I gathered together with a bunch of women at my house. Some came bringing babies slung to their chests, many came with a brood toddlers and plethora of diaper bags, while still others came with energetic young boys and girls who played hard. Some even came without kids just so they could also gather together.
I was reminded of the promise of Jesus in Matthew 18:20,
"Where two or three are gathered in My name, I am there among them."
What a sweet promise that is! A promise that is felt, a promise that is held, and a promise that is Truth. Each of these women gathered together today to be together, but the common bond that pulled us all together was the Truth of that promise...Jesus, by His Holy Spirit, was among us.
"Gathered" is literally translated "to come together, to meet" and specifically in this verse, gathering at a place is inferred in the Greek. So today we came together, we met at a place, and we ate delicious food and drank hot coffee and savoured sweet conversation that propelled us into new and deeper relationships. All the while, He was present because He promised to be. The very presence of the very God who promised to be with us, was with us as we gathered. How often we forget that truth! That whenever we get together in the name of Jesus, He is present.
Wouldn't it be great to embrace this truth in our everyday lives? Would we act differently, think differently, speak differently, if we truly embraced this truth? We need to remember that each and every time we gather - we come together - Christ is there in our midst. He listens, He encourages, He consoles, He strengthens, He invites, He bonds, He embraces...because He promised He would. He promised He would be among us. The Greek translation for "among" is literally "in, or within".
So when we gather, Christ promises to be within us.
Sometimes, like the context for this verse, we need to gather together for the benefit and good of our friends. But sometimes we need to gather together for the benefit and good of ourselves too. Gathering combats loneliness. Gathering creates community. And in community we can challenge and restore and encourage and love. And in community I can be challenged, restored, encouraged and loved.
Gathering together is good for our Soul. It is good for the body of Christ. It is good for His Church. Because it speaks Truth into our lives when we need it most and it helps us listen and hear the voice of God that is within us. It intersects our lives with others, even if just for a few hours. It allows us to breathe deep His Truth and spread wide His Love. It causes us to both give and receive.
I recognize that gathering requires action - a decision to do it and then a commitment to be a part of it. Sometimes it is hard because it forces us out of our comfort zones. Sometimes our expectations are unmet, and we feel alone in a room full of people. Sometimes gathering is painful and hard because the reason we have had to gather is one that brings heartache and sorrow. It is not happy. It is not loving. We do not feel embraced and encouraged. But the truth is, He is still present even in the sorrow and the heartache and the pain. Even when we are feeling lonely in the crowd, He is still present. Because He is ever-present and He has promised to be with us - the be within us. Breathe deep of His promise that He will "never leave you nor forsake you". The Message puts Hebrews 13:5 this way,
"Since God assures us, "I'll never let you down, never walk off and leave you", we can boldly quote, God is there, ready to help. I am fearless, no matter what."
Be fearless no matter what.
When gathering together seems overwhelming, remember that you can be fearless...
no matter what...
because Christ has promised to be within you when you gather together in His name.
And besides that, it can be a whole lot of fun.
