon You as I meditate upon it at various intervals throughout the day.”
You exist to bring the Lord pleasure! You are His garden!

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Take my yoke upon you…

Matthew 11:28–30
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

The Greek word translated “carpenter” used in Matthew 13 to describe Joseph refers to a finish carpenter rather than for a framer. Tradition has it that the carpenter shop where Jesus worked with His father, Joseph, specialized in making yokes and fitting things like stone together like a structural mason of sorts. To yoke two oxen together, the skilled craftsmen designed the yoke to fit each ox individually and it was the same in stone laying. However, in designing yokes since there was always a lead ox yoked together with one who would follow, the yoke was designed in such a way that the lead ox would pull the greater weight. The follower, or assistant ox, was just to go with the flow.

Take My yoke upon you…

Jesus used an analogy well known to the people who listened to Him when He said not only, “Come unto Me,” but, “Yoke with Me. Let Me be the lead ox. Go with My flow. Don’t try to figure out or change My direction. Let Me lead you.”

The story is told of a battleship cruising the Atlantic, off the northern coast of Maine. One stormy evening, the commander was notified, “Sir, there’s a light ahead. Oncoming vessel.”
“Signal the oncoming vessel: change your courses ten degrees to the west.”
The message was sent.
But a light flashed back, “Change your course ten degrees to the east.”
“Signal again,” barked the commander. “Change your course ten degrees to the west. I am an admiral!”
The light flashed back, “Change your course ten degrees to the east. I am a Seaman Third Class.”
By this time, the admiral was incensed as he thundered, “Signal again: Change your course ten degrees to the west. I am a battleship.”
And the message came back, “Change your course ten degrees to the east. I am a lighthouse.”
So, too, as we impudently and impetuously say to the Lord, “Lord, let’s go my way,” He answers...

“No. We’re going My way.”
I am the Lighthouse
I am the Light of the world,
The Rock of your salvation,
The Creator and Sustainer of your soul.
I am the Alpha and the Omega,
The One who knows the beginning from the end.
Trust Me.

Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart…

This is the only autobiographical statement Jesus ever made.
He didn’t say, “Learn of Me because I am majestic and mighty,” or “Learn of Me because I am powerful and prominent.” He said, “That which you discover when you learn of Me will refresh you, for I am meek.”
What is meekness? Meekness is strength under control.

Picture a big, gentle Saint Bernard surrounded by yapping, snapping, little Chihuahuas. Now the Saint Bernard could open his mouth and chomp the Chihuahuas down in one gulp. He could take his paw and knock them away with one swipe. But the powerful Saint Bernard patiently puts up with the yappers and snappers at his feet. That’s meekness.

When I study the Scriptures and learn of Jesus, I am always amazed at His goodness, His grace, His kindness, His gentleness, and His meekness.
Jesus says, “Come to Me—you who have been burned out by Pharaoh, you who have been wearied by the folly of sin. Yoke with Me—don’t try to maneuver Me, steer Me, or demand of Me. Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly.” The result?

…And ye shall find rest unto your souls.

You’ll find what your heart is craving: Shabbat. Sabbath. Rest.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

The final consideration for this Acts 15 contemplation is... Questions arose concerning Gentile converts and whether or not they should follow the laws, and the rituals, and whether to be circumcised. Peter gave this response, I’ll state it again:
Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? Acts 15:10
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“My yoke,” Jesus said, “is easy.” It’s not religion—it’s relationship. It’s not Judaism—it’s Jesus. It’s not the law—it’s love.

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Psalm 107:23-31
Some of us set sail upon the sea to faraway ports,
transporting our goods from ship to shore.
We were witnesses of God’s power out in the ocean deep;
we saw breathtaking wonders upon the high seas.
When God spoke he stirred up a storm,
lifting high the waves with hurricane winds.
Ships were tossed by the swelling sea, rising to the sky,
then dropping down to the depths,
reeling like drunkards, spinning like tops,
everyone at their wits’ end until even sailors despaired of life,
cringing in terror.
Then we cried out, “Lord, help us! Rescue us!” And he did!
God stilled the storm, calmed the waves,
and he hushed the hurricane winds to only a whisper.
We were so relieved, so glad as he guided us
safely to harbor in a quiet haven.
So lift your hands and give thanks to God for his marvelous kindness
and for his miracles of mercy for those he loves! (TPT)

FOOD FOR THOUGHT!

Acts 27:30–32
And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship, Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship, Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.

After jumping through legal hoops in Caesarea, Paul was finally sailing toward Rome to plead his case before Caesar. On the way, a storm arose that threatened the lives of the two hundred seventy-six soldiers, sailors, and prisoners on board with Paul. After the crew readied a lifeboat to avoid the inevitable dashing of the ship against the rocks, Paul, the little rabbi who was a tentmaker by trade and a prisoner by decree, said, “Except ye abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.”
I believe Paul’s words are the heart of the Lord for us today. There are times—maybe you’re in one right now—when the wind is howling, the waves are rising, and you find yourself saying, “I’m out of here. I can't take these circumstances one more day! I’m jumping ship. I cannot take this marriage one more day,” or—“I can’t take my parents, or boss, one more minute. Adios.”
Storms come, and the temptation arises within all of us to bail out when things get tuff or we think we’ve been tricked or cheated. 

