“I have taken off my dress,
How can I put it on again?
I have washed my feet,
How can I dirty them again?”
— Song of Songs 5:3
The garment here can be interpreted as our old man. It can also refer to the coat that is put on over armor. She seems to be saying, “Lord, I have taken off the coat and put on the whole armor of God to fight for You. I lead the church to go forward. Why do You ask me to leave what I have built? Why do You want to take away the powder of spices and the gifts that You have given me? Lord, what are You talking about? I am full of strength and victory now. I am in the realm of ascension. Why do You ask me to go back to a situation of dryness and weakness? I have washed my feet; how can I dirty them again? I have become separated from the world; how can I return to dirty my feet there again?”
Brothers and sisters, we may have experienced something before the Lord to the extent that we can say, “Awake, O north wind; and come, O south wind!” (4:16). We may even be able to tell the Lord, “I am Your servant, Your bride, and Your garden.” We might feel that we have a certain position in God’s work. We could become so satisfied that we would want to remain there and never go elsewhere. Thus when the Lord calls us, we refuse and say, “I have put off my garment; how can I put it on again? I have washed my feet; how can I dirty them again?”
Adapted from The Journey of Life, page 249.
Tomorrow: “The Seeker’s Refusal” (3)