Contents Page Previous ChapterNext Chapter
As we have seen, the Song of Songs is a poem about a love relationship between Christ and an individual believer. It has little to say about salvation nor does it talk about someone becoming a Christian. At the start of the book the beloved one is already a Christian and has been so for an undefined period of time. But something has happened to her.
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth - for your love is more delightful than wine. (Song 1:2)
What has happened is that she has come into a greatly heightened awareness of the love of Jesus towards her. This is not just quantitative but qualitative. In other words, it is not just that she has come to understand more of the love of Christ, but she has started to recognise a different kind of love from that which she has known to this point.
The love she has known before was that of Christ the Saviour who has willingly given his life on the cross to save the wretched and miserable sinner from spiritual degradation and judgement.
Now she starts to become aware of Christ the divine Lover who loves her, not because he pities her, but because of what he sees in her. While it may have taken some time to dawn upon her, she now begins to understand that the love of Christ is such that needs the response of her own love in return.
The following fictional story will illustrate what is being said here.
A young Christian youth worker ministering among society’s outcasts encounters a girl who has sunk just about as low as it is possible to go, having fallen into crime, prostitution, alcoholism and drug addiction. She is unkempt, dirty and foul-mouthed, a sight that would turn away all but the most dedicated and compassionate.
The youth worker takes pity and preaches Christ to her. However weakly, she responds to the love of God and accepts the Lord as her Saviour. He organises board for her with a strong young Christian lady and the long hard road to recovery begins.
He agonises in prayer for her as she goes through withdrawal from the drugs. He visits her and counsels her and gradually teaches her the Word of God. He organises financial support for her, as she goes through this painful process, ensuring she is well fed and provided for.
The weeks and months pass by. Almost imperceptibly at first, but faster as time goes by, she starts to change. The deathly pallor of her face starts to disappear and the natural colour returns. She starts to take care of her appearance, the foul language gradually drops from her conversation and she finds herself able to deal with those around her with something other than suspicion
As this miraculous transformation is taking place the young worker finds to his surprise that something is changing within him also. The visits and counselling sessions which had previously been such a drain upon him, are now something he looks forward to with increasing anticipation. As he climbs the stairs to the flat, he finds his heart beating a little faster.
The girl too notices the change. One morning she wakes up, looks with joy out into the glorious morning sunshine and says to her flat-mate, "He loves me."
Her flat-mate, not knowing quite what to make of this, replies, "Of course he loves you. Didn’t he pick you out of the gutter, lead you to Christ, agonise with you for days and weeks while you were near death and see you through to health and strength?"
"Oh no," says the girl, "He loves me now for myself and for who I am. No longer does he pity me, he now needs me."
And so it is with this beloved Christian, the "Shulammite" of the poem, who wakes up one day to realise that the relationship which existed between her and the Lord is no longer that of the Saviour to the helpless sinner, but of the divine Lover to his greatly beloved. She now knows that God loves her not out of pity but because of what he can now see in her, and just as she needs the love of God so does he need the response of her love.
This realisation, which may be more gradual than suggested here, has put their relationship on a completely different footing.
It is at this point in her experience that the Song of Songs starts. It is from here that we must journey on to whatever the Lord has in store for us.
Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instructions about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so. (Heb. 6:1-3)
Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes; your name is like perfume poured out. No wonder the maidens love you!
Take me away with you - let us hurry! Let the king bring me into his chambers. (Song 1:3-4)
First we have the expression of the beloved’s wonder at this new-found love relationship and of her longing for the intimacy of his fellowship and presence.
Dark am I, yet lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, dark like the tents of Kedar, like the tent curtains of Solomon.
Do no stare at me because I am dark, because I am darkened by the sun. (Song 1:5-6)
Her exposure to the harsh rays of the sun has darkened her skin. The beloved is saying here that her exposure to the hardness of this world has left its imprint of darkness upon her soul. This revelation makes her self-conscious and she asks those around not to stare at her.
My mother’s sons were angry with me and made me take care of the vineyards; my own vineyard I have neglected. (Song 1:6)
The mother referred to here, and throughout the poem, is the spiritual Jerusalem, the church, the bride of Christ.
But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. (Gal. 4:26)
But you have come to mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. (Heb. 12:22-23)
The "mother’s sons" are the leaders in the church who do not, at this time, comprehend what is happening within her. Later on in the poem they may well be among those who express great admiration for what the Lord has achieved in her life. But here all they can see is a restlessness within her soul, a dissatisfaction with the status quo both within herself and in her spiritual environment.
