Scripture: "Hang my locket around your neck, wear my ring on your finger. Love is invincible facing danger and death. Passion laughs at the terrors of hell. The fire of love stops at nothing— it sweeps everything before it. Flood waters can’t drown love,
torrents of rain can’t put it out. Love can’t be bought, love can’t be sold— it’s not to be found in the marketplace..."
-Song of Songs 8:6-8

Observation: In Old Testament times a seal was used to indicate ownership of a person’s valued possessions. So the beloved asked to be her lover’s most valued possession, a possession that would influence his thoughts (over your heart) and his actions (over your arm). Such a demanding request required the explanation which she gave in verses 6b-7a. These verses sum up the nature and power of the love depicted in the Song. It is as universal and irresistible as death, exclusive and possessive (in the sense of being genuinely concerned for the one loved) as the grave, passionate (as blazing fire) and as invincible and persevering as many waters and rivers. And all this is true because love is supported by the Creator who possesses all power. The words like a mighty flame are, literally, “like the very flame of the Lord” . Thus the Lord is portrayed as the Source of this powerful loveThe final statement about the love depicted in the Song is that it is priceless. All one’s wealth would be totally inadequate to purchase such love. In fact such money would be . . . scorned, because love cannot be bought. Any attempt to “buy” love depersonalizes it. If love is priceless, how then can it be obtained? The answer is that it must be given. And ultimately love is a gift from God. The epilogue explains how the beloved received this priceless gift of love.

Application: What a beautiful description of God's love for us. I really chose this verse to uplift someone; and all you women out-there who never read my blogs should definitely favorite this one. But God's love really is like a love-affair. He really does place a locket around his beloved's neck, and proposes to ask us to be his husband. For guys this can be quite odd... but hang in there. He died just so we could be his friends. He knew what was right for us; and we all know how long it takes for us to admit defeat, but he paid that price in full, just so we wouldn't have to. Pretty swell guy if you ask me. Definitely worth keeping in your "My five." Nothing can separate us from God's love; this theme has been surfacing alot on my blog, but it's even clear with the Old Testament. God's love hasn't changed. He's always there with open arms waiting to take us in.

For the ladies, will you accept the proposal?
For the guys, will you suck it up and admit your wrong so you can go back to making up some lost time?

-Brent