Return To Your First Love

The love of Jesus is a beautiful thing. His love is not just words spoken but is tangible and real. His love transforms and we won't leave the same. Jesus is calling us to return to our first love to Him.

I'm not a morning person, so when I found myself awake early in the morning after going to bed at 2 am the night before, I knew something was off.

I tried forcing myself to sleep however I just couldn't.

It was at that moment when I realized God was waking me up to be with Him. He revealed to me how just as my soon to be husband longs for me, He too longs for my attention. I got into prayer and was then lead to Joshua 24:19 where Joshua tells the Israelites, "...He is a jealous God."

God revealed to me that He misses me because I am His. He is jealous after my love because I am His bride and I belong to Him.

I couldn't help but wonder how the God of the universe would be so jealous after us? What other gods would pursue us with such a jealous love like our father in Heaven? What other God would go out of His way to die for us so that ultimately we could be with Him?

God sent Jesus to die for our sins so that we would be redeemed and spotless before Him. Jesus calls us into marriage with Him and says He is our husband (Hosea 2:16). In marriage, we become one with our spouse and what is theirs becomes ours. The same is true with our marriage covenant with Jesus. When we chose to confess and believe in Jesus, we gain eternal life with Him and inherit all the blessings and promises God had intended for us.

Hebrews 9:15 says, "For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance--now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.”

Jesus loves you so much and is calling you to return to your first love to Him. The only way to return to your love to Jesus is to put aside all other things and yield your heart to Him alone. Joshua 24:13 says, "...throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel."

The foreign gods were idols for the Israelites. Today idols can look like anything. Idols can be our relationships, career, hobbies, entertainment, and even our own God-given calling. 

What desires have pulled you away from total surrender to Jesus?

Nothing should supersede Jesus in our lives.

Jesus died for us because He wants all of us. He is so jealous for our love and attention. How many times have we allowed the things of this world to captivate our eyes instead of Jesus? 

God is calling us into a season of laying our desires down to Him so that we can behold Him alone. Laying down our desires does not mean we will never see them come to pass, it just means trusting that God's got it. He wants us to lay it down so that we can grow in our love for Him. The fruit of our intimate relationship and love for Jesus will be our desires coming to pass.

Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart."

God is asking for your attention, will you give it to Him? Will you turn your heart to Jesus and return to your first love? 

Jesus is stripping things away from you so that you can see that He is all you need. His love for you burns in the season of waiting. It's in this season that Jesus is calling for your whole heart to experience the power of His love.

We can never be "too mature" Christians to be wrecked by Jesus's love. His love is beyond comprehension and understanding. Our journey should always be one that is growing in His love. Ephesians 3:19 says, "and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

Jesus has so much in store for you but is asking you in this season to lay down your desires for Him. You will find that when Jesus becomes your everything, you will have everything. So remember, return to your first love Jesus.

Prayer: Lord, I chose to lay down my desires so that I can behold you alone. 

Check out our new Podcast! Listen as Gabrielle Triyono expounds on the topic of returning to your first love Jesus. She shares her own experience in hopes you would encounter Jesus's love too, 
https://apple.co/2DvQPo1 (for iphone users)
http://bit.ly/2N4yP3w (for android users)

Finding Your Value

We all long to find our purpose and feel valuable. Some find their purpose through their careers, what they have, or from what others’ say about them. However, everything that comes from this earth has no lasting value. It is who we are in Christ and who He created us to be that brings everlasting value. Find your value in Jesus.

Growing up I placed my value in so many things that I now realize weren’t the right things. I grew up knowing God but never had a relationship with Him. Christianity was more of a religion than a delight to know my savior. Because I didn’t have the best view of God, I began to find other things to place value to fill what I didn’t realize was a God-sized hole in my heart.

I tried to fill it with popularity, boys, good grades in school, and success. There was always this thought in the back of my head saying, “If I only had this then I would be valid and my life would be perfect.” I struggled with wanting everyone to like me and wanting to be loved by the right guy.

I would grasp harder for my value but seemingly gave more and more of it away. I found myself striving for value but left feeling more empty.

It wasn’t until the end of college when someone invited me to a college service at a local church that I began to truly understand my value in Jesus. I began to see that I was fearfully and wonderfully made in God’s image. As I started developing a relationship with Jesus, I realized I was His beloved child.

