I am my beloved’s, and he claims me as his own—his desire is for me. Song of Sol. 7:10
Lord Jesus, we believe you love us this much, but not as much as you intend. Many things war against our reveling and resting in your incomparable love. Among them are our dogged unbelief… the lies of the devil… preferring physical arms around us more than an invisible embrace… fear of intimacy… the scars of rejection… no categories for comprehending such affection for us—especially from someone as perfect as yourself. Free us. Heal us. Enthrall us, Lord.
We belong to you, Jesus—not by the merit of our efforts, the measure of our sincerity, or the maturity of our spirituality. We belong to you because you paid a price beyond measure to give us riches beyond calculation. Nothing can threaten or sever our belongingness. We’re not a trophy on the shelf, but a treasure in your heart. Hallelujah!
You desire us, Jesus—not because we show promise, but because you fulfilled every promise God made on our behalf. You cherish us—not because we are choice, but because we are chosen. You delight in us—not our glorified self, not a better version of us, but right now in full view of everything we are and are not yet. Nothing will ever diminish, or intensify, our belovedness. Hallelujah!
Jesus, by a fresh and powerful work of your Spirit, may your all-consuming, heart-transforming, life-liberating love for us take our breath away… then give it back to us. We want to live “smitten,” humbled, and gladdened by you and what it means to belong to you. So Very Amen.