It is so strange for me to be home on a Sunday morning.
You see, when I "came to and realized consciousness" way back when as a small child, it was under a church pew.
My parents were determined that every time the door was open, that I was going to be in God's House. It was instilled in me. It was pounded into me. It was drilled into my head...and I thank God for it. Unless you were sick or in Tahiti, you were in church.
My Dad tells a true story about a young man who needed weekly kidney dialysis in order to survive. His situation was dire and the only way he was going to keep his body from becoming dangerously toxic was to get to dialysis on time twice a week. He was undisciplined in many areas and often forgot to go to dialysis and became deathly ill on several occasions. And then, his parents set him down and drilled, pounded, and instilled in him the absolute necessity of going to dialysis. Rain or shine...whether he felt like it or not. He decided to make this a habit of his life.
After 21 days of leaving himself reminders, a habit was formed....and one day he looked up and realized he was at the dialysis clinic. He was already hooked up and his blood was already being filtered through the machines. He never even remembered coming to the clinic or walking into the door. It was now a habit. A life-saving habit.
Is going to church a habit for you? Is missing church no big deal? Does every excuse in the book keep you from gathering together with other believers? Hunting season? Fishing? Shopping? Too cold? Too hot? The list goes on and on...
God knew that we would need to band together as believers in order to fulfill His will for our life. That is why he established the church and emphasized its importance in His Word.
The presence of God is powerful. If you can miss several Sundays and it not even phase you, you may need to check and see if your blood needs filtering. I can guarantee you it does.
There is just something spectacular about corporate praise and worship. When two or more are gathered, God is IN THEIR MIDST. His presence fills my soul and pushes out the worries. Singing and praising Him realigns my priorities, quenches my parched spirit, and recharges my battery. Even though I spend time worshipping Him and praying through out the week, there is just something about experiencing the sweet fellowship of other believers in His House where He dwells. It reminds you, "Hey, I'm not alone. I'm not crazy. God is really who he said He was and these other folks realize the truth as well."
So, needless to say, I am parched and ready for dialysis come Sunday.
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