Wive's, you might look at the man next to you and say, “I was tricked. He’s not the man I thought he would be.” Husband's, you might look at the woman you married and say, “She’s not the passion of my life. I didn’t know she would turn out this way.” But if you jump ship, know this: You will miss the blessing of the birthing of Jesus in a supernatural, incredible, wonderful way because there are no tricks in the life of a child of God.
Employee, you might look at your boss and say, “When I signed that contract, I didn’t know he would be such a jerk. I don’t care what I signed. I’m going to find a legal loophole. I’m jumping ship.” But when you put pen to paper and signed your name, your Father was there. And to the child of God, there are no tricks.
Teenager, you might look at your parents and say, “I was tricked. I must have been switched at birth. God couldn’t have chosen these people to raise me.” But know this: You are not only their child—you are a child of the King. He, in His wisdom, hand-picked them for you. And He makes no mistakes.
Paul said, “If you jump ship, you’ll lose your life.” And the centurion, knowing how tempting it would be for the sailors to bail out, to jump ship, to give up, ordered the soldiers to cut the lines so there would be no possibility of escape.

I know there are some who are saying, “I haven’t jumped ship. I’ve only lowered a lifeboat over the side. I’ll give it three more months, or two more weeks, or one more year.”
But if you keep an escape option open in your mind, I guarantee you will end up using it.
Think about divorce—and you will end up divorced. Think about other men or other women you wish you had because you’re feeling tricked by the one you’re with—and inevitably, you’ll bail out. Think about changing jobs, even though you gave your word—and you’ll miss out on what could have been.
Think about leaving home, even though that’s where God has you—and you’ll never see His reality.
Bag on the present ministry He has you in and you’ll be just like the Dead Sea, always taking in and never giving out until every thing in you dies. Everything your about seems to rob the life from you. I have watched individuals go off the path of the Lord that they were on just for a moment. The first thing that went away in their life was ministry, It lost its importance. And as fast as they began to grab for a new venue to satisfy themselves with, I watched the Joy drain right out of their lives and them fall right out of fellowship.. 
Get rid of the lifeboats. Cut the lines!

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Psalm 16;5-6
Yahweh, you alone are my inheritance.
You are my prize, my pleasure, and my portion.
You hold my destiny and its timing in your hands.
Your pleasant path leads me to pleasant places.
I’m overwhelmed by the privileges
that come with following you!


I must know whose hands I’m in! The hands of the Lord are what forms
​every day, good or bad I must know who’s hands I’m in!
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A basketball in my hands is worth about $19.
A basketball in Michael Jordan's hands was worth about $33 million.
It depends whose hands it's in.

A baseball bat in my hands is worth about $6. And is good for deterring would be thieves.
A baseball in Mark Mcguire's hands was at one time worth $19 million.
It depends whose hands it's in.

A tennis racket is useless in my hands. More like a big boy's bug swatter!
A tennis racket in Pete Sampras' hands is a Wimbledon Championship.
It depends whose hands it's in.

A rod in my hands will keep away a wild animal or poke me in the eye!
A rod in Moses' hands will part the mighty sea.
It depends whose hands it's in.

A slingshot in my hands is! a kid's toy and a good way to break a window!
A slingshot in David's hand is a mighty weapon.
It depends whose hands it's in.

Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in my hands is a couple of fish sandwiches and a lunch I’m probably not going to share. Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in God's hands will feed thousands. It depends whose hands it's in.

Nails in my hands might produce a couple of framed walls But,
Nails in Jesus Christ's hands will produce salvation for the entire world.
It depends whose hands it's in.

As you can see now, it all depends on whose hands it's in. And all you have to do today is put your concerns, your worries, your fears, your hopes, your dreams, your families and your relationships in God's hands because...

It all depends whose hands it's in!

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SCRIPTURE FOR THIS VISUAL CONTEMPLATION
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PSALM 43:3-5
Pour into me the brightness of your daybreak!
Pour into me your rays of revelation-truth!
Let them comfort and gently lead me onto the shining path,
showing the way into your burning presence,
into your many sanctuaries of holiness.
Then I will come closer to your very altar
until I come before you, the God of my ecstatic joy!
I will praise you with the harp that plays in my heart to you,
my God, my magnificent God!
Then I will say to my soul,
“Don’t be discouraged; don’t be disturbed,
for I fully expect my Savior-God to break through for me.
Then I’ll have plenty of reasons to praise him all over again.”
Yes, he is my saving grace!
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