Daily Devotional
Where Is Your First Love?
Text:Revelation 2:4-5
“Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.”
Message
The world set aside a day in the year to celebrate human, filia love like no man’s business based on Valentine dictates and in his memories
How I wish they do that for Jesus too. He was God best gift to man and the ultimate of the Father’s love to mankind. Alleluia.
At Valentine, gifts are given and received so much that some relationship breaks or become badly damaged just because one of the party forgets the day or did not do the needful.
Let’s forget about the background, morality, and history to the Valentine and be reminded of the up and down side of the love espoused in Songs of Solomon and how the couples resolved it.
The story began on a happy note; a typical first day outing of love jail birds! You remembered yours boo?
No sooner one of the two felt hard, fried and dried. A broken, separated or divorced marriage is what it is by its name, nature, character and consequences.
It was my partner’s fault and not mine. That sounds familiar. Isn’t it?
In my case and about three years to our marriage, my Love did not put the blame on me. She just asked, “Why and how come I married you”; a kind of regret but thank God we got over it and no regret! Praise God.
I thank God Mine did Not know Why and how she came to marry me. Had she, our marriage would have ended just like that and I mean just like that.
Couples have to guide their minds. In the words of Jesus couples see and speak of the speck in another’s eyes forgetting the logs in theirs!
One of my beloved daughters and sons in the Lord felt so so bad that they no longer had feelings or let me say had hard feelings for each other. So bad that all my sermons, and entreaties went unheeded!
Pronto both embarked on and entered into their individual shell for protection and became defensive in love instead of being proactive. Each started reading meaning to each others mind, word, body language, conducts and behaviour. The man’s snoring that was good music, sedating the war to sleep at no fee became a big bang noise. The wife body revealing night cloth that hitherto was taking the man to Marriage Inner Temple became that of a useless harlot! What a world?
As church officers they did not at this stage cared of the effect on their children, my long loving mentorship to them and the impact of their actions first on their local church and on the testimony of the body of Christ Jesus! It was and still sad day and occurrence that pierced my heart and that of my wife. It was a case of the Yoruba saying, “Esu tapo si”, meaning, “Satan Enthroned”.
Their children like Gideon were terribly impacted, searching through their minds I could see boldly written, “Where is the God our parents told us? O God, where are you? Save our parents marriage, our family and future if truly you are God”.
What a pain inflicted on fragile innocent souls?
May God help these children recover from this home based assault.
My wife and I have not giving up on the family. We are on our kneels praying that they may become one again in Jesus Name.
Now what do you think went wrong after all “My sweat heart” and copious reading and knowledge of the scriptures?
Are you blaming them?
You are dead wrong in blaming either of the couple or both.
Truth is, don’t blame them. They were strong until they went or looked down like Peter. They are not down because they were weak. They went down because they have been too strong in the past! They got tired. The rope snapped and hell was let loose.
Thus Revelation 2:2-7 advises the loveless Ephesians church, me, them and you, -please pardon my grammar. I’m just in pains-,
“Revelation 2:2 “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars;
Revelation 2:3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.
Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.*
Revelation 2:5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.*
Revelation 2:6 But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Revelation 2:7 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”
Now am I talking of your marriage. Good that’s exactly what I wanted!
I see you laughing that you are not the one referred! Great but remember, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:12, “So let the one who thinks he is standing beware that he does not fall”.
In other word, overconfidence about our moral strength is risky. It betrays a lack of understanding of the nature and power of sin.
You can have your marriage back if you say and take actions in line with the admonition in 1 Corinthians 13:4–8a (ESV) “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth”.
Now cry to the Holy Spirit to help you renew your marriage wine before is too late or you are doomed!
And for those yet to marry, pray and prepare for your marriage now.
The new journey begins with accepting Jesus as personal Lord, Saviour and Master and growing in maturity and grace in all things.
Don’t just as many do accept Jesus as your Saviour only. We are also commanded to accept him as our Lord and Master. He should be all this in your marriage and to the parties in the marriage.
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you navigate your marriage, in way that pleases God as you ends well.
May God help us in the name of Jesus Christ
Amen.