We Have Left Our First Love

"Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love."   [Revelation 2:4]

Ever to be remembered is that best and brightest of hours, when first we saw the Lord, lost our burden, received the roll of promise, rejoiced in full salvation, and went on our way in peace. It was spring time in the soul; the winter was past; the mutterings of Sinai’s thunders were hushed; the flashings of its lightnings were no more perceived; God was beheld as reconciled; the law threatened no vengeance, justice demanded no punishment. Then the flowers appeared in our heart; hope, love, peace, and patience sprung from the sod; the hyacinth of repentance, the snowdrop of pure holiness, the crocus of golden faith, the daffodil of early love, all decked the garden of the soul. The time of the singing of birds was come, and we rejoiced with thanksgiving; we magnified the Holy name of our forgiving God, and our resolve was, “Lord, I am Yours, wholly Yours; all I am, and all I have, I would devote to You. You has bought me with your blood—let me spend myself and be spent in your service. In life and in death let me be consecrated to You.” How have we kept this resolve? Our espousal love burned with a Holy flame of devoutedness to Jesus—is it the same now? Might not Jesus well say to us, “I have this against youy, because you have left your first love”? Alas! it is but little we have done for our Master’s glory. Our winter has lasted all too long. We are as cold as ice when we should feel a summer’s glow and bloom with sacred flowers. We give to God pence when He deserved pounds, even, deserved our heart’s blood to be coined in the service of His church and of His truth. But shall we continue thus? O Lord, after You have so richly blessed us, shall we be ungrateful and become indifferent to Your good cause and work? O quicken us that we may return to our first love, and do our first works! Send us a genial spring, O Sun of Righteousness. Amen, hallelujah God bless