Gathering With God’s People

And let us consider how to stir one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
— Hebrews 10:24-25

The Christian faith is communal. Therefore, the author of the Hebrews wrote, “Let us consider how to stir one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together … but encouraging one another.” We were never meant to live in isolation. From the creation of Adam and Eve to the establishment of the Church, God has always worked to establish a people to call His own. Because of this, gathering with the saints for worship and fellowship is not merely a habit or tradition. No, it’s a means of grace through which God strengthens our faith. During corporate worship, we hear God’s Word, sing praises to His Name, offer prayers, and remind ourselves and each other that we are part of something greater than ourselves. Love for God, then, naturally expresses itself in a commitment to be present with His people. 

This exhortation to gather with the saints is grounded in the urgency of the coming Day of the Lord. As the return of Christ gets closer every day, our need for mutual encouragement grows stronger. The pressures of daily life, the deceitfulness of sin and temptation, and the concerns of the world weary our souls and work together to slowly pull us away from faithful devotion. But gathering regularly with one another anchors us in truth and spurs us toward perseverance in the faith. When we love God, we value what He values, and He values the unity and edification of His people. Determine to meet with God’s people as much as possible this summer. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the Church. Thank You for my brothers and sisters in Christ and my fathers and mothers in the faith. They are a blessing to me. Give me the fortitude to commit myself to gathering with them weekly. 

Reflection Questions: 

1. What obstacles or priorities tend to keep you from regularly gathering with God’s people? 
2. In what ways does committing to corporate worship strengthen your love for God and perseverance in faith? 

Weekly Memory Verse: Indeed, I count everything as loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him… — Philippians 3:8-9a