Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruits.

Canticles 4:16

I have been thinking about this great verse from the Song of Solomon – the ways of God. It is in today’s Daily Light.  The writer sees how spices grow.  They need north wind and south wind, both.  I have no clear understanding of the spiritual meaning of this picture, but the writer identified his own walk with God as experiencing the change of weather, of season, as the spices grow and flourish in the land, in his garden.  I assume the north wind is warm and moist, the south wind hot and energizing.  Maybe.

In any case, the gardener must know the ways of the winds and employ them to make the garden produce what is just right for the human needs. As I grew up, I was fascinated by how much the farmers kept talking about the weather.  My dad sold cars, I was acquainted with that.  Weather was no big thing for him. But in life, this parable or picture of the vineyard shouts with meaning.

Several things are required, selecting and planting the grape vine, tending it, protecting it and hovering over it to make sure we are doing all we can to make it grow and produce fruit – wine. That is our part. God’s part has to with the changes in the seasons, in the weather patterns, etc.

I note that the fruit of the vineyard is for the one whom the farmer loves, the one who is invited into this garden to eat the pleasant fruits.  That is, of course, you and me. May this picture speak volumes to us!