The Church at Ephesus had abandoned her first Love. Let us reflect on God's glorious love for us in Jesus Christ as we look at Matthew Henry's commentary on Hosea 11:4.

I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.

He brought them into his service by mild and gentle methods (v. 4): I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love. Note, It is God's work to draw poor souls to himself; and none can come to him except he draw them, John vi. 44. He draws, (1.) With the cords of a man, with such cords as men draw with that have a principle of humanity, or such cords as men are drawn with; he dealt with them as men, in an equitable rational way, in an easy gentle way, with the cords of Adam. He dealt with them as with Adam in innocency, bringing them at once into a paradise, and into covenant with himself. (2.) With bands of love, or cartropes of love. This word signifies stronger cords than the former. He did not drive them by force into his service, whether they would or no, nor rule them with rigour, nor detain them by violence, but his attractives were all loving and endearing, all sweet and gentle, that he might overcome them with kindness. Moses, whom he made their guide, was the meekest man in the world. Kindnesses among men we commonly call obligations, or bonds, bonds of love. Thus God draws with the savour of his good ointments (Cant. i. 4), draws with lovingkindness, Jer. xxxi. 3. Thus God deals with us, and we must deal in like manner with those that are under our instruction and government, deal rationally and mildly with them.

He eased them of the burdens they had been long groaning under: I was to them as those that take off the yoke on their jaws, alluding to the care of the good husbandman, who is merciful to his beast, and will not tire him with hard and constant labour. Probably, in those times, the yoke on the neck of the oxen was fastened with some bridle, or headstall, over the jaws, which muzzled the mouth of the ox. Israel in Egypt were thus restrained from the enjoyments of their comforts and constrained to hard labour; but God eased them, removed their shoulder from the burden, Ps. lxxxi. 6. Note, Liberty is a great mercy, especially out of bondage. 7. He supplied them with food convenient. In Egypt they fared hard, but, when God brought them out, he laid meat unto them, as the husbandman, when he has unyoked his cattle, fodders them. God rained manna about their camp, bread from heaven, angels' food; other creatures seek their meat, but God laid meat to his own people, as we do to our children, was himself their caterer and carver, anticipated them with the blessings of goodness.

But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first.

O, God, Lover of our souls, the One who loved us first,

We confess our love for You has grown cold.

We confess we have taken Your love for granted.
We confess we do not understand Your love as we ought.

We confess our love for You has grown faint.

We confess we have taken Your love for granted.
We confess we do not understand Your love as we ought.

We confess we have abandoned You, our first Love.

We confess we have taken Your love for granted.
We confess we do not understand Your love as we ought.

We confess we think we deserve Your love.

We confess we have taken Your love for granted.
We confess we do not understand Your love as we ought.

We confess we forget how vile and sinful we are.

We confess we have taken Your love for granted.
We confess we do not understand Your love as we ought.

We confess we forget that in us dwells no good thing.

We confess we have taken Your love for granted.
We confess we do not understand Your love as we ought.

We confess that apart from Your love we deserve eternal condemnation.

We confess we have taken Your love for granted.
We confess we do not understand Your love as we ought.
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We confess we forget how amazing Your grace is.

We confess we have taken Your love for granted.
We confess we do not understand Your love as we ought.

We confess we forget how wonderful the cross truly was.

We confess we have taken Your love for granted.
We confess we do not understand Your love as we ought.

George Whitefield wrote in his Journals (Sunday, Sept. 14, 1740):

His distinguishing mercies quite melted me down, and I called upon all that was within me to praise His Holy Name. O Lord, in the night season, let me arise and give thanks unto Thee, and let my talking be of Thy loving kindness and tender mercies all day long.

Father, may we know Your mercies and Your love in that way. We confess we have taken Your love for granted. We confess we do not understand Your love as we ought. We confess our understanding is so small. We confess our experiential knowledge of You and Your love is so limited. But we come to You and ask that Your mercies and love come and sweep us up and sweep into us and fill us with all Your fullness. Only as we are filled with Your mercies and love in this way, will our whole being overflow with love and praise to You. How can we praise and worship You as we ought? How can we love You as You deserve? How can the world know Your love if we take Your love for granted? How can the world know Your love if we do not know You and know Your mercies and love for us as we ought?

Would You open our eyes so we might see once more how great Your love is for us? A King who became a Servant. A God who suffered in our place. A Shepherd who willingly became our Passover Lamb and shed His precious blood. A love that sent Jesus to die for us while we were yet sinners. A love that died for the ungodly. A Savior who bore all our sins in His Body and bore the punishment for them all. An atoning sacrifice so we might be declared righteous and just. A perfect Lamb who was without sin hung on the cross condemned for our sin. A God who poured out His soul to death for those who we dead in sins and transgressions. A continuing Mediator to allow us to find grace and mercy in time of need. A continuing Advocate to save us from Your wrath. An ever-present Spirit, who abides with us forever. A love that continues to reach Your arms out to us when we turn our backs on You. O, how great Your love for us! May Your love for us never grow old to us. May we continue to celebrate and bask in Your love each day. May we return to You, O God, and love You with a deeper love than we have ever known before.

