Quick Intro:
Sex is beautiful – an incredible gift God gave us for the expression of intimate, passionate love within marriage.

Sex outside of marriage isn’t God’s plan.  And Christian culture makes really, really sure you’re aware of that.  In fact, that concept gets so much focus that, sometimes, people can start to wonder what was good about sex to begin with.

This series is a reminder of why sex – within marriage – is something amazing, and something worth waiting for.

Today: The Thrill of Being Desired

This passage is from Song of Solomon, which comes right before Isaiah in the Bible.  The whole book is about how wonderful sex is in the context of marriage.  Most of the book is a husband and wife talking.  Here, the wife is talking about her husband…

“As an apricot tree stands out in the forest, my lover stands above the young men in town.  All I want is to sit in his shade, to taste and savor his delicious love.  He took me home with him for a festive meal, but his eyes feasted on me!

Oh! Give me something refreshing to eat—and quickly! I’m about to faint with love! His left hand cradles my head, and his right arm encircles my waist!” (Song of Solomon, 2:3-6)

Here’s the truth: Everyone wants to be desired.   And everyone wants to feel like they are desirable.  And one of the amazing things about sex within marriage is that it gives you the opportunity to communicate to your spouse in undeniable ways: I desire you.

Think for a second about how hard you work to not give into lust – to not “mentally undress” every guy or girl that crosses your path.  (And, yes, lust is wrong.) Now, think about this phrase from that passage above: “His eyes feasted on me!”

In marriage, the thing you’re fighting so hard to restrain suddenly becomes a force for good.  The husband in this passage gives his wife the look.  This is the look that says, “I want you.  I want every inch of you.  I’m looking you up and down to take it all in, to catalog fully the geography of my desire.  And I’m savoring every piece.”

And note the wife’s response.  It’s worth considering what she doesn’t say.  She doesn’t protest that he’s “objectifying” her.  She doesn’t get flustered or embarrassed.  And she doesn’t call up the Pastor to make sure it’s all kosher.

Nope, the wife, in that moment, is so overcome by how desired she is that she can barely stand up straight.  As we say in the South, she’s getting the vapors.  In fact, she essentially just falls into his arms, and not for snuggling.  (I shouldn’t need to tell you what happens next in this scenario.)

Here’s why this matters.  Life is hard.  Life following Jesus can get really, really hard.  If you’re working for mercy and justice in the world, people will go out of their way to harsh on your buzz, to tell you that you’re no good and they don’t like your style.

But in marriage, you have an oasis and a refuge.  You have a place where you are wanted and desired, and passionately.  When you start to feel beat up and beat down by the world, your spouse can come along, and give you that look – the one where they “feast on you” with their eyes.  And you start to forget all about the jerks you’ve gotta deal with out in the world.  And a little while later, you really don’t care about them at all.  What was I concerned about again?

My friends, God designed this, for you.  This is what awaits you, and it is worth waiting for.