Remember how eager young love can be? We don’t need to be young ourselves to experience the newness of love and the tingly attraction of a relationship. After all, each new relationship starts with a spark. How quickly that turns into a flame (if ever) depends on how we nurture those relationships.
We see some fantastic inspiration in today’s passage. Our king is very enthusiastic about his love. “He is leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills.” I remember the first days of my courtship with David. The days between calls or weeks between times we could see each other seemed like an eternity. The anticipation that bloomed made each encounter so much more enjoyable.
Spring signifies newness and fresh beginnings. Solomon isn’t going to let a moment be wasted. Just as the trees are budding around them, and the birds are singing, he longs to show his love for his bride to be. They have been separated for too long. His beckoning is so tender and sweet. “Let me see your face; let me hear your voice. For your voice is pleasant, and your face is lovely.” How could she not drop everything and go galivanting around the countryside with him?
Beware of the foxes! “Catch all the foxes, those little foxes!” Those would be all the distractions of life or little problems that gnaw away at new love. While it’s impossible to stay in a state of bliss indefinitely, because there are responsibilities of life that call for our attention, too, we can do our best to ward off these “foxes.” When differences arise, and they will, it is best to deal with them and find a mutually agreeable resolution.
Too many marriages crumble when unspoken differences get in the way. It’s hard to keep the spark alive when feelings of hurt and unresolved tension distract us. Instead, take a firm stand and nip them in the bud before they can wreak havoc on your relationship. Couples are served well when they learn how to communicate about everything that matters. After all, you don’t want those foxes to “ruin the vineyard of love, for the grapevines are blossoming!”
While communication is critical, keeping the spark alive also requires a shift in your mindset. You were once separate, distinct individuals. Now you are also a couple. Ways you used to think may not work as well, and that’s part of the “work” you need to do to build a strong bond. I loved how it was stated here, “My lover is mine, and I am his.” It’s not a matter of “possession,” but of sharing all things together and being of one mind.
When you feel like you belong where you are, there is peace and comfort. When you know without a doubt that you are where you are supposed to be, with the person God has intended for you as your life partner, there is joy in the security. When you don’t have that joy, you are probably still needing to grow yourself to be ready for a relationship in the first place. That may sting a bit, but at least you know what needs to happen and why this intense kind of love has been evading you.
Take some time today to think of fun ways you can keep the spark alive with the love of your life.
Let’s pray … Lord, I thank you for the ability to love and be loved. You have given me such a perfect example to follow in this text. You have also shown what sacrificial love looks like and how deeply you care for me. Help me to keep the spark alive in my own marriage and encourage others to do the same. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
