“O God,You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. . . .When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches” (Psalm 63:1, 6).
Do you remember your first love? Maybe it was a kindergarten crush, or maybe your first school teacher, or the boy or girl next door. It could have been that unreachable movie star or famous singer. I’m embarrassed to tell you, but I thought Elvis was the one dreams are made of. I would sneak around and watch his movies on television.“Sneak” is definitely the right word, because my father did not hold the same opinion of Elvis that I did. I’ll confess one more thing—I went with my best friend to an Elvis concert one time. I knew my father would be upset, but I guess I felt it was worth the risk. As I recall, I was nineteen at the time. Funny, I know, but that was the only act of rebellion I ever remember committing.
Probably, for most of us, that first love or crush came during the teenage years. I certainly remember my first “love.” It consumed my thoughts day and night. All I could think about was what an awesome thing it would be if my “love” would only come to his senses and realize what he was missing. But alas, it was not to be.Thank God, He knew better than I did what was best for my life—especially since I have spent the last thirty-one years with my true love, not my first love. Of course, I am speaking about earthly love.
What about our love for our heavenly Father? If we love Him as we should, He will consume our thoughts. He will be the first thing we think about every morning, and the last thing we think about every night. My love for Him consumes everything I do. I don’t do anything or go anywhere that He’s not in my thoughts. I want to please Him. I want to represent Him in such a way that others would want to love Him too, not because I feel guilty if I don’t, but because He’s absolutely the best thing that’s ever come into my life. I desire to love Him with all my heart and all my mind.
God loves me unconditionally. He looks beyond all my faults. He sees my heart. He doesn’t care what I look like or how smart I am. He doesn’t care what color my hair is. But He does care enough that He numbers the very hairs of my head. Do you know anyone else who knows that? I don’t know of anyone who knows or even cares about that particular detail. I am very valuable to Him. I’m in love with my Savior, and He’s in love with me.That’s an amazing, eternal kind of love!
