My beloved speaks and says to me: “Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.” Song of Songs 2:10
Lord Jesus, the evidence is clear, convicting, and compelling:
Emotional tiredness and wandering thoughts
Being quicker at irritation than lingering adoration
Busyness taking precedent over beholding your beauty
Fear seizing more heart-space than the sweetness of grace
It’s time to seek your face—to come away to be with you. What a Lord, what a Savior, what a Bridegroom you are, saying to us, “Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.” That you address us as “my love, my beautiful one” is shocking, astonishing—so much so we doubt you could possibly be speaking to us. But you are… Hallelujah… you are. It was with great joy you created us; and it is with even greater joy you redeemed us.
Jesus, that you desire rich, intimate time with us is life-giving, heart-enthralling, and timely—SO timely. It’s hard to live with a Mary-heart in a Martha-world (Luke 10:38-42). Obligations, distractions, empty-nothings, and crises all conspire to crowd you out. We don’t offer that as an excuse, but as a confession and a plea. Refresh, renew, replenish our hearts, Jesus.
Before the “school-year” takes over; and predictable, necessary routines become ruts of exhaustion—center and settle us, Jesus. By your Word and Spirit … through good friends and your voice in creation … in stillness and aloneness … by salty tears and loud laughter … in our brokenness and by your beauty—once again convince us that only your love is better than life.
Jesus, we confess you as our “righteousness, holiness and redemption” (1Cor.1:30), but once again be our deepest joy and greatest delight. So Very Amen.