Devotional

For the Lord is righteous; He loves righteous deeds. The upright will see his face. Psalm 11:7 CSB

Have you ever seen a bumper sticker or maybe a t-shirt with the phrase “Life is Good?” It’s a great thought and there are a variety of things that you might choose to fill in the blank that fit your idea of goodness. Today’s verse is a reminder that there is a path toward the good life that doesn’t have anything to do with circumstances or wishing for some external reality to make your life good. Goodness is an internal work that God wants to do in your life. He wants to lead you to a place where you are living in a relationship with Him that influences your attitudes and actions toward a life that reflects Him. God’s inviting you to the good life. It’s way better than anything you’ll ever find on your own.

Song of Songs 1 CSB

1 The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s.

Woman

2 Oh, that he would kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your caresses are more delightful than wine.
3 The fragrance of your perfume is intoxicating;
your name is perfume poured out.
No wonder young women adore you.
4 Take me with you—let’s hurry.
Oh, that the king would bring me to his chambers.

Young Women

We will rejoice and be glad in you;
we will celebrate your caresses more than wine.

Woman

It is only right that they adore you.

5 Daughters of Jerusalem,
I am dark like the tents of Kedar,
yet lovely like the curtains of Solomon.
6 Do not stare at me because I am dark,
for the sun has gazed on me.
My mother’s sons were angry with me;
they made me take care of the vineyards.
I have not taken care of my own vineyard.

7 Tell me, you whom I love:
Where do you pasture your sheep?
Where do you let them rest at noon?
Why should I be like one who veils herself
beside the flocks of your companions?

Man

8 If you do not know,
most beautiful of women,
follow the tracks of the flock,
and pasture your young goats
near the shepherds’ tents.

9 I compare you, my darling,
to a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots.
10 Your cheeks are beautiful with jewelry,
your neck with its necklace.
11 We will make gold jewelry for you,
accented with silver.

Woman

12 While the king is on his couch,
my perfume releases its fragrance.
13 The one I love is a sachet of myrrh to me,
spending the night between my breasts.
14 The one I love is a cluster of henna blossoms to me,
in the vineyards of En-gedi.

Man

15 How beautiful you are, my darling.
How very beautiful!
Your eyes are doves.

Woman

16 How handsome you are, my love.
How delightful!
Our bed is verdant;
17 the beams of our house are cedars,
and our rafters are cypresses.

Song of Songs 2 CSB

2 I am a wildflower of Sharon,
a lily of the valleys.

Man

2 Like a lily among thorns,
so is my darling among the young women.

Woman

3 Like an apricot tree among the trees of the forest,
so is my love among the young men.
I delight to sit in his shade,
and his fruit is sweet to my taste.
4 He brought me to the banquet hall,
and he looked on me with love.
5 Sustain me with raisins;
refresh me with apricots,
for I am lovesick.
6 May his left hand be under my head,
and his right arm embrace me.
7 Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you
by the gazelles and the wild does of the field,
do not stir up or awaken love
until the appropriate time.

8 Listen! My love is approaching.
Look! Here he comes,
leaping over the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
9 My love is like a gazelle
or a young stag.
See, he is standing behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
peering through the lattice.
10 My love calls to me:

Man

Arise, my darling.
Come away, my beautiful one.
11 For now the winter is past;
the rain has ended and gone away.
12 The blossoms appear in the countryside.
The time of singing has come,
and the turtledove’s cooing is heard in our land.
13 The fig tree ripens its figs;
the blossoming vines give off their fragrance.
Arise, my darling.
Come away, my beautiful one.

14 My dove, in the clefts of the rock,
in the crevices of the cliff,
let me see your face,
let me hear your voice;
for your voice is sweet,
and your face is lovely.

Woman

15 Catch the foxes for us—
the little foxes that ruin the vineyards—
for our vineyards are in bloom.

Woman

16 My love is mine and I am his;
he feeds among the lilies.
17 Until the day breaks
and the shadows flee,
turn around, my love, and be like a gazelle
or a young stag on the divided mountains.

Song of Songs 3 CSB

3 In my bed at night
I sought the one I love;
I sought him, but did not find him.
2 I will arise now and go about the city,
through the streets and the plazas.
I will seek the one I love.
I sought him, but did not find him.
3 The guards who go about the city found me.
I asked them, “Have you seen the one I love?”
4 I had just passed them
when I found the one I love.
I held on to him and would not let him go
until I brought him to my mother’s house—
to the chamber of the one who conceived me.
5 Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you
by the gazelles and the wild does of the field,
do not stir up or awaken love
until the appropriate time.

Narrator

6 Who is this coming up from the wilderness
like columns of smoke,
scented with myrrh and frankincense
from every fragrant powder of the merchant?

7 Look! Solomon’s bed
surrounded by sixty warriors
from the mighty men of Israel.
8 All of them are skilled with swords
and trained in warfare.
Each has his sword at his side
to guard against the terror of the night.

9 King Solomon made a carriage for himself
with wood from Lebanon.
10 He made its posts of silver,
its back of gold,
and its seat of purple.
Its interior is inlaid with love
by the young women of Jerusalem.
11 Go out, young women of Zion,
and gaze at King Solomon,
wearing the crown his mother placed on him
on the day of his wedding—
the day of his heart’s rejoicing.

