"Who is this that grows like the dawn, as beautiful as the full moon, as pure as the sun, as awesome as an army with banners?  I went down to the orchard of nut trees to see the blossoms of the valley, to see whether the vine had budded or the pomegranates had bloomed.  Before I was aware, my soul set me over the chariots of my noble people."

This quote is the continuation of the groom's quote.

Here we see the groom praise his bride for her growth.  The language of this text speaks to the changing of seasons - the seasons of the moon, the seasons of the blossoms, and the seasons of war.

Notice how Solomon begins this praise.  He says that the bride grows like the full moon.  This is a brave husband speaking.  He is praising her for the growth that she experiences.  In fact, the groom is saying that she grows as a result of his love for her.

This is also how God grows us.

What would happen if we didn't grow?  What would happen if season after season we remained unchanged?

Our challenge today is to look at the growth marks God has gifted us with.