Who is this coming up from the desert
like a column of smoke,
like a fragrant billow of myrrh and frankincense,
every kind of fragrant powder of the traveling merchants? (Song of Songs 3:6)
Life under Adam’s curse sometimes grows wearisome. There is much the Christian must attend to—honor God, love others, cling to grace, remain humble, maintain purity, practice discipline, study the word, yada, yada, yada. It’s like firing round after round through the barrel of a gun. Every shot must be on target, but each one leaves a microscopic residue inside the bore that leads to misfires. Eventually, the whole rifle must be dismantled and cleaned back to gleaming perfection.
What cleans my heart is passion. Not all the time, but occasionally my inner being needs to be taken apart and wiped down with ecstasy over Jesus. I have to experience him as more than an historical entity or future Savior. I need to freeze in my tracks and gasp at him thundering across the desert to my rescue, eyes inflamed with zeal, smiting enemies on every side, and smelling of Hawaiian ginger. This is my Jesus, the champion of my soul, and as fierce upon his enemies as he is joyful over my love.
It’s good, from time to time, to remember who I serve. There is a rhythm to life. At the bottom of each cycle, I must be cleaned and remade by the passion of my faith. It puts me back into service, ready to fire exacting shots of purity, discipline, and generosity.
A soldier serving out of obligatory fear is a draining threat to his battalion. A warrior driven by passion, and filled by the Spirit of God, is an unstoppable army unto himself. He is like his own passionate King.
Prayer: Jesus my King and my Savior, I am rapt in awe of you.