When the Spark Fades, Go Find the Flame

Well, mercy me, I’ll be a rickety, ol’ front porch swing ‘a-creakin’ in a warm, summer breeze, the Lord done handed you this here brand spankin’, new day like it’s a real fresh-baked apple pie ‘a-coolin’ on that there windowsill while He’s invitin’ you to be steppin’ on out with real joy and ‘a-keepin’ your eyes done glued real tight on Jesus.

Psalm 51:12 comes knockin’ on our hearts ‘a-sayin’, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation.” That there is David basically ‘a-hollerin’, “Lord, bring back that there first-love fire I used to have.” It is like the good Lord is nudgin’ us and ‘a-sayin’, “Butterbean, if your joy done slipped out the back door, it’s done time to pick it up again an’ dust it off ‘cause you done drifted too far an’, it’s done time to come on back here.”

I once knowed a feller who strutted like an ol’ barnyard rooster, an’ he done thought he owned the whole doggone barnyard. Always ‘a-flexin’, always ‘a-sayin’, “Feel my arm!” Shore-nuff’, it was hard as a fence post. But one day I heard he had done died of a heart attack. Looked real perfect on the outside, but his heart was in real trouble.

That there is a whole big ol’ sermon all by itself. You can be ‘a-lookin’ spiritually buff, ‘a servin’, ‘a volunteerin’, ‘a checkin’ boxes, but if your heart is done driftin’ from Jesus, you are in the danger zone quicker than an ol’ possum ‘a-climbin’ up a tree when the dog starts to barkin’.

That there is what done happened to the Ephesians. Busy, active, ‘a-doin’ them there real churchy things, but they had done lost their spark, their joy, their first love excitement that makes the Christian life be ‘a-feelin’ like a front porch revival instead of a worker’s chore list. And when that there happens, buttercup, everything gits real heavy. You start to thinkin’, “Too many rules. I’m ‘a-wantin’ to be free.” But that there is driftin’, not any kind ‘o freedom. Why, you can just go to askin’ any ol’ cow ‘a-wanderin through a broken fence.

Jesus done told us His purpose is to give us a rich and satisfyin’ life. That there life comes from a heart that is ‘a-lovin’ Him first, ‘a servin’ with joy, ‘a hungerin’ for His Word, and ‘a sharin’ the gospel like it’s the best doggone news this here side o’ heaven. Because it sho-nuff’ is. That there is our first love, and we can’t never, ever be affordin’ to lose it.

Father, I wanna thank you for givin’ me Jesus to be my first love, an’ I now come before You with a heart that is ‘a-wantin’ to stay close. Be forgivin’ me when I git to driftin’. Be ‘a-stirin’ up my first love again. Be ‘a-helpin’ me walk with passion, joy, and gratitude. Be ‘a-finishin’ the good work You done started in me. In Jesus holy name I pray. Amen.

Well, I reckon that there is enough of His truth to fill up a big ol’ feed silo at harvest time. Now you go on out there today and be rememberin’ that a heart in love with Jesus will be ‘a-stayin’ healthier than a barn cat with nine lives. You gotta be guardin’ your first love, butterbean. It’s worth so much more than gold ‘cause livin a life in love with Jesus as our first love is the only price for our eternal salvation!

With joy,

Gwen