As I walked through the streets of Jerusalem this week, I found myself reflecting deeply on God’s Word and on the condition of our hearts. There is something unique about this city — the mixture of history, prayer, and God’s presence — that has a way of slowing you down and bringing clarity. It reminds you of what truly matters. And in that quiet, one message kept rising strongly in my spirit: Yeshua’s invitation to return to our first love.
In Revelation 2, Yeshua speaks to the believers in Ephesus and says, “You have left your first love.” These words are not easy for any of us to hear. They carry weight because we all know what it’s like to have seasons when our passion cools or our devotion becomes less vibrant. None of us wants our love for the Lord to fade or become mechanical. I often find myself praying, “Lord, keep my heart alive. Keep Your love burning in me. Don’t let routine replace relationship.”
But Yeshua doesn’t leave His disciples with a warning — He gives a clear way forward.
He says, “Remember from where you have fallen.”
This doesn’t necessarily mean falling into obvious sin. More often, it means something far subtler: drifting. Losing focus. Losing that spark of intimacy. The warmth we once had slowly becomes weaker without us even noticing it at first. Yeshua calls us to pause, look honestly, and remember where things shifted — to identify the very moments or seasons when our first love began to cool.
Then comes His simple but powerful instruction: Repent.
But the Hebrew word here gives it an entirely different tone. In Hebrew, the word is שובה (shuváh), from the root שוב (shuv), meaning:
Come back. Return. Turn around.
This changes everything. Hebrew repentance isn’t about guilt or emotional pressure. It’s not about feeling bad enough until something changes. It’s about direction. It’s about realigning ourselves with God’s heart. It is the Father calling His children home and saying, “Come back to Me. Come back to where your love was strong. Come back to where you were close.”
And Yeshua continues by saying, “Do the first works.”
In other words, return to the things you naturally did when your heart was tender and full of love:
- When you prayed not out of obligation, but because you wanted to be with Him
- When worship wasn’t just singing, but a place where your heart opened
- When reading the Word felt alive, fresh, and personal
- When serving Him brought joy, not pressure
- When you spoke to Yeshua throughout the day simply because you loved Him
Those early expressions weren’t heavy or forced — they were the natural fruit of a heart in love with the Lord.
So as we enter this Shabbat, I want to gently encourage you — just take a moment and ask yourself:
- Where have I drifted?
- Where has my love become quieter?
- Where is Yeshua calling me to come back?
There is no blame or harshness in His voice. Only invitation. Only love. Only the desire to restore what may have grown dim. This Shabbat is a perfect time to respond, to slow down, to let the Spirit of shuváh draw your heart back toward Him with renewed closeness and warmth.
My prayer is that this Shabbat will be a time of returning, of reconnecting, and of rediscovering the sweetness of first love with Yeshua.
Shabbat shalom and blessings from Jerusalem,
Pastor Israel Pochtar
