As my husband and I sit in church Sunday after Sunday, we can't help but notice the married couples all around us. Most of them sit a foot apart with no communication, no shared words, facial expressions, or touches. They may come to church together, but their hearts are far from each other. At one time in their lives they made a covenant before God to love and cherish each other always, but over time, that love has diminished. The legal papers may say they are still married, but God sees through to the heart, and in His eyes, He sees differently.
Last Sunday, as my heart was deeply saddened over lost and forgotten loves between married couples, I heard God speak. It is no different for Him when His eyes searches the church and sees many of His people who once made commitments to Him to love and serve Him with all their hearts, souls, and minds, but over time have fallen out of love and desire for Him. They may come to church, sit, bow their heads, sing, and stand before God, but their hearts are far from Him. They have forgotten their first Love. They have forgotten their Vow. Other worthless things have taken His place. They have imitated the nations around them and now do the things God has forbidden them to do.
"They rejected His decrees
and the covenant He had made
with their fathers
and the warnings He had given them.
They followed worthless idols
and themselves became worthless.
They imitated the nations around them
although the Lord had ordered them,
'Do not do as they do,'
and they did the things the Lord
had forbidden them to do."
2 Kings 17:15 (NIV)
How God must grieve over His lost loves! How God must agonize over the unfaithfulness of His children! May we all get back to the love we once had for God and the wondrous joy in knowing and serving Him.
No comments:
Post a Comment