by Rob Dunne

“But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!” Revelation 2:4

My wife Kellie and I have been married for over seven years. Most people will say that the honeymoon period is long since over. I disagree. Every morning, I look forward to waking up next to her. After a long day at work, I anxiously await seeing her when I arrive at home. I cherish the time we spend discussing the events of our respective days. On these cold winter nights, lying close to one another at the end of the day is warming and comforting.

Maintaining intimacy doesn’t come easily – Kellie and I put work into our relationship. For instance, we have a weekly date night. Once a week we sit down and ask each other questions from a book entitled, “The Navigator’s Council”. Though the questions are the same each week, they often spark interesting and thought provoking conversations. Spending time with each other in these ways strengthens our intimacy.

When I first got turned on to the Lord, I was head over heels in love. I spent hours and hours reading my bible and on my knees in prayer. The Word of God became alive in my life and I couldn’t get enough of it. God spoke to me all the time. It was one of the most amazing times of my life.

The honeymoon period with Jesus ended all too quickly. I wasn’t hearing His voice as frequently as I did in the beginning. At least not for myself. Interestingly, I receive words of knowledge and prophetic words for other people easily. That can be a little frustrating if you fail to recognize God’s love for other people and their need to experience that love through you.

What I am learning is that Jesus communicates with us in a variety of ways. More recently, He has spoken to me while holding a new born baby, listening to the waves crash upon the beach and getting rained upon while paddling in a kayak.

I believe that opening myself up to God while utilizing all six of my senses helps me minister to people more effectively. Let’s face it, everyone has different love languages and unique methods of learning. By understanding all of the ways the God communicates, we can tailor our encounters with others.

As we prepare to enter a new year, we need to remember our first love. Reflect on what it was like when you first encountered the lover of your soul. Then, ask the Lord to reveal how He wants to grow in intimacy in 2018. Be open to all of the ways in which He can communicate and express His love for you and be willing to adapt how you receive from Him. Take these tools and apply them to others as you share the love of Jesus with them. After all, we love Jesus because He first loved us!

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{re}fresh Writers Group

{re}fresh is a weekly devotional blog meant to encourage the greater Body of Christ. Our goal is to provide biblically sound content that is simultaneously God-honoring and encouraging for the life of Christian faith in the 21st century.

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