How to love God with all your heart

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How to love God with all your heart

I've written not just one commentary on Song of Solomon, but two - because there are some pleasures that need to be savoured. And, like Ezekiel's river, the further you go, the deeper the love becomes.

Isaac Watts, the great hymn-writer realised this. He wrote a whole series of hymns to show how the Song of Solomon is a picture of the love between God and his people. Hudson Taylor, the great missionary-pioneer to China wrote a book on the same subject ("Union and Communion"). And in the opinion of 19 centuries of writers since the time of Christ, that is the true meaning of the book. It is not merely a love song between a man and a woman. It follows the long line of Scriptural teaching that compares the relationship of God to his people with that of a husband and wife.

In my course, I have tried to show the word pictures which have influenced and inspired so many people to love God more. I called my book "How to love God with all your heart" because Jesus taught that to be the most important Commandment (Mark 12:29-30).

I believe that the Song of Solomon shows that we can love God in small areas of our lives, as well as large ones. And at difficult times, as well as easy ones. And in the valley of the shadow of death, as well as the green pastures.

Through our lives, our love for God should deepen and deepen. Our problems become our challenges; and our challenges should become our steps of faith - the steps where we learn to love God more.

God has already loved us to the full. He loved us so much that he gave his son. And he still loves us, and draws us to him.

Before you look at my book, let me add another thought that isn't in the book. Have you ever noticed how often John's Gospel seems to refer to the Song of Solomon? No wonder John described himself as the "disciple whom Jesus loved" (John 21:7). As in the Song of Solomon (Song 6:2-4), it was in the garden where Mary suddenly encountered Jesus (John 20:15-16). John expressly records that he was leaning against Jesus in John 13:23-25 - see Song 8:5. I could give other examples of how John seems to use the language of Song of Solomon; but I shall restrict myself to the outstanding one. Look at John 7:38. Jesus says, "Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."

Now, which Scripture was Jesus quoting from? The NIV doesn't know - there is no footnote. And different Bible Commentaries offer a range of suggestions. But why not, as the commentators Keil & Delitzsch say, look at Song 4:15? There, the garden has abundant, living, water flowing from it. And the garden is a description for the beloved woman in the Song. She was the object of His affections.

Hymns of Isaac Watts on the Song of Solomon

Union and Communion by Hudson Taylor

How to love God with all your heart

Download as RTF
If you would like to read this book now, simply left-click on the above link If you would like to save this book for later, RIGHT-check on the above logo and select "save as...". Opens in any word processor.