Journal Entry ~ 06/27/19

I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD!"  - Psalm 122:1

This psalm begins with a joyful call to the house of the Lord, and it should cause us pause to evaluate our hearts as we approach the Lord’s house. Do we rejoice as we go to church?

Many question the need for church in our lives - I used to be one of those people. I believed in God, but I didn’t prioritize my time in church on Sunday - I used to argue God knows my heart, I didn’t need to be in a specific building to prove that to Him. I would attend, but if something more pressing came up, I would choose the alternative every single time. I shudder when I think back to the arrogance of all the things I placed in importance over Him. My schedule and my commitments ranked over Him - I worshipped God when it was convenient. There was no sacrifice. 

So why do we need to go to church?  First and foremost to worship God as King of our lives. We are to have no idols before Him - He is to have our first fruits in all things. Going to church on the Sabbath is giving Him the first fruits of our week - nothing should rank over our time to worship our Creator. When I looked at my failed attempts to attend church regularly, I found my idols - my comfort and need to sleep in, my family’s activities and commitments, my vacations and my work. We are to have no idols before our God. Nothing should come before Him. 

Why do we need to go to church? To remind us who we are and whose we are. In a broken world full of distractions, it is critical that we make the choice to gather together to remind ourselves of the truth. He is our steadfast compass in a chaotic world, He is our anchor in the storms. We go to church to remind us there is joy in the storms. Though we may face trials in this life, church helps us to remember this is not our home and there is a joyful ending. We are reminded to live on purpose, that life is fragile, and that God has a plan for us. 

Despite our desire or our draw toward aloneness, we were created for community. We are blind to our own blindness - we just don’t see our sin issues. We have a tendency to minimize our own faults and focus on others issues. When we gather with other believers, we lovingly encouraged toward maturity as we hear the perspective of others. We are encouraged with the stories of God at work in the lives of others, and our faith is strengthened. When we hear of Him working, we are reminded He is faithful to fulfill His promises and we a given the courage to fight another day. Our church is our family. I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD!"  - Psalm 122:1


Press on ~ you are loved 💗

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