“O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,
    In the secret place of the steep pathway,
    Let me see your form,
    Let me hear your voice;
    For your voice is sweet,
    And your form is lovely.”
~ Song of Solomon 2:14

Can we comprehend God’s ultimate purpose for our lives? Is it possible to believe that He wants to actually be intimate with His people?

My inclination had, at first, been to discount this notion. Now, after many dangers, toils and snares, I’ve come to believe that God wants to be with me in every moment—no matter how fun, mundane, or difficult.

What follows is a rumination on this thought, based on the above verse from Song of Solomon, as he considered his bride. Realizing that God considers me His bride has enabled me to understand that I’m truly loved by an infinite God and that, whatever else I may face in life, I belong to Him and that I’ll never be alone again.

Yes, guys—we, too, belong to the Bride of Christ. Consider this thought, men and women, and rest in the knowledge of Jesus’ love for you.

You and I belong to each other.
     What’s mine is yours;
     what’s yours is mine.
     all that I’ve overcome is not yours to bear;
     I have borne it all for you,
     and I still bear your burdens.
    all you can’t face is now mine to face for you.
     This is what I will teach you
     when you are in my presence.

With me, you’re no longer alone,
     you’re no longer ill-equipped.
     you’re no longer a foreigner,
     you’re no longer a stranger or an outcast.
     Instead, you’re a part of me;
     you’re a part of all that I have,
     a part of all that comes from being mine.

You are therefore safe; you are protected;
     You are welcome; you are fully endowed,
     Empowered, provided for, armored, commissioned,
     Made my personal heir, a personal conqueror,
     Overcome and daily overcoming.

I would spend our days together
     teaching you to hear my voice,
     to know, as the bride knows,
     that my voice is as gentle, flowing waters,
     not the angry falls that throw you down.
     I’m here to tenderly proclaim my love for you;
     mine is not the face of disappointment,
     but of my unique care for all of you:
     all that you are; all you do, think and feel.

This is how I would be known by you,
     for my purpose in you is to
     dispel the conditioning of the world
     that would try and tell you otherwise,
     the programming that would attempt to
     cancel my work on the cross,
     on your behalf, for my beloved.
    Wrath is reserved for those
     who do not belong to me.
     wrath is not reserved for you.

—Kevin Hutchins