A Daily Devotional with Pastor Doug Crouse  January 23, 2018  

Your First Love   Scripture Reading – Hebrews 13:5 (NLT)

“Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, ‘I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”  

If ever you want to do an interesting word search in a concordance, I would suggest you look up the word money or riches. If you do, you will discover what all of us already know in our hearts, that money is one of the things that pulls at our heartstrings for our first allegiance.

Some of Jesus words concerning money were: That we are to honor our commitment to God by bringing the tithe and offerings into our local church, that the work of the ministry would prosper; that we would store up for ourselves eternal treasures in heaven, where thieves cannot break in and steal and moth and rust will never be able to cause decay; that we should be honest and trustworthy in paying our taxes giving to the government what they ask for and giving to God what He deserves; that we should be thankful that God provides all things for us to enjoy richly while remembering to be generous with the poor, and sowing into the mission fields of the world for the furtherance of the Gospel.

When it comes to what we love Jesus clearly said that no one can love both God and money, for they will either hate one or love the other. Perhaps our response to the words of Jesus in the above paragraph are a good indication of where our hearts desires currently lie.

For each one who calls themselves a Christian, ‘Your First Love’, should be given to the One who gave His all for you! For when we put our faith, our hope, our trust and yes, even our money in the God who loves us, only then will we know, grow and show forth the reality of His grace and love in our lives to others.

For then we will walk in an ever increasing confidence of His presence, plan and purpose for our life.

 Prayer Heavenly Father I do pray that You will give me today my daily bread, and forgive my sins even as I forgive those who sin against me. Thank – You for providing me with all I need. Help me to honor You with all that I have and in all that I do I pray, reflecting the reality that You are the first love of my life, I ask this through Christ Jesus my Lord.  

Memory Verse:  Romans 8:37 NLT “No, despite ___ these _______, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.”