The Song of Solomon 5:8, “I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love.”
Sick of love, what does that mean? Does it mean I fell in love and got the flu from Sis Jennifer years ago? No. When someone is “sick of love” it is the same as when we say lovesick.
I can remember Sis Jennifer and I going on our first date. Wow, her blue eyes and happy personality just had me glued to her every word. Believe it not, she did most of the talking. I was so glad to be close to her, I couldn’t think of anything to say but uh, oh, yea, no, hmm, maybe, and ok. My brain and my mouth just would not sync. After the date, I found myself day dreaming about her a lot. I remember eating supper at daddy and mama’s house and daddy saying, “you got it bad son.” What did I have bad? I was lovesick. I thought about her all the time.
In our study verse, the Shulamite says she is “sick of love.” She is saying something very similar to my experience. Solomon consumed most of her thoughts and conversation.
Question? How does this apply to us spiritually? Have you ever been around a person who talks about the Lord all the time? Every time you are in their presence they have a verse of scripture to talk about or tell you about something the Lord has done for them. I heard a story once about a young man who went to Church and met a new preacher. The preacher, after service, talked to the young man in the yard. When the young man arrived at home his mama asked, ‘What do you think about the new preacher?” His answer? “I think he sure loves God a lot, that’s all he talked about.”
There was a man in the New Testament like this. His name was Paul. When you read through the Book of Acts, specifically chapters 13-28, you will learn quickly how much this man loved talking to people about the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul said in Philippians 1:21, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Those are some amazing words. He was not ashamed of his love for the Lord and was always ready to speak to a listening ear about the Lord’s power, grace, mercy and love.
In Acts 28:16, after Paul came to Rome, “the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard: but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him.” Question? How many sermons do you think that soldier heard? Wow! I bet that Ol’ feller learned a lot about salvation by grace. Paul loved the Lord and he also loved God’s people. A sincere and zealous love for the Lord will translate into having a love for His people. In John 21:15-17, Jesus asked Peter three times “lovest thou me?” Three times Peter said yes, and three times the Lord called on Peter to “feed” His children. In John 13:35, Jesus said ‘By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
My prayer? The Lord would bless me and all of us to think about Him and the Church more and more, and the world less and less. Philippians 4:8-9, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” Amen!