Prophetic Word: It’s Blooming Season!
BEAUTIFUL BEGINNINGS
“See! The winter is past;
the rains are over and gone.
Flowers appear on the earth;
the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves
is heard in our land.
The fig tree forms its early fruit;
the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling;
my beautiful one, come with me.”
Song of Songs 2:11-13
A few weeks ago, I awoke early one morning and flung open my blinds to start a new day. I was shocked to see two beautiful doves sitting right on the balcony! It was as if the hands of Jesus placed them right there for me to see!
I just froze and watched the doves. They were clearly a couple and snuggled up to show affection. Then all at once, they flew away and I watched them soar in the sky, perfectly in sync, with the male dove just slightly leading the female.
The Lord speaks to me in many ways, and one of my favorites is through nature! Seeing the doves gave me so much hope!
We know that doves have significant spiritual meaning throughout the Bible because they represent the Holy Spirit. Doves also represent love, and they are incredibly unique because once they come together -- doves stay with their life companion.
Spring represents new beginnings and the blooming of life and families. This time of the year is always my favorite, but there’s always a transition from season to season and oftentimes it’s easy to stay stuck in the old.
Spring is not always something on the calendar. Spiritual seasons of “spring” are times of revival, renewal, restoration and new beginnings.
Last week, I went hiking with my nephew and noticed how scorched, and gray the earth appeared. All the rivers were arid, and everything looked dead. We didn't see any wildlife the entire time, except for two bright orange butterflies that danced in tandem. It was as if they followed us the entire time!
Then during our final mile of the hike, my little nephew kept shouting: "stop stepping on the flowers!"
I had no idea what he meant until I looked closer at the dirt, and he was right! Tiny little flowers were bursting from the dead, dry ground. I completely missed them, but little Joey could spot them sprouting from the earth. Soon, we found a heart rock, which is another way the Lord speaks to me. It was as if my spirit came alive along that path!
Days later, I heard a dove cooing outside my window!
It caught my attention instantly, and the Lord reminded me of the second chapter of Song of Solomon and those doves on my balcony.
"See! The winter is past...flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land."
Ahh, the flowers! The flowers have appeared! The cooing of doves!! Yes, Lord, I hear them now!
Male doves coo when they are signaling for a mate! The Lord is calling you closer again, His beloved bride. For those who are single, your future partner is signaling for you, too! You might not hear it just yet— BUT THEY’RE COMING!
Spring has arrived early for the Lord's children. So for those of you still sleepy and weary from past seasons, it's time to wake up and put on your spiritual glasses!
After all, the Lord is saying: "Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me." (Song of Solomon 2:10)
SONG OF SOLOMON:
A LOVE STORY
Song of Solomon is a love poem that celebrates the Lord’s love for the Bride (us) and the love between a man and woman before and after marriage. I am connected to many single women in ministry and I have noticed a drastic shift in the last few years. It's truly mind-boggling what the Lord is doing. He has raised up a new generation of women and revealed who their covenant prince is long before bringing the man back on the scene! These women learned about true love because God taught them first.
The Lord is raising up new Esthers of this generation. Many of them came from broken pasts before God raised them up as His beloved daughters.
The Father will soon present them to their spouse through extraordinary divine circumstances. Because God has treated these women like royalty, they completely understand their worth after enduring a long season of preparation with their Heavenly Father. He did this because only through chasing the love of the Father -- did they come to fully understand their worth in the heart of their future king.
They are like the Shulamite woman in Song of Solomon (also known as Song of Songs), which is a collection of poems about a man and woman who are new lovers. These poems have many similarities to Esther. They are Bible books that don’t mention God directly, but readers understand the Lord is orchestrating everything behind the scenes. In Song of Solomon, it points to the anticipation of love and then its fulfillment. We know God is love, so anytime perfect love is mentioned, it’s always pointing to Yahweh whether it’s mentioned directly or not.
Song of Solomon can be read two ways, and in the past, I saw it as the Lord teaching me about His love. But lately, He’s really transformed my eyes to understand how Christ sees love between a man and a woman, which is very important to Jesus. He longs to see the family unit restored to its original purpose and He’s raising up a new generation of women to put this in motion! It’s going to look extremely different than the past because the pandemic united the body of Christ in new ways. The four walls of the Church were broken down and people have been sent out across the land as change agents. In the past, many fell into the religious systems of the world without always realizing it. The pandemic isolated the world and God reminded His people that WE ARE THE CHURCH BECAUSE THE SAVIOR DWELLS WITHIN US!
