"I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God."
Revelation 2:2-5, 7
We are busy.
Busy with school, busy with our careers, busy raising families, busy with children's activities, busy with social responsibilities, sports, busy being entertained, busy with church events, just plain downright busy.
Sometimes we are busy doing "God" things, His work, lots of good things in His name, which is all wonderful, but if we are not vigilant, if we are not careful we will find ourselves distant, estranged, from our First Love.
The Lord says: "Yet I have this against you."
Do you feel, or have you felt the sting of the Lord's rebuke? I know I have, because in those words lay a truth, a searing indictment that I really didn't want to own up to: in my heart He was no longer first, which was why so much time was spent doing other things, meaningless idolatrous things.
We can become so busy, our schedules so packed, that we can forget our beginnings, where we started and how it was in the "Garden", when we were first saved, our hearts and spirits so fresh and tender, when we were so in love with Jesus that all we wanted to do was be with Him, sit before Him, feast on His Word, listen to His voice as He whispered: "This is my way, walk in it."
Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, He was there at the beginning for us, and in the end it will be us and Him, and most of what we spent our time on will have absolutely zero eternal benefit.
Beloved, return to your First Love...only He can satisfy the deepest longings of your heart.
Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God."
Revelation 2:2-5, 7
We are busy.
Busy with school, busy with our careers, busy raising families, busy with children's activities, busy with social responsibilities, sports, busy being entertained, busy with church events, just plain downright busy.
Sometimes we are busy doing "God" things, His work, lots of good things in His name, which is all wonderful, but if we are not vigilant, if we are not careful we will find ourselves distant, estranged, from our First Love.
The Lord says: "Yet I have this against you."
Do you feel, or have you felt the sting of the Lord's rebuke? I know I have, because in those words lay a truth, a searing indictment that I really didn't want to own up to: in my heart He was no longer first, which was why so much time was spent doing other things, meaningless idolatrous things.
We can become so busy, our schedules so packed, that we can forget our beginnings, where we started and how it was in the "Garden", when we were first saved, our hearts and spirits so fresh and tender, when we were so in love with Jesus that all we wanted to do was be with Him, sit before Him, feast on His Word, listen to His voice as He whispered: "This is my way, walk in it."
Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, He was there at the beginning for us, and in the end it will be us and Him, and most of what we spent our time on will have absolutely zero eternal benefit.
Beloved, return to your First Love...only He can satisfy the deepest longings of your heart.
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