Song of Solomon 5:7

(7) The watchmen who went about the city found me. They struck me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took my veil away from me.

Today's verse is a harsh reality the bride of Christ will sometimes face. There are those in the body who do not understand the deep love and commitment the bride has for the Bridegroom. They don't understand how she can be found so often 'wasting' her time on Him. It's because they haven't yet experienced His love so deep that it becomes a living reality within. There are those that call her foolish, too zealous, and 'over the edge.' "Why?" they say, "Does she spend so much time with Him? Why is she so consumed with Him that she puts her other relationships after Him? This doesn't make sense to us! She must be some kind of heretic!"

Sadly, there are those in the body, often spiritual authority figures, who can do the most damage to the bride. These watchmen have been given a divine mandate to keep the walls, so as to protect the people. They have an assignment; but the bride is more about her relationship with the Bridegroom than an assignment given by Him. And because her focus is different, it may sometimes feel like a threat to others in the body. Because they don't understand, they may turn their back on her.

So now the bride has not only lost the manifest presence of God (verse 6), but the body of Christ has turned against her. She has lost her place of function in the body. This also is a test. Sometimes the Lord will allow this because He's doing an even deeper work in the bride. He wants to uncover some unperceived weaknesses in her spirit, such as pride, or being self-absorbed. He brings her to the hard question, "When everything is gone, will you still be Mine?"

Understand that a deep relationship with the bridegroom will require much more than an assignment from Him. Assignments are very important and much needed in the body, but a bridal relationship will require total commitment. A bride's inheritance is complete oneness with Him, and His inheritance is in her! "the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,..." (Ephesians 1:18).