Revelations 2:1-6
1 To
the angel (messenger) of the assembly (church) in Ephesus write: These
are the words of Him Who holds the seven stars [which are the messengers
of the seven churches] in His right hand, Who goes about among the
seven golden lampstands [which are the seven churches]:
2 I know your industry and activities, laborious toil and trouble, and your patient endurance, and how you cannot tolerate wicked [men] and have tested and
critically appraised those who call [themselves] apostles (special
messengers of Christ) and yet are not, and have found them to be
impostors and liars.
3 I know you are enduring patiently and are bearing up for My name’s sake, and you have not fainted or become exhausted or grown weary.
4 But
I have this [one charge to make] against you: that you have left
(abandoned) the love that you had at first [you have deserted Me, your
first love].
5 Remember
then from what heights you have fallen. Repent (change the inner man to
meet God’s will) and do the works you did previously [when first you
knew the Lord], or else I will visit you and remove your lampstand from
its place, unless you change your mind and repent.
6 Yet
you have this [in your favor and to your credit]: you hate the works of
the Nicolaitans [what they are doing as corrupters of the people],
which I Myself also detest.
something just speaks to me, when I was reading this, I hear many a times in worship, the phrase finding my first love again, or going back to my first love and all. I couldn't really understand it fully but I knew it meant God and that was good enough. But today I read the above it kinda swung a new perspective in all that I have been thinking and doing. I was reading what the church of Ephesus did according to Revelations, it seemed all well, you know dicerning teachings that were false, enduring, bearing Christ's name and not giving up or falling weary on such things.. Yet the thing that Christ holds against them just blew me away.
You have left the love that you had first! When I read this, it really hits the nail on the head, that we can do so much, and miss the point, miss who it was at first that is the foremost important, the one whose relationship we should seek out most of all. This has been on me for many days, that if we are doing everything a Christian is suppose to do, BUT the most important thing, then we are all missing the mark by a space shot... By that I mean, we love each other, care, we give to the poor, reject heresy's, accept those who come back into repentance and so forth... But we forget God, forget Jesus, forget everything about them, not that we forget them in a sense that we can't recall who they are or what they have done, nah, if we did then we wouldn't be able to bear His name sake, what I am talking about here is forgetting to commune with God, to speak to Him, to seek Him, and even to embrace Him. It is true, we can pray prayerless things. What do I mean by this? we pray, out of duty, not out of our hearts and minds towards God as a person, but pray and not be attentive to who we pray to, and make it some ritual, when you talk to someone, you talk to them. Just as you talk to God, you talk to Him, you build a relationship with Him, and you rejoice with Him.
Just a thought of mine when I read this. But the beautiful part of it all, is when you do find your first love again, you realise how amazing His love is for us, forgiving and gracious. When we find out first love again, we can smile and thank Him for all He has done. Give Him the praise and honour and glory, and live a life with Him.
Father, Today I pray, I thank you, and I honour you. Keep my feet in your presence, and my eyes fixated upon you. I thank you for your grace, your love, and your mercy. I thank you for all you have done, forgive me for walking away, or around you. Thank you for always being there, always being faithful, I return to you, my first love. Teach me daily, walk with me, I know you will. I praise your name and my your kingdom reign forever and ever.
Amen.