Keep Going to Church!

The Lord is the defense of His people, and nothing can protect you like the presence of the Lord. But where can you find the presence of the Lord? It is within you. You are the church, the hands and feet of Jesus. You are the one doing His will, with or without others by your side. However, you do need encouragement and uplifting from your brethren—a break from the world amongst like-minded people.

It's not a sin to miss church, but it is a good idea to make regular attendance a practice wherever you choose to worship. The world can swallow you up in its ways if you're not careful. The weekly reminder from church that you are part of His good pleasure is a very good idea indeed.

The Lord designed the church, the body of Christ, and we are all part of it. Anything that the Lord has made and designed is good and for our good. We should be in agreement with that, even when our emotional state disagrees.

For example, we might be too tired to attend, or we might say that the church isn’t the building, so we don’t have to go. Maybe we’ll think, "It’s my only day off." The excuses to skip church can come easily. But again, we only need one reason when the enemy or our flesh gives us a thousand reasons not to do something or to do something we shouldn’t. And that one reason is—Jesus!

The Lord is blessed, and blessed be His name! He uses all things for our good and protection. He is our guide and uses other people in our lives to speak to us, such as a sermon from a pastor or a prophetic word from a brother or sister in Christ.

Redevelop your hunger for the Word, seeking it wherever you can find it. Be eager to hear the thoughts of others. The Lord created the heavens and the earth, and everything in it. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. Everything He created is for our good. So, keep going to church.

Prayer:

Lord, we thank You for being our defense and protector. We know that You are with us, guiding and leading us. Help us to remain faithful in our commitment to gather together as Your body, even when we are tired or distracted by the world. Ignite a hunger in us for Your Word and for fellowship with other believers. Strengthen us to do Your will, and may we never forget the power of Your presence in our lives. In Jesus' name, Amen.

"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."
— Matthew 18:20 (NIV)