A number of years ago, my husband and I had the honor of being invited to a gathering that was for house of prayer leaders around the world. At a significant moment, one of the leaders picked up a bell that had a treble note on top of it and began to ring it again and again. As she rang the bell, she announced, "The time for singing has come, the time for singing has come..."
"The flowers appear on the earth once again; the time for singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land." (Song of Solomon 2:12)
Each time she rang the bell and spoke these words, our spirits seemed to awaken from what felt like a long winter's hibernation. It was an announcement that winter was over and a time of singing was upon us. With each ring of the bell, the desire within me to run to the Lord increased.
In the spirit, I began to see a beautiful table that He had been preparing for us throughout the long winter's hibernation; it was ready and filled with the finest of fruits. Over this table was a banner that also looked like a canopy. It almost looked like a "cloud of glory," and I knew that it was filled with His love—so many expressions of His love. (Photo via Creative Commons)
The Time for Singing Has Come!
As I remembered this special time from many years ago, I suddenly heard in my spirit the bell ringing once again—like a dinner bell that was calling His family to come and feast with Him. But this time, each time that I heard the bell, it was like hearing the voice of our Beloved. Then there was an echo that followed the ringing which sounded like the cooing of doves. It captivated me, and I felt like it awakened me once again from a deep spiritual hibernation.
I then heard the words from Song of Solomon 2:8–14: "The voice of my beloved! Behold, he comes, leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills. My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, there he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, looking through the lattice. My beloved speaks and says to me:
"'Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away, for behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree ripens its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away. O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the crannies of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.'"
An Invitation to His Table
Our hearts long and yearn to experience the depths of His love. He is ringing the bell that invites us to the table to feast upon His love. The voice of our Beloved is calling to us, and the sound of His Spirit is cooing like the doves, announcing a spiritual springtime.
Then I remembered that the beginning of Song of Solomon 2 says this: "As an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the young men. With great delight I sat in his shadow, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. Sustain me with raisins; refresh me with apples, for I am sick with love. His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me!" (Song of Solomon 2:3–6). (Photo via Flickr)
He is inviting us to be refreshed and feast upon His love. He will let us taste the sweetness of His love and experience His hand upholding us and embracing us.
In a time where the enemy has sought to wear us down and leave us in a desert place, the Lord is calling out to us, "Arise, My love, and come away with Me!"
God has raised His banner to call us in. It is the banner of His love. In Exodus 17:15 Moses built an altar and named it Yahweh-Nissi, which means "the Lord is my banner." Moses was declaring that God was his banner, or flag. The banner is a sign that is erected or carried which gives people a rallying point. He is erecting His banner of love and calling us to come away and gather into His arms and around His table.
He is calling the weary, the hungry—those who are longing and yearning to behold Him; He is calling to you and to me to awaken and come. The bell is being rung, the doves are cooing, and the banner is flying high as a sign to come and gather.
The time of singing has come!
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Kathi Pelton
Inscribe Ministries
Email:Â jkpelton@sbcglobal.net
Website:Â www.inscribeministries.com
Jeffrey and Kathi Pelton live in Portland, Oregon. Jeffrey is a writer, teacher and book editor. Kathi is an author and prophetic voice to the Church. They walk with nations and individuals to see God's original intent fulfilled. Their ministry, Inscribe Ministries, was founded upon the verse from Habakkuk 2:2 that says, "Then the LORD answered me and said: 'Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.'"
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