Daily Fountain Daily Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria Anglican Communion

The Daily Fountain Daily Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 29 March 2019 – When the King Visits His Garden

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TOPIC: When the King Visits His Garden

READ: Songs of Solomon 5:1-16 King James Version (KJV)

1 I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.

2 I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.

3 I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?

4 My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.

5 I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock.

6 I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.

7 The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.

8 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love.

9 What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?

10 My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.

11 His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.

12 His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set.

13 His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.

14 His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.

15 His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.

16 His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.

THE MESSAGE:

Many years ago, God woke me up around 4am and instructed me to pray. I was enjoying my sleep so I ignored the instruction. By 6.30am my father in-law was knocked down by a car as he was returning to his house after early morning prayers.

He died before we could get to the hospital to see him. I cried profusely but it was too late. His death could have been averted when the King visited me and requested intercession but I was too sleepy to respond.
The King in today’s passage visited his bride at an unexpected period. She was tired and gave all sorts of good reasons why she should not welcome him (verse 3). Unfortunately when she was ready to open the door, the King had gone.

This story depicts what happens in our lives when we miss fellowships, Church services and programmes, godly counsel due to beautiful excuses of business engagements, sleep, deadlines to meet, etc., while being ignorant of what heaven packaged for us in such programmes. We sometimes find God seemingly far away when we now decide to seek for Him like the bride.

Note that the watchmen wounded her, took her veil and mantle in verses 6 and 7 in the process her looking for her king. These are some of the wounds we sustain (our righteousness and authority) when we turn a deaf ear when God is willing to help us. Today many are still sick, poor and in bondage because they wanted God to come when they were comfortable to receive Him. Such people, like the bride, often lose great resources, righteousness, etc., when they finally decide to seek for God. May we not pay dearly to look for our King because we missed the time of our visitation!

Prayer: Father, please help me not to miss the time of my visitation.