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ADVERSITIES & CHURCH


After my devotions each morning I try to work on my memory verses.  Today, in succession, two verses came up that relate a great and important truth that a spoke to me.  The two verses were:

Psalm 122:1 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. 

&

Proverbs 24:10 If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

Adversity, in a simplified definition, means "trouble."  Certainly no one looks for trouble.  Sickness, accidents, mishaps, and the resulting distress happen in everyone's lives and are often unforeseen.  They can at times be daunting.  God teaches us not to faint in the face of adversity; not to stop doing what we are supposed to and performing our vows and service to God, family, and community.  

I think that we have expanded our definition of adversity in our generation to include words like "tiredness" and even "opportunity." We usually aren't dealing with troubles as much as distractions and overly busy lives trying to take advantage of every opportunity in our day. As a result, we often miss out on the most important things in our lives that keep our spiritual strength up and keep us close to God such as daily devotions and faithful church attendance.

I thought of how often we allow percieved or real adversity to become between us and our worship of God with the brethren at church.  Sure, daily devotions are vital to the Christian's live, but so is faithful church worship when the doors are open.  One of the joys that should be in our lives is to be in the "house of God" with our other brothers and sisters in Christ when the church is meeting.  This is where we grow together and encourage one another.  

Let's not allow the anything to keep us from things that are good and right and promote our growth in the Lord and closeness to God's to our brethren in our church.  Not adversities, not distresses, and especially not opportunities and distractions.  - Pastor Mark Sage

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