This annoys them and they decide that the answer is that she needs more activity to occupy her mind. So they press her into service in the church, that is, they make her "take care of the vineyards."
But this does not satisfy her soul because she sees that while she is trying to tend to the spiritual welfare of others her own spiritual life is in a state of disrepair, a tangled mess of unresolved fears and anxieties.
Tell me, you whom I love, where you graze your flock and where you rest your sheep at midday. (Song 1:7)
Her longing now is to work with God rather than work for God. She seems to sense that this will be the only way to true spiritual satisfaction and fruitfulness. Jesus displayed this relationship with his heavenly Father when he said:
... "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does." (John 5:19)
She feels completely at odds with what she is doing because her outward activity bears no relation to her inner spiritual condition. In other words, her "work for the Lord" is not motivated by her inner relationship with God. On the contrary, in order to accomplish anything she often finds herself at war with her own fears and weaknesses.
She is acutely conscious of this and thinks everyone else is, although this may not necessarily be the case. Even though she may well be counted among their number, she feels completely out of place among the "flocks of his friends," that is, ministering among the children of God.
Why should I be like a veiled woman beside the flocks of your friends? (Song 1:7)
She feels this so strongly that she refers to herself as a "veiled woman," that is, a prostitute.
The Lord’s response to her is two-fold.
If you do not know, most beautiful of women, follow the tracks of the sheep
and graze your young goats by the tents of the shepherds. (Song 1:8)
He first of all, quite remarkably, refers to her as the "most beautiful of women." It should be noted that there is never once in this book any hint of criticism, rebuke or impatience in the Lover’s voice. Only encouragement and support.
So, despite the fact that he has just started to reveal to her something of the reality of her own spiritual condition, he does not criticise her for it. Rather, he immediately encourages her to move on and to aim for something higher.
So it is that while the Holy Spirit’s revelations of our inner self can cause us pain, he does not do it to damage us, but to heal and bring wholeness, indeed the very life and nature of Christ, to our spirit.
But even beyond this, the Lord, by calling her the "most beautiful of women," is making a statement of faith. He is looking beyond the current situation and stating what his objectives are and what he will bring to pass by his Word.
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. (Heb. 11:1-3)
Having described her thus, and so allaying her fears, the Lord now encourages her not to draw back but to go down among "the tents of the shepherds," tend her herd of young goats and learn his ways there.
She is here learning a most profound and important lesson that is fundamental to our understanding of our relationship with God. She was learning that the way forward was entirely dependant upon the grace of God, not upon herself.
Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace... (Rom 4:16)
Our natural inclination is to try to earn everything we receive from God. We would like to feel that the maturity we have attained and the achievements of our life have, somehow, been the result of our own inherent worth and goodness, and the outcome of our hard work and toil.
So it is with the beloved. Having become so conscious of the Lord’s purity she also becomes acutely aware of her own shortcomings and feels she could not go on until something has been done about it.
But everything we receive from God, we receive by the grace, that is, the unmerited favour of God. This is another way of saying that we only receive from God that which we do not deserve. This can be surprisingly hard for us to understand and accept.
Thus, if we wait until we feel a sense of worth within ourselves before we move on or start to do anything, then we will be waiting forever. Our calling is to move by faith so that we can receive of the grace of God.
From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. (John 1:16)
That is not to say that we sweep our limitations and imperfections under the carpet. It is just that we recognise that he is the potter and we are the clay, and that he will bring wholeness and purity to our lives according to his grand plan. We can trust him utterly to do this.
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Eph. 2:10)
How long did all this take? Of the matter of the time which is involved in the processes of God there is, in the Song of Songs, not the slightest hint. This is for two very important reasons.
Firstly, God deals with each one of us in different ways according to our different needs. What may be a process of moments for one may continue for decades for another.
Secondly, if we were to have any indication beforehand of the time involved in the dealings of God, we would have no need of faith, and our complete trust is the most important thing, indeed the only thing, he asks of us.
My times are in your hands,... (Ps. 31:15)
I liken you, my darling, to a mare harnessed to one of the chariots of Pharaoh. (Song 1:9)
The Lord now moves on. He likens her to a horse in an Egyptian chariot. This may seem like a compliment, but in fact what the Lord is describing is her natural or human abilities and energy. Of these she has a great deal, and they are attractive to and admired by the world. But her dependence on this source of life and energy has to be broken so that she can learn the reality of the power of the indwelling Christ.
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses,
who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen,
but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the LORD. (Isa. 31:1)
What the Lord is foreshadowing here is a new phase in her spiritual development. In this, her dependence upon her natural abilities and energy is to be broken and she is to enter a new depth of faith and dependence upon the Lord.
