Gathering Together
Let us not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some,
but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:25
Today's Bible Reading: Hebrews 10:19–25.
Denmark is among the happiest countries in the world, according to the World Happiness Report. The Danes endure their lengthy, dark winters by gathering with friends to share a warm drink or a gracious meal. The word they use for the feelings associated with those moments is hygge. Hygge helps them offset the impact of enjoying less sunlight than their counterparts at lower latitudes. By gathering around a simple table with loved ones, their hearts are nourished.
The writer of Hebrews encourages gathering together as a community. He acknowledges that there will be difficult days, with challenges far more significant than the weather, requiring those who follow Christ to persevere in the faith. Though the Lord Jesus has made certain our acceptance by God through our faith in the Saviour, we may struggle against shame or doubt or real opposition. By gathering together, we have the privilege of encouraging one another. When we are sharing company, we are able to “stir up love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24), which bolsters our faith .
Gathering with friends does not assure us of a ranking on a happiness report. It is, however, something the Bible offers as a means to bear us up in faith under the common frustrations of life. What a wonderful reason to seek out the community of a church! Or to open our homes, with an attitude of Danish simplicity, to nourish one another’s hearts.
Prayer
Thank You, God, that I can encourage other believers and be encouraged by them when we gather together. In Jesus precious name, I thank You. Amen.
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