May Your love sweep over us and into us and fill us in a way we have not known before. This is what the apostle Paul prayed for the Ephesians; these brothers and sisters had already known Your love, but here Paul is telling them they can have a deeper understanding of Your love and a deeper experiential knowledge of Your love. O, how we need that today, dear Father! So we come to Your throne of grace with boldness and confidence and pray these same things for ourselves:

For this reason we bow our knees before You, our Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory You may grant Your Church to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in our inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith—that we, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that we may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to You who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to You be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

May your distinguishing mercies quite melt us down, so we might call upon all that is in us to praise Your holy Name. O Lord, in the night season, let us arise and give thanks to You and let our talking be of Your lovingkindness and mercies all day long.

To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

Lord Jesus, these are words You spoke almost 2000 years ago, but these are words You speak to us today because they are preserved for us as part of the Scripture. Give us ears to ear how Your Spirit is calling us back to You, so you might be our first Love.

Lord Jesus, many of us have worked . . .

Forgive us, Lord Jesus, for not loving You.

Lord Jesus, many of us have toiled . . .

Forgive us, Lord Jesus, for not loving You.

Lord Jesus, many of us have patiently endured . . .

Forgive us, Lord Jesus, for not loving You.

Lord Jesus, many of us have not borne with those who are evil . . .

Forgive us, Lord Jesus, for not loving You.

Lord Jesus, many of us have tested those who call themselves apostles . . .

Forgive us, Lord Jesus, for not loving You.

Lord Jesus, many of us are bearing up for Your name's sake . . .

Forgive us, Lord Jesus, for not loving You.

Lord Jesus, many of us have not grown weary . . .

Forgive us, Lord Jesus, for not loving You.

Lord Jesus, many of us have hated the works of the Nicolatians . . .

Forgive us, Lord Jesus, for not loving You.

Lord Jesus, many of us have been so busy doing all these works . . .

Forgive us, Lord Jesus, for not loving You.

Lord Jesus, many of us have been so busy doing all these works . . .

Forgive us, Lord Jesus, for not loving You.

Lord Jesus, many of us have been so busy doing all these works . . .

Forgive us, Lord Jesus, for not loving You.

Lord Jesus, many of us have been so busy doing all these works . . .

Forgive us, Lord Jesus, for not loving You.

Lord Jesus, many of us have been so busy doing all these works . . .

Forgive us, Lord Jesus, for not loving You.

Lord Jesus, many of us have been so busy doing all these works . . .

Forgive us, Lord Jesus, for not loving You.

But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

Lord Jesus, You consider loving You a serious business. Often times we do not see loving You as a serious business, instead we see our work for You as a serious business. Yes, we should work for You, but first and foremost You call us to love You.

We are often deceived. What we think to be love is only a false and cheap substitute for love. Instead of having a pure passionate living love for You, we end up engaging in false religion, a religion of externals, a dead religion of obligation and duty. Forgive us for abandoning You, our first Love, and loving false, external religion more than You. Forgive us for abandoning You, our first Love, and loving our work more than You.

When we do not love You as we ought, You call us to repentance. You tell us to do the works we did at first. Your words are clear to us: we have fallen if we are not loving You as we ought. Your words are clear to us: when we do not love You as we ought we are sinning. Your words are clear to us: You tell us You will remove our lampstand unless we repent. Show us our hearts. Show us how we failed to loved You as we ought. May Your kindness lead us to repentance and godly sorrow, so we might return to our first Love.

There are also some who have been in the visible church for years and they think they have loved You. They think they know You. They have worked diligently for You for years. Yet they have not truly loved You because they have not truly known You. They do not understand what it really means to sit at Your feet and wipe them with their tears. They have known all about You but have never entered into an intimate love relationship with You through the work of Your Holy Spirit. They have never known Your indwelling Spirit of love. Open their eyes, open their hearts, open their mouths, let them taste and see You are good. Lavish them with Your love, so they might truly love You in a way they never imagined.

Shine Your light on our hearts. Show us what kind of love we have for You for it is only then we can repent and turn to You, our first Love.

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me. 41 But the Lord answered her, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.

Take some time today from cease from all your work for Him. Sit down before Him, lie down before Him and do the one thing that is necessary. Ask Him to show you your heart for Him. Ask Him to show you where your love is not pure for Him. Ask Him to lead you to confession and repentance and restore you to your first Love.