Can you remember your first love? I can. Even though it was years ago, I have fond memories of her and the freshness and sweetness of the emotions that we shared. I could not wait to spend time with her. She was my first love.
Likewise, I can remember as a thirteen-year-old boy meeting Jesus and the joy of spending time with Him shortly after I met Him. I read my Bible each evening and could not get enough of it. Sharing a room with my brother, I waited at night until he fell asleep to crawl off the side of my bed to pray on my knees. I can remember vividly those fresh, sweet moments.
In Revelations 2:4, the Apostle John scolded the Ephesians, “I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.” Jesus enjoys loving us and likewise relishes the sweetness of our love. However, stale love is not what Jesus looks for. He enjoys freshness. I believe Lamentation 3 is a beautiful description of the love and desires of Jesus. 22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore, I will wait for him.” 25 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; 26 it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Let’s focus on several key characteristics of first love evidenced in the above passage:
- “His compassions never fail.” You don’t give in or give up.
- “They are new every morning.” We are not looking back at yesterday’s love but expressing fresh love to Jesus first thing every AM.
- “Great is your faithfulness.” First love is faithful.
- “The Lord is my portion.” First love is focused on Jesus and Jesus alone.
- “I will wait for him…wait quietly.” Wait patiently and quietly for Jesus. Sometimes, He wants you to want Him and are willing to wait on Him.
- “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him.” The hope of first love “is in Him.”
- “The Lord is good to the one who seeks him.” Matthew 6:33 is a great first love verse, “Seek you first the Lord, and all other things will be taken care of.” Focus on Him, and He will take care of and guide you in the rest.
First Love…Jesus never wants you to get so busy and caught up with other things that we forget to love Him with our first emotions and continue to love Him throughout the day…each and every day! Jesus loves to be loved.
Barnabas Man 