Restored: First Love

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variablness, neither shadow of turning." James 1:17

I firmly believe that anything good is from God. Love comes from God. Faith comes from God. Hope comes from God. Anything that is pure, good, perfect and holy definitely comes from our Heavenly Father. "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." I John 4:8 "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost." Romans 15:13

Sometimes we know we should feel a certain way but, regardless of the reason, we just don't. We know we should be forgiving but sometimes we aren't. We know we should love God's Word but sometimes we find it boring and a bit tedious. We know we should have faith but sometimes we don't. We try to love The Word and read it but it become so difficult to understand that we just give up. We say that we forgive and we don't bring it up but it is always right there under the surface creating a bit of bitterness and mistrust. Because we mentally know how a Christian should act, we can act the part and say the right words but our heart isn't really in it. Prayer is another area that we know we should be doing and faithful at but it is easier to talk to a human than it is God. We do talk to him, especially when we are in trouble, but we just don't have the time for exclusive one-on-one with Jesus on a daily basis.  He understands that we are really busy and don't have time - at least that is what we tell ourselves. Mentally we know we are not right and not living the way that God has called us to live but it is just easier to talk to and love those things that you can see and hear. Perhaps we feel a bit guilty that we don't love God quite as much as we love our children or our programs or our ministries but what can we do about it?

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" Matthew 7:7-11

I submit to you that all you have to do is ask God to put a love in your heart for Him and His Word. He wants us to ask him to pour forgiveness into our hearts. God desires that we ask him to fill us with His faith, His hope and His love. He is not going to ask us to do anything that He has not provided all that we need to be successful. In Deuteronomy 6:5 it says, "And thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." If God is commanding us to love Him, He will give us the love we need to do that - Just Ask. There are some things that we just can't manufacture on our own, when that is the case, just ask the creator of all things to create in your heart a First Love experience with Him.