Return To Your First Love Keluarga Allah Daily Devotional April 04, 2017
TODAY'S FOOD FOR THE SOUL Revelation 2:1-7
TODAY'S RHEMA Revelation 2:4 "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love."
Bobby and Jeannie was a married couple. For their wedding anniversary, Bobby had made a flower garden for his wife. When Jeannie saw what her husband had prepared for her, she was so touched. They spent a lot of times together to take care of the garden. But later on, Bobby was so occupied with the garden, and he could spend hours in a day just to take care of the garden and to implement his unique ideas for it. He did not realize that Jeannie was not with him anymore. Until one day, the garden was chosen by a famous media for broadcasting as it became an inspiration for many gardeners. Bobby got very busy because his ideas were brilliant and eventually won some awards from the city. But on the day of the trophy session, Jeannie prepared her suitcase and left her husband.
That is similar to what happened to the congregation of Ephesus. At the beginning, they really love the Lord with their hearts. As a result, the anointing of the Lord was with them, and they could differentiate the right teaching from the wrong one. God acknowledged their labors, commitment, patience and their willingness to suffer for Him. But in the end, God was not pleased with them. Even though they did so many good works for God, He still asked them to repent as they also had lost their love for God and were busy doing good works. He had warned them if they did not come back to Him again, the Lord would take His presence away from the congregation.
Saudara Terkasih, so many things in this world, including our ministries, can draw us away from God. We tend to forget that ministry is not a place to prove our status. A good ministry is not one that is based on what we can do for God but should start from a heart who loves Him. If everything that we do for God starts to feel empty, then probably it is time for us to fire up our love again for Him. However, we are His fire bearers. If the fire in our heart has gone away, then how God can entrust us for His menorah to be with us? Keep your focus on God as the First One in our life, then His light would shine brightly in all of our actions no matter how small they are.
REFLECTION More than what you CAN DO for God, He wants you to COME BACK TO YOUR FIRST LOVE FOR HIM.
APPLICATION
What does first love mean?
Why does God prefer your love for Him than what you can do for Him?
What can you do to prove your first love?
TODAY'S PRAYER
"God, Your love is so great for me and I am so grateful. I want to pay back Your love, not by what I can do for You, but by having a heart that always burns to love You. Let that love perfects everything that I do for You. In the name of Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen."
YEARLY BIBLE READING
Ezekiel 9-12
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