First Love

As I write this blog story, I have been constantly surrounded by announcements of engagements or weddings. Just last week I was leading worship with a couple who were celebrating their 50th Wedding anniversary. And only a few days back I attended a young couple's engagement ceremony. It was quite amazing to see the couple, especially in the former instance who renewed the vows they had exchanged, half a century ago. They were celebrating God's faithfulness in their lives, through good times and bad.

Its quite amusing to see the way young couples behave when they are in love. Its that feeling of freshness where both the guy and the gal long to be with each other, talk and spend time with each other. Exchange of text messages, hours on the phone... basically find any excuse to meet up and be with each other. And once they are together, the world can pass by and they would hardly ever notice it.

Apostle John writes down the things he sees in a vision from God. In the Book of Revelation, chapters 1, 2 and 3 John addresses the seven churches... the Church of Ephesus (the Loveless Church), Smyrna (the Persecuted Church), Pergamos (the Compromising Church), Thyatira (the Corrupt Church), Sardis (the Dead Church), Philadelphia (the Faithful Church), Laodiceans (the lukewarm Church).

And as I kept reading these chapters, Revelation 2 : 2 - 4 just popped up at me...

"I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, 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 the love you had at first." 

And when I read that last line, something in me just broke. I accepted the Lord in the year 1995, and ever since have tried to love, honor and serve God the best I can. But as always, life happens, choices are made, I become busy doing 'things', the Christian walk becomes a crawl... even a standstill. The love and passion that I had for God as a new born believer, now grown cold. Daily devotion becomes a chore, constant communion with God is forgotten among all the other voices that I am surrounded with. "I have forsaken the love I had at first" for God.

When I saw that old couple exchange their vows, they still had that spark in their eyes for each other. As that old gentleman repeated the vows to his lady, both had tears in their eyes and smiles on their faces. Fifty years din't draw them apart, but ever more closer to each other.

I want to get back to walking with God closer. I want to get back to that longing to spend time with Him. I don't want to be known as the Loveless or the Corrupt or the Lukewarm or the Dead Church. I want to be faithful to my Savior, my Redeemer, my Righteousness, my... First Love.    

I wanna sit at your feet, drink from the cup in Your hand, lay back against You and breathe, hear Your heart beat. This love is so deep, it's more than I can stand.

I melt in Your peace, it's overwhelming ~ Kari Jobe