This is what Paul was referring to when he said:
To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Cor. 12:7-10)
The next step is to be a big one because the beloved now has to be brought to a place of brokenness so that she can experience at first hand the life and strength of Christ within.
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Gal. 2:20)
He emphasises this in the next two verses.
Your cheeks are beautiful with earrings, your neck with strings of jewels.
We will make you earrings of gold, studded with silver. (Song 1:10-11)
In verse 10 he admires her earrings and her strings of jewels which enhance her appearance making her beautiful. He is referring here to those natural attributes which adorn her person and her personality and make her attractive to the world.
In verse 11 he says that he will replace these with "earrings of gold, studded with silver." The Bible uses gold as a symbol of divinity and silver as a symbol of purity, indicating here that his plan was to replace her reliance upon her own natural attributes with a faith in the reality of the indwelling Christ. Furthermore, the gold will be "studded with silver" implying that the adornments will have been painstakingly fashioned and refined at the skilled hands of goldsmiths and silversmiths.
And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times. (Ps. 12:6)
Here we have a process in which the natural adornments of her life are to be exchanged for something far greater. The spiritual is to replace the natural. That which is admired by the world is going to be replaced by that which is admired by God.
This is not to suggest in any way that her natural gifts and abilities will be taken away or that she shall lose her desire or ability to exercise them. It is, after all, God who has, in the first place, created these abilities within her. It does mean that she is to loose her dependence upon them to make her way in life.
What will emerge will be based upon her being a partaker of the divine nature and it will be produced by the dealings and disciplines of the Holy Spirit. Much lies ahead of her.
Now the Lord starts the process he has planned not, as we might expect, by an act of discipline, but by a period of intense love and mutual adoration. By this he is building up her faith and love so that she will have the strength to continue the journey.
This is consistent with the other occasion that the Lord applies discipline to his beloved (Song 5:6). In both cases the Lord precedes it with a period in which the beloved experiences almost, it seems, ecstatic feelings of love for the Lord and hears his compliments, encouragement and love in return.
While the king was at his table, my perfume spread its fragrance.
My lover is to me a sachet of myrrh resting between my breasts. (Song 1:12-13)
Here and in the following verse, the beloved expresses her joy at the Lord’s presence by referring to two different perfumes. These represent the spiritual "fragrance", that indefinable presence, produced by the inner state or spirit of a person. We say that this one "radiates" joy or "effuses" strength without always being able to define how it is we know or even exactly what we are describing.
The first is simply called "perfume" in the NIV, but is translated "nard" or "spikenard" (pure nard) elsewhere. Nard was a very expensive and scarce perfume. It was nard that Mary poured on Jesus feet in preparation for his burial. By this she expressed her love and devotion.
Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. (John 12:3)
Thus is the beloved filled with joy and love in the presence of her divine Lover, and it radiates from her innermost being. It is something of great value as it represents all she has or is.
What a joy it is to see the radiant love and joy in the life of one of God’s children. However, we are reminded that this love is firstly for the Lord’s enjoyment and we see him here sitting at his table ready to feast upon this overflowing emotion which she so readily offers to him.
The second perfume is myrrh which was an ingredient in the anointing oil used in the tabernacle (Exod. 30:22-25) and was associated with death and burial, in particular the death and burial of Christ (John 19:38-42). It was often carried in a small pouch or sachet and worn next to the skin.
The two breasts represent the twin virtues of faith and love.
But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate,... (1 Thess. 5:8)
These two virtues form the very basis of this love relationship between the beloved and her Lord. Indeed they form the basis of any lasting and meaningful relationship. As they flourish and grow, so does the depth of her relationship with the Lord, as does her ability to provide spiritual sustenance to the infants in Christ around her.
Thus is the beloved conscious of the spiritual fragrance released into the world by the death and resurrection of Christ.
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Eph. 5:1-2)
It is this strong attraction which draws her to the Lord and is the basis upon which her faith and love grow and blossom.
My lover is to me a cluster of henna blossoms from the vineyards of En Gedi. (Song 1:14)
It seems strange that this beloved Christian would describe her Lord in terms of the blossoms of the very common henna bush, even though those from the vineyards of En Gedi would be among the best.
However, what we see here is her immature perception of Christ as one of the best among many. Later on she sees him as pre-eminent and far above all (Song 5:10). Perhaps, as she grows in spiritual stature then so does her perception of the Lord. Then again, it may be that as the depth of her understanding of the person of Christ grows, then so does her spiritual stature. Perhaps both.
