The House of the Lord

Dear Weekly Readers! 

This week our article is written by Pastor Ken Storm!

I was glad when they said unto me,

Let us go into the house of the LORD.      Psalm 122:1

Have you ever given serious thought to what a blessing it is to go into our own church or

meeting place to hear God's Word read and preached? Are we sometimes guilty of taking these

opportunities for granted? What if some day suddenly the opportunity was taken away because of debilitating illness, accident, governmental decree, terrorism or some other circumstance? Would we miss gathering in worship as we do today and reflect with longing hearts for the return of these blessed times of refreshing?

Everything as we know it today can change so quickly and with such devastating results. The one

thing that will never change, however, is God's Word. It will remain the same forever. For this we give thanks.

Today, let us stop and consider the reality of life's uncertainties and examine our own hearts in the light of those truths. Can we honestly say, with David, that we are glad when we can go into the house of the Lord, or do we find that sometimes we treat this God-given privilege with indifference, or even as something being imposed upon us? Do we find ourselves grudgingly attending the worship of God out of concern for what others might think of our absence?

Do we seek excuses for not attending? Such excuses as: nobody cares for me anyway; I'm tired; I have a headache; I couldn't wake up on time; I don't get anything out of the sermon; I can't afford to support the Lord's work; there's no love there. The list of excuses seems endless, but let us recognize they all originate from one source: the devil, who feverishly wants to destroy the living faith from our hearts. He knows that the Scriptures teach …faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17)

Let us not be deceived, dear friend. Our feeble excuses do not impress God nor are they valid in His sight. They only serve to provide inroads for Satan to accomplish his evil work. May we then, as God's children, pray to God for faithful hearts, that He would stir within all of us a true hungering and thirsting for His Word and a fervent desire to always be gathered in the assembly of His children. With faithful obedience, let us apply His Word to our own hearts as we are instructed: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. (Hebrews 10:25)

With humbled hearts may we thank God for His goodness and mercy which endures forever. Let us

earnestly pray that He would show us even more clearly the many blessings He has given us, among them the great blessing of having the opportunity to gather in His house to study the Scriptures together and to worship Him with prayer, praise and thanksgiving.

Pray, dear friend, that within all our hearts we could truly say with David: I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. Here in the house of the Lord the children of His kingdom gather; here in His kingdom the precious blood of Jesus speaks grace and forgiveness for all our sin. Oh, let our hearts rejoice and our prayers of thanks be unending for Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high.  (Psalm 113:5) ~

 May the Lord Bless your Week!

Pastor Ken Storm