Song of Songs 4 CSB

Man

4 How beautiful you are, my darling.
How very beautiful!
Behind your veil,
your eyes are doves.
Your hair is like a flock of goats
streaming down Mount Gilead.
2 Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn sheep
coming up from washing,
each one bearing twins,
and none has lost its young.
3 Your lips are like a scarlet cord,
and your mouth is lovely.
Behind your veil,
your brow is like a slice of pomegranate.
4 Your neck is like the tower of David,
constructed in layers.
A thousand shields are hung on it—
all of them shields of warriors.
5 Your breasts are like two fawns,
twins of a gazelle, that feed among the lilies.
6 Until the day breaks
and the shadows flee,
I will make my way to the mountain of myrrh
and the hill of frankincense.
7 You are absolutely beautiful, my darling;
there is no imperfection in you.

8 Come with me from Lebanon, my bride;
come with me from Lebanon!
Descend from the peak of Amana,
from the summit of Senir and Hermon,
from the dens of the lions,
from the mountains of the leopards.
9 You have captured my heart, my sister, my bride.
You have captured my heart with one glance of your eyes,
with one jewel of your necklace.
10 How delightful your caresses are, my sister, my bride.
Your caresses are much better than wine,
and the fragrance of your perfume than any balsam.
11 Your lips drip sweetness like the honeycomb, my bride.
Honey and milk are under your tongue.
The fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.

12 My sister, my bride, you are a locked garden—
a locked garden and a sealed spring.
13 Your branches are a paradise of pomegranates
with choicest fruits;
henna with nard,
14 nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon,
with all the trees of frankincense,
myrrh and aloes,
with all the best spices.
15 You are a garden spring,
a well of flowing water
streaming from Lebanon.

Woman

16 Awaken, north wind;
come, south wind.
Blow on my garden,
and spread the fragrance of its spices.
Let my love come to his garden
and eat its choicest fruits.

Psalm 11 CSB

Refuge in the Lord

For the choir director. Of David.

1 I have taken refuge in the Lord.
How can you say to me,
“Escape to the mountains like a bird!
2 For look, the wicked string bows;
they put their arrows on bowstrings
to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart.
3 When the foundations are destroyed,
what can the righteous do?”

4 The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord—his throne is in heaven.
His eyes watch;
his gaze examines everyone.
5 The Lord examines the righteous,
but he hates the wicked
and those who love violence.
6 Let him rain burning coals and sulfur on the wicked;
let a scorching wind be the portion in their cup.
7 For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds.
The upright will see his face.

Song of Songs 1 CSB

1 The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s.

Woman

2 Oh, that he would kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your caresses are more delightful than wine.
3 The fragrance of your perfume is intoxicating;
your name is perfume poured out.
No wonder young women adore you.
4 Take me with you—let’s hurry.
Oh, that the king would bring me to his chambers.

Young Women

We will rejoice and be glad in you;
we will celebrate your caresses more than wine.

Woman

It is only right that they adore you.

5 Daughters of Jerusalem,
I am dark like the tents of Kedar,
yet lovely like the curtains of Solomon.
6 Do not stare at me because I am dark,
for the sun has gazed on me.
My mother’s sons were angry with me;
they made me take care of the vineyards.
I have not taken care of my own vineyard.

7 Tell me, you whom I love:
Where do you pasture your sheep?
Where do you let them rest at noon?
Why should I be like one who veils herself
beside the flocks of your companions?

Man

8 If you do not know,
most beautiful of women,
follow the tracks of the flock,
and pasture your young goats
near the shepherds’ tents.

9 I compare you, my darling,
to a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots.
10 Your cheeks are beautiful with jewelry,
your neck with its necklace.
11 We will make gold jewelry for you,
accented with silver.

Woman

12 While the king is on his couch,
my perfume releases its fragrance.
13 The one I love is a sachet of myrrh to me,
spending the night between my breasts.
14 The one I love is a cluster of henna blossoms to me,
in the vineyards of En-gedi.

Man

15 How beautiful you are, my darling.
How very beautiful!
Your eyes are doves.

Woman

16 How handsome you are, my love.
How delightful!
Our bed is verdant;
17 the beams of our house are cedars,
and our rafters are cypresses.

----

Song of Songs 2 CSB

2 I am a wildflower of Sharon,
a lily of the valleys.

Man

2 Like a lily among thorns,
so is my darling among the young women.

Woman

3 Like an apricot tree among the trees of the forest,
so is my love among the young men.
I delight to sit in his shade,
and his fruit is sweet to my taste.
4 He brought me to the banquet hall,
and he looked on me with love.
5 Sustain me with raisins;
refresh me with apricots,
for I am lovesick.
6 May his left hand be under my head,
and his right arm embrace me.
7 Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you
by the gazelles and the wild does of the field,
do not stir up or awaken love
until the appropriate time.

