The Renewed Heart – Part 2

The Renewed Heart – Part 2
Matters of the Heart Series

Are you working hard for Jesus, but have left your first love? In the Book of Revelation, Jesus complimented the church at Ephesus. He knew they had worked hard, persevered and not grown weary in their work for Him. However, he had a word of admonition for them. “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first” (Revelation 2:4 NIV).

How do you know when you’ve left your first love?

1) When my delight is in something or someone else. “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30 Amp).

The Christian walk has so many parallels with the marriage relationship. Can you remember when you first fell in love, perhaps in high school? Can’t you remember trying to work your schedule around just so you could catch a glimpse of your “beloved?”  You would stand by your locker in between classes just a little longer. Or you would hurry to the gym before he had to suit out for football just to catch a few words here and there. Or you would go to school 30 minutes early just to have some time alone with him. That is taking delight in someone.

That is how Jesus wants us to feel about him. He wants us to be excited about meeting with him. He wants us to get up a little earlier just so you can be together. But little by little we begin to take delight in something or someone else. The television, FaceBook, or our children, or our husband, or our job, or our house, or … . I’m so aware of this every morning when I sit down for my devotional. Too many times I reach for my computer or phone or tablet before I’ve had prayer or Bible reading. I have to make a conscious effort to give Him the first fruits of my day. We know we have left our first love when our delight is in something or someone else. (Tweet this!)

2) When my soul does not yearn for rich fellowship in the Word. “Thy Word have I treasured in my heart that I might not sin against Thee. Open my eyes that I may behold wonderful things from Thy law.” (Psalm 119:11,18 NASB). I often quote that eighteenth verse before I begin my Bible study. “Lord, open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in the Scripture today.” I saw an inscription in the front of a Bible one time that said, “This Book will keep you from sin … and sin will keep you from this Book.” How true. God’s Word is alive, and He has things He wants to tell us if we will just avail ourselves of the opportunity. But you have to search for the treasures in the Word like you would search for rubies, gold or diamonds. That takes time. Schedule your day around the reading of the Word. You will never regret it. (Tweet this!)

I know how difficult it is to find time to do so when you have small children. I had three little girls pretty close together to corral everyday, and it was hard. But get up earlier. Go to bed earlier. Get your kids to bed earlier. Isn’t it worth it to meet with the Creator of the universe? “Behold I stand at the door and knock, if any man will open unto me I will come in to him and dine with him and He with me.” He wants to have the main meal of the day with you, not a snack or a brown bag lunch on the run. He wants to sit down and linger over the meal to fellowship with you, like we do at Thanksgiving, talking and laughing.

3) When my thoughts don’t dwell on Him. Are you thinking of Him all day long? Praying without ceasing? His thoughts dwell continually on you. “How precious and weighty also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I could count them, they are more in number than the sand. When I awoke, could I count to the end, I would still be with You” (Psalm 139:17-18 Amp). That’s pretty awesome. Where are your thoughts?

4) When I say, “I’m only human,” and I use that as an excuse to give in to temptation. We should shudder at sin, which takes us out of his will simply because it hurts him. Enough said.

5. When I live a self-centered life. “But if any one has this world’s goods and sees his brother and fellow believer in need, yet closes his heart of compassion against him, how can the love of God live and remain in him?”  (I John 3:17 Amp). How can we be having close intimate fellowship with the Father and close our hearts against our brother? (Tweet this!)

 

Take a fierce inventory of your heart, and ask the Lord if you’ve slowly drifted away from your first love.
 What is your reaction to the homeless, the poor, the hungry, on our streets–compassion or disgust? We’ve lost our first love when we live selfishly on the throne of our lives, making only ourselves comfortable, forgetting about those around us who are suffering.
Ask the Lord to make your heart soft and pliable to His daily direction of your life.
Picture yourself answering a knock at the door and when you open it, Jesus is standing there. He would like to come in and fellowship with you. Do you welcome Him in with open arms, or do you hesitate?
What do you need to do to have open arms for Jesus to come and fellowship with you?

 

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