Photo by Fadi Xd on Unsplash
I have been prompted by the Lord (God the Holy Spirit) to lean into returning to my first love.
In this installment, I will discuss the stories of Jesus and relate them to returning to my first love.
The Farmer and his seed
“He told another story. “God’s kingdom is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field.
That night, while his hired men were asleep, his enemy sowed thistles all through the wheat and slipped away before dawn.
When the first green shoots appeared, and the grain began to form, the thistles showed up, too.
“The farmhands came to the Farmer and said, ‘Master, that was clean seed you planted. Where did these thistles come from?’
“He answered, ‘Some enemy did this.’ “The farmhands asked, ‘Should we weed out the thistles?’
“He said, ‘No, if you weed the thistles, you’ll pull up the wheat, too.
Let them grow together until harvest time. Then I’ll instruct the harvesters to pull up the thistles and tie them in bundles for the fire, then gather the wheat and put it in the barn.'”
Matthew 13:24-30 The Message
The Farmer
The disciples asked Jesus to explain this story to them.
So he explained. “The Farmer who sows the pure seed is the Son of Man.
Matthew 13:37
The Message
We must never forget that returning to our first love is always about Jesus (God the Son).
He made it possible for humanity to have an eternal future of love and grace instead of damnation and sorrow.
The Bible says we cannot approach the Father without the Son. The Son tells us that the Holy Spirit will guide us into every truth about the Son.
Our first love is Jesus.
The field
“The field is the world,”
Matthew 13:38A
The Message
The world is a field where living, growing, producing, and dying take place.
We must never forget that you only return to your first love in the field (our present lives).
Procrastination is a tool of the enemy to keep humanity out of the kingdom of God. “Do it tomorrow” is a familiar phrase whispered whenever a person attempts to get close to God.
We fall into that trap (lie) if we are not aware of the adversary’s (the Devil’s) lies and deceptions.
This is where community is vital to help you honor the decisions you make in your heart. Community keeps you focused, helping you overcome the urge to put it off until tomorrow.
The good seed
“The pure seeds are subjects of the kingdom,”
Matthew 13:38 B
The Message
Christ-followers are the pure seeds. We are the subjects of the kingdom. It means we have a part to play in the world, and when the cares of the world weigh us down, or the lies of the Devil trip us, we’re short of our first love.
I once heard an analogy that should help you understand.
Once a jet leaves the runway (the new life of a new believer) and heads for its destination, many factors cause it to veer off course (weather, other air traffic, delays at the destination, etc).
The pilot does not turn the jet around, return to the airport, and take off again. Instead, a course correction is made as the jet continues to its destination.
What a beautiful story.
We do not have to start from the beginning when we slip and fall, or mess up in our walk with the Lord.
We make the necessary course correction and continue our journey.
Returning to our first love does not mean starting over, but getting back on track.
The thistles,
“he says, are subjects of the Devil,
and the enemy who sows them is the Devil.”
Matthew 13:38C & 39A
The Message
There it is. There is a devil, and he has subjects who do his bidding, attacking Christ-followers, and hindering humanity from getting close to God.
Returning to your first love means you are in for a fight, because the Devil does not want to give in to you there. He will do everything he can to stop you by sending his subjects to stand in your way.
Much can be said about this, but know, if you want to return to your first love, you will have to fight for it.
The beauty of this fight is that it is already won (the victory is ours because the battle is the Lord’s, 1 Corinthians 15:57).
Returning to your first love
“So he explained. “The Farmer who sows the pure seed is the Son of Man.
The field is the world, the pure seeds are subjects of the kingdom, the thistles are subjects of the Devil, Devilthe Devil who sows them is the Devil.DevilharDevilis the end of the age, the curtain of history. The harvest hands are angels.
“The picture of thistles pulled up and burned is a scene from the final act.
The Son of Man will send his angels, weed out the thistles from his kingdom,
pitch them in the trash, and be done with them. They are going to complain to high heaven, but nobody will listen.
At the same time, ripe, holy lives will mature and adorn the kingdom of their Father. “Are you listening to this? Really listening?”
Matthew 13:37-43
The Message
Jesus asks, “Are you listening to this?”
Your lives matter because they account for the kingdom of God.
You have an adversary determined to prevent you from reaching your destination.
You have Jesus and his angels on your side.
This year, 2026, promises to be filled with wonder and amazement as the subjects of the kingdom return to their first love and fulfill the will, plan, and purposes of the Father in the world.
My challenge in 2026 is to:
- Lean into Jesus
- Let go of my self-determination
- Learn to trust in my God
This was easier when I first believed because I was naïve about a lot of things.
It is becoming more difficult the longer I live in this world, because of the growing lawlessness I face daily.
It is a challenge, but one I have committed to embracing.
The cry of the Spirit has gone out.
Humanity has entered a time of historical proportions, and being close to God will mean the difference between finding spiritual freedom and deepening spiritual bondage.