Longing

Psalm 143:6 I stretch out my hands to You; My soul longs for You, as a parched land. Selah.

All is quiet on an early Sunday morn. No one is up. The streets are empty. The stores are empty. The diners are empty. No church bells are ringing. No laughter or singing is emanating from the Church. No welcome from the pulpit. No Church potluck. No gathering in groups.

A lot of people ask what is up with the church gathering? We as a church body long to gather, to embrace, to encourage, to support, and to fellowship with one another. We long for those monthly potlucks where we get a chance to grow closer to each other and God. We long for God’s Word to be delivered from the pulpit. It states in the book of Deuteronomy 31:12-13 that when Moses delivered God's Word the Israelites' gathered, "Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that [is] within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law." We are a body that gathers.

We are also a body that longs for things to be back to normal as they once were before the Coronavirus. A time where pastors are not arrested for giving a sermon from the church parking lot. A time where pastors are not disrupted by the police during Church service while reading from the Bible. A time where children are allowed to sit next to their mom or dad in a church service and not forced to sit 6 feet apart.

In truth, it is not just about social gathering, but it is a deep, longing desire to hear God’s Word. Our souls are empty and lost without God’s Word. We gather to hear His Word, to share His Word, and to live His Word. As it says in Psalm 119:20 our souls are crushed with longing for our Lord, "My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times." At all times, but now, due to these hard and difficult times, we have had to learn how to adapt to hear God's Word and share God’s Word. How fortunate and blessed are those brothers and sisters, who have been able to attend a drive-in church, or attend online church services.

However, there are the elderly, the sick, the disabled, or those being persecuted who have no means to hear or see God’s Word online or in a church parking lot. But they do have God’s Holy Word tucked within their hearts. Praise God! 

These times may seem to be similar to a past Nazi-like era, like nothing some of us have ever witnessed before. Yet God’s Word tells us times like these are coming as in Luke 21:36, “Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.” We are to be alert and watch for the signs of the times. Whatever happens in the world, God has a plan, and God has a way of getting His message out into the world for all to hear. They may ban us from gathering at the church, but they will never stop the spread of the Gospel. As in the book of Matthew 24:14 tells us, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

Yes, the Gospel will reach all nations! Whether it is being heard online, or in a church parking lot, or from 6 feet away, His message will go forth and spread out like a wildfire. We pray His message will stir up souls. We pray that His message will stir up a revival like none witnessed before. But most importantly, we must remain alert, steadfast, and faithful as we long for our Lord’s return.

Heavenly Father,
We thank you for Your Word. We pray that You would ignite a fire in people's souls, that there would be a calling, and a longing to hear Your Word. We pray that knees will bow and that repentance will pour out from all nations. We pray that you will give brothers and sisters strength, courage, and boldness to continue to share Your Word to all nations. We ask this in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Love and Blessings,
Carol