Skip to main content

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

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Jesus Loved Martha

John 11:5 " Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus." Yes, this is an odd verse to quote from my devotions, but it reminds us of a great truth: God's love for does not change in the midst of a trial. Remember, Mary, Martha, & Lazarus were going through the great trial of their lives in this chapter. They may have been inclined to question God's love. BUT THE TRIAL ACTUALLY PROVES HIS GREAT LOVE! It shows us His love is not altered because we are facing a trial. The trial is always meant to grow our faith, strengthen are walk, to correct us or to guide us - but never is it meant to question His love for us.
Post a Comment
Read more

The Cult of What If

I had an old preacher many years who gave many pearls of wisdom, some were very helpful and some were very funny - but they all had a good application.  Once he simply defined tithing thusly: “Tithing is God’s way for God’s people to do God’s business.”  Sometimes his wisdom would end up contradicting other wise statements he would make.  For instance, he would say: “Tired men rule the world,” but then two weeks later he would say: “Never make a decision when your are tire.”  Both are wise statements, but they just don’t go well side by side.   There was another statement that he made that has stuck with me for all these years.  He would say (and very directly): “I DON’T DEAL IN WHAT IF’S.”  He would say this in response to people when they gave an excuse in the form of “What if this happens” to allow justification of some sin or why they could not commit to something. I’ve thought a lot about that statement through the years and how to apply and even ...
Post a Comment
Read more
This evening, we need to pray for our country. Pray for the Charlie Kirk’s family in his political assassination today. It is a horrible tragedy and should hurt the heart of every American that his he would be murdered like he was today. It breaks my heart for his family and for our country. It is a reminder to us all that evil exists. That hate exists. That sin and the devil are real. Notice how often right is persecuted and good is mocked in our country. People are not better than they used to be. They still need Christ; they still need the Lord. They need people who will stand up and do right. Just take note of the young Ukrainian woman brutally murdered on the rail system in North Carolina – and no one assisted her. People fear to do right and fear to help these days. Don’t you be one that fears to do right, be right, and speak truth. It is better to die for a cause than to die senselessly. It is better to die for right than to die for nothing. Charlie Kirk died well....
Post a Comment
Read more