And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.
--Acts 21:17 (NKJV)
From the daily Bible reading on March 19, 2013 of Psalm 56; Acts 21:17-40; Numbers 22-23:12.
Paul had just completed his third missionary journey and returned to Jerusalem accompanied by Luke and others. He and Luke had been away a long time, around three years for Paul. The scripture tells us when they returned they were received gladly. After a long time away and having endured many hardships, they were welcomed home with open arms by their brothers.
It's always good to get back home after we've been away for a while. Nothing seems quite so comfortable as our own bed or favorite chair. And it is especially good to get back to our home church after an extended absence. We are warmly greeted with hugs before and after the service. As Luke described the homecoming he and Paul felt, we are received gladly.
We Christians are usually pretty good at welcoming people back who've not been in church for a period of time. Whether they've been gone due to an illness or vacation or work demands, we try our best to let them know they were missed, and in that way show them that they are loved. We sometimes even do a good job of welcoming visitors, folks we don't even know and may never see again. But what about those brothers and sisters in Christ that we see week in and week out? These are the same good people, maybe even dear friends, that fill the pews every Sunday, that bring a dish and a dessert to every covered dish dinner, that serve on committees and help do the dirty work of the church. Do we welcome them when we see them? How do we show them our love? Let's all try to make an extra effort to do just that, to show everyone in our church family just how much we truly love them. Let's not wait until they've been gone for a while. Let's start today. Amen.
Jesus Lord and Savior, we know how much You love us. And we know You want us to return Your love by loving each other just as You love us. But sometimes, Lord, we tend to take each other for granted, especially when we're around each other all the time. Help us, please, to remember just how dear others in our church family are to us, how much we appreciate everything they do for our church, how much they truly mean to us. And help us show that love in a way they will recognize and feel. In Your sweet name, Jesus, we pray. Amen.
It's always good to get back home after we've been away for a while. Nothing seems quite so comfortable as our own bed or favorite chair. And it is especially good to get back to our home church after an extended absence. We are warmly greeted with hugs before and after the service. As Luke described the homecoming he and Paul felt, we are received gladly.
We Christians are usually pretty good at welcoming people back who've not been in church for a period of time. Whether they've been gone due to an illness or vacation or work demands, we try our best to let them know they were missed, and in that way show them that they are loved. We sometimes even do a good job of welcoming visitors, folks we don't even know and may never see again. But what about those brothers and sisters in Christ that we see week in and week out? These are the same good people, maybe even dear friends, that fill the pews every Sunday, that bring a dish and a dessert to every covered dish dinner, that serve on committees and help do the dirty work of the church. Do we welcome them when we see them? How do we show them our love? Let's all try to make an extra effort to do just that, to show everyone in our church family just how much we truly love them. Let's not wait until they've been gone for a while. Let's start today. Amen.
Jesus Lord and Savior, we know how much You love us. And we know You want us to return Your love by loving each other just as You love us. But sometimes, Lord, we tend to take each other for granted, especially when we're around each other all the time. Help us, please, to remember just how dear others in our church family are to us, how much we appreciate everything they do for our church, how much they truly mean to us. And help us show that love in a way they will recognize and feel. In Your sweet name, Jesus, we pray. Amen.
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