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We see in those writings that Solomon saw a vision of the Bride of Christ, the church. He said that thou art fair, my love, so we see that firstly God loves us and we have to become fair. When a bride is chosen she goes to a great amount of trouble to prepare herself for the wedding day, to make herself look the best she has ever looked, so we see that we have to also make an effort. Solomon saw the eyes and they were as doves’ eyes. Doves are peaceful, doves do not make a lot of noise. Doves quietly fly around and are always at peace with the world, so we see that we have to develop “this peace”. It is not the peace of man, but the Peace of God that Christ left for us. Peace between ourselves and God through Jesus Christ, reconciled to God, happy to be His sons and His daughters. He told us that our clothing must be like a flock of sheep. He was purposely using the sheep as an example because sheep have to go together in a flock. They have to have a leader, a shepherd. They have to have lots of things done to them. They have to be led to the water. Every year they have to have the wool taken off them because in that wool is all the burrs and the rubbish, and in the summer they would die. So we see that we have to allow ourselves to be watered, to be fed, to have our bad things taken away from us, to be fruitful, and to live close to God. The teeth are all even. Out of our mouth proceed all of the words that we say, so we have to make sure that our words are always even, that they are not judgemental, that they treat everyone as equal in God’s sight. Sheep have to be washed and we too have to be washed through Baptism, so that we can call on the good shepherd. None of the sheep were barren and they all brought forth twins, so we see that we have to make this effort in our life to serve the Lord at all times, to be fruitful, and help others to this great promise. The lips were like a thread of scarlet. Under the Jewish law, if a person was found telling lies, they had to go to the priest and the priest painted their lips a scarlet colour to cure them. We see that we must always be careful of what we say, that we do not tell lies, that we do not go about tale-bearing and causing trouble, but at all times ask the high priest to paint our lips with scarlet.

The neck is like the tower of David on which all the armoury was hung. Our neck connects our head with our body. The head of the church is Christ. We must have strong faith, connecting ourselves as the body of Christ to the head of Christ. Always do in our life all those things that Christ has taught us. When we listen to those things, perhaps we become depressed, because we ask ourselves how can we do all of those things, and of course we can’t, but through the Grace of Christ He has given us a way when Solomon saw a hill of frankincense and a mountain of myrrh. Frankincense represents the Holy Ghost. We cannot see Him but He has been given to us from God. This Holy Ghost can forgive us our sins. It can comfort us, feed us, give us the Word of God, tell us when we are doing wrong and help us do right, so we must at all times in our life call on this Holy Spirit through the Grace of Christ to forgive us our sins and guide us.

The mountain of myrrh. Myrrh was used to embalm bodies so that they would not deteriorate, and we’ve been given a mountain of myrrh which is the Holy Communion. This will also preserve our bodies, that even if we pass away in this life, when the Lord returns the graves will open and we will be made whole again. This myrrh is used to take away our forgiven sins and replace it with the righteousness of Christ, and it is only by this righteousness of Christ and the Grace of Christ, not by any acts of ourselves, not by fulfilling any laws, only the Grace of Christ that can prepare us for those wonderful words that Solomon saw in verse 7, “Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.” Let us seek the Grace of Christ and His righteousness, and remember Christ’s teaching. “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all else will be added unto you.”

Jesus taught of this blessing He was to make available as a result of faith. We know that works do not save us, as confirmed by Apostle Paul, Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” However, here Jesus confirms that, if the priority is right, keeping (obeying) His words can provide a great and ongoing blessing.

If we love Him, then we will show that love through obedience. We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19) and provided Grace to save. By faith we access Grace and then convert our faith to trust in Him. In summary, God loved us and now we love Him and trust in Grace which we show by obeying His words, whereby in turn, He dwells in our life.

Love, Grace and trust first, then our obedience has value!

That is the essence of a simple hymn we all know and love, ‘Trust and Obey’ which was written in 1886 by the minister John Sammis. The words of the first verse express the Lord’s message in this way:
When we walk with the Lord
In the light of His word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His goodwill,
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

The inspiration for this hymn came from the testimony of a young man at an evangelistic meeting. When people were asked, “How are you certain of salvation?”, his response was, “I am not quite sure, but I am going to trust, and I am going to obey.”

Trust first then obey, to receive the ongoing gift of God’s presence in our life!

We live in a world filled with endless choices and complex challenges, thankfully we have access to a boundless source of God’s wisdom in James 1:5, We are encouraged to seek divine wisdom, promising that God will generously provide it to those who ask in faith.

