Sundays are a tremendous occasion to remember how deeply we depend upon God. We work most of the week in some measure of chaos, duty, pressures and obligations. If we were to always tell the truth we would confess that on many of those days we scarcely pause to consider how deeply we need God to accomplish what is placed before us. You see, we rely on our giftedness, our experience, the systems into which we are placed and can look back to see that there is a great danger in living out our lives on auto-pilot. Sundays are designed in order to interrupt those patterns that so many classify as “my real life” and inject an intrusive reminder that we are citizens of a different Kingdom. Sundays show me that this is not my home. Sundays emphasize to me that spiritual ties are thicker than blood ties or mere bonds of friendship. Yes, the first day of the week stands as God’s ALL CAPS, bold & underlined reminder that He has provided a double-birth for us and therefore, a much higher realm for our right-nows & ever-afters. Sundays let us up for air and what we breathe is the oxygen of a celestial city that wafts our way when we gather together to worship our God.
I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.” – Psalm 121:1-2
We lift up our eyes in order to get a glimpse of our glorious God. We meet in a place called a sanctuary which can be defined as a place of refuge or asylum. We sing songs to an invisible God that our eyes have never beheld but whom are hearts are utterly convinced is real…and good. Sundays provide opportunities to look into the faces of brothers and sisters who understand us and share our hope of overcoming. Our gatherings are with purpose, that we might be blessed to give and also blessed to receive. Sacrifices seem small on Sundays because the fruit is tasted so quickly and enjoyed in a togetherness that can be found nowhere else. Sundays bring opportunities to hear from our King in very specific, even precious, ways. His word rings loud and true in our hearts on Sunday and there are moments when we sense Heaven’s ecstasy bubbling within us and we know that it is just a matter of time before we are taken to peek upward and onward behind the veil. Sundays allow us to look out for the hurting and lost and confused as they are moved by God to visit the place where we worship and serve; I’m amazed at times that people are still coming and God is still ushering them to the front doors of churches and entrusting those whom He loves to us. You see, we know along with the Psalmist, that all true help comes from the Lord. The scope of His power is stated broadly in that this helping God is the same who made both heaven and earth – the celestial and the terrestrial. The Almighty is with us today and He is not an idle spectator. He is active and accomplishing His plans on our behalf and we can never move out of His line of vision. This God is great and on Sundays we sense that there is an exclamation point (!!!) behind all that He is saying and doing.
Will you welcome Him to be your sole help? Will you abandon yourself to His grace and mercy, lifting up your faith as eyes upon the hills, expecting Him to come to your aid?
I can do this. I must do this. I will do this today.
Jeff, I had exposure to an open group of Christians on the internet, debating biblical issues. It has been such an eye opener and the reality of deceiving spirits popped up every now and then. It made me so sad that people would talk about the Holy Spirit, speaking about spiritual rebirth, but were clearly not lead by Him. How can you talk about the HS, about spiritual rebirth and not have the truth? How does that happen? I have withdrawn myself from the group and felt safe and comforted while I read through your blog tonight. Thank you so much for the time and effort you put into your blog – and the evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit in you. I have so much more appreciation for Pastors, men of God, after this.