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

I no longer saw the need to find value from others because I was already valued by the most High God.

Our value is in who we are in Christ.

We don’t have to look for value because we are already valued in the eyes of Jesus. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and savior and believe in Him, we become His children. John 1:12 says, "But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.”

As I learned all of the promises that God had for me through Jesus, I began to discover who I was made to be by learning about my calling. When we place our value in earthly things, our joy is quickly fleeting. When we place our value in God and who He created us to be, our joy is eternal.

The things of this earth will never satisfy us like God will because it was never meant to fill the hole in our heart that God fills. We have to find our treasure (value) in Jesus. Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Where do you find your value? What are you currently treasuring?

If I could go back and tell my younger self-anything, it would be to find my value in God and who He made me to be. We all have a purpose and a calling from God to make a difference during our time here on earth. Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I made you in your mother’s womb I chose you, I set you apart for a special work.”

You were made for a reason and God love’s you just the way He made you. You are His masterpiece.

If you’re struggling to find value in yourself, begin to speak God’s truth and promises over your life. Put encouraging post-it notes with scripture up around your room. We have to silence the lies of the enemy and replace them with God’s truth. When we do this, we will begin to see our value in Christ each day. So remember, find your value in Jesus.

Prayer: Lord, fill any gaps in my heart with your love. Examine my heart and help me to find my treasure in you alone.

Relentlessly Pursued

Did you know that you have someone who is pursuing you? He never stops. He never gives up. He is relentlessly pursuing you. Who's that someone? It's Jesus. You are relentlessly pursued.

I have found myself in moments of desperation. Whether it's battling anxiety, hurt, or simply feeling overwhelmed, I find that Jesus never fails to meet me where I'm at and bring me back up.

As I say yes to Jesus and seek Him in my alone time, He never fails to reveal himself to me. I recently was in prayer, asking for more of Jesus. At that moment God reminded me that as much as we desire for more of Him, He desires for more of us.

The Christian journey can seem like one where we have to strive to find Jesus, but in reality, Jesus is pursuing after us. When we say yes to Jesus and choose to seek Him with all our heart, He promises to reveal himself to us.

Jeremiah 29:13 says, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

What kind of father would ignore that cry of his child? Would he not be there to comfort the child and affirm of his presence? Whatever lie the enemy has planted in your mind, know that your father in heaven loves you and wants you to experience more of Him.

Jesus went out of his way to come on earth and die on the cross so that we would be made right before God. He offered His righteous blood for our sinful nature. He pursued us back then and is still pursuing us today.

Jesus is pursuing you.

He chose you before you chose Him. He calls you His child even before you acknowledged Him as your maker and father. John 15:16 says, "You did not choose me, but I chose you..." He loved you even before you loved Him back (1 John 4:19).

Jesus isn't waiting for you to get your life together before pursuing you. He died for you while you were a sinner (Romans 5:8) and will pursue you in the middle of your mess. We see Jesus pursing Paul (who at the time was named Saul) even though He had not yet accepted Jesus as His savior. In fact, Saul was persecuting many Christians and didn't even know who Jesus was.

Despite how far Saul was from  Jesus, He still came to Saul and called on him. Acts 9:4-5 says, "He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied."

Jesus then tells Saul to meet Ananias who will open his blinded eyes. Jesus tells Ananias "This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel." (Acts 9:15).

Jesus chose Saul before Saul even knew Him. Just as Jesus pursued Saul, He is pursuing you.

He has chosen you for a special purpose to declare His glory and experience a life to the fullest (John 10:10). All Jesus is asking you for is your yes and surrender.

Will you say yes to Jesus? Will you open your heart and invite Him to be your savior?

Saul's life was radically changed and it started with a yes to Jesus. Your yes to Jesus will take you farther than you know. Your life will change, and you will find meaning and purpose in your life where you could never find elsewhere. You will experience a love that cannot be comparable to any other love. There is no love greater than the love of Jesus.

Jesus will use anything to get your attention. He will send people your way, show you the same consistent verses from the Bible, and so much more. He may even be tugging your heart with this blog right now. It's no coincidence if you're feeling a tug in your heart to want to know Jesus more - that's Jesus pursuing you.

Jesus is calling for your attention, will you now pay attention? Will you say yes to His call? He sees past your mess with eyes of love and says you are His if you would just say yes. So remember, you are relentlessly pursued.