02-Jun-2024 – God wants your first love
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. – Revelation 2:7
When God wanted to communicate to His people, He spoke through His prophets and messengers. When the apostle John was on Patmos Island, God gave him a message meant to be heard by every believer.
Today’s word is part of the message conveyed to the church of Ephesus. Each letter follows a pattern:
- Introduction: Information about who wrote the letter and the characteristics of the writer.
- Acknowledgment: Recognition of any good works of the recipient church.
- Warning: Observation of any shortcomings.
- Call to Action: A call to correct the shortcomings with a promise of reward for those who respond.
In this letter to the church of Ephesus, Jesus introduces Himself as, “he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks” (Revelation 2:1). The seven stars represent the leaders of the seven churches, and the seven candlesticks represent the churches themselves. Jesus emphasizes that He holds these leaders in His right hand of authority, leading and guiding the church members through them. He also conveys that He knows everything and sees everything about these churches as He walks amidst them.
Next, He appreciates the good works of this church:
“I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.” – Revelation 2:2-3
This church does good works before God and works hard. It gives utmost importance to God’s moral standards, understands the revelation of the word, and can identify the difference between false and true teachers. When doing God’s work, they are careful, patient, and stand firm without fainting.
Despite this great testimony, God found a problem with this church: they lost their first love. Initially, they waited and longed for God’s guidance in everything they did. However, over time, their work became mechanical, routine, and habitual. They started missing God’s will, similar to when David wanted to build a temple for God. Initially encouraged by the prophet, David changed his plan upon hearing God’s will and obeyed. This shows he did not lose his first love.
Even though this letter was written to a church, we can apply this to our lives. We might be mechanically doing God’s work without inquiring if it aligns with His will. God wants us to be as dependent on Him as we were in the initial days of our salvation, always seeking His guidance.
May God help us set ourselves right and rekindle our first love for Him.
Prayer:
Dear loving heavenly Father, thank you for your love and grace. Thank you for teaching us today about the importance of first love. Help us to always depend on you as we used to when we were saved. Help us to lean upon you as if we are newly born again. I pray in the name of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.
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