SUPPORTING LOVING, GODLY RELATIONSHIPS (PART 2 – ENCOURAGE)

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

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.

Eat, friends, and drink; drink your fill of love.

Song of Songs 1:8; 5:1b

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Are you an encourager? Do you make a concerted effort to try and build people up through your words and actions?

I’ve always thought that as a Christian, being an encourager is a sign that you are becoming more and more like Jesus who of course if exactly like His Father who gives us these commands through His word:

Encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. 2 Corinthians 13:11

Encourage one another and build each other up. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” Hebrews 3:13

We are to encourage one another and do it every day. It’s to be as much a part of who we are as breathing. Just as we are lifted up by the Lord when we pray and study the scriptures, so too are we to look to build up others as we live aside our brothers and sisters during this gift called life. We’re to encourage people individually and we’re to encourage couples in the midst of their relationships. And when we all buy into this with regularity, all of one mind when it comes to the commitment to encouragement, something amazing happens. We live in peace because the God of love and peace is with us.

And who isn’t longing for a little more peace in the world we live in?

As we look at our scriptures from the Song of Songs, we continue to look at the words from the friends of Shulammite and Solomon, the voices of those who sought to support them and, yes, encourage them in their relationship.

Shulammite longed to be with Solomon so much that she wished to be where he worked, tending the flocks. As we look at what her friends had to say, there wasn’t any rejection of the notion, no envying of Shulammite having a man so many women desired, no discouraging of her journeying to the fields to be with the man she loved. No, the friends gave her direction as to how to find Solomon, wishing her to be near the partner she saw as a blessed companion, a partner she enjoyed spending time with. The friends, making sure they complimented her beauty, encouraged Shulammite to go, following the tracks of the sheep for they would lead her to the shepherds and thus Solomon, her love.

The second indication of the friends encouraging Shulammite and Solomon came in our second verse as the couple was urged to eat and drink freely of the love they had for one another. I love the analogy as love, when experienced as God intends it to be, is like eating a fine meal with quality wine. It is to be savored and enjoyed, satisfying to both partners. Love like this is memorable and blessed, sustaining and healthy, wonderful and remarkable. It’s the kind of love we need to encourage all people to discover.

There is no doubt that God’s word calls us to encourage and one of the ways we can best do that is to encourage couples in their relationships, helping to build up and edify what God ordained and established. If we need any incentive, we need to remember that Satan is trying to work counter to this, his mission being to destroy every good and perfect thing God puts together, which includes relationships. And with all the brokenness in the world, he’s succeeding on many fronts.

Do your part. Encourage couples in the word and Spirit of the Lord. Seek to lift up couples and help them strengthen their bond as they seek to always improve within the loving, Godly relationship God has given them.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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