One fact about God is He never runs out of ways to teach us new truths or challenge us in our relationship with Him, but I believe one of His favorite ways is through our relationships with children. My son's daughter, Jolie, was almost two years old at the time. It was the Holiday season and attendance at the Christmas program her preschool was conducting was a requirement for Gram and Papa. The church sanctuary was brimming with family members - all of us impatient, I mean EAGER, to see what was planned for us. Finally, the children began to enter, and I quickly spotted Jolie's class all dressed up like wise men. For control purposes, the toddlers were seated in chairs around the manger and several teachers were strategically placed on the stage; because, as we all know, if you ever lose one, you'll probably lose them all!

Things were moving along nicely as the children began to shout, I mean SING, and every face looking on was beaming with pride, ours included. And then it happened! Halfway through the very first song, our sweet little Jolie got up from her chair and made her way to the manger. The "Baby Jesus" was in her arms before anyone on stage knew what was happening! The teacher closest to her immediately took the doll, put it back in the manger, and sat Jolie down in her chair; and, of course, the sobbing commenced without delay. Our hearts stopped when we saw her chubby little finger point at the manger and heard her wail, "BABY!"

Thankfully, the children soon began another song, and they were all shouting, I mean SINGING, so loudly that no one could hear Jolie, but we knew by her insistent points toward the manger that the teacher's attempts to console her were probably going to be futile. Her class quickly finished and came down from the stage - to the sound of tearful requests for "baby." We were sure the crowd was growing impatient with her, and we couldn't stand it any longer ourselves, so her daddy went to the rescue. Now, we were all thinking, "When she sees both grandparents and her mom, her desire for us will override her desire for the doll, and the sobs will cease." Boy, were we wrong! At the relief of all, I'm sure, once Justin had her in his arms, he headed straight for the exit with Jolie pointing and wailing "Baby!" the whole way. As soon as we were outside, Mom took her and held her close, and I began pointing out all the pretty lights; but any hopes we had of comforting or distracting her with Christmas lights plummeted as heartbroken whimpers for "baby" persisted. Justin suddenly remembered that there was a doll in the car, so he ran and brought it back to her thinking that it could substitute for the one in the manger. Wrong again! Jolie turned her tear-stained face to look and point in the direction from which we had just come - the place where the baby lay in the manger.

All of our efforts had failed. Our presence couldn't comfort her, our attention couldn't appease her, bright lights couldn't distract her, and another baby doll wasn't acceptable. She wanted that baby - the one in the manger, and no other would do! And there, my friend, is the perfect picture of the kind of desire God wants us to have for Him. He longs for a people that will long and thirst for Him - a people whose love for Him would override their love for anyone or anything else so that no other could ever take His place in their hearts - a love that could never be distracted by bright lights or be satisfied by another. He yearns for hearts that are consumed with a passion for THAT baby - the One in the manger, the One Prince of Peace, the One and Only Savior of the World!

However, the sad reality is we often become lukewarm in our desire for God. Our longing for a deep relationship with Him gets replaced by a longing for prosperity or extracurricular activities or other relationships, and, gradually, step by step, He is pushed aside to make room for bright lights and substitutes. Over time we begin to feel empty, knowing that something is not right. The spirit that had once felt alive and full of courage now feels dead and fearful. And our passion would all but vanish entirely, except for the Holy Spirit, Who begins to challenge and woo us back to Him. To the church at Ephesus, it was written that a single issue overshadowed every good work, every faithful act of endurance, and every stand for truth they had ever taken. The single issue? They had lost their first love. In His words: "You don't love me as you did at first!" Revelation 2:4

Has your love for Him become lukewarm? Has your passion for the things of God waned? The good news is, His love for you hasn't faded one bit, and His desire for an intimate love relationship with you hasn't changed. So, what should you do to make things right? First, get on your knees and ask His forgiveness, and then get involved in a good, Bible-based church; seek God daily in prayer and in the Word; find a good accountability partner that can be truthful with you and a spiritual mentor that can encourage and challenge you; and pay attention to the Lord's presence in your everyday activities. As you walk and talk with Him on a daily basis, you'll experience Him. The more you experience Him, the more you'll know Him; and the more you know Him, the more you'll love Him. Take a step in the right direction today, and let Christ become the irreplaceable, unmatched, all-consuming love of your life!

"As the deer longs for the water brooks, so I long for You, O God. My inner self thirsts for God . . .."

Psalm 42: 1 -2