…give Him FIRST place in your life…Matthew 6:33 (TLB)
Have you forgotten your First Love?
Lately, I’ve been hearing the Lord say, “Return to Me!” In the deepest places of my heart, over and over again, I hear Him say, “I miss you.” In the busyness of life, even though I’ve been praying throughout my days in non-stop communication with Him, I haven’t really sat with Him and let Him be first. My schedule hasn’t been my own the last few weeks of my life. My routines have been replaced. The things set before me have taken a necessary priority. That’s how life goes.
But now, it is time to set my heart on the Lord and put first things first again.
Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you. Matthew 6:33
This is one of the first Bible verses I learned in Vacation Bible School as a child. I remember memorizing it, but it wasn’t until later in life that I became aware of what those memorized words really meant. Life simply works better when we set our hearts on God and allow Him to hold first place in our affections and devotion.
We love because He FIRST loved us. 1 John 4:19
A side-note: Back in the fall, my husband and I celebrated the first time we ever laid eyes on one another. September 17, 1993. Literally, a chance encounter turned into forever love. It was such fun to think about our first few days together. In marriage, it’s so important to revisit those precious memories and take time to remember how we first fell in love. It especially helps when you’re going through a rough spot or when life is real-real busy. Marriage is hard, but it’s worth every ounce of energy we put into it. If you are married: Date your Mate! Take some time to think about all the things that made you fall in love.
More importantly, 1 John 4 is a great reminder for us to remember our First Love and how we came to know Him. May the Lord never say this about us…
“But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!” Revelation 2:4 (NLT)
It’s easy to get lost in all the distractions we have around us. We are relentlessly bombarded by priorities, duties, social media, ministry opportunities, etc. Many of those things are good things; but, God’s proper place is in our foremost thoughts, giving Him His rightful position as leader, in first place, of our lives. If we do, we can be confident of these life-giving truths:
He existed before everything and holds all things together. Colossians 1:17 (GWT)
Above everything else guard your heart, because from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23
As you begin making your New Year Resolutions, the Bible gives us the perfect example of how to return our hearts to the Lord and give Him our best, our first. In Deuteronomy 26, God instructs the people to offer up their first fruits/first produce of the ground to the Lord. The instructions are to “set it down before the altar of the Lord your God.” (vs 4) Then, they are told to remember (out loud) where the Lord had delivered them from, what He’d done for them, and all that He had given them.
And, you shall set it down before the Lord your God…rejoice in all the good which the Lord your God has given you and your household.
Declare the Lord to be your God…walk in all His ways…and listen to His voice. Deut. 26:10-11, 17
That’s when the Lord declared them to be His people, a treasured possession. We want to be His people every day of the year. Why not try the FORWARD method in 2018!
FORWARD-
FIRST- OFFER, REMEMBER, WORSHIP and REJOICE, then DECLARE
5 WAYS TO RETURN TO YOUR FIRST LOVE:
Move FORWARD and fall in love with Him again.
First
Offer your first at His altar
Remember His deeds and wonders
Worship Him
And
Rejoice in His Goodness and
Declare Him as your FIRST LOVE.
Then, listen to His voice and what He has to say.
Instead of “I miss you,” you will hear,
“You are my treasured possession…My BELOVED.” Deuteronomy 26:18
It’s a new year and you’ve got a fresh start! Regain the passion and fire you had for the Lord when you first met Him. Revisit, remember, relive and regain your First Love.
Prayer:
Father God, we remember Your Goodness today! We ask You to reignite our hearts with the passion and fire that once burned for You. We give You first place in our hearts and lives. Help us to move FORWARD and find our First Love again. Thank You for calling us Your own, Your Beloved.
