He "threw himself into the sea" John 21:7


He threw himself into the sea. Talk about loving enthusiasm! I sometimes wonder if those of us who grow up going to church can really understand this. I'm not a morning person, takes me a while to get going and even longer to be smiling, so I can honestly say I've never "thrown" myself into my car in excitement to get to church. 

How are your Sundays? Do you get excited to hear the preaching of the gospel? I think perhaps more of us spend our mornings either fighting the kids to get ready on time or scrambling to get out the door. There's no enthusiasm, only frustration, or even just going through the motions in habit. Have we lost our perspective? The church is where we hear the word of God, it's God's house, and we get to meet Him in worship! Should we not be like Peter and have such a strong desire to meet our Lord that we are eager and excited to go? I know I definitely fall short in this. I don't really do anything with enthusiasm, but should I not at least be eager and thankful I have the opportunity to go? The reality is that when you do something regularly, it's easy to just do it out of habit, or even forget why you're doing it. I think sometimes we need to remind ourselves that it is a privilege and a blessing to worship together in the house of God.

If we look at the Psalms, we can see how we, perhaps, ought to feel about it: "How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God." (Psalm 84:1-2 ESV). "My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord". Do you feel the same longing? His heart and flesh sing for joy! Do you find yourself singing in joy? "I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the LORD!'" (Psalm 122:1 ESV). Are you glad to go to church in the morning? Or is it simply something you do because you know it's what's right? 

There are many differing opinions on whether we should have one or two services on Sundays, and while I've heard many of them, I have a question that's given me some perspective: if we have the blessing and opportunity to meet God in His house to worship, why would we not want to? What is more important than getting to have fellowship with our God? I find that one of our human tendencies is to take something like this for granted, until it's taken away. There are many places where Christians are forbidden to meet, forbidden to have worship services. I imagine those Christians would "throw" themselves into the sea in loving enthusiasm should they get the opportunity. 

God often reminds me how much of a privilege it truly is. When my body fails me, and I haven't been able to attend, I feel the loss of fellowship deeply. I truly miss being in the midst of fellow believers, singing praises to God. I love it when I hear a voice belting out a song as loud as they can (even if they're sometimes off-key), it always makes me smile. Despite my lack of enthusiasm, I wonder, is that calm desire enough? 

David speaks of how desirable God's house is when he says, "For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness." (Psalm 84:10 ESV).

How must we think about God's house? The Bible tells us to, "Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!" (Psalm 100:4 ESV)

I think, perhaps, sometimes our ideas of decorum interfere. Sometimes we can be very solemn in our desire to be respectful, but I think there's room for some change. How great would it be to walk into church and see smiling faces, people greeting each other in love, and then singing together with passion to praise God! I'm not saying it doesn't happen; I've seen plenty of enthusiasm in some churches. I just wonder if we all just need a reminder now and then of how great a privilege it truly is to be able to greet our God in worship and have fellowship with His children. I know I fall short, and I pray that God will help me be a better example. I pray that others will feel my love and joy for God's house.

"Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!" (Psalm 95:1-2 ESV)

May your Sundays be filled with an eager desire to hear God's word, to have fellowship with other believers, and to lift your voice in praise and thanksgiving for the privilege we have to attend the house of God.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Disappointment

Image
Have you ever felt disappointed in God? Something happens in life that you can’t understand, and it makes you feel let down that God allowed it to happen. Sounds pretty awful, but hear me out. I always wanted children, but when I received them, it was nothing like I had imagined. God blessed me with nine children; however, He chose to call every one of them home to Himself before I could even meet them. When I was pregnant with our last child, I ended up carrying her for the longest time. I got to a point where I thought perhaps I would be allowed to keep this one. But God had other plans, and my little girl was called to her heavenly home long before I was ready. My disappointment and hurt were harder to endure than anything else in my life. God gave me what I wanted, but I felt He took them away too soon. I was devastated and disappointed that God would let me go through the same loss and pain so many times and still not let me keep and raise a child. I was disappointed that He waite...
Read more

Cleanse me, oh God!

Image
As a child, I often liked to play outside. Like many kids, I liked making mud pies and playing with dirt. There's several ways children will play; some get right down on their hands and knees or even sit right in the mud. They're not afraid to get dirty. Some, like me, liked to play with the mud but didn't really want to get filthy. I would crouch down and use sticks and occasionally use my hands. I wanted to have fun but didn't really want to get messy. Then, there are still other children who don't want to play with mud or have anything to do with getting dirty. But you can never truly avoid all puddles, especially when it's raining. In a way, you can compare the mud to sin. Some people wallow in their sin, loving every minute and not caring how dirty they get. Others want to have the fun and pleasure sin can bring but don't want to get too dirty. It's just a little fun. And then there are those who, by God's grace, strive to live a life apart from...
Read more

A Study of Grace Part 2

Image
Nehemiah 9:16-31 16  “But they and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not obey your commandments.  17  They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. [ c ]  But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them.  18  Even when they had made for themselves a golden [ d ]  calf and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and had committed great blasphemies,  19  you in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud to lead them in the way did not depart from them by day, nor the pillar of fire by night to light for them the way by which they should go.  20  You gave your good Spirit to instruct them and...
Read more