Saturday, October 25, 2014

Prophesying to the Winds

Awake, O north wind, and come, O south! Blow upon my garden, that its spices may flow out. Let my Beloved come to His garden, and eat its pleasant fruits. Song of Solomon 4:16

With these words, the Shulamite articulates the primary transition of her life. Her desire is no longer that her comfort zone be maintained. Rather, her desire now is that the King would receive maximum pleasure from the fragrance of her life. The spices and fruits speak of the fragrant impact of her life, and she recognizes that in order for that fragrance to be released to the fullest degree, both the north and south winds are necessary.

The north winds speak of times of adversity, and the south winds speak of times of comfort and pleasure. There are some spices, some fragrances of worship that can only be released in the pressures of difficulty and trouble. When worship arises from a soul that is troubled, it is a pleasing and fragrant aroma to God, and a sign of defeat for the enemy. Without times of trouble, the fragrance of worship is not complete, nor is the experience of intimacy made full. There is a communion of sorrows that is uniquely precious, and only those who welcome the north winds can know that communion.

By the same token, there are spices, or fragrances of worship and love that can only be expressed as thanksgiving for times of blessing. The point is that her desire is not to be comfortable, but to give full expression of her love for the King, that His pleasure might be full. She is living for Him now, and her preparation for her place of intimate authority is nearly complete.

In the past days of her life, the changing winds would have been a source of anxiety and fear for the Shulamite. But now she sees that she can command the winds to produce and release fervent love in her own heart. So she prophesies to the winds, commanding them to do their work of refining and releasing the pure fragrance of adoring worship that the King desires. What a transition, and what a preparation for glory!

Gary Wiens