8 Listen! My love is approaching.
Look! Here he comes,
leaping over the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
9 My love is like a gazelle
or a young stag.
See, he is standing behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
peering through the lattice.
10 My love calls to me:

Man

Arise, my darling.
Come away, my beautiful one.
11 For now the winter is past;
the rain has ended and gone away.
12 The blossoms appear in the countryside.
The time of singing has come,
and the turtledove’s cooing is heard in our land.
13 The fig tree ripens its figs;
the blossoming vines give off their fragrance.
Arise, my darling.
Come away, my beautiful one.

14 My dove, in the clefts of the rock,
in the crevices of the cliff,
let me see your face,
let me hear your voice;
for your voice is sweet,
and your face is lovely.

Woman

15 Catch the foxes for us—
the little foxes that ruin the vineyards—
for our vineyards are in bloom.

Woman

16 My love is mine and I am his;
he feeds among the lilies.
17 Until the day breaks
and the shadows flee,
turn around, my love, and be like a gazelle
or a young stag on the divided mountains.

----

Song of Songs 3 CSB

3 In my bed at night
I sought the one I love;
I sought him, but did not find him.
2 I will arise now and go about the city,
through the streets and the plazas.
I will seek the one I love.
I sought him, but did not find him.
3 The guards who go about the city found me.
I asked them, “Have you seen the one I love?”
4 I had just passed them
when I found the one I love.
I held on to him and would not let him go
until I brought him to my mother’s house—
to the chamber of the one who conceived me.
5 Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you
by the gazelles and the wild does of the field,
do not stir up or awaken love
until the appropriate time.

Narrator

6 Who is this coming up from the wilderness
like columns of smoke,
scented with myrrh and frankincense
from every fragrant powder of the merchant?

7 Look! Solomon’s bed
surrounded by sixty warriors
from the mighty men of Israel.
8 All of them are skilled with swords
and trained in warfare.
Each has his sword at his side
to guard against the terror of the night.

9 King Solomon made a carriage for himself
with wood from Lebanon.
10 He made its posts of silver,
its back of gold,
and its seat of purple.
Its interior is inlaid with love
by the young women of Jerusalem.
11 Go out, young women of Zion,
and gaze at King Solomon,
wearing the crown his mother placed on him
on the day of his wedding—
the day of his heart’s rejoicing.

----

Song of Songs 4 CSB

Man

4 How beautiful you are, my darling.
How very beautiful!
Behind your veil,
your eyes are doves.
Your hair is like a flock of goats
streaming down Mount Gilead.
2 Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn sheep
coming up from washing,
each one bearing twins,
and none has lost its young.
3 Your lips are like a scarlet cord,
and your mouth is lovely.
Behind your veil,
your brow is like a slice of pomegranate.
4 Your neck is like the tower of David,
constructed in layers.
A thousand shields are hung on it—
all of them shields of warriors.
5 Your breasts are like two fawns,
twins of a gazelle, that feed among the lilies.
6 Until the day breaks
and the shadows flee,
I will make my way to the mountain of myrrh
and the hill of frankincense.
7 You are absolutely beautiful, my darling;
there is no imperfection in you.

8 Come with me from Lebanon, my bride;
come with me from Lebanon!
Descend from the peak of Amana,
from the summit of Senir and Hermon,
from the dens of the lions,
from the mountains of the leopards.
9 You have captured my heart, my sister, my bride.
You have captured my heart with one glance of your eyes,
with one jewel of your necklace.
10 How delightful your caresses are, my sister, my bride.
Your caresses are much better than wine,
and the fragrance of your perfume than any balsam.
11 Your lips drip sweetness like the honeycomb, my bride.
Honey and milk are under your tongue.
The fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.

12 My sister, my bride, you are a locked garden—
a locked garden and a sealed spring.
13 Your branches are a paradise of pomegranates
with choicest fruits;
henna with nard,
14 nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon,
with all the trees of frankincense,
myrrh and aloes,
with all the best spices.
15 You are a garden spring,
a well of flowing water
streaming from Lebanon.

Woman

16 Awaken, north wind;
come, south wind.
Blow on my garden,
and spread the fragrance of its spices.
Let my love come to his garden
and eat its choicest fruits.

----

Psalm 11 CSB

Refuge in the Lord

For the choir director. Of David.

1 I have taken refuge in the Lord.
How can you say to me,
“Escape to the mountains like a bird!
2 For look, the wicked string bows;
they put their arrows on bowstrings
to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart.
3 When the foundations are destroyed,
what can the righteous do?”

4 The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord—his throne is in heaven.
His eyes watch;
his gaze examines everyone.
5 The Lord examines the righteous,
but he hates the wicked
and those who love violence.
6 Let him rain burning coals and sulfur on the wicked;
let a scorching wind be the portion in their cup.
7 For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds.
The upright will see his face.

DAY ONE HUNDRED-SIXTY SIX

Devotional

Song of Songs 1 CSB

Song of Songs 2 CSB

Song of Songs 3 CSB

Song of Songs 4 CSB

Psalm 11 CSB

Song of Songs 1 CSB

Song of Songs 2 CSB

Song of Songs 3 CSB

Song of Songs 4 CSB

Psalm 11 CSB