Jesus wrote to the church in Ephesus that they needed to return to their “first love,” and “do the things that they did at first.” Wise counsel indeed for all of us whose passion has died and who are looking for a vision to sustain us in our long journeys homeward. This counsel is good for married couples, parents, singles, workers, and employers.
Often, we falter not because of a lack of new insight but because we have strayed from the straight and narrow path on which we first started.
It is written: “To the law and to the testimony. If they don’t speak like this, it is because they have no light” – Isaiah 8:20. Also, it is written: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths; ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and then you will have rest for your souls” – Jeremiah 6:16.
Many start their Christian pilgrimages full of hope and faith, but when the way starts to become narrow and difficult, they falter. This is understandable, but the only solution is to start fresh, resolutely devoted to Christ and his gospel.
No new revelation is forthcoming; there is “nothing new under the sun” – Ecclesiastes.
We all long for that “first love” experience, where all is fresh and new and full of life, and the songs of the birds and the beauty of nature enthrall us. However, we don’t need to go looking for a new lover; we need to rekindle the love that we have been given with the loved ones with which we have been entrusted.
Christ, Our King, is the author of life and the reality of our revival.
He himself will refuel us for our long and often lonely treks through the wilderness as we journey towards our promised land.
—Brad Heilhecker
Restored People Community 