James the brother of Jesus understood the value of wisdom and its significance in our daily lives. He invites us to approach God with humility and faith, knowing that He is eager to bestow His wisdom upon us. By asking for wisdom, we acknowledge our dependence on God and His infinite knowledge.

Divine wisdom surpasses human comprehension. It is not merely intellectual knowledge, but a deep understanding rooted in God’s wisdom encompasses discernment, insight, and practical guidance to navigate life’s decisions and challenges. As we seek His wisdom, we align ourself with His purposes and experience in His guidance in every area of our life.

The key to seeking divine wisdom lies in approaching God with unwavering faith. When we ask in faith, we demonstrate our trust in God’s character and His ability to provide what we need. Faith acknowledges that God is the source of all wisdom and that He desires to guide us along the path of righteousness. As we cultivate steadfast faith, we open our self in our life.

Seeking wisdom involves the diligent study of God’s word, prayerful meditation, and seeking counsel from mature believers. It is a process that will unfold as we grow in our relationship with God and develop sensitivity to His voice. As followers of Christ, we have the privilege and responsibility to seek God’s Wisdom.

These words of God given through the Prophet Isaiah 2700 years ago, are certainly ever new and should be reflected upon by us all in our day. We read in the newspapers every day of the corruption that has gone on in high places, which comes to light some time later, and we all think to ourselves, “How much more goes on that we do not know about?” These people did these things believing that they were in the dark, thinking to themselves, “Who can see it, and who will ever find out?” We in our daily lives, must remember that we too, are often tempted to fall into this trap with the things we do, think, and say against others. We too often think to ourselves, “Who will know?” The text proclaims a woe to those who think that it is not seen. The all-seeing eye of the Lord sees and hears all, and remember, also records it all. The Prophet Daniel declared in 2: 22, “He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness and the light dwelleth with him”. The Prophet Jeremiah in 23:24 asked, “Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord”.
When Christ was on earth He warned us of the things we do in this life which we think are in secret in Luke 8:17 “For nothing is secret that shall not be made manifest; neither anything hid that shall not be known and come abroad”.
When Christ uses the word “nothing” He means it in its fullness and meaning, no matter how small or large. We cannot justify our actions by thinking it is only a small thing, it should not matter. Even our thoughts, which we think only we have control of, are not hid from God. Christ while on earth proved He had the power to discern people’s thoughts, and in many places, it is recorded, “and Jesus knew their thoughts”.
When we then come to the realization that we cannot think, speak, or do anything that is not known of God, it teaches us to be more careful in life. We know that we all sin and fall from time to time, so is there a way in which we can then have these things removed from our record so that it will not be known and come abroad? Yes, of course there is a way. Apostle James writes of this in James 5:16 “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one to another, that ye may be healed”. So, we see that if we can confess to our brother or sister to doing something in secret against them, this, coupled with prayer, will remove that record from the list of things recorded against our life.
If we have done something against someone who believes in the Lord, we have done it against the Lord. This then requires us to also confess to the Lord of our sins, so we have it wiped off our records. Apostle John in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”.

It is good to be aware that we are being watched at all times, for not only our bad things are recorded, but also those good things that we do for others in secret are credited to our account without us even knowing it. They remain forever. This knowledge should spurn us on at all times to live by the Golden Rule given us by our Lord in Matthew 7:12 “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them”.

