24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25
I had a great week, but I find myself drained. It could be spending most of it with a ten year old and the rest of it with a 2 year old and a puppy. But I don’t think that’s it. I think its because I missed church last Sunday because we were travelling. I missed the worship service and our Sunday night gathering. I also missed my Wednesday morning men’s prayer. In fact, I missed that the week before. No wonder I am drained. These verses from Hebrews are great advice which we ignore at our peril.
It’s not just that we miss the worship or the teaching. It’s more than that. As the verse says the gathering allows us to “consider” one another to stir up love and good works. Does absence really make the heart grow fonder? I think it makes us forget the negatives and recall only the positives. When we gather with saints the positives are emphasized. We see what God is doing in each other’s lives. We see that we are not the only ones struggling with our daily walk.
But it’s even more than that. I believe when the Spirit, residing in each of us, gathers in numbers a stirring happens. The Spirit in you encourages the Spirit in me. I was interested to not that a 8.9 earthquake is not just 1 point higher than a 7.9 but multitudes of that. Comparing yesterday’s Japanese quake to that of Christchurch in New Zealand last month – which registered 6.3 – shows that the Japanese quake was 7,943 times more powerful.
It’s similar when Christians gather. Two is not twice as good as one but more like a thousand times more. Is it any wonder that if we fail to gather, we are quickly drained.
Gather with the saints tomorrow. Do it more than once if you can, morning and night. Get pumped up for the weak ahead. Trust me, you don’t want to be drained. The week ahead is likely to be full of challenges.
Nick
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