April 3, 2023
Melissa Valerio
In 1983, singer Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” became the 5th best-selling single of that year. Though the basis of the song is more or less about a romantic love interest, the chorus strikes a profound biblical truth. Here’s what it says:
Once upon a time I was falling in love
Now I’m only falling apart
There’s nothing I can do
A total eclipse of the heart
Once upon a time there was light in my life
But now there’s only love in the dark
Nothing I can say
A total eclipse of the heart
It’s sad to live that way. But the truth is, if we’re living life apart from God, that’s exactly what we’re experiencing. A total eclipse of the heart. In Mark 12:30, Jesus states “And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” (NASB) He should be our first love and ultimate love. The only reason we have love in our hearts to begin with is because He placed it there “We love, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19 NASB) It only seems right, then, that our first and best love should be reserved for God. But too often in life we fall into the trap of living for ourselves. Doing what pleases us and seeking our own pleasures and interests. Making decisions apart from the Lord, later to find ourselves in a mess.
So how do we give Him the best of what He’s given us? By turning the other way and coming back to Him with a repentant and submissive heart. By placing our lives in Jesus’ hands, acknowledging we’ve been living disobediently by living for ourselves, and then allowing Him to have full authority over every area. Over our hearts, thoughts, motives, actions, words, interests, desires, the whole bit. Our entire lives should be willing to change to align with His purposes, producing the fruits of repentance. Then and only then will we see the darkness lift and the Light shine through us, as we were meant to display all along.
Prayer: King Jesus, we invite You, alone, to sit on the throne of our hearts. Our lives and hearts belong to You. You are our first and forever love. Please don’t let anything come between our love for You. Lift the veils of our hearts and continually remind us that You are sovereign over every area of our lives. In Your holy name, Amen.
Action: Think of one area of your life that you know doesn’t please the Lord (we all have at least one). Ask Him to help you turn from that habit/sin/behavior and to replace it with His love and heart on that particular issue. We can at least do our part by picking off these dark places in our hearts and replacing them with His light.
image: freepik.com