As a seal
Songs of Solomon 8:6-7
“Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm, for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.
Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.”
A seal is an object, a fastener that produces a tight and perfect closure (Longman Dictionary). That is the type of allegory God is using for description through the King, Solomon. We should set Him as a seal, a perfect closure on our hearts.
While we may love family, brethren and friends much, our supreme love must be for Christ and His Kingdom. Many troubles threaten the faith (and Faith) of the Christian, of God's faithfulness especially when these problems linger for a while. Also, we occasionally suffer from distrust and hurt, even from those we love on earth yet, Christ's love for us abides. Be rest assured beloved for nothing separates us from His love (Romans 8:38-39 ).
Beware! God is a jealous God, so he will not accommodate a rival on His throne-our hearts. A rival is one person or thing (or more) who takes God's place, he (she/it) replaces our supreme love, which is for God, a relationship (family/friends) that disturbs our relationship, time and commitment with God. We may never have a replica of Christ's love for us, who laid His life in order to redeem us.
God will go to any length to keep us near Him including a rod if need be. Can we give up this kind of love in exchange for anything? The Love of God is unquantifiable and unending. It transcends till eternity. You are loved, O Saint of God. What is our response to this love? We measure our love by our obedience to God and His word. “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:16-17 )
Shalom.