You have made My heart beat faster

I posted this on my other blog but I am thinking maybe I should put it here instead.

I wanted to share something that really struck me one day while reading the Songs of Solomon. It comes just from a single verse:

“You have made My heart beat faster, my sister, my bride;

You have made My heart beat faster with a single glance of your eyes.”

– Songs of Solomon 4:9

When I read this, I literally had to take a pause.

We know that Jesus is the bridegroom. We are the bride. Jesus is therefore here speaking to us telling us that we make His heart beat faster with a single glance of our eyes.

What even?

Take a minute to imagine that for a while. When I read it, I thought of those boy-meets-girl scenes. I see Jesus, standing from afar, gazing at us. He is in love. He’s smitten. He’s awe-struck. If He could be at a loss for words, He would. If He weren’t omniscient, He would be totally oblivious to His surroundings. He is staring at us, taking delight in the smallest of our actions – a furrow in our brow, a throw-away smile.

And then suddenly, by some chance, we turn to look at Him.

He gasps. He fumbles with the Book of Life, almost drops it. His heart beats faster.

His day is made. By a single glance.

Wow. I don’t know about you, but that blew my mind. We speak of keeping our eyes on Jesus, and how that makes us better. Makes us calm, steady, anchored. But seldom do we consider what it does to God. Because He desires our gaze too. He longs for it. He stands there waiting for us to just glance at Him. He tries all sorts of ways to make that happen, like a shy teenage boy trying to get the attention of a girl. He walks past us five times in an hour. He speaks extra loudly around us. He shows off in front of us with miracles and small acts of wonder.

And when we look at Him, He loves it. And He is affected by it. His heart flutters. How powerful is that??

His love isn’t just a theological concept. He doesn’t love us from afar on His high and mighty throne. No – His heart literally beats for us. For me, this is incredibly significant because it becomes so much easier to love a God that loves so powerfully. It becomes not so much about forcing myself to desire Him, but simply responding to His desire.

He is there. Waiting for us to look at Him. Will we turn our gaze today? Will we make His heart beat faster?

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the heart of Christ will beat strangely fast,

In the gaze of His sister and bride.