But here she effectively sees him as one of a number of influences which are vying for her allegiance and commitment. These would include many secular and religious institutions, philosophies and ways of life from which she could draw considerable strength and a sense of security.
While her love for the Lord is completely sincere and the joy of this new-found love relationship is deep and real, yet she has not yet been weaned from dependence upon the things on which she has been leaning all her life. The Lord quickly moves (from 2:8 onwards) to break her dependence on these sources of strength and security so that she can know the fullness of her redemption in Christ.
How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful! Your eyes are doves. (Song 1:15)
Doves are used in the Bible to symbolise the Holy Spirit and purity of motive.
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. (Matt. 4:16)
I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. (Matt. 10:16)
Despite her immaturity, the Lord praises his beloved both because he is pleased at the progress she is making and because he wishes to offer her encouragement to continue the onward progress. Again, he is speaking words of faith as he sees her eyes as "doves" meaning that she will see things as God sees them, that is, as illuminated by the Holy Spirit. To a large extent, this is still in the future, but the Lord has great plans for her.
How handsome you are, my lover! Oh, how charming! And our bed is verdant. (Song 1:16)
The word translated "verdant" here can mean green, but is more often translated as "spreading." In other words it conveys the idea of the overshadowing greenness of the spreading foliage of a tree.
Thus does the beloved find this place of intimate fellowship with the Lord a place of refuge from the scorching rays of the sun, which earlier caused her so much concern (Song 1:5-6). In her new-found love relationship with her Lord she has found real and tangible relief from the harsh and unremitting pressure of the world. In this she rightly rejoices.
However, this response is essentially self-centred, for although she comprehends and praises something of the beauty of the Lord’s nature, she quickly turns it to her own condition and need.
The beams of our house are cedars; our rafters are firs. (Song 1:17)
Here, the Lord turned his beloved’s attention away from her own needs towards the lives of those who formed the structure of the church. The beams and rafters were made of cedar and pinewood thus defining their character. The cedars represent spiritual authority, stateliness, dignity and endurance. Pine has a softness about it and is noted for its ease of use.
The Lord is not only directing her attention to the spiritually mature Christians around her, but is also suggesting that it is in his mind to eventually make her into one of these.
I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys. (Song 2:1)
The beloved, perhaps a little taken aback by the praise heaped upon her by the Lord and by the strong faith he has expressed in her, reacts by stating that she is, in fact, only a very ordinary person of no special quality.
Although it is uncertain what flowers are actually referred to here, there is general agreement that they are meant to depict common wildflowers. Sharon was a fertile though swampy area south of Mt Carmel which produced abundant vegetation, including a profusion of wildflowers.
The beloved is, in effect, expressing her wonder at how the Lord could say of one as ordinary as she, that she could aspire to being counted as one of the "beams of cedar" or "rafters of fir" in the church of the Living God.
Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the maidens. (Song 2:2)
Thorns are used in Scripture to represent the stresses and strains which are produced by involvement with the world and which inhibit the Word from yielding true spiritual fruit.
The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. (Matt. 13:22)
The Lord is, in a way, responding by coming down to where she is and saying that while her protestations of her own immaturity are true, that she has, in fact, progressed a long way beyond those whose relationship with God has been choked by their entanglement with the world system.
Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my lover among the young men. (Song 2:3)
Relieved that the goal set before her now appears, in her eyes at least, more realistic and achievable, the beloved, in this passage (Song 2:3-6), gives voice to her feelings about the Lord in an unrestrained manner.
The Lover has just described his beloved as a "lily among thorns." She responds by likening him to "an apple tree among the trees of the forest." It is not known what the fruit referred to as apple here, really was, having been variously translated as "apricot" and "citron."
Whatever the fruit, however, it is known that it was widely used as an architectural motif.
A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. (Prov. 25:11)
In this sense, the apple provides beauty and adds value to its surroundings, in this case, the "trees of the forest," "forest" having the meaning of an "uncultivated and wild place."
Thus, the Lord is being described as one who, by his presence, adds beauty to his surroundings and value to the lives of those that surround him. This again, is a very weak and unsatisfactory description of Jesus Christ, as it seems to miss entirely his pre-eminence above all creation, the incomparable beauty of his character and the transforming work of redemption he accomplishes in the lives of all that yield to his call.
To all these things she attests fully later in the Song (Song 5:10-16). But in her current immature state it is the best she can do.
It is important to note at this point, that the Song is dealing with the innermost thoughts and attitudes of the heart and spirit. It has nothing to do with what we may express verbally nor with our intellectual appreciation of the person of Jesus Christ.
