LONGING by Reverend Sharon Hollis

Four years ago, while I was studying at the seminary, my interest grew deeper in the way the believers of Jesus Christ are typified, in scripture, as the future bride of Christ....

I grew to love the way the Song of Solomon was a type of Christ's love for His church, his bride.

This thought process brought me to a place in which I would often look for other clues in scripture where stories may become a type of the way Christ longs for intimacy with us, His future bride. The story of David and Bathsheba comes to my mind.

So often the human mind gets stuck on the feelings of longing for another human being, when really it is the vacuum in the soul that has been created, to be filled only with God. God longs to fill the void with intimacy between humans and Himself. He will do whatever it takes to seduce us to bring us to his love. However, there are moments when human nature bids goodbye to reservation and plows forward to fill that empty place with the hunger of needing another human's love.

David was drawn to the beauty of a woman, another man's wife. He was so distracted with her bathing on the roof, he would not go deeper and turn to God. Instead he did everything necessary to have her, and have her, he did.

Bible Scripture tells His story in 2 Samuel 11:2-4: "And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself' and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, "Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanliness: and she returned unto her house."

Longing

When I think unleashed, intimate......my mind takes me to a seductive place where fair skin shines in sunlight and I ache to touch its form.

I look at her wrapped in a scarf, my breath catching in my throat.

My lips could trace the edges of her curves and yearn for more,

Yet that would bring reproach to her, to me, to all that I stand for.

And I still want all of her.

Yet isn't God like that? Walking through the garden, longing for something more than conversation. Longing for intimacy with his betrothed love? Looking for more than mere conversation?

He wants all of you, all of me.

________________ ♥ _________________

Reverend Sharon Hollis is an Evangelist with Reconciling Pentecostals International. She has served one year as an Assistant Pastor and two years as the Senior Pastor of Circle City Pentecostals, and studied at Christian Theological Seminary. Sharon has served on the board of RPI as presbyter, Secretary and Education Coordinator. Currently she serves as an Evangelist through RPI, which sees her traveling throughout the US as a public speaker and counselor. You may e-mail her at revsharonhollis@yahoo.com

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