The Amplified Bible reads, " [Then, longingly addressing her absent shepherd, she cried] Until the day breaks and the shadows flee away, return hastily, O my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young hart as you cover the mountains [which separate us]." (Song of Solomon 2:17)

I like this rendering because it helps to put in perspective the scene of which I've been sharing with you. Her plea to her beloved is this, please allow me to paraphrase in my own words, "I am waiting until the day breaks, that is things change for the better, in which the shadows I am in have fled away, but until then, return or come to me quickly like that of a gazelle, who has much speed, and a young hart, who is known for their unexpected appearance, come over the mountains that separate us."

In the King James Version, it reads, "the mountain of Bether." This phrase means, "mountain of division." It's in the shadows of life that we feel separated from our Lord and many times from those who are actually the closest to us. Shadows seemingly bring a feeling of "distance," a wide distance.

She describes her beloved as a roe (KJV), gazelle (AMP) which both terms describe what we understand to be the antelope. She uses one other description of him as a "young hart." This is a male deer, as I stated earlier, is known for their unexpected appearance.

She says to him, like a young gazelle who has speed and a young male deer who can show up unexpectedly, do so; cross the mountains that divide us and come to me.

Oh how well do the "shadows of life" make us not only feel in the dark and cold, but oh so lonely. There is no more a awful feeling to experience than to be surrounded by people and feel alone, yet even more indescribable, it know you are surrounded by people that love you and still feel alone. There is no doubt that some who may read this can identify with what I'm writing. I'm sure there is a psychological name for such but if there is, it doesn’t change the experience. It's a tough place to be none-the-less.

I have paraphrased the latter part of verse 17 like this, "turn unto me, come across the divide between us with speed and appear in the midst of my night and shadows."

My, the desire she had for his presence. What an example for us regarding our Lord. We should want the presence of the Lord Jesus to be so real and present in the shadows of our life. We should seek and desire for him to come with speed in the midst of the shadows and show up in the dark of the shadows.

I know that most of us would rather He take care of the shadows so we wouldn't have to go thru them at all; yet, realistically, you or I will never know just how much His presence means to us until we face the cold, unpleasant and dark shadows of life. They come unexpected, stay long and bring all sorts of fears. But, thank God, they don't muzzle our cry that "until they pass, Oh Lord, come with speed and show up in my shadows!"

Please understand and don't try to ignore the reality of such shadowy experiences in this journey of life as Christians, but know for sure, Jesus may not take away the shadows of life for the moment, but He will "walk us thru them and walk with us." I am personally coming to experience this, that like the hand of a friend, the ear of a confidant, the hug of a lover, the watchful eye of a parent….Jesus will cross whatever we feel divides us in our shadows and with haste show up to minister to us. But remember, one word made all the difference in the shadows of the Shulamites experience. She stated that until the day breaks (things change for the better) and the shadows flee (the dark experiences of life go away) TURN! That's the key. Do you ask Him to come to you in the shadows of life? Do you ask Him to show up in the darkness of the shadows?

Only till we ask will he come. It's not that he doesn't want to come, He just will not show up until we ask Him to. He is a perfect gentleman and will not intrude into our lives until we ask Him to and when we ask Him to…He will show up…with speed and when we least expect Him…but He will!

Until my next blog confabulation….God bless!