Jesus has ordained His people to walk out their True Identity only found in Jesus. Jesus has ordained them to transform whatever environment they are sent to. What’s beautiful about Song of Solomon, is that springtime especially stirs the woman's heart, and she understands that nature reflects the Father's creation. Father is jumpstarting a season of love for many at this very opportune time across all the lands!
As Bible teacher Jay Harvey so eloquently writes: "The Song of Solomon is a rich and vivid account of human love, an account that is desperately needed in our own time. So much confusion about love and sexuality persists in our culture. Here God provides clarity that leads to greater holiness, joy, and fulfillment."
As I prayed about what the Lord wanted me to teach from Song of Solomon, He redirected me completely and downloaded a series of words from specific verses in Chapter 2. As with any teachings, these will only apply to a select group of people and the Lord will confirm this in your spirit. 🌹
KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS
"Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires." (Song of Solomon 2:8)
• During this upcoming season, stay focused on the bigger purpose. Many of you know that God is sending your God-ordained spouse, but this is the Lord's story, not yours. Therefore, you cannot manipulate or control how this will go down. Instead, the Lord has given you a specific assignment this season of life, and it needs to be fulfilled.
Stay in your lane, and don't awaken love until it is time. The man communicates with the Lord, so he knows when it's time to pursue you. Until then, remain focused on what God has already asked you to do this season. For the women, in particular, the Lord keeps reminding me that the man is enduring a tough season. This season will ultimately "awaken" him fully -- but continue to intercede and pray for this man. You don't know the scope and everything they are enduring, but you must stand in the gap and continue praying for him with all you have. This might mean waking up early and praying for him continuously, morning and night, for a breakthrough in his life. This might seem odd if this person is not even in your life or you have no communication, but that's why we step out in faith. Truly having faith is trusting what the Father says and praying and interceding even when our eyes in the natural realm do not understand what any of this means. Someday you will get to tell him the full scope of your love, but for now, keep praying for him with boldness.
I tell the story of Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani often, but part of the reason is because I believe they’re a modern day example of a Godly union (yes, I’m absolutely serious). Blake and Gwen worked alongside each other for years on The Voice and never crossed the line. They simply had a professional relationship and said nothing more than hi and bye. They endured seasons of hardships and had prior relationships before God ever brought them together. Gwen noticed him first, but Blake was hidden and shielded from her until a series of events took place for God to “open” his eyes.
Blake says this quote that I absolutely love: “I believe in God now more than I ever have in my life. The biggest part of that is just how (Gwen) came into my life and now our relationship. It’s just too weird. If you take God out of it, it doesn’t make sense. If you put God into it, everything that’s happened with us makes sense.”
This is such a beautiful example of how God uses the woman to ultimately draw the man even closer to the Lord. They were both believers and already equally yoked; however, the fullness of love only evolved for Blake once they came together. He needed a certain woman to fully awaken Him to the depth and power of God’s perfect love.
AVOID DISTRACTIONS
"Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom." (Song of Solomon 2:15)
• Beware of the little "foxes" that try to seep in during the coming days, especially as you enter springtime. The “foxes” can be distractions, unhealthy people from the past coming back, lack of passion for things you once loved, a disconnection from the Lord. In the name of Jesus, I pray that the Holy Spirit meets you right now and brings you back into His loving arms during this very intimate and sacred time in your life.
Other times, “foxes” come from us! During some seasons, the passion and connection with the Father just flows, and you are in sync. Other times, it will take extreme effort to put your emotions to the side and chase after the Father even when you don't feel like it. This is the perfect training ground for your future relationship. Love is not always about feelings but a commitment to one another. It’s the same approach we have with our Heavenly Spouse. It takes an incredible amount of maturity and willpower to pursue Jesus during seasons of spiritual dryness. Keep your emotions in check and run after the Father with everything you got. He will meet you. That’s the very definition of a covenant relationship; it’s bound and tied by something greater than our feelings.
