October #jammed: Free Grace.

Day 290: Room to run.

“ Let us consider how to inspire each other to greater love and to righteous deeds, not forgetting to gather as a community, as some have forgotten, but encouraging each other, especially as the day of His return approaches.” Hebrews 10:24-25

“WHOA!!!! CHERRY!!!!” 

For some reason, though we pass triple the amount of geese every morning when we walk the pier, that afternoon my dog had decided it was the perfect time to teach them all a lesson with her vicious doodle-self barreling after them …my arm yanked along in tow.

“Crazy doodle!!!” I hollered as I shortened her leash. She looked up at me with her really sad and “I’m sorry” eyes.

“Sorry, girl,” I told her, “back to the short leash …you can’t be trusted!”

Today’s verse keeps us on a short leash, because we can’t be trusted. We’re all human, and though we all have good intentions, they fail us. Intentionality is fleeting unless it has been marinated in God’s wisdom. 

Not giving up meeting together: The Greek word translated “giving up” speaks of desertion and abandonment. -NIV Study Bible Notes.

The community in this verse was under siege. Christians were not always allowed to meet, and small groups were suspicious to the government that wanted to eradicate them. The world hasn’t changed as much as we’d like to hope it has. Radical hate and genocide still run rampant in this world. It’s not fair. But what will we do in the face of persecution and threats?

When we stop meeting together …when we stop meeting with God in His Word …when we forgo daily prayer to rush into the day’s routine …we begin to forget. That’s why these meetings are so important. Because not long after we forget, we run the other way. We run the other way, and then we abandon what we once knew. It’s not that far-fetched. Peter denied Jesus, and we do, too.

But when we meet together, we are promised that God is with us. When we stand in worship to praise Him, He is there. When we gather together to seek Him in His Word, He is there. The Spirit moves us, and we remember. We are reminded. Of God’s love for us. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross to save us. And the Spirit’s constant presence in translation.

When we meet together, we keep ourselves on a short leash, so we don’t sprint off to chase things that don’t even hit our plane of sight when we’re close to Him.

Father, Praise You for church communities and those that gather in Your name. Thank You for the magic that happens when the Spirit moves through those rooms and our hearts. Forgive us for neglecting to take the time to spend with the One who created time. Help us to trust Your hand on the minutes of our days. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Get the conversation started by commenting below, and let’s encourage one another as we face life in 2017 armed with grace! 

#greatgrace17

Happy Gathering,

Megs

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