Evening, February 11
Charles Spurgeon · Morning and Evening: Daily Readings
Revelation 2:4
"Thou hast left thy first love."
Revelation 2:4
Ever to be remembered is that best and brightest of hours, when first
we saw the Lord, lost our burden, received the roll of promise,
rejoiced in full salvation, and went on our way in peace. It was spring
time in the soul; the winter was past; the mutterings of Sinai's
thunders were hushed; the flashings of its lightnings were no more
perceived; God was beheld as reconciled; the law threatened no
vengeance, justice demanded no punishment. Then the flowers appeared in
our heart; hope, love, peace, and patience sprung from the sod; the
hyacinth of repentance, the snowdrop of pure holiness, the crocus of
golden faith, the daffodil of early love, all decked the garden of the
soul. The time of the singing of birds was come, and we rejoiced with
thanksgiving; we magnified the holy name of our forgiving God, and our
resolve was, "Lord, I am thine, wholly thine; all I am, and all I have,
I would devote to thee. Thou hast bought me with thy blood--let me
spend myself and be spent in thy service. In life and in death let me
be consecrated to thee." How have we kept this resolve? Our espousal
love burned with a holy flame of devoutedness to Jesus--is it the same
now? Might not Jesus well say to us, "I have somewhat against thee,
because thou hast left thy first love"? Alas! it is but little we have
done for our Master's glory. Our winter has lasted all too long. We are
as cold as ice when we should feel a summer's glow and bloom with
sacred flowers. We give to God pence when he deserveth pounds, nay,
deserveth our heart's blood to be coined in the service of his church
and of his truth. But shall we continue thus? O Lord, after thou hast
so richly blessed us, shall we be ungrateful and become indifferent to
thy good cause and work? O quicken us that we may return to our first
love, and do our first works! Send us a genial spring, O Sun of
Righteousness.