Sweep Me Off My Feet - Renewing Our First Love

By Beverly Hill McKinney

The first time I saw my husband, his smile seemed to light up the room. My heart speeded up and my hands grew sweaty. Will he really ask me out? I wondered. When we finally did go out, it was enough to just be together, whether we talked or not.

Do I feel this way about my true love, the Lord? Am I excited to be with him and sit in his presence? Does my heart speed up and I look forward to being with him. Do I want to pour out my heart to him? Am I anxious to be with him forever? Can I hardly wait to see him again?

Let’s look at a few of those in the Bible who were swept off their feet.

1) In the gospel of John, Mary of Bethany anointed the feet of Jesus to show her deep love for him. She just wanted to be near him. His love for her swept her off her feet. Later when she came to the tomb on that first Easter morning, she merely had to hear her name spoken to know who the Lord was. He was so familiar to her, his voice was enough for her to feel his love overwhelm her life.
2) The woman caught in the act of adultery (many Bible scholars think this was Mary as well) was brought before Jesus. No one had treated her as a lover. She had been used and mistreated. But, when she came before the Lord, he treated her with respect and love and forgave her of her many sins. She immediately told others and became an instant witness of her new life’s love.

3) Elijah looked for the Lord in the whirlwind and the fire, but found him in a still small voice. He was anxious to hear from his God. His life was changed from that moment.

4) Paul, on the road to Damascus was struck blind by the Lord. He was immediately in awe of the great miracle of redemption. After this encounter, his life changed and he became a mighty witness for his life’s love.

Let’s look at a few ways we can be swept off our feet today.

1. We can take time to be alone with our Lord
We just need to sit in His presence and adore Him for who He is. Like with our own true love, no words are needed at these times. Being together is enough.

2. We can pour out our hearts
There are times when we need to pour out our hearts to someone. Life is overwhelming and we think we can’t handle anything else. We sit before the Lord and pour out our troubles knowing that He will listen to our every need and cry of our hearts. Sometimes we feel like nothing we do will correct the situation, but He gives us a peace and assurance that He cares and understands.

3. We can wait eagerly to see Him
Are we excited about seeing Him again? I remember attending a women’s retreat and at the end as we were packing to go home we all realized how much we missed our husbands and children. We became excited and anxious to get home and be with them again. Are we that anxious for Heaven and our eternal home?

4. We can talk about Him
When we have a new love, the first thing we want to do is share the news with others. We call our friends and family and tell them all about our new relationship. Do we do the same with the Lord? As he reveals Himself to us, do we want to share His love with others? Or do we want to keep Him all to ourselves? If we are truly in love, we want the world to know. Do we want the world to know Christ?

In Isaiah 62:5(NKJV): “And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.” Think of that. God rejoices over us like a bridegroom.

Do we look at Him as a bride to her bridegroom?

Let’s recall our first love and renew our commitment to the Lord so He can once again sweep us off our feet.

Beverly Hill McKinney writes from Rogue River, Oregon. bmckinnehill@yahoo.com