Matthew 24:12 (NKJV) And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.

There are some who once burned with holy zeal for the Lord. They had a deep devotional life, full of time spent in the Word and in prayer. But their fire went out. Satan crept in gradually, destroying both their witness and their relationship with the Lord. Though they’d once rejoiced to have been delivered from the mire and muck of the world, they have returned, like pigs, to that same mire and muck. As Jesus foretold in Matthew 24, their love has waxed cold.

Jesus warned us about those things that can extinguish the fire of our hearts.

“Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly” (Luke 21:34). Carousing means giving yourself over to the appetites of the flesh. Drunkenness—whether by alcohol, drugs, or yes, even excessive TV watching—is the numbing or clouding of your brain to the point where you can no longer think clearly. The cares of this life are those things that keep you so busy that you no longer have time for the things of the Spirit.

What is the condition of your heart today? Does your love for Jesus burn brightly there, or has your love for Him waxed cold?

Father, we don’t want our love for You to wax cold. Keep love’s fire burning in our hearts, that our zeal for You would be a bright witness to the world. In Jesus’ name, amen.