“I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me into the wilderness, through a land not sown.” (Jeremiah 2:2 NIV)
Love is enough at first, isn’t it? With our Lord, with our spouse? In the beginning, we willingly turn face to the wind and follow our heart into the wilderness if it means being with them. But often time fades the fabric of our devotion, love wears thin in the rub of daily living. We find ourselves a long ways from where we began and we might begin to wonder what we’ve given up on the road less traveled. Was it worth it?
What do we do when we find ourselves in the wilderness without a plan?
We turn our eyes to our Groom and re-engage our heart. We decide to fall in love afresh with the One who’s brought us this far. We trust His plans for our future together.
We don’t question the decisions that got us to this stretch of bare earth. We don’t point fingers or place blame. We don’t hold grudges or allow ourselves the luxury of locking eyes with another. We reaffirm our commitment to the covenant that has sustained us thus far.
“You have forsaken the love you had a first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and to the things you did at first.” (Revelation 2:4-5 NIV)
Scripture gives us three keys to recovery in the wilderness:
Remember. Repent. Re-engage.
Remember the beginning. Recall the way we felt at first. Relive those early days and borrow from those familiar feelings.
Repent from wrong-doing. Recognize our contributions to the current climate. Take responsibility for our own action, inaction and attitude.
Re-engage. Realize the potential investment loss if we were to walk away. Decide to stay, to put our heart back into play.
Follow these scriptural instructions and watch the wilderness bloom anew with love. Let the landscape of life be transformed by the goodness of God.
Lord, we remember the early days with You. We repent of our own wrong-doing. And we choose afresh to fall in love with You. Transform our lives by love. Amen.