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Do You Remember Your First Love?
from February 2021
Gò0dNews for Everyone
Do You Remember Your First Love?
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by Janise Copeman
The Lord brought this to my mind the other day and really had me think about a lot of things. Now naturally, we all think about that question pertaining to our first love, our first kiss, our first heartache, etc. I think of my precious grandparents and the love that they had for each other even until each of their last breaths. I remember how they had a love story of their own and how their faces would light up even after all the years when I would ask them how they met and fell in love.
But what the Lord was really whispering to me was about remembering who our first love should be: Him. No one could love us as unconditionally and perfectly as He does. It is amazing how we put so much emphasis on so many things in our lives and people whom we allow to have so much control over our lives that we forget what true love really is all about. We forget how He longs to spend time with us and woos us to come get alone with Him and talk and share with us.
Jeremiah 31:3: “The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”
Deuteronomy 6:5: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
When you really think how much the Lord loved us and died for us, He was God and could easily have gotten down off the cross and wouldn’t have had to suffer all that pain and agony. He knew, though, He had to do that for us as a sacrifice, laying down His own wants and His life so we could be redeemed and spend eternity with Him. Love like that! 1 John 3:16: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.” Zephaniah 3:17: “For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” Titus 3:4: “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.”
As always, if you have never known this kind of love, you may have heard about Jesus but haven’t known Him in a real and personal way. Or you may have a hole in your heart left from a past heartache. I encourage you to run into the safe, loving arms of the One who knows you better than you even know yourself.
About The Author
Janise Copeman lives in Trion,Georgia, is 49 years old, and she is blessed to be married to her soulmate for 26 years. She enjoys reading, writing, and encouraging others by spreading joy and love in the Lord.
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Gò0dNews for Everyone
Goodbye, Fear
by Alison Nichols
Ever since I was little, I loved riding my bike. My pink 5-speed Huffy bike with sparkly streamers was legit. With my purple helmet, I was ready to take on any hill. Like many of us, I had training wheels on my bike when I first learned how to ride. The training wheels were created to make the learning process easier. Obviously, they weren’t meant
to stay on forever. I remember my dad talking to me about removing the training wheels. He believed I was ready. I was nervous, but he assured me that he would help me along the way. After many days of trying to get my balance and steering down, I felt I was finally making progress. One afternoon, I decided to ride on my own without any help. Adventuring halfway down our driveway, fear set in and I began to teeter and wobble. My dad arrived at the perfect moment, taking hold of the handles to keep me from falling. While he was helping me, an unfortunate event occurred. I ran over his foot not once, but twice.
Although it was completely unintentional, I still felt bad. My dad assured me that everything was alright and that I should try riding again. But I didn’t. Months passed before I considered riding my bike again. I was so afraid that the same thing would happen again. The bottom line was that I allowed fear to control me. Fear steals life, time, and joy. We all have seasons in our lives where we experience fear, but as believers, we have an unwavering Hope. Our God is always with us and for us. “…for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7). I don’t know what situation or giants you might be facing, but I encourage you to not allow
fear to take hold.
“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7).
God may be using this season to prepare you for what He is about to do in and through you in the days ahead. Cast your fears aside, and walk boldly into the future God has for you!
About The Author Alison Nichols is an active member of Fellowship Baptist Church in Rome, Georgia. She loves vintage clothing, antique cameras, and spending time with her family.
