Let's Go to His House!

Homer Simpson, the incorrigible animated character and patriarch of the Simpson clan, once said, "I'm having the best day of my life, and I owe it all to not going to Church!" Funny to some I'm sure, and perhaps reflective of the thoughts of others. In an increasingly secular society, and given the negative news reports on various scandals involving some in the Church, it is no surprise that some see places of worship has having little or no relevance in their lives. For some, it is a Sunday morning ritual, while for others, there are token visits for baby dedications, weddings, and funerals, if any at all.

For Christians who are passionately in love with the Lord, and enjoying their relationship with Him, nothing could be further from the truth. Even when physically and/or mentally tired, the inner man looks forward to those times of worship and fellowship with other believers. As Matthew Henry wrote, "It is the will of God that we should worship him in concert, that many should join together to wait upon him in public ordinances. We ought to worship God in our own houses, but that is not enough; we must go into the house of the Lord, to pay our homage to him there, and not forsake the assembling of ourselves together....for the honour of God and for our mutual edification and encouragement." To add to that, I also believe that Church should be our place of refuge from life's storms; the place where we can be properly restored, renewed, strengthened, and encouraged.

Those are some of the reasons I can fully appreciate David's delight when he wrote, "I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the LORD!'" (Psalm 122:1, KJV), or as The Message translation puts it, "When they said, 'Let's go to the house of God,' my heart leaped for joy." Perhaps in our own experiences, we have not always "leaped for joy", but there is something special about going to the house of God that provoke our hearts to be there. Yes, it may be challenging to see some of those hard-to-love people, but it is not about them. It is about going to meet with God - to worship, praise, and to hear Him speak through the Word.

How do you feel when it's time for Church? Yes, it really does matter!