• As I wrote the words above, the dove returned outside my window and started cooing. It's a mourning dove, and yes, it coos to attract a female mate, but the “coo” also reflects a sad, mourning sound to the human ears. Be patient and gentle with your future spouse. They might be mourning their previous life and identity, and loved ones of the past. Their former selves have to fully “die” for the Lord to transform them into the new. Even a butterfly has to first be a caterpillar and then nest in its cocoon before it’s released to fly. They have to endure the darkness before seeing the light.
"See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land." (Song of Solomon 2:12)
• Springtime in the spirit arrives when the Lord decides. It’s not dictated by a calendar and can surprise you at any time. Sometimes spring even arrives early, well before you expect it! Rain represents the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the above verse. The Passion Translation explains the verse like this: "These flowers [in 2:12] may point to the holy lovers of God throughout the ages, which after "rains" of God's Spirit mature, blossom and give forth the fragrance of Christ. The sons of God are the flowers appearing on the earth out of their union with Christ."
In other words, you are the flower that has appeared on the earth and continues to flourish, and now others will smell the sweet holy fragrance of your newness that only the Lord can create. You went through a long and tedious process and might not even notice any flowers blooming just yet, but God has made you a lily in a field of thorns. Others don't have to define your worth because the world's Creator does. When it comes to the cooing of the turtle doves in the land — this signals that harvest time has arrived. God selects the harvest time of your life and again, it might arrive quicker than you expect.
The Lord has been speaking “puzzle pieces” to me a lot lately. I’ll dive into that a later time, but essentially He’s shown me that I don’t have all the pieces yet. However, once they arrive, everything will snap into place SWIFTLY. The same can be true for you.
THE PERFECT DUET
• As I wrote down some of these revelations, the Lord put the song "Duet" sung by Ed Sheeran and Beyonce on my heart. He highlighted this specific verse:
I found a love for me
Oh darling, just dive right in and follow my lead
Well, I found a girl, beautiful and sweet
Oh, I never knew you were the someone waiting for me
'Cause we were just kids when we fell in love
Not knowing what it was
I will not give you up this time
Interpretation: For some of you women, God revealed this man to you long before he returns to the scene. You crossed paths at one point in life, but he didn't know you were the person waiting on him. The Father had not opened his eyes at that point. But he knows now, and he will return. And when he does come back, he will never give you up again. Trust that. The Lord has reached him already, and this man knows and recognizes who you are and the role you will serve in his life. But this is so fresh and new for him that it feels very odd and even uncomfortable at times. And obviously it’s scary for him! Imagine having to reach out to someone you hardly know or maybe interacted with before you were saved! That would be very terrifying! But the Lord will not let this rest and is guiding him.
You’ve had a head start to work with the Lord on this, so just be extremely gentle with him. Some of you have been praying and loving him from afar for many years now. I know it can get weary and tiresome, but the Lord will bring the union to fulfillment. So continue to "dive in" and follow the Father's lead and the guidance of this man when he returns in your life. It will all be worth the wait. Patience, beloved.
UNDERSTANDING 12:12: COMPLETION OF TIME
Have you seen 12:12 lately? The number 12 is found 187 times in scripture. It represents God's power and authority and completing His governmental order.
The Bible says “all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God” (Romans 13:1). This means that Jesus ordains the role and purposes of those elected, placed and mandated by Him.
God called 12 disciples and then sent them out "two by two" (Mark 6:7). Why did He do this? He knew the impact and power of shared missions and ministry. A Godly, ordained marriage always has a mandate attached to it. You and your spouse are joined in unity to impact the Kingdom. This doesn't mean you go out and establish churches and work together in children's ministry. It does mean that your union glorifies the Father, and He will send you out as a pair to serve as a holy representation of the Lord.
Your story of love and union might bring more people to know how Jesus sees love and relationships in the modern-day. Yes, the Lord wants you to experience love and have a family, but He desires for lost souls to come to the Father. Your entire relationship will glorify the Father and thus teach others about God along the way.
It says in scripture that "the Lord will go before you..." meaning, Father God has already set everything in motion long before you came together. He knows the lives and people who will come to know Him through your act of obedience as a couple. Working as a pair is influential, trustworthy, rewarding and multiplies strength. In scripture, twelve people are especially noted as being anointed for a unique task or responsibility.
During this season, you might start to see 12’s and 1-2-3 or 1-2-3-4 outlining perfect order! The number 11 also represents transition and faith (see Hebrew 11 and the Hall of Faith).
