I have this against you!

(Jared Waterbury, "Meditations and Prayers" 1840)

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

Have we lost or left our first love? If so, then has God something against us.

O, has not some secret evil been in operation to cool our love - to abate our zeal - to separate us from our heavenly Father's smile?

Is it the love of the world?

Is it the love of the creature?

Is it ambitious designs, or sensual indulgence?

Search us, O God - and enable us to search ourselves.


PRAYER
O we have to mourn over the sad decay in our spiritual affections. A thousand temptations have pressed in upon us; and by yielding we have driven ourselves from You and become cold in Your service. Well might You cast us off for our almost perpetual backslidings. But You, O God, are unchangeable. "Those whom You love - You love to the very end!" This is our hope.

We come to You, immutable Jehovah, and beg You to receive Your guilty but returning children. Embrace us once more in the arms of Your eternal love. O, let us once more rejoice in Your Fatherly smiles. We have been wretched in our wanderings - our souls can find happiness in nothing but Yourself. We do therefore renew our vows to be Yours - yes, Yours forever. Bind us to You "by the cords of love." Fasten our affections to the cross of Jesus! Never, O never more let us wander. Amen.