PREVIEW: What is it about the house of the Lord that is so healing? Obviously, God’s presence is magnified in the place of worship and in the collective praise of his people. Likewise, the house of God is full of faithful friends — people who will encourage you, pray for you, help you in tangible ways, and if nothing else, put an arm around you and walk empathetically through your “valley of the shadow of death.” That’s why the Scripture tells us that especially when the going gets tough, we should get going to church. Hebrews 10:25 exhorts us, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” For sure, you were fashioned for fellowship — so don’t miss out on it, not this week or any other week going forward.
A Journey of Worship // Psalm 27:4
One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.
I have often heard preachers say that they would rather be in church than in the best hospital in the world. Not much of a choice, I suppose, but there is truth in that statement. The house of the Lord is truly the best place in the world to be — in good times and bad. It is truly our safe house.
It is there in the house of God that we find shelter in the time of storm. David understood that. That is why when calamity was all around him, he asked God for just one thing: To dwell in the Lord’s house, for there, “in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.” (Psalm 27:5)
What is it about the house of the Lord that is so healing? Obviously, God’s presence is magnified in the place of worship and in the collective praise of his people. Likewise, the house of God is full of faithful friends — people who will encourage you, pray for you, help you in tangible ways, and if nothing else, put an arm around you and walk empathetically through your “valley of the shadow of death.”
That’s why the Scripture tells us that especially when the going gets tough, we should get going to church. Hebrews 10:25 exhorts us, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
I’ve noticed that some people don’t do that. When things go bad, they go south. They pull away from the one place they ought to lean into — the church. Let me encourage you: Don’t be one of those types. Whether in good times or in bad — especially in bad times — lean into God and get vitally connected to God’s people.
Build your life around the church. Make his house your house. I’m telling you, from my experience in life, that is the safest place on earth. Oh, and if you don’t believe me, just ask David! He would remind you that his personal experience will be yours, too:
It made me glad when they said, ‘Let’s go to the house of the Lord!’
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