THE PRINCIPLES OF A LOVING, GODLY RELATIONSHIP – MAN TO WOMAN (PART 4 – PROTECT YOUR RELATIONSHIP)

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In Christ, Mark

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

Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.

Why would you gaze on the Shulammite as on the dance of Mahanaim?

Song of Songs 2:15; 6:13b    

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

Today is the last of my devotions in the Song of Songs and the conclusion of writings from what is referred to as the wisdom books of the Bible. Tomorrow we will start to get into the major prophets beginning with Isaiah but before that we need to wrap up looking at the principles of a loving, Godly relationship, specifically as it applies to how a man should treat his female partner.

In the Song of Songs, we have seen beautifully poetic exchanges between Solomon and Shulammite, two people deeply in love with one another. Through them, we see a model of the kind of love the Lord desires for all relationships and a love that is indeed achievable if we submit to Him and allow His love to be our love. When we do that, then and only then will mates discover true appreciation and affection for one another.

Well, it’s these commitments, to the Lord first and then to one another, that allow a man to praise and openly profess his partner’s beauty, to cherish and treasure her love, and to see the rich value that she carries in his life. It’s also what leads a man to protect his relationship and mate against any attacks that would serve to either spoil or ruin the special love the Lord has given.

Keep this in mind: Satan’s sole purpose is to utterly destroy every good and perfect thing the Lord does and that includes wrecking relationships. From what we see in the world today with so much brokenness and less long term commitment, Satan is achieving his purposes on many fronts and I believe the reason is that people are not placing the Lord first in their lives and in their relationships. As a result, they have no Great Protector to keep them safe, no Great Shepherd to lead and guide them, no Great Counselor to advise and comfort them, and no Great Love to experience and share together. Live without the Lord and you are leaving yourself completely exposed and vulnerable to sin and wickedness with Satan ready to impart them on you in abundance.

Conversely, live for the Lord and He will be your shield, your refuge, the One who will watch over you and give you hope in a world where there seems to be so much despair (Psalm 119:114). He will ward off Satan who will never have the victory over anyone when the Lord is present and lead a man and woman into righteousness and holiness and goodness and blessing.

Why did Solomon and Shulammite’s devout love survive in the midst of sin and temptation?

Because their love was a love the Lord gave, complete with discernment and the ability to see the enemy at work around them as well, a love that allowed the Lord’s sense of protection to find its way into Solomon’s heart as he watched over his beloved Shulammite. We know this through these words from chapters 2 and 6 of the Song of Songs:

Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom. 2:15

Why would you gaze on the Shulammite as on the dance of Mahanaim? 6:13b

The scriptures talk about Satan roaming like a lion ready to devour (1 Peter 5:8) but he, or anyone he bids to do his evil work, also could be looked at as foxes, not as bold or powerful as lions but rather sly and deceiving as they seek to do their destructive work. Here, that destructive work is within the vineyards in bloom where the foxes would come in and ruin the fruits but the allegory here is that the vineyards are the relationship that Solomon and Shulammite share and the foxes are those who would want to enter in and spoil the love they share for one another. This is why Solomon is petitioning, perhaps to the Lord Himself, to help him catch anyone who would seek to damage the loving, Godly relationship with Shulammite and keep that love safe and intact.

Where do we find the little foxes today?

Perhaps it’s in those who would seek to seduce and start affairs. Perhaps it’s the difficulties and hardships of life that seek to wedge their way into a relationship and separate one mate from the other. Perhaps it’s substance abuse of some kind where alcohol or drugs become more of a love to one of the partners that their mate. Perhaps it’s in family members who choose to try and create strife and discord between a couple. Perhaps it’s in pornography or other sexual temptations that would seek to steal away love from one partner to another in exchange for artificial thrills or pleasure.

There is no shortage of little foxes today that seek to wreck and destroy relationships. Satan is busy in that capacity, there is little doubt about it and, as mentioned, is making significant headway on many fronts. That is why this devotion is critical and a good place to end our discussion about loving, Godly relationships. Because you can do everything you can to adore the beauty of your partner, to cherish the love you have with her, to value her as the most important thing in your life, but if you fail to protect her and your relationship by placing the Lord first in everything, invoking His power and defense, then you are leaving the gate of your personal vineyard open for Satan’s little foxes to enter in and do damage.

Men, God’s word is speaking to you loud and clear today, exhorting you to protect your relationship by seeking, accepting, and receiving the best security system ever, the Lord God Almighty, the only One who Satan has no chance against ever. Do that and the blessed love you have with your beautiful partner you value so much will endure and bless you richly through all the years you share together.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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