Page 183 - Radical Love by Linda Robinson

RADICAL LOVE

“She (the Shulamite) was, as it were, thinking aloud something like

this: ‘I must therefore live on the mountain of myrrh and hill of
frankincense. If, through the means of deeper fellowship in His

sufferings and death, a greater deliverance from the wilderness world
can be attained, then the Cross and I must know a deeper union. In the

endurance of yet greater afflictions, and in my going down to a deeper

death in Christ, I must move forward to the break of day.’

The Shulamite is referring to entering a new level of resurrection life,

which is produced only through being prepared to fellowship in the
sufferings of Jesus. We have to eat His full Body in order to identify

with Him at a deep level. We can’t simply pick and choose which parts
of the Christian walk are most palatable. If, however, we do trust Him

more fully and surrender without reserve, the Lord rewards us with a

clearer revelation of His beauty, love, and power. We get to enjoy
intimate communion with our beloved and magnificent Bridegroom,

accompanied by sharper spiritual vision. How can we not yield to Him

when we gain so much more than what we have sacrificed? May God
in His grace help us!

This deeper level of suffering has brought her to a new height in Him.
How do we know this? Well, at the beginning of Chapter 4, in verse 1

of the King James Version, it says: “Thou art fair,” but in verse 7, the
Bridegroom addresses her by saying, “Thou art all fair, my love; there

is no spot in thee.” The time on the mountain of myrrh and hill of

frankincense has wrought results within the Shulamite, and in her

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