Walk in the Light

Tag: romance

August 2, 2026

August 2nd, 2026

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Song of Solomon 7-8

Highlight Verses:

“O my darling, lingering in the gardens, your companions are fortunate to hear your voice. Let me hear it, too! Come away, my love! Be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices.”
‭‭Song of Songs‬ ‭8‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In today’s highlight verses, the young couple we’ve been reading about wraps up the book looking forward to the adventures together.

Once a year, my wife and I make a point to get away for a few days together.

Sometimes it’s just a night or two in the mountains nearby.

This year we spent a week in the Carolinas including three nights by ourselves exploring the western reaches of North and South Carolinas
(the photo is from downtown Greenville, SC).

I admit that I’m not to most romantic husband, but I believe that adventures together are inherently romantic.

Discovering the beauty of nature and unique aspects of culture in different areas builds the bonds of our relationship.

It certainly doesn’t hurt to throw a little romance in there too.

It is true that there are about as many definitions of adventure as there are people. But discovering new things together is not only good for a relationship, but biblical in the light of today’s reading.

How do you define adventure?
What adventurous things have you and your spouse done (please keep it family friendly)?
July 26, 2026

July 26th, 2026

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Song of Solomon 5-6

Highlight Verse:

““Who is this, arising like the dawn, as fair as the moon, as bright as the sun, as majestic as an army with billowing banners?””
‭‭Song of Songs‬ ‭6‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Romance as many see it today is deceptive. We put our best self forth and try to hide our faults.

If that is the definition of romance, then I can see the deception.

But that’s not what Solomon is demonstrating here.

It’s like how I approach my work. When I fix a copier, I always try to make it look as good as possible because people are less likely to abuse a machine that looks new.

Likewise, I try to talk up things it does well which results in my customers having a more positive opinion of the machine.

Solomon’s romance, as demonstrated here, seeks to accentuate the best qualities of the one who is the object of one’s romantic desire.

Studies have proven that the more positively we think about someone, the better we will treat them.

Likewise, the more honest positive things we say about a person, the more likely we will think more positively about that person.

The effect fails if the positive things are lies, but we can find honest positive attributes about nearly everyone.

Honest positive comments will virtually always help strengthen relationships.

What are some positive things you can say about your spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend?
When was the last time you said them?
July 19, 2026

July 19th, 2026

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Song of Solomon 3-4

Highlight Verse:

“Come out to see King Solomon, young women of Jerusalem. He wears the crown his mother gave him on his wedding day, his most joyous day.”
‭‭Song of Songs‬ ‭3‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Can we be honest? This was a tough reading to comment on.

Part of me wants to compare the love the young man and woman have for each other to the love we have for God.

Problem is, today’s reading borders on erotic. Awkward, but appropriate for a husband and wife.

And today’s highlight verse does bring the subject around to marriage for Solomon.

I admit that is a little bit confusing since Solomon had over 700 wives and 300 concubines.

Many, if not most theologians believe that Solomon had only one wife that he was truly in love with. She would be the subject of this romance.

The others were mostly political arrangements, though that didn’t stop him from having children with them.

That seems like a bizarre practice today but in that time and place, this was normal practice for a successful king.

Whether that was moral or not, the main point I see here is that God’s ideal is for marriage to be one man and one woman for life.

Solomon did not live the ideal and he ended up paying the consequences for that later in his life.

But when he wrote this it was clear that he was smitten by only one.

Many today have come short of the ideal of one spouse for life.

As my first wife left me for someone else, and I am now remarried, I cannot claim a high ground.

But I can claim a singularly devoted love for my wife now.

Though, for some reason, Solomon’s awesome lines about her hair being like a flock of sheep and cheeks like pomegranates didn’t have the desired effect on her.

Have you found the love of your life?
Are you fully devoted to her/him?
February 14, 2025

February 14th, 2025

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Isaiah 19-21

Highlight Verse:

“In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the heart of Egypt, and there will be a monument to the Lord at its border.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭19‬:‭19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

First off, for all you hopeless romantics looking for a romantic reading, sorry.

I scoured today’s reading and found nothing that we would call romantic.

That is unless we think along the lines of what author Ted Dekker called “The Great Romance” in his “Circle Series” of novels.

In that case,

The Great Romance is the story of God wooing His creation to find life in Him.

In today’s highlight verse, Isaiah prophesied that Romance coming to Egypt.

It came true!

In the 2nd century BC, during the Maccabean revolt in Israel, the priests were forced to flee to Egypt. They brought with them the practice of worship and sacrifice. Many in Egypt came to worship God, laying the spiritual foundation for the Coptic Church to follow after Christ’s sacrifice.

It was likely to the same area that Joseph, Mary, and Jesus fled.

