Devotion for August 15, 2008

Have You Left Your First Love?

“To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: "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; "and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. 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. But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 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” (Revelation 2:1-7 NKJV).

Reading the affirmations given by Christ to the church of Ephesus creates a picture of a very fundamental, truth-seeking church. They worked hard; waited patiently, rooted out evil and remained true to the doctrines they were taught. This sounds like a great place to go, right?

It would be except for the fact that they had left their love of Christ. Instead of worshiping Him, they worshiped church, church duty, and doctrine. Their love of Christ has been replaced with their ideal of church.

My dear friends how easy it is to slip into dead orthodoxy if your relationship with Christ is not maintained on a daily basis. Going to church becomes a narcotic that dulls the pain of separation. Busyness masquerades as spirituality until the soul is starving. Then as hunger pains grow the soul begins to seek sustenance but finds only intellectual crumbs.

It is only through the secondary means of meditation, prayer, and true fellowship that the soul finds the nourishment it needs. This is true because it is through these means the Lord communes with the believer.

“I am the vine, you [are] the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw [them] into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples” (John 15:5-8 NKJV).

Are you just going through the motions lately? Is the pain medicine wearing off? Return to the Lord. Repent and do the works you did at first. Worship Christ and not church work.