Good morning. Every day that we are given is a new day for learning, praising and pressing. We have to remember that sin is a probability before it’s an actuality. Someone will miss this but meditate on it and it will come to you.
Why does spiritual passion fade so easily? When we first experience God’s love, we spend hours thinking about Him, studying His Word, and telling others how much He means to us. Then it happens. Our busy schedules slowly dampen our passion. Our longing for Jesus and our study became an occasional glance. Surely the object of our affection hadn’t changed.
I can remember like it was yesterday when this happened for me. I look back to when I had first gotten out of the hospital after almost eight months and I could get up in the mornings and fix a cup of coffee and spend hours with God. Some days I noticed that I had been sitting at the kitchen table from 6 or 7 in the morning until 5 or 6 in the evening. I would write, read meditate and write some more. Then I was strong enough to go back to work and I started working again. I quickly found that I had to rearrange my study time and the time that I spent with God. One thing that became apparent was how much I missed those hours at the table just communing with God.
You see Jesus saw this with the church at Ephesus. They wrestled with maintaining their spiritual passion. Jesus used John to restore and maintain their love and zeal for Him. Although He commended this church for their work (Keeping in mind that the church is not a building) Jesus saw that they had abandoned their first love-Him. The Ephesians had lost their spiritual passion for Jesus.
Have you allowed something to steal your passion? If so, it can be restored and maintained. Devotion to Jesus is the key to spiritual passion.
“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” Revelation 2:1-7
Live life, give people hope, share your heart, wisdom, and resources. Never place a period where God says there should be a comma.
As always peace and blessings, be safe. Take advantage of your opportunities but don’t allow your opportunities to take advantage of you. Remember God loves you and so do I. ©krw 4.19.16
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