PSALM 122:1 – I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD!”.

THEME OF THE DAY. HAPPY DAY! SUNDAY IS COMING! Yesterday was the Lord’s Day. How did it go? Was our weekly family reunion the blessing God intended it to be? Did we encounter the Living God through the means of grace He has given – the Word preached, prayer, and the Lord’s Table? And the fellowship with God’s people . . . was there joy in being together because of our mutual union in the Lord Jesus? What about our growth in grace? Were we challenged and more resolved to live for the Lord Jesus because of the Lord’s Day? Or . . .

Did we miss the Lord’s Day? Did we choose a worldly activity over obeying the Lord? Was the attraction of a beautiful summer day so appealing that we allowed it to override our heeding God’s command to not neglect the gathering with His people? Did we justify absence from the house of God because of the weakness of the flesh – too tired for church? I sometimes wonder when we miss church saying, “I just needed a day off. Just needed to rest”, if we would say and do the same thing on a Monday morning when it is time to go to our earthly job? I don’t think so. At any rate, Sunday is the Lord’s Day. It should be kept that way and that in a non-negotiable way. But not only is it the Lord’s Day, it should be the happiest day of the week for the Christian. Even the high day of the week when we get to go to the house of God. It sure seemed that way in today’s scripture.

The sweet Psalmist, David, gives us a wonderful model of the proper heart cry for the fellowship of the Lord’s people in His house. Meditate on today’s scripture and feel the joy in David’s heart as he anticipates being with God’s people in God’s house. Is that us? Is there this wonderful spirit of anticipation and excitement that starts on Friday and builds through the weekend? And when Sunday morning dawns, do we have that “giddy excitement” that we get to go to church and be with our forever family? I hope so. It is God’s desire for us as well as His command to us (Hebrews 10:25). So, if the Lord’s Day is going to be a happy day filling us with anticipation and being faithful to it, two things must grip our hearts and move our wills.

First, faithfulness to church is a command, not an option. It is a clear command of God and that for our good. He sanctifies or sets apart one day of the week that we would give over for spiritual purposes and spiritual rest. And that not alone. We need it. God knows we need it and has instituted it for our spiritual well-being. If we have a low view of church and find ourselves more absent than in attendance, we are failing to see God’s view of His church and His command of us to be there. And should we exercise low obedience to this command of church attendance, we will also have low obedience, even disobedience to other commands. It will show. We will become worldly and lukewarm.

Next, faithfulness to church is one of God’s primary ways for us to love and minister to one another. We cannot love in words only, but actions and primarily actions of being together in the things of the Lord – His Word, prayer, service, and worship. We simply cannot say to a brother or sister, “I love you” and not spend much time together. Imagine that in a marriage. What would my wife think is the sincerity of my love if I say, “Joy, I love you very much” and then spend little time, or neglect time, with her? The same applies in our churches. Friends, every Lord’s Day is our God-given privilege and responsibility to love one another by being with one another. Presence matters. A lot. We cannot love at a distance.

Okay. It is Monday. May the Lord help start preparing us for the coming Lord’s Day by deepening our love for His church and our commitment to be there unless hindered by things outside our control. It matters a lot – to our God and in our spiritual walks with Him.

PRAYER: “Father, thank You for Your wisdom in giving me to Your Son as a member of His body; the church.”

QUOTE: “The Lord’s Day is to be the best day for the Christian. It is our weekly family reunion with our forever family.”