One by one, I got the privilege to tell others about my surrender to Jesus Christ—my Lord and Savior. Then, I got to see my mother, father, sister, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, husband, father-in-law, children, friends, acquaintances give their lives to Christ and be forever changed! They knew something was different within me. Many would often say, “I knew you when…” They knew me for the sinner I was. But, they also knew my life was now radically different. The only thing different was Jesus! They noticed the change and the powerful work of God in my life.
Here I was, now year’s later, at this worship night in another state, and I felt the Holy Spirit pressing upon my heart, “I knew you when.” This time it wasn’t the friends around me saying it. It was the Lord trying to get my attention. I knew where this was going. It was as if the Lord was saying, “I knew you when… I knew you when you didn’t know me, love me or honor me, yet I loved you with an endless love.” Oh, the beautiful grace He extends.
There was more. It was as if God was also saying, “Melissa, I knew you when… I knew you when you lived to worship me beyond a designated worship night.”
The Holy Spirit was putting His finger on something. There had been a change or shift in my heart, and not for the better. It wasn’t that I loved God less. My worship was becoming sparce. I have been so busy laboring for God that I have compromised my intimate worship to God. Working for the Lord is still worship, but it’s always best when done with God and not just for Him!
Is this what it had come to? Was my worship only freely given on worship nights or at church on Sunday mornings? Did I need to fly to a designated night of worship to honor and worship the Lord? There were times in my life I couldn’t wait to wake up and worship Jesus. There have been times, I couldn’t go to bed because I just wanted to worship Him more. There have been times I would get out of bed at 2, 3 or 4 a.m. to worship when I couldn’t sleep. That’s all wonderful, but where am I now?
I allowed the Holy Spirit to have His perfect work in my heart as I stayed in a posture of surrender during the worship that continued around me. The Lord reminded me of a scripture. I pulled out my Bible and opened it to Revelation 2:2-5. “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. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 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” (ESV).
This is what conviction can look like. The Holy Spirit leads, teaches, and draws us back closer to the Father. I have been busy doing Kingdom work—sharing the love and name of Jesus. But in the busyness, I have also been slowly abandoning the love I had at first. Had I stopped worshipping? No. Had it weakened and lessened? Yes. God desires that we co-labor with Him! He loves it when we seek Him throughout the journey.
Instead of growing closer to Him in the journey, I have allowed my focus to become more on doing things for God in this season than longing to be with God. There is a balance we must find! We don’t want to have one without the other! Working for the Lord is best when working out of the overflow of time spent with Him. Please don’t do work for the Lord without Him! Trust me. It can happen very easily and very quickly.
If the Lord would tell each of us individually, “I knew you when…” what would that mean to you? If you pause to think about ways you have pulled back even just a little, do you see areas that you have abandoned in your love, worship, and devotion to God? The Scripture tells us to remember from where you have fallen, repent, and do the works you did at first. Open your heart and talk to the Lord. He knew you when…!
How can you make Monumental Moments and live to multiply His movement today?