Spiritual understanding of the pre-eminence and Lordship of Christ carries with it profound implications for our lives. Each stage of revelation demands yieldedness and commitment at the deepest possible level. We do not progress to the next stage until the current one has been completed.
Thus, although our mouths may say one thing, our hearts may be saying something completely different. It is with the heart that the Song is dealing.
I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste. (Song 2:3)
She finds in this "apple tree" and in its fruit, an oasis of comfort, security and pleasure in the "uncultivated and wild place," finding protection not only from the rays of the sun but also from her surrounding environment.
But she still sees the Lord as part of the surroundings, that is part of her life rather than life itself. She sits in the shade and eats the fruit but continues to walk in the forest, for she has not yet been broken of her dependence upon the strength of her natural life and the things of this world. She delights in the Lord’s presence and love but deep down sees him as a adjunct to her other support systems, that is the environments from which she derives some psychological strength and security.
He has taken me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me is love. (Song 2:4)
The Hebrew translated here as "banquet hall," literally means "house of wine" and could thus refer to the vineyard where the wine is made, the vats in which it is stored as well as to the place where it is consumed.
There is no general agreement about what the next line means in the context, for it has military overtones which are out of place here. A translation which has been proposed is "his intentions were to make love"1 which fits in well with the original intention of the poem and accords with our understanding of what is going on in the beloved’s heart at this time.
She is showing here that she has a clear understanding of the Lord’s intent, although it is yet to be fulfilled in any great measure. This intent is to take her to the "vineyards" where the grapes are grown and the wine produced so that she can be brought to spiritual maturity. Then he will enjoy with her this harvest of faith and love as her love relationship with her divine Lover is brought to full bloom.
Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love. (Song 2:5)
Having expressed her understanding of the demands that her new-found love relationship will make upon her, the beloved looks around for sources of inner strength to sustain her. This has been a wonderful and exhilarating experience for her and it has left her emotionally "faint." However, she has yet to learn that in this relationship she will find spiritual and emotional sustenance and strength to meet all her need from the Lord himself.
His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces me. (Song 2:6)
But here she answers her own request, in the previous verse, for strength to sustain her in the demanding journey that lies ahead. It is, of course, the Lord himself who supports and will continue to support her.
Firstly, he supports her head. A bowed head may indicate defeat and discouragement. A head held high is a sign of confidence, assurance and victory. Thus as she expresses her concern, she is immediately made aware that it is the Lord’s sustaining power within that continually lifts her spirits and enables her to face the challenges of her life with assurance and faith.
But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. (Ps. 3:3)
Secondly, he envelopes her in his embrace. His response to the expression of her fears is to impart to her an inner sense of security and peace, a feeling of being loved and protected from harm.
How priceless is your unfailing love!
Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. (Ps. 36:7)
This is a deep spiritual reality to her now, not merely an emotional assurance. In these things she knows that she will find the strength and sustenance she seeks. In answering her own plea she has greatly expanded her spiritual horizons.
Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and by the does of the field:
Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires. (Song 2:7)
This statement is also made in Song 3:5 where it is discussed in detail. Suffice to say here, that although it is attributed to the beloved in the NIV, it would be out of character for her to use such direct and commanding language to the Christians around her, to whom she relates with respect and humility.2
Rather this passage is seen as a solemn command by the Lord to the Christian community at large to be careful about how they deal with those such as the beloved who are experiencing such deep upheavals in their inner life at the hand of the Holy Spirit. They are not to push or goad her into activity nor are they to try to arouse feelings of love for the Lord before she is ready for them. These most sensitive and delicate operations are to be left entirely to the Holy Spirit.
The words the beloved has spoken betray much immaturity of spirit. However, this is not, at this stage, a cause for concern. We delight when an infant takes its first steps and says its first few words. They are the cause of great rejoicing in the family. We offer no criticism because that child cannot yet read a book or do arithmetic. We do not rebuke the child because it is basically self-centred, seeing the world as revolving around its immediate needs.
We simply believe that as time goes by it will gain the necessary skills of life, will encompass the needs of others in its view of the world and will mature into a responsible adult. It is only if that child grows to adulthood and still can’t read or write or relate responsibly to others, then we would rightly have cause for concern.
Thus it is that the Lord here sees the immature state of his beloved not as a cause for criticism or rebuke, but as a cause for great rejoicing. She has taken her first steps, she is making her first expression of love and she is responding to the Lord’s love. This beloved one is on the way.
Contents Page Back to Top Next Chapter Previous Chapter Select Chapter: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
