Happy Thursday, August 28th, 2025. Revelation is full of strange imagery—beasts, angels, and battles—but what strikes hardest are the words of Jesus to the churches: “You’re doing well… but.” That little word, but, exposes the gap between what we’re doing and where our heart really is. Sometimes it’s easier to serve God than to truly love Him. Busyness, ministry, and even endurance can mask the drift of our hearts. Let’s take a look.
Today's Reading:
Ezekiel 1,2,3; Revelation 2
Scripture
“You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.” (Revelation 2:3-5)
Observation
The Ephesian church was faithful, hardworking, and strong in truth—yet they had drifted from their first love, Christ Himself. It’s a sobering reminder that being right in doctrine but wrong in devotion is still falling short. It’s like a marriage where a couple stays together out of obligation but forgets the spark of love that once fueled their joy. Faith can quietly slip into autopilot: duty without passion, serving without loving.
But Jesus gives a simple remedy:
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Remember where you drifted. Pause and notice where love cooled off.
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Repent—make a 180-degree turn back to Him, not with guilt, but with surrender.
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Return to the basics of love—time in the Word, prayer, worship, and walking with Him daily.
Application
Has my faith slipped into cruise control—just going through the motions? Jesus doesn’t want only my work; He wants my heart. The blessing comes when I return to my first love. That means rekindling a relationship, not just maintaining a routine.
Prayer
Dear Lord, Thank You for reminding me that doing things for You is not the same as truly knowing You. Draw me back to my first love, so that my service flows out of devotion to You. May I never settle for a faith of duty alone, but one filled with love and passion for You. Amen.
—Aaron Cordeiro