I went down to the garden of nuts
To see the verdure of the valley,
To see whether the vine had budded
And the pomegranates had bloomed.
Before I was even aware,
My soul had made me
As the chariots of my noble people.
— Song of Songs 6:11-12

The Lord surely desires to carry out His work among us, that so many would be brought to salvation and His testimony raised up anew. But what can give Him the way to do this? Very simply, our love for Him, and our growth in life that is produced through that love. These make us a “chariot” for the Lord in which He may go forth to accomplish His desire.

In the Song of Songs, there is no stress on the Lord’s work until chapter 6, when it speaks of the Seeker going to the garden to look for the buds and blossoms of life. By this time she is quite mature, having passed through so many experiences, and having even overcome the spiritual complacency that had separated her from her Beloved. (See our previous note, “His Hand Upon the Door.”) As Coates comments, the Lord

…looks for a “willing” people prepared to move in love for Him. Wherever He finds such preparedness His soul moves Him to ride on the chariots that love has provided for Him. The Lord can do anything with a “willing people” ; His movements amongst His people are commensurate with their willingness.
— Coates, pages 176

In brief, the extent the Lord can move through us depends on our willingness. If we truly love the Lord and allow Him to work in our lives, there is no limit to what He can accomplish through us.

Psalm 110 speaks of His people being willing in “the day of His power”:

Thy people shall be willing
In the day of thy power
In holy splendour:
From the womb of the morning
Shall come to thee
The dew of thy youth.
— Psalm 110:3 (Darby)

The ultimate “day of His power” will be the day of the Lord’s return; what a day that will be! However, if we are willing to follow Christ now, we can have a foretaste of that day even today. Coates goes on from his comment above:

It is love that welcomes the Lord, and furnishes Him with chariots. The state of Christendom today shows how little the Lord is loved, how little willingness there is for Him to have His place and way. Whatever it may be with others, let it be “the day of his power” with us! May He “ride prosperously” [Ps. 45:4] so far as we are concerned!

….He says today to every one of us, A willing heart is a chariot for Me. He would have us to be available, not only in the day of glory, but now.
— Coates, pages 176-177

May we love the Lord and follow Him in such a way, with such a “willing heart,” that He may have “the day of His power” among us even now!

Lord, have Your way among us today!

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— 19 February 2022 —