For Winter Seasons…
Jesus, my Beloved
I am Yours and You are mine
And Your love flows like a fountain
Sweet as honey, better than wineIn the night
In the darkness
Keep me burning
Keep me burningIn the quiet
In the waiting
Keep me burning
Keep me burningHelp me remember all You’ve done
You're still the One that my heart wants…
Keep me faithful, keep me true
Bind my heart to only You“Jesus My Beloved” by Jonathan Ogden
“Jesus, My Beloved” is for both the joyful and the jolted, and it has ministered to my heart in the darkest of winters. Whether you’re in that kind of season right now, or you’re preparing for the one that will inevitably come, may this song of devotion encourage you to draw near to God through it all.
Let’s pray through the lyrics together. Feel free to edit along the way as you talk to the God who loves you and knows you by name.
Jesus, my Beloved. I am Yours and You are mine.
God, thank You for loving me, knowing me, and keeping me. In this moment, I commit to being Yours completely, no matter the circumstance, because I love You and I trust You. Forgive me for when I’ve wavered on that commitment. Thank You for never wavering on Yours.
You have been a Good Father and a Faithful Friend since the moment I met You. Don’t allow for my current feelings to skew my view of Your constant faithfulness. Because You have loved me first, I now know what true love looks like. Teach me to reciprocate Your love and tell the world about it.
[Deuteronomy 6:5, Acts 20:24]
Your love flows like a fountain. Sweet as honey, better than wine.
Who else offers a love that is overwhelming, undeserving, and unending, all at once? Your love is long (patient) and loaded with kindness. You have proven Your love for me time and time again, through creation, through the cross, and through Your constant pursuit of me. In moments of weakness, may my knowledge of these truths never be diminished.
[Romans 5:8, 1 Corinthians 13:4]
In the night, in the darkness, keep me burning. Keep me burning.
What a relief it is to know that the darkness is not dark to You. Allow for this to be the place where You can do Your greatest work. Use this season, these tears, and the testimony that will come out of it, for your glory and my good. Mold me into an altar You are pleased with. Keep me burning and beholding.
[Leviticus 6:13, Psalm 139:12, Romans 8:28, Romans 11:36]
In the quiet, in the waiting, keep me burning. Keep me burning.
When I can’t detect Your voice, steer me away from the tendency to doubt Your nearness. As I wait for Your hand, teach me to seek Your face.
Help me to not be frustrated by silence, but to delight in it, knowing that the quiet is the best place to prioritize being still. If I don’t hear You say anything, lead me in trusting that Your presence is with me wherever I am. Let that be enough for me.
[1 Kings 19:11-12, Psalm 139:7-10]
Help me remember all You’ve done. You're still the One that my heart wants.
If You never do another thing for me, You will still be worthy of my heart and my praise. It would have been enough for You to pay the debt of my sin, but You have done infinitely more than that for me. You’ve met me. You’ve comforted me. You’ve been my Provider, my Peace, and my Present Help in times of trouble. This time is no different.
Holy Spirit, when everything feels heavy, lift me up by bringing to my remembrance all that You have said, all that You have done, and all that You are. Have Your way in my happiness and my heartache. Be my Strength. Hide me in the shadow of Your wings. Renew a right spirit within me — one that is glorifying and pleasing to You and You alone.
[Psalm 17:8, Psalm 28:7, Psalm 51:10-12, Isaiah 12:2, Isaiah 26:3, John 14:27, John 16:33, Philippians 4:19]
Keep me faithful. Keep me true. Bind my heart to only You.
Teach me to be faithful as You are faithful. Teach me to be holy as You are holy. Keep me aligned with Your truth in a world where everything seems up for debate. Give me the ability, daily, to make You my first and only love, with all other loves paling in comparison. Allow for my love of others to be out of direct overflow of my love for You.
May my commitment to sitting and receiving Your love be reflected in all that I do. Mold me into the worshipper You are seeking, who worships You in spirit and in truth. You are worthy of all my affection and adoration. Have Your way in me, now and through eternity.
[Leviticus 20:26, John 4:24, Philippians 4:19, 1 Peter 1:14-16 ]
In Jesus’ mighty and matchless name,
Amen.
I pray this song provides the same comfort for your soul as it does for mine. And may your heart keep burning for the only One who satisfies every desire.
Listen To The Song!
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/track/4EsYYFhkGUz9kxjQzMx1D3?si=eca68d9e33894724
Apple Music - https://music.apple.com/us/album/jesus-my-beloved-feat-kindred-worship/1551227902?i=1551227909
