“Nevertheless‭ I have‭‭ ‭this‭ against‭ you‭, that‭ you have left‭‭ your‭ first‭ love‭.” (Revelation 2:4, NKJV)

Jesus’ message to the church at Ephesus contained a pat on the back for their sound doctrine and good works. But Jesus warned them that they had left their first love and were in danger of losing their candlestick.

When we begin a relationship, we are full of love, zeal, and passion, but as time goes on and distractions abound, we can easily abandon our first love. It’s like that in marriage, and it’s like that in our relationship with the Lord.

The Word of God tells us that our relationship with Jesus is like a marriage. Paul, in talking about the marriage relationship, said, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I am speaking about Christ and the church.” (Ephesians 5:31-32, MEV)

In both relationships, we need to do something to “keep the home fires burning.” We must cultivate and at times rekindle the fire that we once had. We need to be careful to not get our eyes on the wrong things and lose our initial passion.

Here are three keys to keep the fire burning in your marriage, and in your relationship with the Lord:

1. Spend quality intimate time together.  Just as in the marriage relationship, times of intimacy with the Lord are essential. When we worship Him, love Him, wait on Him, and feed on His Word, He can reveal His heart to us and make our hearts burn.
2. Walk together in your daily life. It is important that a husband and wife work together and play together in their daily life. Too many independent activities are not good. In the same way, Jesus should be a part of our work day, our shopping, and our leisure activities. Going hunting with Jesus is good. He’s our constant companion by the Holy Spirit.
3. Watch your associations. Friendships with people who pull you away from your spouse are not good. Attitudes that encourage sexual promiscuity and disloyalty are distructive to the marriage. In the same way, spending too much time with some people can hinder your relationship with the Lord.

Jesus said to the church in Ephesus, “‭Remember therefore from where you have fallen. Repent, and do the works you did at first, or else I will come to you quickly‭ and remove your candlestick from its place, unless you repent.” (Revelation 2:5, MEV) We need to remember the value of our relatitionship with the Lord and return to our first love. It’s a decision that we make every day to cultivate and reignite the flames of love.

Enjoy this message from the heart of God!

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