Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my beloved among the young men. I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste. Ecclesiastes 2:3
Most people have someone that they love to be around. They enjoy the presence of the person and what that person can bring into their life.
Each person is able to bring different things into the life of someone else. Some bring peace, others strength, or a listening ear, or care, or joy, or some other feeling or need that a person has.
Although many people do bring good things into the lives of those they are closest to, there are often many times when they do not bring those good things and will sometimes bring in negative. Each person has his own set of challenges and these are often brought into a relationship.
In this passage today, the lady loves to be with her loved one. She loves the fruit that he brings to her.
This is like the relationship of the believer (the church) with Jesus. The true believer in Jesus will enjoy being in His presence. The shade in the verse indicates that he is nearby.
When one is living for God, he will enjoy God’s presence. When he is living in a sinful way, he will despise God’s presence or run from it.
One of the things that God brings into the relationship is the fruit of His Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control are the fruits of the Holy Spirit, the fruit of His presence in the life of a believer.
A good sign for the believer that he is truly living for God is if he loves God’s presence and His fruit. Many do not taste the fruit because they want to live as the world lives and then they despise His close presence.
What do you love? Do you look forward to spending time in God’s presence, or are you in a rush to move on to “bigger and better things” that are only temporary and do not really satisfy?
Allow yourself to slow down and sit in His presence and enjoy what God can bring to you. Taste of His Holy Spirit and the fruit he has for you. These things are eternal and will benefit you more than the food and relationships of this world.
I pray today that you will know the salvation Jesus has for you; that you will love to spend time with God; that you will know the great taste of God’s fruit in your life; that you will find satisfaction in God alone; and that you will love God with all of your heart.
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