COME AWAY WITH ME,
MY BELOVED
By Laura Sinclair
“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life” (Psalm 143:8).
God’s love for us is never-ending. And only His love can truly satisfy us and fill our deepest desires. Only in the context of His promises can we truly find peace and trust in that love. He promises never to leave us or never to forsake us. He loved us since before He created us.
Are you longing to go deeper in your relationship with God?
“My beloved calls to me, Arise, my darling. Come away with me” (Song of Solomon 2:10).
Jesus always invites us into a deeper and more intimate relationship with Him. He wants to be with us, to do things together. Can you hear Him calling? Can you feel the tug?
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).
Here is another promise: God never stops pursuing us, inviting us or reaching out to us. He asks. And He waits. It is now up to us. There is action involved—notice it in both Scripture verses. In Song of Songs, He calls, but it is up to us to “arise” and “come away.” In Revelation, He stands and knocks, but we must “open the door.”
Is He calling you to set something aside in this season so that you can have time to be with Him? It is a relationship, a give-and-take. Both parties must choose to be actively involved. Jesus is there, inviting, asking and pursuing, but we must choose Him, too. We are called to participate with God in this relationship. We must decide to get up and go, make space, say yes, read Scripture, whisper to Him and follow through with His nudging to act. In this life, we must choose Him over and over. This action is our response to His invitation. There are many ways to answer that call to “come away.”
To support our OSL members, we are offering retreats as one way you might choose to do that. Rev. Josh Acton and I will be putting on Rekindle Retreats in various locations and formats throughout the year. Rev. Acton will be giving a series of talks and leading participants in prayer exercises designed to allow you space and time to meet with Jesus and grow as His disciple. At the end of the retreat weekend, I will guide participants through listening to the Lord and goal- setting, putting together action steps for getting plugged into wherever God is calling you into action in your life, in OSL and the world. These weekends will be built around community, with small group times of fellowship, discussion, prayer and mutual encouragement. These weekends are time with Jesus, time for “being,” reconnecting with God and “rekindling” our faith.
No matter how God calls you to connect with Him, know He is calling out to you. He wants to spend time with you, and He wants to show you His love for you. Spend time with Him and see how He calls you into a deeper relationship with Him.
Please visit https://osltoday.org/rekindleretreats/ for more information on Rekindle Retreats.