THE FIG TREE
"The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me." Song of Solomon 2:13
A fig tree blooming is a sign of early spring, and a new season has burst forth.
The Passion Translation footnote says: "In the language of allegory, the fig tree is a picture of destiny and purpose."
The Hebrew word yapha is found in Song of Solomon, and it means "to shine, shine forth or out, send out beams, to cause to shine."
The Hebrew word for “beautiful” is yapah and it’s used five times to describe the Shulamite woman’s beauty and three times a similar word is used that describes her “as the most beautiful woman in the world.”
In fact, Solomon calls the woman beautiful and lovely over 10 times. Earlier he called her a “lily among thorns” (2:2). All that to say, she really was the fairest of all them all to Solomon. This woman captured this man’s heart, in the same way that our Heavenly Dad views us. I don’t know about you, but calling myself beautiful has never once crossed my mind while looking in the mirror. However, when the Lord calls me this, my heart always skips a beat. When I am walking in purpose and loving others and serving with all my heart, these are the moments I feel the most beautiful. There’s something about that word that is just so magnetic and strong.
The beauty described in this verse is a woman who is so beautiful “she shines forth.” Hebrew linguists link this word to “to radiate,” “to burst forth,” or “to emerge from darkness to project beauty” (TPT). In other words, God’s beautiful daughters are like the Shulamite. They project beauty to the world because they carry Jesus in their heart.
Both the man and woman in Song of Solomon are special and unique to the world. What they bring cannot always be defined by modern day culture, but there is something different and distinctive about them. The Holy Spirit dwells within this couple, and the beauty they project is because God overwhelms their hearts and lives.
THE SHULAMITE WOMAN:
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT HER FROM SCRIPTURE
• In the beginning the woman is separated from her man, but the couple yearns to be reunited. The Shulamite even has dreams about her Beloved (Song of Solomon 3:1-5). The woman and the man later have mutual respect and friendship. Despite other women in his life previously, she became Solomon’s first and truest love (Song 8:6-7).
• She is described in scripture as very close to her mother (8:1-5) and can perceive life in the spiritual realm. This makes her different than the rest. Her heart boils with passion for her Bridegroom, and she first falls in love with this man, who is a prototype of Solomon.
• She is bold, assertive, beautiful and does not shy away from her feelings. The Bible describes her as a woman to be celebrated because she has that "it" factor that can't be explained but only felt. She has standards and will not back down from those standards for any reason. The Lord has already trained her and she understands her worth with clarity. The man will have to rise and level up to come in relationship with her. Just read Song of Solomon and you will be blown away at how she views even her own self! She’s not perfect whatsoever, but she understands that her worth and identity is defined by God, and that alone makes her royalty.
• The Shulamite woman ultimately awakens the Solomon prototype man. She will "awaken" him to the depth of the Father’s love once they come together. Solomon really loved the Shulamite woman and admired her character. She equally loved him. They had such a deep friendship first and that ultimately turned into passion. They dearly respected one another.
💜 For my ladies: God made the man to hunt and be a finder. Allow your future spouse to find and pursue you. The Lord will not allow him to have perfect rest with this matter until he takes care of business (see the Book of Ruth). If we interfere, we will be interfering for the rest of our lives.
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord” (Psalm 37:23). The Lord is already leading this man on how to approach you.
Remain patient because one day you will also awaken this man to understand Christ’s love for him. Be patient, he's been wounded. Many men have been taught since childhood not to show emotions or any kind of vulnerability. The Lord has to awaken this man to the fullness of love that might be taught through you. He's not perfect without blemishes, but he will be perfect for you. He will be your protector and provider like the Holy Spirit has been for you over the years. Just like when you first came to Jesus, you didn't have it all right (and still don't), and it was a process to learn and understand the Father in a new way. In the same way with your future spouse, know that the Lord already made you to fit with one another. Your journey and life might be different, but your spirits are in sync and you will soar as one.
• The Shulamite's mother is mentioned in three contexts throughout Song of Solomon. For many of you, this means your biological mother, but it can also represent a spiritual mother, grandmother or someone else who holds that role. In Chapter 8, we learn that her mother was caring, instructed her and was a woman of the countryside. The Shulamite understood the importance of passing down her mother’s wisdom to other girls and women. She repeatedly has an urge to teach other women about the importance of perfect timing when it comes to love.
