“Pride is like bad breath, everyone else knows you have it, but you!” A year ago we wrote that we were in the desert and not enjoying it. Our hope was for the Lord to make us into His city leaders displaying His humility, selfless love and compassion. He’s being faithful! Now we get to apply that to our one-flesh, where the “rubber doesn’t meet the road, it screeches.”

In the ministry side of this process, we’ve learned interdependence. We can now ask others to minister to us in our time of need, as well as the joys of being a team. (So long Lone Ranger, your ratings dropped.) There is a fascinating progression in the study and types from the Song of Solomon that has helped us understand ourselves in this process of spiritual maturing that we’d like to share, we see ourselves in it, perhaps you will receive insight for your walk as well. Think about Christ and us, His bride as you read.

Song of Solomon 1:13-14 “My beloved is to me” reflects the newness of knowing Christ and being focused on His love for us. In 2:16 “My beloved is mine and I am His” still self focused, but acknowledging more of His ownership.  Then comes time of testing, sometimes removing His presence to bring maturity and obedience. He also increases revelation of the fullness of who He is besides her lover (the suffering Messiah, His majesty, His power, etc.) As she responds, He continues to declare His love for her, encouraging and speaking prophetic words over her. Her response in 4:9 is to welcome both the North wind (tribulation) and the South wind (refreshing.)

The ultimate test of challenging her deepest motives and desires come, this includes being wounded by leaders in the church.  She commits herself regardless to serving and cries out in purity, which becomes a witness to others. Her earlier declarations are reversed in 6:3 “I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine”. In 6:4 the Lord is overwhelmed with her love, and by 7:10 she actually knows His love for her is a way never before revealed.

Finally in 8:5 “who is this coming up from the wilderness leaning on her beloved?” indicates one thing, Desperate Dependence. We could expect that by now she would be a spiritual giant, a veritable pillar standing head and shoulders above all others after all the testing and revelation. Instead she’s been so broken of her independence that she depends on her beloved for every step. This is a scriptural depiction of spiritual maturity. These insights from the Lord came through a wonderful  study and article and have helped us to understand our desert experience this last year, that some of the above experiences are normal and what we can gain from them. We’re starting to realize this is our heart and it makes it all worthwhile.