“Rise Up, My Love, My Fair One and Come Away”

From the Devotional Archives of Pastor Daniel Bossidy, April 2016: Enjoy this faith building insight from the Song of Solomon. May God bless you today!

Dear Friend,

Greetings on this beautiful spring day! It is an exciting time of year. The Scripture says, “My beloved spake and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;” (Song of Solomon 2: 10-12). This was written in the Old Testament and is a prophesy of the spiritual spring time to come. He called us to rise up from our coldness, our doldrums, the ruts we are in, and follow Him. The “voice of the turtle” is the voice of John the Baptist, ringing in the new day, for the Messiah was about to appear to humanity! Jesus Christ was soon to come and the people must prepare their hearts to receive Him.

It is quite interesting to note that some of the same things that were happening in John’s day are happening in the day that we live. It was a difficult time for the children of Israel. The Roman Empire had dispatched armies throughout the land to keep order, especially in Jerusalem. Hope was fading among the people that their leaders would bring them deliverance from the bondage they were under. Anger, frustration, and heartache began to fill the land. Men’s hearts were failing them for fear of the things coming on the earth. Yet there was a voice sent forth from God: a voice of hope, a voice of joy and gladness, a voice of a new day dawning: Jesus Christ was about to appear, who would change everything!

The message that John proclaimed was, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). Repentance is simply turning from our ways to God’s ways. It doesn’t mean a person is “bad.” They are just in need of the Lord. There are many people who don’t believe they need to repent, for they associate repentance with murderers, thieves, and generally bad people. But the Bible tells us we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Just holding on to wrong opinions and sour attitudes take us out of the peace and joy Christ Jesus has for us! Talking about our neighbor in a negative light is also wrong in God’s eyes. We were taught that as children! Yet we tend to fall out of favor with God because of this mindset. No wonder we need this word called repentance! The kingdom of heaven is at hand for us today!

John’s message of repentance was actually a message of hope. If the Messiah was not to come, why change anything? If the Lord isn’t about to come for His people in our day, why try to change anything? But the fact is, the Lord is coming soon for His people, and we all need to be ready! There aren’t too many people who embrace change. It can be difficult. Yet change is something we all must embrace. The Bible says, “Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God” (Psalm 55:19). Every time things change around me, I have to trust the Lord. Each time I face an event that is outside my comfort zone, I have to adjust my way of thinking and the way I act. I may not like it. I may hate the fact that things are changing so quickly. I am used to doing things the same way I’ve always done them. But growth requires it. The ground cannot remain hard and cold forever. Especially if I desire to have fruit this autumn. The message of hope tells us that there is change coming. Repentance commands us to accept a different outlook. To become spiritual, we must leave the place of carnality.

Growth, maturity, discipleship: all these words convey the thought of change and fulness, or completeness. And the Scripture challenges us to “Rise…and come
away.” Come away from weakness, from failure, from lack, and wrong outlooks.
Come away from the ways of the world, which tend to drag you down.

But where are we going? Song of Solomon 2: 14 we read that He found her in the clefts of the Rock. It is in those secret places that a stairway is set up. The winds and the storms and the rain may drive you into the clefts of the Rock for cover, but you will find the secret to serving God there. You will find there a private, secret confidence in your Savior. Just you and Jesus can fit into those places of personal, private prayer. We have to rise up to get there. And everyone can find that place. Jesus taught us how to do it while He was here on earth. He separated Himself to spend time alone with the Father in prayer. He came away from the disciples, the revivals, the needs of people, the feelings inherent in the natural qualities every human possesses. He rose up and separated Himself to refresh His heart, mind, soul, and spirit. He came out of the clefts of the Rock with a new outlook on the situations He faced. He came forth with confidence and courage to face the challenges of His day, and we can, too! Your answer is just a prayer away! “Rise up, my love, my fair one and come away.” May God bless you!

I invite you to any of our services at the church. We are located at 624 Torringford West Street, in Torrington, CT. Our schedule of services is Sunday at 10 AM and 7 PM, and Wednesday at 7:30 PM. Let the Lord Jesus bless and fill you today!

Sincerely,

Rev. Daniel Bossidy