In my relationship with God, I realise that contrary to what many people may think, first love is just the beginning of the journey not the end; the aperitif not the main course; an initial introduction to abundance not the sum of it. This knowledge spurs us on to ever explore a greater fullness of His love, the fathomless depths of His riches and eternal glory of His manifest presence.
First love is an infinite treasure, yet many people fail to retain it. No one felt this more keenly than Peter following the arrest of Jesus. His denial of any known association with Him on three consecutive occasions was accompanied by the sound of the rooster which would haunt his memory for the rest of his life. Jesus told Peter it would happen, but the very idea was unthinkable. Yet, just as an alabaster jar needs to be broken before the perfume can be released, so we need to be broken before our true spiritual essence can be manifested.
When Peter made his declaration of first love to Jesus, it was a pivotal moment. No one doubted his sincerity or wholeheartedness, yet Jesus did not protect him from careering downhill soon afterwards because He wished to build strength
through weakness. This was the risk He took, because such is the nature of first love.
We can easily make bold declarations that are genuine and heartfelt only to discover that we fall far short of them. At these times, we should not forget the lesson of Peter whose failure was the occasion for a new beginning that would radically transform his life.
In this intermediate time between Passover and Pentecost, known as ‘the counting of the Omer,’ we do well to prepare ourselves for the outpouring of His Spirit rather than the crows of the rooster!
Lord, our hearts are bursting as we race ahead, and even though we may be limping, our eyes blurred, and our mouths dry, yet we hear the sound of eternity resounding and rejoice with exceeding joy and expectancy!
