[Faith-talk] Daily Thought for Monday, February 10, 2014

[Paul]

Hello and good day once again to you all.  I hope that this post finds you well, by God's matchless grace and His providential care.

A number of years ago I read an article originally published by the Gospel Tract Society, an organization which has been spreading the Gospel through the printed word for more than 180 years, entitled "Have You Lost Your First Love?" I may have shared this with most of you before, but I can't rightly remember.  However, upon reading this piece again for the umpteenth time I had to think back and finally admit that I have, even though it was many years ago that this happened.  Perhaps those of you who are staunch born-again believers have also gone through this.  If so, you perhaps know where I was.  The author's name is not given, but here it is for your reading and/or listening today.

Do you remember that wonderful day when the Holy Spirit convicted you of your sins, and you bowed your head and your heart and you asked Jesus to forgive you and to save your soul?

Do you remember the joy that flooded your soul when you fully realized that you had passed from death unto life, and that through your new birth, you had now become a member of God's family and a joint-heir with Christ?

Do you remember your great love for Jesus, as you fully realized the terrible, agonizing pain He suffered on Calvary's cross as He took your sins and the sins of the whole world upon Himself so that salvation was provided for all who would believe on Him and would call on His name for salvation?

Do you remember those first church services as a new Christian, when you sang and praised God with all your heart and you were blessed beyond measure as you saw others come to Christ for salvation?

Yes, I'm sure that you remember all the marvelous facts in regard to your own salvation, but let me ask you, friend, "HAVE YOU LOST YOUR FIRST LOVE?" Have you taken your eyes off of Jesus and put them on the things of this world? Have you forsaken the Lord by bowing down to false idols, such as TV, or worshiping the many pleasures of this world, more than the God of all creation? If this should be the case in your own life, then remember the great words of David when he fully realized his great sin and asked God's forgiveness.  David pleaded, "Lord, restore unto me the joy of my salvation." And we know that this same God that restored David's joy will do the same for you if you come to Him with a contrite heart.

II Chronicles 7:14 is a beautiful picture of God's love and grace as He proclaims, "If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin..." However, if the back-slidden Christians will not humble themselves and seek forgiveness of sins, and sincerely desire to return to their first love, then they can surely expect the chastening hand of the Lord to punish them, for whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth.  Just as our earthly fathers spared not the rod when we were disobedient, our heavenly Father will spare not the rod.  Also, God has told us in His Word that all of us will have to give an account of all that we do, so it is imperative that we walk in the footsteps of Jesus and in the center of His will for our lives!

Surely, every Christian's goal in life should be to please God, and it should be their prayer that someday they will hear these priceless words from the lips of Jesus, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant ... enter thou into the joy of the Lord" (Matthew 25:21-23).  But you can be sure that these marvelous words will never be said to the unfaithful, back-slidden Christian.  Then through all eternity, they'll regret that they were denied this blessed prize and the honor that goes with such recognition.  However, the wonderful words in I John 1:9 tell us, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." So the door to God's grace is always open!

Friend, why not take an inventory of your life as you read these words.  If the Holy Spirit convicts you that you are following Jesus afar off, then determine in your heart that, from this moment on, you are going to return to your first love.

Perhaps a prayer such as this might be your heart's desire:  "Lord Jesus, like David of old, I want You to restore unto me the joy of my salvation.  I acknowledge my sin and my unfaithfulness to serve You as I should, so have mercy on me from this moment on.  I will seek to serve You with all my heart and mind and soul.  I love You, and I will prove my love in all I say and do."

I pray that this article ministered and was a blessing to at least one person today who outwardly was a Christian, but perhaps who harbors some things in his/her life that the Lord would not take pleasure in.

And now may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe, individually and collectively, in these last days in which we live.  Lord willing, tomorrow there will be another Daily Thought message for you.  Your Christian friend and brother, Paul