The Lighthouse Devotional
Author: Priscilla Millar
SCRIPTURE VERSE
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Heb 10:24–25 NIV).
PERSONAL REFLECTION
These Scripture verses contain three appeals that help us persevere in our faith as we seek to reconcile with God. I will focus on the appeal of “not giving up meeting together”sinceit makes the others easier to accomplish. Meeting together enables me to give and receive hugs (before Covid-19), smiles, words of encouragement, and to meet the expressed needs of others.
SCRIPTURE REFLECTION
The passage encourages and helps us focus on developing our walk with God. It is for our good and the strengthening of other believers. God does not want us to live in isolation but in community. Jesus once prayed for his disciples to be in complete unity (John 17:23), referring to the oneness we experience in fellowship as we unite around shared beliefs, purposes, and goals. “Not giving up meeting together” means physically assembling ourselves to worship God in the name of Jesus as often as is humanly possible (Matt 18:20). Online and social media platforms cannot, by themselves, satisfy our overwhelming need to gather since they do not foster an environment that is productive and interactive enough to satisfy our need to love and encourage each other. Such platforms have proven beneficial for some things, including Bible study, prayer, and Christian education, especially in the emergency of our current pandemic situation. However, we must not view them as a permanent replacement for Christians gathering in a physical place of worship to be with and to interact with each other face to face, even with our masks and face shields.
EXHORTATION
Therefore, allowing God to transform us according to His will, let us:
Assemble with other saints of God;
Satisfy our spiritual needs and the needs of others;
Spur each other on to love and good deeds;
Encourage one another;
Maintain fellowship with other believers;
Be part of the growth of God’s kingdom;
Look together for Jesus’ second coming; and
Edify each other with our spiritual gifts.
PRAYER
Precious Jesus, you prayed for unity among your disciples so that we might be one as you are one with the Father. Help us to strive to achieve this, Lord. Draw us closer to you as we assemble in your name. Father, let the Western Light Church of the Nazarene be known as a house of prayer. Open “the eyes” of our understanding so that we will be delighted to follow Your plan for our lives. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.