Last week my husband and I spent a week vacationing in the Dominican Republic. It was a great rest for both of us. We were fortunate enough to meet some new friends who are currently missionaries there. One is a fellow blogger.  It was such a blessing to meet people who are helping people in the most practical ways, right where the rubber meets the road. People who are not afraid to get their hands dirty when reaching down to help others in some pretty dark places. It encouraged me to do more.

Meeting with fellow believers should do just that. If we are fulfilling the plan God has for our lives it should encourage others to do the same.  We need each other. We all have times of discouragement and difficulty but God has provided us with a very large family! A family we can turn to for support, encouragement and love. A family of likeminded people who can keep us grounded in the Word of God and keep us in check should we begin to wander into the wider path.

Though our relationship with Christ must be personal, He has given us a large family for support, correction, love and to labor alongside of. The Word of God tells us just how important it is that we maintain relationship with our spiritual family.

Hebrews 10:23-25 NIV ²³ Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, ²⁵ not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

When we look around us today we can be assured that the Day of Christ’s return is not that far off. It is so important that as the days grow more evil, we spur one another on toward love and good deeds. There will be times we will feel discouraged with what we see happening but that is not the time to stop sharing the gospel, doing good deeds or being the hands and feet of Christ. It will be the time to spur one another on!  We must not give up meeting together. As the Lord’s return draws closer we must stop making excuses of why we cannot get to church, or bible study or any other gathering of the body of Christ. There is nothing more important than growing in our faith and doing His works! We need one another’s support and wisdom.  And lastly, we must encourage one another all the more as time passes. God has created each of us with a need for others. He did not create us to be an island of our own. We need to be available and supportive to our brothers and sisters in Christ for prayer, sharing of the Word and fellowship.

Lord I pray today that You will reveal to us how important it is that we hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, our hope in the return of our beautiful Savior! Open our eyes to see how important it is that we spur on one another in good deeds! Help us to realize the importance of meeting regularly with our church families! Help us to encourage one another as You would encourage us Lord.  Let us not be found sleeping when You return, but let us be found busy doing Your works inside the church and outside the church.

In the precious name of Jesus we pray, Amen.