• More than likely, this woman did not come from much money or wealth or power. She has not known luxury and even though she’s pretty, she has worked hard and the labor of life has worn on her. The Shulamite mentions that she has no vineyard, wealth or assets. Clearly she is not suited for a king, but that didn’t stop King Solomon from pursuing her.
The man is not ashamed of her and when the time is right, he will be proud to show off this woman. But in the early days, keeping things private will guard the couple from the foxes. This is the exact replica of Christ’s love for us. He takes us through seasons of hiddenness to keep us guarded in His love until the time of reveal. He will take the least of those in society and place a crown upon your head.
At the end of Song of Solomon something extraordinary happens. This woman who once had no vineyards, now has her own! I believe that Jesus is establishing “vineyards” for women before the man comes on the scene. That way, only God gets the credit. Her vineyards might be very small and might not seem like much for now — but just wait! The currency of Christ is infinite. The woman’s Heavenly Father has already established her purpose and taught her about finances and how to faithfully steward what she does have. She will have her own little “vineyards” and the Lord constantly provides for her and brings her supreme joy. He meets all of her current needs before the man arrives.
• The Shulamite expresses confidence in the Beloved several times in various chapters (Song of Solomon 2:16; 6:3; 7:10). She has great confidence in him because the Lord has been working with her for a long time. She never doubts how the man feels about her, even when they are not together. She will not go back and forth between her feelings, and she doesn't need reassurance about this relationship. God already told her about this man. She knows what she knows. It doesn't have to make sense to others, but that’s because the Holy Spirit didn’t communicate with them about it. He spoke directly to her about the matter and she trusts what her Father says.
• Finally, she is patient. Extremely patient and sensible. She tells the women three times: "Do not arouse or awaken my love until it pleases!" In other words, don't rush love and allow the Lord to write this story. Don’t interfere and step in and allow God and the man to work together before approaching you. Keep your faith and purity in check and continue to carry yourself like a wife before he ever arrives. Continue to pray that any strongholds on your life or his will be broken.
The Lord reminds us of this in 2 Timothy 2:22:
"Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts."
In other words, when the Lord intercepts your heart, the fleeting desires and lusts of the world and our flesh will no longer appease us. Instead, we will chase after things and people who are holy, righteous, and pure and promote peace. God looks with the heart. He already knows what's inside each of us. Allow Him to choose your partner, and then let God write the rest of the story.
Oh, Snap! As I was finishing up the above paragraph, the Lord nudged me to look up the final verse of Song of Solomon.
I flipped open my Passion Bible, and the final verse of the poem is titled:
"The Bridegroom and the Bride in Divine Duet"
Remember how God told me to look up the song "Duet" earlier in this post? Let this be confirmation that He's speaking right now! Ahhh isn’t He amazing?! I truly love, love, love the Lord! I highly encourage you to listen to that song during this season! Allow the Lord to speak to your heart through the lyrics!
The Holy Spirit also has a beautiful message as He closes out Song of Solomon in Chapter 8. It’s His love letter to us…
"Arise, my darling!
Come quickly, my beloved.
We will dance in the high place of the sky, yes on the mountains of fragrant spice.
Forever we shall be united as one!"
Open your eyes! Look for the doves! Dance in the sky with the Savior! New love is coming! Springtime has arrived...
Prayer: Lord, You are so perfect and majestic, Your ways are too mighty for us to ever understand! I ask that You please reach your children wherever they are today and remind them of Your perfect love. Perfect love casts out all fear. You are such a loving Father, so mighty and compassionate and You have designed every single day of our life. Lord, please show Your children how much You love them through the words inspired in Song of Solomon. Illuminate and bring forth new revelations that can only be taught by You. Lord, many of your children have been in a season of waiting for their spouses and all of this is very new to them. We didn’t grow up in enviroments where any of this was taught and we thank You for opening our eyes and teaching us in new, magnificent ways. You truly do amaze us!!! Father, help us become more like You and transform our hearts. We learn to love only because You loved us first. You remind us in 1 Corinthians that “love never stops loving. Love remains long after the words of knowledge are forgotten. For now we see but a faint reflection of riddles and mysteries as though reflected in a mirror, but one day we will see face-to-face. Until then, there are three things that remain: faith, hope and love — yet love surpasses them all.”
Below is a heart rock that my nephew and I found right before the Lord inspired this blog post. The Creator is always speaking through His creation…