All life in creation is directed towards growth, fruition and reproduction. Every plant, every creature, but also every form of spiritual life follows a predetermined “blueprint” that determines the necessary time for maturity and the conditions for growth.
Anyone who tries to pull on a small green shoot to make a plant grow faster will not be successful. On the contrary, the delicate plant is quickly uprooted. Anyone who does not want the beautiful seed to decay in the earth will never be able to harvest any fruit; anyone who replaces the rainy weather with “sunshine every day” will see their plant wither.
All really great things develop in silence, without noise, without hectic, without unnecessary “growth accelerators”. They grow and mature in silence according to their purpose. We see the growth process but take it for granted. Growth is something natural. Suddenly we see the green that has broken through the earth, then it changes into the waving gold of the ears of corn. The farmer’s tireless work and God’s blessings silently accomplished this miracle.
The same goes with the development of faith. Not the splendour of large church buildings, not the impressive crowds at major events, not the people with loud speeches are necessary to achieve maturity in the faith. It is not those who sing the strongest or who sing the best; but those who make the finer strings of the heart ring know how to play with the music. It is the constant maturation and growth that develops faith – for each individual. Before that happens, we often have to walk a long and thorny path. Faith is, first of all, seed placed in our soul. Then it develops through our personal interaction with God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), which reveals itself in His creation and people. The growth is accompanied by “farmers”, the sisters and brothers of the church that has Jesus Christ as its head.
But all of this would still be too little if God did not continually give His help and blessing as a sign of His grace. Wind and thunderstorms, sun and rain, heat and cold – they are all essential for the ripening process to reach its goal. Good days of joy and contentment are necessary, as are bad days of pain and sorrow, for a person’s faith to mature.
We must continually try to hear in silence what God has to say to us. We must continually set out to be obedient to God’s will in order to be able to perceive and experience God’s closeness. Maturing means having patience. Just that Weeds shoot up quickly. The good plant (faith) wants to grow firm roots and receive strength from above (from God) and from below (from the soil of the community).
The most beautiful fruits often grow in almost invisible places, away from the hustle and bustle, where they can unfold in all their glory. Fruits that immediately catch the eye are often the first to be pecked at by birds. It is the same in the spiritual world! The display of “beautiful and better faith” quickly runs the risk of being harmed by temptations and drowning in complacency.
God gladly blesses his children
and gives them many tokens of love so
that their faith does not diminish,
nor love for his kingdom.
That His work may then grow in us, as a planting in honour of Him,
and the fruit – as an identifying mark – ripe;
(Song 32, verse 2, Dutch hymn book)

How sure and true is this statement. Can we fully agree on that without argument? Have we no difficulty to hear GOD’S WORD, or better said, to be able to hear it out of the maze of all the voices in us and around us? Does our way not often lay in darkness and we can still see no light? The Psalmist also knows only too well of such times in his life (Psalm 119:67) “Before I was afflicted, I went astray; but now have I kept thy word”. Through God’s mercy and goodness, he came to realize the greatness of the Word of God. His eyes were opened. He could see the light! Out of the new and wonderful sight originated this glorious Psalm. With his whole heart he loves the Word of God, His Commandments! Therefore, does he keep them! I think that this is the key to understand the ways of God: The Love for Him.
Now, to mention further meditations:

1. At first, God’s Light is hidden to man. Since the exclusion from Eden, man is separated from God. He cannot recognize Him by himself (Matt. 11:25) The light of God’s Word as well as His closeness are not recognizable to the estranged man. As the clouds hide the Sun, which renders all life here on earth, so is God hidden from the sinful man. Through Jesus Christ it became possible to see God. God was brought near to man. Only as a Newborn Creature can we have fellowship with God and recognize His light. This however is a growing process. How often does God take us simply by the hand, because He loves us, and leads us like the blind?

2. My own “I” stands in the foreground. When our “I” stands in the foreground we see only darkness. This darkness is our own shadow. It is not God who hides Himself from us, but we stand in front of His light. Exactly the same, when we want to push our works in front of others “into the right light”. May we be humble. God sees into our hearts! Only those who have a clean heart, will see God. (Matthew 5:8)
3. We are the ones seeking after this way, which God laid down for us. How is it, when one in total darkness seeks the way with just a torch? Even a well-known way, through a forest, can turn out wrong by night. Repeatedly, we want finished recipes from God, an exact description of the different stations, which may lay ahead. But He often only says: “Don’t be afraid, I am with you” (Isaiah 41:10) Set out on this way in full trust. Live according to My instructions, My Word!” This is the precious promise of God: “If you seek Me with all your heart, so will I be found of you”. (Jeremiah 29:13-14) The Psalmist speaks, in our Word of “The lamp for the feet”. Often, only a short distance appears for the next steps, may be, only a word of comfort given for this day.
4. There is only one Way (one Goal) God gives us. In today’s time a decisive Christendom is asked for! If we, following Christ, make compromises, there are many ways. When we want to live after God’s Law, there is only One Way. We see Christianity going in all directions, trying to please all. We should enjoy life. But a traveller experiences nature more intensive than a driver racing through the countryside. “Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but on the seventh day then you shall do no work”. (Exodus. 20:9-10)
5. Taking other people with us on this Way. All the people you meet, try and bring to light God’s image (Light) before them, (to be Light bearers!) How quick is one influenced by the darkness of the other? God’s light in you, shall point others also on the right way.