Remain in me, as I also remain in you. John 15:4.

Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Revelation 2:4.

Two thoughts were with me as I read our chapter, Psalm 41, and later in prayer. I can so clearly remember my first love of Jesus when I was probably no older than 5. The love of a child is uncomplicated! It loves with a simplicity of pureness. I may be old and with grey hair now but my heart remembers that love. Because I am still His child. Remain in me. Yesterday I realized that in order to love those people I cannot love now, I need to visualize them in God’s Kingdom. It helps. Reading our psalm today is to read about enemies. I don’t have enemies actively working against me but David did. My enemies say of me in malice, “When will he die and his name perish?”…When one of them comes to see me, he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander; then he goes out and spreads it around…All my enemies whisper together against me; they imagine the worst for me…Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me…v. 5, 6, 7, 9.

Remain in me. How do we do that? Remember. Remember our first love – Father, Son, Spirit, our Holy Creator God. Remember His Love. There has never been a moment that He has not loved you. I appreciate how difficult that is to believe when we are so willing to not love and to even become an enemy to others. Don’t leave your first love. Don’t turn away. Remain in God’s love and He will take care of us all. I don’t have to fight against my “enemies”. You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Matthew 5:43-45. I don’t want to be an enemy. I want to remain in Him.