First Time

There are memories that jump out in my mind of things that I did for the first time. It’s funny how some of the “first time” memories are significant and some are seemingly insignificant. I remember learning to drive a tractor for the first time. I remember cutting grass on a riding mower for the first time. I remember my first time trying to chew tobacco (yuck – made me pretty sick). I remember the first time I met the Lord. My memories of “first times” are often out weighed by the fact that the “firsts” were only the beginning to a long and storied connection. I will drive today and probably not even think about that first time. When I cut grass I don’t necessarily recall the first time, because there have been so many times since. The first time I met the Lord, my parents introduced me to him. I learned to love the Lord as a kid because of what I witnessed in my parents. I remember meeting the Lord for the first time and I became convinced He was real. My faith became my own. I go back to that event often as I reflect on my journey with Him.

Hosea is reminding of Judah of their forefather Jacob’s encounter with God. I’m not sure if it was Jacob’s first, but I think it was his most significant encounter. Check this out….

2 The Lord has a charge to bring against Judah;

    he will punish Jacob according to his ways

    and repay him according to his deeds.

3 In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel;

    as a man he struggled with God.

4 He struggled with the angel and overcame him;

    he wept and begged for his favor.

He found him at Bethel

    and talked with him there –

5 the Lord God Almighty,

    the Lord is his name of renown!

6 But you must return to your God;

    maintain love and justice,

    and wait for your God always. (Hosea 12:2-6 NIV)

I can recall seeing a live Passion Play at Johnson University Tennessee (formerly Johnson Bible College) when I was a freshman in college. I watched as the life of Jesus came to life in this play. These were not professional actors, they were juniors who were putting on this event for the seniors. It was a “Christian Prom” of sorts. I remember vividly, as if it were yesterday, seeing Jesus crucified in that play and I was brought to tears. My faith went to a whole new level that evening. I believed in God for myself for the very first time. I made a commitment to follow the Lord for the rest of my life. I made a commitment to ministry that night. I came to terms with just how much the Lord loved me and His Love blew me away.

I’ve returned to that night many times to reconnect and recommit to the Lord. I want to remember the first time I felt deeply connected to the Lord and His love for me. The entire trajectory of my life was changed that night. My faith in God became my own faith. It is the faith I give to my family and to others. The first time I came face to face with God is etched in my soul, but it hasn’t been my only encounter. He has underscored that experience many times over the years. There is always a “first” and my first personal experience with the Lord changed everything from that point on.

Pressing On!

Dwayne