The Coptic Church, founded by Mark the Evangelist in 42AD is likely the oldest Christian group still in existence today.

And Isaiah saw it coming.

Does it surprise you that Isaiah’s prophecies came true in such a profound way?
What other prophecies in today’s reading caught your eye? Why?
July 28, 2024

July 28th, 2024

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Song of Solomon 7-8

Highlight Verse:

“Promise me, O women of Jerusalem, not to awaken love until the time is right.”
‭‭Song of Songs‬ ‭8‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I’ve worked with youth for years. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard middle schoolers talk about their girlfriends or boyfriends.

It is tough not to lecture them each time they say that on why they shouldn’t even think about that sort of thing at their age.

Our culture encourages romance from the moment kids can talk.

It robs kids of all the friendships and fun they could have if they were just content to be kids.

I’ll step down off my soap box now and bring this more into context.

The young woman in this book shows her faithfulness to her “lover” by not giving in to Solomon’s desires to add her to his harem.

In the context of this culture, her relationship was probably prearranged by her parents. If that was the case,

she not only honors her lover but also her parents and her culture by staying faithful.

I see today’s highlight verse as a plea for help from the women of Jerusalem to keep her and all the other young women faithful.

What are you doing to stay faithful to the one to whom you are pledged or will be pledged?
How can you help others around you stay faithful?
July 14, 2024

July 14th, 2024

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Song of Solomon 3-4

Highlight Verse:

“You are beautiful, my darling, beautiful beyond words. Your eyes are like doves behind your veil. Your hair falls in waves, like a flock of goats winding down the slopes of Gilead.”
‭‭Song of Songs‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In today’s culture, the metaphors used in this chapter are almost comical.

In fact, years ago, Christian comedian Mark Lowry composed a very funny song using these verses.

But, if we go back to the culture and context in which this was written,

the young man who wrote this was very romantic.

He was so romantic that, despite the desires of the amazing King Solomon, he is able to keep his beloved committed to him.

While I can write, and my first published work was poetry (middle school project), I have never been good at writing romantic poetry.

But, I have other ways of expressing romance to my wife.

While I have enjoyed our committed relationship,

I could use more ideas for romance.

What do you do to express romance to your spouse or future spouse? (Keep it rated G or PG, please)
What does your spouse do that kindles the fires of romance? (Again – G or PG rated)
July 7, 2024

July 7th, 2024
Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Song of Solomon 1-2

Highlight Verse:

“This is Solomon’s Song of Songs, more wonderful than any other.”
‭‭Song of Songs‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There have been many interpretations of the Song of Solomon. They boil down to three categories:
- It is an allegory of the love between man and God.
- It is the love story of Solomon and his one true love.
- Or it is the story of a young shepherdess who is wooed by Solomon but chooses to stay faithful to the simple young man to whom she is committed already.
We’ll spend the next few weeks looking at those possibilities as we read through it.

Today I want to focus on the simple fact that God values romantic love.

No matter how you think this book should be interpreted, it is couched in very romantic language.

While some are more romantic than others, the language of this book, along with the claim that it is “more wonderful than any other” makes it clear that

God strongly believes in romantic love.

Those of us who might not be the most romantic should take note.

Romance in the context of a committed relationship is important to God.

Lesson noted. I should work on that.

Those of you who are married or will soon be married, how can you better express that godly romance?
How should the concept of godly romance affect your relationship with God?
Which of the three main interpretations do you think is more accurate?

Tag: romance

In today’s highlight verses, the young couple we’ve been reading about wraps up the book looking forward to the adventures together.

Discovering the beauty of nature and unique aspects of culture in different areas builds the bonds of our relationship.

It certainly doesn’t hurt to throw a little romance in there too.

But that’s not what Solomon is demonstrating here.

Solomon’s romance, as demonstrated here, seeks to accentuate the best qualities of the one who is the object of one’s romantic desire.

Honest positive comments will virtually always help strengthen relationships.

And today’s highlight verse does bring the subject around to marriage for Solomon.

Whether that was moral or not, the main point I see here is that God’s ideal is for marriage to be one man and one woman for life.

But I can claim a singularly devoted love for my wife now.

I scoured today’s reading and found nothing that we would call romantic.

The Great Romance is the story of God wooing His creation to find life in Him.

And Isaiah saw it coming.

It robs kids of all the friendships and fun they could have if they were just content to be kids.

she not only honors her lover but also her parents and her culture by staying faithful.

I see today’s highlight verse as a plea for help from the women of Jerusalem to keep her and all the other young women faithful.

In today’s culture, the metaphors used in this chapter are almost comical.

the young man who wrote this was very romantic.

I could use more ideas for romance.

God strongly believes in romantic love.